A special thank you to my patrons:
—Cain, Shahzaam, kevin Williams, Jose Carrillo, Jose Sierra, Silver, Archer, ManyEB, Acedia, Zhandos Kauzhanov, Vora, kurtis newman, 66835, Alex Rushing, Fredrik Dahlman.
ad 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
"That damn bastard!"
Igawa Bu returned to his office, immediately using a chair to barricade the door. He spent a long time hunched over a spittoon retching, then rinsed his mouth repeatedly, but still felt nauseated.
He even had the fleeting thought of cutting open his own stomach to retrieve that mouthful of saliva.
Fortunately, reason prevailed over that unrealistic notion.
"To refuse to submit to me?" Igawa thought of the look on Utakata's face when he rejected him, feeling intense fury.
Ever since he became the true power behind Kirigakure, very few had dared to defy his will—the rare few who did were systematically eliminated.
Utakata's actions this time directly earned him a death sentence in Igawa's eyes.
Ever since capturing Utakata, Igawa had been hesitating.
The power of a Tailed Beast was undeniable, but it also raised an issue: the more dangerous the power, the greater the difficulty in utilizing it effectively.
To enhance compatibility between a Tailed Beast and its Jinchūriki, children were typically chosen.
This was because a child could grow alongside the beast, increasing their synchronization. Moreover, since a Jinchūriki held pivotal importance for any ninja village, they had to be a core member of the village, possessing a "village-first" ideology when faced with choices.
If someone became a Jinchūriki as an adult, the probability of them parting ways with the village was higher than for a ninja who became one from childhood.
Of course, this wasn't absolute. Take Utakata, for example—didn't he become a rogue ninja?
What Igawa hesitated over was another reason—after extracting the Six-Tails from Utakata, into whom should he implant it?
Before a Jinchūriki and their Tailed Beast reached an "understanding," there was a danger of the beast going berserk, potentially even resulting in death.
He didn't want to take that risk.
If only Igawa Tai were still alive.
At least, he was his own son. His loyalty would be unquestionable, and even if something went wrong, it wouldn't threaten his own life.
Thinking of this, images of Asachi Midorima and Mei Terumī surfaced in Igawa's mind.
Those two...
Igawa mentally fantasized about killing them, slicing off their flesh piece by piece, a sense of pleasure washing over him.
But for that fantasy to become reality, he needed power.
Therefore, the Tailed Beast was essential!
Igawa finally made up his mind: he would attempt to transfer the Tailed Beast into himself!
Opening a drawer, he retrieved a scroll and was about to examine the technique when a white figure suddenly materialized before him, startling him so much he nearly screamed.
Seeing it was Zetsu, Igawa's eyes widened in fury, the muscles of his face contorting into an exaggerated grimace.
"What's wrong with you?" Zetsu, seeing Igawa's exaggerated expression, was quite surprised.
"You ask what's wrong?" Igawa slammed the table and stood up, angrily pointing at Zetsu. "Couldn't you knock? Appearing out of nowhere like that could give someone a heart attack!"
"Ah, minor issue." Zetsu waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mind it! It's not like you were doing anything shameful. Why be afraid?"
Igawa's expression tightened for a moment before he let out a cold sneer. "Why are you here? Not to 'inspect' me, I hope?"
"As if I have that much free time?" Zetsu shook his head. "Have you forgotten what you mentioned earlier?"
"What matter?" Igawa couldn't recall for a moment.
"Why, the 'rebels,' of course. This village is very important to the Akatsuki. Even with two Mizukage overseeing it, there's still a risk of losing control. So, after you mentioned the existence of 'rebels,' we all became very concerned. Kirigakure holds a significant position for the Akatsuki. Therefore, the Akatsuki is prepared to cooperate with you to eliminate the rebels."
"Oh, that matter... Just you alone won't be enough." Igawa had never seen Zetsu in action.
"Of course, it's not just me..." Zetsu clapped his hands. The sound of someone collapsing suddenly came from outside the door.
Igawa's heart clenched. He recognized it as the ninja guarding the entrance being taken out. "What are you trying to do?"
"Not trying to do anything." Zetsu spread his hands. "I suppose this 'Akatsuki' member dislikes doormen, so he dealt with them. Hey, come on in. It's been a while since you've seen Lord Igawa, hasn't it?"
"I know him?" Igawa exclaimed in surprise.
Zetsu smiled and nodded.
In the blink of an eye, the door was pushed open, and a tall, imposing figure entered the room.
Seeing the man, Igawa's eyes filled with wariness.
"It's you, Kisame! So, you joined the Akatsuki." Igawa was astonished.
"Don't make such a fuss, Lord Igawa," Kisame said, waving a hand. "What's wrong with me joining the Akatsuki? Aren't we all working for the Akatsuki anyway?"
"But after you left, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen fell apart," Igawa said angrily.
"What's that got to do with me? Just find people to fill the spots," Kisame couldn't understand Igawa's line of thinking.
"Heh, people are easy to find. But the swords? You took Samehada, Zabuza took the Executioner's Blade, Hōzuki Mangetsu took the Twin Swords, Hiramekarei. The only remaining member of the Seven in the village is Ringo Ameyuri. Though not dead, she might as well be. She holds the Kiba swords. As for the other swords... can you tell me where they are?" The more Igawa thought about it, the angrier he became.
The "Seven Ninja Swordsmen" were the Mizukage's blades. But ever since he became Anbu Commander, the Seven had scattered—some fled, others fell ill. Even worse, three of the legendary swords were lost.
He didn't even have the capital to build his own power base.
"Oh, well, nothing to be done about that then," Kisame shook his head. "But I came back precisely for this matter."
"You? Do you think you can handle it? The rebels are formidable. I've already sent four squads to suppress them, but so far, no results. They either escape or repel the scouting teams. You alone can't kill them." Igawa shook his head.
"That will be my concern," Kisame said with a grin. "Give me the intel, and I'll kill them all."
"Intel?" Igawa took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "I'm afraid it might take a little time, but I'll pass on the gathered intelligence to you as soon as possible."
The smile on Kisame's face grew wider.
Though he didn't say it aloud, it was clear he was mocking Igawa.
He hadn't even managed proper preliminary reconnaissance.
"Then I'll await your good news!" Kisame and Zetsu left the room almost simultaneously.
"Damn it!" Igawa gritted his teeth, wanting to roar but afraid of being overheard, he could only let out a low growl. "Akatsuki... I'll make you understand sooner or later that I am not your subordinate."
He lowered his head and unclenched his hand.
The scroll he had been gripping tightly was now damp with sweat.
If those two had asked just one more question about the scroll, his "plan" might have been exposed. That was truly dangerous.
"I must accelerate the process..."
Igawa unrolled the scroll. After reading its contents, a smile spread across his face.