"Phew... I'm exhausted..."
"Kazuyama, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just a little tired. After all, it was a partial Tailed Beast transformation with five tails, and I used the Tailed Beast Ball. I just need to rest for a bit."
Chōmei's concerned voice echoed in Kazuyama's mind.
Upon hearing Kazuyama's response, Chōmei snapped at him.
"You really messed up, daring to use the Tailed Beast Ball without any practice."
"The point is that you succeeded. Kazuyama, you brat, you're truly a born Jinchūriki."
"No! It was fate that brought you and me together."
Chōmei wasn't exaggerating. After all these years, despite never having had a Jinchūriki, who would willingly become his Jinchūriki and want to use his power? That idea had always seemed ridiculous.
But when Kazuyama became his Jinchūriki, he realized how happy it was to have someone who understood him—someone willing to move forward and fight alongside him. Even though he couldn't roam freely, having Kazuyama by his side felt pretty good.
Besides, when it came to the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Eight-Tails Jinchūriki he had encountered before, which of them could compare to the bond he shared with Kazuyama?
Hmph, if they dare to challenge us, they'll get a beating!
Kazuyama: Brother, don't brag. If someone actually comes, we'll have to run for it!
"Kazuyama, you got the Third Kazekage killed. What are you going to do next?"
"What do you mean? Of course, I'll make it look like he was assassinated by that kid Sasori."
"The first step is to go back and set up the scene."
He acted immediately. The night was short, and if he didn't hurry, Sunagakure's ANBU would catch on.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he returned to the Kazekage's office, where he began cleaning up the evidence. He gathered all the puppet fragments and hidden weapons, leaving behind just enough debris to make it look convincing.
Once everything was in place, he disappeared.
Then, he went to find Sasori... Ugh... Poor kid.
Kazuyama couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he looked at the unconscious Sasori.
During the fight, to keep Sasori away from the battlefield, he had kicked him while in his half-Tailed Beast transformation. Even though the impact was cushioned by sand, the raw power of the Tailed Beast's chakra had been too much.
Sasori's body was covered in blood...
"Kazuyama, how hard did you kick him? Is the kid going to die?"
Chōmei teased Kazuyama with a mocking expression, only to receive a classic curse in return.
"Shit, it was an emergency! How could I afford to hold back?"
"Let me see…"
"It's okay, he's not dead…"
"As for the wound… wait a minute…"
Kazuyama set Sasori down and dashed toward the Third Kazekage's corpse. He grabbed the body and managed to collect a good amount of Iron Sand that had crumbled into powder.
Rushing back, he tossed the Kazekage's corpse aside and scattered the puppet fragments he had just gathered from the office all over Sasori. Then, holding a senbon and kunai, he went to work, staging the scene with a twisted sense of precision.
"If there really is a devil in this world…"
"Kazuyama… you must be the devil among devils."
Chōmei watched in disgust. This bastard had no sense of human decency. The Third Kazekage was already dead, yet Kazuyama still went out of his way to mutilate the body, stabbing senbon and kunai into it as if it were nothing.
"What do you know? This makes it look more convincing. Think about it—after this kid wakes up, he'll probably have amnesia."
"But what will he think when he sees the Third Kazekage torn apart by his own puppets and hidden weapons?"
Without hesitation, Chōmei blurted out, "He'll think he killed the Third Kazekage?"
"Exactly! That's the result we want."
"Otherwise, why would I have to use Sasori's poison to kill the Kazekage in the end if not to make him take the blame?"
Chōmei was confused again and muttered, "Take the blame? What does that even mean?"
Ignoring him, Kazuyama poured the Iron Sand he had gathered onto Sasori's lower body.
"Done!"
Clapping his hands in satisfaction, he admired his handiwork.
The sight made Chōmei lose his appetite.
"What are you doing? Making Sasori think the Third Kazekage crippled him?"
"Hey, Chōmei, you're getting smart."
Chōmei silently closed his eyes. This was really bad…
Framing someone for murder, and doing it so flawlessly.
Why is this brat, Kazuyama, so damn wicked?
Unexpectedly, just as Kazuyama finished everything, a familiar notification sounded.
[Ding! Sensing that the host is blaming the Third Kazekage after his death... I really have nothing to say... Special reward granted. Kekkei Genkai fusion progress: +10% (Current progress: 55%)]
[Ding! Sensing that the host is blaming Sasori for the Third Kazekage's death... Ugh... Special reward granted. Kekkei Genkai fusion progress: +10% (Current progress: 65%)]
[Ding! Sensing that the host is crippling Sasori while framing the dead Third Kazekage… This is really too much… Special reward granted. Kekkei Genkai fusion progress: +10% (Current progress: 75%]
Kazuyama smiled, and in an instant, all the aches and exhaustion in his body felt worth it.
All his effort, all the exertion—it had all been for this reward.
Why had he gone through so much trouble with Sasori? Because this kid was a gold mine of rewards.
Now, with a 30% boost in his Kekkei Genkai fusion progress, all his hard work tonight had paid off!
But… what was with the system? Why did it sound like it was sighing?
System: I never expected you to grow to a level where I have to look up at you…
Kazuyama smirked.
"Chōmei, it's time to go! Lend me your chakra."
"The journey is long—we need to move fast!"
Chōmei nodded and began transferring his chakra. As the energy surged into Kazuyama's body, his wings spread wide.
With a powerful beat, he soared into the sky, heading toward the Land of Rivers.
Meanwhile, the Sunagakure and Konoha camps in the Land of Rivers were ablaze with activity.
In the Sunagakure camp, Chiyo had just discovered that her grandson was missing. Not only that, but he had taken several puppets with him—clear signs that he had gone to fight.
Panic set in. She immediately dispatched search teams, but of course, they found nothing.
Over in Konoha, Orochimaru stood outside his defensive camp, his expression unreadable.
His disciple was missing.
Kazuyama's words from earlier echoed in his mind, and an unsettling feeling gnawed at him.
His gaze locked onto the direction of Sunagakure, his unease growing by the second.
He wasted no time in sending ninja to investigate, desperate for any clue about Kazuyama's whereabouts.
He had been waiting for too long, and his patience was wearing thin.
Though he was known as distant, arrogant, and indifferent to most—this didn't mean he was devoid of emotion.
Ever since Kazuyama became his disciple, he had grown attached to him.
Just like with Nawaki back then…
He couldn't let something happen again.
If it did—if he lost another—he feared he might go mad.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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