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"Sage Art: Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands!"
Senju Takuya clasped his hands together. In an instant, a terrifying wave of Chakra swept out. The earth began to shake, and a statue of a Buddha with thousands of arms emerged from the ground.
"Isn't this... a lie?"
"How could such a jutsu exist?"
"God! This is power only a god could have!"
The ninjas in Hoshigakure were stunned, never imagining that someone could wield such power. Just a glance at the colossal Buddha made them want to kneel and surrender.
Even the Third Hoshikage looked on in disbelief. Though he had some mental preparation, Senju Takuya's power far exceeded his expectations.
Takuya stood atop the Buddha's head, arms folded across his chest, coldly overlooking the Hoshigakure ninjas below.
"You... why don't you kneel down and apologize to Hokage-sama?!" shouted the Third Hoshikage.
He was the first to kneel. The other ninjas quickly followed suit, except for Natsuhi and Sumaru.
All the other star ninjas knelt.
"Master Hokage, please forgive our ignorance and put away your anger."
"Yes, we were wrong. your power is the greatest!"
The Hoshigakure ninjas shivered, like a flock of lambs awaiting divine judgment. Their once-proud Peacock Secret Technique seemed like a joke in comparison to Senju Takuya's power. Their dreams of unifying the ninja world now seemed utterly ridiculous.
"Lord Hoshikage, how can you kneel to outsiders? Even if we die in battle, we should never show such weakness before the enemy!" Sumaru shouted, looking at the kneeling ninjas with anger.
"Sumaru!"
"Kneel down quickly and apologize to Master Hokage. Do you want to doom the entire village?" the Third Hoshikage said anxiously. Did this fool not see the god-like power of the Hokage?
The other star ninjas began cursing at Sumaru, their arrogance replaced by endless fear.
"Hey, you've seen my power. Now, let me see your Peacock Secret Technique," Takuya said, his voice mocking.
He had descended from the statue head and was now standing on the ground, looking at Sumaru with a smirk.
"Um... Hokage-sama, our Peacock Secret Technique is nothing compared to your power. I think we should..."
"Shut up. The bet has been made; there's nothing more for you to say," Takuya said calmly.
"Understood," the Third Hoshikage said, though he and the other ninjas secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least they wouldn't be the ones to die. Even if Sumaru lost, only he would face the consequences.
"You weaklings..." Sumaru looked at the others in disgust. These were the same people who clamored for Hoshigakure to become the strongest village, now groveling for forgiveness.
"Hey, didn't you hear me? Show me your Peacock Secret Technique," Takuya said impatiently.
Sumaru's face darkened. He had to admit that his technique was nothing compared to Senju Takuya's power. Showing it would only bring him humiliation.
"I... I give up," Sumaru said, lowering his head in defeat.
"Is that so? Then follow the bet and commit suicide," Takuya said, throwing a kunai at Sumaru's feet.
"W-What?!"
Sumaru panicked. He hadn't expected Takuya to demand his life, even after he admitted defeat. Was this the Hokage's way?
"While I'm giving you a chance to die with some dignity, I advise you to take it. If you don't, I'll make you," Takuya said softly.
Sumaru knew there was no escape. "Fine. I will die for the village."
He picked up the kunai and put it to his neck, trying to maintain a look of righteousness.
"Correction, you aren't doing this for the village. You lost the bet," Takuya scoffed. He had seen shameless people before, but this was a new level.
Sumaru's resolve wavered, but he knew he had no choice. At least he could die with some semblance of honor.
"Can I ask one last question? What's the relationship between Natsuhi and you?" Sumaru asked, looking at Takuya solemnly. Natsuhi was the woman he had admired since childhood.
"Relationship?" Takuya sneered. He pulled Natsuhi into his arms and kissed her. After a long moment, he let her go.
"Though we've only known each other for a day, Natsuhi is now my woman," Takuya said, licking his lips.
"I'll kill you!!!" Sumaru's mind snapped. The woman he had pursued for so long had been taken in a single day. It was too much to bear.
Sumaru rushed at Takuya with the kunai, but in the next second, his body was split in two.
"Alright, the irrelevant personnel are dead," Takuya said, stepping over Sumaru's body. He approached the Third Hoshikage.
"Now, let's talk about the 'Star'."
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Takuya looked at the Third Hoshikage and the other shinobi and spoke calmly.
The bodies of the fallen ninja littered the ground, but he paid them no mind. To him, these shinobi were no different from ants.
"Hokage-sama, we were reckless regarding the 'star' issue," the Third Hoshikage said, a trace of cold sweat forming on his forehead. "We can investigate this matter ourselves. Please don't trouble yourself."
He wished he could slap himself for his earlier arrogance. After witnessing Senju Takuya's power, how could he dare ask him to help find the 'star'? If he had another chance, he would never have sent that scroll to Konoha.
"Are you saying you don't need me?" Takuya's tone grew colder. "I came all the way from Konoha for this matter. Are you telling me it's no longer necessary? Are you playing a trick on me?"
"No, Hokage-sama, we definitely don't mean that!" The Third Hoshikage broke into a cold sweat. The man before him could destroy their entire village on a whim.
"Please forgive our ignorance. After seeing your strength, we dared not trouble you with such a matter," the Third Hoshikage explained, his voice trembling slightly.
"So that's it. It seems I was mistaken." Seeing the Star Ninjas' humility, a smile returned to Takuya's face. These arrogant men needed a lesson to bring them back down to earth.
"Haha... I hope you understand," Takuya said, easing the tension. The Star Ninja villagers breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't be so nervous, everyone," said Natsuhi, stepping forward to smooth things over. "Hokage-sama has already settled the issue of the 'star'."
"Settled? Natsuhi, what's going on?" The Third Hoshikage and others looked confused. They knew Hokage-sama was powerful, but finding the stolen 'star' couldn't be accomplished through strength alone. The Hokage had been here for only a day. How could he have resolved it so quickly?
"Look, isn't the 'star' right here?" Natsuhi produced the 'star', eliciting joyous expressions from the Star Ninja villagers. Their precious 'star', the lifeblood of their village, was back.
"As expected of Hokage-sama. You solved our problem in such a short time. But can you tell us the specifics? Who stole the 'star'?" the Third Hoshikage asked curiously.
"Actually, ... it was stolen by me," Natsuhi admitted, embarrassed.
"What? You stole the 'star'?" The Third Hoshikage and others were shocked. They had always believed the thief was an outsider.
"Why, Natsuhi? Why did you steal the 'star'?" the Third Hoshikage asked.
"Lord Hoshikage, although the 'star' can enhance our strength, its side effects are severe. If we continue to use it, the lifespan of our ninja will be greatly shortened. To ensure the future generations of Star Ninja Village grow up healthily, we must give up practicing the Peacock Magic," Natsuhi explained.
The Third Hoshikage fell silent. As the strongest ninja in the village, he knew the dangers of the 'star'. His body had been corroded by its power, forcing him to stop practicing the Peacock Magic. However, giving it up would be like cutting off the village's arm. The entire village might not agree.
"I understand, Natsuhi. But our village exists because of the 'star'. Without the Peacock Magic, what will we do?" the Third Hoshikage sighed.
"Lord Hoshikage, we can ask Hokage-sama for help. If he provides us with alternative training methods, we won't need the 'star' anymore," Natsuhi suggested, looking hopefully at Takuya.
The Third Hoshikage's eyes lit up. After seeing true power, the allure of the 'star' had faded. If Senju Takuya could give them new training scrolls, giving up the 'star' wouldn't be a problem.
"Please, Hokage-sama, help us," Natsuhi pleaded, pressing her body against Takuya's.
"Alright. When I return to Konoha, I'll send you some training scrolls," Takuya agreed, feeling the softness of Natsuhi's touch.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Natsuhi kissed Takuya on the cheek, while the Third Hoshikage and the others looked relieved. Living longer without the 'star' was a blessing.
"What should we do with the 'star'?" Takuya asked.
"Hokage-sama, after receiving your help, the 'star' is of no use to us. Please dispose of it as you see fit," the Third Hoshikage replied.
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