The Monster That Reads People's Hearts
Karin immediately sensed Satoru's presence, and the sheer magnitude of his dark chakra sent a shiver down her spine.
But the moment she glanced at Mianma beside her, a wave of relief washed over her. She admired his composure—despite facing such a terrifying monster, his expression remained completely unchanged.
Satoru's attacks failed to reach Naruto and Karin, but the patrons inside the izakaya were not as fortunate. Panic spread like wildfire as they clutched their heads, scrambling for cover beneath the tables.
Outside, civilians on the streets fared even worse, their luck running out as they cowered in the alleyways, trembling in fear.
Noticing the destruction wrought by Satoru, several Kusagakure shinobi swiftly drew their kunai launchers, aiming at the low-flying beast.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Kunai spears shot forward at blinding speeds, too fast for the naked eye to track. But just as they were about to strike, Satoru twisted his body at an unnatural angle, dodging with an eerie grace. With a thunderous roar, he lunged at the Kusagakure shinobi, trampling one beneath his claws.
Karin's sharp eyes followed the scene as the fallen shinobi lay in a pool of his own blood, his chakra fading into nothingness. The thick scent of fear lingered in the air.
Conflicted, she murmured, "Mianma-sama… Why is Kusagakure being attacked by this monster? Is it one of your subordinates?"
Naruto shook his head, his voice calm yet firm.
"This thing was meant to be Kusagakure's secret weapon. But from the looks of it, they've lost control. Now it's attacking their own people. Do you want to heal the wounded?"
Karin hesitated, then shook her head. Memories of Kusagakure's cruelty surfaced, making her pause.
Kusagakure had taken her and her mother in, allowing her—a descendant of the Uzumaki clan—to train in their academy. But in return, they forced them to serve as living medical tools, healing Kusagakure's injured shinobi.
What was supposed to be a fair exchange had quickly turned into exploitation.
With Karin and her mother offering free treatment, Kusagakure's warriors became reckless, throwing themselves into danger, knowing they could be healed at no cost. Even minor injuries that required just a few days of rest were brought to them.
This constant demand eventually broke her mother, leading to her untimely death. And from that moment on, Karin had harbored a quiet resentment toward Kusagakure.
So now, as she gazed upon the wounded Kusagakure shinobi writhing on the ground, a twisted sense of satisfaction bubbled up within her. Her hands trembled—not with fear, but with barely restrained excitement.
Naruto noticed her reaction and sighed internally. Karin's masochistic tendencies really run deep…
Her potential was undeniable—she had all the makings of an elite jōnin. But considering she still idolized Sasuke even after he had literally stabbed her in the chest, her personal inclinations were… complicated.
Naruto glanced at her glasses, shaking his head. With that kind of personality, I guess it's not surprising…
Shaking off his drifting thoughts, Naruto turned his gaze to the far end of the street. Akatsuki members had begun to emerge. But more importantly, two legendary figures had arrived—Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Naruto smirked. I can't wait to see their reactions when they realize who's leading Akatsuki. Should I tell them the truth about Pain's identity?
Since mastering Sage Mode, he no longer felt desperate for power. The only things that could boost his strength significantly now were the chakra of the remaining Tailed Beasts and the other half of Kurama sealed within his father. But acquiring those would take time.
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A Dangerous Arrival
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune had come to Kusagakure at Naruto's invitation.
Despite being a small village, Kusagakure was a force to be reckoned with. It had signed a defense pact with Konoha, acting as a buffer against the pressures from Iwagakure and Amegakure. Out of diplomatic courtesy, they had planned to meet Kusagakure's leader.
Even if leadership changed, Kusagakure's role as a buffer nation was unlikely to shift.
The moment Tsunade set foot in the village, her first instinct was to head for the nearest gambling hall. But before she could, a massive shadow loomed overhead.
Satoru hovered in mid-air, gripping a massive boulder in his claws. The moment his glowing eyes locked onto Tsunade, he released his grip.
"Boom!"
Tsunade barely flinched as she shattered the falling rock with a single punch. Her sharp gaze locked onto Satoru in the distance. Without hesitation, she stomped forward and launched another devastating strike.
But once again, Satoru evaded—twisting unnaturally to dodge her monstrous strength.
After several failed attempts, Tsunade's expression darkened. Her attacks weren't landing, and Satoru showed no intention of counterattacking.
"Is this some kind of experiment from Kusagakure?" Shizune asked, confusion evident in her voice.
Tsunade shook her head. "Doubtful. Those Kusagakure shinobi lying on the ground were killed by this thing. I've never heard of a creature like this before. And if my attacks can't hit it…"
Before she could finish, Jiraiya—who had been watching from the shadows—acted.
"Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet!"
A massive fan of fire erupted from Jiraiya's mouth, engulfing Satoru. The flames spread in a wide arc, ensuring there was no room for escape.
And yet…
Satoru dodged once more. Only a few feathers were singed before they instantly regenerated.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "Where did this thing come from? It's not that powerful, but it's dodging every attack like it knows what's coming next…"
Tsunade exhaled, her voice grim.
"It's not just predicting—this thing can read minds."
Jiraiya frowned. "Then we need to use large-scale jutsu to overwhelm it."
"I wouldn't rush into that," Tsunade warned. "This isn't Konoha. If we start using large-scale ninjutsu recklessly, we could be accused of invading Kusagakure. We should speak with their leader first."
As they deliberated, Shizune found several injured Kusagakure shinobi and brought them over.
Tsunade sighed as she saw the bloodstains on them. Pressing a hand to her forehead, she steadied herself against the nausea before channeling her Mystical Palm Technique to heal them.
Then, she demanded, "I'm Tsunade of Konoha. What is this monster attacking Kusagakure?"
The wounded shinobi exchanged uneasy glances before one of them hesitantly answered, "We… don't know…"
"You'd better start explaining," Jiraiya interjected. "Your village can't afford to let a creature like this run loose."
The shinobi hesitated again, but finally admitted, "Iwagakure has stationed troops near our border. In response, our leaders… started developing new weapons. That's all we know."
Jiraiya's expression darkened. He had assumed this was a natural disaster. But if Kusagakure had created this thing…
His mind raced. If this monster escapes into the world, it won't just be a threat to shinobi—it'll be a catastrophe for civilians.
Turning to Tsunade, he muttered, "We need to find Kusagakure's leader—fast. And we need to kill that monster before it's too late."
Just then, Jiraiya's senses sharpened. His eyes flickered toward the horizon.
Something—or someone—was approaching.
And it wasn't alone.
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