The Iburi Clan Will Serve Me for Generations

"Orochimaru... and Asura..." Kakashi's Sharingan stared intently at the two standing side by side, his breathing slightly hurried beneath his mask.

Judging from the state of the cave, it seemed the two had fought, and Orochimaru had come out worse.

Yet now they were standing together, as though they had reached some kind of agreement.

"What do you think of Kinoe's Wood Release?" Orochimaru's hoarse voice carried a note of probing as his vertical pupils turned toward Asura, seeking to learn whether this "creation" of his would have any value in the future.

"Average." Menma's cold, indifferent voice came from beneath his mask. "Without ninja clan blood, his chakra reserves are destined to be meager."

"Other than Wood Release, he is worthless."

Yamato's greatest strength was Wood Release, but he was merely an ordinary civilian ninja. He possessed neither the immense chakra reserves of the Uzumaki Clan nor the powerful physique of the Senju Clan, so the growth of his total chakra was destined to be limited.

His ceiling was no more than Elite Jonin.

Seeing that Asura had no interest at all in the still-young Kinoe, Orochimaru's tongue swept across his lips.

"It seems Kinoe's future growth will be limited. Or perhaps my future self will produce even stronger creations."

"I'll leave this place to you. I need to leave the Land of Fire first." Orochimaru turned and headed toward an exit.

"I'll continue researching the Iburi Clan's Kekkei Genkai. You should know where I'm staying, right?" As he spoke, Orochimaru cast a meaningful glance over his shoulder.

He had already been this proactive. The other party should offer some sincerity in return, shouldn't he?

"I won't see you out." Menma's reply was as brief as a blade.

Hmph—

Having failed to get what he wanted, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and gave a soft snort before clutching his waist and vanishing into the depths of the dark tunnel.

"Orochimaru!" Kakashi wanted to call after him, but a figure suddenly closed in on him.

The sound of a foot crushing loose stones on the ground rang out clearly.

"Don't focus only on Orochimaru. Play with me instead." Menma spoke flippantly, wanting to test Kakashi's current strength.

Bang!

The sharp clash of kunai against a boot sole exploded through the rock walls! Though Kakashi blocked the sudden kick, the tremendous force still sent him flying several meters.

"Kakashi!" After their conversation today, Yamato had grown much closer to Kakashi. Seeing Kakashi, a fellow Konoha ninja, kicked away, he immediately attacked.

After kicking Kakashi away, Menma faced Yamato's approach without retreating. Instead, he lowered his body and rushed forward.

"Too slow!" With a cold laugh, Menma used his left hand to block Yamato's thrusting arm and seized it, while his right fist rained down upon Yamato's chest like a storm.

Yamato coughed up blood from the blows, and the kunai in his hand fell to the ground.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—

A roar like crackling lightning came from behind him!

Menma hooked Yamato's leg with his right foot. Releasing him, he sent Yamato flying with a punch.

Yamato's body flew through the air toward the approaching Kakashi.

Looking at Yamato flying toward him, Kakashi's Sharingan abruptly shook as a painful memory surged into his mind.

The Chidori chakra in his hand forcibly dispersed, and Kakashi caught Yamato's body.

Holding Yamato, Kakashi's Three-Tomoe Sharingan trembled violently.

The scene of Nohara Rin dying by his hand tormented him like a nightmare.

Pfft!

Yamato spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling his chest churn as though a massive boulder weighed upon it.

"Tsk, tsk. Is that all it took?" Menma had already arrived beside Yukimi, his palm lightly resting on the trembling girl's head.

This sequence of taijutsu had been developed by Menma for his own use, combining the traditional martial arts from his previous life with the Gentle Fist he had learned from Big Sister Hinata. It fused Gentle Fist with Inch Power, allowing him to unleash sudden force, vary his moves unpredictably, and strike acupuncture points to shatter them.

It also carried traces of Konoha-Style Taijutsu, making it impossible to predict.

Yamato was only thirteen now. Both his taijutsu and his use of Wood Release still had much room to grow, which made Menma find him terribly dull.

"Yukimi!" Holding the injured Yamato, Kakashi saw Yukimi being "controlled" by the other side and ground his teeth.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt her." Menma gently stroked Yukimi's head.

"After all, I'm not Orochimaru."

The little girl, trembling like a rabbit caught by a hawk, had been about to use her mistification ability to escape.

"Lord Asura!" At this moment, the recovered Gota emerged from the depths of the tunnel.

The burning sensation from the Cursed Seal still lingered on Gota's neck. He walked behind Menma, deliberately maintaining a half-step distance.

He said to Yukimi, "Don't resist my lord. Our clan already belongs to him."

Orochimaru had been defeated and retreated. According to their previous wager, the Iburi Clan would serve Asura for generations.

Gota and the other clansmen had already accepted the fate of relying upon the strong.

Reassured by her relative, Yukimi gradually stopped trembling. She slightly raised her head, still looking at Menma with some fear.

"I will free you from the flaws of your Kekkei Genkai and let you walk openly beneath the sunlight." Menma withdrew his hand and spoke to Yukimi and Gota.

"The Iburi Clan will serve my lord for generations!" Gota dropped to one knee before Menma and lowered his head, exposing the defenseless back of his neck.

The oath of the Iburi Clan echoed through the cave.

Menma nodded in satisfaction, his mood beneath the mask quite pleased.

If the drawbacks of the Iburi Clan's smoke-based Kekkei Genkai could be resolved, it might rival the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique.

Gota's combat ability had already reached Jonin level. If his weaknesses could be resolved and he was no longer affected by wind, then after learning some ninjutsu, he should be able to grow into an Elite Jonin.

As Menma turned and walked toward the depths of the tunnel, he glanced sideways at Kakashi and Yamato in the distance.

He had already obtained the Hashirama Cells. Yamato no longer held any value for him, and he had no way to brainwash Yamato anyway.

As for Kakashi, of course he had to be kept for dealing with Obito.

Watching Asura turn away and leave after giving the two of them a contemptuous glance, Kakashi's nails dug into his palms.

Orochimaru had ignored him last time, and now Asura was ignoring him too!

That sense of humiliation burned hotter than the blood Yamato had coughed onto his shoulder.

Kakashi could not help doubting his own strength.

"Yukimi, let's go." Seeing that Lord Asura had no intention of dealing with those two Konoha ninja, Gota tactfully followed behind him and called out to Yukimi.

Yukimi hesitated for a moment. After Gota and Lord Asura disappeared into the depths of the dark tunnel, she still jogged over to Kakashi and Yamato.

"Tenzo, are you two alright?" Yukimi asked the two boys her age with concern, her voice as soft as melting snow.

"Cough..." Yamato coughed up a trace of blood and said, "He... was so strong..."

Then he fainted.

"I need to get him treated immediately." Kakashi hoisted Yamato onto his back.

As Konoha's only Wood Release ninja now, Yamato's life no longer belonged solely to him.

Compared to intelligence on Asura, Kakashi cared more about whether Yamato lived or died.

"Leave quickly. Don't ever come back!" Yukimi bit her lip and softly spoke her farewell.

Orochimaru's scheme had already failed. The Iburi Clan might also follow Lord Asura to relocate to a new clan settlement.

Yukimi did not want to see these two newly made friends die. Too many of her companions had already died around her.

"Alright." Kakashi nodded and carried the unconscious Yamato up to the exit in the rock wall.

He looked back, and the last thing he saw was the girl dissolving into smoke.

"Until we meet again," Kakashi murmured.