After Orochimaru's departure, Sasori also managed to escape, leaving behind his puppet armor, Hiruko. Uchiha Akira and his team had no intention of pursuing them.
When a Kage-level shinobi truly wants to flee, it's nearly impossible for the likes of Akira and his team to stop them. As the enemies retreated, everyone from Konoha finally let out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, Uchiha Akira and Might Guy deactivated their Eight Gates. An overwhelming sense of exhaustion hit them, as if their bodies had been completely drained.
Might Guy was in better condition, given his naturally strong physique. Although tired, it was akin to a regular person running a few miles—panting, but not severely weakened. However, Akira, being only seven years old, was nearly collapsing, panting heavily like a dog on its last legs.
"Akira, that crow with the Mangekyō Sharingan—what was that about?" After taking a moment to rest and relax, Kakashi turned to Akira with curiosity.
Everyone had seen Orochimaru flee the moment that crow appeared. It was clear that the crow's Mangekyō Sharingan had frightened him away. This left Kakashi and the others intrigued.
Though Mangekyō Sharingan was powerful, it was hard to believe it could scare off someone like Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin.
"Orochimaru wasn't afraid of the Mangekyō Sharingan itself; he was afraid of the specific dojutsu that comes with it," Akira explained without hiding anything. "The Mangekyō Sharingan, as its name suggests, manifests differently for each user. Every Mangekyō has a unique pattern and a unique set of abilities. The Mangekyō you saw belonged to Shisui-sensei. Orochimaru likely knew about the specific dojutsu tied to it, which is why he fled immediately."
Akira was straightforward in his explanation, revealing that Orochimaru was scared off by the Mangekyō's special ability. However, he didn't elaborate on what that specific dojutsu was, and the others didn't press him for details.
Nevertheless, everyone couldn't help but marvel. The power of the Uchiha was indeed terrifying—like a lottery box where opening a Mangekyō Sharingan could grant one such overwhelming power, enough to send even Orochimaru running.
"Alright, is everyone doing okay?" Akira asked, shifting the topic away from the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"We're good. Our chakra reserves are pretty depleted, but the injuries aren't too serious," came the collective responses from the group.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Naruto chimed in, still full of energy, making everyone around him, including Kakashi, look at him with strange expressions.
This was Naruto Uzumaki? His chakra reserves were practically bottomless, thanks to his Uzumaki lineage. Watching him use the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu repeatedly had left everyone in awe.
What was even more impressive was that Naruto had been using his own chakra, not the Nine-Tails' chakra. This meant that even without the aid of a tailed beast, Naruto's chakra reserves were already comparable to that of a jinchūriki.
Now, it was clear to everyone why Akira had brought Naruto along, despite his young age. With such an enormous chakra reserve, it wouldn't take much training to make Naruto incredibly powerful. It was like a child in a martial arts world being born with a hundred years' worth of inner energy—just a little training could turn him into a top-tier martial artist.
"Alright, everyone, get some rest. Our next destination is the Land of Earth," Akira said. "From what I know, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, is incredibly stubborn. Moreover, Iwagakure is stronger than Sunagakure, so we might be in for a tough battle. In fact…"
Akira paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone before he continued, "I suspect that the Third Tsuchikage might personally appear on the battlefield."
Boom!
Akira's words landed like a thunderclap, shocking everyone.
What? The Third Tsuchikage might appear on the battlefield? That seemed unlikely. Even though other villages were testing Konoha's defenses, they were still in the early stages of probing. Would the Tsuchikage really appear on the battlefield so soon? It was like starting a game by playing a pair of trump cards.
"Akira, that doesn't seem very likely, does it?" Kakashi questioned, shaking his head at the suggestion.
"No, I actually think Akira has a point. It's not just possible, it's quite likely," Nara Shikaku interjected before Akira could respond, agreeing with his assessment.
"Oh? Shikaku, what are your thoughts?" Akimichi Chōza asked, curious to hear the reasoning of Konoha's renowned strategist. The others, including Hiashi Hyuga, also turned their attention to Shikaku, eager to hear his analysis.
"First, we all know that Akira is now hailed as the greatest genius of the ninja world, a seven-year-old with the power to kill a Kage. If he continues to grow, people say he could reach the heights of the legendary Uchiha Madara. The Third Tsuchikage, being of advanced age, probably remembers Madara."
"Now, here's the issue: if the Third Tsuchikage were to die, who in Iwagakure could stand against Akira once he's fully grown? Onoki's Dust Release is feared across the ninja world, but he's not getting any younger. If something happens to him, who would be able to bear the weight of facing a grown Akira?" Shikaku explained.
His analysis made everyone realize the potential implications. If this were merely a matter of inter-village skirmishes, the possibility of the Tsuchikage entering the battlefield might be low. But if it concerned the future of Iwagakure, it made perfect sense.
Though Akira was powerful, everyone knew that his strength that night was largely due to the Eight Gates' forbidden jutsu. If there was even a slight chance of eliminating him now, to prevent Iwagakure from being oppressed like it was during the era of Madara and Hashirama, the Tsuchikage might take action before it's too late.
Moreover, the recent encounter with Sunagakure left six elite jōnin dead, and word would soon spread that Akira had appeared on the front lines. If Iwagakure feared what might come, the Tsuchikage might indeed make a move.
"Alright, no need to get too pessimistic. Let's focus on healing up first. We're in no rush to clash with Iwagakure. Once everyone's fully recovered, we can plan our next steps," Akira reassured the group, noticing the heavy atmosphere.
Why was he so calm? Because, according to the life simulation, Jiraiya would arrive soon and join forces with them. With Jiraiya, an experienced and powerful shinobi, on their side, the situation would be different.
While all three Sannin were strong, Akira believed Jiraiya was the most destructive in combat. After all, his Sage Mode was no joke. Perhaps Jiraiya was the only one in the current ninja world who had truly mastered Sage Mode.
Moreover, the life simulation had shown that the friction with Iwagakure would last for about a month before the Tsuchikage appeared, and even then, it would be in the form of a surprise attack. Akira just needed to be on guard for that eventual ambush.
After having the life simulator for over a year and using it dozens of times, Akira had grown to understand its full potential. Beyond strengthening his abilities and providing full recovery in critical moments, the simulator's greatest advantage was allowing him to get the script in advance.
For example, when returning to Konoha from Kumogakure, a simulation revealed Orochimaru's impending attack. Or when he was still in Konoha, a simulation showed that Orochimaru would use poison in his assault. By running another simulation, he learned that the Tsuchikage would appear on the battlefield and ambush him.
This ability to see the future, to predict upcoming events, was one of the life simulator's most valuable features. In a way, it was akin to having the power to foresee the future.
While Akira was contemplating all this, the others were still processing the possibility of facing the Tsuchikage. The realization that they might have to battle one of the most powerful Kage left everyone feeling tense and apprehensive.
Days passed quickly. With a few days of rest, most of the group's injuries had healed, and Kakashi's fractured bones were also improving. While an ordinary person might take a hundred days to recover from such injuries, ninjas with access to medical jutsu naturally healed much faster.
As for Naruto? He remained fully immersed in his training, creating dozens of shadow clones to practice the Rasengan. Naruto felt that the Rasengan was still too small—he needed to find a way to make it bigger.
Just as he was deep in thought, Jiraiya was drawing closer to joining Akira and his team...
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