" Snake-Style Substitution Technique?"
Obito wasn't surprised at all; Orochimaru was arguably the most troublesome of the Sannin, and he had countless trump cards up his sleeve.
"Heh, it seems there's more than one surprise today."
Orochimaru sneered. There was no doubt that this intelligence was a trap aimed at him, but it was exciting enough nonetheless.
The opponent's abilities were too strange; he almost fell for their trick just now.
" Hidden Shadow Snake Hands "
His right arm transformed into a python, lunging at Obito and instantly coiling around his body. "Got you!"
"Hmph, Orochimaru, you don't need to test me. I don't have time to waste with you right now. Just a word of advice: don't try anything drastic next time, or I won't be so lenient."
Obito speaking, Obito's body gradually faded and disappeared, and he left.
Orochimaru couldn't do anything to him, and similarly, he couldn't catch Orochimaru.
"What kind of ability is this?..."
Orochimaru's pupils lit up; he was shocked by Obito's ability, then laughed, "Interesting, very interesting..."
While they were away, Jue's clone had already cleaned up the surrounding limbs and debris, completing his retreat silently.
This time, neither side benefited.
However, Orochimaru was not disappointed at all; he seemed to have discovered some incredible secret and was very excited.
Several kilometers away from this place, Aoki Tsuki withdrew from the state of perception.
Although Obito and Orochimaru only clashed briefly, it revealed their existence, and Orochimaru also discovered Zetsu's presence.
That's enough.
"They should be able to behave themselves for a while now."
Jue's intelligence capabilities have truly caused the Jashin Cult a lot of trouble. Let's teach him a lesson he won't forget.
Obito and Zetsu immediately adjusted their strategy after returning to their secret base.
"Has it been completely recycled?"
White Zetsu replied, "Don't worry, not a trace was left."
"Let's temporarily halt intelligence gathering on the Jashin Cult."
"Understood. Orochimaru and Aoki Tsuki are such troublesome guys, they're really too cunning," Black Zetsu replied.
Today's trap is Aoki Tsuki's counterattack against them. If they dare to continue secretly providing Konoha with intelligence, who knows what will happen?
He was almost captured by Orochimaru.
The ninja world is too dangerous. Once someone sets their sights on you, it means that they might suddenly jump out and bite you when you're not paying attention, then drag you into the woods.
At this point, White Zetsu raised a crucial question, "What are we going to do now? We'll have to show our faces in Akatsuki sooner or later, won't we?"
"That is indeed a problem... Obito, you have a solution, right?"
Black and White Zetsu were terrified by Orochimaru and Aoki Tsuki and desperately needed psychological comfort.
"Don't worry, I've found a suitable person to keep them in check. Even I have to be careful around this person."
"That's good. We need to get him on board as soon as possible; I can't wait."
On Konoha's side, without accurate intelligence support, their advantage was once again leveled out, and setting a fire and putting it out are completely different in terms of difficulty.
The Anbu and the root were busy.
"Itachi, you seem to be very busy lately?" Fugaku asked.
He was well aware of the reason; behind this incident was a chaotic situation secretly orchestrated by the Uchiha to deplete the Anbu's strength.
"Yes, because the issue of the Jashin Cult remains unresolved."
"With the combined efforts of the Anbu and Root, they should be able to handle this easily."
"Perhaps. It seems there's more than one force operating behind the Jashin Cult."
The intelligence was sometimes frighteningly accurate, and sometimes it was off by eighty miles. Sometimes the members of the Jashin Cult could avoid them in advance, and sometimes they were caught off guard by the Anbu.
This indicates that the two sides are engaged in an intelligence war, with each side experiencing both victories and defeats.
Itachi suddenly asked, "Father, do you know about the Akatsuki organization?"
With such a clever son, it was impossible to really hide it from him, and Fugaku didn't expect to keep it a secret for long.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, mentally organized his thoughts, and nodded. "I've heard of it. It seems Shisui clashed with this organization a few times before his suicide."
'The clan probably knows the reason for Shisui's suicide.'
Itachi immediately understood the meaning behind his father's words: this was a retaliation against the village for harming the Uchiha clan.
The last Uchiha escort mission was the most direct proof; since then, the Uchiha have never been attacked without warning when leaving the village.
"I've heard that Akatsuki is a terrorist organization..." Itachi advised.
"The biggest terrorist organization is hiding in the shadows of the village. Compared to it, Akatsuki is nothing but a newborn infant. Even our clan, the strongest in the open, is powerless to fight it."
Fugaku looked at Itachi and said, "A drowning person will not let go of Tōu they grab onto, even if they know it won't save them."
"Understood." Itachi turned and left.
Can he condemn the Uchiha's self-preservation efforts? No, because he himself had no other choice.
Life suddenly calmed down, and all parties seemed to have fallen silent.
After a period of activity, the members of the Jashin Cult went into hiding, and their Anbu and Root also contracted to recuperate.
Humans are not machines; they can become weary of war and psychologically exhausted. Only the village and family can heal the soul.
Aoki Tsuki took some time to stay at Amegakure's house for a while.
And you know what? Since Karin came to Amegakure, her nutrition has improved, her health has gotten better and better, and her hair has become more and more vibrant, making her a delightful sight.
" Karin, come here. Today I'll teach you Chakra refinement, a secret technique I don't usually tell anyone."
Unexpectedly, Karin shook her head. "I've already learned how to refine Chakra. It's very easy."
"Uh... sorry, I almost forgot that your Uzumaki Clan is called Chatonra. Who taught you that?"
Aoki Tsuki was furious. Karin possessed water and earth attributes and was destined to be his disciple, inheriting his Water Release.
They actually tried to poach his client.
"That cold-hearted woman, she wouldn't feed me if I didn't learn it. I'll learn it quickly."
"Oh, it's her. You must be obedient, okay?"
"Uncle, are you afraid of her too?" Karin asked curiously.
"What a joke! In this village, I'm the boss. Everyone else is afraid of me, but I like to be kind to people."
Come, today I'm going to teach you a very important Ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Clone Technique.
As the Hand Seals were completed, an identical Aoki Tsuki appeared beside him.
"A clone? What's the use of that...?"
"Of course, it's used to deceive the enemy. Ninjas are cunning; remember that."
"But Mom says one should be honest..."
"So she's really in a bad situation, having to sell her blood Tenten to support you. If you don't want to end up like her, listen to me."
To live a good life, you must learn to deceive others, deceive for money, deceive for resources, deceive with Ninjutsu...
Karin nodded blankly, looking quite impressed.
In one's life, there will always be someone who overturns your perceptions and leads you astray.
" Little Tsuki, is it really okay for you to teach her like this?"
Eiko, the mother, couldn't stand it any longer. She didn't remember ever teaching her son like that, and she didn't know where she had learned this set of success theories.
"There's definitely no problem. I'm the village's advisor; these are all the culmination of my wisdom."
Seeing Aoki Tsuki's confident and resolute words, Eiko, though puzzled, nodded in admiration.
"By the way, there are already kids your age in the village who are married. Do you know anyone you'd like to meet? Would you like me to help you find someone?"
I'm in my mid-twenties, and it's such a dangerous profession as being a ninja, so it would be more reassuring to get married and have a child sooner rather than later.
"Of course, Mom. To be honest, I'm almost there."
Aoki Tsuki happily shared her achievements.
Eiko was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, "Truly worthy of being my son! Whose daughter is she?"
"Um... it's not a girl. Actually, you know this person too; they used to do business on this street."
"I know him too... but who is it?"
Eiko had a bad feeling.
"She's my former captain Satō Ichirō's wife, the proprietress of the Silver Fish Pavilion, Sister Mimoto. To be honest, I've had a crush on her since I was a kid."
Eiko looked at Aoki Tsuki with a strange expression and said, "I think you're really hungry. You're talking nonsense. She's at least seven or eight years older than you."
"Age isn't a barrier; the key is true love," Aoki Tsuki tried to convince her mother.
"You yourself said she was Captain Satō's wife. He used to treat you well. He's only been dead for a few years, and you're already bringing his wife home. What will the villagers say about you?"
I heard she's of unknown origin and was imprisoned by the Lady Angel for several years. Do you even want to stay in the village anymore? Foolish!
Men are all easily seduced by beauty, and as a mother, she must promptly awaken the lost sheep.
"Well... I hadn't thought that much about it."
"You're still young, you have plenty of time. Don't rush into making decisions about such a significant life event, take your time..."
Eiko carefully advised him, fearing that Aoki Tsuki was too hasty and might make a mistake.
If I offend the Lady Angel, how am I supposed to live in the village from now on?
"Alright then, I'll take another look."
He said that, but in his heart he was reluctant to part with her. She was such a beautiful woman, the village beauty back then.
It must be said that Karin has great talent; she mastered the Water Clone Technique in just three days.
He then taught her how to use the Water Formation Wall, telling her to practice it slowly when she had time.
These are the two most important Water Release techniques. Once mastered, combined with Shuriken, Kunai, smoke bombs, and Explosive Tag, you'll be a qualified Chunin.
Water Release: Water Severing Wave
call out...
A jet of ultra-high-pressure water shot out from its mouth, sweeping across the steel pipe beside it without any obstruction, leaving a smooth, mirror-like cut.
"Truly worthy of being the pinnacle of Water Release attacks, it's incredibly powerful."
Conventional Water Release utilize the volume of water to impact a target, while this technique focuses on penetration and cutting, somewhat like a combination of the properties of Wind Release and Lightning Release.
This technique requires extremely strong Chakra control to be powerful; in the hands of the Second Hokage, it was able to sever the God Tree.
Aoki Tsuki has a thorough understanding of the core principles of the technique, so he can learn it very quickly.
The power of this technique wounded his pride. Seeing these geniuses vying for supremacy, each with their own signature Ninjutsu, he felt a surge of pride.
He doesn't seem to have developed his own Water Release yet.
Among the Water Release techniques, besides the Water Severing Wave developed by the Second Hokage, the Great Shark Bullet Technique is another one that cannot be ignored.
Kisame's Great Shark Bullet Technique is definitely a top-tier Water Release Ninjutsu. It can absorb the opponent's Chakra and use it to enhance its own power. It's a truly ingenious idea.
Unfortunately, he encountered Might Guy's Daytime Tiger Taijutsu.
He thought for a long time but still couldn't come up with a solution. Maybe one day something will trigger his inspiration.
Perhaps you can only ever imitate others your whole life.