Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 109, Last Time

On the shore of a lake strewn with pebbles, Hyuga Kanan appeared as ethereal as a ghost. He moved with agility, a hint of killing intent in his eyes. He watched with bated breath as Hatake Sakumo charged towards him.

Hatake Sakumo, a seasoned veteran, sensed Hyuga Kanan's extraordinary aura and dared not be careless.

The battle was about to begin. Hatake Sakumo charged towards Hyuga Kanan like a whirlwind, his weapon gleaming coldly. Hyuga Kanan dodged to the side, then unleashed a counterattack with an ice blade in her hand. The two weapons clashed in mid-air, producing a crisp, sharp sound.

Hatake Sakumo was extremely fast, but his movements were all straight and direct. However, his short sword kept waving around, giving Hyuga Kanan no chance to exploit his opponent's straight and direct movements to find an opening for attack.

Hyuga Kanan's moves are agile and unpredictable; his movements are elusive, making him difficult for Hatake Sakumo to anticipate. However, thanks to his extensive combat experience, Hatake Sakumo always manages to turn the tide at crucial moments.

The two sides traded blows, neither giving an inch. The battle reached its climax, sweat dripping from their foreheads, but their eyes remained sharp.

In this fierce exchange, neither side dared to be careless in the slightest; both were extremely focused, their figures constantly flashing. The two figures repeatedly clashed.

Many of Hyuga Kanan's ice blades had already been broken, while Hatake Sakumo's blade remained sharp and incredibly fast. Moreover, his short sword always launched extremely unpredictable attacks, forcing Hyuga Kanan to continuously conjure ice blades to block them. Furthermore, the water ripples around his body were growing faster and faster, occasionally slicing towards his opponent's body.

As the battle continued, Hyuga Kanan began to gain the upper hand, suppressing Hatake Sakumo's attacks. The ice spikes that kept appearing around him began to leave bloody marks on his opponent's body. Hatake Sakumo's speed rapidly decreased, and the chakra in his short sword began to weaken, making it impossible for him to cut through the water patterns surrounding Hyuga Kanan. Furthermore, he was cut several times by the rapidly flowing water.

Seeing Sakumo Hatake's situation, Tsunade could no longer hold back and charged straight towards their battlefield. When she got close enough, she clenched her right fist and slammed it into the ground.

"Boom!" The ground was shattered by Tsunade's fist, interrupting Hatake Sakumo's attack and causing him to leap backward to avoid the broken ground. Hyuga Kanan lightly stepped forward, quickly ascending into the air along the water ripples surrounding her. She floated on the water, quietly watching Tsunade appear at the edge of the battlefield.

Hyuga Kanan wanted to see what Tsunade was planning: whether she would continue attacking him, or simply try to stop the battle from continuing.

"That's enough, you two."

Tsunade roared angrily, clearly displeased that Hyuga Kanan and Hatake Sakumo were fighting and had no intention of stopping even after their arrival. They were both from Konoha, yet they were fighting amongst themselves in the village, trying to decide their fate—it was the biggest joke in Konoha's history.

Furthermore, Sakumo Hatake, as the most likely successor to the Hokage position in Konoha, is now attacking Konoha members, which severely damages his reputation within the village and will greatly impact his future succession. Kanan Hyuga is no ordinary person either; he is a top-tier member of the Hyuga clan and was able to break the Caged Bird Seal, potentially influencing all branch family members of the Hyuga clan. Fighting him, regardless of victory or defeat, will bring no benefit, only harm.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching from afar, inwardly lamented his misfortune; Tsunade's intervention had thwarted his plans. But now was his time to step in and cultivate goodwill. Many Konoha personnel had already appeared around, and he needed to stop the fighting from continuing, while also dealing with the impact of Hyuga Kanan's attack on Danzo and his Root group.

Jiraiya quickly followed, giving Tsunade a thumbs-up. He was delighted that Tsunade had intervened to stop the fight. He couldn't use Tsunade's method himself, and the two were too fast; he had no confidence in stopping them. But Tsunade's method was very effective.

Orochimaru remained motionless, quietly staying in place, his eyes gleaming with intense desire. He was extremely interested in the strength displayed by Hyuga Kanan and Hatake Sakumo; both of them had used ninjutsu he didn't understand at all. For a studious student eager to learn all ninjutsu, this was like a delicious fruit appearing before his eyes, incredibly captivating.

Hatake Sakumo retreated a short distance, his chest heaving. The rapid exchange had taken a heavy toll on him, leaving him with chakra and stamina issues. Even without Tsunade's intervention, he was nearing the end of his fighting strength. As a swordsman, he was never adept at prolonged battles, always relying on powerful attacks to overwhelm his opponents. This was the first time he had encountered a formidable opponent like Hyuga Kanan, whose defense and speed were terrifyingly strong, capable of withstanding his most intense attacks. Moreover, Kanan's attacks were equally powerful, requiring him to expend considerable mental energy to defend against them. It could be said that Kanan had no weaknesses, making him a perfect counter to a powerful offensive ninja like himself.

Hyuga Kanan remained floating in the air, his gaze coldly fixed on the group on the ground. He now had a very bad impression of Konoha, considering it a breeding ground for trouble. It seemed he needed to quickly complete his plan, leave this troublesome center, and find a place where he could train in peace.

In the future, try to avoid coming to Konoha if possible.

If it weren't for needing Konoha's resources to help him accelerate his cultivation, he would never have appeared in Konoha. He would definitely stay away from anything that happens in Konoha in the future, otherwise it would bring him endless trouble.

This is also my last time in Konoha. After completing my plan, I will stay as far away from Konoha as possible. But now I also want to teach Konoha a lesson, otherwise Konoha will definitely cause me trouble again in the future.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Hyuga Kanan floating in the air, then waved his arm to the surrounding Anbu, signaling them to check on Danzo and the Root ninja who were collapsed on the ground. He desperately didn't want Danzo and the others to die; after all, they were the backbone of Konoha's fighting force. Although Danzo harbored ambitions for his Hokage position, he was also a childhood friend and a valuable asset to both Konoha and himself.

The ANBU ninja quickly arrived at Danzo and the others' side, and swiftly checked their condition. Upon discovering that they had been knocked unconscious by Hyuga Kanan, they breathed a sigh of relief and then nodded slightly to Sarutobi Hiruzen, indicating that the other party was not in mortal danger and had only fainted.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, awaiting the results, nodded to acknowledge them and instructed the others to lead the fallen group to the hospital for treatment. He felt a slight sense of relief. If Danzo and the others had already perished, he would have had no choice but to gather the surrounding Konoha ninja to encircle and subdue Hyuga Kanan; he couldn't let him go easily. With so many Konoha ninja watching, if he let Hyuga Kanan go so easily just because of his strength, the Konoha ninja present would likely lose respect for him as the Hokage.

If someone with such great strength lets go of someone who ordered the killing of Konoha ninjas, then the Hokage's reputation will be truly ruined.

Fortunately, he was only knocked unconscious, so there was no need to force an attack on Hyuga Kanan, and he could also ensure the authority and fairness of the Hokage.

Hyuga Kanan knew that even with his fury, he couldn't forcibly kill Danzo, a high-ranking official of Konoha, in the village. That would be a serious provocation against the entire village, and would likely extinguish any hope he had of conquering Konoha in the future. Therefore, when he attacked Danzo and the others, he only knocked them unconscious, not killing them. He wanted to give Konoha a way out, not to become their mortal enemy.

"Lord Hokage, I hope this is the last time. Next time, I will not show mercy and spare their lives. I hope you can properly restrain the Konoha ninja. This is also my last act of forbearance."

Hyuga Kanan, still speaking coldly to Sarutobi Hiruzen from the air, continued speaking.

Tsunade and Jiraiya merely frowned slightly, remaining silent. They knew Danzo fairly well and understood that he had attacked Hyuga Kanan again. However, Kanan's tone still displeased them. After all, Danzo was a high-ranking official in Konoha, and Kanan's attack on him, coupled with his attitude towards them, made it seem as if Konoha was afraid of him. But with the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, present, they, as his disciples, couldn't easily respond.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also frowned deeply, extremely dissatisfied with Hyuga Kanan's tone and attitude. He even had the urge to order a direct attack, but he forcibly restrained himself. The ninja world was currently in turmoil, with undercurrents swirling within Konoha, and he really didn't want to add another powerful enemy to the village. Moreover, Danzo had instigated this whole affair, so his dissatisfaction was understandable.

"Don't worry. I will thoroughly investigate what happened today and give you a response later."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't want to directly say that Danzo had attacked first, so he could only give an ambiguous answer, while also not losing face for Konoha.

Hyuga Kanan simply pursed his lips casually and said nothing more. He believed that a politician like Sarutobi Hiruzen would understand what he was trying to say and be very clear about his own stance. He didn't dwell on the polite words Sarutobi Hiruzen was saying; he was simply letting the other party know his final attitude.