Upon hearing the name Black Steel Forest, Yayoi’s expression turned vacant, and he frowned, as if recalling something.
In fact, this was not the first time he had dispatched search parties to find the whereabouts of the Seven-Tails.
That massive, pure Chakra energy of the Tailed Beast was something he urgently needed at the moment.
Therefore, one night a few months ago, he had gone to the Black Steel Forest alone to search for traces of the Seven-Tails.
The good news was that he had successfully located the Seven-Tails at the time.
The bad news was that someone had beaten him to it.
It was a black-haired man wearing a black Ninja outfit covered by red layered armor.
The back of his clothes was embroidered with a fan leaf emblem, and he had a pair of striking red eyes—the Sharingan.
Without a doubt, he was a Ninja from the Uchiha Clan.
Yayoi hid far away at the edge of the battlefield, watching the Seven-Tails fight that male Ninja from the Uchiha Clan who possessed the Sharingan…
oh, no, he was simply watching the Seven-Tails being ravaged by that man.
A giant warrior formed by condensed Chakra swung its Chakra sword, and the Chakra it unleashed easily split several mountains miles away.
With another strike, it sliced the center of the Black Steel Forest in two, and the final strike sent the Seven-Tails running for its life.
Perhaps because he found the Seven-Tails too weak and unworthy of his status, the Uchiha man watched the Seven-Tails’ pathetic, fleeing figure without pursuing it, simply turning away in disappointment.
Due to the massive attack range of the Chakra sword, the terrifying shockwave caused Yayoi, who was at the edge of the battlefield, to be blown away and sent tumbling.
Left with no choice, Yayoi had to expend a massive amount of Chakra to use an Earth Release: Earth Wall technique that exceeded his limits, just barely managing to block the tsunami-like shockwave at the edge of the battlefield.
Afterwards, without a second thought, he turned and fled, fearing that if he were a step too late, he would meet his end.
After returning, Yayoi remembered feeling completely dazed, thinking that he must have watched a fake version of “Naruto” in his previous life.
Every time he thought of that Uchiha man from that night who, with a casual basic attack, had torn the forest apart, caused mountains to collapse, made rivers flow backward, carved canyons into the earth, and incidentally sliced the Seven-Tails until it fled in terror…
Yayoi felt that this Sengoku era was simply trash.
He later learned the identity of that Sharingan-wielding man.
One of the two founders of the future Konoha Ninja Village, the current Clan Chief of the Uchiha Clan—Uchiha Madara.
A man as famous as the Clan Chief of the Senju Clan, Senju Hashirama.
“…” For years, Yayoi had been entrenched within the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Iron, his knowledge of the outside world coming almost entirely through information passed on by traveling merchants.
The information brought by these merchants had passed through so many hands that it had long since been distorted.
He only heard that the intensity of the war in the Land of Fire was fierce, but he had no idea just how fierce it really was.
Furthermore, he had once fought against Ninjas from the Hyuga Clan.
Although the Hyuga Clan’s strength was formidable, if he continued to develop his own forces, it wasn’t impossible to fight them; at the very least, it hadn’t reached the point of despair.
But Uchiha Madara…
with that majestic figure akin to a demon god, Yayoi couldn’t muster even a shred of Battle Intent.
Compared to him, the Susanoo unleashed by Uchiha Itachi in the future was as fragile as a baby’s.
Yayoi recalled the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, who had fought the elderly Third Hokage while reanimated via Edo Tensei in the story…
even if he was weakened, wasn’t that nerf just too ridiculous?
Wasn’t the Third Hokage the strongest Hokage?
Just how many versions would the First Hokage need to be buffed to fight against an Uchiha Madara who could split several mountains with a single sword strike?
And how on earth did Kakuzu fight the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and manage not to get killed in the end?
Could it be that, like himself facing Uchiha Madara, he had released a Ninjutsu at the edge of the battlefield to block the aftermath of the opponent’s attack, and then fled at top speed, counting that as having formally fought?
“Lord Yayoi, should we act now?
The Seven-Tails has not yet recovered from its severe injuries and is currently very weak.
Capturing it at this time offers the highest probability of success.” Kakuzu offered this suggestion, interrupting Yayoi’s train of thought.
“Hmm, but you just need to come with me.” Yayoi snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.
Under the current shogunate of the Land of Night, there were thousands of samurai who had mastered Chakra techniques, while there were only six or seven hundred Ninjas.
Among them, the number of samurai and Ninjas with Jonin-level strength added up to only about twenty.
Kakuzu was one of the strongest among them, earning an “elite” rating.
(Equivalent to the level of Kakashi at the beginning of the story.) The strength of him, the leader, was roughly equivalent to three of the current Kakuzu.
If one counted his innate special active Chakra, he could perform self-healing without hand signs in terms of medical capabilities.
In terms of Medical Ninjutsu, he felt that there were at most a few people in the Ninja World who could rival him.
Therefore, on that basis, one might even have to add another Kakuzu.
After final calculations, his power at full burst was equivalent to four Kakuzu.
“Should we not use the others?” Kakuzu was slightly taken aback.
Within the Land of Night, there were several other Ninjas whose strength was a notch lower than his, and they still had some ability to restrain the Tailed Beast, so they wouldn’t be defeated in a single blow.
“No, too many people will only create chaos.
When facing a Tailed Beast, it is best to rely primarily on elites.” Yayoi shook his head and refused.
He was aware of the power of a Tailed Beast; such an existence could by no means be restrained by ordinary Jonin.
The elites under his command were too few; even losing one Jonin-level combatant would make his heart ache for a long time.
Black Steel Forest.
Located within the territory of the former Land of Waterfalls, it now naturally belonged to the Land of Night.
Looking from afar, one could see the dark mountain ranges spanning the perimeter of the vast forest.
Trees tens of meters tall were everywhere.
A primitive paradise where poisonous insects and ferocious beasts ran wild.
Yayoi wore a tight-fitting black Ninja outfit, covered by a black coat-style cloak.
The hem of the cloak featured the red pattern of the flower of death and Rebirth—the Spider Lily.
The aura unnaturally radiating from him was filled with mystery and danger.
He and Kakuzu arrived here and could faintly see the massive fissures extending from the edge of the forest deep into its depths, as well as the mountain in the distance that had been split open with a gaping wound.
A huge, artificially created canyon had just come into existence, plain and simple.
Yayoi recalled that night a few months ago, and that man named Uchiha Madara.
It was here that the man had interpreted for him what true ‘power’ was.
It was also the first time he began to suspect that the “Naruto” he had transmigrated into was fake.
Now that he had to expend great effort to obtain ‘trash’ that the other party wouldn’t even deign to look at, he felt a bit bitter for a moment.
Setting aside his complicated feelings, Yayoi’s figure flashed, and he sprinted rapidly into the Black Steel Forest.
Kakuzu followed suit, sprinting after him.
Cool water splashed from the soles of their feet as they both used the Water Release: Water Body Flicker Technique to accelerate their speed.
“We’ve arrived.
It seems to be not far ahead.” Although they couldn’t see the target, as they delved deeper, they felt the air around them permeated with a malicious aura.
Seeing that various ferocious beasts and poisonous insects had all scattered, they knew their target for this trip was right before their eyes.
Sure enough, upon arriving under a tree with dense foliage, they used it to conceal their figures and saw the behemoth resting in the forest clearing ahead.
It was a giant creature with an appearance resembling a hybrid of a beetle and a dragonfly, possessing one tail and six huge, transparent cicada wings.
Its beetle-like blue shell looked incredibly hard, reflecting a brilliant metallic luster under the sun; it was certainly not something that could be broken by ordinary attacks.
“Judging by its size, it has indeed shrunk quite a bit.” Yayoi curled his lips.
This giant creature was exactly the target of his trip—the Seven-Tails.
Although it still looked huge, compared to the Seven-Tails he had seen that night a few months ago, its size had definitely been reduced by more than just a notch, and even its aura seemed ‘weaker’ by quite a bit.
Months had passed, and the Seven-Tails’ strength had not yet fully recovered; it was estimated to be only at sixty or seventy percent of its peak level.
Therefore, this battle was a guaranteed win.
Yayoi calmed his mind and took a scroll from his Ninja tool pouch, unfurling a small section to reveal dense black incantations, with an ‘Yi’ character centered among them.
Bang.
With a soft sound and a puff of white smoke, a human figure emerged from the smoke.
It was a young girl.
The girl’s skin was snow-white, devoid of color, and she wore neat, smooth, silver-white long hair.
Her pupils were suffused with a faint purple halo, devoid of spirit.
She wore a blue slit kimono, revealing the girl’s slender, snow-white legs that looked as if they would break at a snap, and she wore white tabi socks with black wooden clogs on her feet.
With an appearance as beautiful and flawless as a fairy, it was so neat and exquisite that it didn’t look like a human being.
If one had to describe it, it was a living work of art.
Without a doubt, this was a Puppet.
Yet, her mouth, eyes, knees, elbows, and other parts had no mechanical joints; she looked like a real human girl.
Yayoi spread the fingers of his left hand, and five materialized Chakra threads instantly extended from the air, connecting to the Puppet girl’s body.
The Puppet girl’s eyes, which had previously lacked vitality, instantly revealed a hint of human-like light, as if life had been injected into her.
Kakuzu, standing to the side, watched with an expression of amazement on his face.
“No matter how many times I see it, it feels just like a real living person.” Oda Yayoi, General of the Land of Night, nicknamed ‘Puppeteer’, was the top-tier Puppeteer of the current Ninja World.
In terms of the field of Puppet creation and control, he was undoubtedly the one standing at the pinnacle of the current Ninja World.
“Not yet.
But as long as we successfully capture the Seven-Tails this time, I can use that massive amount of Chakra to automate this Puppet.
Speaking of which, the Incomplete Manual of Yin-Yang Release I obtained from the Hagoromo Clan I wiped out has also given me great inspiration.” Yin-Yang Release, a type of Chakra technique passed down from an ancient era.
Legend says it can create all things and define life and death.
Although it was not the complete Yin-Yang Release, the help provided by the Incomplete Manual was equally significant, especially in the aspect of injecting life characteristics into intangible objects; it paired perfectly with his special active Chakra, achieving an effect where one plus one is greater than two.
Yayoi licked his lips, his eyes looking at the Seven-Tails filled with eager radiance.
Now, as long as he obtained the Seven-Tails, he could rely on its massive Chakra to take the Puppet’s performance to the next level and complete the automation.
At that time, not only would he be able to free his own hands, but he could also add a powerful combat force to his side.
The so-called Puppet automation meant that it would not require Chakra threads for control, allowing the Puppet to act and fight autonomously, completely liberating the Puppeteer’s own hands.
Such Puppets were named by Yayoi as ‘Chakra Autonomous Puppets’.
In this era, being strong oneself was the only correct answer.
If he didn’t have powerful martial strength, he couldn’t have sat firmly in the position of General of the Land of Night.
Moreover, his strength of four times Kakuzu did not include the Puppets.
And Puppets, under normal circumstances, were far stronger than the Puppeteer themselves.
“It’s simply like a revolution for Puppeteers.
However, aside from Lord Yayoi, there are no other Puppeteers who can bestow life upon Puppets, right?” Facing Kakuzu’s praise, Yayoi accepted it calmly.
The Chakra he refined contained rich life characteristics and could directly, in the form of energy, achieve medical effects similar to Medical Ninjutsu.
This point had long been circulating in the underground black market and was not a top-secret.
It seemed to have effects very similar to the Chakra of the Uzumaki Clan, but its actual uses were broader and more comprehensive than the Uzumaki Clan’s Chakra.
Because the special Chakra of the Uzumaki Clan could only be applied to animals and humans, whereas his Chakra could bestow life activity even upon inanimate objects.
It was precisely because of this that he could create these Puppets that were infinitely close to humans.
After obtaining the Incomplete Manual of Yin-Yang Release, this process was further accelerated.
It was even more superior to the Human Puppet technique that would only appear in the future.
“Go, Irori.” Yayoi moved his finger, softly calling the Puppet girl’s name.
The Puppet girl, whom Yayoi had named ‘Irori’, saw her eyes light up with purple light.
Her small wooden clogs stepped on the ground, and her body shot out like an arrow released from a bowstring.
Her figure, as beautiful as a fairy, emerged from the dense foliage.
The moment she appeared in the Seven-Tails’ field of vision, the surrounding mist surged, and pale gas was exhaled from her slightly opened, pink, delicate mouth.
Immediately, Irori clapped her hands together, her purple eyes brightening slightly.
Pale cold air was exhaled from her gently opened, pink, delicate mouth.
Ice Release: Ice Flower Pillar!
Boom!
Columns of ice several meters in diameter instantly burst out of the ground, crashing into the Seven-Tails’ body in a cross-pattern, emitting a huge noise.
The Seven-Tails, still in a daze, couldn’t react in time and let out a painful howl as its body was impacted by the ice pillars erupting from the ground, sending it tumbling backward.
Irori’s figure moved like the wind, not giving the Seven-Tails any time to react, her hands maintaining the position of palms pressed together.
Pale cold air surged from Irori’s body like a torrent, sweeping across the earth and sky, plunging this forest into a season of bitter winter.
Ice Release: Thousand Killing Formation!
As the cold stars shone in the sky, ice spears two meters long turned into endless silver meteors, rushing toward the Seven-Tails on the ground.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Each ice spear produced the explosive power of a cannonball, mercilessly raining down upon the Seven-Tails’ body.
The earth cracked, and the resulting shockwave even uprooted the surrounding trees, ruthlessly pushing them into the distance.
From the smoke produced by the explosions came a deafening, angry roar.
It was the Seven-Tails’ howl of intense pain.
“Damn humans!” It had barely escaped with its life a few months ago, and yet, before its injuries could fully recover, it was being hunted down by humans again.
Are these humans dogs?
Coming one after another?
Anger and killing intent filled its chest.
Because the surrounding land had been destroyed by Irori’s Ice Release Ninjutsu, Yayoi’s figure was inevitably exposed.
Facing the enraged Seven-Tails, Yayoi simply tugged on the Chakra threads, letting Irori retreat to his side, his expression indifferent and calm.
“Seven-Tails, your power is simply too dangerous for Ninjas.
I will suppress you.” Accompanying Yayoi’s words were shuriken and Kunai flying toward the Seven-Tails.
Clang, clang, clang.
They made metallic sounds on the Seven-Tails like mosquito bites, and the shuriken and Kunai were all deflected.
Seven-Tails: “…” Yayoi: “…” Yayoi turned his head to look at Kakuzu, who had come to his side.
“This is a tactic, Lord Yayoi.” Kakuzu replied without blushing or skipping a beat.
Before Yayoi could give an answer, the Seven-Tails was again furious, roaring repeatedly; its emotions were completely overheated, and it suddenly opened its massive mouth.
Tiny black and red solid Chakra spheres were condensing in its mouth.
A terrifying, violent aura was wantonly venting into the air.
The Seven-Tails, having lost all reason, only wanted to destroy all life that appeared before it with the most absolute power.