"Ōnoki stopped chasing. Damn, you even know Konan's technique?"
Jiraiya was completely numb.
Ice Release, Paper Release, and just now… was that a Tailed Beast transformation?
"I studied a bit, got lucky, that's all," Kyoichi said humbly.
He had already sealed up the breach, locking the Tailed Beast Chakra within the Yin Seal.
At this moment, his body was covered in burns.
For someone who wasn't a Jinchūriki, using the rampaging power of a Tailed Beast wasn't without consequences.
But…
Compared to the power he gained, this price was negligible.
Kyoichi was a little excited.
This was just the Four-Tails—how strong would the Nine-Tails be?
Of course…
It would also be much harder to suppress and control.
With his current abilities, if he were to borrow the Nine-Tails' chakra, he probably wouldn't be able to use any ninjutsu at the same time—
Just like how most people couldn't use ninjutsu after opening the Third Gate of the Eight Gates.
As for the Four-Tails…
The amount that leaked out was barely manageable.
However…
If he maintained the Tailed Beast state for too long, his entire body would be infiltrated by its chakra, leading to the same issue.
So…
His Tailed Beast state had a time limit.
This needed further testing.
Jiraiya watched as Kyoichi sealed, wrapped up, summoned, and teleported everything into Shikkotsu Forest in one seamless motion.
Then, he fell silent.
So proficient!
No way this was his first time abducting someone.
"That Ice Release?"
"I originally wanted to study Wood Release, but it was too difficult. By accident, I ended up fusing Ice Release instead… sigh, no wonder even the Second Hokage couldn't master Wood Release."
"Uh…" Jiraiya wanted to punch him.
He forced himself to stay calm.
"And Paper Release? Even Konan knows that. I even shared my research with her."
"Enough, I don't care! Stop talking!"
Jiraiya was mentally exhausted.
This guy…
He had achieved incredible feats, yet he always described them as if they were trivial, making them sound completely unremarkable—
Which only made Jiraiya even more frustrated.
"By the way, I found a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan in Kusagakure."
"Hm?"
Jiraiya paused.
The Uzumaki Clan?
After a moment of silence, Kyoichi continued, "She's a girl. Apparently, if she bites someone, she can heal them."
"You got her out?"
"Of course…"
Although he hadn't received direct feedback from his clone, he was certain the clone had already rescued her.
Jiraiya thought for a moment and said, "I'll tell the old man that I did it!"
"Huh? What are you thinking? I was asking if you had a suitable place for her. Bringing her to Konoha right now isn't the best option, and I doubt she even wants to go there."
Kyoichi explained.
He wasn't familiar with the history of Uzushiogakure, but it was clear that its destruction involved many parties. To the surviving Uzumaki, Konoha might have its own share of blame.
Otherwise…
Why didn't a single survivor flee to Konoha?
"Let me think… let me think!"
Jiraiya had a headache.
He felt a strong connection to the Uzumaki Clan, so he had no issue taking the blame.
But…
Arranging a place for her?
How would he know where?
"Mount Myōboku? No, too many bugs there. What about sending her to Nagato? Then again, if she's already with you, she might not want to leave."
Jiraiya considered.
If the girl didn't want to go to Konoha, then maybe Nagato's place was the best option—
As long as she was willing to leave Kyoichi.
He thought for a moment and nodded. "You're right."
…
"Can't I stay with you?"
The girl looked up, eyes full of fear and uncertainty.
"You don't want to go to Amegakure?" Kyoichi asked.
Oriri shook her head.
She was terrified of hidden villages. According to Kyoichi, there was another Uzumaki descendant in Amegakure, but knowing her abilities, she feared that people there might still try to exploit her.
Kyoichi pondered and asked again, "Why don't you want to go to Konoha?"
"There are scary people in Konoha," Oriri whispered.
"Scary people?"
Kyoichi thought for a moment.
If he had to guess, she was probably referring to either Hiruzen or Danzō. But most likely…
Danzō.
The Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques, their Adamantine Chains, and their strong vitality and lifespan—
To some people, they were the "perfect" Jinchūriki candidates.
However…
Outside of Konoha, no other village had truly "perfect" Jinchūriki, especially Kirigakure.
If that was the case, then Danzō could very well have played a role in Uzushiogakure's downfall.
Kyoichi considered for a long time before asking, "Have you heard of Tsunade-hime? Her grandmother was Lady Mito of the Uzumaki Clan."
"Lady Mito? I've heard of her…"
Oriri nodded.
"If I take you to Konoha in secret, and only she knows about you, would you be willing to go?"
"Are you from Konoha?"
Oriri wasn't stupid.
Kyoichi's wording clearly implied that he was aligned with Konoha.
She hesitated for a moment.
Then she asked, "What do I have to give in return?"
"You don't need to give anything, child. Your healing ability is incredible, but believe me, I don't need it. I'm a decent medical ninja myself."
As he spoke, Kyoichi's hand emitted a faint glow of medical chakra.
Oriri was stunned for a moment.
Medical ninjutsu?
She didn't know how to use it, but she had heard of it. The medical ninjas in Kusagakure's hospital supposedly possessed this skill. However, she was sure of one thing—
None of them were as strong as the man before her.
And…
She had heard of Tsunade.
The strongest medical ninja in the world!
That was how Kusagakure's shinobi described her, and Oriri secretly admired and longed for that power.
Now, hearing Kyoichi confirm her identity, her resistance toward Konoha slightly wavered.
If it was that person, then Konoha might not be so bad.
"Alright, then it's settled. I'll take you to Konoha secretly. No one else will know."
Kyoichi was confident in this.
However…
Before that, he had to teach Uzumaki Oriri the Transformation Jutsu.
Since his shadow clone had absorbed quite a bit of chakra from Kusagakure, it had enough reserves to last until they reached Konoha.
As he taught her, they made their way toward the village.
Meanwhile, Kyoichi received a small notification.
A trivial reward.
But…
At least it confirmed that his shadow clone had indeed rescued the Uzumaki survivor and that she seemed to be getting along well with him.
Though he wasn't sure exactly what had happened.
For now, there were more pressing matters to deal with.
Otherwise, he'd have asked Katsuyu to check in on them.
They had reached the border of the Land of Grass.
However…
A new problem awaited them ahead.
"Bring the Jinchūriki back, and have the old man send a message to Ōnoki. This Jinchūriki… is a bit too hot to handle."
Jiraiya sighed.
They had only come to take out a demolition squad captain, but somehow, they ended up stealing the enemy's Jinchūriki.
Killing a few people wasn't a big deal.
But taking a Jinchūriki…
That was stepping into highly sensitive territory for all the great nations.
"Alright, but I want to try something first." Kyoichi said.
He understood how much trouble keeping the Four-Tails Jinchūriki would bring, so he never intended to hold onto Rōshi.
The two of them returned to camp under the cover of night. Few knew that Kyoichi and Jiraiya were back—except for the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
It wasn't that Hiruzen was particularly sharp.
It was just that Kyoichi and Jiraiya went straight to him the moment they returned.
"You killed a bunch of Iwa-nin… and even captured their Four-Tails Jinchūriki?"
Hiruzen's eyes widened. "You two are…"
"Sensei, this has nothing to do with me. I was just a distraction, a cleanup crew."
Jiraiya smiled bitterly. What did this have to do with him?
The key players were all Kyoichi.
Gari. Rōshi.
Those two alone had stolen the spotlight.
Hiruzen looked at Kyoichi in silence for a long time.
He thought to himself…
It was a good thing Danzō hadn't made a move against Kyoichi yet. Otherwise, whether that old "friend" of his would still be alive was… debatable.
Then another thought struck him—
Now the Kusagakure leader had no argument left.
Whoever took the missing Kusagakure ninja, it definitely wasn't Kyoichi. After all, who could spare an extra Shadow Clone while carrying out a near S-rank classified mission?
With that thought, Hiruzen's face showed a slight smile. "We'll discuss the details tomorrow. For now, get some rest. I'll handle the situation with Ōnoki."
"Yes, sir!"
Kyoichi was mentally drained and needed rest.
Jiraiya, understanding the situation, said nothing.
He didn't mention the Uzumaki survivor to Hiruzen, pretending he knew nothing, and left with Kyoichi to get some sleep.
Afterward, Hiruzen immediately sent the Anbu to Kusagakure.
Now that the job was done, they could go public with it.
After all…
A toad that big was impossible to keep secret.
When the Kusagakure leader got the news, he was utterly dumbfounded.
Before, he had been certain that Konoha was behind the kidnapping. But now… he wasn't so sure.
Two people infiltrated deep into Iwagakure's territory, wiped out multiple elite squads of Iwa Jōnin, and even subdued and captured the Four-Tails Jinchūriki—
If those two had wanted to target Kusagakure, they could have done it in a single breath.
Whether Kyoichi was responsible or not, this incident had to be separated from Konoha!
The next morning…
"Hokage-sama, I apologize for my previous rudeness. Please accept this small token of Kusagakure's sincerity."
The Kusagakure leader arrived early.
Hiruzen smiled kindly. "Kyoichi is busy guarding the Jinchūriki and couldn't come to meet you. But at least some misunderstandings can be cleared up now."
"Yes, after a thorough investigation, we ruled out Konoha's involvement. It's possible that some damn Iwa-nin had secret operatives in Land of Grass and got their hands on some intel."
The Kusagakure leader spoke with righteous indignation.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding. "Iwa-nin, huh? Not impossible. Do you have a description or a name? After the war, we could help negotiate their return."
"No need, no need…"
The Kusagakure leader quickly shook his head, cursing internally.
He had no idea who was responsible, but it sure as hell wasn't the Iwa-nin.
Respectfully, he asked, "Hokage-sama, with Konoha's victory here, will your forces be withdrawing soon?"
"We're pulling out early—today."
Hiruzen nodded.
The Kusagakure leader looked up, stunned. Then, without another word, he bowed his head again.
Meanwhile, in a nearby tent, Kyoichi smirked.
I gave you a chance yesterday, but you couldn't handle it.
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