Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Kusagakure
"Mm."
Uchiha Yu didn't care much and calmly said to Kabuto in front of him:
"Until you achieve something of value, follow Orochimaru. Become his assistant. Once you've learned enough, return to the Uchiha."
Everything had happened too fast.
Kabuto hadn't yet processed it.
His foster mother, Nonō, looked conflicted, worried that Kabuto might learn the wrong things under Orochimaru.
But she was also genuinely grateful to Yu for considering Kabuto's future. In that moment, she was even tempted to ask Kabuto to recognize Yu as his godfather.
Nonō quickly reminded him:
"Hurry and thank Lord Yu!"
Still confused and uneasy, Kabuto respectfully bowed again to Yu.
No matter what the future held, the fact that he was reunited with his foster mother was already a miracle in misfortune.
Yu had saved both him and Nonō—a debt like that was no different than being reborn.
---
RUMBLE—
The ground shook beneath them.
Everyone stood atop the head of the massive summoned serpent, gazing ahead. They could now see the chain of human towns scattered across the vast plains.
This was the border of the Land of Grass.
Kabuto pushed up his glasses and carefully studied the distant town. He guessed their destination was likely Kusagakure, and quietly made a decision in his heart.
Since he had already chosen to side with the Uchiha…
Then it was time to show his value.
Kabuto took a deep breath, straightened up, and took the initiative to share the intel he possessed:
"A long time ago, the Land of Grass established favorable diplomatic relations with Konoha. However, its internal politics have since become extremely corrupt.
The daimyo is indulgent and self-absorbed.
The Grass ninja village is divided internally.
They specialize in researching foreign jutsu and stealing it for their own use. The village has around 2,000 ninjas, most of whom are genin. There are less than a hundred chunin and only a handful of jonin.
The current leader is named Kusama, male, around thirty years old. He's skilled in Earth Release and harbors ambition, but lacks the strength to back it up.
This is Kusagakure's defensive deployment map."
As he spoke, Kabuto lowered his guard, took out a scroll from his ninja pouch, released the seal, and handed it to Yu.
The Uchiha around him were visibly impressed.
They looked at the seemingly weak Kabuto with new eyes.
To have gathered so much intelligence on Akatsuki alone already proved his worth.
Yu took the defense map, gave it a glance, and passed it to Nanpu and the others.
"Big bro, some of the ninjas who ambushed us during the Valley of Judgment were from Kusagakure," Tamao reminded.
He hadn't been joking when he said they needed to remember everyone who had joined the ambush.
"Oh?" Yu said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Then prepare yourselves. We're wiping out the village."
His voice was calm. Cold.
Everyone reacted differently.
Only the Uchiha showed clear excitement—thrilled that they could go on the offensive again. Each one studied Kabuto's map seriously, preparing for battle.
"This…"
Kabuto's face darkened. He turned to look at Nonō beside him. She simply shook her head in resignation.
The Battle of the Valley of Sanctions had made one thing clear:
All those who pursued the Sharingan and tried to wipe out the Uchiha… should have expected brutal retaliation if the Uchiha survived.
"Hehe… interesting," Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. A wicked grin played across his androgynous face. "To destroy a village on a whim… this ally suits me perfectly."
"Such mad Uchiha…"
Terumi Mei looked at Yu's back. Her beautiful eyes shimmered.
She was glad Kirigakure was currently too unstable to participate in the hunt for the Uchiha. If they had, that crimson demon god would've surely appeared in the Land of Water and turned his blade on them all.
"Yu-kun, what about Karin and her mother?" Orochimaru suddenly asked.
"As soon as the battle breaks out, they'll appear. Taking them away doesn't conflict with destroying the Grass Ninja Village," Uchiha Yu replied calmly.
Orochimaru nodded.
Uchiha Yu began formulating the battle plan. This wasn't a rash decision made on a whim.
After listening to Kabuto's report on the Grass Ninja Village's numbers, Uchiha Yu realized something important.
Until his spiritual power and physical strength reached a point where he no longer needed external support to activate the "Complete Susanoo,"
Unless he fought a great nation on his own,
It would be nearly impossible to gather another ten thousand ninjas to activate the Complete Susanoo again.
However, before collecting the Tailed Beasts, after acquiring Itachi's Susanoo, Uchiha Yu had a solution for his chakra shortage.
That was the Totsuka Blade, which could seal people into an illusory sealing world. That world was vast and boundless; once sealed inside, those ninjas could become mobile chakra sources for him, available for use at will.
To prevent Itachi from unsealing them,
Uchiha Yu planned to use "sealing techniques" to block Itachi's access to the illusion world inside the Totsuka Blade, as well as his ability to release the seals within it.
With that done,
Even if Itachi could still use Susanoo, the Totsuka Blade would only be capable of sealing others—it couldn't unseal them, nor peer into the illusion world.
Once Itachi used the Totsuka Blade, he would essentially be helping Uchiha Yu collect mobile chakra batteries.
As for where to get these sealing techniques…
That was also why Uchiha Yu wanted to find Karin and her mother. By locating them, there was a high chance of finding other members of the Uzumaki Clan,
And through them, acquiring various sealing techniques.
The strategy was set.
The tactics were simple: the Uchiha would only need to drive any fleeing Grass Ninjas back into the village. Uchiha Yu would handle the rest of the battle.
Rumble—
The earth trembled.
At a border outpost in the Land of Grass, two Grass Ninjas were keeping watch over the plains.
They felt the ground shake. When they saw the massive brown summoning serpent, their faces turned pale in terror and they shouted,
"Enemy attack!!"
"Enemy attack!!"
The Land of Grass wasn't very large. It took three days on foot for a ninja to travel from Konoha to Sunagakure, but only half a day to cross the Land of Grass.
This had once been a main battlefield during the Third Great Ninja War—Konoha and Iwagakure's backyard. Either village could come and go as they pleased.
Now, it welcomed the Uchiha.
Inside the towns of the Land of Grass, old buildings stood clustered together, the streets were complex and twisted, wooden houses everywhere.
With the first explosion echoing across the sky, war ignited. Harrowing screams followed one after another.
In the Grass Ninja Village.
Bang—
A dull thud echoed as several lightly injured Grass Ninjas kicked open the door of a rundown wooden house.
Moments later,
They dragged out a frail woman, yanking on her striking short red hair, cursing angrily:
"Damn you, the village is under attack and you pretend to be sick to avoid your duty?"
"You and your daughter eat our food, live off the village—now it's your turn to give back!"
"Let me take the first bite."
"I'm more injured, I go first!"
As the red-haired woman was dragged outside, countless wounded Grass Ninjas in the streets, looking like starving men who'd just found salvation, had their eyes light up green and rushed forward.
"Mama—!"
Little Karin clung tightly to her mother Kanna's lower body, but a violent kick struck her stomach and sent her flying.
Slap!
"Ugh…"
Karin grimaced in pain, gritting her teeth as she rolled across the ground, finally laying facedown. She squinted through the pain, watching her mother overwhelmed by Grass Ninjas.
"Uwaaah!!!"
Karin struggled to her feet, her face twisted with rage, screaming like a wild animal.
"Die! All of you—just die!"
"Awoo—!!"
Her crimson eyes widened, and she lunged at the Grass Ninja who had kicked her, sinking her teeth into his thigh with all her strength.
"Argh!"
The ninja howled in pain and reflexively kicked, sending her flying again.
"You damn brat!"
The Grass Ninja turned and cursed.
Seeing that it was Karin collapsed against a wall, no longer able to resist, he suddenly looked thrilled. He ran forward, grabbed her red hair, lifted her up, and said excitedly,
"You filthy mutt, still have the nerve to bite me? You're that woman's daughter—biting you should give the same chakra and healing effect!"
Karin, dazed, stared at her mother who lay on the ground, captured and helpless. She mumbled weakly, "Die… all of you… die…"
It was as if the heavens had heard her wish.
A calm, gentle voice rang beside her ear, simple and firm:
"Okay."
Orange-red flames ignited behind her. The Grass Ninja holding her widened his eyes in shock.
"Ugh…"
He slowly looked down and was stunned to find a burning, otherworldly longsword piercing through his chest.
His body twisted, then turned into energy and was absorbed, sealed by the flaming sword.
Karin's red pupils trembled violently.
"A ghost—it's a ghost!!"
"Ahhh!!"
"Scatter!!"
Turning around, the rest of the Grass Ninjas froze in place, their bloodshot eyes bulging, jaws hanging open. They stopped their looting as if they'd just seen the most terrifying evil spirit in existence, and scattered in panic.
°°°
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