Realizing what had just happened, his eyes widened in terror. All the black tentacles quickly withdrew into his body. Looking down at the blackened veins left from the battle, he suddenly understood—"That guy poisoned me!"
Yes. That young man wasn't just a Wood Clone—he had also poisoned his tentacles. At that moment, Kakuzu's entire body itched unbearably. He glanced around and shouted, "Come out if you dare!"
"Come out? And what then?"
From the far wall, Shigeo, disguised as Shemu, looked down coldly.
Suddenly, Kakuzu felt a maddening itch spread across his back. With two muffled puff sounds, the two masks behind him exploded—destroyed from the inside out.
It was infection. It was poison. It was something he couldn't defend against.
"Who… who are you?" Kakuzu asked, wide-eyed.
"I really don't get it," Shigeo replied lazily. "Every time you lose, can't you people think of a new line? I'm right here in front of you! I am none other than the head of Takigakure—Lord Shemu himself!"
"No, he's not—!"
At that moment, from the ruined city gate, the real Shemu appeared with over twenty Takigakure shinobi, shouting in protest.
Shigeo almost cursed aloud. Idiot!
Kakuzu seemed to grasp the situation instantly. "Hidan! We've been tricked! Retreat!" he shouted.
The two turned and vanished before Shigeo could react. He spun around to chase, but Shemu yelled from behind, "Stop right there! Why are you impersonating me? Explain yourself!"
"I'll explain your grandmother!" Shigeo snapped back and raced off. But in the deepening dusk, the pair was already gone.
Returning to the castle, Shigeo struck Shemu square in the face with a single punch. None of the guards even saw him move—the village leader was simply hit.
"Are you stupid? Is your brain missing a few wires? Do you have any idea who those men were? You just barge in like that, and now what? How do we defend against them next time?"
He had planned to kill the Immortal Duo right there, but Shemu's sudden appearance ruined everything.
To be fair, he hadn't expected the Immortal Duo to show up in Mizushima City either.
Everything had been arranged, but fate decided otherwise—Shemu happened to appear in the same city as them.
"Who do you think you are, hitting me like that?!" Shemu yelled. The surrounding guards drew their blades, encircling Shigeo.
Shigeo waved a hand. A hundred shadow clones appeared, surrounding them in turn. "Who I am doesn't matter. Take me to Fu."
"Never!" Shemu barked defiantly.
"Fine, have it your way."
With another signal, the clones charged. Chaos erupted again in the castle.
Moments later, the twenty-odd Takigakure shinobi were all subdued. Only two among them were jōnin—the rest were chūnin or genin. This was the village's main fighting force, and now it lay in ruins.
Shigeo stepped forward, drew a kunai, and held it against Shemu's neck. "I'll give you one more chance. Where is Fu?"
The fake Fu was nearby, so he had to find the real one fast. If the Immortal Duo reached her first, his entire plan—and half a month's effort—would be wasted.
"I won't tell you! Even if I die!" Shemu said firmly, his cowardly demeanor from childhood gone.
Shigeo couldn't help but laugh. "You've grown some guts. Not like the crybaby you used to be."
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Shemu's head. The man winced in pain.
The surrounding ninja shouted, "Let go of our leader!"
But it was too late. Mind Layer Dive had already penetrated his consciousness. Every hidden secret played out in Shigeo's mind—including the existence of their so-called Hero Water.
When he'd seen enough, Shigeo snapped his fingers. "Stand down."
In an instant, the hundred clones vanished with soft poof sounds.
Only Shigeo remained; even the fake Fu had disappeared. The Seven-Tails had already returned to him.
The decoy's mission was complete—at least she had succeeded in luring Kakuzu and Hidan here, delaying them long enough for Shigeo to strike. Kakuzu, now heavily injured and poisoned, would have to replace all his blood and hearts, which would take time.
As for Hidan, he might act alone—but Shigeo's speed would be faster. Through the Mind Layer Dive, he now knew Fu's exact location.
He moved swiftly toward Takigakure. Channeling the power of the tailed beast, he summoned Fu.
Before long, a lightly dressed girl appeared before him—the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki. She looked charmingly playful, her eyes falling on the captured Shemu and the others before turning to Shigeo.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"It's been over ten years. Don't you recognize me?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "I suspected it before, but now I'm sure. You look just as handsome as back then! But weren't your eyes blind when you were a kid? How come you can see now?"
Shigeo was about to answer when she suddenly threw her arms around him. "Shigeo! I've missed you so much!"
Shemu was dumbstruck. He's Hyūga Shigeo? Though they hadn't met in years, he'd heard plenty of rumors—and never thought the man himself would come for Fu.
"Come with me to Monin Village," Shigeo said gently. "The Akatsuki have started hunting the Tailed Beasts. You're in danger here, so I came to take you away."
At that, Shemu frowned, and the others tensed. The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki was Takigakure's greatest weapon. To let her leave would be an enormous provocation.
"Sure!" Fu said cheerfully.
Shemu and the others were left speechless, preparing to resist—but realizing they couldn't defeat Shigeo, they decided to talk instead.
Shigeo explained everything about the Akatsuki, detailing the dangers and the importance of what was happening. After weighing the risks, Shemu finally agreed to let Fu go with him.
…
Time passed quickly. Three months later, Fu had been living in Monin Village peacefully.
During that time, Uchiha Itachi continuously sent news of the Akatsuki: the Two-Tails Jinchūriki had been captured, the Three-Tails subdued, and the Four- and Five-Tails were already in their grasp.
Among the Six Great Ninja Villages, only Monin Village remained calm—while the rest of the shinobi world was filled with fear and unrest.
(End of Chapter)
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