Working Hard to Shear Wool! The Will of Fire? Hiruzen Can Use It, Why Can't I?

Kisame Hoshigaki left.

Kisame Hoshigaki returned.

In just five to six minutes, he reappeared beside Kazama Kaguya with new wounds on his face, panting heavily as he said, "Let's go, Konoha's people are chasing us."

Kazama Kaguya, who had already activated his Byakugan and seen the approaching Konoha ninja, couldn't help but tease, "Teacher Kisame, being fast isn't always a good thing for a man."

"Get lost."

Kisame Hoshigaki's face darkened as he ran deeper into the Forest of Death, saying:

"You knew I couldn't succeed, didn't you? You said all that earlier just to make me test the remaining strength of Shisui Uchiha and Konoha's reinforcements?"

"I didn't, don't spout nonsense."

Kazama Kaguya wanted to milk Kisame Hoshigaki for more later, so he couldn't take the blame for this.

He flew alongside Kisame Hoshigaki, arguing, "I don't have any mission. With my abilities, I can't defeat Shisui Uchiha either. Whether you make a move or not has nothing to do with me, but if you miss this golden opportunity, the Mangekyo will truly be out of your reach."

"Everything I said was for your own good, Teacher Kisame."

"Bullshit."

Kisame Hoshigaki rolled his eyes. Although his suspicions had lessened, he didn't back down verbally.

"You little brat are full of schemes, I saw it when we were in Kirigakure. As soon as you open your mouth, I know it's never good news."

He said, rubbing his throbbing cheek, and coldly added, "Human Bullet Tank? Hmph, Konoha's Ino-Shika-Cho, I'll remember you."

Kazama Kaguya, upon hearing that something had happened, curiously pressed, "I knew from my Byakugan's field of vision that a big fatty was chasing me, I didn't expect it to be the Ino-Shika-Cho combination. What, did you fall for their combination technique?"

"Don't remind me, the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu, and the Nara Clan's shadow secret technique, they're too disgusting."

Kisame Hoshigaki felt a surge of grief and indignation as he recalled being suddenly controlled during his fight with Shisui Uchiha.

"These guys who mess with Yin Release ninjutsu are truly disgusting. Next time we meet, I'll take them down first."

"Then you'll have to deal with the Akimichi Clan who messes with Yang Release ninjutsu first."

Kazama Kaguya chimed in, "As the sole output and shield in the Ino-Shika-Cho combination, if you can't quickly kill the 'Cho', then the 'Shika' and 'Ino' will be your nightmare."

As famous control ninjutsu in the ninja world, Mind Transfer Jutsu and Shadow Binding Technique were very well-known.

These special Yin Release ninjutsu were difficult to defend against. Once caught, there was no other way unless one possessed Yin Release ninjutsu themselves or used chakra far exceeding the caster's to counter it.

For a regular elite Jonin, encountering the Ino-Shika-Cho combination meant they couldn't escape.

But Kisame Hoshigaki, known as the "Tailed Beast Without a Tail," could break through the control with his massive chakra, making escape possible.

The two moved at extreme speed, and with the Konoha side busy treating the wounded, they had little intention of pursuing.

Soon, the Byakugan could no longer see any trace of pursuers.

However, neither of them stopped.

They went deeper, passing through primeval forests where the sky was obscured, and about two hours later, the rivers and water vapor gradually became abundant.

Finally, as dawn broke, they stopped in front of a large waterfall.

"This is already the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. No one will be here. We'll rest here for a few days, and my injuries need time to heal."

Kisame Hoshigaki surveyed the surroundings and found a spot to start treating his wounds.

He didn't know medical ninjutsu, so he took out some medicine to apply to his injuries and then channeled chakra to stimulate tissue repair.

Kazama Kaguya activated his Byakugan, scanned the surroundings, and seeing no fierce beasts or ninja, prepared to wash himself in the waterfall.

After undergoing a life-level evolution and a desperate battle, he was covered in sweat and had a lot of dead skin that hadn't shed completely.

As the powerful water current rushed down, the fatigue of battle, the remnants of his old body, and the pressure of death accumulated since his defection from Kirigakure were all washed away.

A refreshing feeling of rebirth surged through him, like grass sprouts in early spring.

"Refreshing!"

Kazama Kaguya shot into the sky, tearing through the vast morning mist, and gazed at the rising sun in the east.

Golden rays illuminated the sea of clouds, bathing everything in a brilliant golden hue. A gentle breeze brushed his face, the sea of clouds surged, and as far as the eye could see was an boundless, vast world.

"The scenery in the sky is indeed different from the ground, no wonder everyone wants to come up and see."

Kazama Kaguya hovered above the sea of clouds, touching the small horns on the sides of his forehead. He felt the smooth texture under his fingertips, and an unprecedented sense of security filled his entire body.

"After fleeing and scheming all this way, I finally have the strength to barely establish myself in the ninja world."

He let out a long sigh, opened his five fingers, and then clenched them tightly, as if grasping something intangible. He declared, "From today on, my fate is mine to decide, not heaven's."

"Once I develop for a while, fill in my weaknesses, and evolve three to five Kekkei Genkai, I'll be invincible until the Six Paths level appears."

Kazama Kaguya had already planned for the future.

According to the information carried by the Karma Seed, an Otsutsuki Larva could evolve into a Mature Form and awaken its exclusive skills by absorbing enough cosmic energy.

However, this was not Kazama Kaguya's goal.

This conventional evolutionary method was too mediocre, its combat power lagged behind, it had flaws, and it lacked a unique skill.

His goal was to absorb special cosmic energy, evolve into a Mature Form, and simultaneously catalyze the Byakugan's abnormal evolution into a powerful eye similar to the Tenseigan, Black Eye, or Jōgan.

Only in this way can we deal with the subsequent appearance of the Otsutsuki Clan and Nine-Tails-cheating powerhouses like Naruto Uzumaki.

However, special energy is extremely rare. Although Kazama Kaguya had some guesses, he had only just become a Young Form and didn't need to rush to pursue it.

Instead, there were some things that were urgently needed to be supplemented at this stage.

First, there were conventional elemental combat ninjutsu.

Because he had been lying low within the Kaguya Clan for the past two years, and Kazama Kaguya couldn't show values different from the mainstream clan members, he knew nothing besides two small D-rank Water Release ninjutsu he learned privately.

In last night's battle, he relied entirely on Shikotsumyaku, the Otsutsuki's flight ability, and the ultimate move, All-Killing Ash Bones, to hold his ground, making for a rather awkward overall performance.

Regarding this, Kazama Kaguya planned to "milk" Kisame Hoshigaki, having him teach him more Water Release ninjutsu. It would be even better if he could learn his unique shark ninjutsu.

Secondly, he also needed to train Taijutsu that could complement his current physical condition.

Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu have always been the standards for judging a ninja's strength.

Especially Taijutsu, it is the most crucial among them.

A ninja might not know ninjutsu or genjutsu, but they must be proficient in Taijutsu.

Kakashi's father, the Konoha White Fang, with his Taijutsu and a short sword, killed countless enemy soldiers during the Second Great Ninja War.

Might Guy is the pinnacle of Taijutsu ninja. After opening all Eight Gates, he directly ground Six Paths Madara into the floor, almost kicking the ending into place.

Of course, Taijutsu ninjutsu also has a crucial element: judgment and combat awareness.

For Taijutsu skills, Shikotsumyaku has its own exclusive Kaguya-style Taijutsu. He doesn't lack techniques; what he lacks is judgment and combat awareness.

On this point, Kazama Kaguya also planned to continue "milking" Kisame Hoshigaki, having him spar with him to improve as much as possible.

Finally, there is Genjutsu.

Since evolving into an Otsutsuki Larva, his Chakra attribute automatically gained the "Yin" attribute, most likely from transplanting the Byakugan.

This signifies that he possesses a high talent for practicing Genjutsu.

However, Kisame Hoshigaki doesn't seem to understand Genjutsu, so this can be put aside for later; there's no rush.

In short, the plan for the upcoming period can be summarized in one sentence: diligently "milk" Kisame Hoshigaki.

Coincidentally, the information about the Sharingan that Kisame Hoshigaki had previously obtained had not yet been paid for.

Kazama Kaguya planned to use that "choose one of three" price to make Kisame Hoshigaki continue to burn himself and shine.

"Well then, it's happily decided."

"Life is endless, and dedication is unending. If Hiruzen can use the Will of Fire, why can't I?"

Kazama Kaguya's eyes curved into a beautiful arc, and an idea already appeared in his mind.