Naruto: The Ōtsutsuki Bloodline Development Manual

"Has he gone mad?"

Watching Sasori suddenly attack, Kisame Hoshigaki was baffled, but Itachi Uchiha seemed deep in thought.

"Most likely, he mistook that kid for Konoha's White Fang from back then. After all..."

The same short blade, the same white hair, and both were Konoha shinobi.

But most importantly, it was that blade—the weapon that had killed Sasori's parents.

"Inheriting the weapon means inheriting the title. Makes sense."

Kisame nodded. After all, he himself took pride in being one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. That brat couldn't really complain.

But whether or not the kid deserved it, Kisame was now the one with a headache.

Sasori had already engaged Kitagawa Minamoto in combat, and both Kakashi and Jiraiya seemed to trust the boy completely. Their gazes shifted toward Kisame and his group.

"Kakashi, it seems that guy has a grudge against your father," Jiraiya muttered softly, pursing his lips.

"Could he be from Sunagakure?"

Hatake Sakumo had once wreaked havoc in Sunagakure, nearly traumatizing an entire generation of Sand shinobi.

"Jiraiya-sama, this isn't the time for speculation."

Kakashi wasn't entirely sure, but he knew the animosity stemmed from the blade. Fixing his Sharingan on Itachi, he spoke in a low voice,

"Itachi Uchiha has the Mangekyō Sharingan. Leave him to me."

"Alright. I'll handle the shark-faced one."

Jiraiya nodded but couldn't help adding a reminder,

"Be careful. We're in Iwagakure's territory. We can't afford to drag this out. Focus on gathering intel and understanding the situation. Got it?"

"Understood."

Kakashi nodded and charged straight at Itachi, blue lightning crackling around the kunai in his hand.

"This is trouble," Itachi thought to himself.

If he hadn't noticed the mark on that kunai earlier, thanks to the sunlight's reflection, he might've been taken out instantly.

But activating Susano'o wasn't doing him any favors either. He could already feel a dull ache swelling in his eyes.

"Our last battle ended unresolved," Kakashi said coldly, thrusting his kunai toward Itachi.

"This time, let's finish it!"

"Shark-face, I've got some questions for you!"

While Kakashi launched his assault, Jiraiya sidestepped to confront Kisame, who had already drawn his massive Samehada.

"How troublesome. But I've always wanted to test the strength of one of the legendary Sannin!"

The three pairs of fighters clashed, leaving Deidara standing off to the side, looking utterly confused.

"Wait a second... weren't those three here for me? How did I suddenly become irrelevant?"

"Whatever. I'll just watch and see what happens. Hm."

Deidara's gaze shifted to Kitagawa Minamoto. Though it was only for a moment, he was certain he wasn't mistaken.

This person—he had the same artistic spirit as Deidara himself!

"Are you sure you've got the right person?"

Minamoto dodged the tail strike from Hiruko and raised an eyebrow, asking in confusion.

"And if we're being honest, my teacher, Hatake Kakashi, is the son of Hatake Sakumo. He's right over there."

"You carry his blade; therefore, you've inherited his name."

Sasori snorted coldly. Hiruko's mouth opened wide, unleashing a barrage of poisoned senbon.

"If Kakashi is here, all the better. Once I'm done with you, I'll deal with him next. Both of you will make excellent additions to my collection!"

"Is that so?"

Minamoto raised one hand, and a wall of earth rose from the ground, blocking the poisoned senbon.

In the next moment, a short blade crackling with purple lightning pierced through the earth wall, flying straight at him!

"You sure talk big for someone like you."

Not only the blade, but Minamoto's voice also echoed right in Sasori's ear.

Buzz!

With a single strike, Sasori's body crumbled instantly!

"Yes! That's it!"

Off to the side, Deidara was visibly thrilled. He paid no attention to the fact that three pairs of powerful shinobi were locked in battle, any of which could accidentally kill him with a stray attack.

"Ah, what a shame. When did that guy manage to dodge? Such a pity!"

The crumbled body of Sasori quickly faded in color, transforming into flowing sand.

"A sand clone!"

Knowing that Minamoto possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, Sasori had come prepared.

He understood that Hiruko alone wouldn't be enough to defeat Minamoto, so he had to take this fight seriously.

"You're lucky. Before you become part of my collection, let me show you one of my favorite pieces of art."

On the other side of the battlefield, Sasori's figure reappeared. Standing beside him was a human puppet, and on the ground lay a scroll marked with the character "Three."

Black iron sand quickly enveloped both him and the puppet of the Third Kazekage.

When dealing with the Flying Thunder God Technique, defense was paramount. Only by maintaining an impenetrable defense could he hope to gain the upper hand.

"Is that... the Third Kazekage?"

Even Kakashi and Jiraiya, who were locked in their own battles, noticed the scene. Both were deeply shocked.

"The Third Kazekage disappeared before the Third Great Ninja War. His disappearance was what triggered the war. Could this guy be the culprit?"

"Is he really from Sunagakure?"

A shinobi from the Sand Village, assassinating his own Kage and turning him into a puppet—how deep did this grudge run?

What kind of organization was this Akatsuki, filled with such terrifying individuals?

But there was no time to dwell on these questions. Their opponents were no pushovers either.

Jiraiya, however, had faith in Minamoto.

"That kid, with Sage Mode and the Flying Thunder God Technique, even if he can't win, no one in the ninja world can stop him from escaping."

Jiraiya was fully confident in Minamoto's abilities. He was certain the boy would surpass even the Fourth Hokage.

"The Third Kazekage?"

Minamoto raised an eyebrow. The defense reminded him of Gaara's techniques.

"So, you're the one responsible for triggering the Third Great Ninja War."

"What do you think?"

Sasori couldn't be bothered to explain. Under his control, the iron sand formed countless fine black needles, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

In an instant, a wave of iron sand surged toward Minamoto like a tidal wave.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"

Faced with the oncoming attack, Minamoto didn't even flinch. Just before the iron sand struck, his body dispersed into a puff of smoke.

"A shadow clone?"

Sasori frowned slightly. In the next moment, Minamoto's voice rang out from behind him.

"That's right. I noticed your sand clone earlier. I just gave you a chance to show off."

Gathering intel was important, and letting Jiraiya and Kakashi witness the Third Kazekage's puppet was a valuable opportunity.

"Now then..."

As Sasori turned abruptly, Minamoto's body suddenly emitted a natural energy aura.

In an instant, a powerful energy surged around him. His short hair swayed, and red markings appeared around his eyes. His pupils turned white.

"Pseudo-Sage Mode, activate!"

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wall!"

Without hesitation, Sasori commanded the iron sand to form a sturdy barrier, shielding himself and the puppet of the Third Kazekage.

Boom!

The temple shook violently as a massive explosion erupted. Smoke and scattered iron sand filled the air.

Using the opportunity, Sasori retreated, but he was visibly shocked.

His iron sand seemed to lose control upon contact with Minamoto's purple lightning.

"Lightning Release shouldn't cause this... And what's with that kid's current state?"

Sasori couldn't figure it out, but he knew now wasn't the time to dwell on it. As he retreated, he commanded the Third Kazekage to raise its hand.

"Ninja Art: Thousand Hands Manipulation Force!"

Countless arms emerged from the Third Kazekage's body, hidden with poison and deadly mechanisms, lunging toward Minamoto.

"Magnet Release, huh?"

Minamoto's eyes lit up. The brief contact with Magnet Release seemed to spark a realization within him.

More importantly, he recalled that the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, used Magnet Release to extract gold dust from the Land of Wind's soil to sustain the village.

"Maybe it's worth a try..."

As the mechanical arms approached, Minamoto tilted his head slightly and smirked.

"Did you forget?"

In the blink of an eye, Minamoto vanished from his spot, reappearing at the base of the broken statue he had cut down earlier.

"I've already used the Flying Thunder God Technique once!"

"Damn it..."

Sasori turned immediately, only to see Minamoto charging at him like a ghost. He quickly commanded the iron sand to form a defense.

Whoosh!

The moment the iron sand solidified, Minamoto's White Fang blade flew toward Sasori, ricocheting off the sand barrier and landing above him.

In that instant, Minamoto appeared silently.

"Your defense is strong, but my current state isn't ordinary either."

If breaking the defense wasn't an option, then he'd channel his power directly through it!

"Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan!"

A massive Rasengan formed in Minamoto's hand. He slammed it against Sasori's iron sand barrier with immense force.

Boom!

The impact caused the iron sand to warp and crack. Though the barrier held, the puppet of Hiruko hidden beneath it was shattered.

The already fragile temple began to collapse under the strain, cracks spreading across its structure.

"This place is going to collapse!"

"Get out, now!"

Jiraiya, Kakashi, Itachi, and Kisame all realized the danger and immediately dashed outside.

As the sun set, the temple finally gave way, crumbling into ruins.

Amidst the dust and debris, Deidara, covered in soot, was grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes! Yes! That's it! That's what I've been looking for!

An instant of brilliance, an explosion—this is the art that aligns perfectly with my ideals!"

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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