After waking up, Yagura spent a week recovering in the hospital.
During that time, his grandfather scolded him thoroughly, the trio of Mangetsu came to visit, and even his parents, who were often away on missions, made time to return home.
His father, Karatachi Natsuhiko, had a personality much like Yagura's. After confirming his son was fine, he wasted no time in mocking him relentlessly.
His mother, Karatachi Hiyori, was the very definition of an angelic mother, but even she lost her temper upon seeing the state Yagura had gotten himself into.
Even Yagura's father didn't take his side this time, pretending not to see his son's silent pleas for help.
Serves you right, you little brat!
Yagura had no way to defend himself. He could only nod and nod—yes, he was wrong, yes, he would never do it again—then agree to all the new rules his grandfather and mother set for him.
With a sincere attitude of admitting his mistakes, he was temporarily let off the hook.
His parents couldn't stay for long. After only two nights, they set out once again for a mission on the borders of the Land of Water.
Yagura finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Damn! Finally, they're gone!
...
During his hospital stay, another person also came to visit him.
—Jinin Akebino.
But the visit was brief. Jinin seemed to have come just to confirm that Yagura was neither dead nor crippled. Once that was established, he left.
The whole visit lasted maybe five minutes at most.
...
"Aish! Finally home!"
The moment Yagura stepped into his familiar living room, he flopped down onto his soft couch.
The couch's plush texture was completely at odds with the rest of the room's decor. In fact, it stuck out like a sore thumb.
Because Yagura had bought it himself.
His grandfather, sat stiffly on his traditional wooden sofa, pouring a cup of tea before handing it to Yagura.
"Drink."
"Thanks, Grandpa."
Yagura blew on the tea, cooling the surface before taking a small sip. Then, casually, he asked,
"Grandpa, why couldn't Mom and Dad stay longer? Is the situation at the border really that tense?"
His grandfather, well aware that dismissing Yagura with a simple "kids shouldn't ask too many questions" wouldn't work, simply ignored the question and sipped his tea in silence.
"..." So that means yes, huh?
Yagura shrugged, taking his grandfather's silence as confirmation.
He still remembered—within a few years, the Third Great Ninja War would break out.
The catalyst would be Sasori of the Red Sand assassinating the Third Kazekage.
But as long as the root causes of the war remained unresolved, even without Sasori's actions, the war was inevitable.
...
Setting down his cup, Yagura looked his grandfather straight in the eye.
His serious expression made his grandfather's heart skip a beat.
What's this brat planning now?!
I'd better swallow my tea first, just in case I end up spitting it out.
Yagura didn't dive straight to the point—he didn't want to startle his grandfather.
"Grandpa, our village's Tailed Beasts, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails… where are their jinchuriki right now?"
"You forgot about Mangetsu and the others?"
His grandfather knew all about Yagura's ambitions—proclaiming that he would become the Fourth Mizukage, then using his strength to win over Mangetsu and the others by promising them positions among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
The ninja assigned to watch over Yagura had reported everything back to his grandfather.
So when Yagura suddenly asked about the jinchuriki, his grandfather assumed that his next target was to 'persuade' them as well.
Yagura took a moment to figure out how his grandfather had managed to connect this to Mangetsu and couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't show it on his face, though, and simply waited for his grandfather to continue.
"But you're going to be disappointed," his grandfather said. "Strictly speaking, Kirigakure doesn't have a proper jinchuriki right now."
He continued, "The Six-Tails' jinchuriki has been chosen, but he's still a child. The village decided to wait a few more years before sealing the beast inside him."
Ah, Utakata. That makes sense.
Yagura nodded to himself. That guy was indeed younger than him.
"As for the Three-Tails, there's no designated jinchuriki yet. Right now, it's being guarded by the village's elite ninja." His grandfather glanced at him. "I told you this before when you asked about the village's Tailed Beasts. Did you forget?"
Nope.
Yagura's firm gaze made that clear.
And at the mention of the Three-Tails, his eyes burned with an intense, barely concealed desire!
His grandfather could sense where this was going.
Yagura sat up straight, his voice unwavering. "Grandpa, I want to become the jinchuriki of the Three-Tails."
That was the real reason he had sat down for tea with his grandfather!
His grandfather nearly slammed the table in anger, ready to yell, "Absolutely not!!"
But he was too old for that kind of outburst. He took a steady sip of tea instead.
After a few moments of silence, he said, "Yagura."
Yagura nodded. "Mm?"
"How about we talk about the tense situation at the border instead?"
"...6."
...
The Three-Tails' jinchuriki, huh…
His grandfather seriously considered the possibility.
So far, Yagura had charted his own path in training, making every major decision himself. And he had never once been wrong.
No one in the ninja world understood Yagura's full strength and abilities better than his grandfather.
The Karatachi Clan's Coral Palm, a Lightning Release chakra signature similar to the Raikage's, that Lightning technique called 'Thunderclap and Flash,' and Yagura's unique approach to Water Release...
If not for his limited chakra reserves, his Water Release techniques would already be a deadly trump card.
"Is it because of your chakra?" his grandfather asked, immediately guessing Yagura's reasoning.
Yagura hesitated for a moment. "Not entirely. Being a jinchuriki would give me near-limitless chakra, sure, but more importantly, it would raise my overall potential."
"You think controlling a Tailed Beast is that easy?" His grandfather frowned, displeased by Yagura's optimism.
History was littered with cases of jinchuriki losing control, leading to widespread destruction.
And those jinchuriki… usually died.
"It's not exactly easy," Yagura admitted, placing a hand on the table. "But I can do it."
His grandfather remained silent.
"If you want proof," Yagura continued, "I know the Three-Tails' name."
He grinned. "It's Isobu. And the Six-Tails is called Saiken. The Sage of Six Paths told me in a dream."
...
The conversation ended on a friendly note.
His grandfather, however, had the strong urge to smack him.
Why did his son and daughter-in-law have to leave so soon?!
If they were still here, Yagura would be getting a solid three-way beating!
"I'll speak to the Third Mizukage about it. The village has been looking for a suitable jinchuriki."
His grandfather put on his coat and headed for the door. "Don't get your hopes up. He might not agree."
Yagura, already familiar with the Third Mizukage's temperament, simply responded, "Got it~~."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo