Sometimes, Kitagawa Minamoto couldn't help but wonder if he was fated to clash with the Akatsuki.
Otherwise, how could he encounter them so often?
Thinking back to his very first mission, he had already crossed paths with them. Since then, their entanglements had never ceased.
And for the Akatsuki members, without having complete intelligence on him, each one of them had ended up as victims.
"So, this time, is it because of Orochimaru that the Akatsuki are targeting us?"
Minamoto wasn't entirely sure, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Akatsuki were lying in ambush. After all, he had outplayed them so many times.
What goes around comes around, and besides, he was now aware of their movements.
"What's the matter? Is the Fourth Raikage still fuming?"
Minamoto's mind was filled with questions, but Jiraiya didn't know about any of this. Seeing Minamoto emerge, he asked casually.
"That guy sure has a temper. Ever since he woke up, it's been nothing but shouting threats. What a pain."
"Tch, if your arm got cut off, would you be able to stay calm?"
Tsunade shot Jiraiya a disdainful look, making him scratch his head awkwardly.
"That depends on the situation, I guess. But are you really saying there's no way to fix his arm?"
Although Minamoto's Lightning Release had left the arm in terrible condition, Tsunade was still the strongest medical ninja.
Even though she had said "it's impossible," Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder if it was truly impossible or if there was another reason.
"Alright, Jiraiya-sama, let's focus on what to do next," Kakashi interjected, cutting off the conversation.
At this point, it didn't matter whether it was possible or not. In fact, this situation might even work to their advantage.
"We should head back soon, and we also need to figure out how to handle the Raikage. Has there been any response from the Third Hokage?"
"The old man told us to take good care of him and avoid further conflicts. He also advised us to be cautious on our way back," Jiraiya said, recalling Hiruzen Sarutobi's instructions.
"The commotion we caused in the Land of Cedars was too big. Kumogakure will likely catch wind of it, so we need to be careful."
"Indeed, and I've looked into it recently. It seems they were here for the secret techniques of the Land of Cedars," Kakashi added, nodding.
"They probably succeeded, but some unexpected complications led them to seek out Tsunade-sama. Still, Kumogakure won't stay quiet for long with the Raikage gone for so long."
"Those guys are nothing but bandits. They haven't changed at all over the years. Honestly, being around you lot is nothing but trouble," Tsunade grumbled.
She had been looking forward to a carefree life of drinking and gambling.
Now, not only was her favorite gambling spot destroyed, but she was also caught up in a mess.
Perhaps the only silver lining was that her debts were finally cleared?
"So, what do we do now?"
Minamoto asked curiously. He was well aware that the Akatsuki were still lurking.
Should they let the Akatsuki fight amongst themselves?
That might be tricky. If the Akatsuki reached a consensus, it would be bad news for him.
"Why don't we pass through the Land of Waterfalls?" Jiraiya suddenly suggested, stroking his chin.
"We're close to the Land of Waterfalls anyway, and from there, we can directly enter the Land of Fire.
We could also send the Fourth Raikage to the Land of Iron through the Land of Waterfalls.
If necessary, the old man could meet us at the border to decide our next steps."
"The Land of Waterfalls, huh?"
Hearing this, Minamoto's thoughts immediately turned to Kakuzu—and to something else.
"The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki is in the Land of Waterfalls."
In his memory, the Seven-Tails was one of the more peculiar Tailed Beasts.
Despite having many tails, its combat power seemed to be among the weakest of the Tailed Beasts.
Logically, the strength of a Tailed Beast should correspond to the number of tails.
For example, Kurama, the Nine-Tails, and Gyūki, the Eight-Tails, were both incredibly powerful.
Especially the Nine-Tails. Even with only half its Chakra, it was still overwhelmingly strong.
Who knew how much favoritism Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki had shown when dividing the Ten-Tails' power?
"But the Seven-Tails, despite having the third-highest number of tails, seems to have no standout abilities aside from flying.
Its attack style is somewhat like Deidara's, and its defense is decent, but that's about it."
Minamoto couldn't quite wrap his head around it, but he knew the Seven-Tails was in the Land of Waterfalls.
"If I could take advantage of this opportunity..."
His heart couldn't help but race at the thought.
The Chakra he had obtained from the Three-Tails last time had significantly enhanced his abilities, particularly his eyes.
He had always wondered how to acquire more Tailed Beast Chakra, but he remained cautious.
For instance, he hadn't gone after Sora at the Fire Temple, not because he couldn't, but because he was concerned about the differences between System-provided Tailed Beast Chakra and what he might capture himself.
"The Three-Tails' Chakra from the System didn't have any noticeable drawbacks. It integrated smoothly into my body.
But..."
Kurama was inherently powerful, and Konohagakure's monitoring and detection of its Chakra were exceptionally strict.
No one wanted a repeat of the "Nine-Tails Night," so Minamoto had to be extremely cautious.
But this time...
"If I get a chance to test it, it'll make things much easier in the future!"
Minamoto made up his mind. He would try no matter what!
Even if it didn't work out this time, he would return for another attempt.
"The Land of Waterfalls... Oh, right, that reminds me of something," Minamoto said, pretending to ponder.
"During a mission with Kakashi-sensei and Guy-sensei, we encountered a rogue ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village."
"The one with multiple hearts?"
Jiraiya immediately recalled the report Minamoto had given him. Tsunade, however, frowned.
"A rogue ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village?"
"Yes, a very strong one. According to Minamoto, this guy had multiple hearts and was extremely difficult to kill."
Hearing this, Kakashi, who had been quietly reading a book, looked up.
"Our knowledge of him is limited to what we observed during combat.
We couldn't find any concrete information, and even the Hokage's inquiries to the Hidden Waterfall Village went unanswered."
"In that case, let's go investigate!" Jiraiya decided.
Though they were already dealing with plenty of trouble, he wasn't about to pass up on Akatsuki-related intel.
If they could uncover the truth about this rogue ninja, they might even avoid some future scolding.
"Fine, I have no objections," Tsunade said, nodding.
Shizune, holding Tonton in her arms, quickly nodded as well. Whatever Tsunade decided, she would follow.
"But what about the Fourth Raikage? That guy's a real headache."
"That's actually easy to handle," Minamoto said with a sudden smile, cutting off Jiraiya and Kakashi before they could respond.
"We'll drop him off in a crowded area and leave immediately.
Let him find his own way back.
Then..."
As he spoke, Minamoto made a tying motion with his hands, then pulled them apart forcefully.
He looked at Tsunade with innocent, "clear" eyes.
"Just like that, the problem's solved.
Anyway, I've left a Flying Thunder God mark on him, so we can track him if needed.
I'll erase the mark later, and by the time they realize what's happened, there'll be no evidence left.
Plus, this will deal a heavy blow to Kumogakure's morale. It's a win-win!"
"..."
Tsunade took a sharp breath and turned to Jiraiya and Kakashi.
She found them both looking equally stunned, though not as shocked as she was.
For a moment, her mind buzzed.
Was this the first time something like this had happened?
"Jiraiya, is this what you've been teaching him?"
"No, no, no! He's Kakashi's student! Kakashi's!"
"It's the academy's fault! I've been trying to correct him!" Kakashi protested.
Tsunade sighed, exasperated.
What kind of harebrained scheme was this?
Still, the sheer cunning of it reminded her of her granduncle, the Second Hokage.
The Flying Thunder God Technique had turned the tide in their favor during the battle with the Raikage.
And now, this underhanded plan was just as devious.
"It seems Konohagakure's problems aren't limited to its medical system.
Its education system is clearly flawed too—how else could they produce someone like this?"
"..."
Minamoto was speechless as he looked at Tsunade.
Just then, his System flashed.
[Reward Calculation Complete]
[Reward Obtained: Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release: Taijutsu]
Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Cedars, the Akatsuki members had gathered.
Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki had been transported by Obito Uchiha, while Nagato remained hidden, guarded by Konan.
Pain's Deva Path would lead this operation.
Upon arriving in the Land of Cedars, they didn't act immediately.
They needed to pinpoint Minamoto's group and make necessary preparations.
Just as impatience began to set in, a Zetsu clone emerged.
"I've found their location. They've entered the Land of Waterfalls."
"The Land of Waterfalls?"
Obito frowned.
"Are they planning to return to Konohagakure through the Land of Waterfalls?"
"That seems to be the case. Don't forget about Kakuzu," Black Zetsu said in a low voice.
"Although Kakuzu lost to them, they didn't seem to gather much intel on him.
So..."
"They're using this opportunity to investigate?" Itachi guessed, though he had his doubts.
"But aren't they still carrying the Fourth Raikage? Aren't they worried about complications?"
"Hmph, with the Flying Thunder God Technique, they have nothing to fear," Obito said coldly, his tone bitter.
He had suffered greatly at the hands of that technique.
"As long as they've marked the Fourth Raikage, he won't be able to escape."
"This is fine," Pain interjected.
"Now that we know their destination, we can set up an ambush.
This will minimize unnecessary complications."
"I have no objections," Obito agreed.
The Hidden Waterfall Village was long past its prime, but it still housed a Tailed Beast.
Even if the Seven-Tails was considered weak, it wouldn't hurt to check on its status.
And an ambush was always a reliable tactic.
"Let's move out," Pain said, wasting no time.
Itachi remained silent but followed Pain's lead.
Kisame, grinning, finally spoke up.
"Well, they're off. Shall we go too?"
"Hmph."
Obito snorted, clearly displeased with Pain's attitude.
But Kisame's demeanor remained cheerful.
"By the way, the Flying Thunder God Technique really is terrifying.
You seem to know a lot about it, don't you?"
To Obito's surprise, Kisame suddenly lowered his voice and asked,
"Last time in Kirigakure, that brat managed to hit you, and later launched a surprise attack.
Forgive me for asking, but... are you...?"
As Kisame spoke, he couldn't help but glance up and down at Obito.
"..."
Even though he understood Kisame's concerns were reasonable, the question—and that scrutinizing gaze—infuriated Obito.
He realized Kisame wasn't as simple as he appeared.
(End of Chapter)
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