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The clear water surging upstream began to slow.
Its movements grew stiff, revealing the figure of Hozuki Suigetsu in his hydrated state.
Gazing at the blond youth radiating intense flames, and feeling the searing heat emanating from him, Suigetsu felt like he was suffocating just from the pressure.
He immediately rose to his feet, water pouring off his body.
But Suigetsu couldn't care less about that. He forced a smile and eagerly bowed toward Naruto.
"Hello, ninja-sama! I'm Hozuki Suigetsu. Thank you for saving me—this life-saving grace is something I'll never forget…"
"Then don't forget it. Join us."
Naruto grinned cheerfully at Suigetsu. He was determined to recruit this guy.
As the last scion of the Hozuki Clan, Suigetsu was currently the only known ninja in this world capable of full elemental liquefaction.
More importantly, it was Water Release.
If he could acquire that ability, Naruto would be unstoppable in the world of pirates.
Suigetsu looked like he was about to cry.
He had just escaped from Orochimaru's lab, and before he could even get away from that lunatic's turf, he'd run into an even scarier blond youth…
"Sigh…" Suigetsu sighed helplessly and said with a pained expression, "Fine, I get it. I'll follow you from now on."
Naruto nodded in satisfaction.
He didn't expect loyalty from Suigetsu. After all, that guy had rebellion written in his bones.
All Naruto needed was overwhelming strength to keep him in line—so long as he couldn't run away, that was enough.
Naruto and Suigetsu continued forward.
When they passed through a certain corridor, an icy voice suddenly rang out from the other end.
"Shōton: Sennen Rō!" (Crystal Release: Crystal Prison of a Thousand Years)
"Shikotsumyaku!" (Dead Bone Pulse)
Crack, crack!
On either side of Naruto, pink crystals surged forth and began encasing him.
Then, a white-haired boy about Naruto's age gritted his teeth and rushed in wielding a short white blade.
"Invader… I'll kill you!"
Naruto blinked in amusement and casually grabbed Suigetsu by the back of the neck, tossing him forward.
"Eh?"
Suigetsu's eyes widened. Before he could react, several piercing strikes poked holes through his body.
Looking down, he saw sharp white bones protruding from Kimimaro's joints, skewering him.
But the bones didn't actually injure him.
Being a member of the Hozuki Clan, Suigetsu had inherited the Hydrification Technique, a unique Kekkei Genkai.
His pierced body didn't bleed—instead, it simply turned to water. Kimimaro's attack had no effect whatsoever.
"Hey you! If you're gonna fight, fight him! What the hell are you stabbing me for?!"
Suigetsu barked at Kimimaro.
Kimimaro gritted his teeth. "You're both enemies of Orochimaru-sama. I'll capture all of you."
Upon hearing his loyalty, Suigetsu's fighting spirit flared.
"Oh, so you're one of that bastard Orochimaru's underlings? Then I gotta teach you a lesson! That bastard kidnapped me, after all!"
And just like that, the two teens began to brawl.
Kimimaro jabbed with his bones. Suigetsu countered with water punches.
It was an evenly matched scrap.
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as he watched.
He then looked at the translucent purple crystal in front of him—it was almost jewel-like in appearance.
Through the crystal, he saw Guren.
The mature woman appeared tense, but still forced herself to speak:
"Kimimaro has already notified Orochimaru-sama. He'll be here any moment. You'd best surrender now."
"Oh yeah?"
Naruto replied nonchalantly and tapped the amethyst crystal wall in front of him.
"You don't seem all that loyal to Orochimaru. Why follow someone like him?"
"I'm absolutely loyal to Orochimaru-sama!" Guren snapped back. She bit her lip as she saw Naruto's actions and added:
"My Crystal Release has the hardness of steel. You can't escape. Give up."
"Heh."
Naruto chuckled, then clenched his fist and punched the amethyst crystal.
Boom!!!
The crystal shattered inward with a hole forming at the impact point, cracks spreading wildly around it.
Within seconds, the crystal wall that blocked the corridor was covered in fractures.
Guren's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible… my Crystal Release… even Orochimaru-sama praised it… said it had the hardness of steel…"
"I can smash steel, too."
Naruto tapped her forehead lightly and smiled.
"Stop spacing out. You're coming with me."
"There's no future with that lunatic Orochimaru. One day he might turn you into a lab rat."
"Perfect timing. I'm short a maid back home—come with me."
Guren's face flushed with embarrassment and anger. A top-tier jonin of Otogakure… being asked to become a live-in maid?!
But after a few seconds of thought… she hesitated.
She knew staying under Orochimaru's control could mean death on an operating table someday.
And this blond boy was… well… handsome… and looked kind of gentle...
Perfect. Got myself a maid.
Seeing Guren's flustered expression, yet not outright refusal, Naruto smirked.
He knew it.
Compared to Kimimaro, Guren's loyalty wasn't real—it was just fear.
Soon, Naruto found several other familiar faces among the captive youths, including a young Jūgo in the basement.
Just as Naruto was about to pack up and open the air gate to leave—
He suddenly paused.
His gaze swept over the environment with a strange glint in his eyes.
Touching his chin, he turned to Guren and asked:
"Hey Guren, what do you think of Otogakure's setup?"
She blinked. "The setup's good. Orochimaru-sama chose it carefully. It's remote and safe."
"Exactly."
Naruto clapped his hands and grinned.
"In that case, why should we leave? Let's just take it!"
Only now did it strike him—he needed a base.
Otogakure already had buildings, houses, a population... everything was ready. Why build his own from scratch?
Guren: "…"
The curvaceous blue-haired woman widened her eyes and looked at the blond youth in disbelief.
"You're insane! This is Orochimaru's territory! That's Orochimaru—the Cold Lord Orochimaru! S-rank rogue-nin of Konoha!"
She rattled off several of Orochimaru's titles, just in case Naruto didn't know who he was dealing with.
"I know."
Naruto's smile widened as he looked up at the ceiling and muttered:
"But now it's too late to leave."
"Orochimaru… is back!"
(End of Chapter)
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