A special thank you to my patrons:
—Jacob Mooe, kevin Williams, Jose Sierra, Pasang Sherpa, Acedia, kurtis newman, Nhoxious, sediaz, Targaryen, King Scales.
You can read 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!
————————————————————
"Begin recording whenever you're ready," Kazuki prompted.
"Ah... Yes..." Truly worthy of being the Raikage's secretary. Her professional instincts kicked in, snapping her back to her senses. She swiftly produced a blank scroll and a pen, her delicate face solemn as she faced Kazuki.
"The reason I targeted the sealed Nine-Tails is that I have mastered a unique method allowing me to wield the power equivalent to that of a perfect Jinchuriki," Kazuki stated unhurriedly. "However, the method I employed is rather soecial and directly related to my own Mangekyo Sharingan's ocular technique. This method cannot be replicated by others. That is precisely why I intend to send Naruto to your Cloud Village for tutelage under your Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee. I am confident that under Killer Bee's guidance, Naruto will be able to learn a great many things."
Killer Bee, that man... how to put it? Aside from his incessant rapping and a blaber tongue that made one itch to punch him, he was, in truth, a fairly reliable individual. After all, in the original timeline, it was he who had taught Naruto how to properly utilize the Nine-Tails' chakra, guiding him into the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. Calling him half a teacher to Naruto would hardly be an exaggeration.
All of this... just for that? He made himself a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki just for this reason?! Even though Kazuki's tone was utterly earnest and his expression painfully sincere, leaving no hint of jest, Mabui couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that she had been thoroughly deceived. Had she been overthinking things? Had the Raikage been overthinking things? They had frantically conjured up elaborate theories, only to discover they had been locked in a battle of wits against thin air.
"Haaah..." Sulking for a good long while, Mabui raised her pen-holding hand and rubbed her faintly throbbing temples. She collected her wretched mood and struggled to maintain an outward appearance of composure.
"In that case... how exactly did your village come to possess the intelligence regarding Killer Bee becoming a perfect Jinchuriki?" Compared to Kazuki's ocular technique and the specifics of how he became a Jinchuriki, this latter piece of intelligence was what the Cloud Village desperately needed most right now. Without obtaining a clear answer from Kazuki, the Cloud Village's higher-ups would undoubtedly face interrogation within the Anbu headquarters.
What embarrassing secrets might be unearthed in the process was anyone's guess. Even if, in the end, everyone walked away safely, the resulting rifts wouldn't be so easily mended. A cracked glass – unless melted down and recast entirely – no matter how skillfully you glued it back together, the cracks would still remain. Even if invisible to the naked eye, one day those fractures might prove to be the fatal flaw that shatters the glass entirely.
"Ah, that," Kazuki said, feigning a moment of thoughtful contemplation. Under Mabui's tense and apprehensive gaze, he smiled and answered,
"The source of that intelligence is quite simple. During a previous visit to the Cloud Village, I happened to encounter your village's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee. From him, I sensed a rather unique chakra signature. At the time, I couldn't definitively confirm it. It was only after I myself mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode that I could conclude with certainty that your village's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, has already become a perfect Jinchuriki."
"????" That's it?! THAT'S IT?! I've already mentally prepared for the worst, and you're telling me it was all a misunderstanding?!
The scroll and pen in Mabui's hands clattered directly to the floor. The fallen scroll bounced twice against the wooden floorboards before rolling off to the side. Even the pen rolled away under the desk. Mabui was utterly numb. As if struck by a bolt of lightning, she stood frozen in place, completely motionless. She didn't even blink. It was as if time itself had been suspended.
"Heh... heh..." After an indeterminate amount of time, Mabui finally reacted. But her reaction was somewhat abnormal. She gritted her teeth while simultaneously struggling to force a smile onto her face. Her mouth emitted a continuous, icy chuckle, dripping with self-mockery. What should have been a sarcastic laugh had turned chillingly cold.
Killer Bee was going to suffer. He'd likely be beaten half to death by the Raikage. The Cloud Village's higher-ups would probably, one after another, abandon all decorum and curse furiously, dragging Killer Bee's ancestors eighteen generations through the mud – including the Raikage's secretary currently standing in the Hokage's office. Ever since Mabui had transmitted the intelligence back, the entire upper echelon of the Cloud Village had been on the verge of exploding.
A Leaf Village spy hidden among the high command – who could tolerate such a thing?! Mabui had been so frantic over this that she couldn't even sleep, driven to the brink of selling herself off. No, correction – she had already been sold. She had finally steeled her resolve to sell herself, only to find out it was all a misunderstanding?! Killer Bee, why don't you just go die?!
With monumental effort, she squeezed out a strained, awkward, and utterly graceless smile. Striving to control her voice, Mabui asked, "Might I ask, Lord Advisor... what exactly was Killer Bee doing at the time?"
I was just bullshitting! How the hell should I know what he was doing?!
Kazuki raised his right hand, pressing his thumb against his index finger and resting it against his chin as if in recollection. "I believe he was... distributing tickets for some kind of concert? He seemed to be in quite a hurry, looking rather furtive and guilty."
"..." No further questions were necessary. This was entirely Killer Bee's fault. That damned, wretched fool!!! At this very moment, Mabui was seized by the overwhelming urge to rush back to the Cloud Village, drag Killer Bee out, and hack him to death.
"Many thanks to the Advisor for clarifying this matter. If there are no objections, the content of our conversation will be presented before the Raikage. That will be acceptable, yes?" Driven by sheer professional integrity, Mabui picked up the fallen scroll from the floor.
Kazuki considerately retrieved the pen for her, tossing it back. "Of course, that's perfectly fine. I've said everything that needed to be said. Whether you choose to believe it is your affair. Oh, and do remind your esteemed village not to forget the conditions you agreed to."
"In that case, I shall not disturb the Advisor's rest any further. I will prepare to return to my village as soon as possible. Rest assured, Lord Advisor – the conditions my village has promised will certainly not be reneged upon." With those words, her face dark as thunder, Mabui strode out of the Hokage's office without a single backward glance.
"Yikes... Miss Mabui looks incredibly angry," Izumi remarked, peering curiously toward the street.
"Furious is the right word for it. Anyone who learned the truth of this matter would be beside themselves with rage. To be extorted for nothing, on top of suspecting their own village's higher-ups of harboring a spy – how could they not be angry? Just watch. That boy, Killer Bee, is a goner."
"The Advisor has dug another pit to trap people in..."
"..." Looking at Izumi, who appeared somewhat apprehensive and sympathetic, Kazuki couldn't help but shake his head. Her disposition still wasn't up to par. To be frank, Izumi's work capabilities, at their very best, only qualified her as a competent working secretary. The hope of her advancing further was practically nil. Her inherent nature destined her to be unsuited for the next step. Shizune suffered from the same fundamental flaw.
Compared to them, Mabui, who could handle official business impartially under any circumstances and always prioritize the village's interests, far outstripped them in professional capability as a secretary by several magnitudes.