Shinju: "…"
Shinju couldn't quite figure out the thought process of these bandit-nin, but he still said sternly:
"Even if you shave your heads and become monks, the punishment you deserve won't be reduced in the slightest. ╰_╯"
Bandit-nin A replied:
"Of course we know that. Shaving our heads is just a way to fulfill our vow. •﹏•"
Shinju said nothing more. He found a suitable spot and got ready to lie down and rest for a while.
...
At the same time.
Land of Fire, somewhere in a city.
Sasuke lay on a hospital bed, his eyes wrapped in bandages.
Suddenly, with his sharp senses, he noticed an odd fluctuation in the room!
"Suigetsu?"
He reached for the sword by his bedside, testing with his voice.
A hoarse yet commanding voice answered:
"We've met before."
Sasuke's face twitched violently.
That voice… it was too familiar! He had just heard it a few days ago.
Through clenched teeth, Sasuke spat:
"Uchiha Madara?!"
"Don't be angry, Sasuke. I came to tell you the truth about back then," the masked man said with a smile.
Sasuke snapped back:
"I already know the truth. I don't need to hear it from you."
The masked man sneered:
"And how can you be sure what you heard before was the real truth?"
Sasuke fell silent.
The masked man continued:
"You can't be certain, can you?
So what's the harm in listening to another version?
Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to your own judgment…"
With that, the masked man began his tale:
"Back then…"
...
Meanwhile.
In the mountain wilderness, inside the wooden house Shinju had built with Wood Release.
From downstairs came a knock at the door!
Knock knock knock—
Knock knock knock!
The knocking grew more urgent, the visitor clearly in a hurry!
Shinju rose warily.
This house, meant for surgery, had been shaped from Wood Release and stood in the middle of nowhere, far from people…
Who could possibly be knocking on this door now?!
He went downstairs and cautiously pulled the door open.
Outside stood three or four masked shinobi.
The masks were all too familiar to Shinju.
These were the hunter-nin masks of Kirigakure!
He had seen Haku wear one during the mission in the Land of Waves!
No doubt—they had come for Utakata!
The leader of the hunter-nin bowed politely and greeted him:
"Sorry to disturb you, Shinju-san. We are Kirigakure hunter-nin. We've come to retrieve the missing-nin Utakata…"
But Shinju had promised—after extracting the Six-Tails from Utakata, he would not hand him over to the Mizukage.
So he feigned ignorance.
"Utakata? Who's that? Never met anyone by that name! (⊙o⊙)"
Hunter-nin:
"Shinju-san, we tracked the chakra fluctuations of the Six-Tails directly here."
Shinju:
"Oh, is that so? Then it's even less likely Utakata is here—because the Six-Tails is sealed inside me now."
As he spoke, Shinju stretched out his right hand!
A slimy, mucus-coated tentacle of the Six-Tails extended out from his sealed space!!
The hunter-nin recoiled in fright!
One hot-headed hunter-nin immediately stepped forward.
"Shinju-san, the Six-Tails belongs to Kirigakure. It is a strategic resource of our village! If you monopolize it like this, you could provoke conflict between our two villages!"
Shinju shrugged indifferently:
"The tailed beasts don't come with your village's name engraved on them. What's wrong with me just picking one up by the roadside? ┐(´-｀)┌ And by your logic, not only the Six-Tails, but even the Three-Tails is in my hands now. (◔◡◔)"
The hunter-nin fell silent.
They truly didn't dare do anything to Shinju.
Couldn't beat him.
Still couldn't beat him! (｡•́︿•̀｡)
Still couldn't f***ing beat him!!!
So after some hesitation, the leader of the hunter-nin bowed respectfully again:
"Sorry for the disturbance. We'll be on our way. But, Shinju-san, if you happen to see Utakata, please pass on this message: Kirigakure is no longer the Village of Bloody Mist. His master's case has already been investigated and the truth uncovered."
With that, the hunter-nin disappeared.
Shinju closed the door and went upstairs, back to Utakata's side.
"You heard what they said just now, didn't you?"
Utakata lay on the bed, looking like his soul had been drained. He answered softly:
"I heard."
Utakata was the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, implanted with the tailed beast from childhood.
Since then, it was like he lived under a curse—tormented physically, scorned and shunned by all.
Until one day, his beloved master summoned him to a cave.
Inside were strange medical instruments. His master bound his arms and legs, pressed talisman papers to his stomach, and began a bizarre ritual.
That pain—he could still never forget it!
It felt as if his bones were being ripped straight from his flesh!
Utakata believed his master, just like the villagers, saw him as a monster and tried to kill both him and the beast inside him with the ritual.
Fortunately, during that ritual, the Six-Tails went berserk—slaughtering all the researchers except him!
From then on, he carried the sin of killing his master and fled Kirigakure.
Until today, he always thought his master was a villain he had wrongly respected.
That's why he refused to acknowledge Hotaru as his student.
But just now, when Shinju transferred the seal inside him…
That ripping sensation was exactly like back then!!
He began to doubt his long-held judgment!!
Maybe his master hadn't been trying to kill him… but to help him escape his suffering, to free him from the tailed beast!!
That thought grew louder and louder in Utakata's mind. He recalled the years of nurturing and care his master had given him, and finally resolved to return to the village to learn the truth!!
After some rest, Utakata sat up.
"I'm leaving."
Shinju nodded.
"Alright."
Just then—
Rumble rumble rumble—
The ground began to shake!
The tremor wasn't strong and it didn't last long, fading quickly.
But Shinju sensed something was off!
He sat cross-legged, closing his eyes and stretching his chakra perception to the maximum!
At that moment Naruto pushed open the door, asking in confusion:
"What was that? An earthquake? (‧_‧?)"
Shinju opened his eyes and pointed northwest!
"There's a massive chakra fluctuation at the Tsuchigumo clan's village!!!"
...
At the same time.
Outside the Tsuchigumo clan's village.
On an open clearing, Tsuchigumo Hotaru's clothes were half torn open, her snow-white skin exposed.
On the inside of her arm was a curse mark with the character for "control"!
And on her back, grotesque veins bulged around a strange black device buried beneath her skin!!
Beside her stood a creep in a midriff-baring outfit.
The man grinned wickedly.
"I've finally got you! (๑‾ ꇴ ‾๑)"