In reality,
that horned brute was a biological armor created through Heiyan channeling Gyuki's chakra.
As for why it was called "Ink Master"...
Unlike other Tailed Beasts that typically possessed a Kekkei Genkai, Gyuki had its own special abilities—extremely rapid regeneration and the capacity to spray vast quantities of ink from its ink sac.
Using this ink, Heiyan planned to test out a new form of Ninjutsu.
Swish!
He pulled out a large blank scroll and spread it open in midair before him.
Then, stretching his arms wide, he released a flurry of octopus tentacles from both sleeves—"whoosh, whoosh, whoosh"—each one acting like a paintbrush. With dazzling speed, they sketched countless rats upon the scroll.
Squeak squeak squeak!
The painted rats lifted their heads, looked left and right, made squeaking noises, and suddenly leapt off the paper onto the ground below.
Within just a few minutes, the octopus-tentacle brushes sketched out over ten thousand rats.
These rats burst forth from the painting like popcorn bursting from a popper, then surged outward in all directions like a tidal wave.
This was [Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll].
The Super Beast Scroll technique was originally developed by Sai, a Root agent in the original timeline.
Its basic principle involved drawing various animals on paper using chakra-infused brushes. The artist's will gave these creatures "life," making the technique highly versatile depending on the caster's imagination.
Need to gather intelligence! Draw thousands of rats!
Want to attack enemies! Create fierce tigers and lions!
Looking to restrain opponents! Craft massive pythons!
Desire flight! Paint a giant bird!
This flexibility and variety made the technique ideal for reconnaissance, assassination, and tracking operations.
On the battlefield in the Land of Rain, the Ink Master's ability was in its element.
Moreover, compared to Sai's version, Heiyan's adaptation was far more powerful.
Firstly, instead of regular ink, he used fluid extracted from Gyuki's ink sac—limitless in supply and resistant to rain, allowing the drawings to remain unaffected despite the Land of Rain's constant downpours.
Secondly, the number of beasts created through Super Beast Scroll depended on both the quantity drawn and the caster's Chakra Reserves Amount.
By using the Eight-Tails' tentacles, Heiyan could complete the equivalent of dozens of artists' worth of drawings within seconds. Combined with his seemingly bottomless chakra reserves, even the simple [Super Beast Scroll: Rat] technique alone enabled full surveillance across the entire Land of Rain.
Heiyan waited quietly at the spot for a while.
Soon after, ink-covered rats began returning, melting back into the paper, and forming related intelligence reports upon the scroll.
Thus, Heiyan effortlessly acquired an overview of every town and outpost within a hundred-mile radius—tracking the movements of shinobi forces from the great ninja villages, as well as pinpointing key individuals' locations.
Hmm?
While organizing the gathered data, Heiyan suddenly came across an unexpected discovery.
He rolled up the massive scroll and tied it securely to his back, then strode toward the nearest town.
Ten minutes later.
Before Heiyan stood a small town with a population of about a hundred thousand. It had already been occupied by the Land of Earth, with numerous checkpoints set along the way and squads of soldiers patrolling back and forth.
Since the town was relatively safe, civilians fleeing from other areas had to pay a fee just to be granted entry for refuge.
Heiyan blended into the line of refugees, paid the entry fee to the Iwagakure ninja guarding the town entrance—but as expected, he was still stopped.
"What?! You expect us to believe you're a doctor?"
A soldier raised his voice, eyeing with suspicion this two-meter-tall muscular giant with bull horns on his head, unable to associate his image with the profession of a doctor.
"Is there a problem?" Heiyan shrugged and asked, feigning confusion.
"A big one! Just look at yourself!"
The soldier frowned, grabbed his weapon, and stepped forward to frisk Heiyan.
Just then—
"Hold it."
A lazy female voice called out. A Jonin woman from Iwagakure, Mika Arata, whose looks and figure were quite decent, approached from a distance.
She was the person in charge of this town.
With one hand on her hip, she studied Heiyan with an amused look, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Then, glancing at the soldier beside her, she gave her order:
"Let him in. There are a lot of injured in town; we do need doctors here."
"Yes, ma'am."
The soldier didn't dare delay and quickly stepped aside, signaling that Heiyan could now enter.
As Heiyan disappeared into the distance,
"Ma'am, this guy's identity as a doctor is likely just a cover. He might be a spy from another village," the soldier couldn't help but add.
"Do you really think I need you to remind me of something that obvious?" The Jonin shot him a sidelong glance and snorted coldly. "It's a game of cat and mouse. I'm letting him in so I can follow him straight to his contacts and take them all down together."
As she spoke, she waved her hand and summoned several ninjas, who immediately began tailing Heiyan.
[Footsteps...] Thud...thud...thud...
Walking down the street, the mountainous figure of Heiyan caused tremors with every step. People around him cast sidelong glances and instinctively moved aside to let him pass.
Without even turning around, he knew he was being followed, but Heiyan remained unconcerned. According to information relayed by the ink mouse, he smoothly maneuvered through the city streets and alleys as if familiar with every route.
Soon, he arrived at the slums in the northern part of the town.
"Stop those two thieves!"
From afar, Heiyan saw a tall shop owner wearing a chef's hat, holding a rolling pin, chasing after two children of about ten years old.
The children were a boy and a girl. The boy had short orange hair while the girl had light purple-blue hair. Holding hands tightly, they fled in terror.
They were Yahiko and Konan—the very targets of Heiyan's mission today.
At this moment, they were caught.
Bang!
The shop owner lunged forward and kicked Yahiko hard to the ground. Then he lifted his rolling pin and started beating down on him while shouting:
"Run now! You think you're so fast, brat!"
"Ugh!"
Yahiko cried out in pain, letting loose sorrowful wails as he was beaten mercilessly.
"Please, stop hitting him!"
Konan sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around the shop owner's leg and kneeling before him, begging desperately.
"Pretending to be pitiful, pleading for your thief companion? You think just because you're a girl I won't hit you?"
The shop owner sneered coldly, showing no mercy. After finishing with Yahiko, he now aimed the rolling pin straight at Konan's head.
"Stop it! Come after me instead!"
Seeing this, Yahiko's eyes bulged with rage. With a furious roar, he hurled himself at Konan, throwing her aside and shielding her protectively beneath his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All the strikes from the shop owner's rolling pin rained down on Yahiko. Once again, he was beaten mercilessly. His clothes were torn to shreds, his entire body bruised and battered, with several broken ribs — it was a truly pitiful sight.
"This is what thieves deserve!"
As he beat them, the shop owner announced to the watching crowd.
Onlookers pointed and murmured, their expressions indifferent.
In the war that ravaged the Land of Rain, countless children lost their parents, left to live as orphans surviving solely through theft. People had seen it too many times — compassion gave way to numbness.
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