Chapter 41 (Patreon)

With the vitality of the Uzumaki clan, a minor burn like this was hardly worth mentioning. Even so, Roy immediately used Kaidō to heal Kushina’s hand.

After all, those hands were no longer precious solely because they could form a Rasengan.

Across the battlefield, Yugito Nii was already considering retreat.

She had activated her Tailed Beast Chakra Mode, yet the strange force restraining her movements remained extraordinarily difficult to overcome. Unless she underwent a complete transformation into the Two-Tails, she would likely be unable to determine her opponent’s true strength.

When Kushina saw that she intended to withdraw, she made no attempt to pursue her.

Even though Kushina hoped to lure out a greater threat, this was not the time to capture the Two-Tails’ jinchūriki. However, she also had no intention of allowing Yugito to leave completely unscathed.

The Rasengan she had used earlier had torn apart part of Yugito’s clothing.

As another kunoichi, Kushina had no desire to leave her opponent in such a humiliating state.

It would have been better if the Rasengan had struck her abdomen, but when shinobi fought, they instinctively aimed for vital points.

After several swift leaps, Yugito vanished from sight.

Kushina then carried Roy back behind Konoha’s defensive line.

---

“How was it? How much did you learn?”

The moment Yugito returned to Kumogakure’s position, the Fourth Raikage questioned her before she even had time to change her damaged clothing.

Yugito was about to answer when she noticed Killer B standing nearby, staring at the torn section she was covering with one hand.

Her expression immediately darkened.

“Her ability is extremely strange,” Yugito reported. “She used an unknown technique to restrict my movements. Even after I activated my Tailed Beast Chakra Mode, I couldn’t completely break free of it.”

She paused before continuing.

“Her taijutsu itself is nothing exceptional, but that restraining ability would be extremely effective against shinobi who specialize in close combat.”

“It restrained you even while you were using the Two-Tails’ chakra?”

The Fourth Raikage was briefly taken aback, but his surprise lasted only a moment.

His own combat style was also centred on taijutsu. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode merely amplified his speed, strength, reflexes, and durability to their absolute limits.

However, just because the technique could hinder Yugito did not mean it would be capable of restraining him.

If that strange ability was all the Konoha shinobi possessed, then there was little reason to fear her.

As for the technique that had injured Yugito at the end, it was clearly the Rasengan—the signature technique of Konoha’s Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

It was unquestionably powerful, but the Raikage did not believe it could penetrate his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

There was no need for concern.

“You’ve done well. Go back and rest.”

Once Yugito had left, the Raikage suddenly turned and struck Killer B across the back of the head.

Dodai, who stood nearby, silently raised his eyes toward the sky as though he could no longer bear to watch.

Killer B merely stared at his brother in confusion. He had not even been rapping, so he had no idea what he had done wrong.

“Yugito was risking her life for the village,” the Raikage growled. “What were you staring at? If you’re interested in her, then pursue her properly. If you aren’t, stop staring at her damaged clothes. Have you no shame?”

Although the Raikage had not looked behind him, Yugito’s reaction had made everything obvious. She had glanced at Killer B and immediately tightened her grip on the torn fabric.

“That spiral wound made an old scene flash—

Golden light and instant steps, gone in a dash.

The Yellow Flash tore through battle with a single strike,

Moving so fast, no one else could fight alike.

The wound is the proof, no need for explanation—

My rhythm saw through the technique and its formation. Yeah!”

In an attempt to explain why he had been staring, Killer B inevitably began rapping.

As for pursuing Yugito, he had no interest in that whatsoever. Romance would only interfere with the speed of his swordsmanship and disrupt the flow of his rhymes.

The Fourth Raikage covered his face with one hand.

A second later, his fist descended.

“Bee, you fool! Stop turning everything into one of your ridiculous raps!”

The entire matter could have been explained in a single sentence, yet Killer B had somehow stretched it into half a minute.

Dodai was already accustomed to the way the two brothers interacted.

Killer B could endure almost any beating, yet he never learned his lesson. The Raikage, meanwhile, would shout and strike him but never use enough force to cause serious harm.

Dodai was far more concerned about the strange technique Yugito had described.

It sounded as though it had been created specifically to counter Kumogakure.

Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, none possessed a higher proportion of taijutsu specialists than the Hidden Cloud.

The true question was how many Konoha shinobi knew this technique.

If it had already been widely distributed throughout their forces, Kumogakure’s army could suffer severe losses in a direct confrontation.

---

After returning to Konoha’s defensive line, Kushina ordered the sentries to heighten their vigilance.

She then found a quiet place where she could rest.

“Roy-kun, what did you think of the Two-Tails’ jinchūriki?”

Because Roy’s ability had restricted Yugito’s movements, she had been unable to display her full combat strength.

Kushina could confirm that Yugito’s taijutsu surpassed her own, but the remainder of the woman’s capabilities were still uncertain.

“Yugito Nii? She’s very round—”

Roy abruptly stopped.

“Ah, I mean, she’s a very well-rounded fighter. Her ninjutsu appears to focus primarily on Fire Release, so she can attack from long range like mobile artillery. Her close-quarters taijutsu is also exceptional, and with the Two-Tails supporting her, an ordinary shinobi wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Hmph. You had better have meant ‘well-rounded.’”

The moment the words left his mouth, Roy knew he was in trouble.

There was no possibility of pretending that Kushina had misheard him. The words for well-rounded sounded nothing alike in Japanese.

It would have taken a miracle for her not to notice what he had originally intended to say.

Roy was preparing to soothe her anger when Kushina abruptly changed the subject.

“By the way, Roy-kun, can your ability make physical contact with anyone besides me?”

Roy did not immediately understand why she was asking.

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried.”

“Is that so? I was considering capturing that very well-rounded jinchūriki and making her a useful maid for a certain someone.”

Kushina raised her healed hand and examined it.

“But it seems I’ll simply have to continue working hard with these healing hands of mine.”

Roy hesitated.

“When you say ‘useful’… are you referring to something proper?”

“That depends on the person. A proper person would find a proper use for her. An improper person would not.”

Kushina glanced back at him.

“So tell me, Roy-kun. Are you a proper person?”

“Me? I’m perfectly proper. You should know that better than anyone.”

Resting against Kushina’s back, Roy answered with complete righteousness.

“If you stopped poking at my butt while saying that, I might believe you.”

“If I stopped correcting you, you would only complain later. The chakra concentration in your Rasengan still wasn’t focused enough. Let me guide you through it carefully one more time.”

Kushina’s face remained expressionless, but her eyebrow twitched.

Roy’s method of correcting her chakra flow was infuriatingly precise—and the sensation made it extremely difficult to remain still.

Several Konoha sentries were stationed nearby. Unlike at home, Kushina could not casually erect a soundproof barrier without attracting attention.

She could only rely on the self-control she had honed over many days and endure the distracting sensation in silence.

Roy remained measured in his instruction. He merely guided her through the first two stages of the Rasengan several more times, helping her refine the rotation and concentration of her chakra.

---

Elsewhere, Kakuzu had temporarily withdrawn from the battlefield.

It did not take him long to locate several bounty hunters hiding in what they believed to be a secure resting place.

The moment they saw him approaching, every one of them became vigilant.

Kakuzu’s reputation was far too infamous for them to react otherwise.

However, vigilance was meaningless when ordinary shinobi were confronted by a monster such as him.

Before long, Kakuzu had replaced the heart he had lost.

He did not spare the remaining bounty hunters either. Their heads were worth money, and since killing them required almost no additional effort, there was no reason to waste the opportunity.

Once his missing heart had been replenished, Kakuzu still did not immediately return to Konoha’s defensive line.

He recalled the translucent barrier that had stopped his combined ninjutsu.

Bakudō #81: Dankū.

Kakuzu had no knowledge of its name, but he understood how dangerous an unknown defensive technique of that level could be.

He decided to continue observing the battlefield before making another move.

The secret technique known as Earth Grudge Fear had allowed him to steal hearts and extend his life, but that was not the only reason he had survived for so many decades.

His true strength was his caution.

Those who charged into battle without first understanding their enemies had already been dead and buried for years, their graves long since swallowed by weeds.