Right now, he didn't want such a good seedling to encounter any accidents.
However, what he didn't expect was that they had just met Kawaki Aoba when the other party directly released a burst of chakra.
"What violent chakra... completely different from Aoba's previous chakra aura," Yuhi Kurenai muttered, her face filled with concern.
"Don't worry, Kurenai, I'm doing fine now," Kawaki Aoba said with a reassuring smile, instantly flashing in front of her and reaching out to touch the scarlet strands of her hair.
So fast!
After witnessing Kawaki Aoba's speed with their own eyes, everyone's pupils constricted.
The speed that Kawaki Aoba had just displayed was no weaker than that of a normal Jonin specializing in taijutsu. Even Akimichi Torifu was left stunned.
The rate of his growth was astonishing. The current Kawaki Aoba was still in a normal state, without having opened the Eight Gates.
"Although the aura is a bit different, this should be the chakra of a Tailed Beast, but it seems that Aoba himself has not been injured in any way, nor has he been affected by the Tailed Beast's negative chakra," Akimichi Torifu observed.
After a moment's thought, he decided to call over a medical ninja for a physical examination.
As for Kawaki Aoba, he knew his situation well but had no objections to Akimichi Torifu's proposal. A physical examination would reassure Kurenai and the others.
When the medical ninja finished the examination, they concluded that Kawaki Aoba was in better health than anyone they had ever seen.
With that, the matter seemed to come to an end, and no one dared ask Kawaki Aoba where he had obtained the Tailed Beast chakra.
However, Akimichi Torifu took a moment to reflect on the situation. He then used a summoning technique to send the information back to Konoha Village.
In the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly received the transmission. After reading it, he fell into deep thought.
To subdue a Tailed Beast, one would need a powerful ninjutsu that requires chanting. A technique similar to the Tailed Beast Cloak had been used, and it had been mistaken by Onoki for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
The reports suggested that Kawaki Aoba had sealed a large amount of Tailed Beast chakra within himself and was able to endure it without being affected by the harmful aura of the Tailed Beast.
All of these factors pointed to one thing: the young Kawaki Aoba had truly risen through the war.
While this was expected, the speed at which this boy had grown was truly surprising.
"It seems that a powerful small ninja clan will soon emerge in Konoha," Hiruzen Sarutobi mused, a hint of melancholy in his voice. Since the founding of Konoha, small clans of only a dozen or so members had disappeared over time, yet another was on the verge of appearing now.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't doubt that the Yuhi and Kawaki families could create a small ninja clan.
Kurenai and Aoba didn't need to do much. With just three or four children, and their children marrying in ten or twenty years, that would be enough to form a new clan.
Though it was early to consider these things, if nothing unexpected occurred, it seemed likely.
But why couldn't civilian ninjas use the same method to create their own clans? The reason was simple: foundation and strength. Creating a clan wasn't just about numbers.
Strength and inherited secret techniques or bloodlines were essential.
Thinking of these secret techniques, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt some relief. He was grateful that Kawaki Aoba didn't inherit the Byakugan. If the Hyuga clan had such monstrous talent, coupled with their vast array of secret techniques, it would be hard to prevent them from becoming another Uchiha clan.
For now, Kawaki Aoba's civilian status was ideal. Even if he did create a ninja clan from scratch, its size would be manageable and within the Hokage's control.
What pleased Hiruzen Sarutobi the most was that his youngest son, Asuma Sarutobi, had also learned the secret technique developed by Kawaki Aoba, a technique similar to the Tailed Beast Cloak.
After reflecting on that information, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up another report, which had also just been transmitted from the battlefield.
Minato Namikaze, another brilliant genius who had risen during the war.
If Kawaki Aoba had been the brightest star on the Iwagakure battlefield, then Minato Namikaze had been the shining supernova on the Kumogakure battlefield.
Having created the Rasengan, along with the Flying Thunder God Technique he had recently mastered, Minato Namikaze had dazzled the Kumogakure battlefield since the war began.
He had not only repeatedly saved his comrades, but he had also fought and defeated the new AB combination from Kumogakure several times.
Additionally, Minato Namikaze had recently requested a lot of information on space-time ninjutsu, seemingly aiming to further optimize and enhance the Flying Thunder God Technique his teacher had created.
With high talent, a gentle personality, and a pure Will of Fire, Minato was also Jiraiya's apprentice, and his dream was to become Hokage.
Looking at the report about Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt immense pride.
This young man was far more promising than his more rebellious students.
Especially Orochimaru. When he had sent Orochimaru to the Sunagakure battlefield two years ago, he hadn't expected the young shinobi to endure the immense pressure and not show any signs of weakness for two years.
Orochimaru had the strength, the means, and deep roots within Konoha. A prodigy among prodigies, his talents were so exceptional that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage and his former sensei, couldn't help but feel pride.
Yet, despite that pride, Orochimaru's increasingly unorthodox and cold personality caused unease—even for Hiruzen.
Three days later, a squad of elite Anbu under direct orders from the Hokage arrived at Konoha's forward operating base near Kusagakure. Their mission: to escort Han, the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki, back to Konoha. This was a highly unusual move, given that Han was originally a loyal shinobi of Iwagakure. But the ongoing conflicts and covert alliances had created strange opportunities.
Joining them was Akimichi Torifu, one of the few surviving war-era Jonin from the Second Great Ninja War. His presence ensured that the transfer would proceed smoothly and securely. With his mission nearly over, Torifu intended to return to his clan and resume his retirement.
Despite his strength and wisdom, Torifu was a man who never sought power or influence. In fact, he had only come to the battlefield at Hiruzen's personal request—to temporarily oversee the battlefield and support Sarutobi Shinnōsuke, Hiruzen's son.
With the mission accomplished, Torifu made his way to the sealing team's tent, where the Five-Tails was being temporarily held.
Unexpectedly, he encountered Kawaki Aoba, a strange figure with abilities foreign to most shinobi.
Over the past three days, Kawaki Aoba had visited the sealed Jinchūriki daily, siphoning off the chakra that the Five-Tails—Kokuō—had managed to condense. Though each visit extracted less than half of Kokuō's maximum chakra reserves, in total, he had gathered enough to fill six high-capacity sealing scrolls.
Watching the Anbu prepare Han for transport, Aoba sighed inwardly. To him, Kokuō was a renewable resource—one he could no longer harvest.
He extended his hand, observing the wisps of white smoke that curled from his fingers. It was not a natural phenomenon nor elemental ninjutsu, but a power born from the chakra he'd extracted.
Smoke Transformation. Smoke Wall. Smoke Restraint.
These abilities had their conceptual roots in a different world's energy system, bearing resemblance to Nen techniques from Hunter × Hunter.
Smoke Transformation allowed him to craft illusions from smoke—beings so lifelike they rivaled the Shadow Clone Technique and the Transformation Jutsu in realism, though they were frail and lacked any offensive power.
Smoke Wall served as a powerful barrier, capable of stalling even elite shinobi.
Smoke Restraint manipulated smoke into physical bindings, restraining targets with formidable chakra-converted force.
Though not a true Logia-type like the Smoke-Smoke Fruit from another world, these techniques made Aoba's power deceptively similar. So much so, he mused, "Even a Devil Fruit wouldn't compare."
On the journey back, something tugged at Aoba's thoughts.
"Huh? Where's Asuma? I haven't seen him in days."
Beside him, Yūhi Kurenai gave him a look.
"Aoba, you've been obsessed with the Tailed Beasts. You didn't notice—Asuma hasn't been the same. Ever since our return, he's thrown himself into training—nonstop. No one can talk him down."
Aoba nodded slowly. "So that's it. No wonder he's been off lately. That kid's heart took a hit."
As he pondered, his mind wandered to the Smoke Fruit stored in his altar space—a remnant of another universe. He recalled that in the future, Asuma Sarutobi would develop Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning, a technique that enveloped enemies in combustible ash, ignited by a single spark.
"Hmm... maybe the Smoke Fruit would suit him."
Driven by curiosity, Aoba paid a visit to Asuma.
The young Sarutobi wasn't aimlessly punching walls or drowning in frustration. Instead, he was diligently refining his mastery of fire-nature chakra transformation—with clarity and focus.
Aoba didn't disturb him.
If Asuma could reach new heights on his own, that was far more valuable than handing him power. Real strength was earned, not gifted.
He considered visiting Kurenai next—only to find her deep in meditation. She was at a critical point in developing a rare kekkei genkai—Genjutsu: True Life, an illusion so real it was said to affect even the subconscious.
Aoba smiled. "Looks like everyone's grinding hard."
But as for himself?
"With my current power… even if there's room to grow, there's no shortcut. My Saiyan bloodline is still 'incomplete' and 'diluted.'"
So… he decided to cheat.
"I wonder how things are going in Iwagakure. Can't afford to miss that."
The battlefield near Kusagakure had been eerily quiet. Most of the real combat was left to Chūnin and Genin. Jōnin on both sides hadn't clashed seriously in days.
To Aoba, it all seemed staged.
No doubt, a backdoor negotiation between Konoha and Iwagakure. The war continued publicly for appearances, especially to fool other villages.
Compared to other fronts, the Kusagakure battlefield was practically a haven.
The cost of that peace? Letting monsters like Tailed Beasts roam free for days. For Kusagakure, caught in the middle, the "peace" might not have been worth the price.
Realizing that nothing major would happen for now, Aoba left several Shadow Clones behind—sealed into scrolls to accompany Kurenai—and transformed his true body into a nondescript bird.
He flew toward the Land of Earth, determined to infiltrate Iwagakure.
"Iwagakure's secret jutsu… here I come."
When the great shinobi villages were first established, most copied Konoha's systems: the Anbu, ninja academies, and mission rankings—all innovations of Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage.
He wondered if the other villages had also copied the Forbidden Scroll Repository, the vault that housed techniques like the Shadow Clone and Flying Raijin.
After crossing into the Land of Earth, Aoba didn't dive straight into Iwagakure. Instead, he combed the mountain passes near the coastline, searching for active Iwa shinobi units.
He needed confirmation.
If the Tsuchikage and Raikage were locked in a cold war, then Iwagakure's defenses might be stretched thin.
But if he was wrong and flew into a trap?
"Well, I'd better start writing my will."
Then he found them.
From a high perch, Aoba's Observation Haki registered the chakra signatures of over thirty Iwagakure shinobi, hidden among the rocks flanking a narrow valley.
"Bingo."
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