With the snakeberry as a reward, Tagitsuhime was finally motivated. The perception abilities of her Senjutsu Chakra began to activate.
"Sensei, what's Tagitsuhime doing?"
Haku watched as Tagitsuhime coiled up, closed her snake eyes, and remained perfectly still. His curiosity got the better of him.
In response, Kazuyama gave a simple explanation.
"Haku, you have to understand—even though we usually train with chakra, chakra isn't everything in this world."
"Some people can't extract chakra at all, so they can't become ninja. But others can push chakra to a much higher level."
"That's Senjutsu, also called natural energy. Your sister, Tagitsuhime, is a crimson serpent who's been cultivating for who knows how many years."
"Senjutsu Chakra has a unique trait—it lets you sense people and things around you."
"For now, just focus on your ninjutsu training. Once you grow strong enough to stand on your own, maybe you'll get a shot at Senjutsu too."
As he said that, Kazuyama wasn't thinking about the Three Great Sage Lands. What came to his mind was Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had successfully studied Senjutsu. With Jūgo—a natural energy vessel—the refinement of the Cursed Seal had progressed faster than expected. If the Cursed Seal could be brought under control, even a pseudo-Senjutsu body would be a valuable asset.
After all, fighting the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki would absolutely require Senjutsu energy. Having someone around who could wield natural energy was definitely a win.
But then a thought struck him—if the Ten-Tails actually showed up... Wait, what about him? What was he supposed to do??
Damn it! He was the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki! No way—he had to eliminate Akatsuki fast. They couldn't be allowed to succeed!
"Tagitsuhime, what—"
"Kazuyama, something's wrong. The northern part of the island—there's chaos erupting over there."
"From the looks of it, seems like Kumo is behind it?"
What?! What's going on? Kumo's attacking? Seriously? There's a peace treaty in place! How could they be so bold?
"Tagitsuhime, you're not joking, right?"
"There's no way Kumo could push into the Land of Water, could they?"
Kazuyama's eyes widened in disbelief. Seeing his doubt, Tagitsuhime nearly lost it.
"You still don't believe me?"
"Why don't you just fly up and see for yourself??"
"The fighting in the north is intense."
Kazuyama didn't waste any more time. He activated his Transparent Escape Technique and jumped straight out the window. Before leaving, he called back:
"Tagitsuhime, watch over Haku. I'll be right back."
Since he hadn't gathered natural energy beforehand and didn't have the Coiling Serpent Technique, he couldn't use Senjutsu to fly. Instead, two wings spread from his waist, and he soared into the sky.
That saying, "The higher you are, the more you see," turned out to be spot on. From the sky, Kazuyama saw the chaos Tagitsuhime had mentioned.
But it wasn't Kumo ninja attacking... it looked more like... pirates?
Just like there were bandits on land, there were pirates at sea. But why would pirates storm the shore to raid like this?
Something felt off. To confirm his suspicion, Kazuyama flew straight toward the center of the battle.
"Hurry! Everyone, move faster!"
"Hey! Stop grabbing useless junk! Take the valuable stuff—do I have to spell it out for you?"
A pirate captain barked angrily at his crew, clearly frustrated with their incompetence. But the way he acted—it just didn't seem like he was cut out for this line of work.
"Uh... Team—I mean, Boss! Don't worry, we'll grab all the expensive stuff!"
"Yeah! If it looks valuable, don't hesitate—take it all!"
This pirate group was massive—easily over a hundred people.
From above, Kazuyama watched the clearly unskilled pirates and couldn't help falling into thought. Right then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Hey, Kazuyama, don't they remind you of your old disciples?"
"Just starting out, all excited and reckless... but they can't get anything right."
Chōmei commented while snacking on bugs. Kazuyama nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I had the same thought earlier."
"Looks like Kumo picked up a few tricks. They're just doing to others what was done to them."
"And with all those rags? Gotta admit, their acting's decent."
He was now certain—this group of pirates was actually Kumo ninja in disguise, raiding the most prosperous Northern Three Islands of the Land of Water.
"Hm? Looks like Kirigakure won't sit by and let their country suffer."
"That was fast..."
"The one in the lead... that sword..."
Suddenly, a figure caught Kazuyama's eye—a massive executioner's blade, and a face covered in tattoos.
Wasn't that Biwa Jūzō? Hadn't he already left Kirigakure? What was he still doing here?
Weird...
"Hmph! Pirates? I doubt it."
"Shameless Kumo ninja, stooping to such disgraceful tactics?"
"Water Release! Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Biwa Jūzō was a high-ranking figure in Kirigakure. Like Kazuyama, he'd been through war, and he had serious doubts about the pirates' identities.
At a time like this, the only ones bold enough to hit the Land of Water so openly could only be Kumogakure.
The clash began almost immediately.
Watching the chaos unfold, Kazuyama suddenly grinned wickedly.
"Hey, Kazuyama, that smile's creepy. What are you planning?"
"You're not gonna take advantage of the chaos, are you??"
Chōmei's comment made Kazuyama burst into laughter, goose-like and loud.
"Quack quack quack~ You guessed it! That's exactly what I'm gonna do."
"With everything this messy, even if I make a move, Kirigakure won't suspect me."
Kazuyama wasn't the type to leave a feast untouched. With an opportunity like this, how could he possibly resist?
Without hesitation, he dove straight down. His speed stunned even Chōmei.
"Tsk tsk tsk. I thought Kumo had it rough, but damn... I really underestimated you."
"No matter which village you show up in, they're doomed to bad luck."
Kazuyama couldn't care less what Chōmei thought. With a mountain of treasure right in front of him, nothing else mattered anymore.