Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

"Boom!" The sound of an exploding tag echoed from behind. Zixu brushed the dust off his pants and continued on his way. He followed the trail left by his clone to track Tenzo and the others, but for some reason, there were explosive tag traps scattered everywhere. Could they have been left by the Kirigakure ninjas?

Zixu concealed his presence and leaped onto a tree trunk to continue his journey. The trees here were tall enough to support adults like Tenzo, so they were no problem for him. However, while traveling through the trees, he encountered some uninvited guests.

"Huh? Are they pursuers from the Hidden Mist?" From a distance, Zixu spotted a group of ninjas moving cautiously, stopping frequently as if avoiding something. Since they hadn't noticed him, he had no intention of creating unnecessary trouble. He swiftly moved away, avoiding the Mist ninjas altogether.

Meanwhile, his clone sensed that the original body was nearby, so he needed to create an opportunity for the real Zixu to return.

"Sensei, I need to use the restroom." The clone put on a strained expression, his hands clenched and his legs trembling slightly.

As the saying goes, 'If you hold your urine, you can travel a thousand miles, but if you hold it too long, you won't move an inch.'

Tenzo had no choice but to let Aburame Hatsuizumi and Hyuga Chinano go ahead while he stayed behind to keep watch. Though the Kirigakure ninjas had been spooked by the Empty Bug Strategy, they would likely figure out the truth soon. Fortunately, they were almost out of Kirigakure's range, though they were still a distance from Konoha.

"Hurry up. As a ninja, you don't have to hold it in at times like this. Just get it done," Tenzo said, his eyes under his forehead protector scanning the surroundings cautiously.

"Boom!"

The unexpected explosion startled him, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was from a detonating tag he had set earlier. Had the enemy already caught up?

Tenzo immediately rushed into the bushes, intending to grab Zixu and flee. Better to have him run like Liu Xiang than risk losing his life. But when he reached the spot, Zixu was nowhere to be found. Unease crept into Tenzo's mind.

Luckily, at that moment, the real Zixu returned, synchronizing with his clone just in time to explain everything to Tenzo.

With no further confusion, Zixu rejoined the team, storing his mask, crowbar, and other gear into his system space. He adjusted his clothing slightly to match the memories sent back by his clone, leaving no trace of inconsistency.

The rest of the journey was uneventful. No matter how arrogant the Hidden Mist pursuers were, they wouldn't dare stray too far from their village. It would be ridiculous if they failed to capture their target and ended up getting killed themselves.

In the end, Kirigakure suffered a major loss in this battle. They failed to retrieve the stolen blade, missed capturing the wanted criminal, and their intelligence had been leaked to Konoha without silencing them. Worst of all, they had provoked a mysterious and powerful crowbar-wielding man.

The thick mist around them slowly began to fade, melting away like a veil dissolving in water. The damp, decaying stench dissipated, and their vision was no longer obstructed. Finally, Zixu and his companions felt a sense of relief, as if they had emerged from darkness into the open sky.

"Finally, we're out of that damn place. I felt like I couldn't breathe properly in that fog—I was suffocating..." Aburame Hatsuizumi collapsed onto the ground, greedily inhaling the fresh air. He felt as if he had been reborn.

Hyuga Chinano, however, remained silent. Her brows furrowed tightly, and her mismatched eyes—one gray, one white—held the same deep confusion. She forced herself to look away from the one-eyed man and instead gazed at the vast sky.

Although the battle hadn't seemed long, the pale hue of the sky told a different story. It had actually lasted much longer than they had realized.

Zixu stretched lazily. On the surface, he appeared to have fought the least, but in truth, he had been the one who fought the hardest.

First, he had sparred with Haku all night, leaving him exhausted. Then, he had faced off against the rogue ninjas and Mist shinobi. Splitting his chakra in half to create a clone, he had used the remaining energy to transform into the mysterious crowbar man and executed multiple thunderous attacks. In the end, he had even been caught in an explosion from a detonating tag…

Tenzo folded his arms, gazing at the rising sun on the distant horizon. His mind was occupied with the identity of the mysterious crowbar-wielding man. Lightning-natured chakra, an attack style that bore some resemblance to one of his predecessors, and a brutal, unrelenting combat approach… yet, he still had no concrete leads.

Hokage's Office – Konoha Village

Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, pipe in hand, his brows furrowed in thought.

Tenzo knelt respectfully before him, recounting the events in detail.

Hiruzen slowly opened his weary yet sharp eyes. He exhaled a long puff of smoke before speaking.

"So, the Hyuga and Aburame children behaved as expected… and the Uzumaki kid possesses an exceptional talent for taijutsu. When I taught them summoning techniques, they didn't react strangely when I mentioned the Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei)… Later, during the mission, it was the Kirigakure shinobi who initiated the attack. And only afterward did you realize the two samurai were actually Haku and Momochi Zabuza, who are both wanted by Kirigakure, correct?"

Tenzo nodded respectfully, keeping his head bowed.

Silence filled the office—deep, heavy silence. The only sound was the crackling of burning tobacco from Hiruzen's pipe.

"I understand. You don't need to dwell on it. Just focus on preparing for the Chunin Exams in a few months."

With that, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled slightly, breaking the oppressive silence. Tenzo, relieved, bowed and took his leave.

"Not interested in Impure World Reincarnation? That rules you out as a suspect for now..." Hiruzen muttered to himself before turning to gaze out the window. He watched over the village for a long moment before slowly closing his eyes.

---

Hyuga Clan – Branch Family Residence

In the Hyuga branch family estate, Hyuga Chinano sat across from her father, her expression serious.

"Father… is it truly the fate of the branch family to live under the main family's control for our entire lives? Are we born into this inescapable destiny, only to find freedom in death?"

Her father studied her carefully, hesitating for a long time before speaking with a weary sigh.

"Chinano… there is no fairness in the ninja world. This is true whether you are part of the main family, the branch family, or any other clan. Only the strong create the rules. If you want to change fate, you must become stronger. I believe that one day, you will find a way to break the chains of the branch family's destiny."

"...Father..." Chinano murmured.

Though he hadn't said it outright, she understood his true meaning.

---

Aburame Clan – Insect Field

In the vast insect fields of the Aburame clan, Aburame Hatsuizumi sat in deep concentration, her body trembling as she expelled a swarm of kikaichū from within. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she poured her chakra into refining the insects before reintegrating them into her body.

She was trying to develop a new path, a new technique.

But where would this path lead? She didn't know. She couldn't see it clearly yet.

---

Ryūchi Cave (Dragon Earth Cave) – Zixu's Training Grounds

Within the depths of Ryūchi Cave, three powerful sage serpents encircled Zixu, speaking to him in cryptic, overlapping voices.

"Your training in Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) is still far from complete. If you could fully master Sage Mode (Sennin Mōdo), those shinobi would be nothing but insects beneath your feet."

"Your taijutsu is decent, but you lack proficiency in ninjutsu. Once you achieve Sage Mode, I will teach you Senjutsu—a far superior path compared to mere swordsmanship."

"The Hidden Mist Technique (Kirigakure no Jutsu)? Does it grant true invisibility like ours? Do not place blind faith in ninjutsu. When your jutsu is countered, think of Senjutsu and Taijutsu instead..."

Zixu's head throbbed from their constant lectures. The three sage serpents hadn't left Ryūchi Cave in a long time and were endlessly curious about the outside world. They bombarded him with questions under the guise of testing his ability to maintain emotional stability in Sage Mode.

At this rate, he wasn't sure whether his training was making progress or if he was just becoming a storyteller for a trio of ancient reptiles.

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