Naruto: What Kind of Starter Pack is 13 Years Late?

Growing a horn.

In the larger context of the Ninja World, it doesn't seem all that rare.

Kumogakure once had a pair of crazy horned brothers—Kin-Gin.

"But the most typical ones with horns on their heads are the Ōtsutsuki."

From what Takemi knew, it seemed all Ōtsutsuki had horns.

Even Toneri on the moon, while not having horns in his normal state, grew a single horn on his forehead when he entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

"And then there's Madara and Obito. They also grew horns after becoming Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. So, it seems like this isn't a big deal after all?"

Takemi rubbed his chin. Although he said that, he still felt something was off.

"I hope I can be like the brothers Indra and Asura."

Indra and Asura, perhaps due to their mixed heritage, never grew horns, yet no one could deny their immense power.

Takemi actually felt that, given their strength, if they truly encountered those Ōtsutsuki who only overwhelmed with power, they might have a decent chance of winning, right?

"If I were to face those two now, what would the situation be like?"

He wasn't someone who liked to praise the past and belittle the present, but he had to admit that ancient Ninjas seemed to be stronger in terms of individual power.

Ninja of the past emphasized ultimate combat power, but with the development of the era, while Ninjas still pursued personal strength, their combat methods had changed.

Especially with the emergence of Ninja villages, which integrated the essence of various major clans from the past, coupled with the change in war models, the casualty rate became even more exaggerated.

Therefore, combat methods that reduced casualties through cooperation naturally replaced the method of rushing in and sacrificing oneself based on individual bravery.

"Don't even mention those two. Even Madara and Hashirama, current Ninjas simply don't know how strong they are."

After pondering for a moment, he finally decided he probably wouldn't get an answer.

Ninja combat is all about adapting, so thinking about these things was useless.

Besides, his foundation was already there. What he lacked was combat experience and tactical skills.

"As for the rest, I will only grow stronger. Even if there's still a gap now, my bloodline will constantly improve, and I will surpass you all."

No longer dwelling on these meaningless thoughts, he began to focus on his own changes, and at the same time, carefully considered his future path.

"Tailed Beast Chakra still needs to be followed up on. Besides that, there's the issue of Kekkei Genkais. So far, only two is still too few."

He didn't need to rush for Tailed Beast Chakra, after all, in the future, these things would be everywhere.

At worst, he could personally intervene, 'Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki' would not stop.

But for the fusion of Kekkei Genkais, he really needed to think it through carefully.

He currently possessed Magnet Release and Ice Release, which involved Wind Release, Water Release, and Earth Release Chakra. What he still lacked were Lightning Release, Fire Release, and...

"The most crucial Yin-Yang Release!"

However, the fusion of Yin-Yang Release was not going smoothly, and he had no concrete reference, which made him a bit frustrated.

But even for the Ōtsutsuki, Yin-Yang Release was the ultimate power. Their combat methods largely revolved around Yin-Yang Release.

His slow progress wasn't a big deal. He believed that as his strength increased, he would gradually obtain what he desired.

"Other fusions must also accelerate. For Fire Release, I naturally hope for Dust Release, and for Lightning Release, Storm Release would be best."

He had a clear plan for himself and knew exactly how to proceed.

"Hmm?"

But at this moment, he clearly felt his body's changes accelerating. He immediately calmed his mind and focused on dealing with everything before him.

"Let me see what kind of result this time will bring."

While Takemi was working hard, Kakashi had already arrived at the Hokage Office.

"Kakashi, you're back?"

Hiruzen had already received news of their return, and he was in a good mood; at least for now, it seemed they hadn't encountered any problems.

Tsunade and Jiraiya had also been called over in advance, as their opinions were needed regarding Hanzo's issue.

However, he was a bit curious and couldn't help but ask, "Where's Takemi? And who's that child outside the door?"

"Hokage-sama, Takemi went back first; he wanted to rest."

Kakashi nodded to Tsunade and Jiraiya in greeting before speaking.

"That child is Uzumaki Karin. We encountered some trouble this time."

"Trouble?"

Jiraiya didn't seem surprised at all. He rubbed his chin and asked curiously, "What kind of trouble did you encounter? Was it with Hanzo? Was this girl from the Land of Rain before?"

"Tch, it seems the trouble you encountered wasn't that big."

Tsunade also raised an eyebrow when she heard Karin's name, but she quickly shifted her attention to Kakashi.

"You weren't injured this time. Could it be that Takemi got hurt?"

"No."

Kakashi shook his head; they were all fine!

"In the Land of Rain, we saw Hanzo, but Takemi felt there was something wrong with that guy."

"Oh?"

As soon as Hanzo was mentioned, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade all became serious.

"Takemi's perception is strong, he immediately noticed that Hanzo was not quite right."

Kakashi immediately continued, his expression very serious.

"He told me that Hanzo might be a fake because he didn't have much Chakra in his body, and there were no signs of aging. It looked very much like a clone."

"A clone?"

This answer made all three of them pause, and then they all seemed to sigh almost imperceptibly.

The former demigod, a Ninja from a small country who dared to confront a great nation, had he really become like this?

"Besides that, he also specifically provided us with some information, but some of it still needs to be discussed."

"What did he say?"

"He told us that the Akatsuki has been watching Amegakure. Besides that, he also said that someone in Konoha might be providing intelligence to the Akatsuki."

At this point, Kakashi paused, giving the Third Hokage and the others time to ponder.

"Someone in Konoha is providing intelligence to the Akatsuki?"

As expected, these words immediately silenced all three, especially the Third Hokage, who frowned deeply.

"Don't spread this around. It might be Hanzo's deliberate provocation, but I will investigate thoroughly. Let's talk about your mission first."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi nodded. He also felt it was Hanzo's instigation, but he still needed to report it truthfully.

"We subsequently encountered members of the Akatsuki. They tracked us to the Land of Grass, and we engaged in combat."

"The Akatsuki members really came?"

"That's right. One was Uchiha Obito, one was Raiga, a former member of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and another… was Jiraiya-sama's disciple."

"Nagato?"