Chapter 141: The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, Fū
Chapter 141: The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, Fū
The weight of responsibility settled heavily on Shibuki's shoulders after he became village leader. With the rebellion now successfully put down, the pressure in his mind eased, and his sharp thinking seemed to return.
After all, he had been groomed for leadership since childhood. Although he had been terrified during the rebellion, he gradually began to understand things afterward.
The difference in skill between a chūnin from a major village and one from a smaller village was significant, and the same held true for jōnin. Ino had defeated Suien as easily as slaughtering a chicken. Did this imply that Konoha's genin were on an entirely different level in the shinobi world? That was impossible! It was reasonable for them to be strong, but not to such an extreme degree.
If all of Konoha's genin were as strong as Ino, would there even have been a need for the three Great Shinobi Wars? They would have already unified the shinobi world!
Shibuki used his former teacher Suien's strength as a benchmark to assess Ino's abilities. He estimated that she likely possessed jōnin-level strength but was still young, which explained why her official rank hadn't yet reflected her true power.
Generally, shinobi with powerful techniques, strong wills, and clear goals came from major clans.
Since they were discussing a potential partnership, it was only natural to clarify each other's standing.
Friendship was one thing, but mutual interests were another. If their positions weren't equal, Ino wouldn't even be qualified to discuss cooperation.
Ino nodded. "I am indeed from a shinobi clan. But regarding Konoha's situation... well, your father was on good terms with Lady Tsunade, so you must know something about her past, right? The reason she hasn't returned to the village all these years is because the situation there is quite complicated."
Shibuki considered his own experiences and nodded. "It seems even major villages aren't perfect havens."
Undercurrents of tension were swirling within Konoha. At this time, the Yamanaka clan, and even the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, couldn't afford to draw too much attention to themselves.
Collecting rent and running a curry shop were about the extent of what someone Ino's age could realistically do. Anything more would inevitably step on someone else's toes. Given their delicate situation, even the slightest misstep could be blown out of proportion.
Yet, Ino needed to generate significant opportunities to create more chaos—chaos that she could control. The simplest approach was to hire Akatsuki's Kakuzu and then frame the organization. A more complex strategy would be to exploit the existing tensions between the daimyō and the shinobi villages. Either way, she needed financial backing.
Money wasn't everything, but without it, nothing was possible. If she tried to hire Kakuzu without payment, it wouldn't matter if it was Pain with the Rinnegan or the Sage of Six Paths himself—it simply wouldn't happen.
Many of the nobles in the Land of Fire and the Land of Water also required financial incentives to cooperate. Without funds, nothing could be accomplished.
After the Chūnin Exams, Konoha had entered a period of unrest. If Tazuna from the Land of Waves could bring his grandson and the village carpenters all the way to Konoha to find work, why couldn't Ino do the same?
The Yamanaka clan specialized in intelligence gathering. They could receive news of floods, earthquakes, and other disasters almost immediately.
Takigakure, on the other hand, was extremely isolated and lacked such an intelligence network. Without Ino, they would be completely in the dark and unable to take action.
Ino also needed Takigakure's reputation and manpower.
Both sides had a solid basis for cooperation.
Takigakure was the only village outside the Five Great Shinobi Villages to possess a Tailed Beast. Although its influence had waned, its reputation still held weight. Using their name to venture into the construction and building materials industries—what was the downside?
After Ino outlined the plan for cooperation, Shibuki considered it for a moment and agreed.
After all, it wasn't a significant issue. If it meant the villagers could earn a little more income, there was no harm in it.
And so, the "Cross Guild" was quietly established in Takigakure.
Ino instructed Karin to identify villagers with skills in carpentry and masonry.
Karin often seemed absentminded, but once given a task, she executed it flawlessly.
Ino trusted her ability to get things done.
Fū, the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, also wanted to go out and have some fun. Shibuki, who had always treated Fū like a younger sister, immediately objected. It was far too dangerous for a Jinchūriki to leave the village. While Fū herself might be fine, the Tailed Beast within her was another matter entirely. If it went on a rampage, it would be a walking catastrophe.
"Brother Shibuki, I just want to go out for three days—no, one day! Is that okay?" Fū held up three fingers, then quickly lowered two when she saw Shibuki's unwavering expression.
Shibuki smiled gently but shook his head, crushing Fū's hopes.
Fū pestered Shibuki for half the day but didn't get his permission. She then turned to Ino for help.
According to her, Ino was her best friend, and friends should help each other. Since she was feeling so miserable, how could her friend just stand by and do nothing?
Ino did want to encourage her to go out. Karin's strength was still lacking.
If Orochimaru could train her, so could Ino. Karin had an affinity for water and earth release, both of which Ino possessed. First, tree climbing, then water walking, followed by developing water-release chakra and learning techniques like the Hiding in Mist Technique and the Water Prison Technique. Depending on the circumstances, she might even be able to learn medical ninjutsu. Ino's training plan for Karin was almost identical to the one she had for Sakura.
After three years of training, Karin would likely be able to hold her own. But how to bridge those three years?
That's when Ino set her sights on her "good friend," Fū.
Fū wasn't as strong as Naruto, and the Seven-Tails wasn't as powerful as the Nine-Tails, but as a Jinchūriki, she was still far stronger than the average shinobi.
When facing the Akatsuki, Fū had been captured by Kakuzu and Hidan, which made her seem weak. But in reality, the Immortal Duo was incredibly strong. Without knowing their secrets, even someone like Killer Bee could have been captured.
"Well... I don't have any good ideas either. I'll try talking to him for you," Ino said after a moment of thought. She was no longer the naive girl she had been when she first arrived in this world. Now, she had a wealth of high-level techniques at her disposal. If the only concern was the Tailed Beast going berserk, her Five Elements Seal could be used.
But this sealing technique, and Ino herself, weren't suitable for the task. Fū was Takigakure's Jinchūriki, and it was unthinkable for an outsider like Ino to casually place a seal on her. She couldn't even suggest it.
Ino's attempt to plead on Fū's behalf was mostly for show. Encouraging Fū to venture out was a long-term plan, and letting her roam freely now was still a bit premature.
Ino failed to convince Shibuki to change his mind. Fū sulked for half the day but soon returned to her usual cheerful self.
By the time they saw her off at the village gates, there was no trace of her earlier disappointment.
"What a lively girl!" Ino thought.
After leaving Takigakure, Ino went to find the former bandit leaders, Baki and Tōfu, who were serving hard labor. It was likely that the Cross Guild would soon need these two construction-savvy ex-bandits to take charge of operations.
In her previous life, pulling strings to get someone out of prison would have required a lot of connections. But in a world where shinobi wielded supernatural powers, and Ino herself was a shinobi, things were much simpler.
Faking the deaths of two prisoners was something even a low-level student at the ninja academy could manage. Creating new identities for them was slightly more troublesome, but with the Yamanaka clan's influence, it was easily accomplished.
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