Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe

The Flying Thunder God Jutsu's spatial manipulation capabilities are not only useful for moving oneself rapidly but can also be used to transport other objects. Even incoming attacks can be redirected, as seen when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, teleported the Tailed Beast Bomb fired at the Hokage Rock during the Nine-Tails attack. Similarly, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, the reanimated Minato also teleported the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb.

If Minato had been present when Uchiha Madara used his Catastrophic Planetary Devastation, he could have easily teleported it away with the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, saving everyone the trouble of trying to counter it.

"Let's go. It's time to let the others know about this." As the Angkor Fortress arrived over the southern base, it was quickly detected by the base's defense systems. Orochimaru's secret base was heavily fortified, including aerial surveillance to guard against surprise attacks from above. The Five Great Shinobi Villages all monitored the skies for such tactics, as many ninja had ways to fly, whether through summoning jutsu or specialized techniques. A surprise attack from the air could catch even the best villages off guard without proper precautions.

Daniel's "visit" was really just an opportunity to inform Orochimaru about Chino's presence and have him contact Yuya Shiro En, Chino's father.

While Daniel escorted Chino to meet Orochimaru, in the Land of Rivers near the Suoyun Mountain, Sasuke's Snake Squad ran into Kakashi's Team 7 and Asuma's Team 10, both on missions of their own.

Kurotsuchi Raiga, one of the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, was a high-profile target. Konoha had sent Team 10 for this mission, knowing that Asuma's wind-style chakra could counter Raiga's lightning-based techniques.

Ninja missions are often strategically assigned based on the enemy's abilities, sending the best element to counter the opponent. For example, a water-style user wouldn't normally be sent to face a fire-style user unless there was insufficient intelligence. Proper planning avoids mismatches like that.

As for Team 7, they were in the Land of Rivers coincidentally. They had just completed a mission in cooperation with Sunagakure, Konoha's ally since Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage. The task was a simple one, meant to strengthen the alliance between the two villages, but it also gave Naruto the chance to meet Gaara.

Their mission had involved protecting Gaara from an assassination attempt. Though Konoha wasn't supposed to intervene directly, Naruto, being who he is, naturally got involved, leading to his first real bond with Gaara.

On their return, Team 7 coincidentally encountered Team 10, and they joined forces to hunt down Raiga. Unfortunately for Raiga, he was in for a tough time—if not for Sasuke's Snake Squad arriving in time, he would have been killed.

"Sasuke, come back with us. Lady Tsunade has said that if you return, all will be forgiven. She's even promised to seek justice for the Uchiha Clan," Kakashi said, trying to reason with him.

"Sasuke, please come back!" Naruto and Sakura pleaded in unison.

"Hahaha, I didn't expect this, Kakashi. I can understand Naruto and Sakura not thinking clearly, but you? I thought you knew better. I'll return to Konoha, but not now. I will reclaim everything the Uchiha lost. Do you know what that is, Kakashi? The Hokage position. It's what my clan deserved, and it's what Konoha owes us. What Madara couldn't accomplish, I will," Sasuke declared with cold determination, cutting off Kakashi before he could reply.

"He's not the Sasuke you once knew. Words won't work. We need to subdue him and take him back to Konoha by force," Asuma whispered to Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded slightly in agreement, but before they could act, Naruto jumped forward, summoning a shadow clone to form a Rasengan.

"Sasuke! This time, I'm bringing you back, even if I have to break your arms and legs to do it!"

"Rasengan, huh? You've grown stronger, but this isn't how you use that jutsu." Sasuke extended his right hand, forming a Rasengan of the same size as Naruto's in his palm. However, Sasuke's Rasengan formed much faster than Naruto's, who needed his clone's help.

"Rasengan!" Naruto charged at Sasuke, fully prepared to clash.

"Naruto, stop!" Kakashi shouted, but it was already too late.

As Naruto's Rasengan neared, Sasuke raised his left hand, signaling his teammates to stand down. He then took a step forward, meeting Naruto's Rasengan head-on with his own.

Boom!

The two Rasengans collided, sending a shockwave of chakra rippling outward, shaking the ground beneath them. Naruto, yelling in frustration, watched in disbelief as Sasuke's Rasengan overpowered his, striking him in the shoulder and sending him flying backward. If not for Kakashi quickly catching him, Naruto would have crashed hard into the ground.

Though their techniques were the same, the gap in their abilities was clear. No amount of yelling could bridge the difference in power.

"Super Beast Imitating Drawing!" Just as Sasuke was about to say something, Sai unfurled his scroll, summoning six ink lions to attack Sasuke and his squad.

"Now!" Asuma, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino charged alongside the ink lions, aiming to subdue Sasuke's team.

"Sakura, tend to Naruto," Kakashi ordered before vanishing behind one of the ink lions.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

With a soft murmur, the ground in front of Sasuke swelled, and trees erupted from the earth, their roots and branches wrapping around the ink lions, dissolving them into pools of ink.

Asuma, Kakashi, and the others quickly retreated, avoiding the encroaching trees. Sasuke had no intention of pursuing them.

"Wood Release..." Asuma, Shikamaru, and the others stared in disbelief. Wood Release was legendary in Konoha, and even though Orochimaru had showcased it during the Konoha Crush, it was still shocking to see it in action again.

"That's right—Wood Release, the power of the First Hokage," Sasuke said as the trees parted, revealing him once more.

Sasuke's use of Deep Forest Emergence had only summoned five trees, but it was still enough to halt the enemy's advance. The scope of the technique depended on the amount of chakra used—whether a single tree or an entire forest, it was still Deep Forest Emergence.

"Enough. I'm tired of you all. Don't force my hand. Don't think I won't kill you if you push me. The next time we meet, I won't hold back. You'd better be prepared to die." Sasuke's cold gaze swept over the Konoha ninjas as the trees closed up once more, cutting off their view of him and his team.

"Let's go."

"Sasuke!" Sakura tried to rush forward, but Ino held her back.

"Sakura, Sasuke isn't the same person anymore."

Though both girls had once fought over Sasuke during their time in the academy, Ino was far more level-headed now compared to Sakura.

"Sasuke will come back. If he doesn't, then I'll leave with him!" Sakura shouted, but just as she finished, she collapsed, unconscious. Shikamaru had knocked her out.

"Let her cool off for a bit. Wood Release... this is going to be a real headache." Shikamaru scratched his head, clearly troubled by the implications.

"Kakashi, you need to be prepared. Sasuke wasn't bluffing when he threatened us. You must have sensed his killing intent," Asuma said with a sigh, walking over to Kakashi.

"I know." Kakashi sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the situation.

"Sa...Sasuke..." Sakura mumbled as she regained consciousness, still calling out his name.

"Kakashi-sensei, you said Sasuke is in the Sound Village, right? In the Land of Rice Fields?" Sakura asked after a moment of silence, approaching Kakashi with a determined look.

"What are you planning to do?" Kakashi asked, surprised.

"I'm going to bring him back."

"That's right, Kakashi-sensei! Let's go find him. He must've been deceived by Orochimaru. This time, we'll make things right!" Naruto chimed in eagerly.

"Enough!" Shikamaru's sudden outburst startled everyone. It wasn't Kakashi or Asuma who spoke up, but Shikamaru.

"If Sasuke refuses to come back, what will you do? Are you prepared to betray Konoha for him? Think about it! The Uchiha Clan was wiped out by Konoha. To Sasuke, the village is his enemy. Do you really think you can resolve that with a few words?"

"Shikamaru, calm down." Asuma interrupted before Shikamaru could continue.

"Choji, take Shikamaru somewhere to rest," Asuma instructed.

"Sorry," Shikamaru muttered after a moment, realizing he had lost his composure. He and Choji then moved aside.

"What's bothering you, Shikamaru?" Choji asked quietly, sensing that something was off. As childhood friends

, Choji knew Shikamaru better than anyone, and Shikamaru's recent behavior was out of character.

"This is bad, Choji. Really bad," Shikamaru said, looking up at the sky.

"How bad?" Choji asked.

"Bad enough that Konoha could be destroyed." As a member of the Nara Clan, Shikamaru had access to classified information, including the secret experiments involving Wood Release.

With Orochimaru, Sasuke, and even Daniel Davis wielding Wood Release, Shikamaru feared the worst—that Orochimaru had figured out how to mass-produce Wood Release users.

This possibility, given the First Hokage's immense power, was terrifying. Shikamaru, ever the strategist, had already envisioned the worst-case scenario.

"I'm sure you'll come up with a solution," Choji said calmly, unbothered by Shikamaru's dire prediction.

"You have way too much faith in me," Shikamaru muttered.

---

"Uchiha Sasuke." Inside the southern base, Chino's expression turned cold when she saw Sasuke, though he had no idea why.

Compared to his original counterpart, Sasuke's current demeanor was much better. He wasn't isolated in Orochimaru's base like before, where he had no real companions. Now he had Karin, Jugo, Suigetsu, and Daniel around him.

"Calm down," Daniel said, patting Chino on the shoulder before turning to Raiga. "Raiga, right? Welcome."

"Can you really cure Ranmaru?" Raiga asked bluntly.

"Of course, but it will take some time. I have a few matters to deal with first. Zabuza, Suigetsu, please help them get settled." Daniel looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, come with me." With a simple gesture, Daniel teleported himself, Sasuke, and Chino to the Angkor Fortress.

"This is Chino, the last descendant of the Chinoike Clan. Her clan's fate is similar to yours, but their extermination is tied to the Uchiha."

Daniel knew the truth behind the destruction of the Chinoike Clan, but since Chino's father didn't want to reveal it, Daniel wouldn't either. Telling her that her father was behind the massacre would only burden her, much like Sasuke had been with the truth about Itachi.

"Chino, Sasuke wasn't even born when your clan was wiped out. And strictly speaking, it wasn't the Uchiha who were responsible—it was the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, who hired Uchiha shinobi. You two should talk this over. Just remember, no matter what happens, don't resort to violence."

After giving them that final warning, Daniel left the Angkor Fortress.

---

"I'll take a look at him." After leaving the fortress, Daniel examined Ranmaru. The boy's condition wasn't too serious.

Ranmaru's frailty was due to his bloodline limit, which had left his body weak. However, as he aged, his condition was improving. With proper care and nourishment, he would recover over time, even without special treatment.

"That's the situation," Daniel explained to Raiga, not exaggerating the boy's condition at all.

"Now that you know what's going on, will you take him and leave? It's up to you, but I must say, having him follow you around isn't doing him any favors. He's never had friends his own age, has he?" Daniel pointed out that a child being raised by a killer like Raiga wasn't healthy.

"If you stay here, you'll have to follow my orders. No killing innocent people. Think it over, and if you want to leave, no one will stop you." Daniel used a subtle psychological tactic, offering Raiga a choice while subtly guiding him toward staying.

"Now, it's time to meet Nagato and Konan. The Rinnegan awaits." Having settled the situation with Raiga, Daniel turned his thoughts toward Akatsuki and the allure of the Rinnegan.

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