Chapter 154

Words : 1247 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

Chapter 154 - 154 Neji, for one, was actually looking forward to the upcoming missions. After all, missions meant leaving the village — and outside the village, there would be chances to search for clues. However, as a Chūnin, he still had to team up with others, which made free action inconvenient. Better to get promoted to Jōnin quickly; then maybe he could carry out solo missions. Natsuki, too, was curious about what Tsunade had planned next. Logically speaking, the village should be focusing on security. With the Uchiha Police Force gone, the place was full of holes — like a sieve. Spy infiltrations could happen at any moment. Who knew when another disaster might strike? But knowing Tsunade, there was no way she'd let the shinobi turtle up inside the village. Plus, there was the diplomatic mess with Sunagakure to deal with. Sure, Orochimaru had been the ringleader of the Konoha Crush incident — but the Sand had been complicit. If Konoha let them off too easily, it might cause unrest among the people. Yet, the Kazekage had also been killed — by Orochimaru, no less — which made Sunagakure both accomplice and victim. Tricked and used by a rogue S-rank ninja. So, it was a tricky situation. War or peace — not an easy call. Other villages were surely expecting Konoha to retaliate. But they all underestimated Tsunade's resolve. Rather than declaring war, she renewed the alliance with the Sand — and even returned their Jinchūriki, strengthening ties between the villages. Because Natsuki already knew this outcome, he had no clue what kind of mission Tsunade would assign. Still, with his current strength, even an S-rank mission would be easy. And if anything went wrong, he could always use Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) to escape. No reason to be afraid at all. After the barbecue, everyone went their separate ways. Natsuki and Tenten took a walk to the ninja tools shop, greeted the owner, and then headed back to Natsuki's house. But they had just arrived when someone knocked on the door. When Natsuki opened it, he saw a masked shinobi — clearly from the Anbu. "Tsunade-sama asked me to deliver this scroll," the Anbu said, handing it over before vanishing. "Could it be...?" Natsuki's eyes lit up in excitement. He closed the door quickly. "Tenten, come quick! Tsunade-sama sent us a scroll!" "Really!? That's great!" Tenten threw herself into his arms, and the two quickly unrolled the scroll together. The very first line read: "Kuchiyose: Kibaku Fuda no Jutsu" (Summoning: Multiplying Explosive Tags Technique) Their smiles widened in an instant as they spread the scroll out completely and began studying the contents. The technique worked by embedding summoning formulae into explosive tags. When the tags exploded, they simultaneously summoned even more tags — creating a cascading chain of endless explosions until the target was obliterated. To do this, one needed to inscribe the summoning seals onto the tags and link the detonation to the summoning trigger. But it was a dangerous jutsu. The user had to constantly observe the explosions and could manually intervene at any time — either to continue or halt the detonation process. If the explosion was interrupted, the user could reactivate it. If the damage seemed sufficient, they could forcibly stop the chain. It was quite flexible. But there was always a chance of getting caught in the blast. Tenten wasn't worried. "Easy. I'll use a shadow clone to trigger the explosion and keep a few more clones on standby. Now that I have a chakra battery, I don't need to worry about chakra anymore." Natsuki gave her nose a playful flick. "Exactly why I got this for you." "Hehe, then thank you, my future husband~!" "Words aren't enough thanks. Why don't you put on that mesh outfit again for me?" "You're the worst!" "Fufufu... I'm worse than you think. Take this — my Eighteen Styles of Clingy Love—!" The next day, Natsuki and the newly promoted shinobi were summoned again to the Hokage's office. To their surprise, both Kakashi and Guy were also present. Tsunade wasted no time and got straight to business. "At present, we're entering negotiations with Sunagakure. Other major villages might try to take advantage of the situation. I need you all to reinforce the borders. "Guy, you'll take Neji and Tenten to the northwest border. Keep a close eye on Iwagakure's movements. "Kakashi, you'll take Sasuke and Shino to the northeast border. Be alert for any attacks from Kumogakure. "Shikamaru, since you're the sharpest among them, you'll assist with our negotiations with Sunagakure. You'll be responsible for handling the hostages — Gaara, Kankurō, Temari, Baki, and the others — during the talks." Shikamaru's expression turned deadpan. "How troublesome. You're giving me the most important task." Everyone knew the outcome of the negotiations would determine whether peace or war would follow. That was an enormous burden. Tsunade smiled. "Shikamaru, I trust your intellect. Don't sell yourself short." "...Fine. I'll give it my best shot." Nothing was more painful for a slacker than having to actually try. But Shikamaru couldn't say no — he could only complain a bit while still doing the job. Finally, Tsunade turned to Natsuki. "Natsuki, I'm assigning you to investigate the Land of Rice Fields. You once defeated Orochimaru, and rumor has it you've mastered Hiraishin, so I feel most at ease sending you." Land of Rice Fields? Natsuki was momentarily surprised — but Tsunade's reasoning made sense. Perhaps he really was the most suitable choice. He nodded. "Understood. What exactly do you want me to investigate?" Tsunade's gaze turned sharp. "Orochimaru is a venomous snake. Once he targets something, he never lets go. I want you to keep tabs on Otogakure — especially Orochimaru's activities. If possible, investigate his laboratories too. He's a massive threat, and he's holed up right next to the Land of Fire. I can't sleep peacefully until he's dealt with. Do your best to find any valuable intel. Sooner or later, Konoha will make a move on the Hidden Sound!" Natsuki nodded firmly, and the group departed from the office. With the urgency of the missions, there was no time for lingering goodbyes. Natsuki merely exchanged a look with Tenten — nothing needed to be said aloud. He returned home, quickly packed his supplies, and made his way toward the village gate. "Yo! Here comes Konoha's Demon Blade! Off on a solo mission, huh? As expected from Tsunade-sama's favored new Jōnin!" The two gatekeepers greeted him with grins. "Yep. Good morning, senpai. Just signing out for a mission." Natsuki quickly filled out the form. "Senpai? You're a Jōnin now, and we're still just Chūnin watching the gate!" "Respect is earned, not about rank. I'll be off now." With that, Natsuki departed the village. Even as a Jōnin, he believed in respecting his seniors — unless he truly disliked someone. For example, he didn't really hold Jiraiya in high regard. Yes, Jiraiya was powerful and heroic, but peeping into women's baths? That was hard to excuse... (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]

Chapter 154

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