Senshi and Karin, being frequently welcomed in such celebratory fashion, remained fairly composed this time, even calmly waving to the villagers.
Musen and the others, however, reacted differently.
Faced with the villagers' enthusiasm, Uzumaki Lanwu felt shy. She was normally cool and aloof, not fond of crowds, so being surrounded by swarms of boisterous kids made her ears flush as red as if they might bleed.
Uzumaki Lanyu was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected everyone to be so happy just because they'd done well in Konoha. Seeing all the praise and encouragement around him, he responded in a reserved manner, offering his thanks one by one.
Uzumaki Musen and Raimon Hayate, on the other hand, were a completely different story—one was an overly dramatic teen, the other both arrogant and eccentric.
Observing this vibrant scene, teeming with life, where the populace offered them a sincere hero's welcome wherever they set foot, Musen and Hayate could barely contain their glee. It was as if they each had their own background music wherever they walked. Both decided that if there were any future chances to bring glory to the village like this, they'd do whatever it took to sign up—this feeling was just too great!
Beyond the many villagers, the Angel of Amegakure, Konan, also came to the village gate to welcome them.
When Karin spotted Konan, she pounced straight into Konan's arms.
"Konan-nee, we're back!"
Konan hugged her and patted her on the head, smiling as she said, "Welcome back to the village. We've prepared a welcome banquet for you all."
Karin, delighted, asked, "Konan-nee, do you have enough people for the welcome banquet? Need any cooks? I learned a new Konoha-style 'Rainbow Mille-Crêpes' recipe this time in Konoha!"
Konan's delicate features twitched slightly, and she leaned back warily. "Karin-chan, the banquet menus are already set. All you have to do is show up and enjoy the feast."
Hearing that, Karin drooped her head, crestfallen.
She'd obviously learned a lot of new dishes, but had nowhere to show them off. Aside from having the three mini Tailed Beasts in her Kamui dimension sample her cooking every day, she rarely had a chance to demonstrate her skills. She couldn't help lamenting that, in hindsight, she might as well have used Kamui to teleport back earlier.
It was at that moment that Senshi also arrived.
Seeing Konan, he casually asked, "Sister Konan, how's Amegakure been doing lately?"
Konan smiled. "The village is doing great. We've built some more public facilities, and everyone's lives keep improving."
"But, with so many refugees joining Amegakure, our development has slowed a bit. Most of those refugees come with nothing, starving and freezing. It takes quite some time for the village to help them get on their feet before they can contribute to building the village."
What Konan was describing to Senshi basically came down to the village lacking development funds.
Amegakure's financial pie was always sliced very clearly. The bulk was set aside for the Akatsuki "money-eater," while whatever was left went into infrastructure improvements—expanding the hospital, renovating the school, upgrading the commercial district, all of which waited eagerly for funds.
The newly arrived refugees were another bottomless pit: they had to be fed and clothed with large sums of money before they could be put to work.
Konan held the account book, wanting to say more but hesitating. Senshi, however, had already gleaned all the implications from her slight frown.
Rapping his fingers on the table, Senshi said with a laugh, "Sister Konan, I'm planning a financial revolution in this village—by opening an Amegakure Bank that provides interest-free loans."
Konan's pupils went through an eight-magnitude quake: "Interest-free? You're basically doing charity?"
Right now in the shinobi world, userous lending groups were everywhere, rolling over interest upon interest. Even the daimyō of the Five Great Nations demanded exorbitant interest. Lady Tsunade was a prime victim of that (though she never intended to pay them back). But here was Senshi, ready to blow money around like a Water Release jutsu.
"Akatsuki's military gear can't go unfunded, village construction can't be halted, and the people's livelihood must be secured." Senshi toyed with a kunai, carving a rough layout of the bank on the tabletop. "Those wanting to open ninja-tool shops, textile workshops, or get into herbal cultivation—aren't they all just lacking start-up capital?"
Watching the table corner spark as he carved it, Konan suddenly remembered how this man had once so casually dumped a mountain of gold to build the ninja academy. Fingering the explosive-tag ledger, she felt this crazy plan exuded a bravado unique to Senshi—after all, who else would dare found a separate financial system outside the Five Great Nations? Only this weirdo who treated Tailed Beasts like baby chicks could pull it off.
"At least the principal can be recovered, right?" she finally managed to ask, her words like a soul-searching question.
"Just treat it as depositing money into the villagers' future accounts," Senshi said slyly.
"Once their businesses grow, why wouldn't they pay it back? And by then, the streets will be full of big taxpayers, so Amegakure's financial 'pie' will naturally grow bigger."
Outside, the sweet aroma of tri-colored dumplings drifted by, mingling with the metallic tang of a newly opened ninja-tool shop. Konan suddenly felt that perhaps this big gamble really could let Amegakure sprout a steel-built metropolis even more prosperous than Konoha's, right out of the rubble of war.
As a manager of Amegakure, Konan was well aware of how beneficial Senshi's proposed bank could be for the village. So she looked at him with serious respect and said, "Senshi, I want to thank you on behalf of all the villagers."
Senshi quickly waved it off. "Sister Konan, no need to thank me. My money is the village's money! (Which is also my money plus my employment points!)"
He wasn't being purely altruistic in founding the bank—he planned to spur Amegakure's economy to rapid growth. If the villagers had no money, they couldn't earn more money or post more commissions. Meanwhile, the money sitting unused in his system space was gathering dust. So why not take it out, give the villagers and the village interest-free loans, prompt them to issue more commissions, and let him earn more employment points?
Word soon spread through the village that Senshi would open "Senshi Bank" in Amegakure, providing interest-free loans to the villagers.
People—whether merchants, workers, farmers, or shinobi—were all overjoyed! With interest-free loans from Senshi, merchants could expand production, workers and farmers could upgrade their tools, and hordes of shinobi could replace their gear or buy powerful ninjutsu scrolls. For a time, the entire village was practically celebrating like it was New Year's, excitedly awaiting the bank's opening.
Naturally, Senshi didn't plan to keep them waiting long. As soon as he was back in the village, he began preparations. He chose a location between Amegakure's Ninja Academy and the Uzumaki clan's residence, with Wood Clones mostly handling day-to-day bank operations. The villagers and the village administration uniformly backed him, so it took only a few days before "Senshi Bank" was up and running.
On the first day it opened, a huge crowd of villagers lined up at the door. From atop a building across the street, Senshi, Karin, Konan, and Tendo Pain watched the scene.
Seeing so many people come for interest-free loans, Pain furrowed his brow. "Senshi, how exactly do you intend to run this bank?"
Casually, Senshi answered, "Very simply. If someone has collateral, we assess its value and grant interest-free loans up to that amount. If they lack collateral, I'll base the loan on intelligence I've gathered and offer them an interest-free sum accordingly."
Karin raised her hand. "Senshi, aren't you worried some shady individual might pretend to join Amegakure, take out a loan, and then run off?"
Senshi chuckled. "If someone wants to do that, they'd better be ready for a personal visit from my Wood Clones." Indeed, potential flight risks existed, but given his formidable reputation in the ninja world, he doubted many would dare to try a stunt like that.
Konan and Pain, hearing his reply, each twitched at the corner of their mouths. When you're this strong, you can pretty much do whatever you like without worry.
Yet, right at that moment, they noticed a few ninjas from Senshi's mercenary group heading to the bank's entrance to grab some new commissions. Konan and Pain exchanged glances—this wasn't exactly "transferring money from your left hand to your right," but it sure felt like a sneaky way of handing out more pay to his mercenary squad…
At first, Karin didn't catch on, but after seeing Musen and the others heading off to line up for bank commissions, she hurriedly asked Senshi, "Senshi, I want to go wait at the bank entrance, too, so I can pick up some tasks escorting valuables!"
Senshi gave her a small nod. "Go for it."
While Senshi was in Amegakure setting up his bank and boosting the village, Naruto and Sasuke were steadily getting stronger as well. Over the past few days, each had completed a large number of missions, earning over twenty million ryō in commission and netting plenty of scratch-off cards that boosted their abilities.
But the two "little calves" had no idea a masked ninja was watching them all the while. That ninja was Uchiha Obito. Since he now had double Kamui, his mask had changed to a tiger-stripe version that allowed both eyes to be seen. Obito had two motives for targeting them: first, from what he'd learned, Naruto and Sasuke were both students of Senshi; second, Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. That made Obito decide to find a good chance to grab these two punks—he could claim the Nine-Tails and avenge himself on Senshi.
He didn't wait long to find the right moment. Outside a black market in the Land of Fire, Naruto and Sasuke were about to head to the hall for a mission—only to be blocked on the road by a masked figure in a gray cloak.
Seeing that this stranger was blocking their path with ill intent, both Naruto and Sasuke looked puzzled. Naruto couldn't help blurting, "Sasuke, who's this guy? Why's he standing in the road?"
Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know, but he looks like trouble."
"Huh? Did we ever offend this guy or something?" Naruto asked, baffled. From what he could recall, this was their first time meeting Obito.
Sasuke, frowning, replied, "No idea. Just be on your guard."
The moment both Naruto and Sasuke showed signs of vigilance, Obito let out a cold sneer. "You two idiots must be students of that idiot, Senshi?"
"You're just like Uzumaki Senshi himself—brain-damaged from wasting all your time in the black market."
Boom!
That jab at them and at Senshi nearly made Naruto explode. His hair stood on end as he roared, "You creep! How dare you insult Sensei—that's unforgivable!"
Sasuke was also thoroughly angered. Judging by the masked ninja's tone, this was clearly an enemy of their teacher—but how did he manage to survive if he was truly at odds with Senshi? That meant he must have a fairly formidable means of self-preservation.
While Sasuke pondered Obito's identity, Obito sneered again, "So that worthless 'Senshi who's fried his own brain doing so many missions' ended up teaching a couple of worthless students like you?"
Swish!
This time Naruto didn't hold back in the slightest. He couldn't stand it anymore. With a flash, he charged at Obito, throwing a heavy punch. As he sprinted in, he growled, "You bastard—shut up!"
Sasuke, seeing Naruto's impulsiveness, was speechless. Based on his own analysis, the masked man clearly wouldn't be easy to handle, and using insults was an obvious trick to provoke them into attacking. Naruto had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
With Naruto already attacking, Sasuke braced himself for a possible follow-up if needed.
Boom!
Naruto's fierce punch struck Obito's body—but at that moment, part of Obito's form simply phased out.
Naruto: (O_O)???
He'd never seen a technique like that. Karin also had double Kamui, but in fights she typically went straight to Susanoo, so Naruto had never witnessed Kamui used to go intangible like this.
Thump!
As Naruto reeled from surprise, Obito slapped him away with one palm, sending Naruto flying. He had no intention to deliver a finishing blow right then—Naruto was the Nine-Tails' host, and killing him here wouldn't serve Obito's purposes anyway.
Naruto felt a blow land in his stomach, and he was knocked straight back. Mid-flight he flipped over once, redirecting the momentum, and landed steadily on his feet. But his face was tense as he stared at Obito, fully aware by now that this masked man was extremely powerful.
Seeing Naruto's expression, Obito mocked him again with a cold smirk. "So you still won't admit you're a worthless loser? As a shinobi, you're impulsive and quick to anger—no patience at all."
"Seems you're as brain-damaged by mission grinding as your teacher, Uzumaki Senshi."
Hearing that, Naruto's rage boiled over. "I told you to shut it! Stop insulting my Sensei!"
Snarling, Naruto broke into that signature arms-flailing dash of the "Hokage run," charging Obito again. Unfortunately, no epic background music started playing at that moment, or Obito might truly have been doomed.
"Naruto! Come back!" Sasuke yelled the moment Naruto rushed forward. He could sense Uchiha Obito was extremely dangerous, not an adversary they could easily beat at their current level. But his warning did nothing—Naruto was already roaring and leaping at Obito once again.
As he ran, Naruto began weaving signs.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
Tons of smoke burst in every direction, each puff revealing a Naruto clone. Without moving from his spot, Obito was surrounded by Naruto's shadow clones in an instant.
Yet that still didn't allow Naruto to do anything to him—whenever a clone lunged to punch, Obito sidestepped or simply rammed a fist through its chest, causing it to vanish instantly. Then, in a flurry of lightning-fast blows, he disposed of all the clones.
And after clearing out every one of Naruto's shadow clones, he noticed the real Naruto—who'd been charging at him before—had vanished. That didn't surprise Obito at all; he'd been watching Naruto's real position the entire time he dealt with the clones. Naruto had just repositioned to Obito's rear flank.
Just then, from behind him came Naruto's angry shout: "Aura Sphere!"
Boom!
In a flash, a black orb shot toward Obito. Same as before, Obito phased out at the last moment, letting the orb pass harmlessly through him.
Rumble!
Naruto's projectile blasted a towering tree in the distance, thick enough that an adult couldn't wrap their arms around it, turning it into a storm of wood splinters. Seeing that, Naruto was stunned. If he couldn't actually land a hit, he'd never defeat Obito.
Luckily, Sasuke didn't just stand by. He dashed into the fight.
"Zzzt—zzzt—zzzt—zzzt!"
Lightning arcs coiled around Sasuke's body, forming a Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Thunder Punch!"
Boosted by his Lightning Release body enchantment, Sasuke rushed at Obito at high speed, delivering a heavy punch.
Humm—
Unfortunately, swirling transparency enveloped Obito's form again, letting him go intangible. Sasuke's punch, like Naruto's attacks, slipped right through. Obito instead kicked Sasuke square in the abdomen, sending him flying in Naruto's direction.
As he got struck, Sasuke murmured, "So that's it." He hadn't even hit the ground, but he'd already figured out the method for dealing with Obito: that tricky intangibility.
Nonetheless, Obito had to be solid when attacking them. Otherwise, he couldn't land blows. So the only way for them to damage his real body was to time an attack exactly at the instant he switched to physical form for an attack.
Landing near Naruto, Sasuke quickly explained to him, "Naruto, this guy's jutsu is really unusual. He can use that intangible ability to avoid any ninjutsu or taijutsu we throw at him. The only chance to hit him is the split second he's attacking."
Naruto blinked, then brightened. "Sasuke, that's why you're you—figuring out how to handle him so quickly!"
"I'll go in first and give you an opening. When he attacks me, you strike him then!"
He finished before Sasuke could object, charging Obito again. "Naruto, wait!" Sasuke tried to call him back so they could form a better plan, but Naruto was too hotheaded, leaping in once more.
With no other choice, Sasuke also followed up.
Closing in, Naruto yelled, "Aura Sphere!"
The instant he was close, conjuring a black orb in his right palm and driving it toward Obito's heart. Obito turned intangible again, evading it without effort. Before Naruto could follow up, Obito swung a fist at Naruto's abdomen.
Thud!
A deep hit resounded as Naruto took a solid punch. This time, though, he didn't go flying—he caught hold of Obito's arm even as he got hit. Sasuke hesitated not a second, swinging a Thunder Punch from the side. Obito responded by instantly vanishing via Kamui's space-warp, disappearing from the two's sight.
At that, Naruto and Sasuke both realized he was using the same ability they'd once seen Karin do. Sasuke's expression grew complicated. Karin's Sharingan came from Sensei. This masked ninja was an enemy of Sensei and also had a Sharingan? That likely meant he was an unknown Uchiha that Sasuke had never heard of.
Obito, having used Kamui to avoid Sasuke's blow, reappeared behind them, quickly weaving signs: "Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
In the next instant, a swirling, large-scale flame barreled toward them at high speed. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke dared slack off. Both attacked instantly:
"Aura Sphere!"
"Thunder Punch!"
Naruto's black orb collided with the approaching flames at the same moment Sasuke's punch struck.
Boom!
A colossal explosion thundered, and the two of them darted out from the flames, somewhat scorched. Obito was easily holding them both at bay in a two-versus-one fight, which thrilled him: perhaps Senshi wasn't that great a teacher after all.
Beholding the forced-down pair, he felt a surge of satisfaction behind his mask. But before he could fully enjoy it, he noticed something very odd about their postures. The two boys, who'd looked relatively normal a moment before, suddenly adopted strange poses. Obito froze in surprise.
Naruto stood on the left, Sasuke on the right. Naruto glanced at Sasuke. "Sasuke, let's do it!"
Sasuke nodded curtly. "Stop yapping. Let's begin."
Without further talk, the two moved in perfect unison, doing "left hand, right hand, slow-motion."
Obito rubbed his chin, frowning. "What…are they doing?"
In front of him, Naruto and Sasuke finished a series of weird dance steps, then stepped closer.
"Ha! … Fusion!"
They bent at the waist, bringing each set of index fingers together. At that moment, something happened that left Obito greatly alarmed.
Boom—
A brilliant white light burst forth. Almost simultaneously, an incredibly powerful chakra surge emerged in that radiant glow. When the blinding light receded, Obito was greeted by a scene that nearly made his jaw drop.
Obito: (O_O)???
"Wh-what kind of ninjutsu is…this?"
He had good reason to question it. This was something unseen in the shinobi world until now. Through his Mangekyō Sharingan, he clearly observed that the previously separate Naruto and Sasuke had fused into a brand-new shinobi!
The new figure's physique was packed with bulging muscle. He wore the Metamoran style: a short vest plus martial arts pants. His appearance blended Naruto's and Sasuke's traits, leaning more toward Sasuke, with Naruto's hair color and Sasuke's hairstyle.
Feeling the enormous power and massive chakra swirling within him, the fused ninja—Narusuke—showed a look of contented delight. Not only did he possess all the individual strengths of Naruto and Sasuke, but he'd amplified them. Whether it was his sensory abilities, speed, reflexes, physical strength, total chakra, or his ninjutsu prowess, all had multiplied to heights far beyond what Naruto or Sasuke could achieve alone.
Seeing Obito's perplexed stare, Narusuke's gaze turned cold, and he attacked without hesitation.
"You dare insult Narusuke's mentor?! Prepare to die!"
Boom!
A sonic boom erupted at the spot Narusuke had just occupied. With lightning speed, he became a dark blur, instantly smashing his fist into Obito.
Thud!
The blow sent Obito flying, and he was left dumbfounded. "Impossible—how did their speed get so high?!" He'd only been distracted for a second, and was already struck. He'd barely had time to think about intangibility before finding himself knocked away.
Swoosh!
In a flash, Narusuke once again vanished and reappeared behind Obito with incredible speed. Obito quickly turned intangible, causing Narusuke's next punch to pass harmlessly through. But Obito immediately swung another fist at Narusuke's heart, only to see something even more shocking: Narusuke's two eyes had become Sharingan.
Obito was no stranger to the Sharingan. Yet these were blue three-tomoe Sharingan! Even Obito had never seen something like this. The eyes' power was stronger than Sasuke's old three-tomoe, almost rivaling his Mangekyō.
And because of their fused state, Naruto had awakened the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, so Narusuke enjoyed drastically enhanced perception and sensing.
Obito's lightning-fast punch seemed to move in slow motion to Narusuke's eyes. He promptly lifted a leg and kicked Obito's wrist aside.
Obito was shaken to the core: not only was Narusuke's speed terrifying, he also possessed unbelievable observation skills, sensory abilities, and reflexes! Moments ago, Obito was toying with them, yet now he struggled to keep up with their pace.
Before Obito could gather his thoughts, Narusuke struck again.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Clank—clang—! Rattle—!
A mass of chains shot out from Narusuke's body, flying straight for Obito in a flash, binding him in the blink of an eye. Naruto, in normal form, had never awakened these formidable Uzumaki clan chains, but in the fused state, he could not only use Mind's Eye of the Kagura but also Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Obito had no time to respond before he found himself bound tighter than a fly caught in a spider's web.
It left him utterly alarmed by how powerful Naruto-and-Sasuke's fusion was. Tied up, Obito dared not linger. He used Kamui to slip free, reappearing not far off.
That demonstration of Narusuke's might compelled Obito to treat the fight seriously. He wouldn't underestimate them again; he intended to show them his own mastery.
But just as he emerged in the distance, Narusuke closed in once more like an inescapable shadow, attacking again.
Boom!
Without hesitation, Narusuke brandished Horizontal Chop at Obito. Obito, not about to be careless, activated the Susanoo he'd honed recently.
"Susanoo!"
All at once, an enormous blueish skeleton rose around Obito. In a blink, it grew flesh and legs; armor rapidly formed over the giant, and twin Susanoo swords materialized in its hands.
Seeing this, Narusuke paused. "Huh? Isn't that the technique Karin uses?"
While Narusuke was briefly perplexed, Obito made the Susanoo giant brandish its twin blades in swift succession.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!
The giant's speed was formidable, and its strength monstrous, but its storm-like assault still couldn't catch Narusuke, whose sensing ability was too keen and movements too swift.
Obito's frown deepened. "Damn it—what is this ninjutsu?"
As he was still puzzled over it, Narusuke raced in as a flash of electric-blue lightning. Getting close to the Susanoo giant, Narusuke let out a thunderous roar, launching a barrage of wild punches.
"ORA-ORA-ORA!"
"ORA-ORA-ORA!"
His lightning-charged fists hammered the Susanoo in rapid-fire. Obito, no sitting duck, sheathed the giant's swords and tried to trade blow for blow with its fists.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
As Narusuke savored the adrenaline of unleashing unrestrained punches, he couldn't help mentally griping about why Sasuke didn't yet have a completed Susanoo giant, otherwise they could match Obito with a giant fist-for-fist.
Even though Obito couldn't keep pace with Narusuke's speed, he wasn't backing down from a direct slugfest. But after a short exchange, Obito's eyes widened in shock.
As the fight dragged on, the "Ashura Power" and "Indra Power" within Narusuke began interacting mysteriously. Circles of patterns formed in Narusuke's eyes, evolving from the original blue Sharingan into the Rinnegan.
"What the— Rinnegan?!"
Obito felt paralyzed. He knew how hard Madara had worked to obtain the Rinnegan, so he never imagined that now Narusuke would also have one! And worse yet, at that moment he sensed a truly terrifying aura closing in, horrifyingly similar to Uzumaki Senshi. Right now he was struggling against Senshi's two students. If Senshi himself showed up, Obito might not be able to escape.
Seeing no alternative, Obito immediately used Kamui to flee. Simultaneously, in Narusuke's inner spiritual world, an elderly figure suddenly appeared in the boundless emptiness, as if the ground were a pale-golden lake surface with ripples fanning out. That old figure was none other than the legendary Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
~~~
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