Chapter 294: 294. Chapter 292: In the Waterfall Village, Everyone Except Me, Kakuzu, is a Rogue Ninja

294. Chapter 292: In the Waterfall Village, Everyone Except Me, Kakuzu, is a Rogue Ninja

Although it was already late, the entrance to the Konoha bathhouse was surrounded by security team members standing at the ready. Uchiha Huoke, the current captain of the Konoha Security Division, was looking with a strange expression at the familiar man being dragged out by a group of female ninjas.

"Young Clan Leader of the Hyuga clan, what is this?"

The man being dragged out struggled to lift his head. His face, already unrecognizable, was filled with excitement, as if he had seen a savior. He shouted loudly for help toward the security team led by Uchiha Huoke:

"Security team, save me! I've been framed!"

His voice sounded like a cuckoo weeping blood, making one feel a sense of sympathy for a fellow sufferer.

Just moments ago, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, who had been diligently searching for Uchiha Gin, was caught off guard by a "depth charge" that suddenly fell from the sky. Following that, he heard a series of sharp shouts, and in the blink of an eye, he was locked onto by countless ninjutsu. Terrified, he raised his hands, intending to unleash a Rotation.

"You still dare to resist? Super Pushing Foot!"

The Akimichi auntie, who had already crashed into the bath in her Human Bullet Tank form, narrowed her eyes. She immediately extended a suddenly enlarged jade foot and kicked Hyuga Xiang Tianyao hard in the back while he was in the middle of his casting animation, sending him flying and embedding him firmly into the wall.

"For this kind of peeping tom, sisters, don't talk to him about chivalry—let's all jump him together!"

It was unclear which sister shouted this, but the other furious female ninjas all joined in.

"Ah! Why are you hitting me?"

"Ah!! Don't hit my face!"

"Ah!!! Don't hit down there!"

Even until he was beaten into an unrecognizable pulp by a flurry of fists, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao still couldn't figure out why he was being beaten, or why he had become the "peeping tom" they claimed he was.

Just as Hyuga Xiang Tianyao was about to return to the Pure Land to drink tea with his lonely great-uncle, a voice echoed in the empty men's bath:

"Stop! If you keep hitting him, he's going to die!"

The few customers in the men's bath had long since been scared away by the Akimichi auntie's sudden giant head, clutching their crotches as they fled. The voice that rang out now belonged to Maruboshi Kosuke, who had slipped over from the women's bath during the chaos. The young man held a sharp short blade, looking righteous and awe-inspiring.

"Little guy, who are you?"

"I am the bathhouse guard. My employer does not wish for there to be any loss of life in their establishment."

At this moment, Maruboshi Kosuke projected the aura of a guard, showing an extremely indignant expression. He glared at Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, who had been transformed into a pig's head, a hint of hidden relief flashing in his eyes.

If it weren't for Uchiha Gin's help, the one being hammered into a pig's head right now would be him.

"Don't worry, we won't beat him to death."

The female ninjas also knew the consequences of killing someone in the street, so they had held back during the assault. Otherwise, just one "Mount Tai Pressing the Top" from the Akimichi auntie would have sent Hyuga Xiang Tianyao to meet the ancestor, Otsutsuki Hamura.

"Save me... I'm a good... person!"

Seeing the female ninjas stop, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, still conscious, struggled to raise his hand, looking like he was determined to leave his innocence behind in this world.

"Caught red-handed and you still dare to quibble? Sisters, make him suffer a little!"

"Ah!!!"

"You say you came here to catch a peeping tom?"

Taking over the battered Hyuga Xiang Tianyao from the female ninjas, Uchiha Huoke listened curiously to his explanation, his strange gaze tinged with a hint of sympathy.

"Yes, Gin-san asked me to assist him in catching a peeping tom."

The bath towel around Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's waist had been torn into a thong by the crazed female ninjas. Standing in the cold wind, he shivered. Uchiha Huoke, unable to bear it, helped him find a coat to drape over his shoulders.

"Then where is Gin-dage?"

Having spent many years with Uchiha Gin, how could Uchiha Huoke not know his character? This naive Hyuga young master had likely been swindled out of everything but his underwear.

At the mention of Uchiha Gin, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's swollen face was filled with deep worry. He grabbed Uchiha Huoke's arm and urged:

"Quick, release me! I still have to go help Gin-san!"

He had been beaten into this state, and Uchiha Gin had yet to appear; he must be entangled with that despicable peeping tom. He had to catch the real culprit to clear his name.

"Uh... don't get excited yet. Given that the matter you described is still open to question, come with us for a while!"

The female ninjas who had caught Hyuga Xiang Tianyao were still watching from the sidelines like tigers. If Uchiha Huoke released him so easily, a complaint letter against the security team would be on the village secretary's desk by morning. Therefore, he could only temporarily detain this innocent Hyuga young master.

"Huh? We're on the same side!"

Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, held up by two security team members, looked completely bewildered and shouted while struggling. He was doing official business this time!

"Listen to that, the peeping tom actually says he's on the same side as the security team!"

"Hmph~ I've long felt those guys were suspicious. So they're all birds of a feather."

"It must be a dojutsu evolved specifically for the convenience of peeping!"

The two brothers in the Pure Land: "Achoo~ Achoo!"

"Move out!"

Hearing the undisguised whispers of the onlookers, Uchiha Huoke, his face turning blue, waved his hand and forcibly took Hyuga Xiang Tianyao away from this place of trouble.

Just as the group was fleeing in a sorry state to a street corner, they encountered a familiar figure walking with an arrogant, "six-kin-don't-recognize" gait.

It was Uchiha Gin, who had been missing for a long time. He was wearing his blue yukata, his curly hair still damp with moisture, and he was biting on a carton of strawberry milk, his eyes full of enjoyment.

"Gin-san!"

Seeing Uchiha Gin, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao shouted excitedly, as if he had seen a savior.

"Burp~ Isn't this Xiang Tianyao-laodi? You're done bathing too?"

Pretending that nothing had happened, Uchiha Gin tilted his head in confusion, his dead fish eyes filled with innocence, and he asked with great surprise:

"How did you end up in such a state after a bath? Is the masseur's grip that heavy?"

"What are you talking about? Gin-san, where is that peeping tom?"

Not expecting the missing Uchiha Gin to act as if he had amnesia, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao was so anxious his eyes became bloodshot.

"Slurp~ What peeping tom? Did you get dizzy from the bath?"

Greedily squeezing out the last drop of strawberry milk, Uchiha Gin tossed the carton into a nearby trash can, his sword-like brows slightly furrowed.

"Gin-san! Wasn't it you who asked me to help you keep watch?"

Feeling as if Uchiha Gin had become a different person, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, who had been beaten for nothing and framed, felt his heart go cold.

"Huoke-laodi, what did Xiang Tianyao-laodi do?"

Without answering Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's question, Uchiha Gin instead turned his gaze to Uchiha Huoke, who was standing to the side with a tense expression.

"Cough, cough... The Hyuga young master is suspected of peeping in the women's bath and was caught on the spot by customers."

*I'm trying my best to perform the role you need me to play~*

"Ah, this... Xiang Tianyao-laodi, what do you want me to say? I only left for a little while, how did you manage to stir up such a huge mess!"

Hearing Uchiha Huoke's words, Uchiha Gin scolded him with a "hate that iron doesn't become steel" tone.

"Gin-san! How could you..."

Seeing Hyuga Xiang Tianyao about to speak, Uchiha Gin interrupted him first, then looked at Uchiha Huoke with burning eyes, whispering in a voice that only a few could hear:

"Don't say any more! Huoke-laodi, do me a favor. I'll pay Xiang Tianyao-laodi's bail for you later. Release him now; walking around with his bird out in this cold weather will lead to trouble."

???

Since when did the security team start collecting bail?

"Gin-dage, I..."

"I know you have your difficulties, but Xiang Tianyao-laodi is my good brother from a different father and mother. If I don't help him at a time like this, who will!"

"But..."

"I understand. It's hard for you brothers to be out on a shift so late. When I get back, I'll prepare some tea money for everyone to moisten their throats."

Uchiha Gin's spiel left Uchiha Huoke somewhat speechless.

*Sure enough, this whole thing was stirred up by Gin-dage. *

"Alright, since Gin-dage has spoken."

Catching a subtle look from Uchiha Gin, Uchiha Huoke sighed and waved for his subordinates to release the bewildered Hyuga Xiang Tianyao.

"I hope Gin-dage's friend can maintain restraint next time and not break the law while knowing it."

"Definitely, definitely~ Xiang Tianyao-laodi was just confused for a moment!"

"I wasn't!"

"You were!"

"Brothers, withdraw!"

Watching Uchiha Gin press Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's stubborn head into the ground, Uchiha Huoke couldn't help but laugh and cry, then disappeared into the night with his security team subordinates.

Once the idlers had retreated, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, who had been nursing a belly full of grievances, pointed at Uchiha Gin's nose and questioned him:

"Uchiha Gin, why didn't you explain for me?"

He had clearly come to help him catch a peeping tom, but in the end, not only was he almost unjustly imprisoned, but he was also backstabbed by his teammate.

"Whoo~ Xiang Tianyao-laodi, calm down. I know you were framed."

Seeing that no one was around, Uchiha Gin put on a sighing expression, his dead fish eyes filled with apology.

"You were still pretending you didn't know anything!"

Hyuga Xiang Tianyao suddenly felt the sky collapsing. It turned out Uchiha Gin knew everything, but he just wouldn't say it.

"Xiang Tianyao-laodi, catching the peeping tom was going very smoothly, but..."

"But what?"

"Sigh~ There are some things you're better off not knowing. I'll help you pay the bail; just stay home and recover from your injuries these next few days."

Uchiha Gin made a difficult expression, which only piqued Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's curiosity even more.

"No! This concerns my innocence; I must bring that peeping tom to justice!"

"Xiang Tianyao-laodi! Why are you so stubborn? How could I tell you that the peeping tom is a white-haired guy who can use space-time ninjutsu~"

!!!

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao was struck as if by lightning. He stood frozen in place, his white eyes filled with the four words: "unbelievable."

"You mean..."

Swallowing hard, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's voice was much quieter than before.

"I didn't say anything."

And Uchiha Gin, as if realizing he had let something slip, waved his hands in a panic.

*Sure enough, no wonder I could never find the peeping tom's trail. That flash of lightning before wasn't Uchiha Gin's signal, but the visual effect produced when someone used space-time ninjutsu. *

"Whoo~ I understand. Thank you, Gin-san."

Having figured out the ins and outs of the whole thing, Hyuga Xiang Tianyao reined in his previous irritability. His swollen face showed deep gratitude, and he bowed deeply to Uchiha Gin.

If he had insisted that there was another peeping tom, this matter would definitely have reached the Hokage building. At that time, the true mastermind sitting on the platform would definitely punish him severely, and then everything would be beyond saving.

Fortunately, Uchiha Gin was righteous and generous, willing to beg the security team to release him, turning a big matter into a small one. And he had actually spoken harshly to Gin-san just now—it was truly an act of a beast.

"It's nothing, just a few million ryo in bail. This matter started with me, so in reason and emotion, I have to help you."

"The bail, the tea money, and Gin-san's gratitude money—I will send them over tomorrow."

"Ah! How could I be so embarrassed? But it's only ten million ryo; I can scrape it together if I squeeze."

"I'll send it over tonight!"

"Xiang Tianyao-laodi, from now on, we are cousins closer than real brothers! I guarantee the life of your little grandson!"

"Huh? I'm only getting married this year?"

The next day.

In the Hokage building, Senju Tobirama, who was buried in an ocean of village affairs and unable to extricate himself, picked up an inconspicuous report and read it. A moment later, his expression turned strange.

"Big Brother, the Hyuga clan's young master peeped in the women's bath and was caught on the spot."

"Huh? That Hyuga Xiang Tianyao who looks so gentle? I didn't expect him to be that kind of person."

Senju Hashirama, who was also processing foreign affairs documents, looked up, rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and said:

"Who's to say? It's truly a case of knowing a person's face but not their heart. But that curly-head actually has a bit of loyalty."

"And what does it have to do with Gin-dage?"

Hyuga Xiang Tianyao's peeping incident actually involved Uchiha Gin, and Senju Hashirama couldn't help but feel a bit curious.

"He stepped forward to guarantee Hyuga Xiang Tianyao, but this kind of small matter won't keep him locked up for many days."

"Haha, I told you Gin-dage is a good person~"

"Hmph~"

Senju Tobirama snorted coldly, but his sharp eyes softened quite a bit.

*Curly-heads really are all good Uchihas~*

"Eh! Tobirama, look quickly, there's news about a Tailed Beast!"

After discussing Uchiha Gin's matter, Senju Hashirama, who had opened an international intelligence report, immediately exclaimed.

"Which country's Tailed Beast? What happened!"

It had been half a year since the Tailed Beasts were sold. During this period, except for the Land of Water attempting to use a Tailed Beast to get back at the Land of Whirlpools, the other countries had kept the news of their Tailed Beasts tightly hidden.

For this reason, Konoha had sent many spies to infiltrate other countries, but they had gained nothing.

"The Land of Waterfalls."

After browsing the intelligence in his hand, Senju Hashirama frowned, looked up, and said slowly:

"The Land of Waterfalls? Where did they get a Tailed Beast?"

Senju Tobirama was immediately bewildered. The Tailed Beasts were all sold to the major countries that attended the Five Kage Summit at the time. Where did the Land of Waterfalls get one?

"It's the Seven-Tails. The Land of Waterfalls used some unknown means to obtain the Seven-Tails from the Hidden Stone Village."

"The Hidden Stone Village, huh... That makes sense."

During the previous war between Water and Earth, the Land of Waterfalls was an ally of the Land of Earth, so asking for a Tailed Beast from the Land of Earth seemed quite reasonable.

"But the Seven-Tails originally lived in the Land of Waterfalls, so there shouldn't be any trouble if it goes back, right?"

Suddenly remembering the origin of the Seven-Tails, Senju Tobirama raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Not only is there trouble, it's a huge trouble. Take a look~"

As the one who personally captured the Seven-Tails, Senju Hashirama naturally knew that the Land of Waterfalls was the Seven-Tails' happy home, but the events described in the report were indeed shocking.

"What kind of trouble could there be? At most, the Tailed Beast goes on a rampage... Huh??? This intelligence isn't fake, is it?"

Senju Tobirama, who took the report, rolled his eyes. He didn't believe a Tailed Beast could cause any major trouble. However, the moment he saw the report, he couldn't help but drop his jaw.

"The Seven-Tails was taken away by a rogue ninja?"

According to the report, the Waterfall Village declared a ninja a rogue ninja and threw him into prison to be executed on an auspicious day.

Unexpectedly, this rogue ninja had extraordinary strength; he knocked out the prison guards, and after escaping, instead of fleeing, he snuck back to his home in the village.

Then, for some unknown reason, the rogue ninja, possessed by beastly instincts, slaughtered a group of the village's high-level officials, looted the Waterfall Village's treasury, and was finally forced by a large number of ninjas to the place where the village imprisoned the Tailed Beast.

He had thought this rogue ninja would be swallowed in one gulp by the Tailed Beast, but it turned out he used some unknown method to control the Tailed Beast and escape.

"Unbelievable, right? I think this intelligence is open to question."

Seeing Senju Tobirama's shocked face, which was the same as his own when he first saw the report, Senju Hashirama, arms crossed, said:

"Indeed. Let's not discuss the previous plot for now, but just this 'controlling the Tailed Beast to escape'—there's definitely a problem. This rogue ninja, he doesn't have the surname Uchiha, does he?"

"I remember, it seems his name is Kakuzu or something."

On a dangerous peak in the Land of Waterfalls, the smooth, sheer cliffs all around were daunting, and the height of over a thousand meters made people shrink back. Yet, on this forbidden human zone, a black-haired young man was lying.

His entire body was covered in hideous wounds, but fortunately, they had all scabbed over, preventing him from bleeding to death. A simple, ancient scroll was tied to his waist, and his tightly clenched hand was gripping a card that shimmered with golden light. It was unknown how much time had passed before the black-haired young man slowly regained consciousness.

"Whoo~ Is this the Pure Land?"

Kakuzu, weak all over, slowly opened his eyes. Looking at the clouds within arm's reach, a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Sure enough, he hadn't escaped from those traitors after all.

"Kid, you're awake!"

Just as he was calmly accepting the fact of his death, the sharp tone that suddenly rang out in his mind instantly sobered Kakuzu's scattered consciousness. He propped himself up abruptly and looked around vigilantly, only to find nothing but dead wood and rubble—there was no human presence.

"I'm not dead? Was the voice just now a hallucination?"

Kakuzu, who propped himself up and stood, felt the piercing pain from his wounds, and his brain slowly regained consciousness. Looking at his scarred hands, he realized he was still alive. As for the voice in his mind just now, it must have been an auditory hallucination, right?

"Hmph~ I saved your life, kid, and you can't even say thank you?"

Just as Kakuzu was rejoicing, that sharp voice appeared in his mind again.

"Who are you?"

Discovering it wasn't a hallucination, Kakuzu pulled out the refurbished kunai from his back, his eyes quickly searching for anything suspicious.

"Stop looking. I'm in your hand. I really don't know why I had a hot head at the time and saved an idiot like you!"

As the voice in his mind rang out again, Kakuzu suddenly felt a burning heat in his palm. Terrified, he hurriedly raised his hand, only to find that the card in his hand was trembling slightly, as if reminding him of something.

In great alarm, Kakuzu held the card up to his face and examined it carefully. He saw that the card depicted a lifelike seven-winged beetle—it was the divine beast of the Land of Waterfalls that had saved him from the desperate situation earlier.

And the aura emanating from the card further proved that the divine beast was currently residing on this card.

"Thank you, Divine Beast-sama, for saving my life!"

Recalling the scene from yesterday, Kakuzu, holding the card with both hands, immediately knelt down properly and kowtowed hard to the Seven-Tails Tailed Beast card.

"Get up, human. The taste of being betrayed by the person you trust most—it doesn't feel good, does it?"

Kakuzu's head remained on the ground, not daring to move. A moment later, a voice tinged with melancholy came into his mind.

Slowly propping himself up, Kakuzu's eyes were filled with deep pain. Even now, he couldn't accept the fact that he had become a rogue ninja.

*No, it wasn't I, Kakuzu, who betrayed the village; it was the village that betrayed me! *

Thinking of this, Kakuzu lifted his head, and a long-lost tear slowly traced its way down his cheek. Since becoming an orphan, this was the first time he had shed tears.

He had clearly executed the leader's orders diligently, almost losing his life at the hands of Senju Hashirama. After dragging his wounded body back, not only did he not receive recognition, but he was instead thrown into prison.

Because he was worried about the private money he had hidden at home, Kakuzu knocked out the prison guards and escaped. When he returned home, he found it in a mess; the money he had saved for many years had been swept away by someone. With his beliefs collapsed, he was mocked by his former colleagues who had arrived.

In the dark night, Kakuzu and the leader stared at each other.

"Leader-sama, where is my money?"

"Money? What money? You, Kakuzu, a mere rogue ninja, what qualifications do you have to question me?"

The leader, leading many high-level officials, looked at the trembling Kakuzu with an arrogant face and shook his head with great disdain.

"I did not betray the village!"

Kakuzu's trembling roar was exceptionally harsh in the dark night, reaching all the way to the waterfall behind the Waterfall Village.

Behind the waterfall, a giant figure that had been sleeping gently flapped its wings.

"Hmph~ Just because you say you didn't, does that mean you didn't? We, so many people, say you betrayed us, so you are a rogue ninja!"

"Leader, why waste words with him? Escaping from prison is already a capital crime; just kill him!"

An elderly high-level official of the village stroked his gray beard, not even bothering to lift his eyelids. In his eyes, Kakuzu was just a pawn to be discarded at will.

"Big Brother, give him a quick end!"

Thinking of the massive amount of gold coins Kakuzu had exploded, the Waterfall Village leader, who had suddenly become kind-hearted, ordered his personal guard.

"You are the real traitors of the Waterfall Village! You are the real rogue ninjas!"

In despair, Kakuzu's strength, which had been stuck at a bottleneck for many years, actually ushered in another breakthrough. His whole body erupted with the prestige of a leader-level figure. He lifted his head coldly and pronounced judgment on the group of high-level officials who were laughing and joking in front of him:

"You... are the ones who deserve to die!"

"Quick! Kill him!"

What followed was a one-sided massacre. The Waterfall Village leader, because he had been hit by the Nine-Tails many years ago, had his foundation damaged, and his strength was greatly reduced; he didn't dare to step forward to meet the battle at all.

"Boom!!!"

And the other high-level officials had also been slack for many years, their strength less than one-tenth of what it used to be. In just one encounter, several high-and-mighty elders were torn to pieces by Kakuzu's ninjutsu.

"Quick, stop him!"

Seeing Kakuzu, who looked like a mad demon, the terrified leader hurriedly jumped to the rear and commanded his personal guards to go and intercept him.

"Die!"

At this moment, Kakuzu's eyes were already red with killing. He ignored the attacks of the personal guards hitting his body; in his eyes, there was only the leader's panicked figure.

The leader sensed the arrival of death and hurriedly searched his bosom for the Hero's Water to save his life. Finally, he found a small bottle of thick liquid. Overjoyed, he was just about to drink it when he felt a chill in his back, and at the same time, a cold, hoarse voice rang in his ear:

"Leader, if you tell me where the money is hidden, I won't take this heart." (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 295 =====