"Don't use your narrow perspective to guess my intentions."
Shinichi's gaze shifted back to E no Gyōja.
"Fury? Destroying a town?" he replied coolly. "If I wanted to do that, it would be as easy as lifting a finger."
The moment those words left his mouth...
Boom!
A massive wave of chakra exploded from Shinichi, sweeping outward and crushing every Tsuchigumo clansman nearby.
The surrounding shinobi stiffened.
Their knees buckled and their breath hitched. An invisible weight slammed onto their chests like boulders.
Tonbei's eyes widened, veins bulging on his forehead. He tried to raise his arm, but it felt like lead. He couldn't move a single muscle.
Behind Gyōja, Hotaru cried out, stumbling backward until the overwhelming pressure pinned her flat to the ground.
"I... I can't move!"
"What is this... a jutsu?"
"No... it's just chakra! He's only releasing his chakra!"
Terrified whispers spread through the paralyzed crowd.
E no Gyōja turned pale. The force drove his feet half an inch into the platform. The suffocating chakra flooded his senses.
In all his years, through countless wars and battles against elite shinobi, he had never experienced such overwhelming suppression.
He stared at Shinichi's young face. 'That face... that monstrous chakra...'
A memory clicked, overlapping with the scene before him.
Konoha. A twelve-year-old boy. Wood Release. Suppressing tailed beasts. Defeating Orochimaru.
"Wait!" Gyōja roared, the sound tearing from his throat. "Stop! Please, stop!"
Panic filled his urgent plea.
"We... we are the Tsuchigumo clan! We hold a protection agreement with Konoha's Third Hokage, Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi! We are friends, not enemies!"
Words rushed out of him, terrified of being a second too late.
"You... you must be Lord Tejima Shinichi, right? The Third Hokage's disciple! We were blind to offend you just now! Please, forgive us!"
When his voice faded, only heavy breathing remained.
The Tsuchigumo shinobi managed to shift their gazes between their Clan Head and the boy standing in the wooden dragon's shadow. Horror filled their eyes.
Tejima Shinichi.
The name struck like a thunderclap. So this was the monster prodigy the entire ninja world had been talking about these past few months.
The crushing pressure vanished without warning.
Gyōja swayed, leaving two shallow indentations in the ground. He drew a shuddering breath, a burning ache spreading through his chest.
The weaker clansmen collapsed entirely, gasping for air with lingering terror on their faces.
Shinichi stood calmly in place, as if his devastating aura had never existed.
"Don't think everyone covets your little trinkets," he said flatly. "I simply ended up in the wrong place."
Hearing this, the tension drained from Gyōja. 'He isn't here for us.'
Given Shinichi's overwhelming power and his status as the Hokage's disciple, if Konoha truly wanted the Fury jutsu, they wouldn't act so openly. Doing so would tear up the agreement and destroy the village's foundation of trust.
He looked up at the boy's unfathomable expression, a chill rising in his chest. To possess such strength and ruthlessness at that age...
'The ninja world is about to face another dark era', Gyōja thought grimly. 'One that will make everyone tremble again.'
Suppressing his dread, he waved a hand. "Withdraw. Return to your posts."
The Tsuchigumo shinobi looked as though they had been granted a pardon from execution. Supporting one another, they quickly and quietly dispersed, leaving only their Clan Head on the platform.
E no Gyōja faced Shinichi and bowed respectfully. "Though it was a misunderstanding... since you are here, please let us know if you need any assistance. The Tsuchigumo clan will do its best to help."
Shinichi glanced at him, mildly surprised. 'Age and experience really do breed wisdom.' The old man was surprisingly pragmatic.
"No need," Shinichi replied. "The person I'm looking for isn't here."
He turned toward his Wood Dragon, ready to leave. Utakata, the Six-Tails' jinchuriki, wasn't here, and he doubted the Tsuchigumo clan had any useful clues.
Gyōja wasn't discouraged. He quickly analyzed Shinichi's words. 'Went to the wrong place. The person I'm looking for isn't here.'
...Suddenly, he remembered a low-profile wandering monk who had recently appeared in the Land of Rivers.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Shinichi."
Shinichi didn't stop walking.
"Perhaps..." Gyōja quickened his pace, "I truly do have information that might interest you."
Shinichi paused.
He stopped beside the massive wooden construct. He didn't look back, but he was clearly listening.
Gyōja continued, his tone growing certain. "About three days ago, Roshi, the rogue ninja from Iwagakure, passed through the Land of Rivers. He stayed briefly in a nearby town."
Shinichi's eyes lit up. The Four-Tails' jinchuriki... Roshi!
He turned his head, tone leisurely. "Do you know what kind of person I'm looking for?"
"I do not." Seeing he had piqued Shinichi's interest, E no Gyōja felt profound relief. "But I understand that if a mission requires you to personally leave the village, your target..." His gaze swept over the silent yet oppressive Wood Dragon. "...will definitely not be ordinary."
"Among those who have passed through the Land of Rivers recently, only he fits the criteria." Gyōja wisely stopped there.
Having obtained exactly what he wanted, Shinichi's mood brightened. He was genuinely impressed by the old man's astuteness.
"Which direction did he go?"
Without hesitation, Gyōja pointed west.
"The Land of Wind. He replenished his water and rations in town. He was alone and made no attempt to hide his tracks. It seems he intends to cross the Land of Rivers and enter the desert."
Shinichi didn't leave immediately. Instead, he studied the older man. "You're so eager to help me. What do you want?"
E no Gyōja's heart jolted.
'The most critical moment.'
He had provided the information precisely to invite this question. There was no such thing as a free lunch, and the boy before him clearly understood that.
He didn't hesitate, delivering his prepared explanation...
"The Tsuchigumo clan already has a contract with Lord Third. We are allies. Allies who provide help within their means shouldn't require payment."
He bowed his head slightly. "I only hope that, when Lord Shinichi leads Konoha in the future, you might remember this small favor and continue to honor the agreement established between our clan and the Third Hokage."
His words were tactful, but the meaning was crystal clear.
Among the well-informed circles of the ninja world, everyone knew about the genius who had suddenly risen in Konoha.
Suppressing tailed beasts and rooting out traitors, his prestige within the village had already reached unparalleled heights. If not for his age, he might have already become Hokage.
Barring any unforeseen disaster, it was only a matter of time before this young man wore the Hokage's hat.
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