"Understood," Itachi nodded lightly.
After the battle for the Three-Tails, he intended to willingly die at the hands of Sasuke.
Before that, taking control of the daimyō was a perfect step.
He even suspected that Shinho knew exactly what he was planning.
But regardless, his objective was nearing completion—and in a way more valuable than before.
By accomplishing this, he could aid Konoha one final time before his death.
As a reward, the Uchiha clan was bound to be treated favorably in the future.
In fact, the clan's current status was already rather promising.
Since joining the Akatsuki, Itachi hadn't returned to Konoha but had kept a close eye on its affairs.
He was well aware of the recent changes in the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha Mikoto had become the Hokage's assistant.
With Shinho 's help, Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Konoha Police Force had been restructured, successfully integrating with the village.
Itachi's lifelong wish had essentially been fulfilled.
"Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Itachi inquired again.
"There is one more thing."
Shinho turned toward the Fire Temple.
Raising his hand, a swarm of kikaichū bugs flew forth.
After a brief pause, he raised an eyebrow.
The target, Sora, had been located, but unexpectedly, three others were in the same room.
Shinho's expression turned contemplative.
Among the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Chiriku supported Sarutobi Asuma.
Logically, Kazuma should have been his adversary, yet he had still adopted Sora.
The two hadn't formed any kind of alliance.
Chiriku viewed Sora as merely a child who could be educated and reformed.
Kazuma understood this reasoning but exploited it. Often traveling to gather Nine-Tails chakra, he ensured Sora remained in a safe environment.
The three individuals in Sora's room were most likely Kazuma's subordinates.
Their presence likely meant they intended to take Sora away.
Especially since Kakuzu planned to target Chiriku.
If Kakuzu encountered Sora, a pseudo-Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, he would probably take him to the Akatsuki.
"Follow me," Shinho turned around, walking toward the Fire Temple.
Itachi was momentarily surprised but refrained from questioning, quietly following.
At the Fire Temple, they bypassed the main gate, scaling a side wall instead.
Avoiding patrolling monks, Shinho, guided by his kikaichū, soon located Sora's room.
Itachi let out a soft sound of surprise.
He sensed a familiar chakra.
The room was brimming with Nine-Tails chakra, and a significant amount of it.
What was going on?
"As expected, a flawed imitation. It cannot be controlled freely," Shinho said, shaking his head.
"An imitation of the Nine-Tails?" Itachi asked, puzzled.
"A pseudo-Jinchūriki," Shinho clarified, "Kazuma gathered scattered the Nine-Tails chakra and sealed it into his son, Sora."
"What a cruel approach," Itachi said softly.
The Nine-Tails possessed its own consciousness, but its chakra did not.
A pseudo-Jinchūriki like Sora was inherently unstable and extremely dangerous.
Without exceptional control, he was doomed to lose control and die.
Sora was akin to an unsecured nuclear weapon.
"Kazuma's sealing technique is too crude, causing the Nine-Tails chakra to destabilize," Shinho explained further, "That's why we could detect his chakra fluctuations."
"What are we going to do?" Itachi nodded and asked again.
He certainly didn't believe Shinho was there to help reinforce the seal out of goodwill.
Clearly, he had his eyes on this pseudo-Jinchūriki.
Despite being an imitation, the chakra surpassed that of most shinobi.
"Use your Mangekyō Sharingan to control him. I have plans for him in Konoha," Shinho stated bluntly.
"I see."
Itachi paused briefly, his gaze sharpening. "But there are four people in the room."
Shinho glanced around and quietly approached the window, peering inside.
A young boy sat on the bed, a faint crimson glow radiating from him.
In front of him stood three others.
The man was tall and burly, with a square mark on his face.
This was Fudō, a user of Earth Release techniques.
The older woman was flamboyantly dressed, with black eyeliner, red eyeshadow, and purple lipstick.
This was Fuen, a master of Earth Release and various traps.
The younger woman had delicate features and blood-red hair.
This was Fūka, capable of using all five elemental releases: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water.
This wasn't due to innate talent but rather the forbidden techniques Execution by Kiss and Colour Course Change.
The Execution by Kiss allowed her to absorb others' chakra through a kiss.
Colour Course Change enabled her to switch between multiple bodies.
Her true form was her hair, allowing her to control five bodies, thus mastering all five elements.
In some ways, this was akin to Kakuzu's five hearts.
In short, it was quite amazing.
Shinho planned to capture Fūka and deliver her to Orochimaru for research.
Perhaps something extraordinary could come of it.
"Control the red-haired kunoichi as well," Shinho said casually.
"Who's there?!"
At such close proximity, Shinho and Itachi were immediately noticed.
Fudō, Fūka, and Fuen turned toward them, alert and wary.
At that moment, crimson light flared.
Itachi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Overwhelming ocular power surged toward the three.
Caught off guard, they had no chance to resist.
The three froze, rendered dazed.
"How convenient," Shinho muttered.
If not for his Gu's, he might have sought a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan for himself.
Itachi entered the room.
Sora attempted to react but was swiftly controlled.
Shinho approached and knocked them all unconscious.
This way, Itachi wouldn't need to expend any more ocular energy.
"Done," Shinho dusted off his hands and smiled. "See you next at Kirigakure."
"I'll be on my way then," Itachi said, bowing slightly.
A faint ripple of chakra passed, and Itachi dissolved into a flock of crows.
Shinho snapped his fingers, and the kikaichū enveloped the unconscious four.
He turned and left the Fire Temple.
Outside, he stopped.
The kikaichū lowered the bodies of Fudō, Fūka, and Fuen.
"Yūgao-nee," Shinho called out casually.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Uzuki Yugao appeared immediately, having been standing guard nearby.
"This one is Sora," Shinho pointed at the boy, "Take him back and have the sealing team strengthen the seal on him."
"Understood," Yugao responded after a glance.
"As for the other three, hand them over to Orochimaru," Shinho added after a moment of thought, "Tell him to focus his research on the red-haired kunoichi. He can handle the other two however he pleases."
Orochimaru would undoubtedly use them as experimental fodder.
These three, being ruthless shinobi, were perfect candidates.
"Understood," Yugao replied once more.
"You guys can head back," Shinho said, glancing at the sky.
It was dusk now.
The evening sun painted the skies as Shinho Aburame considered his next move.
Despite his speed, which could easily take him back to Konoha by nightfall, he decided to stay nearby. With both Kazuma and Kakuzu possibly arriving at any moment, missing their arrival was not an option.
Uzuki Yugao bowed slightly behind him.
Eight ANBU operatives emerged, working in pairs to carry the unconscious bodies of Sora, Fudō, Fūka, and Fuen away.
Shinho scanned the area and then chose a small grove nearby to set up a tent.
No sooner had he sat down than his kikaichū delivered feedback.
Chiriku had already noticed Sora's disappearance and was searching frantically.
Shinho pondered for a moment but decided not to intervene.
His targets were Kazuma and Kakuzu. Chiriku was inconsequential.
Even if Chiriku left the Fire Temple in pursuit, it would not affect his plans.
With a casual wave, Shinho released another swarm of kikaichū insects.
This time, their direction was not the Fire Temple but the roads leading toward it.
A blue light shimmered briefly.
From his sleeve, Ichikishima-hime materialized.
Shinho turned his gaze toward her.
Her delicate feet, clad in white silk stockings, appeared ethereal, like a porcelain sculpture.
"Master," Ichikishima-hime greeted shyly, her cheeks tinged with a light blush, her eyes shimmering.
"Come here," Shinho instructed.
A smile spread across her face.
She crouched low, moving like a cat, crawling into his lap.
Shinho raised an eyebrow, observing her coquettish demeanor, contrasted by her modestly drawn legs in white silk and the perfectly contoured curve of her hips beneath her kimono.
"You play your role quite well," Shinho said, inhaling the faint fragrance emanating from her.
Ichikishima-hime tilted her head, her eyes pure and a bit curious.
"Role?" she murmured to herself. What role did she have?
To her, she was merely a tool to be used by her master.
Shinho swallowed.
Shinho's gaze lingered before he reached out, tugging at her kimono.
The garment slid gracefully to the ground, leaving only her stockings intact.
As his eyes roved over her flawless alabaster skin, Shinho couldn't help but admire the exquisitehness of Ryūchi Cave's transformation techniques.
Though referred to as a ninjutsu, it was more akin to senjutsu.
Shinho effortlessly lifted her by the waist.
She was extremely light.
In truth, she used levitation techniques to maintain her delicate form—after all, her true form was that of a giant serpent.
While Shinho had never seen her original size, he had no doubt it was immense.
Placing her on his lap, Shinho sighed.
Like Tsunade, he was in the prime of his youth, brimming with vitality.
Engaging in physical sparring—or otherwise—was a natural outlet for someone on the Path of Strength.
"Master…" Ichikishima-hime whispered breathlessly, her eyes misty as she looked up at him.
Shinho didn't reply. He leaned in and captured her soft lips with his own.
Her cheeks flushed deeper, but her expression remained pure with delight.
"You truly are adorable," Shinho muttered, his gaze tracing her form.
Her cascading dark-blue hair framed her back, and her porcelain-like legs in white silk completed the flawless picture.
Shinho took a deep breath, transforming himself into a ceramic craftsman.
He continued to shape the clay n ways he saw fit, trensforming it into it's perfection in his blazing heat.
Night fell outside the tent, the world cloaked in silence save for the chirping of insects and distant birdsong, muffled by the barrier surrounding the area.
The moon set, and dawn broke.
Shinho opened his eyes.
They were here.
He rose and dressed.
Ichikishima-hime stirred but remained asleep, her exhaustion evident from the previous night.
Exiting the tent, Shinho ensured Ichikishima-hime would not be disturbed by activating the Water Curtain Skyflower Gu.
The circular water barrier enveloped the tent in a shimmering shield.
Glancing around, Shinho summoned a golden light and headed north.
North of the Fire Temple stretched an endless plain.
There, two figures walked at a leisurely pace.
Kazuma frowned slightly.
Fudō, Fūka, and Fuen had departed the previous evening but had yet to return.
Something must have gone wrong.
Had Chiriku discovered them?
Kazuma grew restless.
He had no desire to kill Chiriku, but Kakuzu was adamant.
Kakuzu had even threatened to take Kazuma's life for a bounty if Chiriku was spared.
Reluctantly, Kazuma had fought him, only to be soundly beaten and forced to yield.
The Akatsuki's methods were truly overbearing.
Kazuma sighed heavily.
His original plan had been to strengthen Sora, utilize Earth ressurruction techniques to create a puppet army, and assassinate the Hokage.
But Konan had derailed his plans, beating him till he agreed.
Suddenly, Kakuzu stopped walking.
He sensed a faint chakra presence.
Kazuma, puzzled, was about to ask when his expression shifted.
He looked skyward as a golden light streaked closer, finally landing before them.
"Who are you?" Kazuma demanded, unfamiliar with Shinho.
"The Sixth Hokage," Kakuzu muttered, inhaling sharply.
He could already feel the threat emanating from Shinho.
"What?!" Kazuma's eyes widened in shock.
Moments ago, he had dismissed Shinho's youthful appearance. Now, his demeanor changed entirely, focusing as if he was facing a powerful enemy..
As a member of the Akatsuki, he was well aware of the Hokage's reputation.
"How did you find us?" Kakuzu asked rather calmly.
Shinho's strength was undeniable, but with his five hearts, Kakuzu had confidence in his ability to escape if necessary.
For someone who had mastered the Earth Grudge Fear secret technique, five hearts meant five lives.
What concerned him more was how their location had been exposed.
Logically, only Akatsuki members knew of his plans to target Chiriku.
Could there be a traitor among us?
"Questions are unnecessary," Shinho replied with a slight shake of his head, his tone caim.
"Fair enough."
Kakuzu fell silent, then began removing his cloak.
The black Akatsuki robe fluttered to the ground, revealing a network of black threads crisscrossing his body.
Kazuma's eyes narrowed in shock.
Countless tendrils emerged from Kakuzu's form, coalescing into humanoid shapes as four masked figures materialized.
The secret technique of Takigakure, Earth Grudge Fear.
Using black tendrils, Kakuzu could harvest others' hearts, prolonging his own life.
Kakuzu's true age had surpassed ninety years.
Kazuma swallowed nervously.
What a monster.
Only now did he realize that their previous battle hadn't pushed Kakuzu to his limits.
But even such a monster had to go all out against Shinho.
Which of them was the real monster?
Kazuma exhaled, preparing for battle.
"Your heart must be quite valuable," Kakuzu said, his gaze turning icy as his hands formed rapid seals.
Water Release: Water Encampment Wall!
Chakra surged forth, unleashing compressed water bullets from the Water wall.
The projectiles hurtled toward Shinho with incredible speed.
Fiery Pupil Gu!
Shinho remained motionless, merely lifting his gaze.
A wave of searing heat radiated from him.
Wherever his eyes landed, flames erupted spontaneously, forming an inferno that consumed the incoming water bullets, reducing them to steam.
"Amaterasu?" Kakuzu exclaimed in shock, retreating hastily.
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