To curb his wild streak, Shigeo's methods were harsh. Every time Deidara messed up, he paid for it.
Tamashii no Suzu (Soul-Summoning Bell), onryō torture, and the endless dread of black receivers. Kill one person, suffer a day. Kill ten, suffer half a month. An entire village—over fifty people—and he was barred from missions for a long while, spending all that time under punishment.
He had never endured anything like this. Not even in Iwagakure—Ōnoki had never tormented him so. Even so, he never said he would leave Nanmo, because Cheng Meier was at his side.
Every time he was punished, Cheng Meier stayed with him in the dungeon. No matter how much he hurt, he could still see a light and feel that someone in this world was waiting for him.
So when he was released and sent out again, he thought more and paid more attention.
Shigeo did not forbid killing outright. He only wanted Deidara to gain some humanity and stop acting on impulse. Nanmo wasn't a yakuza outfit. Shigeo did not want to leave hidden dangers for the village once he set off to travel the world. And Deidara's temperament was a major risk.
Using him did not mean indulging him. A hawk you cannot control only becomes a scourge to the flock. He would not leave a scourge to Nanmo.
In the days that followed, the village was stable. Because of Akatsuki's movements, Jinshi and Wumang raised the security levels of both Nanmo and South-Mo City, and Blue-Gate began preparing on all fronts.
Judging from the historical battle sites of the Fourth Great Ninja War, the southern seas would not be the main front. Safety looked decent. But the entire Naruto timeline had shifted two years earlier. That was the real problem.
The two protagonists, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, had not grown up yet. If Akatsuki moved fast, who would stand alone in the coming Fourth War?
Him?
Shigeo shook his head at the thought. Thankless heroics were not his style. He did not possess Naruto's lofty sense of duty. If not for South-Mo's Worry-Free Flower and the common folk's kindness to him, he wouldn't even want to serve as Kage of Nanmo.
In fact, two years ago he had started planning to leave. Why else rush the ninja through training every day? He wanted them to have the strength to protect themselves after he was gone.
But what if the Fourth War broke out before they matured?
With that thought, Shigeo stood. At his side, Jinshi looked up. "Shujin, what is it?"
"I have business. I'll be out a few days."
He took off his Kage cloak and strode for the gate.
…
Leaving the village to his clones and Jinshi, Shigeo reappeared in the northern Fire Country—Land of Waterfalls. The forests were thick. He had visited Takigakure as a child, but that had been in the south of the country to meet the village head. As for the exact location of the village—he truly didn't know.
Even knowing the story, all he had was "hidden behind a great waterfall." The Land of Waterfalls had a unique terrain and beautiful scenery. Along the way he had seen no fewer than six huge waterfalls, yet none concealed the village.
Shigeo hovered in the air and opened his sensory field to the maximum. His eyes shifted to Rinnegan rings, scanning in a full 360 degrees with no blind spots.
If he recalled correctly, Kakuzu of Akatsuki was a missing-nin from Takigakure. With Akatsuki now collecting bijū, Fū's danger level had spiked.
Kakuzu held a grudge against Takigakure and knew it well. With few elite ninja there, his chance to capture the Seven-Tails was essentially one hundred percent.
Back in Nanmo, the thought had struck him suddenly. So he rushed here. He hoped he was not too late.
Akatsuki's plan had accelerated. Some events had already changed.
Walking through the mountains, he asked locals about Takigakure. They didn't know. If this went on, he would only waste time.
So he decided to make it big. If active searching couldn't find a target, then better to wait for the enemy to show.
This way might even delay Akatsuki's operatives.
Standing atop a high peak, gazing at the torrenting falls and the lovely vistas around him, he said, "If we do it, we do it big."
He pressed his hands together—Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique). A hundred copies appeared. Receiving the main body's intent, every clone used Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique).
Some became children. Some became elders. Some transformed into ninja wearing Takigakure headbands.
Shigeo recalled the face of the current village head, Shibuki, and transformed into him personally. Then he used Nidaime Tsuchikage no Bunri no Jutsu (Second Tsuchikage's Splitting Technique), dividing his true body into two. One half became Fū, the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.
Why not make Fū with a Mokuton clone or shadow clone? Simple. Clones could fight and use jutsu, but they lacked independent will and stable personality. They could imitate mannerisms for a while, but not for long.
Besides, Akatsuki was coming to take Fū. She could not slip up, and her power could not be low.
A hundred shadow clones could only split off slivers of the main body's chakra—and into a hundred shares at that.
This was why, even if people knew the seals and chakra extraction method, many still could not use Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique). They lacked the chakra.
Likewise, Shigeo's shadow clones could never convincingly play the role of Fū, Jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails. She would be facing Akatsuki.
But Bunri no Jutsu split the main body's chakra evenly in half. It was not Mokuton bunshin or shadow clone but a corporeal division. It preserved personality and independent thought long-term. With that—and with the "Little Seven," the portion of the Seven-Tails Shigeo entrusted to her—she could pass for the real thing.
Looking at the other half of himself now in Fū's form, Shigeo laughed aloud. He glanced over the gathered "people," and his eyes lit up.
Per his orders, some began hollowing out caverns behind a waterfall to build "Takigakure." Others went to scout the nearby regions.
Several stayed by "Shibuki" as guards.
"So I've founded another ninja village, have I?" Shigeo looked over the scenery with playful delight.
(End of Chapter)
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