"You're saying you took that guy down with just one Hypnosis?"
Hayato Ren looked at the smug-looking Haunter before him, speaking with some disbelief.
Although he would never doubt Haunter's integrity as a Pokémon, what Haunter had just said was truly shocking.
How could the dignified Three-Tails Jinchuriki have such low mental resistance?
Haunter's Hypnosis could at most control a Jonin for a short while.
When encountering a Jonin with strong willpower, it might not even succeed.
Could it be that absorbing so much fear energy in the Hidden Mist Village these past few days had caused Haunter's power to evolve significantly?
Thinking this, Hayato Ren had no choice but to take the scroll from Haunter's hand and pat its head.
"Alright, alright, truly worthy of being my number one general. You're simply amazing."
Under Hayato Ren's praise, Haunter revealed a satisfied smile.
Then it suddenly approached and, with Hayato Ren making a slightly subtle expression, used Lick on his face.
Sometimes Hayato Ren really wondered if he had raised a Growlithe instead, otherwise why would Haunter enjoy licking his face so much.
After sending Haunter away, Hayato Ren began studying the scroll in his hand.
There was a layer of Sealing Technique on this scroll - if forced open, it would only be completely destroyed.
If an ordinary ninja encountered this situation, it wouldn't be easily resolved.
However, for Hayato Ren who had mastered most of the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques...
Breaking this level of seal was as easy as Zhang Fei eating bean sprouts - a piece of cake.
After dealing with the sealing technique, Hayato Ren began examining the contents.
This scroll recorded a Secret Technique, whose main function was to suppress Evil Spirits.
It required using the caster's flesh and blood as a medium, with living humans as food, to cultivate creatures called Blood Leeches. Then, by reclaiming energy from the Blood Leeches, after eighty-one months, one could obtain the effect of suppressing Evil Spirits.
However, during the cultivation period, one's mental state would be affected, so it needed to be used with caution.
After reading the scroll's contents, Hayato Ren fell into silence.
Was this still the world of Naruto? Was this sure not something from a cultivation world, with things like Blood Leeches being developed?
But thinking about the evil god that Hidan worshipped, and the death god summoned by the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, Hayato Ren became accepting again.
Perhaps this was just an ordinary Secret Technique after all.
Looking at it this way, everything made sense.
The Three-Tails Jinchuriki's abnormal behavior and his extremely low mental resistance were because he was practicing this Secret Technique.
And the reason why the Three-Tails was able to become a Tailed Beast again just a few years later was likely because the Three-Tails Jinchuriki wanted to use this technique to suppress the Three-Tails, but failed and suffered backlash.
Although broadly speaking, Tailed Beasts could also be called Evil Spirits...
Trying to control a Tailed Beast with just this level of Secret Technique was somewhat wishful thinking.
After recording all this information, Hayato Ren returned to his bed and slowly fell asleep.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, as Hayato Ren ate the breakfast Mei Terumi had served, he extended his mental energy outward.
As expected, after the stolen scroll incident, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki had immediately reported it to the Hidden Mist Village.
Though to ordinary people, the village appeared no different from usual—everyone was busy with their own affairs.
Beneath the surface, however, the Hidden Mist's Anbu were constantly moving about, searching for suspects.
At this thought, Hayato Ren couldn't help but glance at Mei Terumi sitting across from him.
He wondered how she would feel if she knew she had unwittingly played the role of a "traitor guide."
Especially considering that Mei Terumi would eventually become the Fifth Mizukage—the very Water Shadow leading the way as a turncoat.
The mere idea of it was thrilling.
Just then, Mei Terumi suddenly set down her chopsticks, tilted her head, and showed a puzzled expression.
"Uncle, are you secretly cursing me in your heart? I suddenly have this urge to hit you."
To this, Hayato Ren replied indifferently:
"Why would I curse you for no reason? A clear conscience fears no midnight knocks. If you're thinking that way, could it be you've done something to wrong me? Did you add something to my miso soup again?"
Hayato Ren had only meant to tease her, but to his surprise, Mei Terumi's expression turned slightly guilty.
Though she hadn't fully matured yet, her features were already strikingly beautiful.
Hayato Ren had always been lenient toward beauties. Even if he ended up with her saliva, he wouldn't mind much. At worst, he could just return the favor with some "deoxyribose" later.
At that moment, Mei Terumi suddenly spoke up loudly, as if overcompensating:
"Hmph, we even went exploring together yesterday, and here you are suspecting me like this. Do you really think I, Mei Terumi, am the kind of person who schemes behind people's backs?"
Facing her challenge, Hayato Ren simply nodded silently.
"Fine! Since you don't trust me, I swear to heaven: if I spat in your miso soup, may I never become a ninja in this lifetime."
Looking at Mei Terumi's earnest little face, Hayato Ren even began to doubt his own suspicion.
However, he didn't notice how her eyes drifted toward his chopsticks right after she made the vow.
I only secretly put his chopsticks in my mouth for a moment—that shouldn't count, right? Besides, I swore about the miso soup; it has nothing to do with the chopsticks.
After mentally reassuring herself, Mei Terumi met Hayato Ren's gaze with renewed confidence.
"My apologies for wrongly accusing you. Please be magnanimous and forgive me, Lady Mei."
Mei Terumi turned her head away, crossed her arms, and snorted.
"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time. But if you wrongly accuse me again for no reason, I won't let you off so easily."
After the meal, Mei Terumi took Hayato Ren around the Hidden Mist Village again.
To be honest, there wasn't much to see in the village.
Unlike the Leaf, with its notable landmarks like the Hokage Rock and the Valley of the End.
If anything, the persistent fog could be considered a unique feature here.
But even that grew tiresome after a while.
Just then, Hayato Ren suddenly spotted a "plot-relevant character."
That was a young boy with gill-like features on his face, who would later be known as Hoshigaki Kisame, the Tailed Beast without a tail.
To be honest, Hayato Ren wasn't sure if it was because the people of Hidden Mist Village ate too much fish.
He had already encountered several villagers with fish-like characteristics, almost like fish-men.