Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Hiding his strength! Ojisan is strong!
At that moment, three mercenaries, already laden with loot, were dragging Lady Chiyuki along a deserted alley.
"You…what are you planning to do?" Chiyuki's voice trembled, her eyes filled with terror. She had a dreadful premonition about what was coming, feeling a deep sense of grievance.
Chiyuki came to Amegakure hoping to catch a glimpse of the world's strongest ninja, Uzumaki Senshi. She never even got to see him, and instead she was about to fall into a nightmare she might never escape.
Tears welled in her eyes, each drop glittering like broken pearls. She never once thought she'd be in such a dire situation.
Yet to these three mercenaries, her tears only fueled their excitement.
"Not bad—crying even makes this noble lady look more enticing," sneered their leader, licking his lips, greed burning in his stare.
At this critical moment, a timid voice suddenly came from the alley's entrance: "Stop!"
Though the voice was childish, it carried a calm firmness that couldn't be ignored.
Startled, the mercenaries turned around, then burst into mocking laughter. "Hahaha! I thought who might it be—turns out it's just a brat!"
Chiyuki also looked up, and at once her heart sank.
Standing at the mouth of the alley was a red-haired girl, only about six years old—clearly of the Uzumaki Clan.
"Little girl, run! You can't fight them!" Chiyuki cried out in despair, tears thick in her voice.
But it was too late.
One of the mercenaries let out a cruel laugh, raised a kunai, and flung it toward the girl's heart.
"Go to hell, kid!"
Facing that kunai flying straight for her, the little girl did not so much as flinch.
Instead, the childish face took on an oddly serious expression.
"According to what Big Sis Karin taught me—if someone's trying to kill me, I can counterattack however I like! So…"
In the next instant, her small hands formed hand seals, her voice ringing clear yet brimming with power: "Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Swoosh!
Clang!
Five golden chains—like five golden dragons—shot out from behind the girl's petite figure. In the dim alley, their brilliant glow cut a dazzling arc.
The abrupt spectacle stunned the three brutal mercenaries on the spot; even Chiyuki gaped in disbelief, her eyes wide.
Watching through the windows of nearby buildings, many villagers likewise showed astonishment.
"Oh my god, that's the Adamantine Sealing Chains! The legendary sealing technique!"
"And she's what, not even graduated from the ninja academy? This is insane!"
"As expected of an Uzumaki—definitely extraordinary!"
A moment ago they'd all been fearing for Chiyuki's safety; now they stared slack-jawed at this six-year-old red-haired girl.
Everyone knew that the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu ranked among the ninja world's best, and Adamantine Sealing Chains was one of its mightiest forms—capable, they said, of suppressing even the Nine-Tails!
Who would have guessed that this tiny child could wield such advanced ninjutsu?
Clang!
One chain batted aside the flying kunai with a crisp metal clang. Immediately afterward, the five chains twined around the three mercenaries, binding them fast.
"H-how is that possible?" The three mercenaries, now tied up tight, were dumbstruck.
"No way…just a kid, how the hell is she using such high-level sealing arts?"
But the little girl's face remained unruffled. In fact, there was even a hint of confidence on her young features.
"Hmph, you creeps think you can bully people in our village? Let's see how you like being taught a lesson!"
Chiyuki, who had resigned herself to tragedy, never imagined she'd be saved by a child.
"Little one, thank you…" she murmured.
Turning her head, the girl gave a bright, innocent smile. "It's all right, sis! These bad guys are all tied up now, so you're safe!"
The mercenaries, however, were still unwilling, struggling against the chains, swearing nonstop.
"You little brat! Let us go or you'll regret it!"
"Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong—want to die?"
"Huh! Some leftover from the Uzumaki Clan—thinking you're a savior?"
But the small girl only giggled. "No point resisting! This is the Adamantine Sealing Chains—made for dealing with the Nine-Tails, y'know! Like you have any chance of breaking free!"
By this time, a squad of Ame ninjas responsible for law and order finally arrived on the scene.
Seeing the trio of mercenaries trussed like dumplings—and Lady Chiyuki safe and sound, with a cheerful little girl nearby—they were all visibly relieved.
"Thank goodness Lady Chiyuki's all right!"
Their squad leader let out a breath, hurrying up to check. Hearing how the child had single-handedly subdued the three mercenaries, he couldn't help giving her a big thumbs-up.
"Nice work, Haruko-chan! You saved Lady Chiyuki and prevented a possible diplomatic crisis. You're a hero of our village!"
Uzumaki Haruko, hearing the praise, blushed bright red like an apple, delighted deep down. She clenched her right fist to her chest, speaking softly yet earnestly: "Everyone's been looking after me, so now that the village is in trouble, I want to help! I'll do my best to maintain order!"
No sooner had she spoken than the villagers nearby, Lady Chiyuki, and that law enforcement squad all broke out in applause.
"Haruko-chan, you're amazing!"
"Haha, as expected of an Uzumaki—so young, yet so responsible!"
Though still just a little thing, Haruko had stepped forward to protect the village amid all the chaos, greatly impressing everyone…
…
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Mountain Graveyard…
The air rippled with a faint, transparent distortion, like waves on water. Moments later, Tobi emerged from that swirl, his black robe fluttering in the breeze.
He was in a wonderful mood, lips curling under his mask.
"From that first caravan raid near Amegakure onward, everything has gone exactly as I planned. It's almost suspiciously smooth."
He settled casually onto a nearby stone platform. From inside his cloak, he carefully drew out a small glass jar containing a faint purple liquid—within it, the legendary Rinnegan lay submerged!
Through the gap of his mask, Tobi gazed fixedly at those eyes, excitement burning in his own. Yet after that brief euphoria, a trace of concern emerged.
"Was it really too easy? Did something go wrong?"
He frowned, involuntarily picturing a certain man—Uzumaki Senshi.
Every time they'd clashed, Tobi wound up with terrible luck, nearly killed by Senshi and Orochimaru's combined forces.
"That cunning bastard. Could this be one of his traps?" Tobi wondered, growing uneasy.
But after mentally re-checking every step of his operation, he dismissed the idea.
"Nah, can't be. No way Senshi could rig it so perfectly. I simply took advantage of an opportunity," Tobi sneered, sounding confident.
"When Amegakure's defenses were so weak, with Nagato exhausted and letting his guard down, it was child's play to snatch these eyes."
Relieved, Tobi tapped the stone. "Hey, get Zetsu in here; tell him I've got important business," he ordered a White Zetsu emerging from the earth.
White Zetsu nodded, about to sink back down, but Tobi added, "Wait. Make sure you tell him it's about our big plan, so don't waste time."
With that, White Zetsu gave a small laugh, then vanished underground.
At that moment, Black Zetsu was elsewhere in the Mountain Graveyard, lugging around a giant burlap sack.
"Hahaha, such a sweet haul!" he hummed to himself, pouring out gold and silver treasures for counting.
After once paying Senshi for a mission, Zetsu had discovered the joys of treasure hunting.
"Paying big is so thrilling. Having money forever is forever thrilling!" he mused happily, totally immersed in the fun of collecting valuables.
Just then, White Zetsu poked out from the ground, wearing a resigned look. "Zetsu, Tobi wants you."
Black Zetsu didn't even glance up. "Busy now, no time."
White Zetsu sighed. "He said it's important—something to do with our big plan."
At that, Black Zetsu finally looked up, scowling. "Hmph, what's it got to do with me? I've got my own interests these days."
Ever since seeing Senshi's incredible strength and reliability, Black Zetsu's mindset had changed subtly.
"As long as I have enough money, I can hire Senshi to do anything. Senshi can do it all, so that means I can do it all, heh heh. He's unstoppable, and so am I!"
He was in no hurry to deal with Tobi's ambitions. White Zetsu, seeing him so enthralled, could only shake his head. "He says it concerns the big plan. Just go."
Black Zetsu paused, letting out a small groan of annoyance. Then he shrugged it off. "Fine, guess I'll go see what he wants. But first help me pack this gold."
White Zetsu nodded, rising to help gather the scattered treasure.
Black Zetsu expertly crammed all the gold and silver back into his sack—he had a lot of practice by now.
"All right, done!" said Black Zetsu, dusting off his hands with satisfaction. Hoisting the heavy bag, he turned to White Zetsu. "Lead on."
Side by side, they headed to the large underground chamber where Tobi waited.
At that moment, Tobi was perched on a cold stone platform, idly toying with the jar containing the Rinnegan.
"Indeed, the Rinnegan's formidable, but also a massive chakra drain," Tobi muttered, frowning. "Even Nagato, with his huge Uzumaki reserves, got drained down to skin and bones. My chakra isn't at that level, so how long can I really sustain it?
"And if I don't use it, how do we go forward with the Eye of the Moon plan?"
Just then, Zetsu emerged from a rock wall, that big bag of treasure still on his shoulder.
Tobi's brows drew tighter, a wave of annoyance surfacing. "Zetsu, finally you're here."
He stood up, sounding displeased. "I spent forever living like a hermit in that forest near Amegakure, just to get the Rinnegan. And you've been off collecting junk?"
Black Zetsu planted the bag at his feet. "I was busy. So what's so urgent?"
Seeing the bulging sack brimming with valuables, Tobi's pent-up anger flared.
"Zetsu, your mindset's grown lax! While I've been striving for our grand plan, you've been out picking through random treasure, ignoring everything?"
"Look at me—I put in the effort, I planned meticulously, overcame all obstacles to seize the Rinnegan! What about you—what've you been doing all this time?!"
Black Zetsu actually had plenty to say, but outwardly he just sneered a bit. "This guy is still so full of himself," he thought.
He had reasons of his own. Tobi had spent just a few days in a forest; Zetsu was effectively rummaging all over the world.
And his real loyalty hadn't shifted at all—he was centuries old, unwavering in his goal of reviving his mother.
He also had already entrusted everything to Senshi, whose 100% success rate gave him absolute confidence that Kaguya would be saved eventually. Sure, he was collecting money, but for good reason—Senshi's help cost a lot, and there could be further tasks. They couldn't risk Kaguya being short on funds…
Still, Tobi pressed on. "You're neglecting the plan!"
He was basically ignoring the fact that to Black Zetsu, it was no neglect at all.
Finally, Tobi cooled off enough to say, "Anyway, let's focus on the big matter at hand." He raised the jar with the purple fluid. "I snagged the Rinnegan from Nagato—what do I do with them?"
Black Zetsu perked up, quietly pleased. He'd been thinking how to steer Tobi into using the Rinnegan. Now Tobi himself was asking.
Maintaining a calm demeanor, Black Zetsu pretended to be thoughtful. He coughed lightly, adopting a cryptic tone. "We both know the Rinnegan is crucial to the Eye of the Moon plan. Now that you have it, why not implant it in yourself so you can guard it personally and ensure the plan proceeds safely?"
Tobi shook his head. "It's not so easy. I can't just pop them in."
Black Zetsu raised a brow. "And why not?"
Tobi answered without hesitation: "Two reasons. First, even Nagato with his monstrous Uzumaki chakra got drained to almost nothing. I'd handle it even worse. Second, I prefer to keep my Kamui. The Rinnegan's powerful, but Kamui is extremely important for our great plan."
Black Zetsu could have rolled his eyes. This was a simpler fix than Tobi realized.
He tossed out a straightforward solution: "Then how about using one Mangekyō Sharingan and one Rinnegan? Your right eye is a Mangekyō for Kamui, and your left can be the Rinnegan for extra power. That partial usage of the Rinnegan won't drain you as much, so you can keep your Kamui while boosting your strength."
Tobi: (O_O)???
That suggestion startled him. He'd only just gotten the Rinnegan and hadn't studied it thoroughly. He'd never considered mixing one Rinnegan and one Mangekyō.
Thinking it through, Tobi saw the logic. Formerly, he'd managed just fine with only one Sharingan, so why not keep Kamui in his right eye and add the Rinnegan on the left? That'd preserve Kamui while vastly increasing his power.
He did, however, feel a small reservation. "Wouldn't that look… strange, one Sharingan and one Rinnegan? It lacks a certain aesthetic."
Black Zetsu immediately dismissed it. "Strange? No way! It looks awesome! Look at me—half black, half white! Classic color contrast!"
"Pfft!" Tobi broke into laughter. "What the hell?"
Black Zetsu had no idea what was so funny. To him, black-and-white was the coolest.
Tobi calmed his laughter, skipping over Black Zetsu's "style." He gestured at the jar. "Anyway, we can't waste time. Can you do the transplant?"
Black Zetsu didn't refuse. After Tobi lay down, he began the procedure.
For him, switching eyes around was trivial—on the battlefield, a ninja could theoretically yank out a Sharingan or Rinnegan from someone else and plop it into themselves. He was skilled at that.
He worked with smooth, practiced motions. Soon enough, Tobi's old transplanted Sharingan (originally given to Kakashi) was removed and replaced with a Rinnegan. The entire process was neat, with hardly a flicker of extra chakra.
The instant Tobi's new Rinnegan took hold, his entire aura changed. He felt the terrifying power within it, like a tidal wave of energy surging through his body. But also, the Rinnegan guzzled his chakra like a bottomless pit.
After a brief adjustment period, Tobi gradually got used to controlling it. He could still use Kamui as before—well, at the same speed as originally. Meanwhile, his overall strength soared.
Additionally, Tobi had already been on track to master Susanoo, even with only one eye. Now he had a solid path to using it with just one Sharingan.
When Tobi finished acclimating, Black Zetsu made another proposal: "Now, let's summon the Gedo Statue. The Gedo Statue is crucial for the Eye of the Moon plan. With it in hand, we only need to capture the tailed beasts."
Tobi nodded, not objecting.
He walked to the huge underground space Uchiha Madara had once used for the statue. Forming hand seals, he performed a Summoning Technique. Chakra poured out in torrents.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Tobi growled, slamming his palm to the ground.
Rumble—
The earth quaked, enormous clouds of smoke billowing up, as if the entire cavern was shaking.
When the smoke cleared, the Gedo Statue's massive form loomed before Tobi and Zetsu.
Having summoned it successfully, Tobi felt for it, then smiled in delight. "There's an unexpected bonus—Three-Tails is already sealed inside. So as soon as we catch the remaining eight beasts and seal them here, the Eye of the Moon plan can advance by leaps and bounds."
Now sporting one Mangekyō and one Rinnegan, plus partial Susanoo, Tobi was a league stronger than before.
He couldn't toss tailed beasts around like Uchiha Madara, but capturing eight more tailed beasts wasn't out of reach, in his estimation.
While Tobi silently plotted his next moves, Black Zetsu watched him from the side, hatching his own scheme: he needed to handle Tobi so Tobi wouldn't botch things up.
"If I nudge Tobi right," Black Zetsu mused, "he might unwittingly help Senshi accelerate that mission. Yes, let's do that. The sooner my mother is saved, the better. The ideal scenario is letting Tobi do some of the heavy lifting for Senshi's sake—two birds, one stone."
…
While Tobi and Black Zetsu's plan unfurled in the Mountain Graveyard, Amegakure's turbulence still hadn't abated.
Because of its explosive growth, the village was packed with all sorts of outsiders—opportunists, scoundrels, and spies. With the internal security too stretched thin, chaos raged from corner to corner.
Ever since the lockdown, no one could leave or enter. Usually that wouldn't matter if Amegakure ninja quickly quelled the trouble, but they lacked numbers.
In the past, so many strong ninjas oversaw the Rain that any disturbance was either snuffed out immediately or couldn't even begin. But now the situation was drastically different.
At people's darkest hour, help emerged from an unexpected place: students of the Ninja Academy rallied to defend the village.
The main reasons the chaos was so stubborn were, one, the shortage of official Ame ninjas, and two, the looters and arsonists were mercenaries or hardened criminals, strong enough that average citizens couldn't stop them—only ninjas could.
Though these Academy students weren't official Anbu or Police Force members, they were by no means weak.
Under Senshi's leadership, Ame's ninja school wasn't your typical "elementary." It was more like an elite "ninja university," open to any sub-Kage-level ninja wanting advanced training.
Hence, its graduates and top students were extremely capable, enough to contain the present mayhem.
At the village gates, the siblings Raimon Yukika and Raimon Hayate had stabilized the entrance, then hurried back in to quell internal strife.
Traveling with them was the youngest member of Senshi's mercenary corps, Mikiko, who served as a medic.
Yukika and Hayate subdued criminals with swift lightning combos, while Mikiko tended to wounded villagers.
After ensuring one area was secure, Yukika said decisively, "This zone is stable. Let's move on!"
Hayate and Mikiko nodded solemnly. The three vanished in flickers of Shunshin no Jutsu, racing to the next hot spot.
They arrived in a residential area where buildings blazed and a pack of thugs were looting, smashing anything in sight.
Seeing that, Yukika's eyes flashed cold. Without hesitation, she lunged at them, lightning chakra cloaking her body. Hayate and Mikiko followed, all three moving swiftly in sync.
In the shadows of a nearby corner, many villagers cowered, faces pale with fright.
When they saw three young kids charge fearlessly at these vicious thugs, they turned pale as sheets.
"Hey! You Academy brats, that's too dangerous—don't go!"
"Come back, come back! They're psychos, burning and looting everything!"
"They'll kill you! Wait for Anbu or Police to handle it!"
But the trio pressed on without pausing.
The crowd's hearts sank. Their faces went from white to ashen.
"What do we do? Are we just going to watch these kids get beaten to death?"
"Ugh! If only Lord Senshi were here, no one would dare cause trouble in Amegakure!"
"This isn't the time for that. Maybe we should fight them ourselves?"
"That's insane—a shinobi is among them. We need real ninjas!"
"I don't care—I'm fighting them anyway! They're burning my house!"
His example lit a spark in several more villagers, so they grabbed whatever tools they had and moved forward.
Yet as soon as they reached the fighting, they froze in place.
They saw Yukika in full Lightning Release Armor, darting among the criminals like living lightning, striking with deadly accuracy. The fearsome thugs were knocked down left and right, powerless to stop her.
To the villagers, these criminals had been terrifying—but in front of the Academy's elite, they were mere paper tigers.
In a single blitz, Yukika took down most of them. The only one left standing was a man named Yuki, lugging a cash box in his left hand and a kunai in his right. He was an ex-nin from Sunagakure.
He'd lived in Amegakure incognito, but the chaos unleashed his greed. Leading a band of followers, he'd set fires and looted homes. He thought it was easy pickings—until he ran into these three kids from the Academy.
Glaring at them, Yuki barked, "Get lost! I'll spare your lives, but only once. If you run into other ninjas, you won't be so lucky."
Yukika and Hayate exchanged a speechless look, a tinge of mockery in their eyes.
"Is this guy insane?" Yukika thought. But on the surface, she kept calm.
They might be beyond an ordinary chūnin's level, but they wouldn't underestimate him—Senshi taught them never to be complacent in a fight. Maybe Yuki did have some trump card.
Collecting herself, Yukika whispered to Hayate and Mikiko, "Hayate, we'll strike with Chidori. If that fails, we use the Lariat. If he's too strong, Mikiko, contact Musen or the others for backup."
They both nodded, focusing.
In the next moment, Yukika and Hayate formed seals simultaneously, surging lightning chakra with a piercing screech like a thousand birds.
"Chidori!"
They shouted in unison, bright arcs flaring around their hands as they dashed toward Yuki.
Yuki: (O_O)???
He was utterly stunned.
"Ch-Chidori?!" The name alone rocked him. He broke into a cold sweat.
Sure, he'd heard rumors about the Academy's elites being strong, but seeing children no older than eleven or twelve wielding advanced Lightning Release was more than he ever imagined.
"This can't be real—two brats using that technique?"
While his pupils quaked with fear, Mikiko readied herself, staying alert. As a medic, she understood how a single misstep could cost victory.
Suddenly, a crisp clang rang out: Yuki dropped his kunai. He raised his hands in a formal salute, shouting, "Don't! I surrender!"
All three froze, their Chidori halting mid-charge.
"He…he just gave up?" Yukika was stunned, her combat stance faltering.
Hayate snorted. "Lucky for you. One more second and my Chidori would've fried you."
Yuki was deeply remorseful, cursing himself. He'd thought the Rain's turmoil was a goldmine, but he'd run right into a pair of monstrous kids.
"If only I hadn't tried this," Yuki lamented, looking utterly deflated.
Watching from the back, the villagers were equally dumbfounded. Moments ago they feared for the children's lives—now it turned out the criminals were the ones scared witless.
"Holy cow…students at the Academy are really that strong?"
Similar scenes were unfolding throughout Amegakure. Roving thugs and looters fell one after another to squads of Academy elites. Those naive enough to challenge these youths got beaten nearly to death.
Once Yukika's group finished here, Mikiko got to work healing wounded civilians. The bystanders looked on in wonder.
"Lord Senshi may not be in the village, but the Academy he built and the Uzumaki clan he supported are still here protecting us!"
"Yes. I heard the Uzumaki clan has mobilized to help keep order."
"I heard that, too—but is it true? Rumor has it some 'Haruko Uzumaki' saved Lady Chiyuki!"
Chiyuki was fairly well-known; as a jewel merchant from the Land of Snow noble family, she'd never hidden her status. Combined with her beauty and unique wares, many villagers recognized her.
Mikiko overheard this chatter while tending the wounded.
Hearing about Uzumaki Haruko's heroic deed, she felt a surge of urgency—Haruko was younger than she was, yet had already accomplished so much. As a member of Senshi's mercenary corps, Mikiko wanted to do more for her village as well.
Elsewhere, Uzumaki Tousen and others were pressing onward, sealing rowdy mercenaries and bandits, then hauling them off to Ame's jail. Most troublemakers ended up being captured by the Uzumaki clan personally.
Seeing so many small but formidable Uzumaki ninjas patrolling the streets, people began to associate them with safety and stability.
Anywhere they appeared, the troublemakers were swiftly subdued and brought to prison.
Uzumaki Musen, Uzumaki Lanyu, and Uzumaki Lanwu had already been known around the village. Their help came as no surprise.
But the villagers were truly shocked by the other Uzumaki members' performance.
For instance, "Uncle Tousen"—everyone assumed he was just a gentle old guy. Recently, though, they'd seen him punch a bandit ten meters away with a single blow. Then he'd unleashed five golden sealing chains to capture five mercenaries at once!
That sight stunned everyone, leaving them reeling with a flurry of exclamations:
"Uncle Tousen, you told us you barely know ninjutsu. But that's not 'barely' at all!"
"Whoa! You're actually that strong? Uncle Tousen, about me accidentally breaking your window last time… please don't hold a grudge!"
"What the—didn't you say you were only a low-level ninja? Then how can you do that?"
Truth be told, not only were the villagers left gaping, so were Lanyu and the others.
They, too, had believed Takuzen's claims that he was only a low-level ninja with a few basic ninjutsu. Now it seemed as the Uzumaki clan's de facto leader in Amegakure, Tousen had many secrets.
Musen, elated by Tousen's prowess, rushed over. "Ojisan, you…you've been hiding your strength, right? You're not just a 'lower ninja'—you're Kage level! You were just worried we'd feel pressured, so you pretended to be normal all this time, yeah?"
~~~
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