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Besides that, he was also the first wandmaker to insist on using powerful magical materials as wand cores.

Many wandmakers had once abandoned those powerful magical materials in pursuit of stable wands, preferring more ordinary magical materials instead.

Ordinary magical materials used as cores could easily meld with the wand wood, whereas powerful magical materials became far more uncontrollable during that process.

No one knew how Ollivander controlled that process.

Among wandmakers, quite a few coveted Ollivander’s exclusive secret.

The old man had managed to live peacefully to such an age, so he clearly had some real skills.

After Chu Yang had worked as an apprentice in the wand shop for nearly half a month, Ollivander finally told him the secret.

"Treat every magical material in your hands as a living creature. Imagine that they can ‘breathe,’ and that breathing produces a unique pulse. Catch that pulse, and you’ll be able to fuse them together easily."

"Only after working in this profession for a sufficiently long time and coming into contact with enough magical materials will you have a chance to sense the kind of pulse I’m talking about…"

"The reason I think so highly of your future in this field isn’t just because you’re smart enough. It’s also because I sensed something similar within your Magic Power."

"You can use your Magic Power to resonate with that special pulse."

Chu Yang asked curiously, "Then how exactly do I do that?"

"I don’t know how to do it either. After all, these are only my guesses." Ollivander took out a large amount of materials and placed them before Chu Yang. "For now, we can only communicate in the most primitive way. Hold the materials in your hands, wrap them in Magic Power, and try to sense them."

"You’re sure they won’t explode? Some magical materials are extremely active!" Chu Yang suspected the old man was using him as an experiment, and his expression turned strange.

"They won’t explode as long as you don’t try to fuse them together." Ollivander coughed dryly and urged, "Get started already."

Chu Yang held the magical materials before him in his hands, then wrapped them in Magic Power as Ollivander had instructed.

Having never tried anything like this before, Chu Yang truly sensed a peculiar pulse.

It was like a human heart beating.

"You felt it?" Ollivander excitedly leaned close to Chu Yang and asked, "What did it feel like?"

"A heartbeat," Chu Yang replied truthfully.

"That’s right. Next, all you need to do is practice repeatedly, and you’ll master the trick." Ollivander nodded in satisfaction. "With your talent, you’ll soon meet my standards. Then you can try fusing wand cores with wand wood. Once you reach that stage, you’ll have completed your apprenticeship."

"It’s just that we’re a little short on supplies. I don’t know why, but Unicorns have been hard to spot lately. Phoenix tail feathers and Dragon heartstrings are also difficult to find. And there’s no point in practicing with ordinary materials…"

At that, Ollivander suddenly became troubled.

The moment Chu Yang heard that, he immediately said, "Don’t worry. I can get Unicorn hair, at least."

Ollivander shot him an annoyed glare. "Do you think Unicorns are cats and dogs you keep at home? Unicorns may be among the gentler Magical Creatures, but that doesn’t mean they’ll let you approach them so easily!"

"Women are one thing, but if a man appears near a Unicorn, it’ll run away at once. Even if you had two extra legs, you still couldn’t catch up!"

Chu Yang could not be bothered to argue with an old man, especially one this old.

He pulled an empty suitcase out from beneath a cabinet. While Ollivander turned around to organize wand boxes, he used Apparition and vanished from the wand shop.

The next second, Chu Yang appeared in the Forbidden Forest. Not far away stood a towering tree, beneath which a group of Unicorns frolicked. The scene looked tranquil and peaceful.

The Unicorns spotted Chu Yang. Not only did they not scatter and flee, they instead charged toward him in a herd.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Yang was surrounded by a whole pile of Unicorns.

The Unicorns affectionately rubbed their heads against him, truly behaving like pet cats and dogs.

If an expert on Magical Creatures had seen this scene, their eyes would probably have popped out.

"Alright, alright, stop rubbing." Chu Yang pushed aside the Unicorns’ heads, trying to avoid their saliva. "Which one of you has been shedding badly lately? Make a contribution. I need some hair."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Unicorns began hopping around as though they had been electrocuted, trying to shake some hair off their bodies.

Chu Yang did not even have time to say anything before hurriedly lowering his head to pick up hair.

"Where did that brat run off to now?"

Ollivander searched through the storeroom for a long while before finding some Unicorn hair. When he came out and discovered that Chu Yang had vanished, he immediately became a little angry.

"Mr. Ollivander, were you looking for me?" Chu Yang abruptly appeared beside Ollivander and handed him the suitcase.

"What is this?" Ollivander took the suitcase from Chu Yang in confusion. It felt heavy, quite weighty.

"Unicorn hair," Chu Yang answered.

"I don’t know where you got a whole suitcase full of hair, but let me repeat myself. Unicorn hair isn’t that easy to obtain—"

Before Ollivander could finish, a soft glow shone from the half-open suitcase, pure and bright as moonlight. He was very familiar with that light, so without a second thought, he snapped the suitcase shut.

He swallowed and cautiously asked:

"Do you really keep a herd of Unicorns at home?"

Naruto world.

The Tailed Beast Capture Plan was nearing its end. Aside from the Nine-Tails, whose exact location remained unknown, and the Eight-Tails, which had escaped capture several times, all the other Tailed Beasts had been successfully sealed.

What should have been a smooth operation had run into a minor accident.

Although Konoha had worked hard to keep the capture of the Tailed Beasts secret, the ninja forces of other nations had ultimately caught wind of it.

Konoha had already been stronger than the other Ninja Villages, and now news of its Tailed Beast captures had spread. For a time, everyone was on edge, with panic in the air.

Even the daimyo of the Land of Fire could not withstand the pressure and sent someone to ask whether the news was true. Left with no other choice, Hashirama Senju personally came forward to explain and publicly revealed his plan to distribute the Tailed Beasts.

Because of this, the Five Kage Summit had to be held ahead of schedule in haste, with the Land of Lightning chosen as the venue.

When Hashirama Senju left, Tobirama Senju took full charge of the Hokage’s duties. Meanwhile, Izuna Uchiha, the public head of the Anbu, accompanied Hashirama Senju to the Land of Lightning as his bodyguard to attend the summit.

Hashirama Senju once again demonstrated his trust in the Uchiha clan.

However, Izuna Uchiha’s departure left the Anbu command within the village vacant, especially the Anbu teams responsible for tracking Tailed Beasts, which no longer had a commander.

This unit had usually been personally overseen by Izuna Uchiha.

After considering it again and again, Tobirama Senju decided to hand temporary command of the Anbu to Madara Uchiha.

But Lord Madara refused without the slightest hesitation.

"I’m only responsible for fighting Tailed Beasts. I don’t care about anything else."

Lord Madara firmly refused the assignment, becoming increasingly detached from worldly affairs.

Now it was Tobirama Senju’s turn to get a headache.

Konoha’s talent reserves were fairly solid, but it was difficult to find a suitable candidate for handling Tailed Beasts. After all, even Izuna Uchiha had let the Eight-Tails escape several times.

After much thought, Tobirama Senju finally thought of a little bastard with wildly unconventional ideas.

Ninja Academy.

Chu Yang was teaching a class.

Today’s lesson was advanced training in throwing ninja tools. Chu Yang had brought the students outside to the target range to practice with shuriken and kunai, two common throwing weapons.

The future Third Hokage, still in his childhood, continued to perform exceptionally well. Mischievous as he was, his talent was undeniable, and he ranked near the top in every subject.

Shimura Danzō, who was just as troublesome, performed far worse than the future Third Hokage and only ranked in the lower-middle of the class.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura both performed better than him.

Chu Yang was about to scold him and tell him to focus when a teacher suddenly approached and whispered a few words into his ear.

"My teacher wants to see me?" Chu Yang looked surprised, but he still put aside what he was doing.

After handing the rest of the lesson to a substitute teacher, Chu Yang hurried to the Hokage Building. During the First Hokage’s absence, Tobirama Senju practically spent twenty-four hours a day there handling official affairs.

"Teacher." Chu Yang pushed open the door and immediately saw Tobirama Senju bent over his paperwork.

"Oh, you’re here." Tobirama Senju exchanged a few pleasantries with Chu Yang, then pulled a scroll from the stack of documents at his side and handed it to him. "Come take a look at this first."

Chu Yang took the scroll, opened it, and read it carefully. After only a line or two, he frowned. "Information on a Tailed Beast? And records of previous missions?"

"That’s right." Tobirama Senju nodded, lightly tapping the desk with a finger. "This should have gone to Izuna Uchiha, but as you know, he isn’t here now."

"So this job is mine?" Chu Yang looked troubled. Dealing with troublesome kids was much easier and safer than dealing with Tailed Beasts.

"Prepare yourself and set off."

Tobirama Senju’s casual tone nearly made Chu Yang explode.

Listen to that. Was that even something a person should say?

Those were the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails, among the strongest forces in this world. One wrong move, and he could die.

"Fine."

Complaints aside, Chu Yang did not refuse. Tobirama Senju must have had his own reasons for choosing him, and Chu Yang himself was well suited to this task.

Chu Yang’s ready agreement brought a faint smile to Tobirama Senju’s face. He asked, "Aren’t you afraid of danger?"

Chu Yang smiled. "It’s not as dangerous as a war between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan."

Open attacks were easy to dodge, but hidden arrows were difficult to guard against. The terror of the Human Heart far surpassed that of Tailed Beasts.

"Actually, I hoped from the beginning that you would take over this matter. If you can complete it smoothly, your prestige in the village will rise greatly. It isn’t too late to step in now."

"The plan to weaken the Uchiha has been successful, but at the same time, we need to continuously reduce their influence in Konoha. Letting go of the Anbu is a dangerous move. We must keep a close eye on it."

Tobirama Senju reminded him, "After this mission ends, until Izuna Uchiha and my brother return from the Land of Lightning, you’ll temporarily take charge of the Anbu. During that time, do some things. Understand?"

Chu Yang nodded. He understood Tobirama Senju’s unspoken meaning: he wanted Chu Yang to become familiar with Anbu affairs in advance, for future plans.

Afterward, Tobirama Senju tested Chu Yang’s progress in Ninjutsu before allowing him to leave.

The next day, Chu Yang left Konoha with three squads, twelve Anbu members in total.

Their target was the Eight-Tails. According to the mission records, the Eight-Tails had last appeared at the border between the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Fire.

Chu Yang deduced that the Eight-Tails should be within the Land of Waterfalls.

The Land of Waterfalls was a peculiar country. Its geographical position was poor, surrounded by four nations. Once war broke out, it would be attacked from both front and back.

If not for the many waterfalls within its borders, with many settlements hidden behind them, life for its people would likely have been very difficult.

Yet this country, despite its terrible circumstances, had established its own Ninja Village earlier than other small nations!

After all, in this era when the Five Great Nations had only recently established Ninja Villages, many countries could not gather enough ninja to create one.

The Ninja Village of the Land of Waterfalls was much like its other settlements, hidden behind waterfalls in a defensive, secluded state.

Chu Yang found them somewhat pitiable.

After Konoha’s Anbu entered the Land of Waterfalls, they did not make much effort to conceal their tracks. Aside from the fact that the Anbu had only recently been established and were not yet very proficient, it was more because they looked down on others from a position of strength.

The war between the two great clans had ended not long ago, and most Konoha ninja still revered the strong. The Uchiha clan was especially so.

As long as it did not affect the mission, Chu Yang had no intention of restraining or lecturing his subordinates. The weak got beaten; if you were incapable, do not blame others for showing you no respect. That was an eternal truth.

The Land of Waterfalls was not large. At a ninja’s pace, they could traverse the entire country in at most a week.

To save time, Chu Yang arranged for the three Anbu squads to split up. Their main task was to locate the Tailed Beast, not confront it directly. As long as they were careful, their lives would not be in danger.

Some of the members opposed this plan.

"Lord Yang, before the operation began, Lord Tobirama repeatedly stressed that we must ensure your safety. That is the highest priority, even more important than capturing the Tailed Beast!"

Though he understood his teacher’s good intentions, Chu Yang felt this order was a case of concern clouding judgment.

"If protecting me is more important than capturing the Tailed Beast, then what are we doing here? Sightseeing?" Chu Yang asked coldly.

The members looked at one another. Finally, someone stepped forward and said stiffly, "We must leave some people behind to protect you."

Chu Yang gave him a long look and asked icily, "What’s your name?"

The members’ hearts tightened. They immediately looked at the speaker with pity. Panic flashed through the man’s eyes, as though he feared Chu Yang would regard him as a thorn in his side for contradicting his superior. Yet he soon hardened his gaze and said, "Uchiha Yangdou."

"Yangdou…" A trace of a smile suddenly appeared on Chu Yang’s indifferent face. In an approving tone, he said, "Then I’ll trouble you to stay. Everyone else, disperse according to the original plan."

Uchiha Yangdou looked utterly overjoyed.

The members of the other two squads were all stunned. Only then did they realize Chu Yang had been testing them, and they immediately showed regretful expressions.

Everyone realized one thing.

This fellow named Yangdou would definitely be put to important use after returning!

"Pay attention to the areas behind waterfalls!"

After hearing Chu Yang’s final instruction, the members dispersed in all directions with jealous looks on their faces, swiftly vanishing from Chu Yang’s sight.

The only thing they could do now was find the Tailed Beast’s whereabouts as quickly as possible.

That was the only way they could win back some ground.

Once Yangdou was the only one left beside him, Chu Yang began releasing Observation Haki to search for the Eight-Tails’ aura.

As one of the Naruto world’s strongest forces, the Eight-Tails possessed an exceptionally powerful presence. Even if it deliberately concealed its whereabouts, it would still be glaringly obvious to Observation Haki.

Late at night, two days later.

Inside a cave behind an enormous waterfall, Chu Yang sensed an incredibly intense presence. That presence formed an enormous creature with the head of an ox and the body of an octopus within his mind.

The Eight-Tails, Gyūki!

"Found it." Chu Yang turned to Yangdou beside him. "Notify the others to gather here and send the news back to the village."

Looking at the giant waterfall cascading like a river falling from the heavens, Yangdou shuddered.

With some doubt, he used the Anbu’s special communication method to send out the message.

"Lord Yang, how did you determine that the Eight-Tails is here?" Yangdou asked cautiously.

"Instinct." Chu Yang only said two words and offered no further explanation.

Yangdou now wanted to slap himself twice. If he had known, he would have asked more questions and not rashly sent the message. If Lord Madara came, how was he supposed to explain this?

Chu Yang did not notice Yangdou’s regretful expression.

The Eight-Tails in the cave seemed to move, and the splashing droplets around the entire waterfall suddenly grew more violent.

"Conceal your breathing and Chakra."

As soon as Chu Yang finished speaking, the waterfall before them seemed like a curtain someone had pulled aside, exposing a vast empty space.

Behind the waterfall stood a massive shadow.

Goosebumps rose all over Yangdou’s body. He looked at Chu Yang in disbelief, and at this moment, he finally felt convinced.

The Eight-Tails had not discovered them.

Instead, under the moonlight, it left the cave where it had been staying. An inexplicable unease urged it to leave this place.

With just a slight turn, the lake beneath the Eight-Tails erupted in towering waves, flooding the surrounding ground and nearly reaching where Chu Yang and Yangdou were hiding.

The Eight-Tails surveyed its surroundings, then turned away impassively and disappeared into the boundless night.

Only after the Eight-Tails’ figure gradually faded from view did Yangdou impatiently say, "Lord Yang, let’s go after it!"

Chu Yang did not move. He stared ahead coldly. "Wait a little longer."

Yangdou was about to persuade him when the distant lake began rippling again. The shadow in the darkness reappeared, and Yangdou immediately shut his mouth.

The Eight-Tails had circled back. This time, it left in the completely opposite direction.

"Just now, was it trying to lure us out?" Yangdou stared in disbelief at the Eight-Tails’ departing back.

"After being hunted for so long, even something stupid would learn to be cautious."

Chu Yang frowned and glanced at him. "How did you get selected by the Anbu?"

Yang Dou scratched his head awkwardly and gave an embarrassed laugh. "I’m… fairly confident when it comes to combat."

Only then did Chu Yang’s expression improve.

Relying on the power of Observation Haki, Chu Yang had remained outside the Eight-Tails’ sensory range, following closely behind it.

Yang Dou acted as the liaison, responsible for updating the others on the Eight-Tails’ movements in real time.

Another day passed.

The Eight-Tails seemed somewhat fatigued. Rather than continuing onward, it found a stream valley and slowly waded into a deep pool, its massive body dropping down into a seated position.

The pool was unable to fully contain the Eight-Tails’ body. Sitting in the water with half its body exposed, it looked like an ordinary person lying in a bathtub. The sight was rather comical.

Leaning against the mountains behind it, the Eight-Tails gradually closed its eyes in the deep pool.

By now, every member of the Anbu squads had gathered around Chu Yang. Seeing that the moment was right, he gave the order. "Set up the barrier!"

After receiving the command, everyone vanished from before Chu Yang in an instant.

Three squads, twelve people in total, surrounded the Eight-Tails from twelve different directions.

The twelve formed hand seals at the same time. A moment later, twelve rays of light shot into the sky and converged into a diamond-shaped polygonal barrier.

"I’ll leave the rest to you, Madara Uchiha."

A Black Shadow leaped down from atop the waterfall and slowly approached the Eight-Tails as Chu Yang spoke.

Madara Uchiha chuckled softly. "Not bad, kid. No wonder Hashirama and Tobirama think so highly of you. If you were an Uchiha, I might even take you as my disciple."

Madara Uchiha’s immense Chakra instantly startled awake the Eight-Tails, which had only just fallen asleep. It rose to its feet and unleashed an earth-shaking roar.

The ground trembled and the waters churned as though the end of the world had arrived.

Chu Yang suddenly realized something… he really should not have stayed here. The shockwaves from the battle between Madara Uchiha and the Eight-Tails could easily destroy everything around them.

What a miscalculation!

Without sparing a moment to admire the highest-level battle in the Naruto world, Chu Yang fled the battlefield at top speed. The next second, he felt a wave of scorching heat surge toward him from behind.

"Fire Release! Great Fire Annihilation!"

Chu Yang turned around, but the flames filling the sky were so bright that he could not even open his eyes. The raging inferno soared toward the heavens.

His heart tightened. Not daring to delay any longer, he sprinted with all his strength toward the edge of the barrier.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, every hair on his body stood on end. He hurriedly formed hand seals, raising barrier after barrier around himself.

Wood Release: Tree Barrier

Apparently feeling that one Tree Barrier was not enough, Chu Yang continuously poured out Chakra. Layer upon layer of protection quickly rose around him, stacked like endless mountain ranges.

On the other side, Madara’s Great Fire Annihilation engulfed the Eight-Tails. Unwilling to be outdone, it whipped up enormous waves with its massive tails. The surging waters swept outward without end, eventually becoming a colossal tsunami.

The wall of fire collided with the tsunami, and scalding vapor erupted in an instant, rolling in all directions. The trees and flowers on the surrounding cliffs rapidly withered yellow the moment they came into contact with the steam.

Madara puffed out his chest and gave a light exhale. The faint breeze from his mouth kept spreading outward, forming a fierce hurricane that blew away all the steam before him.

The first Tree Barrier was destroyed by the high temperature, just as expected.

Madara glanced back at Chu Yang, then looked up and laughed. "I was planning to warm up a little, but it seems I don’t have that much time to play with you. Let’s finish this quickly."

With that, Madara directly summoned the Complete Body Susanoo. An armored energy giant rose from the ground and faced the Eight-Tails head-on, its presence no weaker in the slightest.

The Eight-Tails, Gyūki, seemed to sense the threat and roared once more. Its enormous maw opened, and dark red Chakra gathered into a sphere.

Tailed Beast Bomb!

Seeing this, Chu Yang hurriedly raised several more Tree Barriers.

Having fought Tailed Beasts many times before, Madara knew full well how powerful a Tailed Beast Bomb was. The Susanoo spread all four of its arms wide, its swords poised for battle.

Bzzzzzz—

A suffocating vibration spread through the air. It was the sound of the Eight-Tails compressing the Tailed Beast Bomb.

Even the twelve Anbu elites maintaining the barrier outside were pressed so heavily by that terrifying force that they could barely breathe.

Suddenly, the vibrations stopped.

The Eight-Tails spat out the Tailed Beast Bomb.

It streaked through the air like a cannonball, tearing out a shriek of rupturing wind.

In the blink of an eye, it had reached Madara Uchiha.

The swords in Susanoo’s hands came down together, slashing fiercely into the Tailed Beast Bomb. Violent energy shockwaves swept in every direction like a tsunami. Cracks continuously appeared across the diamond-shaped barrier under the impact, like a mirror about to shatter.

At that moment, Susanoo erupted with terrifying power and used its swords to split the Tailed Beast Bomb into four pieces, sending them flying in different directions.

One of those pieces flew toward Chu Yang!

Damn it, can I seriously get caught in the crossfire from this?

Watching a Tailed Beast Bomb fragment the size of a football field fly toward him, Chu Yang could not help cursing inwardly.

When the Tailed Beast Bomb came down, the dozen or so defensive layers he had painstakingly set up were reduced to ashes in an instant.

Fortunately, those Tree Barriers had blocked the remaining force of the Tailed Beast Bomb, leaving him completely unharmed.

When he opened his eyes again, all that remained before Chu Yang was a devastated wasteland.

The waterfall, the green mountains, the trees, the flowers… all of them had vanished.

"This is almost as powerful as a nuclear bomb…" Chu Yang swallowed. No wonder the strength of Tailed Beasts could influence wars between nations. How many ninja could a single Tailed Beast Bomb erase in an instant?

Aside from the incomplete Tailed Beast Bomb that landed near Chu Yang and was blocked, the other fragments struck the barrier.

The intense impact left the entire barrier on the verge of collapse. More and more cracks appeared across it, and it was obvious that it would not last much longer.

The Complete Body Susanoo and Gyūki began a close-quarters struggle, creating an enormous commotion. Either of those colossal beings would bring utter disaster if placed in a city.

"Once the barrier breaks, I need to find a way to restrain the Eight-Tails. Otherwise, not a single person from those three Anbu squads will survive."

The barrier deployed by the Anbu was not small. If it were violently destroyed, they would definitely suffer backlash.

In severe cases, there could be deaths and injuries. Even if it did not reach that extreme, most of them would lose the ability to move.

Chu Yang’s Wood Release had a strong restraining effect on Tailed Beasts and could catch it off guard. But that also meant Chu Yang would have to take the risk of intervening in the battle between Madara Uchiha and the Eight-Tails.

The danger level rose in a straight line.

"Yang Dou’s a decent guy. It would be a pity for him to die here. Besides, Teacher wants me to cultivate trusted followers in the Anbu. He’s a good choice…"

As Chu Yang considered his options, he also made thorough preparations.

As the battle between Susanoo and the Eight-Tails grew more intense, the barrier could no longer withstand the shockwaves from their clash. With a crisp shattering sound, it collapsed completely.

The loss of control over Chakra turned into a storm that swept over everyone. All twelve Anbu members were severely injured and completely lost the ability to move.

Without its restraints, Gyūki became even more reckless, as though it had entered a berserk state.

On the other hand, without the barrier, Madara Uchiha was the one whose movements became restricted. The shockwaves from their battle could strike the immobilized Anbu members at any moment.

What should he do?

As Madara Uchiha considered a solution, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of Chu Yang approaching.

What was he doing?

A trace of confusion flashed through Madara Uchiha’s eyes. Then he suddenly realized something and dispersed the sword in his hand.

The berserk Eight-Tails swept all of its tails toward Susanoo, wrapping them tightly around its body and trying to drag Susanoo toward itself.

Susanoo’s four arms each seized one of the Eight-Tails’ tails, and the two sides began a contest of strength.

In terms of pure power, the Tailed Beast was ultimately slightly stronger. Susanoo was slowly dragged forward.

At that moment, Chu Yang had already reached a spot not far from the Eight-Tails. Engaged in fierce combat, the Eight-Tails failed to notice him approaching.

Chu Yang began forming hand seals.

He intended to use a Sealing Jutsu within Wood Release to limit the Eight-Tails’ movements. Of course, this would only restrain it. To truly seal it away, Hashirama Senju himself would have to perform the technique.

And it would have to be Hashirama Senju in Sage Mode.

As Chu Yang completed the hand seals, enormous red torii gates materialized above the Eight-Tails’ head and descended at high speed, landing precisely atop its eight tails.

This was the Wood Release Sealing Jutsu specifically designed for Tailed Beasts—Gate of the Great God!

The Gate of the Great God was originally a technique that could only be used in Sage Mode. During his time working at the academy, Chu Yang had made minor modifications to it, allowing this Ninjutsu to be used without senjutsu Chakra.

The raging Tailed Beast Chakra around the Eight-Tails suddenly stalled, like a vehicle slamming on the brakes while speeding down a highway.

Its eight powerful tails abruptly went limp!

Given Chu Yang’s current mastery of Wood Release, being able to impose even some restraints on the Eight-Tails without learning Sage Mode was already extremely impressive.

"A perfect opportunity!" Madara Uchiha let out a hearty laugh. Susanoo suddenly exerted force, dragging the Eight-Tails before itself. Taking advantage of the motion, it broke free from the tails’ restraints. Chakra gathered in its hands again, and swords manifested.

Under Madara Uchiha’s control, four swords slashed down at the Eight-Tails’ tails at the same time!

The sound of tearing flesh rang out. All eight tails fell in response, and the agonized Eight-Tails threw back its head and howled at the sky!

Madara Uchiha pressed the advantage, giving the Eight-Tails no chance to catch its breath. His scarlet Sharingan stared at the Eight-Tails, which was in an extremely weakened state.

A moment later, the Eight-Tails stopped struggling, and its eyes gradually became numb and vacant.

Chu Yang understood that the Eight-Tails had been controlled by the Sharingan. Next, Madara Uchiha would seal it away and hand it over to a suitable candidate to become its jinchūriki.

As the great battle settled, the Anbu members gradually regained their ability to move after resting for a while.

They came before Madara Uchiha and, without a word, knelt down one after another. Behind their masks were faces full of shame.

"Lord Madara, it was our fault for failing to maintain the barrier and causing so much trouble for your battle!"

"Lord Madara, please punish us for our incompetence!"

Words of apology came one after another, but cold Madara only found the group before him unbearably noisy. He said impatiently, "With abilities like yours, you can remain in the Anbu? Knowing that Konoha’s safety is entrusted to people like you makes it hard for me to feel at ease."

Upon hearing that, the twelve Anbu members lowered their heads even further. Chu Yang felt that if Madara continued, they might bury themselves alive in the ground.

"Thank Senju Yang properly. If he hadn’t restrained the Eight-Tails in time, at least half of you would be corpses!"

After saying that, Madara gave a cold snort and turned toward Chu Yang. At last, a faint smile appeared on his cold face. "If I’m not mistaken, that Ninjutsu you used just now was the Gate of the Great God that Hashirama developed not long ago. When did he teach it to you?"

Chu Yang smiled vaguely and explained, "Lord Hokage didn’t teach me. I secretly learned it myself."

He did not even know exactly when Hashirama Senju had learned Sage Mode, so he could only muddle through the matter.

Fortunately, Madara had long heard of Chu Yang’s talent, so he did not doubt his explanation.

Madara asked curiously, "Hashirama’s Gate of the Great God requires a special state to activate, yet you seemed to have broken that restriction just now. Did Tobirama Senju help you modify it?"

Chu Yang hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "It wasn’t Teacher. I made some adjustments myself."

Madara studied Chu Yang for quite some time after hearing that, an indescribable expression appearing on his face.

"If possible, I really would like to steal you away from the Senju clan…"

After the Eight-Tails capture plan was successfully completed, Chu Yang led the Anbu squads back to Konoha to recover.

Madara, who had returned to the village ahead of them, handed the sealed Eight-Tails over to Tobirama Senju for processing.

By then, Konoha had sealed away most of the Tailed Beasts. Only the Nine-Tails remained unaccounted for.

Following this operation, Chu Yang gained recognition within the Anbu, and his reputation gradually spread.

Some Anbu members led by Yang Dou began drawing closer to Chu Yang. With Root, which Tobirama Senju had secretly established, helping from behind the scenes, cultivating influence within the Anbu went even more smoothly than Chu Yang had anticipated.

The Anbu matter was progressing well, but for Chu Yang, capturing the Nine-Tails was the main event ahead.

Since the Anbu squads had failed to play their intended role during the direct battle against the Eight-Tails, Madara Uchiha suggested that they withdraw from the Nine-Tails capture operation.

In other words, capturing the Nine-Tails had become a matter for Chu Yang and Madara Uchiha alone.

Chu Yang was deeply flattered by Madara’s favor.

But inwardly, he refused. The world-destroying sight of the Tailed Beast Bomb from last time was still vivid in his mind.

Honestly, if that thing hit him once, they might not even be able to find his ashes.

So Chu Yang strongly objected before Tobirama Senju.

Faced with Chu Yang’s resistance, Tobirama Senju could not force the issue. As a result, the Nine-Tails capture plan was temporarily shelved.

Demon Slayer world.

After completing a large number of demon-hunting missions, Chu Yang had fully mastered the state of Sun Breathing Total Concentration Constant. Judging solely by his level in Breathing Techniques, Chu Yang was already a Hashira-class swordsman.

Of course, in terms of actual combat strength, Chu Yang was far beyond the highest level of this world. Even if Yoriichi Tsugikuni were reborn, he would struggle to gain any advantage against him.

At this moment, if Kibutsuji Muzan dared to appear before Chu Yang, he would face a swordsman countless times more terrifying than Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

During this period, Chu Yang had been slaying demons almost day and night. The total was already nearing fifty.

As a result, he had become known throughout the entire Demon Slayer Corps, becoming the most talked-about new swordsman.

Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki was considering whether to promote him directly to Hashira rank.

Chu Yang’s rapid rise had not only attracted attention within the Demon Slayer Corps. It had also drawn Kibutsuji Muzan’s gaze.

However, because Chu Yang had never used Sun Breathing while hunting demons, Muzan was merely somewhat curious about him and had not paid him much attention.

But that did not mean others were unconcerned with Chu Yang’s performance.

"I heard from other demons that this newcomer possesses an extremely powerful physique, nearly comparable to ours. I don’t believe it, so I want to test him." Upper Moon Three, Akaza, said this.

His tone was lofty, as if he were looking down at Chu Yang from the clouds and regarded him as an Ant.

Every demon among the Twelve Kizuki thought the same way. In their minds, demons were the result of human evolution, while humans themselves were a race that nature had already eliminated.

"I’m curious as well. What kind of person could slaughter so many demons in such a short time? If you find him, please make sure to notify me so I can watch the battle."

Upper Moon Two, Doma, covered his mouth with a fan and laughed softly.

Akaza did not even glance at him, his face full of disdain.

It was not as though Akaza had only started looking down on Doma recently.

Akaza enjoyed fighting strong opponents and grew stronger when facing strength. Therefore, he could not stand Doma, who spent all day hunting women and children. He believed Doma lacked the dignity expected of a demon.

Once both Upper Moon Two and Upper Moon Three expressed their interest in Chu Yang, the other demons regarded Chu Yang as already dead, no longer worth any attention.

Kibutsuji Muzan thought the same.

Chu Yang still did not know that Akaza and Doma had set their sights on him. He had just completed a mission and was on his way to the Butterfly Mansion.

Under the strain of constantly hunting demons, Chu Yang rarely returned to the temple where he had once trained with Gyomei Himejima.

The reason was simple. He had no time to cook, nor did he want to cook. Gyomei Himejima often went out to investigate demon activity, leaving Chu Yang alone in the temple.

Rather than guarding a rundown temple all by himself, Chu Yang thought it would be better to mooch meals at the Butterfly Mansion. As a place where the wounded recovered, the Butterfly Mansion served delicious and nutritious meals in especially large portions—enough to satisfy Chu Yang’s appetite.

The Butterfly Mansion also welcomed Chu Yang. Nearly every injured swordsman there treated him as an idol. After all, aside from him, few people in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps had slaughtered so many demons in such a short time.

Beyond their admiration, many new swordsmen humbly sought Chu Yang’s guidance. Whether it was combat experience or sword techniques, they could learn much from him.

Makomo, who was recovering at the Butterfly Mansion, had regained some mobility.

She did not want to remain in bed all the time, so she provided whatever help she could around the Butterfly Mansion, easing Shinobu Kocho’s burden as Kanae’s assistant.

Her teacher, Sakonji Urokodaki, had not visited the Butterfly Mansion even once.

Makomo was waiting for him to come see her.

Chu Yang pushed open the gates of the Butterfly Mansion and happened to run into Kanae Kocho, who was about to head out. The two came face-to-face.

Kanae was as beautiful as ever, every gesture elegant and gentle.

"Where are you headed, Kanae?" Chu Yang asked curiously. Not long ago, Kanae had told him to address her as a senior rather than rigidly calling her "my lady."

"Oh, it’s you." Kanae smiled gently. "I heard you’ve killed quite a few demons lately. At this rate, the next time we meet, you might be given the title of Hashira just like me."

"That doesn’t really matter. Whether I become a Hashira or not won’t stop me from killing demons." Chu Yang smiled, then continued, "You still haven’t said where you’re going."

"Of course I’m off on a mission!" Kanae sighed. "I have to treat the wounded and go out on missions. Sometimes, when I think about it, I really am so busy. At this rate, I might have to retire early."

Chu Yang knew Kanae was only putting on an act. In truth, she enjoyed her current life more than anyone. He simply could not be bothered to expose her.

Most members of the Demon Slayer Corps complained with their mouths, but their resolve to kill demons was incomparably steadfast.

"Then I wish you a safe journey!"

"Thank you."

After exchanging pleasantries, the two passed each other. But after taking only a few steps, Chu Yang suddenly felt his heart tighten and spun around.

What entered his sight was Kanae’s retreating figure as she slowly walked away. She looked so fragile, like a wisp of willow fluff in the wind, as though a storm could destroy her at any moment.

It felt as though a great stone was blocking Chu Yang’s heart, leaving him with an indescribable sense of unease.

Watching Kanae Kocho’s solitary figure depart, Chu Yang had a bad feeling. He could not help blurting out, "Senior, if you feel bored, I can go with you."

Kanae paused and turned back in surprise, seemingly not expecting Chu Yang to say something like that. But soon, an amused smile appeared on her face.

She looked at Chu Yang with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Chu Yang did not know why he had said that on impulse. He scratched his head and said awkwardly, "If you don’t want me to, then forget it."

To his surprise, Kanae smiled sweetly. "Doing missions alone really is a little boring…"