Jigen walked along the streets of Konoha, moving quietly along the way as he observed and catalogued unique things for future reference.
"Halt."
Breaking out of his thoughts, Jigen looked at the guards who had stopped him from entering the Hokage's office building.
He nearly swatted them away like flies, but managed to control himself at the last second.
"I wish to speak to the Hokage regarding the issue that the Kurama clan faces… I might just have a solution for them." Jigen said calmly with a smile on his face, playing the perfect part of a wandering monk.
The guards were confused, seemingly unaware of the particular situation that Jigen was talking about but Jigen calmly urged them, "Go, tell the Hokage-sama what I just told you. He'll understand. I'll wait here until you return."
The guards looked at each other before one of them nodded and took off into the building.
Not even five minutes later he returned with a slightly surprised look.
"You may go in traveller… your name?" the guard asked once he stepped back out of the building.
"Jigen. I'm a monk from the islands in the east." Jigen said, nodding to the guards as he made his way into the Hokage's office building.
Jigen navigated the hallways relying on his heightened Otsutsuki perception to locate Hiruzen's office before standing outside, waiting for the receptionist to give him the go ahead to go inside.
It was only after another ten minutes of waiting patiently that Jigen was let inside.
"Greetings, Hokage-sama. I am Jigen. I come from one of the temples in the islands to the east of the Land of Fire." Jigen said respectfully to Hiruzen with a polite bow.
"Greetings…" Hiruzen said taking a puff of smoke from his pipe. Hiruzen analysed Jigen just as Jigen did him.
And both came to the same conclusion.
'He's weak!'
Without his karma marking activated, Jigen looked not much different from a frail man and to Jigen, Hiruzen who had grown old and was well past his prime looked no different from a fly he could swat away at any time.
Yet, Jigen remained calm and collected.
'Now is not the time for me to show off my strength… I must first resurrect into a capable vessel… only then will I be able to exert my full strength and harvest this planet.'
"You said you are from the islands in the east… are you from Uzushiogakure by any chance?"
Jigen nodded, "I am, Hokage-sama. But since Uzushiogakure is no more I choose to only introduce myself as a wandering monk."
Hiruzen exhaled the smoke he'd just inhaled and nodded, "Tell me… how did you learn about the Kurama clan's plight?"
"The kurama clan has been looking for a solution throughout the black market Hokage-sama… at this point I'm afraid many people in the black market have heard about this problem… I just happened to run into a rumor regarding this problem and found that my services could help save an innocent young girl from her plight."
"I see…" Hiruzen nodded, "I can let you look at the problem and see if you can help us out… after which we can discuss the compensation for your services."
"Thank you Hokage-sama… I shall do my best."
At that moment there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Hiruzen said calmly, causing the door to swing open slowly before a man Haruto would've recognised easily, walked in.
"Hiruko-san, you know what the problem with the Kurama clan heir is, please accompany Jigen-san here to their compounds."
Hiruko nodded with the same charming smile that was always on his face and spoke softly, "Shall we leave, Jigen-san?"
Jigen nodded belatedly, "Of course, lead the way." but internally he was a little surprised, 'This man… his body is built for absorbing other people's biological information… he should be a perfect match for the Karma mark!'
'I can't believe I found him! Just like that!'
Without a sound, Jigen followed Hiruko through the village. They didn't talk much throughout their journey but Jigen kept a tight watch on Hiruko throughout.
'He's got shinobi trailing around him…'
'Are they keeping a watch over him?'
'Why?'
Before Jigen could ask him any questions, Hiruko spoke up, "We're here Jigen-san."
Jigen looked at the house they were standing in front of and completely lost his interest.
The child inside he found using his senses was too weak for him to use his karma mark on. She'd die because of her frail body almost immediately after activating his karma mark if he bestowed it onto her.
This reason only further increased his interest in Hiruko.
'Just who is this man for him to be so compatible with the karma marking?'
Hiruko didn't wait for Jigen to say anything else, instead he knocked on the door and waited patiently.
The doors soon opened and a young couple in their early thirties showed up at the door.
"Hiruko-san? Has there been a breakthrough?" the man asked immediately once he saw Hiruko standing at his doorstep.
Hiruko smiled warmly before shaking his head softly. "I'm afraid not Hirakawa-san, but this visitor to the village might have a solution to our problem."
Hirakawa's gaze only then turned towards Jigen, a person who he'd completely disregarded before.
"Greetings Hirakawa-san… before I get your hopes up, may I look at the child that has been tormented by the evil spirit?"
"Yes, yes, please come in… what may we address you as?" Hirakawa asked making way along with his wife for Jigen and Hiruko to enter their house.
"Jigen… you may address me as Jigen. I am a wandering monk from the islands of the east."
"Welcome Jigen-san…" Hirakawa greeted as he stepped sideways.
They walked through the house and visited a young child of about eight who was painting on an easel in the backyard.
The picture was of her becoming a powerful shinobi and angled her head so that it appeared on the Hokage rock itself, putting up a new Hokage for it to bear.
"Yakumo…" Hirakawa said softly, breaking the girl's concentration as she looked up to see everyone.
She rushed up to her mother and gave her a warm hug before looking shyly at Jigen.
"Are you here to cure me like Hiruko-san tried before Jigen-san?"
Jigen simply smiled and nodded before looking at everyone else and speaking in a soft tone, "Please leave me alone with Yakumo-san… give me about five minutes."
"Alone?" Hirakawa asked unwilling but seeing the firm look in Jigen's gaze he nodded, "Alright."
Once everyone left, Jigen immediately activated his Karma seal partially and placed his hand over Yamkumo's head.
The girl who was confused by the sudden coldness in Jigen's gaze never realised when chakra was suddenly sucked out of her in hoards.
Her already weak body started to feel a hellish strain before she collapsed to the floor.
At the same time, Yakumo's body transformed, as if a demonic entity had possessed her, growing two horns out of the sides of her head, her skin turned olive green and her canines elongated into sabertooth fangs.
However before this form could even fight against Jigen, it too was being absorbed into Jigen's left hand leaving Yakumo a fresh young girl once again.
Yakumo whined on the ground.
Yet, Jigen never removed his hand. Instead he looked to a spot in the corner of the backyard and spoke calmly, "You don't need to hide from me Hiruko-san."
"Ah…did I get caught?" Hiruko said with a disarming smile when he saw Jigen looking upset with him, but instead of lingering on that Hiruko instantly asked Jigen a new question, "May I ask what you are doing to the little girl Jigen-san?"
Jigen's eyes narrowed at that question.
'Is this man interested in the Karma seal?'
'That makes things a lot easier.'
Jigen harrumphed before explaining as if he were talking to a toddler, "This is a seal developed by the Uzumaki clan… we can use it to absorb enemy jutsu…" Jigen spoke the words and measured Hiruko's interest, "...Chakra and souls." As soon as he said souls, he saw Hiruko's eyes widen, "I am currently absorbing the evil spirit that's a constructed soul inside Yakumo so that it doesn't harm her anymore."
"Ho… is that soo…." Hiruko's eyes gleamed.
'This is it! This is exactly what I've been looking for! A jutsu that can absorb souls!!! Once I combine this with the Chimera Jutsu I can absorb kekkei genkai and merge it with my body at any time! I don't need to wait for the Solar Eclipse!!'
And so with a gleam in his eyes Hiruko spoke to Jigen, "Are you interested in a deal Jigen-san?"