Chapter 118: Takikage
Inside the Hokage's office, Masahiko smiled as he looked at the grave expression on Tobirama's face.
"Tobirama, things got a bit out of hand, didn't they? You so clearly wanted to use this joint Jonin exam to deter the rest of the ninja world. How could the other villages not show off their own unique tricks?"
Tobirama nodded. "Because the war went so smoothly, I suppose I underestimated them a bit."
Masahiko shook his head. "So, what do you plan to do now? That Hangetsu Hōzuki is a hard counter to Duy."
The visitor from the Mist was named Hangetsu Hōzuki. When Masahiko first saw him, he thought he was looking at Suigetsu. He later realized that in this era, the man was likely Suigetsu's father or uncle.
According to Masahiko's perception, the man was capable of the Hydrification Technique, meaning physical attacks were essentially useless against him. This was a severe disadvantage for Might Duy, who only utilized Taijutsu.
Tobirama slowly shook his head. "Hangetsu Hōzuki is troublesome, but his overall strength isn't overwhelming. If Taijutsu reaches a certain level, it can still cause harm. The real trouble I'm talking about is on the Sunagakure side..."
"Sunagakure?" Masahiko paused. "Chiyo's son? He isn't that strong. Tsunade and Jiraiya should be more than enough for him."
"I'm not talking about him. I mean the youth with the deep blue hair. His name is Rasa. As far as I know, he is already at the Jonin level. However, Chiyo insisted that while he has the strength of a Jonin, he hasn't been officially awarded the title by Sunagakure yet, so he is still eligible to participate in the exam."
Masahiko was stunned. "Playing dirty? They really have some nerve. But don't worry, Jiraiya and Tsunade are at the Jonin level themselves now. If it really comes down to it, I don't believe he can beat Duy with the Sixth Gate open."
Tobirama's expression remained solemn. "He is also a Kekkei Genkai ninja. He possesses Magnet Release, which is extremely effective against Taijutsu. According to our intelligence, he is very powerful—likely already at the Elite Jonin level."
"Magnet Release?" Masahiko blinked, carefully recalling the youth's face. After a moment, he fell into deep thought.
"Could it be the future Third Kazekage? No, that doesn't feel right. I don't think he looks like him at all. Did Sasori give him a makeover when he turned him into a puppet? Deep blue hair..." Masahiko couldn't quite remember.
Seeing Tobirama sink into distress, Masahiko shook his head. "They can cheat, so why can't you? Just say Sakumo is also a Chunin, or Orochimaru is close enough. If all else fails, how about your Great-Uncle uses a Transformation Jutsu?"
Tobirama stared blankly for a second, then didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Great-Uncle, you'd go down there just to bully them? If word got out... Forget it. Let's stick to considering Sakumo and Orochimaru."
"There's no need to be so pessimistic. Just wait until your Great-Uncle teaches those children a few trump cards."
Tobirama nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you." He didn't mention the issue of Sakumo and Orochimaru's participation again.
Masahiko was stunned for a moment. He felt like he had just been played by Tobirama...
Before he could investigate further, Tobirama spoke up. "The representatives from the other villages should be arriving one after another soon."
Masahiko smiled. "You don't need to worry about the other villages, Lord Hokage."
Tobirama shook his head. "Just recently, I received a reply from Takigakure. They said the Takikage himself is coming."
"The Takikage?" Masahiko was surprised and confused. "Wasn't the previous Takikage supposedly killed by Onoki? The newly elected Takikage isn't busy stabilizing his village, but is coming here personally?"
Tobirama nodded. "The situation in Takigakure is quite strange. They were nearly wiped out by Iwagakure before. At the critical moment, according to intelligence, they used half of the village's savings to hire a rogue ninja, who managed to protect the village. That rogue ninja must be very strong, and even to this day, we haven't discovered his true identity."
"Furthermore, after the war, Takigakure continued to employ him, making him the Acting Takikage. I just received this intelligence, and I honestly found it hard to believe."
Masahiko also showed a look of surprise. A moment later, he sank into thought.
"Could it be that this rogue ninja was originally from Takigakure?" Masahiko thought to himself. "In the original story, the First War shouldn't have had a subsequent rebellion from small villages because the Great Nations hadn't been severely weakened. But this time, because of the weakness of Kumogakure and the offensive from Amegakure, Takigakure developed ambitions, which led to their near-destruction. In that case..."
Masahiko didn't say much at the moment, but half a month later, the person he and Tobirama met proved his theory.
"You... you're that guy..." Tobirama's face shifted through several expressions.
"Senju Tobirama, younger brother of Senju Hashirama. Current bounty: eighty million Ryo. Uzumaki Masahiko, former Elder of Konoha. Bounty: zero."
Masahiko had been grinning at the sight of an old acquaintance, but those words made his smile freeze on his face.
"My bounty is zero?" The black market wouldn't just assume I'd die of old age, would they?
"Great-Uncle, this guy actually dares to show his face before us. We can't let him get away this time."
Beside them, Kakuzu spoke calmly. "Hokage, I am only here this time because I accepted a commission from Takigakure. I am not here to assassinate you."
Though it was an explanation, it sounded more like he was saying to Tobirama, "I'm not assassinating you today, so you can relax..."
Beside him, Masahiko didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Forget it, Tobirama. Considering the laughter his attempt to 'assassinate' your brother brought to so many people, let him go."
"People?" Tobirama looked blank, feeling like Masahiko had said something he couldn't understand again.
He turned back to Kakuzu. "You are here representing Takigakure. Why are there no Chunin with you?"
Kakuzu shook his head. "Takigakure has no Chunin capable of being promoted to Jonin."
Tobirama's mouth twitched. "You really are looking for a fight!" Faced with Kakuzu, who had once tried to assassinate Hashirama, Tobirama was losing his cool...
"Stay calm, Hokage." Kakuzu maintained his unhurried manner. "I came to inform you that Takigakure is my village now. We will accept war or assassination commissions from Konoha. As long as the price is right, I can personally take action."
Masahiko was stunned. How did it end up like this?
"I recall that in the original story, Kakuzu was a loner. Although he loved money... Wait, money. Could it be that after leading Takigakure for a while, he realized that a whole group of people making money for him is faster than working alone?"
Masahiko chuckled, feeling that this must be the reason.
"Takigakure has turned into a mercenary organization. It feels like this is the biggest change resulting from the First War. In that case, Kakuzu might not necessarily join the Akatsuki... Uh, if Nagato also stays with the Uzumaki, I wonder how many familiar faces will be in the future Akatsuki. Honestly, it's not even certain if the Akatsuki will exist at all."
After thinking for a while, Masahiko realized that Tobirama was arguing with Kakuzu again.
He sighed helplessly and said to Kakuzu, "Alright, we understand your intent."
Kakuzu said nothing, quietly looking at Tobirama.
Tobirama looked at Masahiko, hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded.
As Kakuzu left satisfied, Tobirama asked in confusion, "Great-Uncle, why did you..."
Masahiko waved his hand, interrupting. "His strength is decent. Maybe Konoha can put him to use in the future. The key is his courage—he's brave enough to try and assassinate anyone."
Tobirama blinked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
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