"Oh? And what would that deal entail?" Jigen asked softly, although internally he was beyond elated since he'd trapped Hiruko in his plan without even lifting his finger.
"I would like to purchase that seal from you if that's possible."
Jigen frowned, putting on a show to drive a hard bargain, after all at this moment there was nothing he wanted more than to plant a karma mark on Hiruko.
"Jigen-san… what is it you want? I can give you an immeasurable amount of money, any woman you might want, and even means to absolute power…tell me, what would you like?"
Jigen controlled his expression to show a reluctant face, "...there is something that I want… but I don't have the power to obtain it myself…"
"What is it?" Hiruko asked softly but intently, his eyes focused purely on the seal that was absorbing chakra from Yakumo.
"As you know… I'm from the land of Uzushiogakure…" Jigen started softly but warily.
Hiruko nodded and let Jigen continue in silence.
"I have heard that there are a few Uzumaki clan members trapped in Kusagakure… if only it were possible to save her, then I could agree to give you the seal…"
Hiruko frowned.
'Kusagakure's hiding an Uzumaki?'
'It'll be difficult to get to the girl and smuggle her out without some serious firepower…'
"Is it not possible?" Jigen asked.
Hiruko quickly shook his head, "I will do it."
'Anyway, I'm about to betray the village tomorrow after taking the Uchiha's body and absorbing it with the chimera jutsu to give myself the sharingan…'
'If I gain the seal to absorb ninjutsu after that I'll basically become immune to any shinobi's attacks forever.'
'And it will be even easier to capture the rest of the kekkei genkai I need to form an immortal body.'
'But the village put watch dogs on my tail… if I had the seal now, I could escape from it all easier…'
Jigen finally smiled. "If you can do it then I'll give you the seal once the task is complete."
"No." Hiruko shook his head, "That won't do, if you can give me the seal beforehand I can perform the task better."
Jigen frowned again.
Receiving the pay before the mission even began? What sort of fool did Hiruko think he was?
But Hiruko did something immediately surprising.
He pulled out a kunai and dragged a line across his forehead protector. A straight line across the symbol of the leaf village, a mark of a rogue ninja before hiding it using a transformation jutsu.
"I'll leave the village with you tomorrow night." Hiruko said boldly. "Then we can finish the mission to save your kin together. So give me the seal now."
Jigen frowned once again.
Eventually after a little debate within himself to make it appear like he wasn't being too eager, Jigen nodded, "I will give you the seal right now…"
Jigen stretched his free hand and grasped Hiruko's right hand. There, as soon as their palms came in contact a new ink black seal flared up on Hiruko's hands.
Jigen became internally giddy when there was no rejection from Hiruko's body.
'As I suspected… such a smooth transfer… it seems I really am compatible with this man… the reincarnation into his body will be much smoother.'
All of a sudden information about the seal appeared in Hiruko's mind as he felt a stream of chakra pass from Jigen to his body through the tenketsu in his palm to the tenketsu in his head.
He knew just how to use the seal and to what end it could be used to enhance himself.
'It even enhances the body… and my taijutsu skills… a bonus…' Hiruko thought with a smile.
Jigen hadn't revealed all the functions to Hiruko, he would leave that for later, for now the basics were enough to enamour Hiruko and not make him scared about the possibility of having his body stolen.
In the end he looked at Jiggen and spoke calmly, "We will leave tomorrow during midnight from the west entrance to the village. Be prepared. And be ready."
Jigen nodded while barely containing his excitement.
'Now all that's left is to strengthen him up… once that is done I can transfer myself into him and reincarnate using him as a vessel.'
Hiruko on the other hand quietly assumed the spot where he'd left his shadow clone to distract the ANBU keeping a watch over him.
After about three more minutes when the time Jigen had asked for was up, everyone rushed back into the backyard.
Hirakawa immediately rushed towards his daughter who was lying limp on the ground and glared at Jigen.
But Jigen gave him a calm smile and explained what he had just done.
"I sealed away the evil entity named Ido inside myself. It won't bother the little girl anymore… She's only strained from the sudden chakra drainage. She'll wake up after a good rest. Although this does not solve the problem of frail constitution of the little girl, it will help with her possession."
Hirakawa's eyes widened like saucers.
"Are you serious, Jigen-san?!?"
Jigen simply nodded.
He then turned to Hiruko and spoke calmly, "Shall we discuss the pay then?"
Hiruko was about to respond but Hirakawa immediately jumped, "How can the kurama clan let the village pay for our personal problems! Now that it is fixed, we will pay our own dues. Will a million ryo be alright Jigen-san?"
Jigen's brows raised, clearly satisfied by the amount so he simply nodded.
Hirakawa left Yakumo in the care of her mother before rushing off to fetch the money to pay his benefactors.
After they collected the money, the pair left for the Hokage's office where Hiruzen thanked Jigen.
"Thank you Jigen-san."
But he was surprised.
'How did this frail man solve the problem that not even Jiraya could figure out?'
'Does he really have some secret legacy of the Uzumaki clan that was missed out when we scavenged Uzushiogakure?'
'He did say that he sealed the evil spirit within himself… sort of like a jinchuriki…'
'Hmm… such a competent man should be tied down to the village and not roam freely.'
"Jigen-san… would you mind staying in the village for a few days? We could provide you with accommodation if you're not in a hurry…"
Jigen's brows raised, how could he, a millennium old being, not see through Hiruzen's intentions at this moment.
Yet, he nodded. After all, he needed to stay in the village until midnight the next day to escape with Hiruko anyway… and if the village was going to provide him with accommodations for that, who was he to say no.
"Sure, Hokage-sama." Jigen said simply, nodding calmly before Hiruzeen bid them farewell for the night and they left.
***
Three fireballs shot out of Haruto's mouth in rapid succession colliding with the distant terrain causing heavy rapid explosions.
"What do you think, Edward-sensei? Does this count as a new jutsu?"
"You simply shot out three fireballs instead of a single fireball. That's not a new jutsu. No." Edward shook his head sternly.
"Aww… why don't you accept!" Megumin scolded Edward while gripping her staff tightly. "You never mentioned it had to be a completely new jutsu… just that he had to make a jutsu on his own!"
Edward frowned, "It has to be a completely new jutsu. There I said it now. So that's what counts."
Megumin, fuming, raised her staff as light began to gather around its mana crystal, but Haruto held her back just in time before another explosion could landscape the Template Inventory Space further.
"It's alright Megumin… I'm sure Edward-sensei has his reasons… he probably just doesn't want to see my intelligence go to waste."
"But if making a new jutsu was so easy wouldn't everyone be making a new jutsu!" Megumin shouted again, "Why doesn't he make a new jutsu for you then if it's so easy!"
Edward, who was calmly picking his ears, ignored Megumin entirely before turning to Haruto.
"Let's begin today's practice fight!"
"Yes sensei!"