Kakashi stood up and explained the entire story of their mission to bring Fu to Hidden Waterfall Village.
He also went into detail about the reason they had to climb over the cliffs of Hidden Waterfall Village the previous night.
"Oh, so you were forced to climb over due to unforeseen circumstances?" the Takikage said calmly.
"Hey, old man, we risked our lives to bring Fu back here! Why are you doubting us? Don't you realize how important Fu is?" Before Kakashi and Okamoto Dousuke could respond, Obito jumped to his feet, protesting.
"If you continue to speak to me in such a rude manner, there will be no antidote for the poison in your breakfast," the Takikage said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
Upon hearing the Takikage's words, Okamoto Dousuke and the others immediately stood up. Okamoto Dousuke's hand subtly moved towards the summoning scroll within his ninja tool pouch.
"Alright, you old geezer really wants to harm me, damn it!" Obito exclaimed, drawing a kunai and lunging forward.
Bang!
Obito stopped abruptly, frozen in his tracks.
The Takikage had delivered a swift punch directly to Obito's stomach.
Obito's eyes widened in shock, and he promptly vomited all the sushi he had eaten that morning. He then collapsed onto the ground.
"Obito!" Nohara Rin cried out, moving as if to rush to his side.
"Rin!" Okamoto Dousuke quickly extended his arm to stop her.
"Dousuke?" Nohara Rin looked at him, confusion evident on her face.
"Don't worry, Rin. Takikage must have done that intentionally," Okamoto Dousuke explained calmly.
Given his title of Kage, whether recognized by the wider ninja world or not, he was clearly not weak. If the Takikage had truly intended to harm them, he could have easily killed Obito instead of simply making him regurgitate his breakfast.
Furthermore, as the leader of a village, how could he possibly not have security personnel? Yet, until this moment, no one else had appeared in the house.
Therefore, the only logical conclusion was that the Takikage had acted deliberately.
Clap, clap, clap.
A round of applause echoed through the room. "As expected of a disciple of the Legendary Sannin. You possess great potential at such a young age." The Takikage said, looking at Okamoto Dousuke and offering a sincere compliment.
"Your breakfast was infused with our village's unique Hero's Water. Consuming it over an extended period can significantly increase one's chakra reserves."
"Today's breakfast was prepared in portions suitable for the four of you, but this child," he gestured towards Obito, "ate far too much. As the saying goes, 'too much is as bad as too little.' Ingesting a large quantity of Hero's Water at once can make a ninja irritable and cause unbearable abdominal pain. Prolonged overuse can even lead to chakra disorder."
"Therefore, I was left with no better option than to resort to this rather crude method," the Takikage said, leaning back in his chair behind the large desk, crossing his hands, resting his elbows on the table, and placing his chin on his folded hands as he observed them.
Just then, Obito slowly pushed himself up and said, "Couldn't you have used a gentler method, old man?"
"It's not that we couldn't, but this was also a display of strength," Okamoto Dousuke said in a slightly hushed tone.
Since the four of them had entered the village, despite the Takikage's outward show of goodwill, they had remained on their guard. The slightest disturbance could have alarmed him and Kakashi, as Fu's safety was the Takikage's primary concern.
The Takikage was now subtly demonstrating that their vigilance was ultimately vulnerable in his eyes.
"Obito!" Kakashi snapped, his expression displeased.
"Sit down. Do you feel any better now?" the Takikage asked Obito.
"Damn it. I got punched out of nowhere, unable to even react! But… yeah, I do feel a lot better now," Obito admitted, still grumbling.
"Lord Takikage, please tell us the reason you requested our presence here!" Okamoto Dousuke said, his gaze steady on the Takikage.
"I allowed your… little act of defiance earlier because I wanted to put you at ease," the Takikage said with a smile. "Little one, you are still quite wary of me."
"I truly harbor no ill will towards you."
"Since you have come all this way to bring Fu, I will share a story with you," the Takikage said, standing up and walking towards the window, turning his back to them.
"After the First Ninja World War, the legendary First Hokage, Hashirama Senju – the very man hailed as the God of Ninja – brought an end to the chaotic Warring States Period, ushering in the era of the ninja villages. With his immense power, he sought to balance the world by dividing the nine tailed beasts among the various nations."
"Fortunately for us, The Hidden Waterfall Village, despite not being one of the Five Great Nations, was also granted a tailed beast: the Seven-Tails."
The Takikage paused, his gaze softening slightly before continuing. "Tailed Beasts are a critical military asset for any village, and choosing the right Jinchuriki is paramount. In our hour of need, the daughter of the first Takikage bravely volunteered to become the vessel for the Seven-Tails."
A shadow crossed his face as he recalled the past. "However, the sealing process did not go as planned. Her body was not strong enough to contain the full might of the Seven-Tails. In a desperate attempt, the beast's power had to be divided and sealed within her and..." He trailed off for a moment, a hint of pain in his voice.
Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Ten years passed quickly. The initial Jinchuriki, Kazuya, grew into adulthood and found love with a man from our village. They were inseparable, undertaking missions and protecting our home together. Their love blossomed under the shade of a magnolia tree. He vowed to always protect the village and her."
His voice grew heavy with emotion. "Eventually, that young man rose through the ranks and took on the mantle of Takikage himself and that man was me. But tragedy struck when the woman I loved became pregnant. The pregnancy weakened the seal, and the Seven-Tails' chakra began to leak, causing destruction within our village. Despite my pleas, she made the heartbreaking decision to leave one night, taking only a trusted nanny and a Chunin to ensure her safety and the Tailed Beast's isolation."
He turned to face Fu, nestled in Nohara Rin's arms, his expression a mixture of sadness and determination. "She left a letter, a promise to safeguard the Tailed Beast for our village, no matter the cost."
He then added, almost as an afterthought, "You might know the magnolia tree by another name… it's called The Hero Tree."
Looking at the group, who were clearly absorbing the weight of his story, the Takikage concluded, "That is my tale. You are dismissed for now. I will have the family of the former Jinchuriki show you around the village."