Chapter 95 (Patreon)

Golden chakra erupted from Yujiro’s body.

In the next instant, an enormous figure materialized in the middle of the square.

Nine massive tails swept through the air as the Nine-Tails towered over everyone present, its vast body casting a shadow across the negotiation grounds.

This was not the Nine-Tails with only half of its original chakra.

Both its Yin and Yang halves were present.

It was the complete Kurama.

The moment Kurama appeared, it bared its enormous fangs and fixed its ferocious crimson eyes upon the Raikage’s group.

There was no mistaking whose side it had chosen.

The atmosphere in the square instantly became suffocating.

Everyone from Kumogakure stiffened.

This was no longer a question of whether they should fight.

The real question was whether even Kumogakure’s strongest forces could survive long enough to put up a fight.

“Kurama,” Gyūki said gravely from within Killer B, “since when did you start siding with humans?”

“Tch. As if you’re any different,” Kurama replied coldly, narrowing its eyes.

Gyūki fell silent.

There was nothing it could say in response.

Kurama lowered its enormous body and brought its head beside Yujiro.

“Yujiro,” it said in a low voice, “can I kill the people in front of us? Just looking at them is starting to irritate me.”

The Fourth Raikage and the others felt their bodies tense when Kurama’s gaze settled upon them from Yujiro’s right side.

From where they stood, the difference in strength was painfully obvious.

“Darui. B. Yugito.”

The Fourth Raikage, A, stared deeply at Yujiro before taking a breath.

“Stand down.”

A short while later, the Kumogakure shinobi slowly withdrew their chakra.

Yujiro smiled faintly and glanced toward the Nine-Tails.

“Looks like you won’t get a chance to fight today, Kurama.”

“Hmph! Cowards,” Kurama growled, baring its teeth. “All of them are afraid of dying.”

In truth, Kurama had genuinely wanted an opportunity to display its strength in front of Yujiro.

After all, it was currently acting as Yujiro’s bodyguard.

It could not spend every day doing absolutely nothing.

Yujiro did not seem to mind, but Kurama itself felt somewhat guilty about it.

Especially since it had been following Yujiro around and enjoying all kinds of delicious and spicy food every day.

The Kumogakure shinobi clenched their fists when they heard Kurama’s insult, but not one of them dared to respond.

Yujiro turned his attention back to the Fourth Raikage.

“I’ll give you one minute to decide.”

His voice was calm.

“You can accept the conditions I gave you, or you can choose war with Konoha. The decision is yours.”

It was an undisguised threat.

A lowered his head and fell silent.

The people gathered behind Yujiro, however, could barely conceal their astonishment.

His methods were unreasonable, overwhelming, and brutally effective.

If the Raikage truly accepted Yujiro’s demands, Konoha’s overall strength would rise by another level.

It was an outcome none of them had ever imagined possible.

“Yujiro.”

The Fourth Raikage eventually raised his head. A fierce struggle could be seen in his eyes.

“Let me ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” Yujiro replied calmly.

“If I reject your demands and start a war here, inside Konoha’s territory, what will you do?”

A’s voice became heavier.

“I may not be able to defeat you, but Gyūki and Matatabi can still fire Tailed Beast Bombs into Konoha. Even if we lose, countless civilians in your village will die.”

“Then try it, Raikage.”

Yujiro smiled softly.

“Let’s see whether you can actually manage it.”

His eyes remained completely calm.

“Just make sure you don’t end up trapped by me. If that happens, begging for mercy won’t save you.”

Yujiro’s smile did not change.

“Afterward, I’ll send Kurama to destroy Kumogakure. Then I’ll take control of what remains and annex it into Konoha’s territory.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“What do you think? Am I capable of doing that?”

Yujiro’s voice was quiet, but every word carried absolute confidence.

The Fourth Raikage’s heart sank.

He could not take that risk.

Perhaps Yujiro was only trying to intimidate him.

Perhaps it was a bluff.

However, A could not gamble with the lives of Kumogakure’s civilians.

If he lost that gamble, his entire village would pay the price.

“I…”

His fists trembled.

“I accept your conditions!”

The Fourth Raikage struggled for several seconds before finally speaking through clenched teeth, his expression filled with defeat.

Yujiro nodded in satisfaction.

“As expected of the leader of a village. At least you understand when to make the correct decision.”

A remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “Yujiro, what would you have done if I hadn’t proposed peace negotiations?”

“That would have been simple.”

Yujiro answered with a smile.

“I would have handled things the same way I did during my visit to Kirigakure. I would have taken whatever resources I needed, captured a few useful people, and killed anyone who tried to stop me.”

Despite the smile on Yujiro’s face, the Fourth Raikage could tell that he was completely serious.

He truly would have done exactly what he had just described.

A madman.

Yujiro was unquestionably insane.

Worse, he was an absurdly powerful madman.

The Fourth Raikage finally abandoned any remaining thoughts of resistance.

There was no other choice.

For the moment, accepting Yujiro’s demands was the only path that might allow both Kumogakure and its Raikage to escape intact.

“Bring me the agreement,” A said in a low voice. “I’ll sign it.”

“There’s no need for your signature,” Yujiro replied casually.

His gaze shifted toward Yugito Nii.

“The Two-Tails’ jinchūriki will remain in Konoha as collateral.”

Yugito’s face instantly turned pale.

“If the required supplies are not delivered within one year, I cannot guarantee that Matatabi’s jinchūriki will leave Konoha alive.”

Yujiro looked back at the Fourth Raikage.

“On the other hand, if Kumogakure fulfills every condition, her life will never be in danger.”

A’s fists tightened.

He released them, only to clench them again.

After a long silence, his shoulders sank.

“Fine. I agree.”

He truly had no second option.

The corner of Yujiro’s mouth rose slightly.

“Someone escort our guests out.”

At the same time, Yujiro secretly activated his simulated acquisition ability.

His target was Darui.

In an instant, Yujiro directly acquired Darui’s kekkei genkai—Storm Release.

【Ding!】

【Congratulations, Host, on obtaining the Kekkei Genkai: Storm Release!】

【Limiter unlock progress increased by 5%.】

【Current progress: Level Three—45%.】

Yujiro immediately felt the new bloodline ability take root within his body, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Storm Release possessed remarkable offensive power and was particularly suited to fast, piercing attacks.

Darui himself might not have been able to unleash the kekkei genkai’s full potential, but once Storm Release fell under Yujiro’s control, its power would naturally rise to an entirely different level.

Even Uchiha Madara had later wielded Storm Release after becoming the Ten-Tails’ jinchūriki.

The cutting power of his Sage Art: Storm Release Light Fang had been great enough to slice through a staff formed from a Truth-Seeking Ball.

That alone demonstrated the terrifying offensive potential of Storm Release.

The Fourth Raikage, Darui, and Killer B left the negotiation square with grim expressions.

Yugito Nii remained behind.

She was the hostage Kumogakure had been forced to surrender.

At that moment, Yugito’s legs and hands felt weak.

She could sense numerous powerful presences surrounding her, and it felt as though almost anyone standing nearby could kill her without much difficulty.

Just then, four figures appeared beside Yujiro.

They were four of his Wood Release clones.

“Yujiro, were you really certain that you could stop the Raikage and the others just now?” Jiraiya asked, finally releasing the breath he had been holding.

“Of course.”

Yujiro pointed toward the four Wood Release clones standing beside him.

“If the Raikage’s group had tried anything, my four Wood Release clones would have immediately erected the Four Red Yang Formation around the square.”

“The Four Red Yang Formation?”

Jiraiya’s eyes widened.

“So that was your plan. No wonder you were so confident.”

“Once the Four Red Yang Formation was active, I could have used the Adamantine Sealing Chains to suppress both Matatabi and Gyūki almost instantly.”

Yujiro continued with a relaxed smile.

“After that, I would have used Wood Release to weaken and absorb their chakra.”

Finally, he glanced toward Kurama.

“Then I would have let Kurama run wild. The entire battle probably wouldn’t have lasted longer than five minutes.”

Everyone listening inhaled sharply.

Even Yugito’s already pale face lost what little color remained.

He had planned everything from the beginning.

If the Kumogakure shinobi had truly attacked, she and the others might already have been dead.

Elsewhere in the square, Minato approached Fugaku and Shisui, his eyes still carrying traces of astonishment.

“Thank you for standing with Konoha,” Minato said sincerely.

Fugaku smiled.

“The Uchiha clan is part of Konoha. When the village faces a crisis, it is only natural for us to step forward.”

“Minato-sensei, we were also following Yujiro’s instructions,” Shisui added, scratching his head with a slightly embarrassed smile.

On the other side of the square, Kakashi and Might Guy both appeared exhausted.

Kakashi already needed a constant supply of chakra to keep his Sharingan active.

Combined with the fact that he had maintained the Raikiri for so long, it was impressive that he had not collapsed.

Guy’s exhaustion came from the strain left behind after opening the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates.

Yujiro walked toward the two of them.

“Guy, Kakashi. You both did well.”

“Hehe!”

Guy raised his thumb and revealed his brilliantly shining teeth.

“Yujiro, whenever you need my help, you only have to ask! The power of youth will always answer your call!”

Jiraiya watched the scene unfold before him, his expression becoming unusually serious.

“Yujiro really is the Child of Prophecy.”

His gaze moved across the square.

“The entire shinobi world is changing because of him.”

Tsunade did not argue.

Everything in front of them supported Jiraiya’s claim.

At the same time, both Sannin felt somewhat emotional.

It had not even been two full years since Yujiro first began displaying his strength.

Yet in that short period, Konoha had become more united than either of them had believed possible.

The major clans were cooperating peacefully, and even the Uchiha clan—whose strained relationship with the village had once seemed impossible to repair—had been properly brought back into Konoha by Yujiro.

As they watched him, the same thought appeared in both Jiraiya’s and Tsunade’s minds.

They were convinced.

Completely and utterly convinced.

“I’m not the Child of Prophecy.”

Yujiro’s voice drifted back from a short distance away.

Jiraiya’s expression immediately stiffened.

“And, Ero-sennin, I never said you were my master.”

Yujiro’s voice came again.

“Ahem…”

Jiraiya coughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

That was rather embarrassing.

Yujiro ignored him and redeemed a contract from the system.

He carried the document over to Yugito and held it out to her.

“Sign it.”

Yugito accepted the contract with a grim expression.

However, after reading the title written across it, her eyes widened in disbelief.

“A Maid Contract?”

Yujiro glanced at her.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to become a maid? Were you expecting me to make you Konoha’s Hokage instead?”

“N-No! That’s not what I meant!”

Yugito hurriedly waved both hands.

“I’ll sign it. I’ll sign it right now.”

She had never imagined that she would receive this kind of treatment.

Originally, Yugito had assumed she would be thrown into a cold prison cell and kept under heavy guard.

Compared to that fate, taking one step back and working as a maid did not seem quite so terrible.

Once Yugito signed her name, the contract dissolved into light and disappeared without leaving a trace.

Even without the contract, Yugito would not have dared to cause trouble inside Konoha.

However, there was nothing wrong with being cautious.

Now that Kumogakure’s affairs had been settled, it was time to deal with the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

Yujiro had already made up his mind.

He was extremely interested in acquiring Magnet Release.