"Vine, you actually betrayed me!" The ninja named Kurodo spat angrily, his head still trapped above the ground.
He had been caught by Hama's [Earth Release: Headhunter Technique], leaving only his head protruding from the ground.
Facing his former comrade, Ao Vine gazed at Kurodo with fanatical eyes and reasoned, "Kurodo, don't be afraid. I'm not trying to harm you—I'm helping you."
"Today, I'll show you the master truly worth following."
Ao Vine stepped aside, revealing Satori Hyūga standing behind him.
When Kurodo saw Satori, his eyes widened in shock, then narrowed into a furious glare.
"Curse you! Who exactly are you, and what do you want?"
"Why does Ao Vine call you 'master'?"
As if suddenly realizing something, a glimmer of a sealing formula flashed across his deep-set pupils as he turned his gaze toward Hama, Ao Vine, and the others.
Among the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Kurodo was a sensor-type ninja responsible for monitoring the physical condition of the Fire Daimyo and the Guardians.
Now he activated his ninjutsu, attempting to check the mental state of Hama, Ao Vine, and their group.
In the ninja world, countless bizarre ninjutsu existed, including many illusion techniques capable of controlling one's mind.
Yet no matter how closely he examined them, Kurodo found nothing abnormal—no indication they were under genjutsu.
After all, without any foreign chakra traces within their bodies, it meant they hadn't been affected by illusions.
What he didn't realize, however, was that Satori possessed the Tenseigan, which allowed direct manipulation of the soul via eye contact, even capable of rewriting consciousness itself.
In other words, Satori didn't require chakra to maintain illusions—he altered reality at its core.
This unique trait made it impossible for Kurodo to detect any abnormalities.
Staring at Ao Vine and the others in disbelief, then shifting his gaze back to Satori, Kurodo muttered in confusion, "So... are all of you really his subordinates?"
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fathom how members of the radical faction had come to serve someone else.
These weren't ordinary ninja—they were individuals valued by the Fire Daimyo himself, strong enough to dominate their own regions.
Each possessed a unique specialty—powerful enough to establish their own hidden villages.
Turning his gaze back to Satori, Kurodo eyed him with suspicion.
"If all the radicals are yours now, are you planning to provoke conflict between the Land of Fire and Konoha? Are you trying to plunge the Land of Fire into chaos?"
That was the only explanation he could think of that made any sense.
Rather than respond to Kurodo's suspicion, Satori merely smiled faintly and began sifting through—and rewriting—Kurodo's memories.
Of course, he had no intention of plunging the world into turmoil—he longed for peace and prosperity instead.
Soon, Kurodo too knelt before him, respectfully addressing him as "master."
By obtaining Kurodo's memories and knowledge, Satori mastered numerous sensing and illusion techniques.
Though previously unfamiliar with this system, he quickly absorbed and mastered it.
The Tenseigan was truly excellent—it enabled rapid access to others' memories, letting him steal their experiences, insights, and achievements.
It could even subjugate others into loyal servitude—a true capitalist's dream tool.
With Kurodo from the moderate faction now under his control, Satori employed the same tactic, sending him out to recruit more allies.
The simple deception played out once again as Kurodo lured in the Lightning Release Four.
Perhaps Kurodo had been too overly warm, causing the Lightning Release Four to grow somewhat cautious in return.
The four arrived together, removed their clothes, and soaked in the bathhouse, but they showed no sign of lowering their guard.
They kept lifting their heads to observe the surroundings and assess the situation.
This overly careful behavior left Hama and the others at a loss for how to act.
After all, these four were extremely skilled individuals. If they couldn't be taken down silently, any fight would lead to massive collateral damage.
By then, it might draw attention, suspicion, and fear from others.
While the seven were still debating their next move, Satori Hyūga stepped forward, ready to take down the Lightning Release Four.
He was confident he could subdue all four in one swift move.
Disguised as a bathhouse attendant, Satori lowered his head and walked quietly into the bathhouse.
"May I offer you a massage service, esteemed guests?" A voice pulsing with dark magic rang out, quickly drawing the attention of the Lightning Release Four.
The four raised their gazes toward Satori and directly met his pitch-black, unnervingly glowing Tenseigan eyes.
[Soul Confusion Jutsu]
The Tenseigan activated instantly, confusing their minds and souls, leaving them dazed and unresponsive.
Taking advantage of this momentary trance, Satori raised his hand straight at the four and activated the Tenseigan again.
[Black Hole Devouring]
Instantly, a silent, invisible black hole appeared inside the private bathhouse, swallowing the four whole.
By the time they managed to break free from the spiritual bindings, they had already arrived in a pitch-black space.
"Not good—we've been tricked."
Seiba, their leader, was the first to regain awareness. His gaze turned sharp and cold as he looked around the endless void.
"Cursed! Why would Kurodo attack us?" Seidō questioned, puzzled.
"It's unclear, but judging by the circumstances, it's impossible not to suspect the radical faction is behind this." Tōu, the only female among the Lightning Release Four, stated calmly.
"While Space–Time Ninjutsu is strange and powerful, it's not without countermeasures. Let's use our [Thunder God Flash] technique together to break through this space!" Seiba stood up and commanded.
"As soon as we shatter this bizarre space, whoever is behind this will surely come out to stop us."
But the next moment, his voice cut off mid-sentence.
Because he suddenly realized that the space here stretched infinitely—the distance between the four of them was expanding endlessly into infinity.
At that moment, Satori descended from above, slowly landing within the Black Hole Space like a god descending from heaven.
"Afraid I can't let you get your wish," Satori said, appearing before the four like a shadowy mastermind.
He launched his attack first against Seiba, raising his hand and using suction force to pull Seiba toward him.
Within this created space, he was like a god.
"Who exactly are you?! What's your purpose for attacking us?!" Seeing an unfamiliar face, Seiba loudly demanded answers.
Satori's lips curled upward into a slight smile. "You'll know soon enough… my slaves."
With those words, the Tenseigan activated once more, beginning its work of overwriting their very souls and minds.
After acquiring the Thunder God Flash training techniques, Satori Hyūga also discovered the origins of the four individuals.
The combined Lightning Release techniques originated from the Cloud Village.
These four were descendants of rebels who joined Kinkaku and Ginkaku's rebellion during the Second Great Shinobi War.
Understanding the full story, Satori couldn't help but be amazed.
"Quite an intriguing background," he murmured.
With that, Satori turned his gaze toward Tōu—a stunning beauty with porcelain-like skin and flawless features.
It went without saying—the ninja world was fertile ground for beautiful women.
Satori had yet to come across an unattractive kunoichi anywhere in the ninja world.
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