The wind howled fiercely as Sasuke soared through the sky on the back of Raiko, his massive Wind-Thunder Eagle.
Yugito Nii clung tightly to his waist, steadying herself against the turbulence.
"Yugito, you're the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails. You trust me enough to come with me so easily? Aren't you afraid I might have ulterior motives?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.
"And when the Raikage finds out you're missing, he's going to be furious."
Every Jinchūriki was a strategic asset to their village. The sudden disappearance of the Two-Tails' host would send the Hidden Cloud into chaos.
Yugito, however, remained calm and shook her head slightly.
"If you truly meant to harm me, I wouldn't be able to stop you anyway."
She sighed. "Besides, I left a message for the Raikage."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "That confident, huh?"
Yugito looked ahead, her expression thoughtful. "Your summons, Raiko, is a legendary beast from the Wind and Thunder Canyon. For centuries, powerful shinobi have tried to tame it, and they all failed. But you… you succeeded. That alone tells me how dangerous you really are."
She met his gaze. "So, Sasuke… what do you want in return for saving me?"
Sasuke thought for a moment. "A portion of Matatabi's chakra."
Yugito blinked, surprised by how straightforward his request was.
"That's all?"
Sasuke nodded.
Yugito let out a small breath and smiled. "Alright. That's easy enough."
For a Jinchūriki, chakra was abundant. Sharing a portion wouldn't affect her much.
Sasuke reached out and placed his hands over hers, activating the Demonic Absorption Seal.
A faint blue glow flickered between their palms as the heat of his touch made Yugito blush slightly. She didn't resist, but she couldn't hide her curiosity.
How is he doing this?
Most people couldn't even handle tailed beast chakra, let alone absorb it directly. Yet Sasuke was drawing it out with ease.
After a short while, Sasuke withdrew his hands.
"That should be enough," he muttered.
With this, he had a seed of the Two-Tails' chakra—one step closer to his ultimate goal.
Still, he sighed in frustration. Kakuzu's hearts can't absorb chakra like this…
He already possessed Lightning, Fire, Water, and Earth chakra natures. He only needed Wind Release to complete his elemental mastery.
Unfortunately, Wind Release users were rare, and Sasuke was picky about whose chakra he absorbed.
Temari…
The thought crossed his mind. She was a skilled Wind Release user from the Hidden Sand. But if he used the Demonic Absorption Seal on her, it would undoubtedly cause a diplomatic incident.
The Sand and Leaf had only recently repaired their alliance. Attacking the Kazekage's sister would be seen as an act of war.
Gaara would never let that slide…
More importantly, Tsunade would be caught in the political fallout.
Sasuke shook his head. Not worth it.
Yugito's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Sasuke, where are we heading next?"
"We're going to Kirigakure. I have an ally there."
The Hidden Mist was secluded, surrounded by vast mountains and treacherous waters. It was the perfect place to hide Yugito from the Akatsuki.
Kirigakure – Mizukage's Office
Terumi Mei tapped her fingers on her desk as she listened to Sasuke's explanation.
"Wait, wait—so you kidnapped the Two-Tails?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I didn't kidnap her. She came willingly to prevent Cloud from falling into chaos."
Terumi Mei leaned forward, giving him a knowing smirk. "You sure know how to stir up trouble, don't you?"
Sasuke crossed his arms. "Please, if the Akatsuki try to attack Kirigakure, I'll be here in an instant with Flying Thunder God. If they come, I'll make sure they never leave."
Mei studied him for a moment before nodding. "Fine. But if the Raikage storms in looking for his Jinchūriki, you're explaining it to him."
Sasuke smirked. "Deal."
Mei's expression softened. "Speaking of Akatsuki, we still have Hidan locked up. You should interrogate him."
Sasuke nodded. "I left Kakuzu in Konoha with the Yamanaka clan. They'll dig into his memories for Akatsuki intel."
Mei chuckled. "Kiri has its own methods. We'll see what we can get from Hidan."
Then, her expression turned teasing. "By the way, Sasuke… you sure know how to surround yourself with beautiful women."
Sasuke blinked. "Huh?"
Mei smirked. "First Kurenai, then Tsunade, and now Yugito? How many more?"
Sasuke rubbed his chin, pretending to count. "Hmm… a few more, maybe?"
Mei raised an eyebrow. "Wait—did you just say Tsunade?"
Sasuke casually nodded.
Mei's eyes widened. "Hold on. You actually—? With Tsunade? The Fifth Hokage?"
Sasuke gave a nonchalant shrug.
Mei burst into laughter. "Wow, you really are fearless! I never expected someone to flip the Hokage like that!"
Sasuke smirked. "Why? Jealous?"
Mei flipped her hair. "Jealous? No. But now I definitely have to show you why I'm the most qualified to be your number one."
Sasuke chuckled. "You sure about that?"
Mei leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear.
"You'll find out soon enough," she whispered.
A Few Days Later – Akatsuki's Hidden Base
Nagato summoned the Akatsuki members for an urgent meeting.
"Bad news. Hidan and Kakuzu have disappeared," he announced.
Hoshigaki Kisame frowned. "Even that immortal freak got taken out?"
Nagato's Rinnegan eyes narrowed. "We don't know who did it."
Zetsu chimed in. "According to our surveillance, they engaged the Two-Tails… but then a powerful Lightning Release user intervened. Shortly after, Yugito vanished."
"Fourth Raikage, maybe?" Deidara guessed. "He's got the strength for it."
Nagato crossed his arms. "Possible. We need to proceed with caution. We can't afford any more casualties."
"Scorpion," he turned to Sasori. "Activate your spies. I want intel on all movements from the five great nations."
Sasori nodded. "Understood."
"For now, everyone—keep a low profile."
The meeting ended, and the Akatsuki dispersed into the shadows.
Konoha – Hokage's Office
Sasuke stood before Tsunade, his arms crossed.
"Everything went smoothly," he said. "Raiko is officially my Summoning Beast."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Wait—you captured Kakuzu too?"
Sasuke nodded.
Tsunade smirked. "Sasuke, you've been doing well. I should reward you."
Sasuke grinned, locking the office door.
"Then let's discuss my reward… in detail."