Victory and Defeat Decided

"Ninja Art: Spirit Transformation Technique!"

Kato Dan's soul suddenly surged out from his physical body and lunged toward Kushina Uzumaki, who stood nearby.

"Ah!" The moment Kato Dan's soul invaded her, Kushina Uzumaki let out a sharp cry of pain.

"What's wrong, Kushina?" Uchiha Matsuri, oblivious to the situation, asked with concern.

"I'm fine. Matsuri, let's discuss our next coordinated move." Kushina Uzumaki walked toward Uchiha Matsuri with her head bowed.

"Alright." Uchiha Matsuri glanced at Kato Dan, who was kneeling on one knee across from them, failing to realize that danger was imminent.

"Hehehe." Controlling Kushina Uzumaki's body, Kato Dan moved his hands behind his back and performed hand seals with lightning speed.

By the time Uchiha Matsuri realized something was wrong, Kushina Uzumaki, under Kato Dan's control, had already finished the secret seals.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

Kushina Uzumaki's right hand slammed toward Uchiha Matsuri. Uchiha Matsuri instinctively tried to dodge to the side, but he was ultimately too slow.

Struck by the Gale Palm, Uchiha Matsuri was sent flying backward, crashing hard against the ground.

Just one last step, Kato Dan thought.

Suddenly, Kato Dan felt a strange chakra gradually releasing from within Kushina Uzumaki's body. Unlike the ordinary chakra Kato Dan was accustomed to, this peculiar energy was immense and exceptionally volatile, as if it were enraged by his intrusion into this vessel. This eerie sensation forced a sense of dread to rise from the depths of his soul.

In an instant, Kato Dan's soul was expelled from Kushina Uzumaki's body, returning to his own.

Casting a meaningful glance at the unconscious Kushina Uzumaki, Kato Dan's soul immediately vacated his body once more, flying at high speed toward Nohara Shin, who was on the verge of grabbing the bell.

Nearby.

The battered Uchiha Matsuri struggled to crawl up from the ground.

"Looks like I'll have to use medical ninjutsu," Uchiha Matsuri sighed, his face pale.

"Ninja Art: Healing Jutsu!"

Uchiha Matsuri performed the hand seals, releasing Yang-style chakra generated by the medical technique onto his wounds.

"It will take three minutes to heal, so it seems I won't be of much help," Uchiha Matsuri said, glancing at the unconscious Kushina Uzumaki lying on the ground. "Shin, it's all up to you."

Snap.

After snatching the bell, Nohara Shin, controlled by Kato Dan, threw it to Kato Dan, who was 100 meters away. At the same time, Kato Dan's soul instantly abandoned Nohara Shin and returned to his own body.

Jingle, jingle.

Catching the bell, Kato Dan triumphantly shook it at Uchiha Matsuri, as if flaunting his victory.

"It seems the outcome is decided," Uchiha Matsuri sighed.

"What about those two?" Uchiha Matsuri looked at the still-unconscious Kushina Uzumaki and Nohara Shin, who was panting while leaning against a tree in the distance.

"The boy is fine, he's probably just exhausted," Kato Dan said, putting the bell away and walking over slowly. "The little girl is just temporarily unconscious; she'll wake up in a moment."

Ten minutes later.

After being unconscious for over ten minutes, Kushina Uzumaki slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Uchiha Matsuri, Nohara Shin, and Kato Dan all gathered around her, her cheeks flushed, and she jumped to her feet.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you three grown men staring at me for!?" Kushina Uzumaki demanded, pointing at them indignantly.

"It's because you suddenly fainted during the fight, so we've been keeping watch over you," Uchiha Matsuri replied, speechless.

"Ah! I forgot about that!" Kushina Uzumaki suddenly grew excited and shouted at the group, "So, who won the match against Dan-senpai?"

Hearing Kushina Uzumaki's question, Uchiha Matsuri and Nohara Shin exchanged glances and offered a bitter smile. Then, Uchiha Matsuri pointed a finger at Kato Dan.

"Huh? So Dan-senpai won after all." Disappointment flickered in Kushina Uzumaki's eyes.

Noticing her disappointment, Kato Dan gave a thumbs-up and comforted her, "Actually, you were all very impressive. In that last fight, you forced me to reveal my trump card. It seems I underestimated you all."

Kato Dan then explained the principles behind his signature move, the "Spirit Transformation Technique."

"What the heck? A move like that is basically cheating; it's too overpowered," Nohara Shin complained, unconvinced.

"Dan-senpai, could you teach me that move?" Uchiha Matsuri seized the opportunity to ask.

"I could, but..." Kato Dan wagged his finger and smiled, "that depends on your performance!"

In the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage watched the scene through his crystal ball and smiled with satisfaction. "That boy Dan has some real talent; he's established his authority within the squad so quickly."

Ever since Kato Dan joined Team Orochimaru, the team's overall mission success rate had increased significantly. Kato Dan's humorous nature and strong sense of justice allowed him to quickly bond with Uchiha Matsuri and the others.

Meanwhile, in Team Jiraiya, Jiraiya led Minato Namikaze, Kiba Inuzuka, and Chōji Dōtō on many high-difficulty missions, and Minato Namikaze's talent gradually began to shine. Under Jiraiya's guidance and assistance, Minato Namikaze learned the "Flying Thunder God Technique" invented by the Second Hokage. The "Yellow Flash," who would one day shake the ninja world, was beginning to show his edge.

June, 34th year of Konoha.

Uchiha Matsuri was 10 years old.

For Uchiha Matsuri and his peers, this month held special significance, as it marked exactly one year since their graduation. But for the Land of Wind, this month was a nightmare, as the Third Kazekage, known as the "Strongest Kazekage," had suddenly vanished into thin air.

After half a month of fruitless searching, the Land of Wind abandoned the effort to find the Third Kazekage. Chiyo and Ebizo promptly sealed the information, so news of the Third Kazekage's disappearance did not spread to other nations. Even within the Land of Wind, commoners and low-ranking ninja remained unaware of the event.

Having read the original Naruto series in his past life, Uchiha Matsuri naturally knew that the disappearance of the Third Kazekage had a great deal to do with Sasori of the Red Sand. At this moment, the people of the Land of Wind were naturally unaware of the truth. Even when the news broke during this sensitive period that the "Genius Puppeteer" Sasori of the Red Sand had defected from Sunagakure, Chiyo and Ebizo never considered the possibility that the Third Kazekage had been murdered by him.

Konoha, however, found itself in trouble due to the Third Kazekage's disappearance. Because the disappearance occurred while a Konoha envoy was visiting Sunagakure, many high-ranking ninja in Sunagakure believed that Konoha ninja were inevitably involved.

At this time, Team Orochimaru, currently executing a mission within the Land of Wind, had no idea that danger was quietly approaching.