Talent System In The Naruto Universe

Hanekawa heard a scream and immediately got up, threw on some clothes, and rushed out.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake standing in the hallway.

Not far away, a towering earth wall suddenly rose with a rumble.

Hanekawa instinctively glanced at it and suddenly had a sense of déjà vu, as if he were in a zombie siege.

"We're going to see the priestess."

Sakumo Hatake stepped forward and said in a deep voice.

As for his two teammates, they had already rushed off to join the battle.

"There's a group of puppets attacking the priestess's shrine. They're undead and regenerate from any injury," Ao reported as he appeared before them, bringing intelligence from the outside.

"Let's go," Tsunade decisively commanded and quickly headed toward the main hall of the shrine.

The others followed closely behind.

"I've sensed Moryo's location. It's a thousand meters to the left," said Priestess Miroku, who had been waiting. Upon seeing them, she got straight to the point.

"It's trying to use its undead army to wear us down," Ao frowned and remarked.

"Correct," Miroku said calmly as she stood up. "We can't sit back and wait. Use me as bait and lure it to the Land of Swamps for sealing."

She had long anticipated such a day and was prepared to sacrifice herself.

The only thing weighing on her heart was her daughter, Shion. Fortunately, she had entrusted Shion to a trustworthy guardian, Taruho. In the original story, Taruho sacrificed himself to protect Shion.

"Then we'll split into two teams," Sakumo Hatake proposed. "One group will hold off the undead army, while the other escorts the priestess and deals with Moryo."

"How should we divide the teams?" Ao turned to Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake.

Although the Five Great Nations didn't see eye to eye, during this cooperation, it was best to defer to the most respected ninjas present.

The group consisted of Jonin, but none could rival Tsunade and Sakumo in prestige.

"The undead army is numerous. Let the ninjas skilled in Earth and Water Style handle them," Tsunade thought for a moment and suggested.

"In that case, let Bi and Kenbei, who are already fighting, stay behind," Sakumo Hatake agreed. "We'll escort the priestess."

Among the five present, aside from Hanekawa, all were elite Jonin from the three villages.

"Agreed," Tsunade nodded slightly, then turned to Hanekawa. "You stay and deal with the undead army."

While Hanekawa was strong, his abilities wouldn't significantly impact a confrontation with Moryo, whose power was comparable to a tailed beast.

"Understood," Hanekawa replied without objection.

"Be careful." Tsunade reached out and gently patted his head before she and three others escorted Miroku away.

Hanekawa withdrew his gaze and quickly headed toward the front of the priestess's shrine.

At that moment, with a loud crash, the earth wall that had stood for so long suddenly collapsed.

A massive ring of fire blasted through.

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

He recognized it immediately—it was a composite ninjutsu used by four of Yomi's subordinates.

In simple terms, it was Fire Style combined with Wind Style.

However, it wasn't the advanced Bloodline Limit type of fusion but merely an overlapping of the two.

"Move!"

Mei Terumi's voice rang out.

Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!

Standing not far away, she gathered chakra in her mouth and unleashed an immense torrent of water, resembling a waterfall, toward the fire ring.

If the fire ring wasn't stopped, it would endanger the shrine and the priestess, as well as the warriors inside.

"You're biting the hand that feeds you!"

Hanekawa used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge the waterfall and appeared beside her.

"When did I owe you a favor?" Mei Terumi glared at him and asked.

"You do now!" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow, drew his katana, and leaped behind her.

With a flash of dazzling blade light, he decapitated two puppets.

As the earth wall fell, many puppets charged into the square in front of the shrine.

Not just them—Bi, Kenbei, and the others were also embroiled in fierce battles.

"Hmph!"

Mei Terumi glanced at the extinguished fire ring and said, "Even if you didn't help, I could've handled it."

As she spoke, her hands swiftly formed seals.

Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!

A massive water dragon roared to life and flew forward under her control.

Lightning Style: Thunderbolt!

Seeing this, Hanekawa sheathed his katana and formed hand seals with both hands.

His seal speed was faster than Mei's, and almost simultaneously, he released a spear-like bolt of lightning from his mouth.

The water dragon descended from above, drenching a large swath of the puppets. Hanekawa's lightning spear followed closely, merging into the torrent.

In an instant, the combination of water and electricity created an explosive reaction, with countless sparks scattering in all directions.

A series of crackling sounds filled the air as the puppets fell one by one.

"Good teamwork," Hanekawa said with a smile.

Mei was about to respond but quickly frowned as the puppets they had just defeated began to rise again.

"This is trouble," Mei said grimly. "If this continues, we'll eventually run out of chakra, and then we'll be at their mercy."

"Did you notice the fire ring earlier?" Hanekawa asked after a brief moment of thought.

"What about it?" Mei asked, momentarily taken aback.

"That was ninjutsu," Hanekawa said as he swung his blade, decapitating an approaching puppet. "Do you think these puppets can use ninjutsu on their own?"

"You're saying someone is controlling them?" Mei's eyes lit up as she spoke.

"Exactly," Hanekawa replied with a smile. "If we take out the controller, these puppets will become nothing more than scattered pawns."

In the original story, the puppets were controlled by Moryo. However, Moryo's sole aim was to kill the priestess, so the actual commander was Yomi.

Yomi's dark medical ninjutsu was impressive, but his strength was mediocre at best—comparable to an elite Jonin. As for his subordinates, they were far weaker.

With Hanekawa and Mei working together, they stood a fair chance.

"Why not send them instead?" Mei asked, pointing toward Bi and Kenbei in the distance.

"They're too strong. If they make a move, it'll alert the mastermind and make it harder to approach unnoticed," Hanekawa explained. "They should provide support and draw attention while we act at the right moment."

"Fine, we'll do it your way," Mei said after a moment's thought. "I'll go inform them."

She leaped over the heads of the puppets and quickly approached Bi and Kenbei.

All of them understood that fighting the immortal puppets head-on was pointless, so they agreed without hesitation.

"Let's use Earth Style: Open Earth Rising Excavation," Hiraito suggested to Kitsuchi.

In Earth Style, there were many collaborative techniques, such as the Earth Style: Multiple Earth-Flow Walls used during the Fourth Great Ninja War by Iwagakure ninjas to counter the reincarnated Third Raikage.

The only drawback was the massive chakra consumption.

"Got it!" Kitsuchi formed seals in sync with Hiraito, and the two pressed their hands to the ground simultaneously.

The ground trembled, and a volcano erupted from beneath, spewing lava in all directions.

Meanwhile, Bi and Kenbei didn't use a combined jutsu but acted similarly. They transformed large amounts of chakra into seawater, conjuring massive waves out of thin air.

The swarm of puppets was instantly caught between fire and water, thrown into chaos.

"Let's go!" Mei called out and prepared to charge forward, only to be stopped by Hanekawa.

"I have an idea," Hanekawa said, a sudden thought crossing his mind. "Use the Water Clone Jutsu, and I'll disguise myself as one of your clones with the Transformation Jutsu."

"You're really good at finding shortcuts," Mei said, rolling her eyes. "Why don't you use the Water Clone Jutsu instead?"

"Because I can't," Hanekawa replied matter-of-factly.

"..." Mei was so frustrated that she nearly ground her teeth but had no time to argue.

She formed hand seals and created five water clones.

Fortunately, the seawater generated by Bi and Kenbei helped her conserve a significant amount of chakra. After all, Water Style ninjas gain a boost when near rivers, lakes, or oceans.

Transformation Jutsu!

Hanekawa's body shifted and transformed into Mei Terumi.

The seven of them moved swiftly across the water.

"These ninjas from the Five Great Villages aren't bad," Yomi muttered as he retreated to a safe distance.

Though the puppets were overwhelming their enemies, he remained calm.

After all, the puppets were immortal, while the ninjas had limited stamina. With enough time, the ninjas would be worn down and defeated.

"Lord Yomi, a ninja is approaching," one of his four subordinates warned him.

"It's just a girl. Take care of her," Yomi said dismissively after glancing at the approaching Mei Terumi.

"Yes!"

The four immediately disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.

"Careful!" Hanekawa, using his enhanced perception, spotted them in advance.

"I know!" Mei instinctively responded.

"I'll use genjutsu, you back me up," Hanekawa said, stepping forward while disguised as Mei.

Mei felt a flicker of understanding and aligned her five water clones with him in a straight line.

"I'll blow them all away!"

One of Yomi's subordinates sneered and clapped his hands together.

Wind Style: Divine Wind!

A powerful storm swept across the water, heading straight for Mei and her clones.

Water Style: Water Wall!

Mei reacted swiftly, erecting a wall of water to block the oncoming wind.

At that moment, Hanekawa leapt into the air.

The four subordinates instinctively looked up at him.

Fox Heart Technique!

Hanekawa unleashed a genjutsu instantly. His seal speed was so fast that, to Mei, it looked as if he had simply clapped his hands. The four were immediately entranced, their movements frozen.

Mei wasted no time and released her prepared ninjutsu.

Water Style: Water Column!

A massive water sphere, like a meteor, plummeted from above, engulfing the four trapped in the genjutsu.

Boom!

Water splashed in all directions, drowning the four as blood gushed out.

Seeing this, Hanekawa flung four kunai, each precisely striking their hearts. The blades, coated in poison, delivered an instant kill.

Hanekawa stepped back and blended seamlessly into Mei's water clones.

The deed was done, and he disappeared into anonymity.

"Useless fools!" Yomi cursed furiously as his four subordinates were killed by what appeared to be a single kunoichi.

Hanekawa, maintaining his distance, remained unnoticed.

"Kill her!" Yomi roared, waving his hand.

The puppets protecting him surged forward like a tide.

"This is bad!" Mei's face turned pale.

With so many puppets, there was no way to get close to Yomi.

"ANBU!" Hanekawa suddenly shouted.

He knew Tsunade wouldn't have deployed all the ANBU forces elsewhere.

In the next moment, four ANBU operatives appeared, intercepting the puppets.

"Four? That's enough," Hanekawa said, exhaling in relief.

"What?" Yomi frowned, sensing the tide turning.

Quickly, he made a decision.

He manipulated his own body with hand seals, unleashing the full potential of his Dark Medical Ninjutsu.

In an instant, a powerful and oppressive aura erupted from him.

"What kind of jutsu is that?" Mei's expression hardened, feeling the immense pressure.

"It's a boosting jutsu," Hanekawa explained. "But it won't last long."

Hanekawa cautioned, noting that under these circumstances, his genjutsu was ineffective.

The essence of genjutsu is disrupting the chakra flow within an enemy's body, but Yomi's chakra was already in chaos.

It was similar to Might Guy in the Eight Gates Formation—genjutsu had no effect because he couldn't control his own chakra.

"You're courting death!" Yomi snarled, disappearing in an instant.

Water Style: Water Wall!

Sensing imminent danger, Mei instinctively formed hand seals.

Sure enough, Yomi appeared directly in front of her.

With a single punch, water splashed everywhere as his fist shattered the wall of water.

"What?!" Mei had no time to evade.

At that moment, a crackle of thunder echoed.

A bolt of lightning raced along the remnants of the water wall, aiming straight for Yomi.

Reacting quickly, Yomi pulled back his hand and retreated.

Mei let out a silent sigh of relief.

Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!

She made the most logical choice in an instant.

Thick mist spewed from her mouth, enveloping her and Hanekawa in a dense shroud.

Although Yomi lacked Wind Style techniques, his overwhelming power allowed him to expel chakra in surges. The resulting airflow dispersed much of the mist.

"Huh?" Yomi narrowed his eyes.

Within the fading mist, Mei and her water clones had vanished.

The next moment, the water surface beneath Yomi exploded as a water dragon surged up, attempting to engulf him.

However, Yomi stood unfazed, surrounded by an impenetrable barrier of chakra. The water dragon crashed against it, failing to inflict any damage.

"So there you are!" Yomi sneered as he spotted Mei.

She was swimming rapidly through the sea created by Kenbei and the others, resembling a graceful mermaid.

Yomi raised his hands and clapped forcefully.

Massive bursts of chakra, like cannonballs, rained down into the water.

Body Flicker: Water Flicker Technique!

Mei's body dissolved into water, narrowly evading the attack.

Yomi smirked coldly and clapped his hands again.

His chakra, sharp like countless blades, pierced into the water.

Suddenly, a streak of red appeared in the water.

Mei reappeared, her body bleeding as she floated in the water.

"So that's all you've got!" Yomi shook his head in disappointment.

As he prepared to deliver the final blow, a sudden gust of air arose from nowhere.

Yomi paused, momentarily stunned.

Turning instinctively, he saw Hanekawa charging at him.

Another one? Hidden so well, only to emerge now?

But… just a mere kid!

Yomi's hands surged with chakra, his speed increasing as he caught the oncoming katana between his palms.

In the next moment, the water behind him splashed violently.

A lightning-clad Hanekawa appeared—it was his real body.

Using his immense speed, Hanekawa launched a punch.

Superhuman Strength!

The blow landed squarely on Yomi.

The sheer force of it made Hanekawa's arm seem like a spear.

Even without a sharpened tip, it pierced straight through Yomi's torso.

"H-How is this possible?" Yomi gasped, looking down to see Hanekawa's bloodied fist protruding from his chest.

It was his own blood.

Hanekawa gave him no time to react. He withdrew his hand, drew a kunai, and slashed at Yomi's neck.

Blood sprayed everywhere. Yomi collapsed, lifeless.

Hanekawa immediately deactivated his Lightning Style: Lightning Cloak.

Although he had already used Lightning Style techniques, the Lightning Cloak was powered by activating Lightning Style chakra.

To be cautious, he had added an additional layer of lightning around his body.

Yomi's death was no accident.

Hanekawa's superhuman strength alone was immensely destructive, and the Lightning Cloak further amplified his attack, defense, and speed by 100%.

Water splashed everywhere as Mei Terumi emerged from beneath the water.

Her entire body was soaked, her auburn hair spread out in the water, and with the blood staining her, she resembled a blooming rose.

"Don't look!" Mei glared at Hanekawa and immediately leapt to a nearby tree.

She quickly pulled out a piece of clothing and put it on, her cheeks flushed red from the recent events.

"You're injured. Let me treat you," Hanekawa called out, standing at the base of the tree.

After a few seconds, Mei reappeared in front of him, still blushing and avoiding his gaze with her head lowered.

"Where's the injury?" Hanekawa asked with a slight smile.

Mei hesitated, her expression showing reluctance.

"I'm a medical ninja; what are you afraid of?" Hanekawa said firmly, noticing her unease.

"Pervert!" Mei snapped angrily, embarrassed.

But after a few moments of hesitation, she lifted her clothes slightly, revealing her slim waist.

Her once-fair skin was now bloodied and torn.

Hanekawa extended his hands, a pale green chakra enveloping her injury.

Ten minutes later, the wound was fully healed.

"Thank you," Mei whispered softly, quickly pulling her clothes back down.

"The puppets are still fighting," Hanekawa remarked, noticing her shyness and changing the subject by looking toward the distant battlefield.

"The puppets should be controlled by Moryo," Mei said with concern. "Everything depends on what happens with Ao and the others."

"Don't worry. They're incredibly strong; they'll handle it," Hanekawa reassured her.

In the original storyline, it was mentioned that Miroku used her life to seal Moryo.

However, the specifics of which ninja from the Five Great Villages participated were unclear.

No matter how powerful the enemy, they couldn't compare to the current lineup of Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake.

Failure was unlikely. The only uncertainty was whether Miroku would survive.

"Do you need to change clothes?" Hanekawa asked, noticing Mei had only thrown on a jacket. "I can keep watch for you."

"Pervert!" Mei couldn't help but scold. "You're definitely trying to sneak a peek!"

"That's slander," Hanekawa replied with a straight face, unfazed.

"Wait!" Mei suddenly stood up, looking into the distance. "Look at the puppets!"

Hanekawa turned to see that all the puppets had stopped moving.

Had Tsunade and the others succeeded? Or was Moryo no longer able to divide its attention to control them?

"Looks like the mission is over," Hanekawa exhaled, feeling relieved.

This collaboration with Mei to take down Yomi had shown him what it truly meant to dance on the edge of a blade.

"Yeah," Mei nodded, glancing at him. For some reason, a trace of sadness flickered across her expression.

The next time they met, it might be on the battlefield.

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