"Bang, bang, bang~"
Nawaki's figure continuously undulated in the air. When he finally descended with difficulty, he would immediately land on another Explosive Tag trap. The trigger-activated Explosive Tag trap would then send him flying again.
Watching this scene from a distance, Tsunade couldn't help but open her mouth in disbelief and say, "Is that kid Tatsuma really so deeply immersed in the study of Explosive Tag traps?"
Orochimaru, looking at his disciple floating in the air like a ragdoll, also muttered in surprise, "Could it be that he learned it from the Uchiha? But the Uchiha..."
Even Minato Namikaze scratched his head. He had fought alongside Tatsuma for three months and knew Tatsuma's proficiency in Explosive Tag traps was strong, but could it be this powerful?
Calculating the direction of the explosion is quite challenging. Being able to roughly calculate the direction of the explosion, react in advance to those affected by the blast, and seize the opportunity to launch an attack before the enemy lands is already an advanced technique in using Explosive Tag traps.
However, Nawaki has been flying in the sky for almost half a minute, and there have been over ten triggered Explosive Tags. The computational complexity of such a situation...
Minato Namikaze even speculated whether Tatsuma intentionally concealed his skills on the battlefield out of consideration for his emotions. However, he quickly shook his head because Tatsuma was someone who understood the overall situation and wouldn't intentionally hide his abilities for that reason.
Even Mito, who had broad knowledge and experienced the changes of eras, slightly tightened her grip on Kushina's hand. She could perceive the reduced power of these Explosive Tags, but with so many bombings...
Not to mention the others, even Tatsuma, the instigator, was now bewildered. He had planned to lure Nawaki into these dozen traps in stages. By bombing Nawaki multiple times, he intended to make him wary of Explosive Tag traps before each dash. But how did Nawaki manage to trigger all of them at once?
"Boom~~~Snap~"
Finally, Nawaki triggered the last Explosive Tag trap. After a high-difficulty 1080-degree rotation in the air, he descended like a leek being uprooted, burying his head into the ground.
"Gulu~"
Watching Nawaki's unresponsive movements in the air, Tatsuma doubted whether he had caused trouble for Nawaki. At the same time, he wondered if Nawaki had some kind of Special Talent that allowed him to effortlessly trigger Explosive Tags.
"Ding~[Stamina+5], [Wisdom+5], Would you like to claim?"
Seeing no drop of Special Talents, Tatsuma inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly ran to Nawaki's side and pulled him out with a swift motion.
"Nawaki, Nawaki, are you okay?"
Tatsuma patted Nawaki's crooked and darkened face. Suddenly, Nawaki shivered all over, and his eyes gradually regained vitality.
"I'm fine. Such powerful Explosive Tag traps. Fortunately, I'm a Taijutsu Ninja. Let me settle down, and we'll meet at the peak again."
Nawaki spoke incoherent words, and Tsunade, who had also approached by now, gave him a thump on the head. Then, she emitted a blue-green Chakra light from her hands to heal him.
"Sensei, is he okay?"
Apart from a bit of dishevelment, Nawaki's body showed no significant injuries, but Tatsuma still felt a bit worried. If he had really caused any harm to Nawaki, it would be difficult to explain.
Tsunade, with a furrowed brow, looked serious at the moment. This made Tatsuma even more nervous, but the reason for Tsunade's frown wasn't because Nawaki was severely injured; it was because he seemed too lightly injured.
It was evident that Tatsuma's Explosive Tags had reduced in power, but even with over a dozen hits, it wasn't something an ordinary Genin could endure. Yet, Nawaki, aside from feeling a bit dizzy, seemed to have no injuries.
Oh, right, his face was a bit swollen. Besides that, even Tsunade couldn't find any other injuries.
"Could it be the result of the training these past few months?"
An idea popped into Tsunade's mind. Nawaki mentioned that he had been training under a Ninja named Might Duy, whom Tsunade also knew.
In the village, it was rare not to know Might Duy. However, what made people remember him wasn't his strength, but rather his perceived foolish diligence and hot-blooded foolishness that many spoke of.
In addition, Might Duy is only a Genin. Previously, Tsunade never thought about the progress Nawaki would make by training with Might Duy, but now it seems she may have been hasty.
"He's fine, just a bit confused."
After thinking this, Tsunade lifted Nawaki and headed towards his room. Although he didn't suffer any injuries, a rest was still necessary.
At this moment, Orochimaru also said to Uzumaki Mito, "Mito-sama, I'll take my leave for now. I'll come by when I have time."
"Okay."
Uzumaki Mito waved her hand, and after Orochimaru left, Minato took the opportunity to start chatting with Kushina. Since it was about the happenings on the battlefield, Kushina listened attentively.
In an instant, only Tatsuma remained. Fortunately, Mito beckoned to him, and Tatsuma immediately ran over. One reason was that he had just fought someone's grandson, and the other was that he didn't want to stay as an audience.
Arriving at the hall where he had previously studied Sealing Jutsu with Mito, Tatsuma sat down on his own initiative. Mito didn't have the intention of giving a lesson; instead, she asked:
"Do you miss that powerful feeling?"
Upon hearing Mito's question, Tatsuma immediately knew she was asking about the Nine-Tails Chakra. He remained silent for a moment and then spoke:
"If I say I don't miss that powerful feeling, it would be too false. However, the side effects that come with that power are just something I can't accept."
Tatsuma spoke the truth. He yearned for that powerful feeling, but he disliked the accompanying side effect like losing his mind. It wasn't just the tragedies that came with the emergence of that power, but also his inability to control it.
The feeling of having his mind filled with anger was something he didn't want to experience again. He desired strength but, more importantly, genuine strength, not various buffs.
Upon hearing Tatsuma's words, Mito nodded. As a Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, how could she not understand the burden that came with the Nine-Tails Chakra?
Moreover, what she gave to Tatsuma was the Nine-Tails Chakra processed through her hands. If it were the pure Nine-Tails Chakra, Tatsuma would probably find it even more unbearable.
While observing Tatsuma's response, Mito utilized the power of the Nine-Tails. Even though she believed in Tatsuma's sincerity and candor, at this moment, she felt a greater sense of reassurance.
However, a twinge of regret suddenly arose in Mito's heart. Tatsuma, who had a clear understanding of the Nine-Tails' power, was the most suitable person to safeguard this power. Unfortunately, his body lacked the capacity to contain this power.
If Tatsuma could maintain his current rate of progress, perhaps there would be a chance by the time he reached adulthood. However, Mito knew she couldn't afford to wait that long.
If Mito wanted to survive, she could indeed achieve it. After all, with the vitality of the Uzumaki Clan and her mastery of the Uzumaki Clan's power, living a few more years was not a challenge.
However, by the time she reached that point, she could not guarantee that the power of the Nine-Tails within her wouldn't go berserk. She guarded this power for the village, and the transfer of this power needed to be carried out under her protection.
Therefore, she had to pass on this power to someone else while still in control of it. This meant she couldn't wait for the day when Tatsuma grew up, and even if he did, it was only a possibility.
Only Kushina, who shares the Uzumaki Clan bloodline like her, can grow to that extent in the remaining few years.
Mito gently smoothed Tatsuma's temple and pulled down his curled hair. She then shifted the conversation, saying, "It's time for a haircut. Your hair is too long; it doesn't look neat."
"Okay."
"Is there anything else going on recently? If not, come to me for continued Sealing Jutsu lessons."
"Lord Third said he would take some time to teach me and Minato Ninjutsu, so it might take up some time."
"Alright, work hard, and come over when you have free time."
Tatsuma enjoyed spending time with Mito because she genuinely treated him like a younger family member. It reminded him of the happy moments from his past life.
When he felt wronged at school or scolded by his parents at home, he would run to his grandmother's house. His grandmother would use a large cup to make instant noodles that he wasn't allowed to eat at home or cook some pasteries for him.
Grandma didn't understand many things, such as education, the future, or competition. However, she knew how to make her grandson happy.
On the second day back in the village, Tatsuma went early to find Konoha's Tony sensei. He had two-thirds of his hair cut, but the length didn't seem to change much.
...
After the haircut, Tatsuma planned to go to the Senju clan area. However, just as he turned into an empty street, a figure landed in front of him after taking only a couple of steps.
"Tatsuma, long time no see."
Looking at the ninja wearing full ANBU attire who lifted his mask, Tatsuma politely smiled and said, "Sakumo-sama, it's been a while."
"Hokage-sama is waiting for you at the training ground. I'll take you there."
"Thank you, Sakumo-sama."
At these words, Tatsuma's face showed a hint of excitement. Sakumo reached out and rubbed Tatsuma's head, only to end up with silver hair fragments all over his hand.
Sakumo Hatake patted Tatsuma's shoulder, discreetly placing the stray hair back on Tatsuma. He then calmly asked, "My blade must have caused you quite a bit of trouble, I presume? I heard you've been surrounded on the battlefield more than once."
Tatsuma quickly shook his head. The reason he was surrounded wasn't solely because of Sakumo's blade; perhaps it played a small part, but the main reason was himself.
In the early stages, it was Hoshi targeting him. After dealing with Hoshi, when Sand Ninja witnessed it, they would shout slogans seeking revenge for Hoshi and charge at Tatsuma, sometimes even ignoring Minato and Fugaku, who were on Tatsuma's team.
"You jest, sir. I should be the one thanking you. Your blade, and the Ninjutsu Orochimaru-sama instructed me, have been a great help on the battlefield."
"That's good to hear."
Sakumo didn't delve deeper into the matter. Regardless of whether Tatsuma was targeted because of his blade, Sakumo knew Tatsuma's personality well enough to understand that he wouldn't blame the blade or himself. He decided to show Tatsuma some favor in the future as a gesture of gratitude.
The two soon arrived at the third training ground, where Minato was already waiting. Hiruzen had also shed his usual robe and instead opted for a Ninja attire reminiscent of the Warring States period.
"Lord Third."
Even though Tatsuma greeted Hiruzen with a salute while the latter had his back turned, Tatsuma knew better than to make any disrespectful gestures. Given Hiruzen's strength, any mischievous behavior would undoubtedly be noticed, not to mention more severe consequences.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly and then turned slightly to give them a profile view. He calmly asked, "Do you know what it means to be a ninja?"
...
Fun fact: Nawaki died from an explosive trap while on a mission with Orochimaru
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