Deep within a hidden cave—one that once served as the birthplace of Pain—dim torchlight flickered against jagged stone walls, casting long shadows that twisted like living things.
Aomizu stood quietly at the center of the cavern, his expression calm but satisfied.
Moments earlier, he had successfully used the Summoning Technique to call forth Pain – Kakuzu once again. Watching the tall, stitched figure stand motionless before him, Aomizu carefully assessed the results of his experiment.
Overall, the test could be considered a success.
The only real drawback lay in the distance limitation.
After all, Pain was not a naturally autonomous being. He was a Human Puppet, and his ability to move, fight, and react like a living person relied entirely on Aomizu continuously supplying chakra as the controller.
This was fundamentally different from ordinary puppeteering.
Traditional puppeteers used chakra threads to directly manipulate their creations, requiring line-of-sight and relatively short distances. In contrast, Aomizu's control over Pain relied on the black chakra rods, which functioned as conduits capable of transmitting chakra remotely.
In other words, it was wireless control.
However, even wireless systems had their limits.
Through repeated testing, Aomizu confirmed that precise and stable control over Pain could only be maintained within a radius of approximately fifty kilometers. Within this range, Pain moved fluidly, responded instantly, and fought as naturally as a living shinobi.
Once that distance was exceeded, problems began to arise.
The chakra transmission would grow unstable, causing brief delays. Pain's movements would become stiff, mechanical, and occasionally freeze entirely, as though the signal were being interrupted.
And once the distance exceeded one hundred kilometers, control was lost completely.
Pain would simply stand there, lifeless.
"This distance is already impressive," Aomizu muttered to himself, arms crossed thoughtfully. "But compared to the scale of the entire ninja world… it's still far too small."
As that thought settled in his mind, another idea suddenly surfaced.
"…Relay stations."
The moment the words formed in his thoughts, Aomizu's eyes lit up faintly.
Pain's control mechanism was eerily similar to the wireless communication networks from Aomizu's previous life. Signals, transmission range, interference—it all followed familiar principles.
"If I could construct chakra relay stations," he mused, "then theoretically, I could extend the control range indefinitely."
With enough relays placed across the ninja world, Aomizu could sit comfortably in one location and command Pain to travel anywhere—from the Land of Fire to the furthest corners of the world.
The idea was bold.
Ambitious.
And frightening.
But not impossible.
"Not yet," Aomizu said quietly, shaking his head. "I still lack the foundation."
With that thought set aside, he refocused on his next objective.
Controlling Pain – Kakuzu, Aomizu sent the puppet to locate a rogue ninja skilled in Lightning Release. The hunt did not take long.
The battle was short and decisive.
Once the rogue ninja was killed, Aomizu extracted his heart without hesitation.
With that, Kakuzu's Five Hearts were finally complete.
Aomizu did not forget one other important matter.
Kakuzu's wealth.
The man had lived for decades as a mercenary, assassin, and bounty hunter. His income over the years was astronomical.
Naturally, someone like Kakuzu wouldn't carry large sums of cash while wandering the ninja world. The ninja world had banks, after all.
Transferring the funds to his own identity was effortless.
Looking at the balance, even Aomizu felt slightly stunned.
"This amount…" he muttered. "I could retire immediately and live comfortably for the rest of my life."
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—this was the ninja world.
No one would question how a newly promoted Chunin suddenly possessed a fortune large enough to rival noble clans.
With business concluded, Aomizu returned to Konoha.
"I want to drink alcohol!"
The demand came suddenly and without warning.
Aomizu didn't even hesitate.
"Absolutely not, Lady Tsunade."
His tone was firm and unwavering.
"What you need right now is proper rest," he continued. "Alcohol is bad for your health. And besides—"
He paused deliberately.
"You wouldn't want what happened last time to happen again, would you?"
The effect was immediate.
Tsunade's body stiffened, her movements freezing mid-step. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as her eyes shifted away.
Of course she knew what he was referring to.
The incident in Kusagakure.
She had long buried that memory, pretending it never happened. Yet this little scoundrel had the audacity to dig it back up so casually.
Damn brat.
Crossing her arms, Tsunade deliberately put on a stern expression and glared fiercely at him.
But what she didn't realize was that this action had the opposite of its intended effect.
Her posture only served to accentuate her figure.
Aomizu's gaze drifted unconsciously.
Realizing where his eyes had gone, Tsunade's anger flared instantly.
"So you're not even pretending anymore?" she snapped internally.
On a strange impulse, she blurted out, "Do you have any complaints?"
The moment the words left her mouth, regret followed.
That question was practically inviting commentary.
Aomizu fell silent.
Completely silent.
What was he supposed to say?
Anything would be suicidal.
Seeing his reaction, Tsunade cleared her throat twice, breaking the awkward tension.
"…Fine. I won't drink."
Then her eyes gleamed.
"I want to go gamble."
This, truly, was her greatest hobby.
She hadn't been able to indulge recently due to her research on the White Zetsu corpse, but now that she had free time, the itch was unbearable.
Aomizu sighed.
"…Lady Tsunade," he asked calmly, "do you have any money?"
The question hit like a critical strike.
Tsunade froze.
Her past few years of "relaxation" had resulted in an impressive collection of IOUs. At present, she truly couldn't produce even a single large bill.
"…Lend me thirty million ryo," she said confidently. "I'll pay you back as soon as I win."
Aomizu curled his lips.
Lady Tsunade, do you even believe that yourself?
Your gambling skills are legendary—for all the wrong reasons.
Lending you money would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog.
It would never come back.
"We don't do business that guarantees a loss," Aomizu said flatly. "And I don't have that kind of money either."
Tsunade's expression darkened instantly.
Although he kept calling her "Lady Tsunade," he showed absolutely no respect.
In a sudden burst of fury, she lunged forward and wrapped both hands around Aomizu's neck.
"Today," she growled, "I'm going to teach you what it means to respect your teacher."
Strictly speaking, Tsunade was not officially Aomizu's teacher.
He had never formally apprenticed under her, and the shinobi who truly deserved that title had already died during the Second Great Ninja War.
However, Tsunade had taught him medical ninjutsu.
That alone gave her the right to claim the title.
Aomizu did not refute her words.
Mostly because he was far too busy enjoying the moment.
Pressed against her, he could clearly feel the soft pressure against his face, along with a faint, lingering fragrance.
"I just became a Chunin," he said calmly despite the choking. "Where exactly would I get thirty million ryo?"
Tsunade paused.
Cleared her throat twice.
Then released him.
"…Fine."
Aomizu rubbed his neck.
Seeing that Tsunade was truly desperate to gamble, he offered a compromise.
"How about this, Lady Tsunade? We gamble without money."
She frowned. "Then what's the point?"
"The loser gets paper strips stuck on their face."
Tsunade wanted to refuse.
But given the circumstances, she could only agree.
"Fine," she snorted. "If you lose, don't you dare cry."
They chose to play High–Low.
After several rounds, Aomizu quickly grew bored.
Winning against Tsunade required no effort whatsoever.
Before long, her face was covered in paper strips.
Yet instead of giving up, Tsunade only became more obsessed.
"Again!"
"Lady Tsunade, it's late."
"One more round!"
"Outside is full of—"
"This is the last round!" she declared. "If I lose, I'll bet this necklace!"
She removed the necklace from her neck.
Aomizu's mouth twitched.
That necklace…
It was cursed.
Even Naruto had died once because of it.
If not for divine intervention, there would have been no second chance.
"…Why must you curse me like this?" Aomizu muttered.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)