The ripple effect in Konoha was imdiate. Many ninja clans and smaller families who had once been staunch supporters of Sakumo Hatake began to waver.
A hundred million ryo was no small sum; for a village recovering from a world war, it was a loss that cut deep into the bone.
Sakumo remained silent throughout the ordeal. He spent his days at ho, isolated, thodically sharpening the short white blade that had been his constant companion for years.
The Third Hokage made public statents claiming the failure was due to unforeseen circumstances beyond Sakumo's control, but against the overwhelming tide of gossip, his defense felt thin and powerless.
The Wilderness: A Chance Encounter
Two weeks after leaving Takigakure, Naoto found himself walking down a desolate trail. He had already completed three missions—two B-ranks and one A-rank—all with clinical efficiency.
The pay was good, and the village coffers were benefiting, but the "reputation" Shisui spoke of hadn't quite materialized yet.
In the vast shinobi world, a few successful A-rank missions for a minor village like Takigakure were barely a footnote.
"I need sothing bigger," he muttered.
Suddenly, he stopped. Perched on a massive boulder ahead was a man. He wore a heavy black cloak and a mask that covered most of his face, leaving only a pair of cold, erald-green eyes visible.
The air around him felt heavy and stagnant, saturated with a disturbing, predatory aura.
Naoto's pupils contracted. He recognized the man—or rather, the forehead protector he still wore, crossed out with a deep horizontal gash.
"Kakuzu."
The man hopped down from the rock, cracking his neck with a dull thud. "You know ?"
"Your bounty is the highest on Takigakure's list," Naoto said, slowly lowering his center of gravity into a combat stance. "Why are you here?"
Kakuzu didn't answer imdiately. Instead, he scanned Naoto with a clinical, almost appreciative eye. "The Earth Grudge Fear... so you're the junior who managed to survive the cultivation?"
Naoto's heart skipped a beat. This wasn't a coincidence; Kakuzu had co looking for him.
Kakuzu let out a dry, rasping chuckle. "The Jigenbu is mine. I killed those useless elders and stole the scrolls. I didn't think anyone else would have the compatibility to master it after all these years."
He seed montarily lost in thought. To Kakuzu, the Earth Grudge Fear was a unique, singular path. Seeing it in soone else was jarring.
He didn't sense the exact sa "flavor" of chakra—Naoto's aura was different—but the chanical nature of the technique was unmistakable. They were of the sa species, though they had integrated different "materials."
"Let's see how well you've mastered my technique."
Before the sentence finished, Kakuzu vanished.
Naoto's instincts scread. White tendrils erupted from his body, weaving into a thick defensive shield in front of him. A split second later, Kakuzu's fist slamd into the barrier.
BOOM!
The impact sent Naoto skidding backward, his boots carving deep furrows in the earth for over ten ters before he regained his balance.
"Good reaction. But too slow," Kakuzu's voice drifted from his flank.
This ti, Kakuzu's arm distorted, the skin splitting as five black threads shot out like harpoons.
Earth Grudge Fear: Tentacle Punch!
Naoto gritted his teeth, unleashing his own hardened white threads. The black and white filants collided in mid-air, creating a screeching, tallic sound as they ground against each other.
"Oh? Using my own style against ?" Kakuzu's eyes flashed with interest. He noted Naoto's bounty—it was still too low to bother harvesting.
He needed to "grow" this junior a bit more. "Let's see whose threads are harder!"
The wilderness erupted into a blur of monochromatic violence. Naoto was strong, but facing the original master of the technique was like a student fighting a textbook.
Kakuzu had lived and breathed this art for decades; Naoto had barely practiced for two years. The gap was imnse.
However, Naoto had the advantage of youth and a specialized mutation. Because of Shisui's previous toxicity experints, Naoto's threads were coated in a subtle, paralyzing neurotoxin. With every clash, a trace amount was injected into Kakuzu's system.
Gradually, Kakuzu noticed a slight lag in his joints. His chakra flow was becoming turbulent.
"Poison?" He narrowed his eyes, backing off several yards. "Interesting. Where did a Takigakure brat learn such underhanded tricks?"
Naoto didn't answer, preparing his next strike. Kakuzu suddenly relaxed his stance. "That's enough for today."
He turned his back, walking away without a hint of fear. "Next ti we et, I'll be serious. We'll see then if your version of the Jigenbu is worthy of inheriting my legacy."
Naoto stood alone in the clearing, breathing heavily. He was covered in lacerations, and his chakra was nearly depleted. Yet, he felt a strange realization. That man... hadn't truly tried to kill him.
The Deep Palace
Shisui listened to the report with a slight, knowing tilt of his head. "So, Kakuzu finally heard the rumors and hunted you down."
He remained silent for a mont. Kakuzu had engaged but hadn't finished the job. What did that an? Did the old miser still feel a shred of kinship toward his ho village, or at least the legacy of the technique he stole? Or perhaps he was just waiting for Naoto's bounty to ripen? Either way, it was an opening.
"The next ti he finds you, fight him," Shisui commanded.
Naoto blinked. "Fight? I can't beat him."
"I'm not asking you to beat him; I'm asking you to learn from him. He has used that technique for eighty years. Every movent, every weave, is a masterclass in survival. One fight with him is worth a year of solo training."
Naoto nodded slowly.
"And one more thing," Shisui added. "If the opportunity arises, try to recruit him. He is exactly the kind of man we need."
"Recruit him?" Naoto was skeptical. "Would a man like that ever co back?"
Shisui didn't answer imdiately. He turned to a nearby petri dish where the Seven-Tails-infused aquatic insect had grown significantly.
Its body was now almost entirely transparent, glowing with a vibrant purple luminescence. Next to it, several new eggs were beginning to pulse in rhythm.
"He'll co back," Shisui smiled. "The fact that he spared you proves he's not as hollow as he pretends to be."
As Naoto left the chamber, he looked back at the glowing insects. Shisui seed more enigmatic than ever, his plans stretching out like an invisible web over the entire continent.
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