This was because the materials that constituted Susanoo were too advanced. Even with Divine Craft Refinement, it required a certain amount of time and sufficient chakra to refine it.
In the ninja world, "Qi" naturally became "chakra."
But this was the least of Kawaki Aoba's worries. With the blessing of the Blue Potion, his chakra was practically limitless.
However, even with an abundant supply of chakra, it took Kawaki Aoba a full three days and nights to refine Susanoo. Nearly half of that time was spent refining its core.
Divine Craft Refinement took so long that Kawaki Aoba found it hard to imagine how long it would take a normal artificer. Conservatively speaking, without sufficient talent and resources, refining a being like Susanoo would take at least ten to twenty years.
Fortunately, his hard work paid off. After the refining was complete, Kawaki Aoba gained full control over Susanoo.
Since he had invested so much effort, Kawaki Aoba naturally had high expectations. The strengthening materials he had prepared were unimaginably luxurious.
With a wave of his hand, he pulled out a large pile of rare items from his altar space.
> "Dimensional Array: Shangri-La — the ability to transfer space — this is a must.
If you encounter an enemy too strong to defeat, escape must be an option.
> What? Imperial Arms can't normally use Imperial Arms? That's nonsense!
Can't I just reforge it using Divine Craft Refinement?"
Next, he produced the Romantic Artillery: Pumpkin — a powerful long-range weapon from the Akame ga Kill! world.
> "A long-range attack method is necessary.
What? Romantic Artillery converts mental power into energy, and Susanoo doesn't have a mind of its own?
That's a problem, but it doesn't matter. Divine Craft Refinement can fix it — I'll just link chakra to replace mental energy."
He also prepared remote control modules, allowing Kawaki Aoba's will to directly command Susanoo when needed.
Energy replenishment was another issue. If Susanoo strayed too far, it would be difficult to supply chakra externally.
However, Susanoo's biological structure — resembling a living creature — could naturally store massive chakra reserves.
> "If that's not enough," Kawaki Aoba mused,
"I'll just refine a few chakra cores inside it."
This way, even powerful forbidden techniques like the Secret Technique: Calamity Soul Manifestation could be activated.
Attack power was solved. Self-healing was excellent. But the defense still worried him.
Susanoo's structure was now very intricate. Any serious damage could lead to catastrophic failure.
How to solve this?
Suddenly, he remembered — the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit), a Logia-class Devil Fruit from One Piece that grants sand elemental powers.
> "Weapons and objects can eat Devil Fruits," Kawaki Aoba recalled from his research.
"Since Susanoo is a biological Imperial Arm, it should be possible."
With some expectation, Kawaki Aoba retrieved the Sand-Sand Fruit and offered it to Susanoo.
Without hesitation, Susanoo bit into it — and immediately grimaced.
> "Ugh."
Even without human taste buds, Susanoo nearly spat it out. As the manga established, Devil Fruits taste disgusting, no matter who eats them.
However, the physiological reaction proved that the fruit had taken effect.
As Kawaki Aoba had anticipated, Susanoo successfully gained the full powers of the Sand-Sand Fruit.
It could control sand, turn into sand (elementalization), and manipulate the desert terrain itself.
Because it was a crafted being and not a normal Devil Fruit user, Susanoo did not require slow mastery of its abilities — it could immediately wield the full power of the Sand-Sand Fruit without the usual learning curve.
In terms of power scaling, Susanoo had now become an epic-level entity:
Long-range attacks: Romantic Artillery: Pumpkin.
Close-to-mid-range combat: Full use of Crocodile's sand-based skills, including sand blades, quicksand fields, and sandstorms.
Elementalization: Making Susanoo virtually untouchable.
Energy reserves: Kawaki Aoba refined 108 chakra cores into Susanoo's body, allowing it to store over one thousand 'kā' of chakra — more chakra than even three Tailed Beasts like Shukaku.
Compared to tailless Tailed Beast clones (Pseudo-Jinchuriki), Susanoo was simply on a different level.
And the most broken upgrade?
The Dimensional Array: Shangri-La, embedded directly inside Susanoo's core.
This not only allowed for teleportation but also banishment techniques, letting Susanoo remove enemies from battlefields entirely.
To be honest, even Kawaki Aoba — Susanoo's creator — wasn't sure he could defeat it if they fought seriously.
Feeling reassured, he finally entrusted Susanoo with an extremely dangerous mission.
That night, under the cover of darkness, Susanoo silently vanished into the vast desert.
---
Several days later — Land of Earth.
Inside a rocky cave that barely qualified as hidden, four figures entered one after another.
> "Pui, pui, pui!
This damn Land of Earth is too harsh,"
grumbled Suikazan Fuguki, the fattest among them.
"Nothing but stones and wastelands!
The good spots are all controlled by nobles.
Every time we show ourselves, those annoying Iwagakure ninjas get notified immediately."
> "Enough," snapped Kurosuki Raiga, who had already become Kawaki Aoba's loyal subordinate.
"Waiting a few more days won't kill you."
These four were none other than the Third Raikage and the Lucky Three Treasures — a team Kawaki Aoba had assembled.
More than ten days ago, they had converged on the Land of Earth.
Following Kawaki Aoba's orders, they caused disturbances across the region to lure out the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
But recently, Kawaki Aoba had ordered them to lay low.
He had acquired Divine Craft Refinement and was busy refining Susanoo, intending to test both Susanoo and Madara Uchiha personally.
Hence, he ordered the group to remain hidden, delaying their original plan.
This led to growing frustration. They were now wanted by Iwagakure, and any appearance in towns would trigger a full-blown pursuit led by Onoki himself.
Originally, their plan was to use this chaos to bait Onoki and other Iwagakure elites into a trap.
Now, stranded in barren lands, barely able to find food or water, the undead group was suffering.
While the Undead Curse prevented them from dying again, hunger and thirst were still agonizing.
---
Two more days passed.
Finally, the Third Raikage lost his patience.
With a roar, he smashed a massive boulder with a single punch.
> "We were told to wait here after sending the signal!
It's been days! Is this guy even coming?!
Isn't he just another rat hiding in the shadows? What's there to fear?
I could crush him myself without even breaking a sweat!"
The Lucky Trio exchanged glances but said nothing.
Inwardly, however, they agreed:
With their combined strength, they shouldn't have to cower before any hidden enemy.
It wasn't like every guy hiding in the shadows was as twisted as their leader.
However, at that moment, a sudden commotion came from outside the cave. Someone was approaching—boldly, without even bothering to suppress their footsteps.
"Sorry, I was delayed a bit on the road, so I'm late. You don't mind, right?"
A man calling himself Susanoo strolled into the cave, greeting the four individuals under Kawaki Seiyu's control.
None of the four responded. They merely stared at him with cold, wary eyes.
"You're the guy who made us wait here for so long? You look unfamiliar. Kid, you're not exactly a famous figure in the ninja world, are you?"
Kurosuki Samehada spoke coldly.
"Compared to you all, my reputation is indeed insignificant. But don't forget—during the leader's absence, you are to follow my orders," Susanoo replied calmly.
"That's indeed the guy's order," Samehada muttered, "but if you expect to command me without proving your strength, forget it. Hey, kid—are you alive or dead?"
This time, it was the Third Raikage, A, who asked, testing Susanoo's nature and connection to the mysterious man who had resurrected them.
If Susanoo wasn't like them, if he wasn't an undead puppet, then he must have had a direct relationship with that man.
After all, Kumogakure had tried for years to uncover the origin of that white-haired man who had defied death itself.
Perhaps, by probing Susanoo, they could finally get answers.
Yet Susanoo's response only deepened the mystery.
"It seems the Third Raikage is curious about my background. Fine, I'll tell you. Although my situation is different from yours, I am not alive either. As for strength… you're welcome to test it yourself."
Hearing this, the Third Raikage let out a booming laugh.
"Kid, you said it yourself. Don't blame me if you get torn apart!"
The ground beneath the Raikage cracked as his Lightning Release Chakra Mode instantly activated. A blinding electric light enveloped his body, sharpening his reflexes and amplifying his strength beyond that of a normal shinobi.
Without hesitation, the Third Raikage became a streak of lightning, launching forward with terrifying speed.
In an instant, he unleashed his signature technique—Hell Stab: Four-Finger Spear Hand—aimed straight at Susanoo's chest.
Susanoo, however, stood completely still, making no move to dodge.
The Raikage's fingers, crackling with lightning chakra, pierced directly through Susanoo's chest—and yet the expected sensation was...wrong.
Instead of flesh and bone, it felt like plunging into something granular and loose, like a collapsing sand dune.
Moreover, there was no blood.
The Third Raikage came to a sliding halt, frowning deeply. He glanced over his shoulder—and what he saw confirmed his suspicions.
Susanoo's left chest had been obliterated—but instead of blood, a torrent of golden-yellow sand swirled around him, rapidly flowing back into the hole and regenerating his body.
Nearby, the trio of observers—the so-called Lucky Trio—were equally astonished.
They had seen techniques that allowed the body to liquefy before—such as the Hydrification Technique of the Hozuki Clan from Kirigakure.
But this was different.
The Raikage's Hell Stab wasn't ordinary taijutsu; it combined physical might with Lightning Release chakra, which should have pierced through and disintegrated even the toughest flesh.
Yet Susanoo's body regenerated seamlessly, as if nin-taijutsu itself could not harm him.
Terrifying.
"Well? How's my ability? Is it impressive enough for the Third Raikage?"
Susanoo asked with a light laugh.
The Third Raikage snorted, folding his arms across his chest.
"Hmph. It's barely passable," he said, but deep down, he acknowledged Susanoo's strength.
"Oh? In that case..."
Susanoo clapped his hands together.
A massive, glowing blue array unfolded beneath their feet, enclosing everyone inside.
Before they could react, the scenery around them twisted and blurred.
In the blink of an eye, they had been transported somewhere else entirely.
"This is—Space-Time Ninjutsu!" the Third Raikage exclaimed.
They now stood on a hill overlooking a sprawling city. After a brief glance, the Third Raikage recognized it—it was a major city in the Land of Earth.
And more importantly, Onoki, the current Third Tsuchikage, was residing there.
The way they looked at Susanoo had changed drastically.
If his sand-like body had merely earned their caution, then this instantaneous mass teleportation—without any preparation or seals—was truly terrifying.
It was even faster and broader in scope than the famous Flying Thunder God Technique of the Fourth Hokage.
"Well? Now do I qualify to command you?" Susanoo asked, smiling faintly.
No one answered.
Even the proud Third Raikage remained silent.
Though unwilling to admit it, he realized that for now, there was no simple way to overcome Susanoo's strange powers.
"Good. Then let's get started."
Susanoo's voice grew sharper.
"In that city are many of Iwagakure's top fighters—including Onoki himself. Your task is simple: lure them here. Once they arrive… leave the rest to me."
Without a word of protest, the Third Raikage and the Lucky Trio moved out.
Deep down, the Third Raikage still harbored curiosity.
Who was the enemy so formidable that even the man who revived them had felt fear?
Although he had acted brashly, in truth, he took the situation very seriously.
Now was the perfect opportunity to test things—and better yet, they had the expendable stone ninja of Iwagakure as cannon fodder.
After arriving at the city outskirts, the four didn't even need to act suspiciously.
Simply being spotted was enough.
Before long, word spread through Iwagakure, and the alarm reached Onoki himself.
The cautious old Tsuchikage immediately realized something was wrong.
The four resurrected shinobi, who had been hiding for days, now parading openly under his nose?
It was obviously a trap.
But still—this was his village. He had no choice but to confront the threat head-on.
Onoki quickly gathered a squad of elite jōnin, including Higashi Jini (whom Kawaki Seiyu had once impersonated) and several members of the Iwagakure demolition corps.
Even without Onoki personally leading them, such a force was more than formidable.
As Onoki floated into the air, glaring down at the approaching Third Raikage, he shouted:
"Ai! I never thought I'd live to see the day when the proud Raikage of Kumogakure would take orders from a boy no one's ever heard of. How shameful for your village!"
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