Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe

"Start the evacuation immediately!" As two massive portals opened in Amegakure's underground shelter, the ninja began guiding the citizens out of the mirrored space in an orderly fashion. Thanks to multiple rehearsals, the people of Akatsuki Nation had gone through simulated emergency drills before, so although the sudden change caused some confusion and fear, the presence of the ninja kept things from descending into chaos.

"What is this?" The representatives from the Five Great Shinobi Villages, who had come to observe the ceremony, were also pulled into the mirrored space. The sudden shift left them momentarily panicked. However, in the next instant, a large portal appeared beneath the feet of the delegates from Kumogakure and Kirigakure, ejecting them from the mirrored dimension.

To prepare for this event, Daniel Davis had summoned several shadow clones days in advance, each possessing half of his power. While the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu can create many clones at once, spreading the user's chakra too thinly makes them weaker. However, by summoning each one individually, Daniel was able to create clones with substantial power, each with half of his original strength. This was the proper way to use the shadow clone technique. Only top-tier shinobi like Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and later Naruto and Sasuke could achieve this level of mastery, though whether it was because they looked down on the method or simply hadn't thought of it, none of them had ever used the technique in this way.

"Gaara, stay alert," Temari warned as she watched the ninjas from Kumogakure and Kirigakure disappear. The remaining representatives from the other three villages immediately moved closer together, becoming highly vigilant of their surroundings. Gaara responded by using his sand to form a platform beneath their feet, giving them the advantage of flight. Compared to other shinobi, Gaara had the upper hand in such situations due to his ability to fly by controlling sand.

Temari had already taken out her Three-Star Fan, standing protectively in front of Gaara, while Kankuro had deployed two of his puppets behind him. Surrounding the trio was Gaara's protective sand.

In contrast to Sunagakure, which had sent its Fifth Kazekage as their representative, the other villages had only dispatched lesser-known individuals. The delegates from Kumogakure and Kirigakure were not high-ranking, clearly disposable in the event of their death at Amegakure. None of the recognizable figures from these two villages had come, making it clear that these were sacrificial pawns.

Konoha and Iwagakure, however, had sent key figures. From Konoha came Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Shikamaru, while Iwagakure sent Kurotsuchi, the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, along with Akatsuchi and Buntsuchi, two of Iwagakure's rising stars.

Given this situation, Daniel didn't hesitate to eject the lesser members from the mirror space.

The people remaining in the mirror dimension were those whose lives Daniel was inclined to spare. Even though they were now enemies, he had no desire to see harm come to Konoha and Sunagakure's delegates, especially when he had the power to prevent it.

As for the three from Iwagakure, while Daniel wasn't too familiar with Kurotsuchi, he knew that she was destined to become the Fourth Tsuchikage and that she was Deidara's junior. With this connection, it would be inappropriate for Akatsuki to harm her.

If it had been the Third Tsuchikage, Deidara would have been more than willing to kill him. However, when it came to his junior, Kurotsuchi, he couldn't bring himself to harm her. Since arriving in Amegakure, Deidara had been going out of his way to avoid her.

At this moment, the three Iwagakure shinobi stood on the shoulders of a giant rock golem summoned by Akatsuchi. Upon realizing the change in their environment, Akatsuchi immediately conjured the golem for protection.

"Let's cooperate," Shikamaru suggested in a low voice. After Kumogakure and Kirigakure's representatives disappeared, the remaining three villages naturally grouped together, though they maintained a certain distance from each other. This spacing allowed them to support one another while also providing enough room to react in case of attacks from the other villages.

"I agree," Gaara said after a brief pause, nodding to Temari and Kankuro, who were already looking to him for direction.

"Kurotsuchi, what is the meaning of this?" Shikamaru's offer wasn't immediately answered by Kurotsuchi. Instead, she turned toward Deidara, waving her hand in frustration.

At the moment, Daniel, Deidara, Nagato, Konan, and about ten Akatsuki shinobi were surrounding the remaining representatives from the three villages.

"Black Earth, we're enemies now," Deidara replied, looking exasperated as he gazed at his junior.

"Not necessarily, Deidara-senpai. We surrender," Kurotsuchi declared with a cheeky grin, jumping down from the golem with her hands raised, standing directly in front of Deidara. She gestured for Akatsuchi and Buntsuchi to follow her lead.

Akatsuchi quickly dispelled the rock golem, and the two Iwagakure shinobi obediently raised their hands, walking over to join Kurotsuchi.

"That must have been that old man's plan," Deidara muttered, clearly displeased by the trio's quick surrender.

"You know the old man well. He ordered us to surrender, so here we are. Does Akatsuki accept?" Kurotsuchi said, nonchalantly selling out the Third Tsuchikage.

"Clever fox," Daniel thought, shaking his head slightly at Kurotsuchi's maneuver. He couldn't help but compare the situation to the noble families in the Qin dynasty, who often hedged their bets on both sides of a conflict.

With Kurotsuchi's surrender, Iwagakure ensured that no matter the outcome of the war, they wouldn't be the worst off among the Five Great Shinobi Villages. If the Five Villages won, they could retrieve Kurotsuchi and her comrades; if they lost, Kurotsuchi's early surrender, coupled with Deidara's presence, meant Iwagakure wouldn't be treated harshly.

This kind of tactic had been used as far back as the Warring States era. Take the Zhang family, for example—after the fall of Korea, Zhang Kai surrendered, while Zhang Liang retreated to a place of safety.

In comparison, the Three Kingdoms era in Chinese history was even more complex, with major families playing all sides. The famous Zhuge family was no exception, with members serving in all three major factions.

"Take them away," Daniel ordered, though he couldn't help but feel exasperated. While it was frustrating, the truth was that consolidating control over the shinobi world would require cooperation from local powers. Having Kurotsuchi on their side would simplify Akatsuki's eventual governance of Iwagakure.

Soon, Akatsuki shinobi arrived to bind the Iwagakure trio.

"Hey, Deidara-senpai, can I stay with you?" Kurotsuchi asked as the others were being led away, grabbing onto Deidara's arm.

"You... Fine, but don't expect anything interesting," Deidara sighed, shaking his head as his junior clung to him.

"Let me see how Akatsuki handles the Five Great Shinobi Villages," she said with a grin, clearly more excited about the upcoming battle than Deidara was.

"All right, but stay out of the way," Daniel interjected, deciding to let her watch. This was a good opportunity to show her Akatsuki's might.

"Sunagakure, are you interested in surrendering? You must realize why you're here—someone is trying to use us to eliminate their rivals," Daniel asked, turning to Gaara and his companions.

"I'm sorry, but I am the Fifth Kazekage," Gaara replied, rejecting the offer without hesitation.

"And Konoha?" Daniel turned his attention to Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Shikamaru.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Kakashi said, lifting the forehead protector that covered his Sharingan.

"Perfect, I can complete my collection of eyes," Daniel said, not surprised by Konoha's refusal to surrender. It was expected, but tradition dictated that he offer them the chance.

"I understand your resolve, but we have our own. Let's settle this with strength." With that, Daniel instantly appeared next to Kakashi—not using the Body Flicker Technique, but rather the spatial manipulation of his Op-Op Fruit. Moments before, Shikamaru had been standing beside Kakashi.

"Your eye—I'll take it now." Before Kakashi could react, Daniel had already removed his Sharingan, using the power of the Op-Op Fruit to extract it painlessly and without any side effects.

Even though Kakashi had anticipated an attack, the sheer speed of Daniel's ability caught him off guard. It was reminiscent of how few people could react in time to the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique. In Kakashi's case, he simply couldn't defend against the sudden spatial displacement.

"Kakashi!" Jiraiya rushed forward, throwing a punch toward Daniel, but Daniel had already completed his task and disappeared in a flash, using the Body Flicker Technique to evade.

"Kakashi, are you all right?" Jiraiya asked, checking on his former student.

"I'm fine. But things aren't looking good for us today," Kakashi replied, knowing full well that Daniel could have easily killed him if that had been his goal.

"This is going to be tough," Jiraiya muttered, his gaze shifting to Nagato and Konan, his former students. He sighed heavily, knowing this battle would be anything but easy.

"Be careful!" Gaara called out, but it was too late. Three massive wooden dragons shot out, binding Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara himself. Only Gaara managed to defend himself with a layer of sand, while the others were caught off guard and wrapped up before they could react.

Kankuro's Puppet Substitution Jutsu was usually a good distraction, but this time Daniel had bound both him and his puppets together, making it irrelevant whether it was Kankuro or his puppets that were captured.

"Don't bother struggling. This is Wood Release—Shukaku won't be able to break free," Daniel said as Gaara attempted to use Shukaku's power to escape. But Wood Release was the natural enemy of tailed beasts, and not even Shukaku, who boasted about being unafraid of Kurama, could escape its grip. In fact, despite Shukaku's bravado, he had never actually beaten Kurama in battle.

After finishing with Kakashi, Daniel appeared beside Gaara and the others.

Now, only Jiraiya and Kakashi remained standing.

"What immense chakra… Such a large-scale technique. Is this the Tsuchigumo clan's forbidden jutsu? Could it be… Konoha?" Daniel mused as he sensed violent chakra surges across Amegakure. Opening a secret portal, he and his group exited the mirror space, reappearing in the plaza in front of the steel tower. Feeling the overwhelming chakra from various parts of the village, Daniel immediately realized what was happening.

The Tsuchigumo clan was once a powerful force in the shinobi world, thanks to their forbidden jutsu, which covered a vast area. However, after the three Great Shinobi Wars, their influence had waned, and they were eventually forced to ally with Konoha, offering their forbidden jutsu in exchange for protection.

Of course, Konoha had agreed, but the "protection" they provided was laughable. By the time Konoha got involved, the Tsuchigumo clan had been reduced to a handful of members, with only one direct descendant remaining.

Daniel had come across information about the Tsuchigumo clan's forbidden jutsu while studying with Orochimaru. Even he had to admit its power—far surpassing Deidara's explosive art and on par with Nagato's Shinra Tensei.

However, the technique came with a major limitation: it required time to prepare, much like the Twin Thunder Bomb attack that had recently targeted Amegakure.

The forbidden jutsu's incredible power stemmed from its ability to harness natural energy. The Tsuchigumo clan's bloodline allowed them to absorb massive amounts of natural energy through special seals, turning themselves into human bombs. In essence, the Tsuchigumo forbidden jutsu was a massive suicide technique.

Though non-bloodline members could technically use the jutsu, the results were far weaker, as only those of direct lineage could absorb natural energy without dire consequences.

During the reign of the Third Hokage, the forbidden technique had been sealed away. Its potential didn't justify the loss of a skilled shinobi in the process. However, while Hiruzen had sealed it, Danzo had always seen the technique differently.

Orochimaru's experiments had caused the deaths of many innocents, but Danzo was no better. He had used countless members of his Root division as test subjects for Konoha's forbidden jutsu, with some experiments succeeding, but many more ending in failure.

As brutal as it was, the truth remained: no matter how destructive the technique, a ninja with average talent simply wasn't worth the same as a highly skilled one.

Though Orochimaru had experimented with many aspects of the ninja world, including Konoha's forbidden jutsu, Daniel knew that Orochimaru's interest in Sage Mode and natural chakra had likely been piqued by techniques like the Tsuchigumo clan's.

"Lord Danzo," a Root member said respectfully as Danzo arrived at a valley southeast of Amegakure's lake. The valley was filled with countless bodies and a massive pit crawling with venomous insects. Danzo looked down at the scene and smiled coldly.

"Akatsuki…"

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]