“A rogue Jonin from Konoha?”

  “Hiruko?”

  “A familiar name…” Nagato murmured from the shadows. Where… where had he heard that name before?

  His mind drifted ba time, to a memory from ten years ago.

  Konan and Yahiko, exhausted from ninjutsu training, y sprawled on the ground, fast asleep.

  Nagato, thanks to his Uzumaki lineage, possessed far greater chakra reserves and recovery speed. He often sat with his teacher, Jiraiya, listening to stories of the ninja world.

  “Nagato… sometimes, I feel the ninja world is utterly mad,” Jiraiya had said, his voice tinged with mencholy. “Why ’t people be tent? Why are ninjas’ desires never satisfied?”

  Young Nagato, his eyes wide with curiosity, had asked, “Why do you say that, sensei?”

  “I had a friend… He was already a Joni he craved eveer power. To pensate for his ck of natural talent, he crossed a line… We, his former friends, were forced to hunt him dowsunade, and Orochimaru. But he escaped… And I watched helplessly as he desded into darkness.”

  Naive and hopeful, young Nagato had asked, “What was his name, sensei? Perhaps if I meet him someday, I vince him to return.”

  Jiraiya had ruffled Nagato’s red hair affeately. “That would be wonderful. If you ever meet him, please do try to reason with him. His name is Hiruko. He has… white hair.”

  Snapping back to the present, Nagato asked, “Hiruko… what color was his hair?”

  Though puzzled by the question, Konan quickly replied, “White.”

  A Konoha missing-nin, white hair, named Hiruko. It all matched.

  A heavy silence fell ato.

  Normally, the arrival of a new member would be cause for celebration, a step closer to achieving their goals.

  But Nagato felt no joy.

  The shurikehrown years ago had now struck him.

  In Nagato’s heart, only two people held any real significe: Konan, his childhood friend, and Jiraiya, his sensei. He would abandoire ninja world before abandoning Konan.

  As for Jiraiya…

  A ninja’s heart was a plex ndscape. Nagato’s hatred for Konoha was immense, but the gratitude he held for Jiraiya was equally profound. He often wished Jiraiya wasn’t a Konoha ninja.

  Unfortunately, the ninja world offered no such reprieves. When the day came for him to destroy Konoha, he and his sensei would be forced to fight.

  He’d once promised to guide his sensei’s friend back to the right path. Now, he himself had bee the biggest threat to Konoha.

  Even rogue ninja had their saviors… and he, Nagato, was now Hiruko’s savior.

  Disheartened, Nagato lost i in Hiruko. “Konan, you handle Hiruko. Expin the rules and assign his missions. I don’t wish to see him for now.”

  “What’s wrong?” Konan asked, puzzled by his sudden ge in demeanor. But Nagato, in Yahiko’s body, simply turned a without expnation.

  However, as his childhood friend, Konan sensed his iurmoil. Usually, if he hadn’t personally recruited a new member, Nagato would take the time to assess their abilities. But this time… he hadn’t even asked.

  It seemed he was deliberately avoiding Hiruko.

  After a personal assessment, Konaermihat this Konoha missing-nin, brought back by Zetsu, was a research-oriented ninja.

  Hiruko specialized in stific research—a talent the Akatsuki desperately needed.

  bat wasn’t his forte, but his research abilities were astonishing.

  He wielded the Chimera Teique.

  This teique allowed him to fuse with other ninja or summoned creatures, abs their abilities, even Kekkei Genkai.

  Possessing a single Kekkei Genkai ofte a ninja’s potential surpassed ordinary ninja. A bat-focused Kekkei Genkai, developed to its fullest, could elevate a ninja to elite Jonin level. Two Kekkei Genkai, mastered, could potentially make a ninja Kage-level.

  And the Chimera Teique allowed for the fusion of up to five Kekkei Genkai.

  For years, in hiding, Hiruko had been hunting bloodline limit ninja, aiming to perfect his teique.

  Such a ninja, such a jutsu… it made Konan wary.

  She, too, possessed a Kekkei Genkai, making her a potential target.

  In this anization ue ninja, there were no true bonds or friendships. Only mutual is held them together.

  Now, Konan had another person to watch out for.

  Leaving Nagato, Konarieved the ring marked with the symbol for “Void” from her ste scroll. This would be Hiruko's designation within the Akatsuki.

  Arriving at the Akatsuki hideout, Konan was taken aback by the se.

  She saw—

  Sasori, his chakra strings maniputing ten lifeless bodies of ninja.

  Ninja corpses weren’t unusual. After all, the Akatsuki needed funds to operate. When not actively pursuing their main objective, members often took on missions from the underground exge.

  But these ninjas… they wore Konoha uniforms.

  “Did you… go to Konoha?”

  “Yo, Konan,” Zetsu greeted her casually. “We didn’t have time to report. But we eliminated Danzo and his elite guards. The bounty was one billion ryō. Unfortunately, Kakuzu and his Decapitating Sword were ed by Danzo's Four Symbols Seal before he died.”

  Konan’s usually stoic face showed a flicker of surprise.

  “You… eliminated Danzo Shimura?”

  Konan would never fet Danzo, the one responsible for Yahiko’s death. She loo kill him herself.

  But the ninja world was in a delicate state. Konoha’s influence was at its peak. If they traced the attack baegakure… While Nagato could hahem, it would e at a great cost to his already weakened body.

  “Did you… up?” she asked, her voice ced with .

  “Don’t worry, Konan. I ha personally. Konoha won’t find a trace.”

  “Good. We ’t afford to attranecessary attention. It’s not time for us to reveal ourselves yet. We must await Nagato's orders.”

  “Sure, sure. Uood.”

  Sasori dragged the corpses toward his boratory, while Kakuzu, his eyes gleaming, obsessively ted the bounty money.

  ‘These… etrics…’ Konan sighed inwardly. Though they were members of the same anization, adapting to their… unique personalities, was a challenge.

  There wasn’t a single “normal” person among them.

  She tossed the ring to Zetsu. “Since you’re back, deliver this to Hiruko.”

  After walking a few steps, she turned back to Zetsu. “Tobi hasn’t tacted us in a week. Do you know where he is?”

  “Tobi? He’s… probably dead.”

  Konan merely raised an eyebrow. Zetsu hahe anization’s intelligence. If even he believed Tobi was dead, it was likely true. Bounty ninja were like that. Though their skills were vetted, the ninja world was a dangerous pce.

  Bck Zetsu watched as Konan disappeared from view.

  “That woman… she’s dangerous.”

  He had lived for tless years, but Konan’s abilities were truly impressive.

  With the formation of the Akatsuki, he had seen a glimmer of hope for his pn to revive his mother.

  Nagato could wield the Rinnegan’s power effectively; the loyal Uchiha Obito possessed space-time ninjutsu; and then, there was Konan.

  That woman couldn’t be uimated. She posed an eveer threat than Nagato.

  Her pn might fool others, but not Bck Zetsu. Amegakure’s inner ke… it was being slowly repced with Konan’s exploding paper tags.

  Anyone unaware of this, even prime Uchiha Madara or Hashirama Senju, would be obliterated the moment they set foot in the ke. The sheer number of explosive tags was simply terrifying.

  That’s why Bck Zetsu sidered Konan dangerous, though not dangerous enough.

  Her little scheme couldn’t fool him.

  Walking through the long corridors of the hideout, Bck Zetsu arrived at Hiruko’s assigned boratory aered.

  Hiruko, a white b coat, his hair as white as snow, a mask c his face, appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen.

  Bck Zetsu approached and handed over the ring. “Hiruko, this is your Akatsuki ring. Keep it safe.”

  “Zetsu, yanization is quite remarkable,” Hiruko said, his eyes gleaming with avarice. “You wield Wood Release, that blue-haired aper Release, there’s the insane puppeteer who turned himself into a puppet, the monster with five hearts…”

  “I’ve even heard your leader possesses the legendary Rinnegan.”

  “Hiruko, we are now, teically, rades. Treating your rades like prey is a dangerous game,” Bck Zetsu warned, a hint of mena his tone.

  “Hmph, I’m well aware of that.” Hiruko averted his greedy gaze. Of the entire anization, only Zetsu seemed… manageable.

  ‘They’re merely relying on their natural talents. Once I’ve perfected the Chimera Teique, I’ll be the ultimate ninja. This anization… it will be superfluous.’

  No one could see the sihoughts hidden behind his mask.

  He could betray Konoha without a sed thought; an anization formed out of venience meant even less.

  He had only joined because Zetsu had promised him access to valuable resources. He’d even temporarily abandoned his base on Mount Shumisen and his subordinates.

  “Zetsu, I’ve been here for days. Where are the experimental subjects you promised?”

  “So impatient. Haven’t you heard? Self-sufficy is the Akatsuki way,” Bck Zetsu chided, though he still handed over a ste scroll.

  “What’s this?”

  Followisu’s instrus, Hiruko ied his chakra, retrieving the scroll’s tents.

  “This is…”

  Two identical phrases, yet spoken with entirely differeions.

  Hiruko’s eyes widened in astonishment. “The Edo Tehe Sed Hokage’s forbidden jutsu from the Scroll of Seals?! How did you obtain this?!”

  “Ahem, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Zetsu, amed Void. I’m the weakest member of the anization. My job is to gather intel.”

  Bck Zetsu ched his hand. “Let’s just say, there’s nothing in the ninja world I ’t obtain.”

  “And… this isn’t the Edo Tensei you’re thinking of.”

  This was… Orochimaru’s inplete Edo Tensei!

  Bck Zetsu had initially inteo recruit Orochimaru. His research abilities were invaluable.

  But for some reason, that snake-like bastard had vanished from Konoha. Perhaps he was dead.

  Fortunately, Bck Zetsu had acquired Orochimaru’s most valuable research before his disappearance.

  He just needed another skilled researcher to tinue Orochimaru’s work, to perfect the Edo Tensei.

  Hiruko? A mere substitute for Orochimaru.

  “This jutsu is currently inplete. I expect you to finish what Orochimaru started. Show me its true potential.”

  The Edo Tensei held immense significe for Bck Zetsu.

  The Akatsuki’s sole purpose was to assist him in gathering the Tailed Beasts.

  Capturing Tailed Beasts was a sensitive operation, bound to cause an uproar, potentially uniting the Five Great Vilges.

  With their current roster, the Akatsuki had no ce of capturing all ailed Beasts against a unified front.

  Nagato’s Rinnegan wasn’t the inal; he couldn’t fully utilize its power.

  The ninja world was finite. No matter how much he searched, the number of elite ninja he could recruit was limited.

  If he couldn’t recruit the living, he’d use the dead. The Edo Tensei could summon long-dead ninja from the Pure Land, bolstering his forces.

  And he o revive Uchiha Madara, to serve as his mother’s vessel.

  ‘Everything is proceeding acc to pn.’

  “What do you think of this gift, Hiruko?”

  “I don’t know the specifics of your Chimera Teique, but if you’re looking for bloodline limit ninjas, those resurrected from the Pure Land should suffice.”

  “Obtaining the corpses of Kekkei Genkai ninja is far easier than capturing live ones. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “That’s… true.”

  Hiruko’s eyes burned with a fervent iy. He knew of the Edo Tensei, but it was a forbidden jutsu, locked away in the Scroll of Seals, beyond his reach.

  And now… it was his.

  Moreover, this wasn’t the iensei. It had been modified, saving him siderable time and effort.

  ‘Once I’ve perfected the Edo Tensei, I’ll enhahe Chimera Teique… Then, I won’t have to worry about finding Kekkei Genkai users.’

  ‘All I’ll o worry about is the accuracy of the history books… whether the records of Kekkei Genkai users are true.’

  ‘The most powerful bloodline limit ninja in history… they’ll all be mio choose from!’

  ‘I was inally pnning to use a cursed seal to steal Kakashi’s Sharingan. But now… I use the Edo Teo summon Uchiha Madara and take his eyes! The most powerful Sharingan!’

  Edo Tensei? Chimera Teique? No! This should be called the Edo Tensei Chimera Reination Teique!

  A tremor of excitement ran through Hiruko.

  Even during his Academy days, he had esunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—their exceptional talent, enough to bee disciples of the Third Hokage.

  He, however, was destio remain a nobody, at most a mid-level Jonin.

  Why?!

  He looked to the heavens, wanting to question the gods who distributed talent so unfairly. Why him?!

  From the day he graduated and began his training, Hiruko had beeermined. He would carve his own path, regardless of his lineage.

  He secretly accumuted strength, plotted human experiments, attempting to transpnt the geic material of non-humaures into himself, then moved on to Kekkei Genkai…

  Until that day, his experiments were exposed. He became a missing-nin, hunted by the Third Hokage.

  What had he done wrong?

  Hiruko believed he had dohing wrong. The ninja world was simply unfair! From the moment they were born, those with Kekkei Genkai possessed an advantage he could never overe.

  He would use his Chimera Teique to reach the pinnacle of power!

  He would show the world that even an ordinary ninja could bee a god!

  He would bee the ultimate ninja, and decre war on the Five Great Vilges!

  Hiruko’s eyes burned with determination. “I will win!”

  Unfortunately, he was unaware of the events that had transpired since his defe.

  If Gojo Kaigetsu knew his ambitions, he’d likely burst out ughing.

  Ninjas… no, perhaps everyone born in the ninja world, possessed desires as boundless as the sea.

  Orochimaru, whom Hiruko envied, had already abahe pursuit of natural talent. He craved immortality.

  Bck Zetsu, standing beside him, felt a growing sense of unease. He was starting to have serious doubts about this anization.

  They were all utterly insane!

  He turned a, smming the door behind him. “I look forward to your research results, Hiruko.”

  …

  …

  “If all goes well, the Fourth Raikage will send an emissary to meet with me secretly within the few days.”

  “Then, it will be time for a shoith Samui.”

  Tsu her lip and slowly crawled tojo Kaigetsu.

  The soft bed seemed to have been transformed into a trampoline by some strange ninjutsu, boung rhythmically.

  Kiid potential energy interverted, eventually settling into equilibrium.

  Tsunade wiped the sweat from her brow. “And after the showdown? How do you io handle… Samui?”

  “Send her baogakure?”

  “Showdown aside, after all this time… I don’t pn to let her go.”

  “Oh?”

  Tsunade g Gojo Kaigetsu, a hint of reproa her eyes.

  Having pyed the role of “mistress of the house,” she had developed a certain fondness for Samui, despite knowing the kunoichi’s ulterior motives.

  After all, they were sisters in arms… or perhaps, sisters in… other activities.

  Having spent so much time together…

  Tsunade sehat Samui wasn’t purely motivated by her mission. Her loyalty to Kumogakure seemed to be… wavering.

  “Have you sidered that she might not care about you at all? That her only goal is to gather ihat all her sweet nothings are just an act?” Tsunade asked, her voice tinged with .

  As she spoke, she seemed to shift her position, her movements… rhythmic.

  “I trust my abilities, both above and below. Samui’s body doesn’t lie. She ’t possibly be indifferent to me. After all, I have the key, and no matter how plex her lock, I’ve unlocked it,” Gojo Kaigetsu said fidently.

  Tsu out a breathy sigh, feeling a bit parched. It seemed tonight's water intake hadn't been enough.

  Sometimes, the retionship between ninjas was simply that plex. Fighting together, but not against criminals. The burden they carried wasn’t always the vilge’s.

  “Even so, Samui’s rea will likely be… intense. F her to betray Kumogakure could get her killed.”

  “That’s iable. Pushing too hard invites resistance. I don’t io force her hand. We’ll take it slow. Once Konoha and Kumogakure reach a peace agreement, she won’t have anything to worry about.”

  “Hmph…”

  “Inside is fine. I’ll heal myself with Mystical Palm,” Tsutered.

  Gojo Kaigetsu’s eyes widened. “Mystical Palm… on… yourself? Well, alright.”

  A moment of silence passed. Tsunade rolled over, as if entering sage mode, her shoulder pressed against Gojo Kaigetsu’s.

  Seemingly satisfied with his performance, she brought up a ninja-reted topic.

  “This… Avengers Initiative… what exactly are you pnning?”

  Gojo Kaigetsu stroked Tsunade’s golden hair. “Actually, I know who killed Danzo.”

  Tsunade’s eyebrow arched. “You do? Then why…”

  “Because I ’t defeat him. He’s to. S that… even all of Konoha’s Jonin bined might not be a match for him right now.”

  “That’s why we need a more subtle approach. Eliminate his pawns one by ohe opportunity might present itself during the Konoha-Suna Trade Route pletion ceremony.”

  “Do you need my help?” Tsunade asked, her tone unusually serious. “If you’re targeting them, I e out of retirement and assist you.”

  Tsunade had grown weary of the ninja world’s endless flicts. That’s why she had abandoned her title as a Sannin areated to Tanzaku Quarters.

  But the shinobi world’s situation was ging rapidly.

  During this period of “cold war with localized skirmishes,” the frequent assassinations couldn’t be ignored. Even the vilge itself wasn’t as safe as it seemed.

  First Gojo Kaigetsu, then Danzo… While Danzo’s death didn’t faze her, Gojo Kaigetsu was different. She couldn’t bear to lose another close friend.

  Ninja wars rarely reached the Hokage Tower. Her home was safe; she didn’t care about such rge-scale flicts.

  But those lunatics, driven by greed and willing to do anything for mohey were a different matter. Their methods were uable. Who knew when they might infiltrate the Hokage Tower and eliminate Gojo Kaigetsu?

  There’s a saying: You be vigint for a thousand days, but you ’t prevent a thief forever. Fojo Kaigetsu’s safety, Tsunade sidered returning to active duty.

  As the man who ksunade best in the ninja world, Gojo Kaigetsu was touched.

  He hugged her tightly. “If you could return, Tsuhat would be wonderful.”

  “Hmph… Minato mentioned you gave ames to the Avengers.”

  “Minato’s a bbbermouth.”

  “Kushina told me.”

  “Theight-lipped.”

  “Enough. What’s my ame?”

  “Yours?” Gojo Kaigetsu grinned.

  “Captain Konoha.”

  Tsunade fell silent. pared to the other Avengers’ ames, hers seemed… rather pin.

  “The old man’s ame is Professor Paradox, Pakura’s is Bzing Fury, and then there’s an… Those ames match their abilities. Why is mine Captain Konoha?” Tsuone hi displeasure. Only in private, like this, did she revert to her childish, academy-graduate self.

  Perhaps… she wao recapture her youthful spirit.

  She tightened her grip on Gojo Kaigetsu. “If you don’t give me a satisfactory answer, you spend tomorrow night with Mei Terumi and Samui.”

  “Because Captain Konoha is the embodiment of Konoha’s Will of Fire. It represents the purest form of the Will of Fire! In all of Konoha, no one is more qualified to embody the Will of Fire than you, Tsunade.”

  “You carry the legacy of the First Hokage. You are a natural-born hero, possessing near-immortal strength! You symbolize Konoha’s vitality, like aernal fme. As long as leaves dan the wind, the fire will burn, and new leaves will sprout. The fire’s shadow illumihe vilge, and the shadow of Captain Konoha will protect all of Konoha!”

  “The vilgers will proudly decre, ‘I have lived my entire life uhe prote of Captain Konoha.’”

  “And when those you cherish need prote… Captain Konoha’s true strength will be revealed. Just like… you’re willing to return to active duty to protect me, Tsunade.”

  Gojo Kaigetsu, his fate literally in Tsunade’s grasp, rolled over aly held her hands, his voice filled with warmth.

  “I-Is that so?” Tsuammered, flustered.

  “Absolutely. I even have a uniform prepared for you~”

  Gojo Kaigetsu released her hands and, with a flourish, produced two uniforms from his ste scroll.

  One was clearly for public appearances. Its aesthetic design was… debatable, but it was certainly… practical. It exuded an air of seriousness and authority, perfectly befitting a super kunoichi.

  As for the other…

  “Is this… a uniform?” Tsuared at the barely-there scraps of fabric, utterly bewildered.

  “The other one is for public appearahis one… is for me~” Gojo Kaigetsu grinned, rubbing his hands together. He was about to eborate when…

  Tsunade, her chest heaving with anger, poiowards the door.

  “Get out!”

  Seeing that Gojo Kaigetsu remained unmoved, she kicked him pyfully.

  Gojo Kaigetsu started humming a children’s song: “The little girl pig mushrooms, so diligent and kind, carrying a rge bamboo basket, early in the m, bare feet, walking through the woods and mountains…”

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