Scales

Even if Yuzuru could perfectly master all chakra nature transformations as he wished, it would essentially be a self-congratulatory improvement, confined within a "ceiling" and having no impact on the overall state of the Shinobi World.

This assessment wasn't directed at him personally; in fact, peak conventional ninja remained just that—conventional ninja. They lacked the ability to "change the world."

However, if one desired the ability to break through that ceiling, they would at least need to reach a point where they could touch it with a mere stretch of their hand.

Facing the drizzling rain that carried a chill, Yuzuru returned to the tent he had borrowed. He first brushed off the rainwater, then sat on a simple chair, and meticulously reviewed the events of the day...

Directly showcasing his skills would naturally create certain uncertain hidden dangers, but this wasn't a flaw; it was merely a matter of choosing a direction.

After careful consideration, Yuzuru felt at ease. He ate a simple meal and then prepared to rest and enter the dungeon.

It had to be said that Konoha was commendable in at least one aspect: the supplies at the front-line camps remained abundant even after fighting this war.

This was the advantage of being backed by the prosperous Land of Fire, and it was also what Sunagakure envied the most.

As Yuzuru's consciousness sank, the "dungeon" quickly began to load.

However, this loading process differed from previous ones.

"Detected Host's spirit in deep dive state."

"Nine-Tails' Rampage dungeon loading..."

"Loading map..."

"Notification: Your dungeon mission is to kill or defeat the Mysterious Masked Man who caused the chaos, and capture or seal the Nine-Tails."

"Completing the mission will yield immense rewards."

"Dungeon Correction: 33%"

"Entering Nine-Tails' Rampage, please prepare, Host."

"What is 'Correction'?" Yuzuru found it rather baffling.

But when he entered the dungeon again, he immediately noticed something unusual.

Firstly, his appearance location was different from before. Compared to last time, he now appeared closer to the center of Konoha.

Secondly, some of his senses had become abnormally sharp.

Yuzuru felt the high density of Natural Energy in the environment; it surged into his body with almost every breath.

"Huh?"

Under the pale moonlight, Yuzuru looked down at his arm and saw large patches of stark white skin...

Rather than skin, it was more akin to scales.

In the dungeon, his "Snake Transformation" was more thorough, making his perception of Natural Energy sharper, his absorption more efficient, and his usage more unrestrained.

Yuzuru took out a kunai from his ninja tool pouch. Using the reflection on the dark blade, he checked his facial condition... His complexion was also pale, with scales covering half of his face.

Even his hair had turned grayish-white.

"Is... is this me?"

This appearance made Yuzuru himself feel a bit creeped out. Everything was too bizarre. If he had a snake's head in front or a tail behind him, his current appearance would be quite close to the later Yakushi Kabuto.

With his current appearance, Yuzuru clearly didn't look like a good person, so he quickly took off his outer clothing and wrapped his head with it.

"As expected, after being bitten by the White Snake Sage, the changes to my Chakra Spiritual Body didn't simply disappear..."

"This means Ryūchi Cave is likely a 'hidden area' in this dungeon, encountering the White Snake Sage was a 'special event,' and obtaining Natural Energy was a 'key event'."

"This dungeon seems to have hidden quests. So the problem is, where's your quest guidance system? It's not smart at all; the dungeon game has become an open-world exploration game."

It was easy to infer that the sudden "Correction" during dungeon loading was also related to Yuzuru's experience in Ryūchi Cave.

Thinking of this, Yuzuru suddenly realized something. He immediately pricked his finger and performed the Summoning Technique on the spot, and then...

"No reaction?"

In the real world, the connection between Yuzuru and Ryūchi Cave was ethereal. In the dungeon, however, he had a tangible connection to Ryūchi Cave. Comparing the two, if Yuzuru could successfully summon a snake in the real world, he should certainly be able to do so in the dungeon.

Yet, the opposite was true.

"My last encounter with Ryūchi Cave was an accident, or perhaps 'ahead of schedule,' so this is considered a violation?"

Therefore, Yuzuru's current situation was somewhat like being "banned"? He tried several times but still couldn't summon a snake. By intuition, he felt that even if he went to Orochimaru's secret laboratory again, the white snake there probably wouldn't be able to take him to Ryūchi Cave anymore.

The so-called dungeon correction was likely meant to fix such bugs.

Just as Yuzuru was examining the changes in himself and the dungeon, the roar of the Nine-Tails echoed, and its massive form reappeared within Konoha.

Yuzuru's rambling thoughts stopped. "I'll go visit the newborn Naruto first, then confirm the actual range of the dungeon... If what I guessed just now is wrong, and the so-called dungeon is the entire Shinobi World, then things are going to be a huge problem."

Yuzuru began to move towards the outskirts of Konoha. Speaking of which, his interactions with the Fourth Hokage's family had been full of twists and turns. The first time, he arrived too late, and Kushina Uzumaki had already passed away; the second time, he saw a living Kushina, but Yuzuru forgot Naruto's importance...

Well, looking on the bright side, this at least proved Yuzuru was a normal person. Normal people wouldn't try to kill a newborn infant for no reason.

As for the act of repaying kindness with enmity and trying to kill his teacher's newborn infant, well, that was quite difficult to judge.

Due to the Nine-Tails, Konoha fell into complete chaos. At such a time, if someone wanted to take advantage of the confusion to do something, it wouldn't be difficult at all, which was why Yuzuru could easily reach his destination before.

Yuzuru had expected the same this time, but things didn't seem that simple, especially since the dungeon's "Correction" had increased.

As Yuzuru was sneaking toward the village outskirts, two young ninjas were rushing towards a shelter.

"Kakashi, don't overthink things right now. We should follow instructions and head to the shelter first."

"I understand, Might Guy. The village is too chaotic right now..."

Two ninjas, about fourteen or fifteen years old, were heading to a shelter according to the Anbu Ninja's instructions.

After seeing the Nine-Tails, Kakashi's feelings became even more complex. There was worry, there was fear, yet he knew he couldn't act rashly at this moment.

This wasn't about escaping, but rather a correct decision, because the problem Konoha faced tonight wasn't a lack of ninjas. In fact, the situation was the opposite.

When facing the Nine-Tails, the front lines didn't need too many ninjas; having more ninjas would actually be a burden.

Numbers meant little in the face of a Tailed Beast.

However, just as the pair was obediently following instructions, Kakashi suddenly sensed a chilling aura, and then his sharp vision caught sight of a stealthily moving figure.

What was this person... doing?

"Might Guy, you go to the shelter first. I have something I need to confirm."