277. The Seven Tails Jincuriki

Under Suien's guidance, Hanekawa passed through the massive waterfall and entered a hidden passage.

After about ten minutes of twists and turns, they finally emerged into the open.

Hanekawa now understood why outsiders could never find the Hidden Waterfall Village.

The hidden passages were not only numerous but also interconnected. Without familiarity with the routes, one could easily get lost.

"Who's there?"

"Who are you?"

"It's the missing-nin Suien!"

As soon as they entered the Hidden Waterfall Village, Hanekawa and Suien were surrounded by the village's ninjas.

"Suien, how dare you return?" a middle-aged man stepped forward and demanded.

"I've come back to take your place!" Suien retorted without hesitation.

Hanekawa remembered that in the original story, the leader of the Hidden Waterfall Village was named Shibuki, but he was much younger.

This man was likely Shibuki's father, given that the timeline was over a decade earlier.

In other words, the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki wouldn't be the cheerful, dark-skinned Fū from the original story.

"With just you people? You're delusional!" the middle-aged man roared angrily. "Kill them!"

A series of sharp whistling sounds filled the air.

At the leader's command, the surrounding Hidden Waterfall ninjas raised their hands, and a barrage of kunai, shuriken, and senbon rained down on Suien and his group.

Earth Release: Rock Arm!

Hanekawa formed hand seals, and the ground rose to form a massive rocky hand. It opened its palm, shielding everyone within its grasp.

The numerous weapons clattered against the rocky hand and were deflected.

"This is the Earth Release of the Hidden Stone Village? Who are you?" the middle-aged man asked, his heart tightening.



To him, aside from Suien, the masked ninja, Hanekawa, seemed the most mysterious.

Now that he had used Earth Release, a signature technique of the Hidden Stone Village, his suspicions were confirmed.

"My goal is the Hero's Water," Hanekawa said calmly. "Hand it over, and I'll leave."

"Impossible!" the middle-aged man refused without hesitation.

"Then forgive me for what comes next," Hanekawa clapped his hands together.

Earth Release: Earth Core!

In an instant, the ground shook violently. A massive square of earth centered around the middle-aged man shot skyward.

"Watch out!" the middle-aged man staggered and quickly jumped down.

Some Hidden Waterfall ninjas, caught off guard, tumbled down.

Earth Release: Rock Lodging Destruction!

Hanekawa formed another set of hand seals.

The massive square of earth exploded, sending countless rocks flying like bullets in all directions.

Screams echoed as nearby Hidden Waterfall ninjas were struck by the debris, blood flowing freely.

Only a few who had used defensive jutsu managed to escape unscathed.

Hanekawa glanced around.

He had controlled his strength, so the Hidden Waterfall ninjas were only injured, with no fatalities.

"What... what is the Hidden Stone Village planning?" the middle-aged man asked, his face darkening.

Hanekawa had used Earth Release techniques exclusive to the Hidden Stone Village, so the man's question was natural.

While Danzō Shimura, the "Darkness of the Shinobi" had taken the blame for many things, Hanekawa, as the "Second Darkness," preferred to shift the blame onto others.

He chose the Hidden Stone Village because he suspected that the 100 million ryo bounty on the black market had been issued by Ōnoki of the Hidden Stone.

The Hidden Cloud Village also had motives, but they had recently paid a large sum to the Hidden Leaf Village and likely couldn't afford 100 million ryo at the moment.

"I've already stated my goal," Hanekawa said, looking toward a towering tree in the distance.

If he remembered correctly, the Hero's Water was produced from that tree.

Given its immense size, it was likely the same tree.

"Since you won't give it to me, I'll take it myself," Hanekawa leaped into the air and headed toward the tree.

"How dare you?!" the middle-aged man's pupils contracted, and he shouted, "Kuna!"

A sharp whistling sound echoed as Hanekawa stopped and looked up.

A woman in her thirties with wings on her back hovered in the air.

Clearly, this was the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki. The Seven-Tails, named Chōmei, was a beetle-like creature with wings, one of the few tailed beasts capable of flight.

In the original story, the Seven-Tails, like the Two-Tails, had been captured by Hidan and Kakuzu.

In terms of strength, it was mid to low-tier among the nine tailed beasts.

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

Flight was a bit troublesome.

He didn't have any flying jutsu at the moment, but he could achieve a pseudo-flight effect using Wind Release, though it lacked flexibility.

Secret Technique: Scale Powder Concealment!

Without hesitation, the woman exhaled a large cloud of yellowish scale powder.

Body Flicker Technique!

Hanekawa immediately vanished from his spot.

The Scale Powder Concealment Technique had the effect of paralyzing enemies and obstructing their vision. Knowing this, Hanekawa avoided it.

Storm Release: Storm Dragon!

After escaping the scale powder, Hanekawa formed hand seals.

Dark storm clouds gathered above the woman, and in an instant, thousands of lightning struck down。

"What?!" the woman felt an unprecedented sense of danger.

Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!

A powerful aura erupted, distorting the air and creating a fierce wind. Dark red chakra surged out, forming a six-tailed cloak around her body.

The woman swung her six tails, weaving a tightly sealed net above her head. The lightning struck the net, scattering and generating a violent shockwave that made her hair flutter wildly.



"We can win!" the middle-aged man's confidence surged upon seeing this.

As for Suien and his group, without Hanekawa's protection, they were in dire straits under the siege of the Hidden Waterfall ninjas.

"Such enviable chakra," Hanekawa couldn't help but remark. Jinchūriki, regardless of their strength, always possessed an immense amount of chakra.

Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!

Hanekawa quickly formed hand seals. Without using Wood Release, defeating a Jinchūriki wouldn't be easy.

Since he had already framed the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud Villages, he didn't mind adding the Hidden Mist Village to the list.

A thick mist rapidly spread from Hanekawa, enveloping both sides of the battle.

"Be careful!" the middle-aged man shouted.

"Use Wind Release!"

Nearby Hidden Waterfall ninjas who knew Wind Release quickly exhaled gusts of wind. But the mist was too vast to disperse quickly.

The woman's face showed vigilance. She continued to resist the lightning while searching for Hanekawa's figure.

"Lightning Release: Chakra Mode!"

Hanekawa stood still, his body glowing with dazzling lightning.

"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"

Hanekawa formed hand seals and, taking advantage of the moment the lightning from the Storm Dragon disappeared, exhaled a high-pressure water jet.

The water jet moved incredibly fast, reaching the woman in an instant. Her eyes narrowed, and she reacted swiftly, weaving her six tails together to form a dark red flesh shield.

But in the next moment, she let out a piercing scream. The high-pressure water jet pierced through her six tails and struck her body.

Despite the strong defense and regenerative abilities of the Tailed Beast Cloak, she wasn't facing an ordinary Water Severing Wave.

This was a Water Severing Wave enhanced by Lightning Release Chakra Mode and various Water Release traits.

"Kuna!" The middle-aged man heard her scream and felt both anxious and shocked.

He was anxious because she was injured and shocked because she had been injured at all. In all his years, he had never heard a Jinchūriki scream in such pain.



At that moment, a massive shadow emerged from the mist.

It was a black beetle with six maple leaf-like wings, tinged with red and yellow.

This was the full tailed beast transformation.

As soon as the Seven-Tails appeared, it opened its mouth.

Terrifying chakra gathered and compressed into a small black sphere.

The sphere grew, and an overwhelming aura spread.

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.


Starting with a Tailed Beast Bomb?

This indicated that the woman named Kuna had been severely injured by the Water Severing Wave.

If he didn't act quickly, she would likely pass out, leaving no one in the Hidden Waterfall Village to stop him.

"Retreat!" the middle-aged man instinctively shouted.

Suien and his group also turned and fled.

Only Hanekawa remained standing in the mist.

The Seven-Tails launched the Tailed Beast Bomb.

With a deafening explosion, a pillar of light shot into the sky. The ground trembled and crumbled, forming a bottomless pit.

Trees, grass, and buildings were obliterated. Dust and shockwaves spread in all directions, blowing nearby ninjas off their feet.

"Is he dead?" the surviving ninjas asked in awe.

They had never seen a Tailed Beast Bomb before.

The Hidden Waterfall Village had never faced a formidable enemy, so the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki had never used it.


The Tailed Beast Bomb's destructive power was beyond their imagination, truly earth-shattering.

"He must be dead!" the middle-aged man said with certainty.

"No ninja can survive a Tailed Beast Bomb!"

But as soon as he spoke, the Seven-Tails let out a furious and pained howl.

"How is this possible?!" the middle-aged man's eyes widened in disbelief.

The other ninjas also wore expressions of shock.

With a loud crash, the seemingly invincible Seven-Tails staggered and fell backward. Its massive body shrank, returning to the form of the woman.

But now, she was in a pitiful state.

The Water Severing Wave had left a gaping wound in her abdomen.

After dodging the Tailed Beast Bomb using Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Hanekawa had climbed onto her head and delivered a powerful punch enhanced by various buffs.

Combined with her existing injuries, the punch knocked her out.

"Can I have the Hero's Water now?"

Hanekawa asked, looking at the middle-aged man.

"Give me the Hero's Water, and I won't kill her."

"I'll get it right away!" the middle-aged man glanced at the unconscious woman, gritted his teeth, and reluctantly agreed.

The Hero's Water was important, but the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki was even more so.

If the Jinchūriki died, the Seven-Tails would also perish, and reviving it would make it difficult for the Hidden Waterfall Village to reclaim it.

After all, a wild tailed beast would be too tempting for the major villages, and the Hidden Waterfall Village wouldn't stand a chance.

The middle-aged man sprinted toward the giant tree.

The woman was severely injured, and he feared that without timely treatment, she might not survive.

He couldn't afford to waste any time.

Hanekawa suddenly let out a soft exclamation.

As he had expected, defeating the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki had granted him a new trait.

But the effect of this trait was somewhat unexpected.

[A-Level Talent Trait: Fluttering Moth]

[Trigger Condition: Defeat the Seven-Tails Chōmei.]

[Effect: Gain the ability to fly.]

Hanekawa rubbed his chin.

Flight, while not directly increasing his combat power, indirectly enhanced his capabilities, making it quite useful.

Especially against ordinary ninjas, it would make him nearly invincible, as most jutsu had limited range.

However, for someone like Hanekawa, who possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, flight wasn't as crucial.

Hanekawa focused, and chakra surged through him, lifting him into the air.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, he didn't grow a pair of wings.

Wings would have been too conspicuous and hard to explain, especially since they would resemble the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki too closely.

Hanekawa didn't have to wait long before the middle-aged man returned. He approached and handed over a glass bottle containing the Hero's Water.

"This is the Hero's Water," the middle-aged man said nervously.

He feared that Hanekawa might go back on his word and kill the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki after taking the Hero's Water.

Hanekawa opened the bottle, and a strong wave of chakra emanated from it. It looked like liquefied chakra.

"Thank you," Hanekawa said, storing the bottle.

The intense chakra fluctuations were impossible to fake, so this was undoubtedly the Hero's Water.

Hanekawa glanced at Suien, then leaped away, disappearing into the distance.

Once he was alone, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique.

His goal had been achieved, and Suien's fate was now in the hands of the Hidden Waterfall Village.


---

Anbu Base

Hanekawa took out the Hero's Water.

After some hesitation, he decided not to drink it. In his view, he wasn’t yet at the point where he needed to trade lifespan for chakra.

After some thought, Hanekawa came up with a plan.

He would keep a portion of the Hero's Water and give the rest to Orochimaru for research.

With Orochimaru's skills, he might be able to eliminate its side effects.


Hanekawa stored the Hero's Water and took out paper and a pen. He hadn't finished writing 'Demon Slayer' yet.

His plan was to complete it and then have Tsuchibashi find a professional novelist to polish it.

At the same time, he would publish the 'Demon Slayer' manga.

In his previous life, 'Demon Slayer' hadn't been a novel but had gained popularity through its manga and anime.

Its greatest strengths were its art style and battle scenes rather than its plot. However, in the ninja world, its plot was also compelling, given the lack of a rich entertainment industry due to the feudal era and the presence of ninjas.


Moreover, Hanekawa's fame and status would draw attention.


Who wouldn't want to see what the Hokage's assistant had written and drawn?

The residents and ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village would surely buy it, and perhaps even clans and wealthy merchants would purchase large quantities to curry favor with Hanekawa.

"Haru," Hanekawa called out mentally.

"Are there any ninjas in the village who know the Super Beast Imitating Drawing technique?"

The Super Beast Imitating Drawing, used by Sai in the original story, involved drawing on scrolls and bringing the drawings to life.

Hanekawa's idea was to use this technique for promotion, temporarily bringing 'Demon Slayer' characters to life to attract more readers.