Before Shisui could speak, Byakuya took the initiative to pull out a blood bag and poured it directly into Yakumo's mouth, simultaneously starting to perform medical ninjutsu.
Under the effects of the medical ninjutsu and the Uzumaki blood, the previously barely-breathing Yakumo's face regained some color.
After realigning his internal organs, the ones that had been pierced by a kunai began to rapidly heal. Soon, only a frightening-looking hole remained, but the life-threatening danger was gone.
Seeing Byakuya's extraordinary medical skills, Shisui was momentarily stunned.
He was well aware of the severity of Yakumo's injuries. Even if they called upon Lady Tsunade, the Slug Princess, the chances of saving him would have been less than 30%. Yet, Byakuya had managed to rescue him with just a bag of blood and his medical ninjutsu.
Noticing Shisui's strange gaze, Byakuya let out a small snort, "Jealous? This is the power of the Uzumaki bloodline. It's because of this ability that Uzushiogakure, isolated overseas, was destroyed by an alliance of enemies."
Hearing this, Shisui fell silent.
He didn't know much about Uzushiogakure's history, but he was aware that Uzushiogakure and Konoha had been allies, to the point that even Konoha's forehead protector design was modeled after the Uzumaki clan's crest.
However, as time passed, the Uzumaki clan had gradually faded into a mere name.
This made him start to worry about his own clan's fate. Due to various reasons, the Uchiha clan had faced ostracism from both the village and the Hokage's office. Would they one day face a crisis similar to the Uzumaki clan's?
As this thought crossed his mind, Shisui suddenly understood why Byakuya harbored such deep hostility toward the village.
It wasn't because Byakuya had some prophetic ability, nor because his intelligence analysis was exceptionally sharp. It was because the Uzumaki clan, to which Byakuya belonged, had already experienced everything he feared.
After finishing the treatment, Byakuya tossed Yakumo over to Shisui's side.
Feeling the warmth and breathing of his comrade, Shisui let out a sigh of relief and then looked over to Yugito, waiting for Byakuya to deal with the jinchuriki.
Seeming to understand Shisui's thoughts, Byakuya chuckled and said, "Shisui, are you interested in the Two-Tails jinchuriki? If you offer a suitable price, I wouldn't mind letting you take the credit."
"Are you asking me to take the credit? Isn't Amegakure interested in the achievement of defeating the Two-Tails jinchuriki?"
Byakuya shook his head lightly, "Achievements can't be eaten as food. With that old man Hanzo in Amegakure, we don't need additional deterrence. It's better to let Uchiha take the credit."
Considering Byakuya's offer for a moment, Shisui then asked, "What does Uchiha need to give in order to buy the Two-Tails jinchuriki from you?"
Byakuya looked at the Two-Tails jinchuriki and replied, "It's simple. Uchiha gets the credit for defeating the Two-Tails jinchuriki, and we in Amegakure get the Two-Tails. Both sides get what they need."
Hearing this, Shisui's expression became more serious.
It was clear that Byakuya had come for the Two-Tails. If Amegakure were to obtain a tailed beast, their already powerful village would firmly step into the ranks of the Five Great Ninja Villages, becoming the sixth great village.
After thinking for a moment, Shisui said, "If you really take away the Two-Tails jinchuriki, Kumogakure won't let it slide. They'll definitely come after Amegakure."
Byakuya nodded and chuckled, "If the Two-Tails jinchuriki were still alive, then Kumogakure would certainly cause trouble. But if the jinchuriki is already dead? Would Kumogakure really avenge a dead person?"
Upon hearing this, Shisui's previously narrowed gazes eased up a bit.
At present, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki had fallen into their hands, and as long as Shisui and Byakuya reached an agreement, the fate of the Two-Tails—whether to live or die—was up to them.
Though a living Two-Tails Jinchuriki could bring greater benefits to the village, Shisui couldn't afford to turn against Byakuya at this moment. It would be more advantageous to claim the fame of defeating the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and gain Byakuya's favor.
After all, Byakuya was the one truly capable of defeating a Jinchuriki, and he had just saved both his and Yakumo's lives. He was their benefactor.
After making up his mind, Shisui nodded and said, "Since Lord Byakuya has spoken, I can only follow your decision."
After a brief division of interests, Byakuya made a hand seal and performed the Wood Clone Jutsu.
Even though Shisui had seen Byakuya use Wood Release before, he was still a little surprised when he saw the Wood Clone.
Byakuya noticed Shisui's reaction but didn't say much. This was precisely the effect he wanted. As long as he casually revealed some superficial abilities in front of Shisui, Shisui would inevitably start overthinking them in his mind.
After sending the Wood Clone off with the Two-Tails Jinchuriki to a safe location, the two of them carried Yakumo and headed toward the Konoha camp.
Shisui went to report on the defeat of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, while Byakuya was headed there to demand his reward from Jiraiya.
After sprinting through the forest for some time, Byakuya and Shisui suddenly stopped. They noticed a figure standing on a distant tree branch—an Uchiha with three tomoe in his Sharingan.
It was none other than Tekka Uchiha.
When Tekka saw Shisui and Yakumo, he was excited, but upon noticing Byakuya, his expression quickly darkened before he instinctively tightened his grip on his short sword.
Tekka hadn't forgotten the humiliation Byakuya had subjected him to more than a year ago. He recognized that seemingly harmless smile on Byakuya's face.
Seeing that Tekka was ready to attack, Shisui hurriedly spoke, "Tekka, Byakuya is not our enemy. He's a ninja hired by Lord Jiraiya."
Upon hearing this, Tekka hesitantly lowered his sword, but there was still a wary look in his eyes.
Byakuya instantly appeared behind Tekka, took the short sword from his waist, and after casually twirling it in his hand, he chuckled and said, "Shisui is right. If I were your enemy, I wouldn't have given you the chance to notice me."
"My Sharingan didn't even react..." Tekka's clothes were drenched in sweat as he stared at Byakuya, his eyes filled with nothing but fear.
Shisui sighed and said, "Lord Byakuya, please don't take offense. Tekka has always been impulsive. I ask for your understanding."
"I'm not one to hold grudges. It was just a little joke."
'You definitely don't hold grudges but that's only because your enemies are usually killed on the spot...' Shisui inwardly grumbled as he walked toward Tekka.
Just then, Byakuya suddenly said to Shisui, "Although it was my idea, the fame of defeating a Jinchuriki is a double-edged sword. You should consider it carefully."
Shisui paused and softly replied, "I know it's a double-edged sword, but for the sake of the clan and the village, I still want to give it a try. What if it succeeds?"
Hearing this, Byakuya chuckled and said, "Shisui, you make a good point. I look forward to the day you succeed. But the reality of the ninja world is even harsher than you imagine. If you ever find yourself with no other options, feel free to come and join me. I specialize in taking in those without a home."
"What?! Shisui, you actually killed the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii?"
Upon hearing that Shisui and Byakuya had teamed up to kill the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Tekka Uchiha's eyes widened in disbelief. His face was filled with astonishment.
He had seen Yugito Nii's strength before which was far beyond what an ordinary jonin could handle.
The fact that Shisui had not only fought against but also defeated and killed Yugito Nii made him feel like the world had become unreal.
Shisui nodded and then said, "To be precise, it was only possible because I teamed up with Lord Byakuya. Without him, I probably would have died along with the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Stop being so modest, Shisui. You're already the strongest in the clan now!" Tekka completely ignored Shisui's explanation. Real accomplishments spoke much louder than words.
Shisui did not deny being called the strongest in the clan. Before awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, he might not have been a match for the clan leader, Fugaku, but now that he had the Mangekyo, he was undoubtedly the strongest jonin in the Uchiha clan.
Such is the dominance of the Mangekyo Sharingan over the ordinary Sharingan.
At that moment, Tekka seemed to remember something. He glanced at both Shisui and Byakuya before asking, "Where is the body of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Shisui and Byakuya exchanged a look, then gave the prepared explanation.
After hearing that the body of Yugito Nii had been destroyed in the explosion of the Tailed Beast Bomb, Tekka looked disappointed and sighed quietly.
A living Jinchuriki was far more valuable than a dead one.
Not only was the value of the Tailed Beast itself significant, but Yugito Nii's status as a high-ranking member of Kumogakure could have provided a wealth of intelligence, potentially enabling them to launch a surprise attack on the Kumo's forces.
However, since Shisui had defeated the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, it wasn't entirely impossible that one day he could also defeat the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee.
After learning the details of the battle, Tekka turned his attention to the unconscious Yakumo.
"What happened to Yakumo? Why is he unconscious?"
Shisui sighed softly. "Yakumo was attacked by Yugito Nii. If Lord Byakuya hadn't treated him in time, he would've been in grave danger."
Upon learning that Byakuya had saved Yakumo, Tekka's attitude toward Byakuya shifted to one of more respect.
First, because Byakuya had saved one of his clan members, which was enough to cancel out any past grudges. Second, medical ninjas are held in high esteem in the ninja world, especially those who are also capable in combat.
Noticing Tekka's expression, Byakuya remarked nonchalantly, "Don't stare at me. You Uchiha won't be dodging the medical expenses. Don't think you can freeload off my supplies."
---
A few hours later, Byakuya's group arrived at the Konoha camp.
The nearby Konoha ninja recognized Shisui and the others, but they were suspicious of Byakuya, who clearly wasn't a Konoha ninja based on his attire with flame cloud patterns. Particularly since Byakuya was loudly asking to meet Jiraiya.
Just as Shisui was about to explain Byakuya's identity, one of the jonin in the group suddenly seemed to recall something and said with a smile, "You must be Byakuya, the jonin from Amegakure. Lord Jiraiya specifically instructed us that if we saw you, we should bring you to the command center."
"Oh?" Byakuya looked at the Konoha jonin with interest and laughed. "Is that so? How did you recognize me so quickly? Could it be that my name has already spread across the entire ninja world?"
"Indeed, that's the case."
The Konoha jonin nodded quickly but couldn't help thinking to himself: That's not what Lord Jiraiya said at all. He actually said that Byakuya is the most arrogant brat around and easy to recognize at a glance.
Now it seems Jiraiya was right. This kid is so cocky that even an Uchiha jonin addresses him as "Lord." That's no ordinary level of arrogance.
Byakuya had no idea what the Konoha ninja was thinking, but he nodded in satisfaction. Following the jonin's lead, he headed towards the command room.
As the door to the command room swung open, Byakuya saw Jiraiya deeply immersed in handling military affairs. Compared to six months ago, Jiraiya's usual easygoing demeanor had faded, replaced with exhaustion. The long months of war had clearly taken a toll on him, both physically and mentally.
Jiraiya, who had already sensed their arrival, lifted his head to look at the group. Seeing Byakuya standing with Shisui and the other Uchiha, he looked surprised, silently wondering why Byakuya was with them.
As if reading Jiraiya's thoughts, Byakuya pulled out a bag full of ninja tags and headbands and said, "Jiraiya, these are all my spoils of war. You better be prepared to pay up."
Jiraiya glanced at the headbands, all of which bore the insignia of the Hidden Cloud, while the ninja tags indicated their ranks and identities. After a closer inspection, Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "Twenty-one chunin, five jonin! Did you really take down this many Kumo ninjas by yourself, Byakuya?"
"I'm just doing the job I was paid to do, isn't that what was agreed?" Byakuya frowned slightly. "Jiraiya, you're not thinking of shortchanging me, are you? Because if you are, I might just take my talents to Kumogakure."
This statement startled the nearby Konoha ninjas, who now eyed Byakuya with heightened caution and suspicion.
Jiraiya quickly motioned for his subordinates to stay calm and responded, "I promised you'd get paid, and you will. Every ryo will be sent to Amegakure as agreed. You have my word."
Only then did Byakuya's expression soften slightly. "Good. I was starting to think Konoha might be unable to afford it. After all, my subordinates have been hunting Kumo ninja as well. I was worried you wouldn't be able to pay for all that."
Jiraiya thought to himself, 'You might be making a killing, but Konoha certainly won't be losing out either...'
Shifting his focus, Jiraiya turned to Shisui and asked, "We've cleared up the payment, but why are you with Shisui and the others?"
Byakuya, as if suddenly remembering, chuckled and said, "Oh, right. I also saved these Uchiha when they were fighting the Two-Tails Jinchuriki. If I hadn't intervened, they would've all died along with her. These Uchiha are your people, so you'll have to pay for saving them too."
Jiraiya blinked, almost unable to believe his ears. "Byakuya, what did you just say?"
Byakuya repeated without missing a beat, "You'll have to pay me for saving them."
Jiraiya shook his head and, his expression becoming more serious, asked, "No, not that. You said earlier that Shisui and the others almost died... against whom?"
"They almost died fighting the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."
Once Jiraiya was sure he hadn't misheard, he asked, "You mean they almost died, but they managed to defeat Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"That's not quite accurate," Byakuya corrected with a pause. "We killed the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."
Read advance chapters here:
www.patr eon.com/OberonLA
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