Chapter 109: Getting Tricked...

Senshi frankly admitted that all his world-shaking power was gained by doing missions.

Karin backed him up, confirming that Senshi never spent time training but consistently strengthened himself through mission work alone.

Sasori, having spent time alongside Senshi, also noticed that Senshi truly never spent any time on training – he was always on missions. This made Sasori start believing that undergoing arduous missions to temper oneself is indeed the fastest way to power up.

No wonder that after some time with Senshi, Kakuzu became as obsessed with missions as a rabid dog.

If hard work on missions could bring someone to Six-Paths-level Senshi, then no matter what, they had to keep at it!

Sasori resolved that, for the sake of becoming stronger and earning money for upgrades, he would work even harder with Senshi on missions. From now on, unless absolutely necessary, he would not waste time maintaining his puppets.

After using brute force to "explain things" to Matatabi, the Two-Tails, Senshi patted Karin's shoulder and said, "Karin, stash this creature away in your Kamui space."

Karin glanced at Matatabi, as large as a small mountain, and snickered:

"This thing is huge and takes up so much space. Could we maybe…trim it a bit first?"

Matatabi: (Q口Q)!!!

Matatabi's heart leapt at their conversation. She clearly remembered how moments earlier Senshi had simply halved her with one decisive slash, turning a perfectly good tailed beast into two pieces.

At that thought, Matatabi's survival instincts went into overdrive.

She quickly shrank her mountainous body.

For a tailed beast, changing size is no big deal.

Having Senshi slice her a few more times would truly be fatal!

Once Matatabi's body was reduced, Karin used her Kamui to pull the Two-Tails into her dimension. Then Karin herself followed, jumping in alongside Matatabi.

Karin's Kamui space looks the same as Obito's from the outside, but the two dimensions are unconnected.

After entering her Kamui space, Karin put her hands on her hips and looked at the now-miniaturized Matatabi. "This is my domain. As long as you're staying here, you'll do what I say, or I'll have Senshi deal with you. Got it?"

Matatabi was extremely angry, but recalling that fearsome man outside, she dared not protest. She meekly nodded.

Then Karin pointed and said, "In this Kamui dimension, that spot over there is off-limits. You absolutely mustn't go near it. Understood?"

Matatabi looked over curiously, only to freeze in confusion.

Matatabi: (O_o)???

She had assumed it would be some extraordinary place, but it was just…a kitchen? A forbidden zone, for real? She wouldn't go even if they invited her!

Though she felt annoyed and dismissive, Matatabi quietly nodded.

She was already traumatized by Senshi, possibly ending up with "Senshi-phobia" just like Orochimaru.

Then the big, watery eyes of Karin glimmered with mischief. She pointed to a small corner and told Matatabi, "Why don't you stay in that corner so you don't cause trouble? Otherwise I'll have Senshi come beat you!"

Matatabi: (σ`д′)σ

Matatabi was outraged. Were they raising her like a pet? How demeaning!

She might not have been a paragon of justice, but she was still a proud beast. Even so, "discretion is the better part of valor," so she grudgingly gave in.

When Karin was done talking, Matatabi pouted and trudged off to a corner of the Kamui space, squatting there with a pitiful look, like a thousand-year-old sulking child.

At that point, the Two-Tails was totally subdued by Senshi and Karin. Senshi was in charge of brute force; Karin took charge of intimidation. One dealt physical blows, the other verbal abuse. Two red-haired fiends, simply unstoppable.

After capturing the Two-Tails, Senshi didn't harm Yugito further. Once Sasori untied her, Senshi brought Sasori and Karin back to their inn. Meanwhile, he kept an eye on Yugito with his Mantra. Though he hadn't killed her, if some hostile ninja took advantage of her weakened state, it would still be a problem.

Senshi remained focused on Yugito's situation from afar. Meanwhile, in the Tailed-Beast Space, Matatabi reported the incident to the other tailed beasts.

The Tailed-Beast Space is the subconscious realm of the beasts. Should they wish to, they can gather there from anywhere at any time. In the original storyline, Naruto could summon them from all corners of the world for meetings.

The Tailed-Beast Space is dark in every direction, including overhead, with the floor like pale-gold water, sometimes rippling with small waves.

Once she confirmed that her real body was temporarily safe, Matatabi entered the Tailed-Beast Space to warn the others about her crisis.

When her consciousness arrived, she immediately called out:

"Kurama, Gyūki, Chōmei…Shukaku—everyone, come out. I have big news!"

The tailed beasts all appeared in turn upon hearing Matatabi's voice. Upon seeing the giant fox, she quickly said, "Something terrible has happened, Kurama!"

Kurama snorted at once, "Nonsense! I'm perfectly fine!"

Matatabi: (O_O)???

She paused, then rephrased: "Kurama, I mean a major event has happened out there!"

Hearing that, Shukaku perked up, delighted. "Huh? Something happened to Kurama? Did that lousy fox finally die? Hahahahaha!"

Kurama snapped a cold glare at Shukaku. "Stupid tanuki—do you want me to kill you?"

Shukaku was entirely unafraid and shouted, "Bring it on, dumb fox—like I'm scared of you!"

Before they could bicker any further, Matatabi intervened. "Stop fighting! I'm serious. Not long ago I ran into a super-scary ninja. He nearly killed me in a single strike!"

Her words made Shukaku burst out laughing, heedless. "Hahahaha—Matatabi, are you scared out of your wits? Are you making stuff up? No shinobi in today's world can be that strong!"

Matatabi hissed. "I'm telling the truth. He was a young red-haired ninja who used one lightning jutsu to slice me into a large and small portion. When I tried to fight back, he blasted me unconscious with a single thunderbolt. By the time I came to, I felt a power on him that was more terrifying than the Sage of Six Paths! Plus there was a red-haired brat at his side—two redheads, one cunning, one vicious. Absolutely horrible!"

After she finished, none of the other beasts responded yet, but the Three-Tails, Isobu, hurried over excitedly for details. Upon seeing Matatabi, he recalled Senshi's appearance and asked: "Matatabi, was it three of them? Two redheads plus a pale-skinned, sword-wielding middle-aged man?"

While Isobu and Matatabi conferred in low voices, Gyūki stood around yawning. On hearing Matatabi mention "two red-haired monsters," Gyūki had initially assumed she was talking about Senshi. But "a pale swordsman" obviously wasn't part of Senshi's group, so Gyūki lost interest and said, "I'm out of here. If there's another fight, don't bother me." With that, the ox's consciousness faded from the Tailed-Beast Space.

The others grumbled at how rude he was but carried on. Matatabi shared everything that had happened, along with intelligence about Senshi's trio, to Isobu and the rest: "Yes, three people in black robes with red clouds—two redheads, one older, one younger. The other guy wasn't a middle-aged swordsman, but that's irrelevant since he didn't do much. The older redhead was unbelievably powerful. None of our tailed beasts here can handle him!"

She paused. Isobu realized they must have met different individuals, then responded sympathetically:

"Matatabi, I've seen that bigger redhead too. He beat me up a while ago and drained a huge amount of my chakra. I've never felt so weak. I honestly thought I was dying!"

Upon hearing that, Matatabi lunged over to hug Isobu. "Isobu!"

Isobu likewise returned the embrace. "Matatabi!"

Both beasts hugged, crying miserably together.

But despite how dire it sounded, Shukaku gave a mocking grunt: "Matatabi, Isobu, you two have really fallen far. Letting ordinary humans push you around like this—aren't you ashamed as tailed beasts?"

Kurama said nothing for the moment, deep in thought. Red-haired, about twenty, uses Lightning Release, cracks jokes easily, accompanied by a smaller redhead, both wearing black robes with red clouds… He was certain it was the same pair he'd seen at Naruto's side. In his view, however, Matatabi was exaggerating. Finally Kurama spoke:

"I've seen that human you're talking about. Just a plain old ninja. Hardly so fearsome."

With a disinterested look at Matatabi and Isobu, he delivered his final verdict: "A pair of weaklings!"

Neither Matatabi nor Isobu accepted that. For Isobu, Senshi was indeed strong but not beyond reason. But for Matatabi, who had been knocked out by a single lightning blast and even glimpsed Senshi's "Six Paths Mode," it was far more extreme. She warned: "I'm not lying. If you ever come across him, you'd better steer well clear—there'll be no time for regrets."

Shukaku let out another mocking laugh: "Haha, so you lost so badly to a human that you're trembling like a mouse talking about a cat. Hahaha."

He cracked a cold joke and the other tailed beasts all guffawed too. A swirl of boisterous chatter rose in the Tailed-Beast Space.

"Hahaha, Matatabi, you're too timid!"

"Exactly—aside from the Sage of Six Paths, there's no one worth fearing."

"You say that human was lucky. If he ever met me, Lord Shukaku, I'd blow him to pieces with a Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"

When Shukaku finished, the tailed beasts laughed even harder.

Matatabi quietly jotted that down in her mind. If Shukaku ever ran into Senshi, she'd happily watch him suffer.

Senshi knew none of this was happening. In the meantime, he monitored Yugito with his Mantra. At this point, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki had just awakened. Upon waking, she felt terrible pain in her neck, as though her bones were nearly snapped. That explained why she blacked out instantly when ambushed. Soon she noticed something else infuriating: her clothes had been ripped!

Yugito immediately slipped into her seal space. "Matatabi, what happened? Why are my clothes torn?"

Before the beast could respond, she saw Matatabi's miserable state.

Yugito: (ΩДΩ)!!!

Such a large Matatabi, now reduced to a little…kitten?

She scrutinized it carefully, baffled: "Matatabi, how'd you end up so tiny?"

As she spoke, she held out her thumb and forefinger, leaving a small gap between them. Hearing her question, Matatabi recalled Senshi's warning—and the terrifying pair of redheads—and tried to act serious with a flimsy cover story:

"Isn't it obvious? I'm dieting! As for what happened to you, I was busy losing weight, so I don't know a thing."

Yugito, not wanting to waste words, rushed up and pummeled mini-Matatabi a bit. Then, staring at it with a fierce glint, she demanded, "Now tell me properly—what really happened?"

Matatabi tried to dodge: "It's better if you don't know!"

"Hmm!" Another swat to the head. Seeing Yugito's scary face, Matatabi had no choice but to relent. "You got ambushed by a very strong ninja."

Hearing that, Yugito's eyes grew cold. "What did he look like? Tell me everything. And did he tear my clothes?"

Matatabi couldn't evade that question.

"Um?" Yugito narrowed her eyes, which gleamed like twin blades.

Under that pressure, Matatabi sighed. "Sigh… I'm honestly just trying to help you."

The beast realized it had to say something. So it continued:

"Yeah, he tore your clothes. But he didn't do anything else you humans might call 'weird behavior.' Also, the fact he knocked you out so easily when you didn't notice means there's a massive gap in your strengths. Knowing that is enough; you don't need more details. You're okay now, so let's leave it at that."

Matatabi fully understood how frightening Senshi was—nor could both it and Yugito together defeat him. Her advice to give up the matter was genuinely for Yugito's sake. Yugito raged:

"Damn it! The jerk attacked me for no reason, presumably intending something vile. You think I can just shrug that off? Spill more info—I'm not letting him get away!"

But Matatabi refused. Yugito was feisty but wouldn't actually kill the beast, while Senshi certainly could. Seeing the beast's reluctance, Yugito realized she wouldn't learn more for now. But she definitely wouldn't give up. Grinding her teeth, she said:

"I'm not letting this go! I'm the proud Two-Tails Jinchūriki of Kumogakure. I'll figure out who ambushed me and punish that scumbag!"

Matatabi: (T﹏T)~

Matatabi nearly wept. Why wouldn't she listen to reason? If Yugito wanted to invite death, that was on her, but it might drag Matatabi down too. Yet the beast was innocent—it had divulged almost nothing about Senshi!

The night passed uneventfully.

Next morning at the hot spring inn, Senshi had just stepped outside when he spotted a slender figure standing gloomily in the corridor—Samui, the top beauty of Kumogakure.

However, recently she'd been utterly drained. Lord Raikage and her mentor had given her a mission she was not at all suited for: use her charms to win Senshi over. But how? She had no clue. Nonetheless, seeing him exit his room, she gathered her nerve and smiled:

"Lord Senshi, good morning!"

He paused, then nodded. "Oh, morning, Samui."

He was puzzled because Samui came by like this every day, and he couldn't figure out why. Behind him, the half-asleep Karin perked up at Samui's arrival. Over the past few days, Samui had come daily, not to post missions but evidently as a taste-tester for Karin's cooking. Karin dashed over:

"Samui-nee! I just developed a brand-new dish—I'll make it for you!"

Samui: (T﹏T)σ

At that moment, Samui nearly wanted to cry, yet again. She'd tried building a relationship with Senshi, only to be roped in by his assistant for "food testing" each time. She couldn't decline, lest Karin say something negative about her to Senshi. Watching her be led off so dejectedly, Senshi couldn't help sympathizing with this blond bombshell. Inwardly, he sighed:

"She's a brave woman, showing up day after day for Karin's cooking without collapsing."

After that brief thought, Senshi left to find the Raikage. He intended to inform him that he would soon depart Kumogakure. The job of capturing the Two-Tails was complete; there was no further reason to stay. He arrived at the Raikage's office, finding only the Fourth Raikage and Darui inside. The Raikage asked:

"What happened?"

Senshi smiled calmly. "Brother A, I'm here to bid farewell. I've been in Kumogakure for quite some time, so it's about time I handle other missions. From what I've seen, my Wood-Style clones are enough to take care of everything at your mission center. I'll leave a few clones behind as high-level mission consultants to handle any tough jobs your ninja can't manage."

His words made the Raikage and Darui fall silent—here it was at last. They knew this day would come. They'd tried special measures, such as sending Samui to bond with him, but evidently that failed. The Raikage just couldn't understand why Samui's daily interactions with Senshi had yielded nothing. In the end, the Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei, got her way. Had Samui known the Raikage's thoughts, she'd have a lot to say. They greeted each other every morning, yes, but beyond that there was no deeper contact. And about Karin's so-called hospitality—words couldn't fully express it. Samui was lucky she hadn't ended up hospitalized from the "dark cuisine."

Senshi left the Raikage's office. Soon after, word spread around Kumogakure that he would soon depart. The entire village—the ninjas and the civilians alike—went into an uproar:

"It's the end of the world! Lord Senshi's leaving Kumogakure!"

"I heard he's leaving some Wood-Style clones behind. Maybe it's not so bad?"

"Hmph, you don't understand. Our rapid progress is all thanks to Lord Senshi's huge influence. Once he goes, that growth spurt goes with him!"

Many ninjas looked depressed whenever they discussed Senshi's departure. He had turned the village's mission center into something akin to the ninja world's main job hub.

Each day, employers from all the great nations—and smaller villages—came to request missions. While they primarily hired Senshi for top tasks, they frequently posted a range of other commissions as well, creating more job opportunities for Kumogakure's ninjas.

Additionally, these out-of-town clients spent money locally and boosted Kumogakure's economy. Over this period, the village received unprecedented attention, gaining influence as never before. With Senshi gone, though they wouldn't revert to zero, their fast pace of development would surely slow down.

Inside the Raikage's tower, the top brass cursed Terumi Mei for her cunning. She, as the Mizukage, had stooped to a "feminine wiles" approach to reel Senshi away, and apparently she'd succeeded. Indeed, Senshi was leaving.

At the Raikage's office, the big names had gathered, among them the A–B Brothers and two special newcomers: Kinmu and Ginmu, descendants of the Gold–Silver Brothers, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who had killed the Second Raikage and the Second Hokage.

Though those criminals had been beyond redemption, the village hadn't extended their guilt to their descendants. In fact, the talented Kinmu and Ginmu had risen to senior posts. Otherwise, they wouldn't be at this crucial meeting.

One after another, people arrived. The short-fused Fourth Raikage roared and slammed his desk:

"Argh! This is infuriating!"

Boom!

(Desk HP: –1 billion!)

He shattered the desk entirely. This sight was nothing new for Kumogakure's ninja. Had Senshi not solved so many problems earlier, that desk wouldn't have survived so long.

Looking around, the Raikage growled, "Is there really no way out? The moment Senshi leaves, our explosive growth ends. I don't have to spell it out, do I?"

Everyone was well aware. But there was nothing to be done, apparently. Even Darui, usually resourceful, just frowned silently. Samui, also known for being level-headed, looked worried. She had just come from tasting yet another of Karin's dishes and was mildly food-poisoned, but she prioritized village matters over her own condition.

After a lengthy silence, Darui sighed and spoke: "Raikage-sama, I see no room for negotiation. According to the contract Senshi signed with us, as long as he handles any top missions our own forces can't do, he's fulfilling the agreement. With his abilities now, even leaving only a few Wood-Style clones is enough."

Darui paused, then Samui chimed in, "Not long ago, Senshi took on a mission from the Fifth Mizukage. If we try to stop him from leaving, we'd essentially be blocking his mission. From what I've gathered from his assistant, preventing Senshi from taking a mission could lead to dire consequences—too big for Kumogakure to bear."

Finishing, Samui drew regretful looks from the A–B Brothers. Terumi Mei was undoubtedly beautiful, but Samui was every bit as attractive—fair skin, slender waist, shapely legs, the lot—and still, Senshi was going away with Mei, likely in the next few days.

While the Raikage and the others lamented, Kinmu and Ginmu exchanged glances in a corner of the office, nodding at each other. Before the meeting, they had already come up with a straightforward and brutal idea: capture Karin, Senshi's assistant.

Over this period, they had confirmed how important Karin was to him—he brought her everywhere. If they seized her, they could control Senshi through her.

They had come to the meeting hoping to see if the others had better plans, but discovered that the Fourth Raikage and the other big shots only knew how to play by the rules—far too "by the book." In times of crisis, extraordinary measures are needed! They were thoroughly disappointed in how conservative and soft the leadership was. Kinmu and Ginmu were akin to Danzo from Konoha—"old schemers." But Danzo was probably cleverer than these two; he wouldn't have tried kidnapping Karin as a way to restrain Senshi.

While the high-level meeting dragged on, Senshi was back at the hot spring inn, packing up to depart with Sasori and Karin. Having finished her own packing in no time, Karin hopped over with a grin:

"Senshi, I want to go to the Kumogakure market to buy some local products!"

Senshi nodded. "Go ahead."

It was no big deal for her to go alone. He wasn't worried about her safety; his Mantra blanketed the entire village. If anything went wrong, he could teleport to her side instantly. Besides, Karin had two Kamui powers plus her pink Susanoo. Even alone, she could smash through typical ninjas like a bulldozer.

Shortly after leaving the inn, Karin arrived in the local market. Because of Kumogakure's terrain and layout, its market offered a dazzling, endless array of specialty items. She frolicked about in a "shop-till-you-drop" mood.

Kinmu and Ginmu had originally been worried about prying her away from Senshi. But they hadn't expected that, soon after they left the Raikage's office, luck would drop a golden opportunity. They heard from subordinates that she was alone in the market, shopping. Delighted, Kinmu said, "This is our chance. Send someone to lure that brat somewhere secluded, then we'll act!"

Ginmu nodded firmly. "Right, big brother. Let's have Arui do it." Glancing across at a gray-haired, bespectacled middle-aged ninja, Arui pushed up his glasses:

"Lord Kinmu, Lord Ginmu, leave it to me. I've had an eye on that girl and know just how to handle her."

Kinmu nodded. "All right, Arui, go. Lure her to that clearing in the southwest part of the village."

"Yes, sir!" Arui bowed and took his leave.

In the bustling market, Karin was humming merrily while buying things in bulk, when a middle-aged man called to her:

"Hello there, Assistant. Are you looking for fresh, top-quality ingredients? I have some premium black truffles near here—care to see?"

Karin: (〃▽〃)

She was thrilled. Wow, premium ingredients discovered on a casual stroll? High-grade ingredients often need minimal cooking to turn delicious, and with her "expert" skills, the result would be sublime. Senshi might love it so much he'd beg her to keep feeding him. Eyes shining, she asked, "Mister, where are these top-notch black truffles?"

Quietly chuckling inside, Arui kept a friendly façade. "They're not far. Please come with me."

Karin never suspected he might be malicious, so she nodded and followed. A few minutes later, they reached a clearing in the village. But there were no black truffles in sight. Instead, she saw two men with horns on their heads, plus at least thirty ninjas who suddenly appeared, encircling her.

Seeing that, even a gullible person would know they'd been tricked. Karin got angry and was about to call out for Senshi, but after noticing these ninja were likely just underlings, she figured she didn't need his help for such small fry.

Watching Karin lower her hand, Kinmu spoke with a laugh: "A wise choice. We're far from the hot spring inn. Even if you shout yourself hoarse, Lord Senshi won't hear. But don't worry; we won't harm you. We'll just hold you prisoner so that Senshi, in order to keep you safe, will stay and work diligently in Kumogakure. If he cooperates, we won't do anything bizarre."

Karin: ?

Kinmu's words left her puzzled. She wasn't someone with a gentle temperament. Since becoming Senshi's assistant, she hadn't had to tolerate any losses. Even Orochimaru was subdued. Now these two wanted to lie to her about "top-notch ingredients," lure her out here, then kidnap her to threaten Senshi into working for them?

Yeah, right. Absolutely no way she'd tolerate it!

"Susanoo!"

"Killer Queen, ready to fight!"

Under Kinmu and Ginmu's astonished gazes, something shocking occurred. The watery sparkle in Karin's large eyes vanished, replaced by the scarlet glow of an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. A giant pink skeletal frame surrounded her. Then, at visible speed, the pink skeleton sprouted flesh and limbs, forming a towering giant!

Karin stood near the brow region of Susanoo, while Killer Queen perched on the giant's shoulder. Under Karin's control, Susanoo grabbed a massive rock from the side and held it out to Killer Queen. The stand touched it, turning it into a bomb. Next, Karin hurled that giant rock-bomb at Kinmu and Ginmu.

Ginmu hastily rallied nearly twenty ninjas to defend:

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart!"

As Ginmu led the group through quick hand seals, they slammed their palms to the ground. A huge earth wall sprang up, blocking the incoming boulder. But that wasn't the end—Karin uttered a single word: "Explode!"

On cue, Killer Queen pressed the detonator on its right index finger.

"Rumble—!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The ground shook violently. That wasn't all: very soon, Kinmu's men discovered every stone around Karin had turned into a bomb. Like a rocket launcher, her Susanoo kept bombarding them with explosive attacks. As a string of blasts went off, the upper echelons of Kumogakure were alerted and hurried to the scene.

~~~

Sorry about the drop quality!

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