Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 245: Balance of Yin and Yang:

In the face of Tonari, Kakuzu, Kisame, and Akaya, the Mist ninjas stood no chance without a Kage-level powerhouse among them.

The three didn't even bother defending themselves, focusing solely on offense.

Tonari had the initial form of Susanoo, Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear made him nearly unkillable, and Kisame relied on Samehada to replenish his chakra and heal rapidly.

Three reckless Kage-level fighters unleashed catastrophic destruction.

Eventually, only one survivor remained among the two hundred Mist ninjas—Ao, a veteran jonin of the Mist Village with considerable influence and authority.

Tonari dispelled his Susanoo.

His body swayed slightly. He couldn't deny the immense chakra consumption of maintaining Susanoo with the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Even with his enhanced body, it was taxing.

Of course, the prolonged activation contributed to the exhaustion.

Moreover, the lack of Uchiha blood in his veins further exacerbated the strain.

However, the activation of Hashirama cells mitigated some of the burden, while the Yin chakra from the Two-Tails helped replenish his chakra reserves.

Thus, while Tonari faced greater resistance than a pure Uchiha, the strain was far less than expected.

Compared to Kakashi, who would collapse after a single Kamui usage, Tonari operated like a fully blooded Uchiha.

Exhaling slowly, he activated his cellular regeneration. Hashirama cells flooded his body with vibrant chakra, dispelling fatigue.

He turned to the bound and grim-faced Ao.

From beneath his Mist Anbu mask, Tonari smiled.

"You're a senior jonin of the Mist. Your words carry weight, don't they?" he teased.

"Hmph." Ao merely snorted, resolute in his loyalty to the Mist.

Tonari chuckled. "No need to talk. Just do me a small favor."

His Sharingan spun.

Sensing danger, Ao instinctively met Tonari's gaze—and immediately collapsed into unconsciousness.

Tonari removed his mask and rubbed his eyes.

Dryness prickled his vision.

"I'd better minimize Susanoo usage until I find a way to replenish my ocular power. The strain is immense. I don't want to end up like Itachi—half-blind and constantly fatigued."

Turning to Kisame, Tonari instructed, "Release him."

Kisame hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I've already modified his memories."

Tonari explained, "His will was strong—strong enough to resist partial tampering. So, I sealed the unalterable parts with Uzumaki sealing techniques and rewrote the rest with genjutsu. He'll act according to our needs now."

Combining the Mangekyō's genjutsu with Uzumaki sealing techniques yielded astounding results, enabling memory manipulation.

Of course, this technique consumed significant ocular power.

Currently, no one in the ninja world possessed both such potent ocular and sealing abilities—except Tonari. Even Uchiha Madara lacked expertise in sealing techniques.

Only someone of Madara's caliber could possibly undo Ao's memory seals.

Tonari's method resembled Sasori's Puppet Brainwashing Jutsu, except Sasori used fine sand threads while Tonari relied on sealing formulas.

Reassured, Kisame released Ao.

"Let's go. He'll wake up soon."

With that, Tonari flickered away, followed closely by Kakuzu and Kisame.

Thus, the nearly two hundred Mist ninjas were annihilated before even venturing deeper into the Land of Fire.

This catastrophic failure meant the Third Mizukage's ambitions were crushed. Tonari doubted the embattled Mizukage could muster another offensive.

To Tonari, the Mist's aggression stemmed more from Madara's manipulation than the Mizukage's own volition.

Now that the invasion had failed, reformists like Yagura would likely capitalize on the defeat to depose the Third Mizukage and end the Blood Mist era.

---

The trio reappeared in a damp mountain cave.

Inside, a girl lay motionless on the cave's only dry platform.

"Who is this…?" Kakuzu frowned, failing to recognize her despite his extensive knowledge of notable ninja.

Tonari's gaze softened as he confirmed the girl's safety.

Rin Nohara.

The girl most cherished by Kakashi and Obito, the object of Obito's love and Kakashi's promise.

Tonari had saved her from the Mist's clutches, preventing her forced transformation into the Three-Tails' jinchūriki—a key step in Madara's manipulation of Obito.

In this sense, Tonari was undoubtedly her benefactor.

"This girl is crucial," Tonari said quietly. "She's our trump card for the future. But she can't return to Konoha anytime soon. It's too dangerous, and her reappearance would raise unanswerable questions."

Tonari's words weren't mere speculation.

If Rin returned to Konoha, Danzo would be the first to target her.

After all, it was Danzo who orchestrated her capture to trade for intel on Tonari. If Rin returned alive while the intel remained unrecovered, Danzo would undoubtedly take extreme measures.

Then there was Uchiha Madara.

According to Madara's script, Rin was supposed to become the Three-Tails' jinchūriki and die by Kakashi's hand, awakening Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan.

If Rin returned alive, the entire narrative would unravel.

Who had Kakashi killed? Where had the Three-Tails gone?

More importantly, without Rin's death, Obito might deviate from Madara's carefully crafted path.

Thus, if Rin returned, both Danzo and Madara would conspire to eliminate her.

Not even Minato Namikaze could protect her indefinitely.

Moreover, Rin represented Tonari's best leverage against Obito.

Letting her fall into enemy hands would be uncharacteristic of Tonari's style. Keeping her under his control was the only option.

"I'll seal her original memories and implant a new identity," Tonari declared. "Kisame, Kakuzu—you'll escort her to the Land of Fields and keep her at the Akatsuki base. Without my permission, she mustn't leave."

Forming hand seals, Tonari began the intricate process.

Compared to altering Ao's memories, tampering with Rin's subconscious was far easier. Her willpower was weaker, and her unconscious state left her defenseless.

Kakuzu scowled, black threads writhing beneath his skin. "Akatsuki's becoming Tonari's orphanage," he grumbled.

Kisame, on the other hand, was unfazed.

After all, the organization had already sheltered a girl named Yuko, blessed with the Power of Jashin.

Yuko's regenerative abilities rendered her nearly immortal. Though her chakra sensitivity lagged, under Tonari's guidance, she had already attained genin-level strength.

With her resilience, even chunin-level opponents would struggle against her.

Now Rin joined the fold.

Kakuzu simply sighed, unsure what to make of Tonari's ever-growing collection of protégés.

Tonari, of course, didn't care about Kakuzu's thoughts.

Rin's memory modification demanded his full attention.

While Ao's tampering was a casual experiment, Rin's case was strategic—her fate intertwined with future conflicts.

Finally, Tonari exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Done. From today onward, her name is Muko, and she's officially my younger sister within the Akatsuki. Treat her as such," Tonari instructed.

"You can count on me, Tonari-san," Kisame replied without hesitation.

Kakuzu, less enthusiastic, muttered, "I'll just dump her on Kisame. Not my problem."

Tonari smiled wryly, unsurprised by their contrasting reactions.

"All right, you two can head back. The Third Shinobi War should be winding down soon. Kakuzu, keep an eye on Ōnoki of the Stone Village. A high-paying mission should surface soon."

Kakuzu grunted in acknowledgment. "Let's go, Kisame."

His mind already drifted to the profits he'd reaped from his last encounter with Ōnoki.

"Take care, Tonari-san," Kisame said, far more courteous than his partner.

Hoisting Samehada onto his back, Kisame cradled Rin in his arms and vanished alongside Kakuzu.

Tonari chuckled. "Kisame really is polite."

Once they departed, Tonari didn't follow.

Instead, he sat down on the platform where Rin had previously rested.

Several matters required confirmation.

Initially, he had intended to investigate earlier, but the chaotic events had delayed him.

Now, with everything settled, he could finally focus.

---

"Kamui is a space-time jutsu. Flying Thunder God is also a space-time jutsu. Now that I possess Kamui, can I awaken true spatial affinity?" Tonari wondered aloud.

Entering the Kamui dimension felt entirely natural, as though it were second nature.

The first time, he'd dismissed the sensation. But upon his second usage, Tonari realized he now grasped spatial folding and warping more intuitively.

More intriguingly, he could vaguely sense the existence of the Kamui dimension itself.

Was this passive spatial affinity? He needed to confirm.

Tonari had studied the Flying Thunder God Technique for years.

Only after delving into its complexities did he grasp how talent dictated success.

For Minato Namikaze, the jutsu was effortless. But for Tonari, each step was an uphill battle.

The jutsu's foundation lay in creating a personal Flying Thunder God formula, perceiving its presence, folding space, and teleporting through dimensional corridors.

This foundational step—Flying Thunder God: Stage One—had stumped Tonari for nearly two years.

Not even short-range teleportation succeeded.

According to Minato, Tonari possessed spatial sensitivity but lacked true spatial affinity.

While Tonari could contribute to a Flying Thunder Formation with multiple users—like Minato's elite guards—he couldn't execute the technique solo.

Minato had reassured him: "Don't rush. I've developed ideas for multi-user Flying Thunder formations. If that's your goal, you'll succeed eventually."

But Tonari wasn't satisfied with group-based teleportation.

"If I can't master Flying Thunder God alone, what's the point?" he had once scoffed, nearing the brink of abandonment.

But now, with Kamui's awakening, a new path emerged.

---

Tonari pressed his palm to the ground.

A unique formula glowed beneath his fingertips—a personalized Flying Thunder God seal.

Every user developed their own distinct pattern, and Tonari was no exception.

He closed his eyes, focusing.

Countless repetitions had made detecting his mark almost instinctual.

In an instant, he felt the seal's presence.

The sensation was familiar—akin to entering the Kamui dimension. An intuitive grasp of space, like muscle memory.

If an observer stood nearby, they'd witness Tonari's body flickering erratically, as though reality itself rejected his presence.

Yet, despite the rapid blinking, he remained rooted in place.

Tonari's brow furrowed.

Suddenly, an intense chakra surge exploded outward.

He flickered once more—this time, with a difference.

He moved.

Exactly ten centimeters forward.

Eyes snapping open, Tonari's crimson gaze gleamed.

He didn't need to look down to confirm success.

The sensation matched his Kamui usage perfectly.

Flying Thunder God: Stage One.

Though the distance was trivial, the breakthrough was monumental.

By preserving this feeling and refining his technique, complete mastery was now only a matter of time.

And time was a resource Tonari had in abundance.

"Kamui didn't enhance my spatial talent, nor did it heighten my sensitivity," Tonari deduced.

If Kamui truly boosted spatial affinity, Jiraiya—Madara's original pawn in another timeline—would have mastered Flying Thunder God long ago.

However, while Kamui didn't amplify talent, it did deepen Tonari's understanding of space.

"Finally… I've cracked Stage One. Now onward to Stage Two."

Currently, he could perceive moving marks but couldn't teleport to them.

---

"One last matter remains—more critical than Flying Thunder God itself."

Tonari hesitated.

This was not only vital but also perilous.

His Mangekyō's activation had awakened Hashirama cells, which now flourished within his body.

However, Hashirama cells were notoriously volatile without sufficient Yin chakra suppression. Left unchecked, they would overgrow, transforming the user into a literal tree.

Thus, the question arose: Could Tonari safely remove his Mangekyō Sharingan?

He retrieved his original right eye, carefully extracting the three-tomoe Sharingan and reinstalling his natural eye.

The difference was immediate.

Despite the Sharingan's power, nothing compared to the comfort of his own eye.

Rotating it slightly, Tonari noted minor dryness.

The downgrade from Mangekyō to normal vision was jarring. While the three-tomoe Sharingan lacked the Mangekyō's might, it remained a prized possession among Uchiha.

Many clan members spent lifetimes chasing three tomoe, often failing.

However, the moment Tonari removed the Mangekyō, his body reacted violently.

The Hashirama cells stirred restlessly.

"Still not stable. Without the Mangekyō's Yin chakra, the cells spiral out of control."

This was the unavoidable downside of his newfound power.

His body now demanded a delicate balance between Yin and Yang chakra.

Tonari sighed.

He had two options:

1. Achieve perfect energy equilibrium, allowing safe removal of the Mangekyō.

2. Conceal the Mangekyō entirely, avoiding detection.

Until then, returning to Konoha was out of the question.

Danzo would undoubtedly be the first to come knocking.

---

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