Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

Sasuke watched Natsuro walk over to where Sakura was, then slowly shifted his gaze to the sky.

His three-tomoe Sharingan gradually receded, returning to his normal dark eyes. It was unclear what he was thinking, perhaps about his recent conversation with Natsuro or about the path he would take in the future.

"How's the situation?" Natsuro asked as he approached Sakura and Chiyo. "Do you need any help?"

"We're in the final stages of recovery. From here, her body should heal on its own," Sakura replied.

"Alright."

Hearing this, Natsuro didn't say much else. He had heard Tsunade complain about Chiyo before, so he didn't have much fondness for her.

Soon, Sakura finished her treatment, and everyone gathered together.

Chiyo finally took a good look at Natsuro, he was the Konoha ninja who had earned quite a reputation, even in Sunagakure.

Despite his relaxed and non-threatening demeanor, Chiyo's eyes narrowed. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw the shadow of someone else in Natsuro.

But... how could that be?

The First Hokage had been incredibly powerful. Could the world really give rise to another ninja of that caliber? And from Konoha, no less?

Chiyo couldn't help but take another look at Natsuro. The unsettling feeling suddenly disappeared.

So... was that feeling just an illusion?

Chiyo let out a quiet sigh of relief. Although Sunagakure and Konoha were technically allies, their relationship was merely a formality. When push came to shove, who would care about treaties written on paper?

Natsuro glanced at Chiyo. He had noticed her scrutinizing him but chose to ignore it for the moment.

However, if she did it again, he wouldn't hesitate to act, even if it meant disregarding her age. Thankfully, she didn't continue.

"Everyone, hold hands and don't resist," Natsuro instructed.

As soon as Natsuro finished speaking, Sakura's eyes lit up, and she quickly darted to Sasuke's side, extending her hand.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, but since Natsuro had already said so, he couldn't refuse. He reached out his hand and let Sakura hold it.

Initially, Sasuke only intended to touch her hand lightly, but Sakura clearly had no such intention. She seized the opportunity and held onto him tightly.

Inwardly, Sakura was screaming with joy, praising Natsuro for coming up with such a wonderful jutsu.

Natsuro glanced at Sasuke and Sakura and shook his head. He was about to suggest that Sakura hold Chiyo's hand and Sasuke hold Jūgo's, but realizing that saying so now would upset Sakura, he decided to let it slide.

Once everyone was linked, Natsuro touched Jūgo and repeated, "Don't resist."

With those words, the group vanished from the mountain valley, leaving behind nothing but scattered puppet fragments and debris.

The wind seemed to mourn as it softly blew through Sasori's severed head, rustling his short red hair.

Next to a massive crater spanning several kilometers, Natsuro and the others reappeared.

"So this is the Flying Thunder God technique?" Sasuke thought to himself as he tried to recall the sensation of teleportation. Yet... there was no sensation. Even with his Sharingan active during the process, he couldn't replicate it at all.

"This is... the Fourth Hokage's jutsu?!" Chiyo exclaimed. She had initially wondered why they needed to hold hands, but after seeing their new surroundings, her eyes widened in shock.

She knew better than most the terror of the Flying Thunder God technique, it was the jutsu that made the Fourth Hokage a nightmare on the battlefield.

And now, looking at the massive crater nearby, Chiyo realized this wasn't a landscape she recognized near Sunagakure. How had it come to be?

Meanwhile, Sasuke tried to pull his hand away from Sakura, but to no avail.

Karin suddenly arrived, her body covered in dark flames, and grabbed Sasuke's other hand, locking eyes with Sakura.

Sasuke could only sigh deeply, feeling that everything was becoming a headache.

"Natsuro! Sakura! Sasuke!" Naruto's eyes lit up when he saw the new arrivals, and he shouted in excitement. However, his mood visibly sank moments later.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Natsuro asked, puzzled.

"Ino said Gaara's life force is still slipping away, and there's nothing she can do to stop it," Naruto said, his voice heavy with sadness.

"Hm?" Natsuro responded, frowning slightly.

.....

Chiyo was startled, her gaze shifting to Gaara, who still lay motionless on the ground. Meanwhile, Natsuro frowned and walked over to Gaara's side.

"Natsuro, Gaara doesn't have many physical injuries, but his life force is steadily slipping away," Ino quickly reported Gaara's condition.

"Got it," Natsuro replied as he began examining Gaara's body. What he found was exactly what he had expected: the typical state of a Jinchūriki who had lost their Tailed Beast.

Soon, Natsuro detected a small portion of Shukaku's chakra remaining in Gaara's body.

So even leaving a portion of the Tailed Beast's chakra isn't enough?

Natsuro recalled how Naruto had survived after losing Kurama in the original series. However, upon further thought, he realized Gaara's situation was fundamentally different.

Firstly, when Naruto lost half of Kurama, he still retained the other half, so the total amount of chakra hadn't drastically changed.

If Naruto had only retained one-ninth of Kurama's chakra, he might not have survived either.

Secondly, unlike Kurama, whose vast reserves of chakra were unparalleled among Tailed Beasts, Shukaku's chakra was relatively ordinary. With most of it extracted, the remaining portion was pitifully small.

Lastly, even without Kurama, Naruto's Uzumaki heritage gave him an incredibly resilient body. Gaara, however, didn't have such an advantage. The small amount of Shukaku's chakra simply wasn't enough to sustain him.

After pondering for a moment, Natsuro placed his hand on Gaara and extracted the remaining chakra of Shukaku. This chakra condensed into a miniature version of the One-Tailed Beast.

"Who the hell are you to disturb me, the great Shukaku?!" Even in its diminished state, Shukaku retained its irritable personality and immediately began questioning him.

"Shukaku, let me ask you something. Can you return to your original state? If your Jinchūriki dies, this portion of your chakra will disappear too, right?" Natsuro ignored the question and went straight to the point.

"Hmph, why should I tell you?" Shukaku snapped.

"Why? Because I can crush you even at your peak. How's that for a reason?" Natsuro replied with a smile as lightning crackled ominously in his hand.

Shukaku's eyes widened in shock. Even a tiny thread of that lightning would be enough to obliterate it in its current state. And honestly, even at full strength, it wouldn't want to face such a terrifying Lightning Release user.

Looking at Natsuro's smiling face, Shukaku couldn't help but be reminded of the insane Wood Style user from the past. Its bravado visibly diminished.

"No, it's impossible. I can't recover," Shukaku admitted reluctantly. "What they took wasn't just my chakra but my entire essence and will. This fragment of me is more like a small clone; the real me is with them now."

"Figures," Natsuro muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration. "This complicates things."

"Let me handle it..." Chiyo spoke up, her expression complicated as she looked at Natsuro. She had watched him intimidate Shukaku into submission just moments ago.

It was her first time seeing such a fearsome creature being cowed so thoroughly, and without daring to protest further. Combined with the massive crater nearby which was most likely Natsuro's handiwork, Chiyo had no doubts about his strength. She even recalled hearing a distant explosion during their earlier battle.

With no more room for hesitation, Chiyo resolved herself. She was old and her life was nearing its end anyway. If her death could save Gaara, it would be worth it.

Additionally, Chiyo wanted to warn her Kazekage. As long as Natsuro was alive, Sunagakure should abandon any ideas of turning against Konoha.

Suddenly, Chiyo paused and gave a self-deprecating smile. It seemed many in Sunagakure already understood this, but stubborn elders like herself had been slow to adapt to the new era.

With that realization, she felt at peace. She decided to lead by example and take the first step.

"This isn't a simple injury. Are you sure you can handle it?" Natsuro asked, feigning ignorance. He remembered Chiyo's life-for-life reincarnation jutsu but couldn't outright mention it.

"If it were a severed head or something similar, I'd be helpless. But in the Kazekage's current state, I have a way," Chiyo replied, her tone now carrying a hint of respect.

It was a respect born not from age, but from strength.

"Alright." Natsuro stepped aside, making room for Chiyo.

Standing nearby, Natsuro focused his senses to their fullest. He was quite curious about the jutsu Chiyo was about to perform.

Of course, he had no intention of using it himself, but understanding its principles might lead to insights he could apply elsewhere.

Chiyo looked down at Gaara, a gentle expression spreading across her aged face. For a moment, she seemed to see her grandson in Gaara. Unfortunately...

It was true, she had lived long enough. Her grandson was no longer in this world, and there was no need for her to remain either.

Chiyo slowly placed her hands on Gaara, her face softening into a smile.

The future of Sunagakure is in your hands, Gaara, Fifth Kazekage.

Forbidden Technique: Self-Sacrificial Rebirth!

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Currently on Chapter 259 - The Sage Mode of the Shikkotsu Forest