[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse":3,"chapter-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-157":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","From Thunder Breathing to the Multiverse",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1676341,2141,"Chapter 157 157: Kumogakure","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-157",157,"\u003Cp>As the path ahead split into three directions, the trio who had just finished devouring grilled meat exchanged a quick, \"See you tomorrow,\" before heading off toward their respective homes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment Hatake Kyūjō turned around and walked away from his two childhood friends, a subtle shift crept into his expression. The warmth faded. His gaze turned cold and sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could sense the hushed murmurs of unfamiliar chakra signatures hiding behind a dim courtyard wall. A deep frown formed on his face as a thought echoed silently in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Butterfly effect, huh? Looks like the shinobi from Kumogakure have set their sights on me too…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows just beyond a quiet residential wall—approximately eighty meters from where the kids had split—six shinobi bearing Kumogakure's signature forehead protectors crouched low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the six, only one possessed sensory abilities. Pressing his ear to the earth, he focused intently, tracking their targets' movements through the subtle tremors in the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few moments passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the trio had moved far enough, the sensor-nin lifted his head and turned toward the burly man beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Captain Sanki,\" he whispered, \"Target Two, Hatake Kyūjō—based on what I'm sensing, he's being shadowed by only one Konoha ANBU. Likely Jōnin-level.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Target One, Uzumaki Kushina—she has three ANBU watching her. One Jōnin, two Chūnin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The large man, Sanki, gave a low grunt of approval. It wasn't surprising that Konoha had assigned elite ANBU to guard ninja from \"special lineages.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the concept wasn't unfamiliar to Kumogakure either. Most shinobi with Kekkei Genkai weren't given special protection within the village—unless they were the last of a dying bloodline. The Uzumaki clan certainly fit that description.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hatake Kyūjō… he was a different case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their intel, collected through embedded spies in Konoha, stated the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— \"Hatake Kyūjō, age ten. Suspected possessor of an unidentified Kekkei Genkai. Ninjutsu aptitude ranks among the highest. Under direct observation by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Estimated combat level: Elite Chūnin. If he cannot be extracted from Konoha, he must be eliminated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What they didn't know… was that this \"intel\" hadn't come from their own spies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The true source? None other than Shimura Danzō—Konoha's hidden dagger in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danzō had deliberately leaked the information from within, feeding Kumogakure what they needed to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To either control or eliminate Hatake Kyūjō.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been keeping tabs on the boy for a while now. But under the careful watch of Hiruzen Sarutobi—and with Hatake Sakumo's rising influence—Danzō couldn't act directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he made a move through Kumogakure, using them like a blade he didn't have to dirty himself with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the village, his ROOT operatives lay in wait—ready to swoop in and claim the spoils once both sides clashed. A classic hawk's game: wait until the grasshoppers wore each other out, then feast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan was to abduct Kyūjō, brand him with ROOT's exclusive Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, and reprogram him from the inside out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That way, Danzō would have full control of his future power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Kyūjō didn't have a Kekkei Genkai, his raw talent alone made him a high-value asset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy could become a cornerstone in Danzō's planned coup—either by corrupting Sakumo's loyalty or by forcing his hand in future confrontations against Sarutobi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if Kumogakure failed to retrieve him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danzō had no problem with the boy dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered was keeping him out of Sarutobi's hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, if Kyūjō were killed, Danzō could spin the entire incident alongside Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado—those two senile fossils—under the banner of \"peace and war prevention.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the right pressure, even someone like Sakumo would be forced to swallow his anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether or not Sakumo stayed loyal to Konoha, his trust in Sarutobi would crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone would be enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes... that was Shimura Danzō's true objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the shinobi of Kumogakure? Just pawns on his board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in the damp halls of the ROOT compound, Danzō chuckled lowly to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ke... ke ke...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A spine-chilling laugh echoed through the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around him, even the most loyal ROOT agents flinched slightly—an involuntary shudder responding to the malice radiating from their master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't take long for Sanki to lay out the assault plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll engage the ANBU tailing Hatake Kyūjō. Sando, you handle the boy himself. Sangun, take three Chūnin and extract Uzumaki Kushina from the village.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do NOT let them reach the central district. Move out. Now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his command, the elite Kumogakure squad disappeared into the night like ghosts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back inside the quiet house they had used as cover, two bodies remained—an elderly couple, murdered by strangulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their lifeless eyes stared blankly toward the ceiling, veins bursting red around their sclera… as though cursing the ninja who had defiled their home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, and one more thing worth noting—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Sanki wasn't just any ordinary shinobi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a Kumogakure ANBU Captain, ranked as an Elite Jōnin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the dark skies of Konoha...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō's senses picked up the flicker of someone rapidly approaching from behind—lightning crackling faintly around their body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head slightly. So this is Lightning Release Chakra Mode, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stimulating muscle fibers using lightning chakra... interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted fifty meters ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, concealed in the branches of a tall tree, was a Konoha ANBU silently assigned by Hiruzen to watch over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō rubbed his chin, deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I want to study this technique without any interference…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, he vanished from his position—without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reappeared directly above the ANBU's head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the man could even register his presence, Kyūjō dropped his fist straight down—coated with a peculiar black shimmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time Colorless Armament Haki from the One Piece world had been unleashed in the Naruto universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with just a fraction of his power, it was more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ANBU collapsed on the spot—instantly knocked out cold, like a baby lulled into sleep by a lullaby of iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first move... belonged to Kyūjō.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the real fight was just about to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Join my Patreon here:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>🔗 patreon.com\u002FFaaanzKun\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✅ Enjoy 95+ chapters ahead of WebNovel\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✅ Be the first to experience Arc 5 and the new season before anyone else!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>📖 The first chapter of Arc 5 is now live!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can read it right now on Patreon~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let's keep this adventure alive, together chapter by chapter! 💖\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —\u003C\u002Fp>",1144,"2026-06-06T13:14:24.001Z",1,"novelbin.me","5b58ceacdc7f72fc2db6540f19369cd1d3f0656870976f3c539ac49beb6046f3","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-158","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-156",389,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffrom-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-cover.jpg"]