Both women were sharp enough to immediately understand what Kazuyama meant.
It made sense. If a Jinchūriki went missing, it would be a devastating blow for any village.
After all, Jinchūriki were each village's most important strategic weapon.
Pakura and Konan exchanged glances and saw the same trace of shock in each other's eyes. It was hard to imagine Kumogakure suffering such a loss—and being forced to swallow the humiliation in silence.
"Tch, that bastard teacher of mine didn't just kidnap me."
"He even snatched Turtle Island, the one Kumo raised for who knows how many years. It's floating up near the northern sea of the Land of Waterfalls now."
Yugito rolled her eyes at Kazuyama, her expression filled with helplessness.
Kazuyama, catching her look, burst into a proud laugh.
"You, you..."
"Hmph!"
Pakura shook her head with a sigh. What could she even say at this point?
Kazuyama had abducted his wife from Sunagakure, his disciple from Kumogakure…
And as her thoughts trailed off, she looked toward Konan.
Konan simply gave a small shake of her head, then said calmly,
"We were originally ninja from Amegakure. But we were pushed out by the village. For many reasons, we followed Kazuyama and joined Takigakure."
So now even his allies were people he "stole" from Amegakure.
Seriously, was there anything Kazuyama wouldn't take?
"Alright, let's get back to work, everyone."
...
Over the next several days, Kazuyama practically became a living Flying Thunder God courier.
Every day he shuttled between Konohagakure and Takigakure, while Chōmei turned into a mobile chakra battery.
It took them a full ten days to sell off all the goods—and that was only because Kazuyama relocated the entire team and inventory to the Land of Birds by the third day.
That was one of his strategies—hit a place, sell fast, then move to the next. It was much more efficient that way.
After ten days, Kazuyama brought everyone back to their base in the Land of Frost.
This time, it was time to split the earnings.
"Konan, this is yours—130 million ryo."
"That should keep you and Yahiko going for a while."
"And you, Yugito, here's 2 million. Don't blow it. Konan, keep an eye on her."
He placed a bankbook on the table and slid it over to Konan.
Just like they agreed—30% to Konan, 10% to Yugito. That's 40% of the total, and Kazuyama handed it over without the slightest hesitation.
He might treasure money like his life, but he treated his own people generously.
In fact, more than half of his fortune was currently in Pakura's care.
"Thank you, Kazuyama. With this money, Yahiko will finally be able to deal with the old hardliners in the village."
"As for Yugito's identity, Yahiko and I understand—we'll keep it strictly confidential."
No one understood the state of Takigakure's finances better than Konan. She handled all the spending, and the constant flood of bills gave her daily migraines.
...
After dropping Konan and Yugito off in Takigakure, Kazuyama took Pakura to enjoy some time in the Land of Frost.
They rarely had the chance to travel, so they were going to make the most of it.
"You know, I've realized something—you're seriously bold."
"You just walked off with a Jinchūriki like it was nothing?"
Pakura held onto Kazuyama's arm as they strolled through the snowy streets, taking in the cold.
Compared to the eternal sandstorms of Sunagakure, this snow was something she could truly enjoy.
"It's just the Two-Tails. Have you forgotten who your man is?"
Kazuyama gave a smug smile, and the aura of a Tailed Beast suddenly surged from within him.
Seeing that cocky face, Pakura immediately demonstrated a move all women seem to master instinctively—the Waist-Pinching Technique!
That single move sent Kazuyama reeling, his proud façade shattered by the sharp pain.
...
After three days of fun, Kazuyama finally brought Pakura back to the village.
The moment he returned, ANBU summoned him to the Hokage's office.
And the second he stepped inside, he could feel multiple pairs of eyes locking onto him.
Then came a cold snort.
"Hmph, your mission's done, but you didn't return to the village. Where've you been?"
"Don't you know a shinobi's duty is to prioritize their mission?"
Kazuyama followed the voice to see Danzō glaring at him—the snort had come from him.
But Kazuyama didn't bother responding. Danzō targeting him was nothing new, and Kazuyama considered himself generous enough not to care.
After all, he'd already taken down plenty of Root operatives. If Danzō wanted to sneer a little, so be it.
Next time Danzō crossed the line, though? He'd see how far Kazuyama would go.
Besides Danzō, the office held the two advisors and an ANBU—Midori, the current head of the ANBU division.
"Enough, Danzō."
"Kazuyama, report on the situation in Amegakure."
Hiruzen gave Danzō a quick glance before turning to Kazuyama, calling for a mission debrief.
Amegakure was, after all, the key concern.
"Ah, Amegakure, right."
"I fought Hanzō. As for the chaos, that was me using clones."
"When you're trying to take on Hanzō in his own village, stirring up confusion is the most effective strategy."
Kazuyama kept his answer brief and to the point. But it was clear from the room's silence that no one was satisfied.
Hiruzen stared at him for a moment, then continued.
"The intel we received suggests Amegakure took heavy damage. Not only was Hanzō's fortress destroyed..."
"But there were reports of something resembling crystals. Kazuyama—was that your ability?"
Without hesitation, Kazuyama nodded.
He didn't see any need to hide his Crystal Release anymore. With his current strength, personal safety was no issue.
And besides, the village had always treated him well. He knew they wouldn't hold it against him for keeping a trump card secret.
"Hehe, yeah. It's a new Kekkei Genkai I developed."
"A fusion of water and wind attributes—Crystal Release."
"Thanks to that jutsu, I was able to go toe-to-toe with Hanzō. That crystal is what brought down his fortress."
With a flick of his hand, a flawless crystal formed in Kazuyama's palm, shimmering in the light with a rainbow of reflections.
The others were clearly stunned by the sight.
But the moment was broken by Hiruzen's loud, hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! Excellent!"
"The sons of Konoha really are extraordinary!"
"To create an entirely new Kekkei Genkai—Kazuyama, your talent is truly remarkable."
It was easy to see how pleased Hiruzen was. In his eyes, Kazuyama was firmly on his side—or so he believed.
But across the room, Danzō's expression darkened, his breath growing heavier at the mention of Crystal Release.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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