Chapter 16: The Seven Nails Curse

The events in Kirigakure had finally come to an end. The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, expressed his deep gratitude to Konohagakure and Sunagakure for their assistance in quelling the rebellion. He promised to lead a delegation next year to the Yuexi Peninsula, where he would join the other four Kage to discuss plans for peace.

These were diplomatic pleasantries on the surface, but privately, the Fourth Mizukage was meticulous in fulfilling his promises. For Konoha, Kirigakure handed over the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, Rin, to be brought back and cared for in Konoha by Sakumo Hatake.

As for Sunagakure, Kirigakure showed understanding regarding Siren, or rather Tetsu Yamashita, and his espionage activities. They handed him over to Baki, who would bring him back to Sunagakure, along with a comprehensive list of all underground forces operating within the Land of Wind.

In addition, Yagura Karatachi generously presented lavish gifts to the two emissaries, deeply moving both Sakumo Hatake and Baki.

Both parties left satisfied, boarding their ships and setting sail with cheerful hearts.

"How did you manage to do it?"

As soon as the ship left the waters of Kirigakure, Fugaku Uchiha couldn't suppress the curiosity in his heart and posed the question to Hidan. Sakumo Hatake, intrigued as well, turned his head to listen.

Hidan was fiddling with the iron hook he had taken as a trophy from the battle. Hearing the question, he feigned ignorance and replied, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. You know what I mean. I'm talking about how you killed Yoake."

Hidan casually scratched his ear with his pinky and said, "Are you questioning me?"

"Yes!" Fugaku Uchiha replied sternly.

"Tch, I'm not some criminal from Konoha. What gives you the right to question me?" Hidan retorted nonchalantly.

"You—"

"Hey, hey, don't misunderstand. Fugaku is young and doesn't know how to phrase things properly. Your slaying of Yoake undoubtedly saved our lives. We are grateful, not questioning you.

Brother Hidan, your ability to kill with such subtlety is truly remarkable. We admire your extraordinary methods and are simply curious about how you accomplished it. If it's convenient, perhaps you could share a bit and broaden our horizons? If it's inconvenient, consider this old man never asked."

Since being enlightened by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sakumo Hatake had become less arrogant and overbearing. He now handled matters with more tact and sophistication. His words were flawless, making it hard for anyone to refuse.

"Ah, as expected of Hatake, a top elite ninja from Konoha. Your words are music to my ears. Fine! We're all wanderers of the world, so I won't keep it a secret. Listen up—this is none other than the secret technique passed down to me by my master, the Third Kazekage, Jinghang-sama: the Seven Nails Curse!

"The Seven Nails Curse!?"

Sakumo Hatake had never heard of it and was utterly baffled. Fugaku Uchiha also perked up his ears to listen.

"This Seven Nails Curse is an ancient technique passed down by our ancestors. It allows one to take a life from a thousand miles away! First, you need to find an empty room. The room must be large and completely dark. Inside, set up a ritual platform and craft a straw effigy. The straw must come from the rolling grass native to Sunagakure. On the effigy, inscribe the enemy's name and birthdate. Place a lamp on its head and another at its feet. Oh, and the lamp oil must be sesame oil, a specialty of Sunagakure. Nothing else will do.

Arrange the lamps in the form of the Big Dipper constellation. Write a talisman, form seals, and burn it. Perform three worship ceremonies daily. On the twenty-first day at noon, take a large nail and drive it into the effigy's chest. No matter how strong the target is, they will die instantly!"

Listening to Hidan's exaggerated gestures and nonsense, Baki couldn't help but laugh inwardly. This was merely drunken chatter from Jinghang-sama during a casual gathering after a high-level meeting in Sunagakure. Baki had overheard bits and pieces and never thought it would come in handy today.

As Sakumo Hatake listened to Hidan's nonsense, his mouth twitched slightly. "You could have just refused to explain. Why spin such a tall tale? Do you take me for a fool?"

"You better believe it! Over the past twenty days, how many times have you seen me? I've been busy with this ritual in my room!"

This part was true. Hidan had indeed been absent, but not because of any "Seven Nails Curse." He had been scouting the environment of Genji's mansion and figuring out ways to obtain blood samples.

"Who would have thought Sunagakure had such a powerful secret technique? Truly impressive."

Sakumo Hatake excused himself to the deck, unwilling to entertain Hidan further.

Meanwhile, Fugaku Uchiha seemed to take Hidan's words more seriously. He even approached Sakumo Hatake later.

"This kid may seem to be spouting nonsense, but upon closer thought, this Seven Nails Curse might not be entirely fabricated. It bears some resemblance to the Mind Puppet Curse Technique of the Yamanaka Clan. Could it be...?"

"Ridiculous!" Sakumo Hatake interrupted Fugaku Uchiha rudely.

"Don't let his nonsense mislead you. In all my years, I've never heard of someone dying from bowing to a straw doll. Don't lose your basic judgment as a ninja."

"But Yoake truly died! And the wound on his chest did resemble a nail mark."

Fugaku Uchiha voiced his biggest doubt.

"Perhaps they used some other technique. I don't know the specifics. I inspected the scene myself and found nothing unusual. Don't worry, I'll report this to the Hokage. Let the Hokage and the advisors decide. There's no need for us to speculate."

Sakumo Hatake's approach was quite reasonable. If he couldn't understand or solve a problem, he simply handed it over to higher authorities, trusting them to figure it out. Adding his own subjective assumptions might lead the leadership astray.

But Fugaku Uchiha thought differently. At this point, he was young and ambitious, having yet to face any significant setbacks. He believed in his exceptional abilities and felt he could solve anything. His stubborn nature made him prone to overthinking.

Although Fugaku Uchiha hadn't participated in the assassination of Yoake, he had observed everything. Yoake's combat prowess was extraordinary, and the image of him half-transformed into a tailed beast, wreaking havoc, was deeply etched in his mind. Yet such a formidable figure had fallen to someone as seemingly mediocre and impulsive as Hidan. This realization sparked a sense of unease within him.

Moreover, Hidan's seemingly miraculous technique of killing from afar fascinated him. He resolved to uncover the secret behind Yoake's death.

This obsession led Fugaku Uchiha to immerse himself in studying the Seven Nails Curse, neglecting the training of his clan's genjutsu. From that point on, he made no progress and never awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan in his lifetime.

Meanwhile, in the following year, someone in Sunagakure began buying up large quantities of the desert's rolling grass and common sesame oil, causing their prices to rise significantly.

The Minister of Finance, Shimizu Ryū, suspected someone was attempting to wage economic warfare using these items. However, since rolling grass and sesame oil were so abundant and mundane in Sunagakure, they were not strategic resources, and the matter was eventually dropped.

In the end, some small merchants seized the opportunity to make a profit, earning a tidy sum.

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