"Huh?"
The Kusa-nins looked at one another, bewildered. The message was abrupt and lacked context.
'Go to Konohagakure to understand the situation?'
All eyes turned toward Kono Osamu. The once-great leader of Kusagakure, now deeply shaken and a shadow of his former self, fell into deep contemplation.
Was this really not the work of the Konoha Kidnappers? It seemed a trip to Konoha was actually necessary. Although the village was powerful and overbearing, if they simply went to ask questions, surely Konoha wouldn't go so far as to eat them alive or detain them without cause.
Takeshi departed Kusagakure.
He had originally intended to head straight for Chiyo, but after considering the implications, Takeshi decided against going directly to her location. Instead, he made for her brother, Ebizo. Chiyo might be getting on in years, but she was still a woman, after all.
It wasn't that he was worried about impropriety between the sexes, he was just a cat, and such things were beneath him. His hesitation stemmed mostly from the fear that the old hag would try to scam him.
That woman had a heart as black as coal, she was capable of anything.
--**--**
''Sunagakure''
In a desolate, remote corner of the wasteland, Ebizo sat alone, fishing rod in hand, enjoying an early retirement.
Someone had to take the fall for the war.
Rasa had just ascended to the position of Kazekage. His prestige was still insufficient, so he couldn't be the one to carry this burden. Although Chiyo had been captured, her importance to the village was unquestionable. That left only him, the one who held power over the Anbu, to shoulder the blame.
"Sigh..."
Ebizo exhaled a long breath, his figure seeming much more hunched than usual. Just then, the fishing hook dipped slightly. He was about to pull up the rod when he suddenly felt a crushing weight land on his body.
A black cat had appeared out of thin air.
'So heavy!'
Caught off guard, Ebizo stumbled off the bank and pitched headfirst toward the river. Fortunately, he was a seasoned Jonin. Just as he was about to crash into the water, he focused chakra into his hands, catching the surface and pushing into a handstand. After two quick somersaults, he landed back on the shore, finally steadying his posture.
Ebizo turned his head, staring at the black cat now sitting on the bank, and took a deep breath.
'Must not get angry.'
Anger affected physical and mental health, which was detrimental to his elderly care regimen. Of course, the main reason was that getting angry was useless, it wouldn't solve anything. He couldn't beat this cat before, and thinking about it now, he definitely couldn't beat him today.
Age was a cruel enemy to a ninja.
He walked back from the water's edge, ignoring the fish he had failed to catch. His attention focused entirely on why the black cat had come here, but asking directly seemed beneath his dignity...
However, before the wise man could tangle himself in thought, Takeshi got straight to the point.
"Where is Granny Chiyo? Never mind, I'll find her myself."
He instantly entered Sage Mode, expanding his sensory range to cover the entirety of Sunagakure.
'She's still there.'
Takeshi breathed a sigh of relief, though he felt a pang of disappointment.
'Is Black Zetsu not coming? Or did I arrive too early?'
He fell into deep thought.
Ebizo stood to the side, a mix of shock and fear taking root in his chest. Only after the cat entered this state did he suddenly realize that the creature's strength was even more terrifying than before. Although he looked the same, the oppressive force radiating from him made it almost impossible to breathe.
The last time Ebizo had felt this way was on the battlefield, facing Hashirama and Madara. That god-like pressure made it impossible to even entertain the thought of being their enemy.
"What exactly are you looking for? My sister... she shouldn't have done anything to provoke Konoha recently, right?"
Ebizo thought for a moment, feeling the need to defend Chiyo.
Since returning from the front lines, although Chiyo remained silent on the surface, she was truly ashamed. She had once considered leaving Sunagakure to live in seclusion, and was only persuaded to stay by Ebizo.
She recognized the reality of Sunagakure's weakness and didn't dare move against Konoha. So, when Takeshi suddenly arrived, Ebizo's first instinct was that the bandits of Konoha were here to blackmail them again.
Takeshi glanced at him and yawned. "Meow~ I received intelligence that someone might want to take Chiyo away, so I came immediately to save her."
"..."
'How do you have the nerve to say that?'
Ebizo complained silently in his heart. 'Isn't the best kidnapper in the world from your village? And aren't you one of the main culprits?' Although Sunagakure wasn't as miserable as the Kirigakure under the Mizukage, their reputation wasn't much better.
He had many words he wanted to say, but they all stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.
Ebizo picked up his fishing rod, preparing to ignore Takeshi and continue his quiet retirement. Takeshi gave him a cold side-eye, knowing this old guy wasn't taking him seriously.
"Old man," Takeshi said deliberately. "You're the scapegoat, aren't you?"
"Scapegoat?" Ebizo frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Meow~ It means Rasa, that brain-dead fool, made the plans, but when he lost, he claimed it was all your idea. You took the fall."
So that's what he meant.
He had indeed taken the fall, and it was a heavy one. Now, he was arguably the most despised existence in all of Sunagakure, bar none, after all, the Shukaku Jinchuriki was now the Kazekage, so public opinion treated him differently.
Ebizo remained silent, ignoring the cat.
"Meow~ Taking the fall and retiring is nice, but this concerns your sister... I went to Kusagakure first. An Anbu ninja disappeared there, a ninja who possessed the ability to resurrect others. So, I immediately came to Sunagakure to check on Chiyo. You savor that thought. Savor it carefully."
Takeshi let the barb land before revealing the core intelligence.
"What?!"
Ebizo froze.
'Resurrection ability...'
The Self-Life Reincarnation Jutsu Chiyo had developed was indeed a form of resurrection, but even Rasa wasn't fully aware of that jutsu, let alone outsiders. How would they have intelligence on Sunagakure's secret techniques?
He felt it was unlikely.
However, for safety's sake, he had to look.
Ebizo stood up, preparing to return to the village center. But when he left the riverbank and reached a vantage point overlooking the settlement, both he and Takeshi saw the streets below in chaos.
People were running back and forth in a panic. Scores of ninja were dashing out, searching the perimeter.
'Something happened!' Ebizo's heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread washing over him.
And Takeshi...
"Uh-oh. Things are going south, meow. Looks like she really was taken."
Takeshi could sense the movement of the Flying Thunder God Mark. He utilized the power of the Six Paths to conceal his chakra signature and floated into the air, avoiding detection by Black Zetsu's sensory abilities.
After Black Zetsu merged with White Zetsu, he could sense conditions across the earth over a massive range. However, with Takeshi's current state, unless Black Zetsu was specifically hunting for him, he would be nearly impossible to spot. Unaware, Black Zetsu wrapped Chiyo up and escaped deep into the earth, moving rapidly.
Chiyo possessed the Self-Life Reincarnation Jutsu.
This was a forbidden technique that transferred one's life force to others. Black Zetsu had sensed and investigated it before, but his consideration at the time was that he couldn't let Madara continue living, so he hadn't informed him.
Now that the situation had changed, he had to deploy the backup plan.
'Restore Madara's combat power and deal with Nagato first.'
Black Zetsu secretly formulated his strategy. His logic wasn't flawed, circumstances change, and plans must adapt. But what he didn't expect was that while he tunneled underground, a cat was flying overhead, tracking his exact position. Nor did he notice the Flying Thunder God mark tagged on Chiyo.
Takeshi's mark was incredibly concealed, a system-improved product. Only someone like Madara, who had studied how to counter the Flying Thunder God specifically, could find it. Someone like Black Zetsu would struggle to discover it, and even if he did, he lacked the ability to remove it quickly. He had to prioritize securing the target.
"Quick! Save her!"
Ebizo was frantic, no longer caring what kind of creature Takeshi was.
The black cat glanced at him and said nothing.
'Who are you acting tough with?'
Did he think Takeshi would work for free?
Besides, if he saved her now, who would lead the way to Madara? If he alerted the enemy here, getting Madara and Black Zetsu to reveal themselves again would be difficult.
Ebizo realized his tone was wrong and wanted to beg, but for a moment, he didn't know what to offer.
If he aimed too high, he couldn't pay it. If he aimed too low, the black cat wouldn't even look at it.
Could he only watch Chiyo be taken away? In his anxiety, a question flashed through Ebizo's mind.
"How did he take Chiyo by force? And how will he make my sister use the Self-Life Reincarnation Jutsu?"
"Meow. He has a type of spiritual control technique. A manipulation jutsu more terrible than Konoha's Yamanaka clan. Actually, our Uchiha clan also suffered from it, so this time it wasn't our doing. I'm hunting them too."
'More terrible than the Yamanaka clan? It's over.'
Ebizo felt his blood run cold.
That explained it. The Yamanaka clan's secret techniques could forcibly dig memories from an enemy's brain. If the opponent was more terrifying than them, and even the Uchiha had fallen victim... how in the hell could they save her?
As for asking the black cat to act...
It was painful. He couldn't afford it!
"Help me get Chiyo back," Ebizo said, his voice desperate. "As long as it doesn't involve the village, secrets, or ninjutsu... I will agree to any condition."
"Mortal, this Sage accepts your trade."
*Whoosh.*
The black cat vanished.
Of course, Takeshi wasn't really going to chase them down and retrieve Chiyo immediately. He was simply tracking them to ensure Black Zetsu didn't get so far ahead that he couldn't catch up.
He had agreed to save the person, but he didn't specify 'when'. As long as she was alive in the end, the contract was fulfilled. Anyway, preventing Madara from reaching full power also required stopping Black Zetsu from using the resurrection jutsu. Even if Ebizo hadn't said anything, Chiyo's life would likely have been preserved in the end.
So, why not get paid for it?
===============
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