Chapter 223. Samui – Where’s Your Seal?

Rin Nohara’s eyes suddenly snapped open. She had deactivated Spirit Transformation Jutsu, her soul returning to her body, restoring her consciousness. "The moment I entered their base, the Kumogakure ninja discovered me." She spoke quickly and urgently. "I suspect this was a trap specifically set for us." "A trap?" Tsunade’s gaze sharpened. "They’re already surrounding us." Hanekawa closed his eyes, activating Mind’s Eye of the Kagura. Through his sensory perception, he could feel a large number of Kumogakure ninja converging toward them. "Whatever Kumo is planning, we should leave first." Tsunade nodded slightly, quickly regaining her composure. Although the Kumogakure ninja were numerous, very few among them could actually threaten her or Hanekawa. Even while protecting Rin and Kurenai, she was confident they could escape. Just as she finished speaking, Kumogakure ninja began appearing one by one. They moved in an orderly fashion, blocking off all possible exits. Hanekawa scanned the area. The one leading them was Dodai—the examiner of the Double Lariat, a user of Lava Release. Aside from him, Hanekawa’s gaze landed on a familiar and striking figure—Samui. A thought flickered through his mind—this setup felt eerily familiar. Could this entire situation have been arranged for him? As he locked eyes with Samui, he saw an unmistakable meaning in her gaze—confirming his suspicion. But how did they know we would come here? Hanekawa pondered for a moment and quickly deduced the answer. Opening a new battlefield required a new commanding officer. For Konoha and Sunagakure, the most suitable choice was Tsunade. Of course, this was a gamble. If Tsunade hadn’t led the team, all their preparations would have been wasted effort. But in the end, they had won their bet. Were they here to test his seal? Or to expose his identity? Hanekawa’s mind raced with possibilities. "Capture them!" Dodai shouted, forming hand seals. Lava Release: Vulcanized Rubber Prison! His chakra surged, forming a mass of rubber-like yellow sand. It expanded into a hollow sphere, aiming to trap Hanekawa inside. Unlike Roshi’s lava-like magma, Dodai Lava Release was a rubbery substance designed more for defense. The Vulcanized Rubber Prison was similar to Water Prison Jutsu, able to both protect the user and imprison enemies. Water Release: Water Formation Wall! Hanekawa reacted swiftly, slamming his hands together. A towering wall of water rose in front of him, colliding with the rubber sphere. A sizzling sound erupted as the two techniques clashed. At the same time, Tsunade, Kurenai, and Rin also entered battle mode. Heavenly Foot of Pain! Tsunade stomped the ground with immense force. A shockwave sent the surrounding Kumogakure ninja flying, their balance completely shattered. Rin remained close to Kurenai, clutching a kunai tightly. As a Kumogakure ninja charged toward them, she activated Spirit Transformation Jutsu, possessing his body. Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet! Kurenai unleashed a water dragon, striking the possessed ninja. At the moment of impact, Rin’s soul withdrew. This was their coordinated strategy—one controls, one attacks. The water dragon exploded into countless droplets, completely engulfing the Kumogakure ninja. The sheer force sent him flying before he fell unconscious. A sharp whistling sound cut through the air. The tall, curvaceous Samui suddenly appeared behind Hanekawa. She did not draw her short sword, instead throwing a powerful punch. Boom! Hanekawa caught her fist. The sheer force shook her body, causing an impressive ripple effect. Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. He felt something unusual in his palm. Samui’s expression remained cold. She stomped the ground, using the momentum to launch a high kick. Her pale thigh blurred into an afterimage, moving at incredible speed. At the same time, her left hand drew her short sword, slashing toward Hanekawa’s right hand—the one holding her fist. Hanekawa released his grip and retreated. Samui’s kick missed. Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear! As soon as Hanekawa regained his footing, Dodai’s attack arrived. The ground erupted, forming a massive stone spear, stabbing toward him. Body Flicker Jutsu! Hanekawa dodged instantly. Samui closed the distance, swinging her short sword in a relentless assault. Clang! Hanekawa drew his Lightning-Fire Sword, engaging in a fierce clash with Samui. Dodai observed the battle, his gaze narrowing. But his hand seals did not stop. His fingers moved rapidly, then pressed together, anticipation gleaming in his eyes as he stared at Hanekawa. A Few Seconds Later... Dodai’s face darkened, his expression turning grim. The hand seal he had just formed was meant to activate the seal on Hanekawa. If it had worked, Hanekawa would have been wracked with pain, immobilized, and completely at their mercy. But nothing happened. This meant that Hanekawa’s seal had either been removed or suppressed. "Your seal..." Samui noticed Dodai’s reaction and immediately understood the situation. "What seal?" Hanekawa feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you’re talking about." A slight tremor ran through Samui’s heart. So, he had finally chosen to sever ties with Kumogakure. For some reason, she felt an unexpected heaviness in her chest. "Hanekawa!" Tsunade stomped the ground with force, causing the earth to crack and sending shards of rock flying in all directions. Screams erupted. The Kumogakure ninja instinctively retreated, but it was too late. The flying debris, imbued with immense power, struck them, leaving deep wounds and splatters of blood. "See you next time." Hanekawa understood Tsunade’s signal. Without hesitation, he jumped back, then leapt high into the air. "Watch out!" Samui’s expression changed drastically. "Everyone, fall back!" Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave! Hanekawa gathered chakra in his mouth, then unleashed a massive surge of water toward the ground. A vast torrent of water crashed down like a waterfall, creating a lake that sent powerful waves surging outward. The Kumogakure ninja were forced to dodge or defend themselves. Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu! Without pause, Hanekawa followed up with a second Water Release technique. A dense mist rapidly spread from him, enveloping the entire battlefield. "Wind Release!" Dodai shouted. Immediately, a Kumogakure ninja skilled in Wind Release stepped forward and dispersed the mist. But Hanekawa and his team were already gone. "As expected, we couldn’t stop them." Dodai shook his head. "It’s not that we couldn’t—Hanekawa is just too strong." Samui’s expression remained indifferent, but her voice carried an undertone of frustration. "Yeah..." A thought crossed Dodai’s mind—the same regret once felt by the late Third Raikage. Fool—why didn’t he recognize Hanekawa’s talent back then?! It was infuriating. Kumogakure had let a powerhouse slip through their fingers, and now, that same powerhouse might become their enemy. "So the seal didn’t work?" Samui asked in a low voice. "No." Dodai sighed. Samui was momentarily stunned. Confirming it again only made her feelings more complicated. She didn’t want to see Hanekawa completely break away from Kumogakure. "I already sent a message to him." Samui said softly. "Now, we just have to wait and see if he will come." Dodai hesitated for a moment before nodding. "We’ll wait. But in the meantime, we need to relocate this base." "Understood." Samui replied immediately. Since Tsunade and her team had already discovered this base, staying here any longer would only result in an ambush from Konoha’s forces. --- Meanwhile... Having run a considerable distance, Hanekawa closed his eyes, activating the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura. "They’re not following us." Tsunade frowned slightly. "That base was strange." "They were probably setting up an ambush but realized they couldn’t take us down, so they had to give up." Hanekawa replied casually. "Maybe." Tsunade didn’t dwell on it and quickly gave instructions. "Rin, use Spirit Transformation Jutsu and report to Hizashi immediately." "Understood." Rin formed a hand seal, and her soul left her body, traveling at high speed toward their allies. Moments later, a sharp gust of wind signaled the arrival of reinforcements. The nearest ninja squad had arrived—led by Inuzuka Tsume. However, other squads were still too far away to assist immediately. "We’ve located a thousand-strong Kumogakure force ahead." Tsunade turned to Inuzuka Tsume, smiling. "Perfect timing. Use your clan’s tracking skills to pinpoint their exact location." "Yes, Lady Tsunade." Inuzuka Tsume sniffed the air, gathering chakra to amplify her sense of smell. Immediately, her olfactory senses became tens of thousands of times sharper than a normal human’s—a unique ability of the Inuzuka Clan. When combined with their ninken (ninja dogs), they were the ultimate tracking specialists. "I smell a large group moving." Inuzuka Tsume hesitated briefly. "They’re currently relocating." "Not so fast." Tsunade smirked. "I don’t know what they’re up to, but we can’t waste this opportunity." "Kumogakure has the numbers advantage. We can’t take them down alone—we need to send for reinforcements." Hanekawa said. Their mission was to track the enemy. They had only brought thirty ninja squads, totaling 120 people. Against 1,000 Kumogakure ninja, they were severely outmatched. "I left a slug in my tent in advance. It can use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu." Hanekawa added. "You’re quite well-prepared." Tsunade smiled upon hearing this. "I’m the best choice to return. If you guys go back, Danzo will likely give you trouble." She formed a hand seal and pressed her palm to the ground. Boom! In a puff of smoke, a slug appeared. "Track them from behind. Prioritize safety, but disrupt and delay them if possible." Tsunade instructed, then turned to the slug. "Lady Katsuyu, please use Reverse Summoning to send me to Konoha’s main camp." A moment later, she vanished on the spot. "Let’s go." Hanekawa leaped toward the Kumogakure stronghold. Inuzuka Tsume, Kurenai Yuhi, and the others quickly followed. While traveling, Hanekawa opened the small note Samui had given him. The message was simple: She wanted to meet and talk with him. Hanekawa wasn’t surprised. With his current strength and status, there was no way Kumogakure would simply ignore him. This was a problem. Hanekawa stroked his chin, deep in thought. Should he stall for time? Right now, he still didn’t have Wood Release. If Kumogakure exposed his status as a spy, it could become a serious issue. Even without Wood Release, he could still secure his position in Konoha. After all, Tsunade and the others would trust him. But Orochimaru and Danzo would seize the opportunity to stir up trouble, possibly even forcing him off the battlefield under some excuse. Only the unique significance of Wood Release could make Kumogakure’s accusations seem baseless. After some thought, Hanekawa made up his mind. He needed to go and gauge Kumogakure’s reaction first. --- Konoha Main Camp As the smoke dispersed, Tsunade’s figure appeared. She glanced around—she was indeed inside Hanekawa’s tent. "Stay here." She instructed the slug before heading toward the main tent. "Tsunade?" Orochimaru looked at her in surprise. "Tsunade!" Danzo, however, was furious. "No need to shout, I can hear you just fine." Tsunade said calmly. "Why did you injure the ninja I sent to protect you?" Danzo’s face darkened. "Do you know the punishment for harming comrades?" At the same time, he felt a sense of regret. Regret that Tsunade and Hanekawa hadn’t killed them outright. If they had, no matter how high their prestige was, they would have faced serious consequences. "They interfered with my mission." Tsunade said indifferently. "I know exactly what you’re up to." "Nonsense!" Danzo refused to admit it. "I don’t have time for idle chatter." Tsunade turned to Orochimaru. "I’ve located the Kumogakure ninja force." "Where?" Orochimaru raised his hand, cutting off Danzo’s protest. For ninja of Tsunade and Hanekawa’s caliber, injuring a few Root members was insignificant. "Northwest of the Land of Frost." Tsunade explained the situation in full. "I’m leading reinforcements now." With that, she turned and left. "Damn it!" Danzo clenched his teeth in frustration. "Your Root members were just too weak." Orochimaru said indifferently. "..." Danzo fell silent. Easy for you to say. Who could claim to be stronger than Tsunade and Hanekawa? "Orochimaru, are you just going to let them take all the credit?" Danzo reminded him. "Don’t forget what you promised me!" "Letting them have this minor achievement doesn’t matter." Orochimaru shook his head. "The real targets are the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki." "Then what do you suggest?" Danzo asked urgently. "Tsunade and Hanekawa aren’t ordinary ninja. They won’t fall into a trap easily. We need the right opportunity." Orochimaru replied leisurely. "But..." Danzo couldn’t afford to wait. "And without Tsunade and Hanekawa, how do you expect to defeat the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee?" Orochimaru glanced at him and countered. Danzo froze, then suddenly realized the strategy. Orochimaru was right. Their forces alone weren’t enough to take down the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee. The only option was to let Tsunade and Hanekawa fight them first—until both sides were severely weakened. Then, they would strike. "Seems like that’s our best option." Danzo sighed. Lately, nothing had been going his way. And the biggest thorns in his side? Tsunade and Hanekawa. They ruined everything. Infuriating! _ Patreon.com/rashta 1. 345 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue’s Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara’s Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete) 5. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird