Chapter 42: The Three-Tails Gambit
"S… S-rank?!"
In a secluded valley several days' journey from Kumo, the words burst from Liumu's mouth, half-strangled. "No way. I'm just a fresh chuunin. This kind of mission isn't suitable for me."
Orochimaru, slithering along at the head of the group, let out a low, sibilant chuckle. "This mission, boy, was always meant for those who bear the title 'Sannin.' It was never something one could simply walk away from."
"That's right," Tsunade added, an unusual note of agreement with her teammate in her voice. "But someone insisted his two disciples were more than capable of filling his shoes. He personally recommended you to the Third Hokage."
Liumu's gaze shifted to the fifth member of their party. "What about him?"
He was referring to Yuhi Makoto. It was now clear: Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Minato had come to Kumo not only to safeguard Konoha's genin but also to execute a high-level mission immediately following the exams. Yuhi Makoto was their guide.
"On this occasion, we are bound for Kirigakure," Tsunade explained. "Makoto-san has spent considerable time there on previous assignments. His knowledge will save us significant trouble."
"Kirigakure?" The name immediately conjured an image of Haku—Han—in Liumu's mind.
"The specifics will be shared once we near our destination," Tsunade continued, eyeing Liumu's dubious expression. "Though this mission will delay the official ceremony for your promotion, we still wish to congratulate you on passing the exams."
As she finished, Minato, walking beside Liumu, gave his shoulder a warm, congratulatory pat. "Well done."
Orochimaru offered no such pleasantries, his cold expression unwavering. Liumu hadn't expected any, so he didn't dwell on it.
A six-year-old chuunin. In the entire history of the shinobi world, it was a monumental achievement. Liumu's new rank carried a unique weight.
The Land of Water, home to Kirigakure, lay directly south of the Land of Lightning. The journey involved traversing vast stretches of ocean, nearly four-fifths of the route spent on turbulent seas.
For inland-born shinobi like them, the sudden, pervasive humidity was deeply unsettling.
Three months later…
Liumu leaned against the ship's rail, gazing at the endless blue expanse. A sudden, concerning thought struck him: having inherited the Kizaru template, did he now share the Devil Fruit user's infamous weakness to seawater?
"Maybe… I should test it?"
Even as the thought formed, he wasn't foolish enough to just leap overboard. If he really had developed the "landlubber" curse, that would be a swift and stupid end.
His solution was pragmatic. He tied a rope to a wooden bucket, lowered it, and hauled up a sloshing pail of seawater.
"What are you doing?"
Tsunade emerged from below deck, spotting him immediately.
"Seawater isn't drinkable. It's salty," she said, assuming he was fetching water to quench his thirst. Her assumption was proven wrong when Liumu promptly upended the bucket over his own head.
Tsunade stared, utterly baffled.
Liumu stood dripping, his clothes soaked. He looked at his hands, then gave them an experimental shake. His joints popped with their usual, healthy sound. No weakness. No sudden drain of strength.
"It seems… I'm fine."
He concluded that the system's template granted him Kizaru's attributes and abilities, but not the inherent weaknesses of the original power source. The values were literal, not bound by the original world's logic.
As they neared the Land of Water, Tsunade gathered the team to outline the mission's critical details.
Several months prior, intelligence indicated the Three-Tails, Isobu, had appeared near Kirigakure. The reports suggested it was being pursued by a mysterious, black-cloaked shinobi and had gone into hiding.
The Three-Tails was currently the only known tailed beast not yet sealed into a Jinchūriki. For any village, securing it would mean acquiring a weapon of mass destruction and a monumental strategic advantage.
"The Three-Tails?"
The name instantly connected to a turtle and Nohara Rin in Liumu's mind. He was familiar with Isobu—a three-tailed, spiked turtle-like beast. In the original timeline, its first Jinchūriki was Nohara Rin, used as a pawn in one of Madara Uchiha's schemes against Konoha.
But that timeline hadn't caught up yet. Nohara Rin was still a student at the Academy. The second Jinchūriki would be Yagura Karatachi, the future Fourth Mizukage who would usher in Kirigakure's bloody "Village of the Bloody Mist" era.
If the intel is accurate, Liumu thought, and the Three-Tails hasn't been captured by Madara yet… If we secure it now, or even bring it back to Konoha… wouldn't that save Rin's future?
"That black-cloaked pursuer must be Madara!"
"Under Yuhi Makoto's guidance, Orochimaru holds operational command for this mission. Is that understood?"
The Land of Water.
After making landfall, the group equipped pre-prepared Kirigakure forehead protectors and used Transformation Jutsu to alter their appearances before beginning their infiltration toward the hidden village.
"Kirigakure is a… unique village," Makoto Yuhi explained in a low voice as they moved. "They revere martial strength above all else, and to that end, they employ methods we often find difficult to comprehend. During my past investigations into their Kekkei Genkai lineages, I witnessed firsthand how they would abandon children who failed to manifest a bloodline limit, leaving them to die in the wild. Even those who did awaken were treated not as children, but as weapons of war. It is… inhumane."
A faint, cynical smirk touched Liumu's lips.
Yuhi Makoto was describing the precursor to the Bloody Mist. While his words painted a stark picture, Liumu couldn't help but think Konoha's version of "democracy" wasn't much prettier. Konoha was rife with powerful, insular clans—more so than any other village. The mighty Uchiha and Hyūga clans from the Warring States period still held immense sway.
The Hyūga, with their rigid hierarchy and Branch Family seals, were a law unto themselves, largely outside the Hokage's direct control. The Uchiha, whose children could show terrifying talent from a young age, were already viewed with a mixture of awe and suspicion. Their eventual downfall, Liumu knew, would stem from Konoha's own fear and political decay—a tragic and absurd end.
Forging a new era is never easy, he mused, glancing at Minato and Tsunade beside him. The difficulties involve everyone, even the Third Hokage.
Perhaps… some historical tracks were already beginning to shift.
"Kirigakure lies ahead. Everyone, stay sharp."
It was deep winter. The five Konoha shinobi, camouflaged in white cloaks, lay concealed in the snow outside the village's formidable walls. They watched squads of Kiri-nin patrol the perimeter.
Orochimaru retrieved a strange, knuckle-sized caterpillar from his pouch. "This will temporarily disrupt a section of their village barrier. After nightfall, we infiltrate from the northern sector. Our investigation begins there."
Information on Isobu's exact location was scant. For the five of them to not only find it but also capture it, they would need to move like ghosts, avoiding the eyes of Kirigakure's shinobi at all costs.
(End of Chapter)
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