NARUTO: THE STRONGEST UZUMAKI

1 hour later, that same day.

Back at the base, Tanaka received many looks, ranging from admiration to fear.

"With the retreat of the Stone ninjas, the odds of victory have shifted in our favor," Tsunade said, her voice emotional.

To say she wasn't worried would be blasphemy. The chances of victory had not been very favorable, but now that Oonoki was gone and his people had retreated with his body split in half... she felt more optimistic about this war.

"Tanaka-kun, what do you plan to do now?"

Shiori's question made everyone turn toward him.

"Mm... Maybe I'll go help Mito or the Fourth Hokage," Tanaka replied after thinking for a moment. "But, I'll take this night to rest."

"That's more like it." Shiori sighed and smiled. "How about I massage your shoulders? My mother says my hands have magical healing powers~"

Looking a little surprised at her, Tanaka hid the emotions he kept concealed. Disguising them with a smile, he replied, "Really? I'd love that."

"Hehe~ Leave it to me!" She playfully tapped her large chest with a closed fist, making it jiggle while she had a confident smile.

"Before that." Tanaka looked at Jiraiya, who shuddered under his gaze. He then glanced between him, Orochimaru, and Tsunade and said, "I have a way to make the three of you stronger—strong enough to go help the current Hokage. I know that with your current power, going now would hinder more than help, but with some of my items, you can turn the tide. What do you think?"

"Really?" Jiraiya exclaimed right after Tanaka stopped speaking and immediately regretted it. He didn't want to sound skeptical or frightened, but it was hard not to be surprised by what he heard.

Orochimaru looked at him with disdain, then turned his gaze to Tanaka and asked the most important question: "What do you want in return? Or rather, what must we do for you in exchange for this?"

"Actually, I don't want anything in return," Tanaka shook his head in refusal and continued with a small smile. "I just don't want this war to drag on any longer. And the only way to end it is by defeating the current Kages of their respective villages. Just like in the case of the Stone Village."

"But."

"But?"

"But, I'll only lend the items," Tanaka said. "After the war is over, I want them back."

"Of course!" Tsunade replied. "That's something that must be done."

Tanaka didn't continue speaking. It's one thing to say that, but after using his items, which are obviously far superior to many others and would make them several times more powerful than usual, would they still give the same answer?

He didn't think they'd try to steal from him, but he believed they'd try to negotiate with him, offering all sorts of things they had.

Taking out some scrolls and placing them on a table, he broke the seal on the first one.

Soon, two pairs of gloves with the Uzumaki symbol on the back of the hands, two black vests with the Uzumaki symbol on the chest and shoulders, and two rings appeared.

In the next one, there was something similar, but instead of gloves, it was a Japanese sword.

"Orochimaru, you take the last one," Tanaka looked at him. "To activate each item, something must be said aloud. For the sword, you need to raise the blade to the sky and say: 'By the Power of Uzumaki, I have the strength: Orochimaru!' All of that out loud, and it will create a bond with the sword, allowing you to use all its power. As for the vest, you need to say: 'I will never turn against Uzushio, activate!'"

"I understand the first part, but why the last one?" Jiraiya asked.

"It also reflects whether you have any malicious intent against Uzushio," Tanaka didn't hold back. "If you don't have any ill intentions toward Uzushio, the vest will activate, and you'll gain a power similar to the Raikage's Cloak. However, if you do, the vest won't activate. In other words, it can't be used against Uzushio."

Upon hearing this, the three took a deep breath. It was hard to tell what they were feeling.

"As expected of Tanaka-kun~" Shiori, on the other hand, reacted positively. She seemed proud as if she had been the one to create the item.

"Continuing, the rings are the same as the vest," Tanaka said. "Only the gloves and the sword require different words, but they serve the same function; to activate them, you can't have any malicious intent against Uzushio."

Tsunade didn't think twice before removing her own vest, quickly donning the one on the table, and said aloud, "I will never turn against Uzushio, activate!"

When she did so, her eyes lit up as she felt her strength triple, while a blue aura formed around her.

"Incredible!" she exclaimed, opening and closing her fist. "I feel invincible!"

Before activating the gloves, Jiraiya was quicker and used the vest as well, activating it.

"Wow, just wow!" Jiraiya began to understand Tsunade's exaggerated reaction.

"By the Power of Uzumaki, I have the strength: Tsunade!" When she said this with her fist raised to the sky, she felt the gloves adjust to her hands, fitting perfectly. While her strength had already tripled with the vest, she now felt it double. It's worth noting that it was twice the power she had with the vest.

"This, this..." She couldn't even form a complete sentence. It was too unbelievable.

Orochimaru, next to her, grabbed the sword and recited the same words, ending with his own name, but he said them quietly, so it didn't work. Looking a bit embarrassed—a rare sight for him—he blushed slightly and took a deep breath, saying the words aloud.

When it worked, his eyes glowed in a peculiar way.

His voice, seductive with a hint of danger, echoed, "Mm, with this, we should indeed have the power to help Sakumo-sama."

[60+60=120]

After Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade left, Tanaka entered the tent to rest, and Shiori followed him. After all, she had promised to give him a massage.

In the tent, Tanaka sat in a chair, and seeing Shiori's expression, he laughed.

"Are you jealous of them?" Tanaka asked.

Hearing his words, Shiori looked away, and her eyes showed a hint of perplexity.

'Am I jealous?' She didn't even know herself.

"Haven't you realized yet?"

Tanaka's words made her look back at him.

"Your items are better than theirs and... I gave them to you, not lent them. Do you understand the difference?" Tanaka smiled. "And didn't I promise to make you a custom weapon just for you? So, why would you be jealous of them?"

Hearing this, she finally understood. Smiling a little sheepishly, yet feeling happy at the same time, she nodded, "Yes, you're right."