Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

"But you won't do anything to the Hyuga branch while I'm away, right...?" Zixu didn't fully trust Orochimaru's promise. To be safe, he sent his silent clone to follow him. The clone still bore a look of despair, but despite his numbness, he knew what was important. His top priority was protecting the Hyuga branch.

Orochimaru, noticing the clone trailing him, curled his tongue and put aside his schemes for now. There would be plenty of opportunities, and he could afford to wait. As Orochimaru and Zixu departed, many of Konoha's high-ranking shinobi arrived on the rooftop. When Sarutobi Hiruzen was alive, he had taken a neutral stance by not interfering. Ignoring his death now would seem intentional.

Several Konoha Jonin, including Kakashi and Guy-sensei, gazed at the Third Hokage's lifeless body. His expression was peaceful, as if merely asleep, ready to wake at any moment. A solemn air hung over the group. They would soon retrieve the Third Hokage's body and begin Konoha's reconstruction. Despite their loss, the village had to endure. Many buildings had been destroyed by the summoning of Manda and the Sand Ninja's attack. The reconstruction efforts needed to start immediately.

Jiraiya had withdrawn Gamabunta and observed from a distance. Watching his former sensei die stirred emotions he kept under control. He sighed, "Uzumaki Naruto..." That boy was anything but ordinary. If he strayed down the wrong path, the entire shinobi world would drown in bloodshed. Jiraiya was growing old; he lacked the energy for many things, but he could still nurture Naruto and protect Konoha.

"The Uzumaki Clan... Why are all my students connected to whirlpools?" Jiraiya smiled bitterly before vanishing into the night.

Zixu sped forward, no longer needing to disguise himself. His conversation with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death and his subsequent actions had earned him a significant amount of system points. After confirming multiple times that he wouldn't self-destruct, he decisively awakened the Uo Uo no Mi (Fish-Fish Fruit). He had become proficient in switching between its three forms. Though he hadn't yet mastered Suzaku's techniques such as Honō Ryūka (Flame Dragon Torch), Nobori Ryū (Rising Dragon), and En Bagua (Flame Eight Trigrams), he had full control over the basics—Honōgumo (Flame Cloud), Jakufū (Gale Force), and Mei Raimei (Roaring Thunder).

With the three fundamentals—Haki, Devil Fruit, and Taijutsu—unlocked, Zixu's overall strength had surged. The fusion of his fruit and physical abilities triggered spiritual growth, which in turn boosted his mastery over Haki. His physical transformation shattered previous limits, increasing his fusion rate to 50% without even spending points. However, Zixu wasn't blinded by his newfound power. At first, he had been overwhelmed, but upon witnessing the Shikifūjin (Reaper Death Seal)—a technique that directly attacks the soul—he sobered up quickly.

While Zixu's physical resilience was impeccable, he lacked an array of defensive jutsu. A typical shinobi might master only a handful of techniques in their lifetime. Without a fortuitous encounter, they would likely rely on the standard Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique), Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique), and Kawarimi no Jutsu (Substitution Technique) until their dying day.

Fortunately, this was no longer an issue for him. With Orochimaru—the research-obsessed maniac—at his side, he had access to an arsenal of forbidden jutsu. Additionally, he had the soul of Sarutobi Hiruzen in his grasp.

"First, I need to establish a base. Orochimaru only cares about research. As long as he has enough funding, he'll behave. The organization must have absolute military strength. The Caged Bird Seal on the Hyuga branch members who escaped with me has been suppressed by my fūinjutsu..."

"But the outside world doesn't know that. They'll assume the branch family has broken free of the seal, which will inevitably attract unwanted attention. Even though the curse activates self-destruction if their eyes are taken..."

Zixu had many concerns and countless problems to solve. It was inevitable. As a leader, this was his burden to bear. At times like this, he envied Aburame Hatsuizumi, who seemed carefree. Shaking the thought away, he quickened his pace.

Elite warriors were easy to find. He could train his own or recruit others. One such opportunity lay ahead—if he captured the Hyōtan Kyōdai (Calabash Brothers), he'd gain valuable combat power. Then, he could have Orochimaru and Hyuga Chinano instill the new Will of Fire into them.

Zixu firmly believed in the brainwashing power of the Will of Fire. Just look at Orochimaru—even after defecting, he had only ever wanted to kill Sarutobi Hiruzen. Everything he did was, in his own way, for Konoha's benefit.

"I love my sensei, and I love the truth, but I love the village more. For the sake of Konoha's peace, sensei... please die."

"Well... I'm out of weapons. Time to draw another prize. Increasing my physique any further won't yield much. My current body is more than sufficient. I can't use points to boost my Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki). I should save some points to unlock Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki). Most of the rest will go into the lottery..."

Zixu recalled the dream he had when he awakened his Haoshoku Haki. Once everything settled, he planned to awaken his Busoshoku Haki.

"At the end of the day, I'm just trying to justify another lottery draw. Zixu, Zixu, why can't you stop yourself?" He exposed his own thoughts, feeling oddly satisfied.

"1,000 points per draw... A guaranteed reward after ten draws... There has to be something good..." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

For luck's sake, he decided to delay his draw until after he captured Gaara. At that very moment, a shiver ran through the unconscious Gaara. Kankuro, carrying him on his back, felt it too and thought Gaara was waking up.

"Why do I have a bad feeling..." Temari muttered. She had sensed something amiss from the start, as if some terrifying force had set its sights on them.

"It must be my imagination. Why are those idiots chasing us instead of protecting their village?" Kankuro scoffed, dismissing the thought. The pursuers seemed utterly irrational to him.

Sasuke was tailing Gaara, while Naruto was chasing Sasuke. Sasuke sought to prove his strength after a series of humiliating setbacks. He believed that unless he defeated Gaara, he would disgrace the Uchiha name.

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't overthinking it. Sasuke ran, so he chased him. Gaara was dangerous. Sasuke was reckless. The village was safer. He would drag Sasuke back—even if it meant beating him up first.

Little did they know, a massive battle was about to erupt around them, one where they would witness titans clash.

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