248. Stolen Chakra
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The Fire Temple, as the name suggests, was a temple inhabited entirely by monks. Most of them were martial monks, their muscular physiques evident under their robes.
Naruto couldn't help but wonder if they spent any time actually practising Buddhism.
Then again, this was the ninja world everything made sense here. In a place like this, being unable to fight meant your chances of peacefully spreading teachings were slim.
The world's most famous "missionary," Hidan, was a prime example. Anyone who couldn't beat him had to listen to his sermons and participate in his rituals.
Of course, by the end of those rituals, the listener was usually dead.
Despite Hidan's strength, diligence, and unshakable faith, his "cult" had only one member himself.
The monks of the Fire Temple, by contrast, likely trained in martial arts not to convert others by force, but to survive while spreading their teachings or collecting alms.
In this world, having some combat strength was essential, so the prevalence of martial monks wasn't surprising.
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The team was greeted by Chiriku, the Fire Temple's highest-ranking monk. He was a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja and a master of the secret technique Gift of the Sages (Senzoku no Sai), which resembled a miniature Susano'o or Wood Golem Jutsu.
Chiriku had once been strong enough to fight both Kakuzu and Hidan at the same time, although he eventually fell to them. His bounty on the black market, at 30 million ryō, was just slightly below Asuma Sarutobi's.
"Welcome. I am Chiriku," he said warmly. "Thank you for coming. It must have been a long journey."
Kakashi stepped forward to reply, "We appreciate the welcome. Regarding the mission, we hope you can provide more detailed information."
"Of course. Please, follow me," Chiriku said, leading them into a reception room. Two younger monks accompanied him as attendants.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were visiting the Fire Temple for the first time and curiously examined their surroundings.
Naruto's attention was soon drawn to a boy practising martial arts nearby. It wasn't the boy's skill that caught his eye but the faint trace of Nine-Tails chakra he sensed coming from him.
"Kurama?" Naruto asked within his seal, seeking confirmation. The Nine-Tails, enjoying leisure back in Konoha, was momentarily surprised.
"That's definitely my chakra," Kurama confirmed. "Though it's just a tiny bit. For a moment, I thought that Minato idiot had split me into more pieces than I realized."
"Can we reclaim it?" Naruto asked. He didn't want even a trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra falling into the hands of the Akatsuki.
"It's possible, but I don't want it back," Kurama replied disdainfully.
"Why not? It's still your chakra."
"Would you drink back the sweat you've lost?"
"Ugh! Okay, I get it. No need to make it gross."
Kurama explained, "That chakra's basically waste to me. Someone must've collected it back when I wasn't paying attention. It's a human problem."
"Whatever. Just tell me how to retrieve it."
"You can break the seal on that kid and pull it back with either my chakra or that ridiculous chain of yours. Think of it as chakra tug-of-war."
Naruto nodded. "Alright, I'll deal with it."
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Once seated in the reception room, Chiriku began, "Regarding the grave robbery incident—"
"Sorry to interrupt," Naruto raised his hand. "But there's something I need to ask first."
The team turned to him in confusion. Chiriku remained composed, replying, "Go ahead."
Naruto met his gaze directly. "Why does the Fire Temple have traces of Nine-Tails chakra? And who is that… pseudo-Jinchūriki?"
"What?!" Sasuke and Sakura were visibly startled.
Chiriku stayed calm, but the two monks behind him grew visibly tense.
Kakashi asked seriously, "Naruto, are you certain?"
Naruto patted his stomach. "No doubt about it."
Inside the seal, Kurama grumbled, "Stop banging on the door. It's loud."
Kakashi turned back to Chiriku. "Master Chiriku, we need an explanation for this. Otherwise, we're in a very difficult position."
Naruto had essentially accused the Fire Temple of tampering with Konoha's "biggest weapon." Even if it was only a fraction of the Nine-Tails' chakra, the implications were severe.
Chiriku studied Naruto for a moment. "I see. You're the son of the Fourth Hokage, the boy rumoured to control the Nine-Tails perfectly. It makes sense you'd notice something unusual about Sora."
"Sora?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"The boy's name," Chiriku clarified.
Naruto didn't let up. "Master Chiriku, you seem very well-informed. I guess life in the temple isn't all meditation and chanting."
"Watch your tone!" one of the monks snapped.
"How dare you!" the other added, stepping forward defensively.
Sasuke and Sakura immediately moved to the counter, ready for a fight.
Naruto ignored the tension. "We're not here to fight, but let's be clear: this is a serious issue. And just so you know, I can win."
The monks hesitated, glancing nervously at Chiriku.
Chiriku waved them down and sighed. "This is indeed our fault, driven by greed. I'll explain everything."
Chiriku recounted the events of the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha years ago. During the chaos, a group managed to collect some of the Nine-Tails' chakra using a secret technique. They sealed it into a child Sora hoping to create their own Jinchūriki.
"That explains why Kurama said it's like sweat," Naruto muttered.
The leader of this operation was Kazuma, a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. He and his faction sought to overthrow Konoha and reshape the Land of Fire into a feudal state centred around the daimyo.
The plan led to the faction's collapse, with many of its members dying or fleeing. Kazuma was killed, and Sora was taken in by the Fire Temple, where Chiriku raised him.
"That's everything," Chiriku concluded.
Kakashi nodded. "Thank you for your honesty. This could have been much worse."
Naruto crossed his arms. "So, what do we do now?"
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