More than ten Kumogakure Jonin surrounded him. Without Samehada, Fuguki Suikazan had no means of escape-nor the courage to try. He stood frozen, restless and uneasy, as if teetering on the thin line between survival and hell.
If he had another chance, he would never have hesitated. But now it was too late. A short while later, Ay returned, frustration evident in his sharp glare.
"Ay-sama, I remember now! That thing—it has to be from Konohagakure. A cat! It must be that cat!" Fuguki blurted out with urgency in his voice.
His tone had shifted completely. No pride, no defiance—only survival. What choice did he have? Without Samehada, he was nothing but a fish out of water.
Forget surrender—if groveling at their feet would buy his life, he'd do it without shame.
"A cat? What I saw was a mouse," Ay said, his expression darkening.
"No! It has to be that cat, transformed! It knows Ice Release and the Flying Thunder God! It must've used Flying Thunder God to send Samehada away!"
The more he spoke, the more frantic he became, as if sheer conviction could turn his words into reality. But—
"You think telling me this changes anything?" Ay cut him off. "What we saw is mouse. And you are here without Samehada."
"So where's this Konoha cat, black as night, you keep spittin' 'bout? Huh? You think you're slick, foolin' Bee, huh? Looks like you came to scam us, with your rhymes all askew! But guess what, idiot? Your plan fell flat, it's boo-hoo!" the young boy mocked with sing-song tone.
For once, Ay agreed. The man in front of him truly was an idiot.
Would Konohagakure ever admit to this?
Not a chance.
Kumogakure and Kirigakure had played this game too many times before. Even before Uzushiogakure fell, both villages had sent "missing-nin" to do their dirty work. If Fuguki claimed it was Konoha's Black Cat, Konoha could just as easily say Kirigakure staged the whole thing to frame them. No one ever took responsibility.
Without solid proof-without catching him in the act-this was nothing more than another unsolved incident.
"No! It has to be that Black Cat! He probably has the three special swords with him. If you catch him, you'll get all three of them. You're telling me that doesn't tempt you?" Fuguki grasped at straws, his words spilling out in a jumbled mess.
"Take him away," Ay ordered, his patience already wearing thin.
"No, no! You can't do this!" Fuguki thrashed in panic.
Ay's expression remained cold. His silence alone made Fuguki see his fate-not just see it, but feel it. His future? A corpse in a shallow grave.
His hands blurred through seals.
In desperate recklessness he made an attempt at last ditch jutsu, but-
A bolt of lightning split the air. Agony detonated in his body. His arms, limp and alien, hung uselessly at his sides. "Argh!" he choked out raw voice in pain.
Not severed, but ruined. Useless.
"I said, take him away!" Ay's voice held no room for argument.
Even so, he still ordered a search for that "mouse." If there was anything even remotely resembling one in this forest, his men would find it.
"Found a strange mouse!"
"Hmm?" Ay immediately rushed over.
He saw it immediately-a mouse scurrying around frantically. Its speed was almost twice as fast as a normal mouse, and it let out a high-pitched "squeak, squeak, squeak," while running, very similar to the previous mouse.
His eyes sharpened. This was no ordinary rodent.
Without hesitation, he moved. The mouse was fast, but not faster than him.
He caught it in an instant.
And something about it felt... wrong.
Not only that, but Ay could sense a strange energy within the mouse-a flickering, unstable chakra that felt ready to explode at any moment...
Without hesitation, he flung it away.
**Bang!**
A burst of red fireworks erupted, releasing a peculiar smell that spread through the air covering him.
Ay stood unmoving amid the explosion, while his face expressionless, the sheer fury radiating from him was palpable even from ten steps away. The surrounding Jonin exchanged wary glances, already considering how to calm him down before his anger escalated into something far worse-like a full-scale attack against Konohagakure.
"Yo, big bro just got lit up, what an idiotic blunder! Smokin' like thunder, lookin' like a dumbass wonder!"
"How can you call me an idiot and a dumbass?"
Ay's fist struck Killer Bee in an instant. Though the hit wasn't full force, the irritation behind it was clear. This whole situation was embarrassing enough, but Killer Bee's commentary only fanned the flames of his frustration. Still, the outburst helped ground him; it kept him from acting on impulse.
He might have been furious, but launching an attack on the Land of Fire was out of the question. That authority rested with his father alone.
---
From the safety of a nearby tree, Takeshi watched the chaos unfold before vanishing with the Flying Thunder God.
He had been careful not to overdo it. The explosion was no more powerful than an oversized firecracker-enough to startle, but not enough to harm someone of Ay's caliber. At worst, it might've numbed his hand.
The real tragedy? 'The poor mouse. Your sacrifice won't be in vain.'
The little creature had tried to flee at the first sign of trouble, but Takeshi had caught it, fed it a pinch of Ninja Cat Food, and infused it with just a touch of chakra. The problem? That food was designed for ninja cats, not mouse. Even a tiny amount had been too much for the tiny creature's system, triggering its erratic movement… and ultimately, the explosion.
'Hehe~'
Takeshi reappeared beside Minato, his tail flicking in satisfaction.
"Mission complete, meow~!"
Minato's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did anything happen?"
He wasn't worried about Samehada, but Takeshi had a knack for stirring up trouble.
"Of course not, meow. I turned into a mouse and left no trace. But I did disrupt Fuguki's trade with Kumogakure."
Takeshi relayed the details of his infiltration.
Minato exhaled quietly, his brows furrowing deeper with every word. This was more concerning than reassuring. Kumogakure's restlessness was nothing new, but Ay and Killer B's direct involvement made things infinitely more complicated. They were not just any shinobi-they were a force to be reckoned with.
The fact that Takeshi had been so close to them was unsettling. However, disrupting Kumogakure's acquisition of Samehada was undoubtedly a win. The blade in their hands would have been a nightmare. Minato could only hope that in the future, Ay and Killer B wouldn't recognize Takeshi's chakra signature. If they did, this minor disruption could escalate into something far worse. The situation required careful handling.
Before, Minato had simply followed orders, focusing only on completing missions. But now, as a commander, he felt the weight of responsibility. The pressure of balancing diplomacy between Kirigakure and Kumogakure was suffocating. Leadership wasn't just about strength-it was about making the right choices.
"Takeshi, take Kakashi and Obito back. I'll remain here and keep watch."
Minato's unease lingered. According to Takeshi's report, the Kumogakure ninja involved had been Ay of the Ay-Bee Squad-two names already making waves across the Elemental Nations.
Worse, Ay's temper was reported to be even more explosive than his father, the Third Raikage. If he decided to retaliate by attacking the Land of Fire's border, the northern patrol forces wouldn't be enough to stop him.
"Meow!" Takeshi acknowledged before whisking Kakashi and Obito away.
Minato's concerns were valid, but Takeshi knew that Ay and Killer B wouldn't be coming back tonight. They still had a task to complete-escorting Fuguki to the port, where he would be handed over to Kirigakure ANBU. This wasn't just about a deal gone wrong; it was about repatriation, about reducing tensions between the two villages. Fuguki's final usefulness lay in being a peace offering, however temporary.
---
Back at the camp, Takeshi proudly presented Samehada to Tsunade. He was met with a swift and decisive response-a solid fist of love.
After hearing his explanation, Tsunade called in the Sealing Squad, ordering them to secure the blade.
That was the easy part. Now came the real problem.
'What kind of reward should Takeshi receive?'
Tsunade rubbed her temples. 'Promotion? Ugh, no one wants to deal with that headache.' Jonin weren't just high-level fighters; they were expected to take on leadership roles. 'But what position could Takeshi possibly hold? Squad leader? Teaching Chunin alongside Shinku Yuhi? Ridiculous.'
'Takeshi's fighting style is unpredictable at best. Sure, he could train Taijutsu specialists, maybe-but as for ninjutsu... He didn't know shit about ninjutsu.' The thought of him instructing young shinobi was almost laughable. 'That would be a disaster.'
It wasn't that Tsunade looked down on cats, but this cat's techniques didn't follow normal progression. Even his explanation's only make sense to himself and no on else, 'They sound like nonsense that one could say as distraction, but why would he lie to us?'
'And yet… ignoring his achievements isn't an option.'
**Bang!**
She slammed her hand down onto the table, the impact echoing through the tent.
"Send him back to the Sandaime! Let him deal with it! Why should this be my problem? I was just passing by!"
A well-practiced ANBU agent silently entered, swiftly collecting the shattered remnants of yet another broken table and gathering the scattered intelligence scrolls.
The Sandaime had anticipated this, so he specially transferred an ANBU familiar she has worked with before.
Tsunade scowled. That old man was too damn considerate.
-------------------
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.