The Changed Fates of Four People

Summoning Jutsu!

Tsunade, Uzuki Yugao, and Itachi Uchiha bit their thumbs at the same time.

Thick smoke suddenly billowed up.

Three enormous creatures from Shikkotsu Forest and Ryūchi Cave made their entrance.

Their massive bodies caused the ground to split apart in layers.

The slug was a fragment of the Slug Sage.

But the two snakes were not.

After signing a contract with Ryūchi Cave, one could theoretically summon any snake.

However, some snakes had terrible tempers.

Manda, for example, demanded living sacrifices every time.

Neither Itachi Uchiha nor Uzuki Yugao had chosen it.

Itachi's snake was white, while Yugao's was purple.

Setting aside their combat ability, their size alone was immense.

Natsume estimated they were at least fifty meters long.

Even a blind man would have noticed such a commotion. The Cloud ninja were all jolted awake.

Quite a few stared dumbfoundedly at the three summoned beasts, nearly thinking they were still dreaming.

"Slugs and snakes?"

Dodai looked astonished. "Could Orochimaru and Tsunade be attacking together?"

"That direction is where the lightning amplification device is located."

Lightning crackled all over the Fourth Raikage's body, making him exceptionally dazzling in the night. "Dodai, organize the men immediately. I'll go ahead. Follow after me."

Boom!

Amid thunder and lightning, the Fourth Raikage blocked Tsunade and the others' path.

The ground caved in beneath his stomp, and smoke swirled around him.

His entrance was packed with special effects and visually striking.

The Fourth Raikage swept his gaze over them. Good—only Tsunade was here, not Orochimaru.

The only trouble was the three summoned beasts.

He was starting to regret it.

He should have brought Killer B or Yugito Nii with him.

But if they joined the battle, Konoha would not be able to keep it secret.

The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki would probably appear as well.

Then, back and forth, it would escalate into a full-scale war.

The other ninja villages were watching like tigers stalking prey.

Without wasting another word, the Fourth Raikage launched a fierce attack.

His target was Tsunade.

As for Shisui Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, and Uzuki Yugao, they were too young, so he overlooked them.

Tsunade stood where she was without making any move.

The Fourth Raikage paused slightly, but his fist did not stop. It punched straight through her body.

There was no blood, nor was there a scream.

He abruptly looked around, instantly realizing the problem.

"A genjutsu? When did it happen? And I didn't even notice?"

This was undoubtedly a top-tier genjutsu master in the ninja world.

Genjutsu: Release!

Blue lightning erupted from the Fourth Raikage's entire body.

The illusion before his eyes immediately vanished.

Tsunade was gone as well.

Only Shisui Uchiha stood before him.

"You little Uchiha brat."

The Fourth Raikage narrowed his eyes and stared at the three tomoe in Shisui's eyes, recalling who he was.

Shisui Uchiha, who had risen to prominence over the past two years.

As the two faced off, Dodai arrived with several hundred Cloud ninja.

Waiting for them were the colossal creatures controlled by Itachi Uchiha and Uzuki Yugao.

Two snakes, connected head to tail, formed a massive ring.

They completely encircled the area where the lightning amplification device was located.

For Dodai and the others to get inside, they either had to force their way through like the Fourth Raikage or kill these two summoned beasts.

But in all of Kumogakure, how many people possessed the Raikage's strength?

They had only one option left: kill the two summoned beasts.

A fierce battle broke out at once.

At the same time, the battle inside began as well.

The Fourth Raikage discovered that he had underestimated Shisui Uchiha.

He had thought Shisui was merely a rising talent, but after exchanging blows, he realized that Shisui was fucking more troublesome than Tsunade.

Genjutsu after genjutsu emerged without end.

The slightest carelessness would see him caught.

And beyond his genjutsu, his Fire Style and swordsmanship were both exceptional.

Combined with the Sharingan's astonishing dynamic vision, the Fourth Raikage's prized speed was suddenly cut by more than half.

On the riverbank a thousand meters from the camp, Natsume was also fighting.

But for him, it was easy and enjoyable.

Perhaps they had never expected anyone to target the riverbank, or perhaps they believed the main camp could send reinforcements within seconds. Either way, only a single ninja squad had been left here.

Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!

The moment Natsume arrived, he formed hand seals.

Chakra gathered in his throat, and he spewed out a massive torrent of water.

At the same time, the river water nearby shot into the air and joined it, gathering into a gigantic sphere of water.

That was the advantage the environment gave a ninja.

Because of this river, the power of Natsume's Water Style had increased by at least ten percent.

The water sphere flew out and burst apart with a boom, a waterfall crashing down from the sky.

"Watch out!"

The sole jonin reacted the fastest.

But it was already too late, because the waterfall covered too wide an area.

In the end, only he escaped disaster.

"Bastard!"

The Kumogakure ninja let out a low growl and drew a long blade from his back.

He leaped into the air, lightning gleaming across the sword, and slashed out at astonishing speed, easily tearing through Natsume's body.

He froze.

The torn body abruptly turned into vines and wrapped around him.

Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!

Natsume appeared behind him. Chakra condensed into a water blade in his right hand, stabbing straight through the Kumogakure ninja.

He withdrew the vines and surveyed the riverbank.

If the riverbank was opened, the water would flow downstream.

Kumogakure's camp happened to be on the left side of the riverbank, allowing it to avoid the flood safely.

What Natsume needed to do now was clear a channel.

Earth Style: Earth Flow Rampart!

Massive Chakra poured into the ground. Countless clumps of earth rose up, and in the blink of an eye, a gigantic earthen wall over twenty meters tall had risen.

Natsume's face immediately turned pale.

He gripped the First Hokage's Necklace to restore his Chakra, then cast the technique seven more times in succession, finally creating a super-sized channel.

Once he was done, he severed the nearby cables.

That way, the lightning-nature Chakra from the central control device could no longer spread into the distance and would instead be concentrated at the main camp.

Now, he only had to wait for the Shadow Clone by Tsunade's side to send back word.

Several dozen seconds later, Natsume perked up and turned toward the riverbank.

Water Style: Water Severing Wave!

The high-pressure stream of water, like the sharpest blade, sliced the riverbank in half.

The pent-up river water came surging forth.

Guided by Natsume's waterway, they surged rapidly toward Kumogakure's headquarters.

"What's going on?"

The tremendous roar of water left the Kumogakure ninja locked in battle wearing uncertain, alarmed expressions.

"Everyone, get out of the way!"

The Fourth Raikage leaped into the air and roared madly, "Don't touch the water!"

But in the next moment, countless flashes of lightning erupted where Tsunade stood.

Without the cables, it became an indiscriminate attack.

Many Kumogakure ninja failed to dodge in time and fell into a state of paralysis.

Then the river water flooded over them, leaving them completely unable to move.

Only the jonin and some chunin managed to evade in time.

"Bastard!"

The Fourth Raikage was furious beyond measure.

Lightning plus water—this wave had cost them at least a hundred men.

"Don't let them get away!"

Seeing Tsunade and the others preparing to retreat, the Fourth Raikage immediately gave the order.

The remaining jonin and chunin instantly bloodshot their eyes and went mad.

A bitter battle ensued.

Even though Tsunade was one of the Sannin.

And both Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha were geniuses.

Two fists could not beat four hands.

Just then, Uzuki Yugao revealed a pained expression.

The curse mark on her neck suddenly spread, countless black spots covering her entire body.

"Don't resist."

Orochimaru's voice rang out.

Uzuki Yugao's heart jolted, but she did not dare say anything.

The next second, she felt herself lose control of her body.

A substitute took over.

But her target was not the Kumogakure ninja—it was Shisui Uchiha.

With the curse mark transformation, her speed rivaled that of a jonin.

On top of that, Shisui Uchiha was caught in a bitter fight and had never expected his teammate to stab him in the back.

Thus, he had no guard up at all.

Hearing the wind, he instinctively turned his head and saw a pair of hands reaching for his eyes.

"No!"

At the sight, Itachi Uchiha's eyes blazed red as his two tomoe changed into three.

Water Style: Water Binding!

At the critical moment, a stream of water suddenly bound Uzuki Yugao's right arm.

Seizing the chance, Shisui Uchiha immediately retreated, escaping the danger of having his eyes gouged out.

Natsume had followed the flow of water over. The moment he saw Uzuki Yugao undergo the curse mark transformation, he immediately began watching her movements.

Sure enough, something unexpected happened.

He did not want the Mangekyō Sharingan to fall into Orochimaru's hands.

If that happened, it might create a monster.

By saving Shisui Uchiha himself, he had undoubtedly earned Shisui's trust.

That would make any future backstabbing or other schemes much easier.

If he had a chance to obtain Kotoamatsukami, that would be even better.

"Uzuki Yugao, what are you doing?!"

Itachi Uchiha appeared with a Body Flicker Technique, the blade in his hand instinctively slashing toward her.

"Wait! Something's wrong with her. Someone else is trying to make a move against Shisui. If you kill her, we'll never find out who it is."

Natsume hurriedly shouted.

Itachi Uchiha immediately stopped and noticed Uzuki Yugao falling backward, unconscious.

Orochimaru's consciousness had already left her body in time.

"Let's get out of here, now!"

Tsunade shouted urgently.

She had seen the bizarre scene as well, but this was not the time to investigate it.

Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Shisui Uchiha reacted first.

No one noticed his eyes spinning, forming four connected black blades.

Because the firelight filled everything.

The moment it touched the river, countless plumes of smoke erupted.

As the Cloud ninja charged forward, they felt a chilling presence, and their faces briefly went blank.

Tsunade and the others escaped because of it.

Because of your actions, Itachi Uchiha's destiny has changed. You have gained 49 Destiny Points.

Because of your actions, Shisui Uchiha's destiny has changed. You have gained 68 Destiny Points.

Because of your actions, Sasuke Uchiha's destiny has changed. You have gained 49 Destiny Points.

Because of your actions, Orochimaru's destiny has changed. You have gained 89 Destiny Points.

Because of your actions, the Fourth Raikage's destiny has changed. You have gained 19 Destiny Points.

Because of your actions, Dodai's destiny has changed. You have gained 8 Destiny Points.

Because of your actions, Uzuki Yugao's destiny has changed. You have gained 7 Destiny Points.

Natsume was left stunned by the sudden barrage of notifications.

That many?

Setting aside Uzuki Yugao, the Fourth Raikage, and Dodai, the other four had all contributed a considerable number of Destiny Points, which meant the changes were quite significant.

Moreover, Natsume did not know the exact reason.

In other words, parts of the original plot had already gone off course.

The third update is here. Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! Remember to keep following along. P.S. This war arc ends here, and we'll return to the kind of plot everyone enjoys.