Naruto: Drop System

"They used the Edo Tensei on my great-grandfather? Was it Orochimaru?"

When Yagyu and his team returned to Konoha and reported to Tsunade, she was less shocked by the forbidden life-for-life resurrection technique Chiyo had used and more by the fact that her great-grandfather had been resurrected with the Edo Tensei technique.

At the mention of the Edo Tensei, her first thought was of Orochimaru. She could hardly believe it. "But didn't Sarutobi-sensei take his arms? And wasn't the souls of both my great-grandfather and great-uncle taken by the Shinigami? How could he have broken the Uzumaki Clan's Reaper Death Seal?"

"Can that sealing technique even be broken?"

Karin, dressed in a black suit, was equally skeptical. Over the years, she had studied every sealing technique she could from Yagyu's teachings and Konoha's forbidden scrolls, mastering countless seals.

Having examined the Reaper Death Seal—a technique of equal complexity to the Yin Seal but far more deadly—Karin knew that the seal involved summoning the Shinigami itself, using the user's soul as the cost to consume the opponent's soul. There was no record of any reversal for such a self-sacrificing seal.

It made sense, of course—if the technique was designed for mutual destruction, how could there possibly be a counter for it?

Now, however, Tsunade and Karin were utterly astonished that someone had indeed managed to break the Reaper Death Seal.

Yagyu's next statement, however, would surprise Tsunade even more.

"It wasn't Orochimaru; it was Hiruko, the S-rank rogue ninja." Yagyu spoke with certainty. "Although he looked even younger than in the photos, I managed to confirm his identity in our battle."

"What, Hiruko?!" Tsunade's eyes widened with shock. "That man is still alive—and now part of the Akatsuki?"

"Not only that, but he also knows the Edo Tensei technique and has cells from the First Hokage," Yagyu explained. "It's likely he's been in contact with Orochimaru."

"These two fools, lost to the depths of forbidden jutsu!" Tsunade gritted her teeth, then instructed Karin, "Inform the other villages of the Kazekage incident. Let them know to keep a close watch on their Jinchuriki."

"Yes," Karin replied dutifully.

After finishing the report, Yagyu submitted his completed S-rank mission and took Kurenai and the others to claim their rewards.

"Kurenai-sensei, Yakumo, Shino—thanks for all your hard work these past days. Take a good rest, and I hope we'll get to work together on another mission soon."

At the crossroads, Yagyu parted ways with Team 8.

Kurenai and her team nodded in acknowledgment and took different paths home.

Kurenai and Yakumo went together, while Yagyu and Hinata headed in the same direction.

Walking home with Yagyu, Hinata kept her head down, blushing.

If one looked closer, they would notice her ears and cheeks slowly turning red. Standing close, one could even hear her heartbeat accelerating, though only she knew what made her so nervous.

"See you soon, Hinata," Yagyu said when they reached his front gate.

He opened the gate to his yard, smiling and waving goodbye.

"Y-yes, see you soon, Yagyu-kun!" Hinata replied, snapping back to reality, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Slightly disappointed that Yagyu hadn't invited her in, she felt a pang of longing but, being shy, didn't have the courage to make the first move.

After bidding Yagyu goodbye, she lowered her head and started to walk away hastily.

At that moment, her small hand was suddenly held back.

She turned, surprised, to find Yagyu smiling mischievously. "Gotcha! You think you could just leave after coming all the way to my door? Hinata, you're too naive!"

Without warning, Yagyu and Hinata's forms vanished.

At the same time, a layered barrier enveloped Yagyu's room, sealing both sound and the scent of blooming sarcandra flowers.

However, the barrier dissipated within an hour.

"Hinata, let me introduce you to a dear friend of mine!"

With those words, both chakras vanished, and the two of them appeared at a shrine in the Land of Demons, in the private room of a priestess.

---

It was now late January of Konoha's Year 64.

Over two weeks had passed since Gaara was abducted by the Akatsuki.

During this time, information about the Akatsuki's targeting of Jinchuriki and tailed beasts was made available to the leaders of all villages with tailed beasts.

However, the Five Great Shinobi Villages had yet to unite in any coordinated effort to defeat the Akatsuki, as if the organization was of no concern.

Whether due to years of accumulated animosity, pride, or underestimation of the Akatsuki's strength, they were clearly taking the organization lightly.

---

"Didn't I tell you all not to follow me? I'll be fine," someone said.

"I'm sorry, Lady Yugito, but that's Lord Raikage's order. Since you always undertake missions alone, the village wouldn't have time to send help if the Akatsuki did find you," replied one of her team members.

"Ha! They're just rogue S-rank ninjas who couldn't even stay in their own villages. If they come, I'll make sure they don't leave!" said Yugito, her tone full of pride.

In the Land of Waterfalls, a small country neighboring the Land of Lightning, a group of three women and one man was making their way back after completing a mission.

Among them were the pale-skinned Samui and two other shinobi with darker, tanned skin—Yugito Nii, the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails, with her ash-brown hair and queenly bearing, full of pride and haughtiness.

As the Jonin exchanged words, the Chunin Omoi and Karui kept to themselves, following two paces behind.

Through the exchange between Samui and Yugito, it was clear that, while the Fourth Raikage had taken Konoha's warning seriously, he still had no intention of collaborating to destroy the Akatsuki.

As for assigning the relatively weaker Samui's team to accompany Yugito, only the Fourth Raikage and Samui herself truly understood the reasons.

"Hey there!"

A voice called out cheerfully, catching their attention.

They turned to see two figures standing on a nearby rock to their two o'clock. Both wore black cloaks adorned with red clouds. One, who looked very young, with smooth silver hair and dark eyes, sat atop the rock with a gourd-like fan strapped to his back. The other figure wore a mask, spiral-patterned with a hole only for his right eye, waving enthusiastically in their direction.

Yugito's face immediately grew serious, and Samui's team also drew their swords, their faces tense and cold sweat appearing on their brows.

They had sensed nothing.

This rocky and barren landscape was well-suited to Samui's sensory abilities, and just minutes before, she had confirmed there was no chakra signature nearby. But now, these two figures had appeared as if out of thin air.

This difference from standard teleportation made Samui's mind race with possibilities.

Was it Earth Release? Stealth? Or perhaps…space-time ninjutsu?

Whatever the technique, the fact that it had evaded the senses of both herself—a Jonin—and Lady Yugito, one of the top five in the village when transformed, meant these two were no ordinary shinobi.

In that moment, Samui, even with her usual composure, suddenly remembered something and quickly warned Yugito. "Lady Yugito, the white-haired one is Hiruko, rumored to have lived during the same time as the legendary Sannin. Like Orochimaru, he's mastered the Edo Tensei technique and may also know other forbidden jutsu. Be careful."

"I understand."

After Yugito nodded in acknowledgment, Samui subtly gestured a few hand signals to Omoi and Karui.

Receiving Samui's signal, Omoi and Karui exchanged glances, then stimulated their cells with Lightning Release chakra and disappeared in a flash.

"Leave those little mice to me; I'll handle the ladies here."

Hiruko jumped down from the rock, pulling the Uchiha fan from his back. "I've never had a chance to use this fan in battle. Let's see what the legendary Uchiha fan can do."

"Don't overdo it—make sure you keep the Two-Tails Jinchuriki alive," Obito muttered, just loud enough for Hiruko to hear, before sinking into the ground to pursue Omoi and Karui.

Seeing this, Samui's expression instantly changed, and she moved to help Omoi and Karui.

"Samui, get back!"

At that moment, Yugito shouted a warning.

Ahead, Hiruko raised the Uchiha fan and, with a single sweeping motion, unleashed a powerful gust.

As if using a large-scale Wind Release technique, the blast kicked up sand and gravel and formed razor-sharp wind blades, tearing up the ground as it swept toward Samui and Yugito.

They dodged quickly with body flickers.

As masterful Taijutsu users, Cloud ninja had excellent speed, and they easily evaded Hiruko's initial attack.

When Yugito reappeared, she was already to Hiruko's right, spewing forth a flame in the shape of a blue mouse.

The flame split into 20 or 30 smaller fireballs, resembling the Uchiha clan's Phoenix Flower Jutsu, and shot toward Hiruko.

Hiruko simply swung his fan, scattering the fireballs.

In that instant, Samui appeared to his left, her short blade coated with Lightning Release chakra, forming a blue-and-white arc as she swung it toward Hiruko's neck.

Clang!

The metallic clash rang out as Samui's blue-green eyes widened in shock.

A bone had extended from Hiruko's shoulder, blocking her strike.

Despite her sword's sharpness, which could easily split rock, it couldn't penetrate Hiruko's bone.

Though stunned, Samui quickly retreated.

Hiruko admired her decisiveness.

At that moment, a beastly roar filled the air, and a massive chakra, like a falling meteor, crashed toward Hiruko.

Looking up, Hiruko saw that Yugito had entered a partial Tailed Beast transformation. Her skin glowed with blue chakra, black cat markings appeared, her ash-brown hair spiked upward, her eyes turned white, and her hands transformed into massive blue claws as she came down to strike him.

Unfazed, Hiruko raised the Uchiha fan to meet her attack.

The fan met the enormous claw with no sound of impact or explosion.

Instead, the chakra forming the claws dissipated, and the black-marked chakra receded, returning her hands to normal.

Her beastly face filled with confusion as her chakra was drained away.

Hiruko smirked at her expression. "Uchiha… Reflection!"

Whoosh!

The fan gleamed, releasing an intense white light as a wave of scorching wind, imbued with both Wind and Fire Release, blasted Yugito backward.

Her unshielded body was left with burns and torn clothes.

"Aah!"

The scalding attack had Yugito screaming in agony, as though a searing milkshake had spilled all over her.

---

Read 40+ Chapters ahead of WN:

Patréon.com/RoseWhisky