Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Looking at Orochimaru, Masato saw that he wasn't dejected despite his crippled hands; on the contrary, he was full of energy. It seemed that the second male lead was making good progress in getting a power-up from Orochimaru.

He understood Snake's thoughts. Although he knew Snake couldn't possibly die, as a friend of many years, Masato still felt it necessary to persuade him to give up this dangerous idea.

Who is the second male lead in the show?

That's the reincarnation of the Six Paths Elder's eldest son, a true chosen one. How could he possibly let you possess him? Even fantasy novels wouldn't dare write something like that...

"...That kid's talent is no less than Itachi Uchiha's, but he's just too impatient...As for his health, I know what I'm doing."

Orochimaru nodded somewhat perfunctorily. He was absolutely determined to obtain Sasuke's body. Sasuke's talent was no less than Itachi's, but his mentality was far inferior. One was obsessed with revenge, while the other sacrificed his clan for the village, abandoning his heroic past to become a spy despite the scorn. The difference between them was obvious. Although he hadn't yet figured out how to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, given Sasuke's current mindset, Orochimaru frankly estimated that if he let the kid develop freely, he would never awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan in his lifetime. Wouldn't that be a waste of such a great talent? Rather than let him waste it, it was better to let him take over...

"...It's good that you know what's going on."

Shindou shrugged, and you could tell from his expression that he wasn't going to move. However, Orochimaru's words were a bit of an exaggeration.

What do you mean by "not worse than Itachi Uchiha"?

Are you kidding me? Uchiha Itachi is the youngest son, Namikaze Minato's own brother, okay?

Besides being a reincarnated spirit child and having a bunch of cheat codes, the second male lead in the show is also...

How can I not see Minato Namikaze and Itachi Uchiha as the true male protagonists? But Kishimoto is so ruthless; he gave the best to his two sons, yet didn't let them live long lives...

......

When Masato and Snake set off the next day, Snake was surprised to find that he was also accompanied by the second male lead, Kuku. Watching the taciturn Kuku following behind Snake, a snort of arrogance kept emanating from him.

Sensing this overwhelming aura of arrogance, Shinto estimated that this kid's mastery of showing off had reached its peak, not far from the unparalleled skill of his idol, Madara...

Shinto led the two of them, following Orochimaru's navigation, and finally arrived at the so-called old site of the Sky Country.

"Hey! I didn't expect Kakashi, that white-haired kid, to be here already. But this blond brat is really weak... He has no skill at all. You Uchiha kid, you can't follow his example. You know my idol is an all-around warrior, capable of both brute force and skillful maneuvering. He single-handedly led your Uchiha clan to achieve the legendary feat of taking on five opponents at once. You have a great responsibility!"

However, when they arrived, they saw that the battle was already raging. By sheer coincidence, they ran into Kakashi and his team fighting against Hiruzen Sarutobi's good-for-nothing son with his Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Orochimaru's knock-off Wood Release. Yamato, the CEO of Konoha Construction Company, was also fighting a group of Sky Ninja piloting various fighter jets.

Seeing the savior's battle, Shinto couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark before solemnly patting the man in his pants on the shoulder and saying something.

Although this savior has acquired his signature skill and shouts quite passionately, all he does is summon minions and conjure up Rasengans. Aside from attracting attention with his dazzling aura and having a stronger presence than Kakashi, his performance is utterly unremarkable and easily leads to visual fatigue. In fact, I couldn't stand watching Shinto for more than ten minutes. It would be more practical to watch the Nara clan's miniature version of Skyrocket, using their intelligence to defeat the enemy.

"?? Your idol is someone from my Uchiha clan?"

The second male lead, who was initially impressed by his best friend's impressive presence and fighting spirit, was surprised to find that his friend, who had been a bottom-of-the-barrel, had become so strong in just one year. However, upon hearing the disdainful tone of the "Number One Fierce Man in the Ninja World," he suddenly realized that his best friend was indeed not that great after all.

What attracted him most was that their idol was actually someone from their Uchiha clan.

"What? Didn't the great scientist tell you? My idol is your ancestor, Madara Uchiha, who led you Uchiha freaks to sweep across the ninja world, dominating everything in your path, killing gods and Buddhas alike!"

Madara is also the reincarnation of the eldest son of the Six Paths Old Man, and this cool second male lead is also the reincarnation of the eldest son of the Six Paths Old Man. I wonder if his idol can hear him in the underworld after he's been praising him so much, and if he's willing to let go of the grudges between them.

He knew that although Madara looked domineering, he was actually petty and narrow-minded. Madara didn't abide by the rule of not harming family members. Madara's rule was that if you cut me, I'll cut your whole family. Just look at the Uchiha clan now. They only didn't want to leave Konoha with him, but this was part of the world-destroying plan to wipe out the Uchiha clan.

He really gave the elderly Madara a pretty bad beating back then. It wouldn't matter if Madara were to come back to life and fight him, but I'm worried Madara might go after Chiyo, Karin, and the others...

1054. He truly was a great mentor whose talents were wasted on being a ninja.

"Your idol is Uchiha Madara?! っ?Д?)っ"

These are the expressions of the second male lead, besides Kuku's little expressions, during this period.

He was no longer a rookie. Of course he knew who Uchiha Madara was. Orochimaru had introduced him to him before. In order to find a way to awaken the awesome Mangekyou Sharingan, he spent his spare time researching Uchiha Madara's life story at the youth training center. Uchiha Madara's life can be summarized in one sentence: "Extremely awesome!"

However, according to Orochimaru's records, Madara Uchiha mostly appeared as a supporting character. The real protagonist was Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage and "God of Shinobi." Even now, most people consider Hashirama Senju an idol, while Madara Uchiha's popularity is negligible. Although he was a powerful character, his popularity was far less than that of Hashirama Senju. It can be said that for every person who loves him, there is just as many who hate him.

On the contrary, Hashirama Senju received everyone's love.

Even he, a descendant of the Uchiha clan, couldn't bring himself to love Madara Uchiha.

It turns out that this Golden Lion, known as "the strongest ninja in the world," was actually a big fan of Madara Uchiha...

"What's so strange about that? I grew up listening to stories of my idols. Young man, do you know why I've survived in the ninja world for so many years, while most of my contemporaries have perished and I'm still standing strong? The difference between a super genius and an ordinary genius lies in their mindset. If you always think like an ordinary person, even if you have incredible talent, what's the difference between you and an ordinary person? Your future achievements will be limited. Look at the ninja world over the past few decades. How many people idolized Hashirama Senju, and how many of them became the second Hashirama? None, right? But I didn't idolize Hashirama Senju; I idolized Madara. Now look at me. I'm not bragging, but if I weren't so kind-hearted, I would have been Madara 2.0 decades ago! Remember this: Heaven always favors those who are different!"

Seeing the surprised expression on the second male lead's face, Masato got into the mood for chatting and offered to be the second male lead's life mentor for free.

"Sogga!"

The second male lead in the pants looked like he had been greatly inspired.

I think I understand, but I also think I don't. However, this statement sounds quite philosophical. Even if I don't understand, I should pretend to, lest I expose my elementary school education and be laughed at...

"You're a promising young man. Keep up the good work, and the future is yours."

Seeing the second male lead like this, Masato didn't care whether he actually understood or not; he was incredibly pleased. He truly was a great mentor whose talents were wasted on being a ninja. If Chiyo had let him teach at the academy back then, given his educational level, the overall strength of Sunagakure would have risen by at least one level...

"...Heh, this brat doesn't look like the Fourth Hokage, he looks more like that idiot Jiraiya."

At this point, Snake couldn't let this guy keep bragging.

What the hell is this? Heaven always favors those who are different. Am I not different enough? I dare to do what ordinary people wouldn't even think of, and I do what ordinary people wouldn't do. I can even just say I don't want to be the leader of the number one village in the ninja world, and yet Heaven hasn't shown me any favoritism, or given me a good birthplace...

They really are best buddies, always fighting and bickering. But why are you belittling Jiraiya like this, and then bringing up who the savior is more like? Aren't you afraid that Minato Namikaze will resurrect and block your door? He can teleport, so you can't escape even if you want to.

However, what Snake said is true. This savior has a strong resemblance to Jiraiya. But at least Jiraiya could make a name for himself by adding fuel to the fire. This savior, on the other hand, only has two moves that he can't even handle with a fan-like technique. He relies entirely on his loud voice to get attention.

On the other hand, Kakashi, the white-haired boy, was much more impressive. The Hatake clan never relied on loud voices to gain attention. Kakashi, wielding a kunai, weaved in and out of a group of air ninjas, showcasing his impressive and stylish Hatake clan's ancestral techniques.

Although the mask concealed his fairly handsome face, the Hatake clan has never relied on looks. The girls on both sides were already smitten by his actions.

like!?(?????)?

Kakashi's Hatake swordsmanship wasn't great, but his Red Stick technique was still impressive enough to handle a group of Chunin and Genin. He even showed some resemblance to Konoha's White Fang. Gradually, the tired, loud-voiced savior began to shift their attention to Kakashi, who was showing off his incredible courage by charging in and out of the crowd seven times.

"This is...."

The second male lead, who was in a daze, was so shocked that his fists trembled. Kakashi was, after all, his teacher, and had even taught him Chidori. He had thought that the Chidori-derived Raikiri was Kakashi's ultimate move, but now, seeing Kakashi's dazed swordsmanship in the crowd, regardless of its power, he was completely blown away by how cool it was.

Those clean and crisp movements, combined with his trousers' posture and various stylish moves, turned the act of killing people into a kind of performance art. It was just too damn cool!

I never expected Kakashi to have this move!

"Heh, Kakashi now has a bit of Sakumo's style in him... Hatake swordsmanship!"

Snake looked at Kakashi, who was showing off his Hatake sword skills in the crowd, and chuckled softly, his tone full of nostalgia.

Although he was Hiruzen Sarutobi's teacher, he was actually trained by Sakumo during his debut. He spent several years with Sakumo and became extremely familiar with the Hatake sword technique. Recalling the days when he followed Sakumo around to gain experience, and then looking at Kakashi who was already in his mid-twenties in front of him, he realized that the White Fang of Konoha had grown old!

"Is this... Hatake swordsmanship?"

When the second male lead heard Snake Uncle's words, his voice trembled slightly, and it was hard to tell if it was from excitement.

His birth timing was somewhat awkward. At that time, Konoha's White Fang had already retired to the second line and rarely took action, leaving opportunities to younger people. In addition, Kakashi's Hatake sword technique was really not good. Usually, when fighting, he would either rely on his Sharingan to slowly wear down his opponent or activate his ultimate technique for five minutes and then rest for half a month. Therefore, in recent years, Konoha has only had the legend of the Hatake sword technique left.

Although the second male lead's family has fallen on hard times and most of their property has been confiscated, they still have a foundation. Moreover, having lived in Konoha for so many years, he has naturally heard of the legend of Hatake's swordsmanship, but because of the wrong timeline of his birth, he has never seen it.

Seeing Kakashi show off the famous Hatake sword technique, it would be a lie to say I wasn't surprised.

1055. The Five-Five-One Divine Body is just that awesome!

"What Hatake swordsmanship? It's all show and no substance. Kakashi, I don't know if it was his father White Fang's mistake or his grandfather's bad feng shui that he was born into the Hatake clan, where chakra is scarce. His swordsmanship talent is mediocre, but his ninjutsu talent is maxed out. White Fang's Hatake swordsmanship could cut down Kage-level opponents, but look at this kid now, he's using it to cut down Genin... Maxed-out ninjutsu talent is not bad, if he developed step by step, he could have become a top-tier player, but he also had to get a Sharingan that consumes chakra. I don't know if White Fang committed too many sins..."

Shinto scoffed. White Fang was a man who could go toe-to-toe with Shiki using Hatake swordsmanship, yet now Kakashi was using him to cut down genin. Those who didn't know better only saw how cool and handsome he was, while those who did know better would think that Shiki was nothing special and could be evenly matched with such a weak swordsmanship.

"hehe...".

Orochimaru nodded in agreement, even feeling a sense of irony from fate. He believed that Orochimaru, the Cold Lord, was a genius who appeared only once in a century in Konoha, and that his talent was definitely no less than Sakumo's. The only difference between him and Sakumo was their family. If he had been born into a family with secret techniques or bloodline limits, his achievements would definitely not be inferior to Sakumo's.

However, while Kakashi was born into a privileged family, his talent points were all misplaced. Sakumo, at his age, was already a top-tier ninja renowned throughout the ninja world, while Kakashi only managed to earn the titles of "Copy Ninja" and "Konoha Technician"...

However, the second male lead in the pants didn't hear what Shinto said at all. Instead, he activated his Sharingan and stared intently at Kakashi, who was going in and out not far away. It was as if he wanted to copy Kakashi's movements. Whether Kakashi's Hatake sword technique was strong or not is another matter, but his coolness lasts a lifetime. Didn't you see that even the enemy girl was captivated?

It perfectly suits his temperament!

......

Meanwhile, the battle on the other side had reached a fever pitch. The number of Sky Ninja underlings was increasing. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the good-for-nothing youngest son, and Yamato, the chairman of the Konoha Construction Company, were grinding away with a bunch of low-level accounts until their hands were numb. Each of them had double-digit stats, but against a group of Sky Ninja underlings who were willing to risk their lives, these stats were just a drop in the ocean. If it weren't for Yamato, a weakened version of the master of crowd control, they would probably be paralyzed by now.

Yamato's weakened version of the yellowish-brown Wood Release is worlds apart from Hashirama Senju's true Wood Release, which is lush and green. Even Orochimaru, the creator of the original Wood Release, couldn't bear to watch it. He had never heard of Wood Release catching fire before, but Yamato did it. A pile of yellowish-brown rotten wood had just formed a wooden wall when it was immediately set ablaze by the laser cannons of the Sky Ninja's fighter jet.

Moreover, the fire grew larger and larger as the yellowish-brown wood burned. If it weren't for the Nara clan's little rocket launcher taking over the command on the spot and directing it properly, he would probably have been burned to death by his own people, if not killed by the air ninja.

"This Wood Release technique is really... not bad for building houses, although the shelf life is short, but it's profitable... By the way, you didn't create this Wood Release technique, did you?"

To avoid upsetting Orochimaru, Masato stroked his chin and thought for a long time before coming up with a more positive reason. He then looked at Orochimaru, who had a constipated expression, with feigned curiosity.

"...Hehe, you flatter me. The material was found by Danzo, but after so many failures, it's lucky that this kid survived."

Orochimaru directly shifted the blame to Danzo, implying that his skills were lacking and that Danzo's choice of people was simply incompetent. Meanwhile, constipated, he stared at his own creation—a knock-off version of Wood Release, a yellowish-brown mess. He genuinely didn't want to look at it. However, so far, this kid was the only experimental subject he'd transplanted Hashirama Senju cells into who hadn't turned into wood and had even awakened Wood Release. Although it was a weakened version, it was still Wood Release, and he wanted to collect some data to study it further.

However, at this very moment, a change occurred on Kakashi's and Savior's side. Perhaps not wanting to attract attention from Kakashi and Savior, the Sky Ninja went all out and released their artificial tailed beasts. Artificial tailed beasts are smaller than natural tailed beasts, but still larger than Orochimaru's Manda, and they exude a repulsive aura.

"Is this the artificial tailed beast? It's too weak, much weaker than our fat cat."

Shindou looked at Orochi, who was fighting two opponents, including the Savior and Kakashi, and said...

This artificial tailed beast looks quite intimidating. According to incomplete statistics, out of ten million people, nine million nine hundred and ninety thousand are afraid of cold-blooded animals like snakes. The remaining ten thousand are mostly oddballs like Snake Uncle. Especially for girls, the pink-haired girl who had seen Fat Cat and Nine-Tails fight for the leadership and the girl from the Yamanaka clan were doing fine, but when they saw the giant snake suddenly appear, they almost lost their footing. However, the giant snake's chakra is indeed a bit low, less than half of Fat Cat's.

“Dark chakra is scarce to begin with; its own chakra is simply insufficient for it to develop into a tailed beast. It’s already a miracle that the Sky Ninja were able to create one; naturally, it can’t compare to a true tailed beast. Now that it’s emerged, what do you plan to do?”

Snake Uncle looked at the giant snake with great relish from top to bottom and left to right, habitually licking his lips as if admiring a work of art.

He knew that the Golden Lion came from this artificial tailed beast, but since the Golden Lion didn't say so, he couldn't ask. With his superior intelligence, he couldn't figure out the purpose of this artificial tailed beast. Even using it to train a Jinchūriki would be a waste of resources. Moreover, this kind of dark chakra was not suitable for people to become Jinchūriki, as it could easily bring out the dark side of the Jinchūriki.

These days, tailed beasts are useless if they're not used to train jinchūriki.

So he was very curious about what use the Golden Lion had for this tailed beast.

"No rush. Kakashi has been living too comfortably these past few years with a powerful figure protecting him. It's rare to encounter such a formidable opponent. Let him unleash the potential of his little white tooth."

Masato stared ahead and shook his head.

On the battlefield, the giant serpent's strength was indeed not that great. Although it had some imposing presence when it first appeared, its evil aura left Kakashi and the Savior helpless, forcing them to constantly dodge its attacks. However, Kakashi was, after all, a genius and a superior member of the Hatake clan, with excellent battle intelligence. After getting used to the giant serpent's rhythm, he began to handle it with ease, even showing off his fancy footwork. Although he couldn't break through the serpent's defense, at least for now, even without the Savior's support, Kakashi could still hold his own against the serpent.

No doubt about it, the Five-Five-Five Divine Body is just that awesome!

1056. The world's most powerful verbal sparring is still today.

"What... is going on? (⊙_⊙)?"

When Kakashi unleashed a small burst of power and went toe-to-toe with Orochimaru, even the erudite Orochimaru couldn't understand it.

He knew Kakashi's strength; he was a typical burst-damage hero, strong in his weaknesses. Such burst-damage heroes are easily countered by enemies with high defense and high health. This was the case when Kakashi and the Fourth Hokage's son, who looked a lot like Jiraiya, were suppressed all the way.

Although Orochi was artificially created, it is still a Tailed Beast! For some reason, Kakashi, who clearly doesn't have the ability to go toe-to-toe with Orochi, is currently fighting him to a standstill. Even Orochi himself is baffled; with his vast knowledge, he simply can't explain it.