"Later, you'll realize that meeting me was your good fortune."
Kimimaro turned and gently lifted Fūka's chin. "Do you only absorb chakra through kissing?"
Fūka blinked, then smiled teasingly. "Are you jealous?"
"You belong to me. Whether you consider yourself my subordinate, captive, lover, or something else entirely, that doesn't change. Since you're my woman, I won't allow you to kiss anyone else, no matter the reason."
With her growing strength, Karin no longer needed to bite others to heal them—she could channel her chakra directly. Likewise, now that Fūka's relationship with Kimimaro had changed, he naturally didn't want her engaging in such intimate acts, even if it was with a clone or modified body.
If Fūka had always used her real body to seduce and drain men, Kimimaro might have dismissed her as nothing more than a disposable tool. But since she often used her Yomi Numa-style mud clones to interact with others, there was still room for reinvention. From now on, the expectations were higher.
"But I used to…"
"That's in the past. From now on, you will not kiss anyone else. If that means you can't use your Shikoku Mujin jutsu anymore, then stop using it. Follow me, and I'll give you all the opportunities you need to grow stronger."
"…Understood."
Though domineering, Fūka felt an inexplicable warmth.
Thinking on it, her Corpse Demon Consuming Kiss (Shikoku Mujin) was developed after being harassed during missions. Using seduction as a technique had been a convenient means of survival. But maybe… she could change. Instead of her mouth, she might learn to absorb chakra through her hands—like Kimimaro had demonstrated. It would be difficult, but it was worth trying.
People can change.
In the original timeline, after joining Kazuma—whom she called Fudō—Fūka had grown darker, more twisted. But she was still a young woman in her early twenties. Her worldview hadn't yet solidified completely.
After fleeing the Land of Wind, Fūka encountered Kimimaro—and her fate began to shift.
The three of them soon crossed into the Land of Earth.
Fūka led Kimimaro and Karin through rocky trails and narrow valleys, eventually arriving at a concealed outpost nestled between stone ridges. There stood a white-haired man wearing a straw kasa hat, eating a roasted sweet potato with one hand and holding a shakujo (ringed staff) with the other.
Behind him stood two others.
One was a mature woman in her thirties, elegantly dressed with dark eyeliner and lipstick. The other was a powerfully built man, older-looking and grim.
"Fūka, you're back. And who are your companions?"
"My new allies—Kimimaro and Karin," she replied. "Kimimaro, this is Fudō. And the other two are Furido and Fuen."
Furido sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow. "Fūka, you got yourself tangled up, huh?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Fudō asked.
"Heh. Don't forget, I'm a sensory-type. What we're seeing now is Fūka's real body. And both she and that Kimimaro are practically drenched in each other's chakra scent. It's obvious."
Even Fudō glanced up, intrigued. "Fūka, care to explain?"
Annoyed by the interrogation, Fūka boldly looped her arm around Kimimaro's. "I found myself a man. Got a problem with that?"
"Hah, I didn't say that." Furido smirked. "But from what I can tell, your boyfriend and the girl next to him—Karin, was it?—both have red hair. Could you two be distant relatives? Like, I don't know, sisters sharing the same guy?"
"Not your concern!" Fūka licked her lips slowly, her tongue brushing over the mole on her chin, making her look even more seductive. "Why don't you join us, Furido? I wouldn't mind."
"I'll pass," Furido laughed. "Fudō wouldn't be thrilled."
"Hmph." Fudō immediately put an arm around Furido's waist, asserting his claim.
Both Fudō and Furido were native to the Land of Earth and a well-known pair. Their teamwork was formidable—Fudō could generate intricate stone labyrinths using detailed terrain maps, while Furido used her Earth Release sensory abilities to track every movement within the mazes. In battle, they were nightmarishly efficient.
Fudō had gathered them not just for their tactical skill, but because his ultimate Earth Release forbidden technique required other capable Earth-style users as support.
Seeing Fūka's flirtatious behavior, Fudō's expression darkened. It wasn't that he harbored lust for her—he simply didn't want any instability within the group of subordinates he had only recently gathered.
"Fūka, I don't care if you take a man," Fudō said coldly. "But if you do, he must be like you—loyal to me. And he must have value."
Kimimaro let out a quiet, amused laugh. "Fūka, your boss is quite full of himself. How about this? I kill him, and you take charge of that couple. Sound good?"
"What did you say?" Fudō growled, face twisting in rage. "You want to kill me? Hah! Fudō, Furido—teach him a lesson!"
But the two men did not move. Fudō's glare flicked toward Kimimaro, narrowing as realization began to dawn. "Wait... Kimimaro... I've heard that name before. A few months ago, in the Land of Earth, there was a report—someone from Hōzuki Castle kidnapped the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi. But the one who rescued her was a boy named Kimimaro."
"A friend of the Tsuchikage's granddaughter?" Furido frowned as he reevaluated Kimimaro. "Anyone allied with the Kage must be eliminated. Fudō, you're not with Iwagakure anymore. Why hesitate?"
"Still, it's unwise to provoke the Tsuchikage without cause," Furido said more cautiously. "You're the leader. If this kid claims he can defeat you, prove him wrong."
In truth, none of the trio—Fūka, Fudō, or Furido—were yet fully loyal to one another. This "team" was more a coalition of convenience than a unified force. Fudō knew that if he didn't assert dominance now, his tenuous authority could collapse.
He grasped a tin staff in one hand and strapped a three-bladed claw to the other, his chakra beginning to flare.
"Listen, brat. I don't care whose friend you are—Kage or not—I'm going to crush your arrogance."
"Wait a moment." Kimimaro suddenly dropped his earlier aggressive posture, his voice calm.
"Backing out already? Looking for mercy?" Fudō sneered.
"No," Kimimaro said. "I'm just curious. You seem to have a strong resentment toward the Kage. Maybe we should talk first."
Fūka hadn't elaborated much on Fudō's plans while they were traveling, and the original events involving these rogue ninja had happened during a part of the story Kimimaro—reborn from another world—had only skimmed over in his past life. The "Twelve Guardian Ninja" arc had taken place before Asuma's death, and he hadn't paid much attention to the details.
Fudō paused. Though prideful, he was still an ideologue. Personal grudges were secondary to his broader vision.
"You asked a good question," Fudō said, his tone more serious now. "Do you know which nation is currently the strongest?"
"The Land of Fire," Kimimaro replied without hesitation. "At least, for now."
"Exactly," Fudō said, nodding. "But tell me—do you know who the daimyō of the Land of Fire is?"
Kimimaro gave a slight shrug. "I never cared. Most people only know the Hokage."
"And that's the problem," Fudō snapped. "Everyone sees the Hokage as the face of the Land of Fire. But the true authority lies with the daimyō—an idle bureaucrat with no combat power, no leadership in battle. The system is flawed. That's why this world will never know peace."
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