"Damn brat! You don't learn the good stuff, but this? You nailed it!"
"Yugito, have I been too soft with you?"
Kazuyama clenched his fists, a fierce glint in his eyes as he stepped toward her one step at a time.
But this was Yugito—the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, a disciple born to rebel.
Seeing her teacher bearing down on her, Yugito didn't hesitate. With a quick sidestep, she darted behind Pakura and stuck out her tongue.
"Go ahead, try me! I've got master's wife protecting me!"
"Master's wife, look at my teacher! He bullies me every day! I'm still a kid and he's already knocked the sense out of me!"
Without a second thought, Pakura stepped forward protectively, shielding Yugito with one arm.
For some reason, Yugito gave her a different feeling than Kakashi, Obito, or Rin ever did. This little girl might've seemed brash and mischievous, but there was something familiar about her.
A kind of loneliness. A quiet yearning to grow strong and prove herself.
"Kazuyama, what are you doing?!"
"Back off!"
Seeing Pakura guarding Yugito like a hawk shielding its chick, Kazuyama immediately raised his hands in surrender, not daring to take another step forward.
Still, he shot Yugito a deadly glare.
"Hehe, sensei, guess you're not so all-powerful after all."
"Tsk tsk. But master's wife, you still owe me a gift!"
"100,000 ryo is fine, but I'll take a million if you've got it!"
Yugito's money-grubbing attitude was oddly charming, making Pakura chuckle.
But she didn't have that kind of cash. After thinking for a moment, she reached behind her head, untied the hairband holding up her hair, bent down slightly, and tied it onto Yugito's head.
To be fair, Yugito's hair was stunning—long and silky, almost down to her waist.
"I didn't bring anything since this was so sudden. This hairband was a gift from your teacher."
"Now I'm giving it to you. Work hard, and grow into a ninja who can stand strong on her own."
Yugito grinned wide. It was clear she loved the hairband—and Pakura's words even more.
She would become a powerful ninja, stand tall on her own... and crush her sensei Kazuyama beneath her heel.
"Alright, greetings over—let's get to it."
"We're gonna be busy for the next few days."
Kazuyama looked at the mountain of loot and sighed. Making money was fun, but selling it all himself? A real pain.
Everyone quickly got to work sorting through the goods, and Pakura finally asked what had been on her mind.
"Kazuyama, did you bring Yugito from another village?"
"How'd you figure that out?"
Kazuyama looked a little surprised. He wasn't sure how Pakura saw through it so quickly.
She sighed softly.
"She reminds me a lot of myself. I had a feeling…"
Then she gave him a side-eye.
"Come on, spill it. Which village did you steal her from?"
She didn't believe for a second that Kazuyama would randomly pick some ordinary girl as his disciple. Yugito had to have something special—something that caught his eye.
Kazuyama laughed heartily, carefree and open.
When it came to Pakura, he had nothing to hide anymore. She was his woman now—what was there to keep secret?
His loud laughter, however, drew the attention of Konan and Yugito...
"Hey, you bastard teacher, why are you smiling so lewdly?"
"Kazuyama, what's wrong?"
Faced with their questions, Kazuyama Gekkō suppressed his laughter and immediately revealed a very strange smile.
"Yugito, your master's wife is a little curious about your identity."
"Do you think I should tell her?"
These words not only aroused Pakura's curiosity, but even Konan's curiosity was aroused.
After all, she knew Yugito's strength, his terrifying physical abilities and Taijutsu, as well as his strange ninjutsu, but she and Yahiko had never asked too many questions about Yugito's identity, just assuming that he was Kazuyama Gekkō's disciple.
"What? You don't want me to hide my identity anymore?"
"If you want to know my identity, then forget it."
Yugito understood Kazuyama Gekkō's meaning, but could he really reveal his identity as a Jinchūriki right now?
But Kazuyama Gekkō just smiled slightly.
"It's okay, both the Land of Waterfalls and Takigakure are already allies."
"I've already told my sensei, Orochimaru, about your identity. Don't worry, he's very interested in you."
"When I'm not around, I'll ask him to teach you. I'm sure he'll teach you well."
Although Kazuyama Gekkō said this with a smile, for some reason, Yugito felt a chill run from her feet to the top of her head.
"Enough, stop teasing her."
"What exactly is Yugito's identity?"
Pakura reappeared, immediately stopping Kazuyama Gekkō.
He didn't know why, but even though he was a very opinionated person, after getting married, he had no temper when it came to his wife.
"Yugito is from Kumogakure."
"At the beginning of the Third Shinobi World War, I went to Kumogakure and brought her out."
"As for her identity?"
"Hehehe, she's the Two-Tails Jinchūriki."
Kazuyama Gekkō bluntly revealed Yugito's identity.
Jinchūriki!
These three words rang like a bell in Pakura and Konan's minds.
They both turned their gaze to Yugito.
Seeing this, Yugito shrugged his shoulders and nodded calmly.
"Yes, I am the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and Two-Tails Matatabi is my partner."
After saying this, Yugito felt completely refreshed. After all, how could he not feel good after finally revealing his secret?
"Is that true?"
"The Two-Tails Jinchūriki from Kumogakure?"
"My God, Kazuyama, you are so brave!"
Pakura was completely shocked. As an elite Jōnin of Sunagakure, she knew very well the significance of the word "Jinchūriki."
She had thought that Yugito's identity was not simple, but she never imagined that it would be so terrifying.
Konan was also shocked. No wonder Yugito was so strong. It was no wonder that he was a Jinchūriki.
But soon, the two of them looked at Kazuyama Gekkō at the same time.
They were particularly shocked because Kazuyama Gekkō had actually kidnapped the most important Jinchūriki of a village.
What's more, Kumogakure hadn't made a sound in all this time.
Seeing what they were thinking, Kazuyama Gekkō directly answered their questions and cleared up their confusion.
"Amegakure won't say anything. After all, losing a Jinchūriki is too serious a matter for a village."
"Raikage may be a brute with nothing but muscles in his head, but he's very thoughtful and has a good advisor under him."
"So they'll handle this internally and mobilize their forces to search on their own."