By now, Turtle Island had already reached the South Sea, south of the Land of Fire.
During this time, Kazuyama and Yugito had practically turned into mud dolls. It wasn't that they were filthy—rather, they had been living like complete savages.
Despite the island's diverse ecosystems, it simply wasn't enough for them. The food variety was also lacking, consisting only of barbecued meat, fish, and fruit. Even if Kazuyama wanted to cook, there were no ingredients to work with.
"No, if I stay here any longer, I'm going to lose my mind. Yugito, do you want to go shopping with me?"
"Yes! I don't want to train anymore! It's too hard! Too exhausting!"
After a month, Yugito had completely given up on the idea of Kumogakure rescuing her. If they truly intended to, they would have done so by now. The fact that no one had come meant Kumogakure had no idea where Kazuyama had taken her—perhaps they didn't even know he was responsible.
Yet, she hadn't become his disciple either. He had abducted her to Turtle Island, and this past month had been nothing short of a nightmare. Every morning started with grueling physical training, followed by endless suffering at the Falls of Truth in the afternoon. It was too much for her!
"Hahahaha! You little brat, you finally can't take it anymore, can you?"
"So what? Do you want to become my disciple now?"
Yugito shot him a glare before asking, "First, tell me—which village are you from?"
"Does it matter? You're becoming my disciple, not returning to my village with me."
"It matters. I just want to know which village produced someone like you so I can stay far away from it in the future."
Kazuyama was momentarily speechless. At this point, Yugito had labeled him with all sorts of nicknames—devil instructor, perverted old man, and more.
"Fine, fine. I'm a Jōnin from Konoha."
"Hmph! I knew it! You really are a Konoha ninja! Only Konohagakure could have produced a pervert like you!"
Yugito immediately jumped up at the mention of Konoha. If she had been tall enough to reach Kazuyama's head, she would have punched him already.
Her reaction left Kazuyama utterly confused. Since when were Konoha ninjas considered perverts?
Seeing his baffled expression, Yugito scoffed and explained, "Hmph! Do you really think I'm stupid?"
"I have my own way of judging people."
"Iwagakure shinobi have big heads but not much brain!"
"Sunagakure shinobi are poor and covered in dust!"
"Kirigakure shinobi are mysterious. I wondered if you were from Kirigakure, but you don't look like one."
"And Konohagakure shinobi are arrogant—even though the only real thing they've accomplished is producing the First Hokage. So, of course, I knew you were from Konoha!"
Kazuyama was a little surprised. He hadn't expected the little brat to have such sharp instincts.
"Hahaha! I've told you everything you wanted to know. Now, aren't you going to ask me to be your sensei?"
"Listen, everyone else begs me to take them as a disciple. But you? You're the first one who actually makes me want to."
Truthfully, he didn't have to take Yugito as a disciple.
It was all because of Chōmei, who wouldn't stop talking about getting him to train her.
In Chōmei's own words:
"Kazuyama, take a look at this kid. She's Matatabi's Jinchūriki—you've got to train her well for Matatabi's sake."
"I'm telling you, Matatabi is my younger sister! You have to take care of my sister's Jinchūriki."
"I don't trust Kumogakure, but I can trust you! It's all up to you!"
And that was how Kazuyama ended up in the ridiculous situation of chasing after Yugito to recruit her as a disciple.
"But I still have a question. If I don't join Konohagakure, where should I go?" Yugito asked. "I can't just keep wandering around."
That made Kazuyama pause. She had a point—if she didn't return to Konoha, where would she go?
Then again, he figured she was overthinking it. The world was vast, full of villages both big and small. If the five great nations weren't an option, there were always other places.
"Don't worry. I'll find you a suitable village," he assured her. "So hurry up and become my disciple!"
Yugito rolled her eyes but still stepped forward, bowing respectfully—though with obvious reluctance.
"…Sensei."
Kazuyama burst into laughter, thrilled.
"Good! From now on, you two, Yugito Nii, will be my disciples!"
"I'll give you your initiation gifts once we return to the village."
Initiation gifts? That caught Yugito off guard. She hadn't expected a bonus for becoming a disciple.
"For now, let's go. Turtle Island can only take us so far—we'll need some help to get the rest of the way."
Before Yugito could react, Kazuyama bit his finger.
"Summoning Technique!"
A massive cloud of white smoke erupted on Turtle Island.
Then, a green figure appeared before them.
"Hiss… Kazuyama, where did you summon me?" a lazy voice muttered.
"…Eh? The sea?"
With a startled exclamation, the enormous snake suddenly lunged into the water. Waves splashed as it soaked itself in the sea.
"Seirin, take us to land," Kazuyama said. He couldn't fly there himself—not while carrying someone. That would be too much effort. This was exactly what the Summoning Technique was for.
"Tch, I knew you only called me for something troublesome," Seirin grumbled. "Fine, get on. The sea is nice—I'll give you a ride for its sake."
Kazuyama chuckled, pulling Yugito along as he jumped onto Seirin's head.
The next moment, the massive snake started swimming through the ocean.
Yugito's eyes widened. "Is this… a summoned beast?"
"What a huge snake… Kazuyama-sensei—can I learn this ninjutsu?"
Despite everything, she was still a child, full of curiosity. Seeing such a powerful summon made her envious.
"Gee, I just realized—Kazuyama, where did you pick up this brat?" Seirin mused. "Oh, wait, I remember. Tagitsuhime mentioned her the other day."
"Kid, you've got good taste. I'm pretty strong!"
Kazuyama smirked. Teaching her the Summoning Technique wasn't out of the question—but not yet. Right now, she was still at the foundational stage.
"Wait until you grow up a bit. Right now, your priority is building physical strength. As for ninjutsu—don't even think about it."
"But if you live up to my expectations, I'll teach you."
Yugito's eyes lit up immediately. It was clear that she was very tempted.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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