Chapter 462: The Passcode
Two consecutive lines of characters flashed across Masahiko's vision.
One read, 'Sasuke has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan', awarding Masahiko 10 \times 5 = 50 Witness Points. The other read, 'Naruto and Sasuke's First Battle at the Final Valley', awarding Masahiko 30 \times 8 = 240 Witness Points.
"That's another 290 points, bringing me closer to yet another pocket space. Good heavens~" With a face full of smiles, Masahiko stepped forward and fished Sasuke out of the water just as he was about to sink.
Naruto was still a bit dazed: "Great Ancestor, what happened to Sasuke?"
"He didn't beat you, so he took a blow to his ego," Masahiko chuckled as he checked Sasuke's body. His physical injuries weren't severe; his current state was merely a protective coma triggered by his brain.
"A blow to his ego?" Naruto muttered in partial comprehension, a grin slowly curling up his lips a moment later: "So that means I really won? Hehehe..."
"Naruto! How dare you still laugh!" Sakura came rushing over at maximum velocity, immediately utilizing her basic medical ninjutsu to inspect Sasuke right in front of Masahiko.
Naruto's smile instantly vanished: "Is Sasuke alright? I didn't... use that much force just now."
Masahiko handed Sasuke over to Sakura: "He's fine. No, wait, he does have something going on—a happy occasion!"
Sakura paused, her face flushing red. Sasuke's body was still soaking wet...
The other children arrived one after another, crowding around them to ask all sorts of questions. Some asked Naruto when he had learned to use the tailed beast's chakra, some asked if Sasuke's injuries were severe, and some asked Masahiko why his chest was completely bare...
Masahiko froze for a second. Looking down, his mouth twitched slightly. Amaterasu had burned a hole right through his clothes. Fortunately, it burned directly in the center, so he didn't flash anyone...
"The Great Ancestor nearly lost his integrity." With a flick of his wrist, Masahiko retrieved another set of black clothes from his Eight Trigrams space and slipped them on... Heaven only knew why he kept so many sets of 'night-infiltration gear' on hand.
"Senior, did Sasuke Uchiha just awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan?" Hoshino asked softly.
Masahiko nodded: "You need to work hard too, Hoshino. You only have two tomoe right now."
Hoshino gave a light nod, her gaze spacing out as she stood back up on her tiptoes. She seized every available moment to train. Being on the water surface right now was perfect for practicing her chakra control; she was already close to mastering Chidori Sharp Spear...
Masahiko shook his head with a chuckle, falling into brief thought. Itachi and Sasuke were the 'products' of the union between the Senju and Uchiha clans. Itachi's talent leaned heavily toward his physical constitution, while Sasuke's talent leaned heavily toward his eyes.
Itachi was born with a Sage Body and possessed Wood Style. His Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyo last year when he was fifteen, instantly elevating him to one of Konoha's absolute strongest.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had awakened a single-tomoe Sharingan the very first time he molded chakra, and his eyes automatically evolved every two or three years after that. He wasn't even thirteen yet, and under the minor stimulation of losing to Naruto, he had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan...
"This kind of talent is simply terrifying. Fortunately, the Great Ancestor is over a hundred and ten years older than them." Masahiko reflected with profound sentiment. Looking at Naruto, who was incredibly excited and exhilarated about beating Sasuke for the first time, he felt a tiny bit of heartache for the brat... Naruto still had no idea that after this clash, he wouldn't be Sasuke's match at all for at least the next two years.
Lightly patting Naruto's shoulder, Masahiko spoke with a smile: "Treasure this hard-won victory. It will make you resilient in the days to come!"
"Ohh!" Naruto responded loudly, but then he wondered if something felt a bit off.
Ignoring Naruto's confusion, Masahiko raised his voice to instruct the rest: "Sasuke will wake up very soon. Once he does, take the three fugitives back to hand in your mission. Ask Obito for your Chunin flak jackets, and stay safe on the road!"
"...Three?"
Masahiko nodded: "The Great Ancestor is taking Tayuya away. She still has some uses."
"That female ninja who plays the flute?" Shikamaru sought confirmation.
Masahiko raised his hand, and Tayuya, who was resting on the distant monument, floated right over: "That's her."
Two Truth-Seeking Balls squeezed out from Masahiko's chest, flattening into two black flying carpets. Masahiko and the unconscious Tayuya rode on one each, smoothly drifting away from the Final Valley.
The collective group of children stared at each other in speechless awe. This method of flight was simply magical...
Masahiko: Hehehe, a perfect score!
The Land of Sea was located northeast of the Land of Fire and directly north of the Land of Whirlpools.
Masahiko was quite familiar with it because the nation had zero ninjas of its own. The Daimyo of the Land of Sea frequently had to lease ninja bodyguards from the Land of Whirlpools on a long-term basis, shipping a substantial amount of gold to the Land of Whirlpools every year...
Furthermore, this nation was highly interesting. It was composed of four small islands named Mother Island, Taro Island, Jiro Island... Can you guess what the final island was called?
You guessed right—it was called Kikai Island (Strange Island)!
It was just that magical.
Masahiko had wanted to rename it Saburo Island for a long time. Now that he knew Orochimaru had a hideout there, he naturally had to make a stop along the way.
By nightfall.
The unconscious Tayuya slowly woke up. Recalling the scene right before she was knocked out, she nervously checked her body. Finding her flute still intact, she gripped it tightly and scanned her surroundings with absolute focus. When her eyes fell upon the black-clad, black-haired Masahiko, she froze for a moment.
"...My Lord? Why am I here?"
Masahiko tilted his head to flash a smile at her, squinting as he lied through his teeth: "Finally awake? The four of you are far too useless, actually getting knocked unconscious by a bunch of kids from Konoha. I went through an immense amount of effort just to break you out. The other three have likely been locked right back into Konoha's prison blocks."
Masahiko wasn't wearing his mask right now. Tayuya found him a bit familiar, but she didn't know the news of Masahiko's rejuvenation, so her thoughts didn't wander in that direction: "How did my Lord escape from that cat?"
Masahiko chuckled: "Have you forgotten? There was a secret base right there."
Tayuya: "..."
Her heart was already thoroughly swimming with suspicion regarding Masahiko's true identity. With a deeply solemn countenance, she appraised her surroundings: "Where exactly is this... the ocean?"
"Yeah, it's the seaside. The Land of Sea is very close to here," Masahiko responded.
"To think you carried me this far?" Tayuya knit her brows slightly. "Since we've arrived here, why doesn't my Lord take me inside the hideout?"
Masahiko smiled broadly. How on earth was he supposed to know where the hideout was located? "I've never been to this hideout. Orochimaru said you would have a way to find it."
Tayuya paused. Thoughtfully raising her flute to her lips, a distant, floating melody rang out, drifting into the expanse.
Masahiko raised an eyebrow slightly. He had merely been testing his luck, but he hadn't expected there to be an actual secret signal like this...
I wonder if there's anyone inside this hideout... Eh? To think she's actually here? It seems the Great Ancestor caught a big fish this time!
Out on the distant sea surface, a familiar purple-haired female ninja came treading across the water—Guren!
"Sister Guren!" Tayuya's face lit up with joy, rising to sprint toward Guren while simultaneously creating distance from Masahiko, this completely bizarre 'Lord'.
Guren's face was equally packed with joy: "Tayuya, it really is you! Weren't you guys trapped inside Konoha?"
Tayuya paused, leaning in close to Guren to whisper the entire cause and effect of this prison breakout.
Once she finished listening, Guren locked her gaze tightly onto Masahiko: "Lord Orochimaru's mole hidden within Konoha? I've heard rumors about such a person, but I've never seen him either. Is his age actually this young? He also looks a bit familiar..."
"What do we do then, Sister Guren?"
Guren raised her voice to speak: "Lord Orochimaru ordered you to rescue Tayuya and the others and bring them to this hideout. What is the passcode?"
It seems Orochimaru isn't here, Masahiko let out a soft sigh. But with Guren present, this hideout should contain some useful items, so it's not a wasted trip. But why on earth is there a passcode mechanism for this thing?
Pondering for a moment, a broad grin crept onto Masahiko's face. Extending his right hand to point directly at Guren, he flipped his palm over and hooked his index finger, hollering at the top of his lungs: "You come over here!"
Guren froze entirely on the spot, the pupils in both of her eyes rapidly dilating as an ancient, long-forgotten memory flooded her mind.
Holy crap... The One Finger Of Yang combined with the Lion's Roar?!
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