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As the red light on Asuma Sarutobi's body grew brighter and brighter, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized something was wrong.
"Check what's happening," he ordered his ANBU.
When an ANBU operative placed his hands on Asuma's body, it exploded instantly like a bursting balloon. A massive flame erupted from Asuma's body, and the powerful impact sent fragments of his ninja tools flying.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reacted quickly, erecting a mud wall to defend himself. Unfortunately, he was just a moment too late. The blast scorched his clothes, leaving him naked, but the ANBU operative wasn't as lucky. The explosion tore him apart, leaving his body in pieces, barely recognizable.
As the flames dissipated, the now-naked Hiruzen Sarutobi surveyed the explosion site with fear in his eyes.
This ninjutsu was something Sasuke had developed, inspired by the adventures of Lolo. The full name was **Ninja Art: Backfire Energy Technique!** The technique involved injecting Fire Release chakra into the human body in a precise manner, ultimately detonating it. It was a brutal ninjutsu designed to ensure a corpse could still inflict harm!
At that moment, a group of ANBU rushed in, responding to the commotion. As they entered, they saw Hiruzen Sarutobi standing there, exposed. Embarrassed, the ANBU averted their eyes, as the sight was quite awkward.
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed awkwardly and quickly positioned himself behind a table to cover his lower body. "There was an enemy attack just now, but I managed to drive them away. Everything is fine now, you may go."
Hiruzen tried to sound authoritative, but his nakedness made it hard for the ANBU to take him seriously. Still, understanding the situation, they quickly excused themselves.
After the ANBU left, Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed at the large crater left by the explosion, his hatred for Itachi Uchiha deepening. He hadn't expected Itachi would dare to kill his son and even target him, the Hokage. It was clear now that Itachi had truly betrayed Konoha. Despite his years as a spy, he hadn't sent back any valuable information. When Itachi returned to Konoha, Hiruzen knew he would have to find a way to eliminate him.
Meanwhile, in front of Sasuke's house...
Sasuke, Kurenai, and Anko had finished lunch and returned home. Having been away all night, he knew Karin must be worried.
As Sasuke opened the door, a red blur rushed out and hugged him tightly. It was Karin, of course.
"Sasuke, I thought you didn't want me anymore!" Karin sobbed.
To Karin, Sasuke was the person she trusted most in the entire village. The thought of him abandoning her was terrifying, so the moment she felt his chakra, she rushed to him.
Seeing Karin so upset, Sasuke gently patted her head, comforting her. "It's okay, stop crying. You'll turn into a little cat if you keep crying."
Sasuke felt bad seeing Karin so distraught. Then, she noticed something different—Sasuke's body seemed larger than before. She looked up at him in surprise.
"Sasuke-kun, what happened to you?"
Sasuke explained everything to her. Karin was amazed by the incredible transformation and immediately asked if she could learn it too. Sasuke, of course, agreed. That was part of his plan; he no longer wanted to be restricted.
He led Karin to the bedroom to teach her the chant and the technique for cellular enhancement. The training involved some physical contact, which made Karin shy, but her Uzumaki clan heritage made her a fast learner. By the end of the afternoon, she had nearly mastered the basics.
That night, Karin sneaked into Sasuke's room, eager to continue learning. What could Sasuke do? She was so eager to learn, and he couldn't deny her.
The next morning, Sasuke awoke to find Karin lying beside him. He was impressed by how quickly she had recovered. The Uzumaki clan's resilience was indeed remarkable.
After making breakfast—just a glass of milk and two fried eggs—Sasuke planned to go out and find Ino and Sakura. With the Chunin Exam participants undergoing special training, Ino's father had taken it upon himself to train her, and Sakura was also in training. Sasuke decided to visit the training ground.
As he passed by a training ground, something caught his eye. Hinata was there, practicing her family's palm techniques on a wooden dummy. But it was clear she was distracted, her movements disorganized.
Sasuke decided to greet her. "Good morning, Hinata!"
Startled, Hinata turned around and noticed Sasuke had grown. But she was too shy to ask about it.
"Sasuke-kun... do you need something?" Hinata asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. She had been thinking about Sasuke, and suddenly he appeared in front of her.
And why had Hinata been thinking about Sasuke? It was because of what Hiashi had told her yesterday...
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