Escape From Konoha

Outside the wooden house, the red-haired woman stood on the snow. She seemed to have sensed something. She turned her head slightly in a certain direction, and a black shadow suddenly emerged from the snow, rushing towards her.

"I didn't expect there would be a fish capable of slipping through the net."

The red-haired woman formed a seal with one hand in front of her, and a golden light rushed out from her back..It was a slender golden chain, like a long snake, it tore through the air and moving towards the attacker.

The attacker grabbed a Kunai and slashed at the golden chain, producing an ear-piercing friction sound. Without waiting for the attacker's satisfaction, the chains immediately changed direction, piercing around behind him, binding him.

"Damn! What is this thing? My body..."

The attacker, fallen on the snowy ground, struggled to break free from the golden chains binding him. His desperation heightened when he noticed as the more he struggled, the tighter the restraints became on his body.

"It's useless. This is a chakra chain capable of even restraining a tailed beast. It has a powerful sealing effect, it's absolutely impossible to break free with your meager strength."

The red-haired woman walked over the snowy path and replied calmly. Though her Adamantine Sealing Chakra Chains were far from being able to restrain a tailed beast, they were powerful against ordinary ninjas. Combined with the special sealing jutsu, even a ninja stronger than her would find it challenging to break free within a short time.

"Bind...tailed beast?" The attacker was taken aback, and his face turned ugly.

"Red hair, and this extremely sharp sealing jutsu... Could it be that you're from the Uzumaki clan..." Before he could finish speaking, the chains constricted even tighter, and his face twisted in pain as blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

"There's no need to explain anymore to you."

The golden chain was pulled, and the attacker, unable to resist, was dragged into the snow-covered forest, disappearing. Af first, the attackers's muffled screams could be heard, but soon, silence enveloped the area, mixed with the chilly wind.

Then, the red-haired woman summoned back the blood-stained golden chain from the snowy forest, and with her concentration, it transformed into chakra, flowing back into her body before disappearing.

There were boodstains on the snow which proved that a battle had occurred here. After dealing with the attacker, as the red-haired woman prepared to return to her post, a voice came from behind:

"Captain Kiriko."

The Uchiha with the hedgehog head appeared, addressing the red-haired woman by name.

"It seems all the enemies on your side have been dealt with, Obito."

Uzumaki Kiriko looked at the teenage Uchiha in front of her, showing a hint of surprise. In her virw, the ninjas who initiated the attack were skilled fighters. Obito managing to defeat them more swiftly than the other two team, suggesting she had underestimated this seemingly unreliable Uchiha boy.

"Of course, as long as I use my Mangekyou Sharingan, enemies of this level won't even be enough to make me show my full strength."

"Don't get too proud just because you have that special power. There are many powerful people in the world. When Shiraishi-sama entrusted you to me, he warned you against always relying on the power of that eye. Space-time ninjutsu isn't invincible. In the our Uzumaki clan's collection, there are sealing jutsus capable of even restricting space-time ninjutsu."

Kiriko glanced at Obito helplessly. The kid still tends to get carried away.

When facing ninjas of average strength, his Mangekyou Sharingan's ability was indeed invincible. However, encountering an enemy with difficult abilities might pose a considerable challenge.

"I'm not interested in that annoying guy's word.."

Obito dug his ears, not taking Captain Kiriko's words to heart.

Immediately afterwards, Obito turned his gaze to the wooden house and asked Kiriko, "Speaking of which, is the negotiation inside still not going well?"

Kiriko shook her head and said, "How could it be so fast? Negotiations take time. After all, this transaction is crucial for the Land Of Demons and Kirigakure. It isn't wise to make a hasty decision."

Obito nodded, in agreement with Kiriko's statement. The reason he attached great importance to the negotiation inside the wooden house was because Rin was also inside.

The biggest beneficiary for the negotiation with Kirigakure was Rin who had the Seven Taols in her body.

To acquire the Fourth Mizukage's method he used in becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki, Shiraishi had taken them to the Land of Rainbow for a secret meeting with the Fourth Mizukage.

Soon, the team members who had been dispatched to deal with the attackers from the other two directions returned.

They were both men, older than Obito, in their twenties.

They were part of the secretly trained Jonins from the Land of Demons army. They all had rare and strange secret jutsus and they were acting as the guards for this mission.

Having defeated the previous attackers, no further troublemakers appeared.

Two hours later, the wooden door creaked open.

Shiraishi and Yakgra emerged, accompanied by Rin and Ringo.

Judging by their expressions, the negotiation had proceeded smoothly. Shiraishi secured control over the tailed beast control method, and Yagura received a generous reward of his satisfaction from Shiraishi.

The collaboration proved mutually satisfying—truly a win-win situation.

Both Shiraishi and Yagura recognized that unilateral dedication and giving could not sustain an alliance. The concept of win-win was ingrained in their minds.

"Shiraishi-sama, the attackers who attempted to disrupt the negotiations have been dealt with."

Kiriko reported, accompanied by Obito and two other team members. As the team captain, Kiriko, aside from Obito, was a ninja from the country. She was a powerful figure among the military elite.

"Thank you for your hard work. Have you confirmed their identities?" Shiraishi asked.

Kiriko shook her head, responding, "I haven't investigated thoroughly, but their target was undoubtedly Mizukage-sama."

She glanced at Yagura. Shiraishi directed his gaze at Yagura, who shrugged and mentioned.

"Probably mercenaries from the 'Twilight Group.'"

"Twilight Group?" Shiraishi seemed to recall, "I recall they're an active mercenary group in the underground black market. They're notorious for assassinating officials from various countries. How did you cross paths with them?"

"Mostly orchestrated by a shadow in the dark. From the information i received, the Twilight Group seems to have colluded with remnants of the Blood Mist Faction. They should have been bought by the remnants of the Blood Mist to assassinate me." Yagura answered casually. If it wasn't for the group's attack this time, he might have completely forgotten about it. Because in the underground market, their strength was moderate, not particularly outstanding.

"Your whereabouts has been compromised. You should be careful; I don't want to hear news of your sudden death one day."

"When I return, I'll eliminate these people." Yagura nodded.

While the remnants of the Blood Mist faction posed no real threat, leaving them unattended would be bothersome. So he had to get rid of them completely as soon as possible.

"Shall I recommend a mercenary group in the underground market?"

Shiraishi suggested, smiling at Yagura.

"Oh?"

"Since the Blood Mist remnants hired mercenaries from the underground market, you should deal with them in the same way by also usin a mercenary group. The mercenary group I'm recommending are experts in their jobs. They won't disappoint you."

"Tell me about them."

"Bug Men."

"Bug Men? Weren't they the mercenary group who assisted Iwagakure against Konoha? I didn't expect your reach to have extended so far."

Yagura remarked, slightly surprised.

Shiraishi recommended the Bug men, which indicated there was likely had an undisclosed connection between the Land of Demons and the group.

According to Yagura's understanding of Shiraishi now, Bug Men, renowned as "ninja hunting ninjas" was a mercenary group supported by the Land of Demons' military.

"It's called being prepared. They're good in dealing with situations beyond my control."

"No problem. I'll try to contact them. I don't have time for such trifles." Yagura nodded in agreement.

His main focus was on Kirigakure's construction. The remnants of the Blood Mist and threats from the underground market would be handled by the specialists. Using the Bug Men to deal with the mercenary group hired by the Blood Mist remnants was a fitting choice.

"Then it's settled. I look forward to our next cooperation." Shiraishi said, extending his hand.

Yagura also stretched his hand, shaking hands with Shiraishi.

"Well, i also look forward to the next cooperation."

Yagura nodded, released Shiraishi's hand, and with Ringo, their figures vanished into the wind and snow along the path.

Watching the two of them leave, Shiraishi addressed Kiriko and the others, "Let's go too. If we can make it in time, we might return to the Land of Demons tomorrow morning."

"Agreed."

Several figures quickly faded into the wind and snow.

.....

The so-called perfect Jinchuriki is one who had complete mastery of the power of their tailed beast. This had always been Shiraishi's perspective before contacting Yagura.

In principle, this viewpoint isn't incorrect. But the key, however, lies in the interpretation of the term "mastery." a concept which differed from Shiraishi's understanding.

Shiraishi previously believed that a Jinchuriki and a Tailed Beast shared a common consciousness, and if the Jinchuriki endured the darkness of the Tailed Beast while having an open encounter, it could lead to them becoming a perfect Jinchuriki. However, this was a wrong conclusion.

Accepting the darkness, understanding the pain, showcasing a resilient and having a strong and broad mindset—these were indeed crucial aspects for connecting with the tailed beast. Yet, they were far from enough.

According to Yagura's information, there were two important steps leading to becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki.

Firstly, tailed beasts do not easily acknowledge humans, and it was impossible to convince them with mere words. Capturing the chakra from the tailed beast was necessary, making the tailed beast take notice of the Jinchuriki. If the Jinchuriki can't assimilate the tailed beast chakra but resort to using alternatives, unscrupulous methods to assimilate the power of the tailed beast will only be scorned by them.

In essence, the first condition for becoming a perfect Jinchuriki was capturing the chakra from the Tailed Beast, using their own power to overcome the tailed beast. Only then will the tailed beast recognize the Jinchuriki.

The second point involved resonating with the tailed beast's heart, both the Jinchuriki's and the tailed beast's body and mind opened to each other. This marked the entire process of achieving perfect Jinchuriki.

There were only two steps involved—

Defeating the Tailed Beast.

Becoming friends with the tailed beast unconditionally.

"It's truly is an easy and comprehensible method." Shiraishi sighed after reading Yagura's information on Perfect Jinchuriki.

It was a stark difference to the Perfect Jinchuriki he had expected. The process wasn't merely befriending the tailed beast..Taking the power and defeating the Tailed Beast were equally crucial.

If one merely befriended the Tailed Beast without the ability to harness its chakra and using this power to defeat the tailed beast, gaining approval will be futile. Even with the approval of the tailed beast's, the power won't be controlled by the Jinchuriki, resulting in injuries when using the power.

Similarly, submitting to the Tailed Beast in strength alone, without sharing the same mindset, wouldn't suffice in becoming a perfect Jinchuriki.

A true Perfect Jinchuriki embodies strength and empathy. Only then can the negative effects of the Tailed Beast Chakra be disregarded when used.

"Yeah, this information has resolved the lingering doubt in my mind." Rin said, having also read the information.

Rin now understood why the Seven Tails within her ignored her. Her attempts to gain the the approval mainly involved using persuasive words. The approach was flawed from the very beginning.

The correct process was to subdue the tailed beast with strength and then engage in communication. Jinchuriki like her directly moved to the second stage, bypassing the strength trial of the first stage, was probably why the Seven Tails was ignoring her.

Thinking on it, each Tailed Beasts possessed power far beyond ordinary ninjas and had been regarded as a symbol of natural disasters since ancient times. Attempting to persuade them solely with words was audacious.

So... when interacting with the tailed beasts, proving their worth was an indispensable factor.

"To put it simply, it means delivering a blow first, then appeasing them. Subduing the tailed beast with strength and connecting with their soul willingly." Shiraishi nodded with a smile.

"But... how can someone take the tailed beast's chakra?"

Rin knew that no matter how hard she trained, she likely won't be able to defeat the Seven Tails in a direct clash of strength. However, taking the tailed beast's chakra was different from defeating the tailed beast. Yet she remained unsure of how to proceed.

"That isn't a problem. This scroll contains a forbidden just Yagura developed. It will help you in completing the process."

Shiraishi said, as he took a scroll he had obtained from Yagura.

He opened out the scroll, the name of the jutsu was written on the first line —The Inner View Jutsu.

This jutsu had a peculiar effect. It creates a spiritual space within the user's body allowing them to meet with the tailed beast. Within the space, the Jinchuriki could freely absorb the tailed beast's power, while the Tailed Beast could break through the seal unleashing attacks on the Jinchuriki.

Importantly, the jutsu allowed the Jinchuriki to promptly seal off the mental space whenever their physical strength proved useless against the tailed beast, protecting their life.

"This jutsu..."

Rin picked up the scroll and examined its contents, finding the jutsu intricacies to be quite obscure. It was a bit more unrefined than the spiritualization jutsu Shiraishi had taught her.

"Yagura likely used this jutsu to initially overpower the Tailed Beast in terms of strength and ultimately established a connection with it. If you want to become a perfect Jinchuriki, you have to go through this process."

"Understood." Rin nodded, showing no hesitation.

However, it is impossible for her to become a Perfect Jinchuriki within a short time. The difficulty of being able to use the Inner View Jutsu was undoubtedly on par with Spiritualization Jutsu which is an rare S-rank forbidden jutsu.

Being a forbidden jutsu meant that certain risks were involved during its usage.

That is, when engaging with the tailed beast within the mental space, severe injuries or failure to interrupt the operation in time could lead to a mental breakdown, rendering one in a vegetative state or, worse, death.

So, when using this jutsu, it was important to take various precautions and approach it with utmost care.

Becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki was undoubtedly attractive, but the risks associated with the operation could not be overlooked.

"How long do you think mastering this jutsu will take?" Shiraishi asked.

Rinthought for a moment before replying, "Maybe... three months to half a year."

"If that's the case, then train diligently. Leave the lab to me for now. Your current task now is to quickly learn this jutsu to prepare for becoming a perfect Jinchuriki. If you have any difficulties, feel free to seek my assistance at any time."

"Then I'll take my leave, Shiraishi-senpai."

Rin accepted the scroll and exited the laboratory.

.....

Konoha Year 49, March.

The spring breeze swept across the land, bringing forth renewed vitality.

"False Valley?"

Gathered in a hotel in a town within the Land Of Forest, the Bug Men discussed their next move. Earth Man had informed them about a relatively unfamiliar location—False Valley.

"What's that place?" Shadow Man leaning against the wall with his hands in pockets, asked.

"It appears to be a place called 'Paradise.'"

"Paradise? Is there a place like that in the world?" Water Man frowned slightly, he was unfamiliar with the existence of such a place. In the world, regions called "Paradise" were typically limited to marginalized small countries. Because the closer towards the center, the more intense the war.

"It's referred to as such in the intel. However, the intelligence system lacks any information about this place. The remnants of the blood mist faction seem to be hiding there."

More than two months ago, Bug Men received orders from the Land Demon's military to assist the Fourth Mizukage Yagura in Kirigakure. Their mission was to eliminate the remnants of the Blood Mist faction who had escaped the village during the coup.

During this time, the five of them had been cooperating with Kirigakure ninjas, relentlessly chasing down the remnants of the Blood Mist faction. This also included the destruction of the underground mercenaries hired by the remnants, increasing their reputation.

"Is there no information from Kirigakure?"

"No, they don't seem to know much about False Valley." Earth Man shook his head, indicating that the Kiri nins who joined them had no knowledge of the nature of the location.

He had extensively searched through their military's intelligence department, but the information about False Valley was of no use. The specifics of its location and how to get there remained unknown. They had no idea of which country the valley was situated in.

"Is the lead cut off here? Or should we wait for the remnants of the blood mist to reveal themselves from that place before tracking them down? They can't stay hidden in that place if they still intend to target the Fourth Mizukage. it is impossible for them to keep staying within that place." Shadow Man proposed.

The others nodded in agreement; it seemed like a reasonable approach.

Searching for the location without sufficient information would likely be a waste of time. Instead, waiting for the remnants to reveal themselves with their own initiative made more sense.

As long as the remnants of the Blood Mist faction still had ambitions against the Fourth Mizukage, they couldn't remain hidden forever.

"What do you think?" Earth Man turned to Bug Man, seated by the bed, who was examining the palm of his right hand.

At that moment, a small black bug buzzed in from the window, landing on his middle finger, conveying a message to Bug Man.

"Surveillance bug? Did you find anything?" Eath Man asked.

Bug Man's body had long been modified by Shiraishi, granting him the ability to control various insects. His abilities resembled those of Konoha's Aburame clan, even surpassing them in some aspects..

These bugs were his tools, each with unique and formidable capabilities. For instance, he uses the blasters against enemies. Surveillance bugs were used for reconnaissance purposes. And then there were the specialized bugs, each possessing a diverse set of abilities tailored to specific environments and enemies.

Putting away the surveillance bugs, Bug Man rose from his bed and spoke the four, "An old friend seems to have arrived in this town. If it is indeed him, he should have the information we need regarding False Valley. After all, in the world, there are few with more experience than him."

Bug Man's tone was filled with admiration. The four immediately knew the individual he was referring to.

Kakuzu.

---

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