Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Chapter 242 Kakuzu: A Black Pot Falls from the Sky

In the encampment behind the massive waterfall, the middle-aged man, the leader of the ninja from the Land of Waterfall, was anxiously waiting. His ninja squad had departed some time ago, but there had been no news yet, causing him considerable unease.

"Chief! Chief! They're back!"

As he paced back and forth, he suddenly heard his subordinate's voice outside the door. Excited, he immediately opened the door and went out to see who this strange intruder was.

However, what he saw after stepping out of the room truly surprised him.

His prized elite subordinates lay on stretchers, their faces bruised and swollen, their bodies covered in bandages, looking like pigs' heads.

"Ouch~ Ouch~"

The painful groans pulled the leader of the ninja from the Land of Waterfall back to reality. He looked around and found the squad leader he had handpicked.

He rushed to his side, taking three steps at a time. Looking at his subordinate, whose thigh was so swollen he was unrecognizable even to his own mother, he felt a pang of pity. He patted the subordinate's thigh hard and asked anxiously, "..."

"Thump!"

"Xiongda, how many people did they send?"

The ninja squad leader, Yuudai, was his most capable subordinate, possessing considerable strength. A few years ago, after drinking the Hero's Water, he was promoted to elite level. In the entire base, only he and the eccentric Kaku could surpass him.

But now, they've been beaten to this state, and are alive but not dead, with no fatal wounds on their bodies. This shows that the attackers' strength must far surpass theirs.

"Waaaah, Chief, I'm not Captain Xiong, I'm Ou Fei! The captain's over there!"

The man who had been mistaken for someone else was now in tears. His thigh, which had been fine until the leader's slap, was now completely ruined. Despite the pain, he still pointed a trembling finger at the mummy-like creature beside him and identified it.

"Oh, so it's Ouyang Xiu."

The leader, who had mistaken the man for someone else, said with a shifty gaze, "Ouyang, although he has a lot of fancy moves, his actual strength is average. After that attack, I reckon his leg is ruined." He then turned his gaze to the medical personnel who were bandaging him and gave an order.

"After you go down there, have a top-quality wheelchair made for Ouyang Xiu, understand?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Xiongda, what happened? Were you ambushed?"

This time they'd finally found the right person. Xiongda, wrapped like a mummy with only his mouth and nose exposed, began to tremble violently upon hearing the leader's question, as if recalling something terrifying. He then struggled to utter a sound.

"One person, and the other person is only one person."

"What?! What kind of ninjutsu did they use?"

"One punch. Just one punch."

"How could so many of you be beaten to this state by a single punch?"

Upon hearing Xiong Da's description, the leader immediately expressed skepticism, even suspecting that his subordinates might be under illusionary control.

"That punch was so powerful it blotted out the sky."

Recalling the punch that Hashirama Senju threw at him in the air, the ninja named Yuudai's voice was filled with deep fear. He had seen fists the size of a casserole dish before, but a fist bigger than a mountain was something he had never seen before in his life.

"Sigh~ Have you found out anything about the other side?"

Seeing his trusted subordinate begin to ramble on, the leader sighed slightly. This Xiong Da must have had his head smashed. Without giving up hope, he asked a routine question.

"Hashirama Senju, he said his name is Hashirama Senju!"

Names were the only useful information their team had obtained. As for the other party's purpose, seven-tailed caterpillars?

If I told you, the chief would probably laugh his head off.

"Hashirama Senju."

As the leader of the ninja clan of the Land of Waterfalls, his knowledge base was undoubtedly several times greater than that of others. He was only vaguely familiar with the name Hashirama Senju, but he knew a little about the surname Senju.

"What are those guys from the Land of Fire doing here?"

A glint of light flashed in his half-closed eyes. The leader of the ninja from the Land of Waterfall was utterly perplexed. Although their Land of Waterfall bordered the Land of Fire, the two countries had no interaction, separated by several natural canyons, and had always maintained a state of complete seclusion, without any conflict.

But this time, the other party actually came to us on their own initiative.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, they heard rumors about the Hero's Water.

"Why did they have to come at this exact time? There must be a mole inside!"

The spring that nurtures the Hero's Water only produces a small amount of essence every few decades. Judging by the timing, this year should be the harvest season for the Hero's Water. The fact that they've chosen this juncture means they're definitely after their secret treasure.

"Check for me who has been out recently."

The seeds of doubt had already been sown, and the leader calmly gave an order to his trusted confidants.

"Chief, recently, only Kakuzu has been frequently going out."

Before long, the trusted aide returned with the investigation results. According to the station's records, only the young man named Kakuzu had gone out recently.

"Is there anything suspicious?"

The leader's heart skipped a beat. Kakuzu was one of his most promising subordinates, with exceptional talent and outstanding strength at a young age. He had originally planned to give the boy a share of the Hero's Water after it was harvested, but he never expected that the boy would be even more eager than him, even willing to betray his country.

"According to the guards, Kakuzu always goes out empty-handed and comes back carrying a large bag."

Sure enough! Such blatant treason and collusion with the enemy, without even bothering to cover it up, does he not take him seriously?

Although the leader harbored deep resentment, he remained silent. With the enemy working in cahoots from within and Xiong Da wounded and bedridden, he knew he couldn't possibly fight alone if a real battle broke out.

Hmph! Why resort to force when you can use your hands?

At the other end of the base,

After polishing the rusty kunai to a brand-new finish, the young man named Kakuzu stacked them on the table with satisfaction. Looking at the densely packed, gleaming kunai before him, a contented smile appeared on his face.

"Hehe, another big profit is in store!"

In Kakuzu's eyes, a golden light gleamed; these kunai were nothing more than green banknotes.

His tireless efforts to clean up the battlefield and search the corpses day and night, prying out one broken kunai after another from layer upon layer of severed limbs, were not in vain.

"However, why isn't the Land of Fire at war lately? Next time, I'll have to go to the Land of Earth to make my fortune."

Stroking the kunai that gleamed with a cold light, Kakuzu was filled with doubt. A few years ago, the Land of Fire was his goldmine, a battlefield everywhere; he could easily amass a huge fortune just by touching it.

However, things are a bit sluggish now. After wandering around for a long time, he only managed to catch a few, which wasn't as much as he earned from completing a task.

"I will never go to the Land of Fire again unless I receive a mission."

"Splash~"

Behind the largest waterfall in the Land of Waterfalls, a long-haired man with a troubled expression looked around.

"Could the intelligence really be wrong? That shouldn't be the case; it was always quite accurate before!"

At this moment, Hashirama Senju stood somewhat dejectedly atop a large, white cocoon, his eyes filled with anger, muttering to himself.

It's important to understand that making a trip to the Land of Waterfalls wasn't easy for him. The remaining tailed beasts were either in the eastern sea or near the Land of Hot Water. He had originally planned to take down all the tailed beasts in the western part of the Land of Fire before moving on to the east, but he ended up finding nothing here.

"How awful!"

"Thump!!"

Hashirama stomped his foot, his massive foot imbued with monstrous strength, stomping heavily on the calluses beneath his feet, producing a loud thud.

Chongming: Use Hardening!

"Kurama, don't come any closer! There's a terrifying creature here!"

Inside the cocoon, Chongming gritted his teeth, daring not to utter a sound, lest he arouse the suspicion of the ominous star above him. He could only call upon Nine-Tailed Fox in the chat room to give it a heads-up.

"What? You moved so fast?"

Having already entered the territory of the Land of Waterfalls, the Nine-Tails cried out in disbelief upon hearing Chongming's words.

"Does the other person have a condition like Indra's, where people are jealous and have red eyes?"

Nine-Tails' heart tightened, and it quickly asked to confirm.

"There's no trace of Indra's aura, but..."

Chongming cautiously probed the area above his head for Hashirama Senju. Relieved to find no trace of Indra's chilling power, he breathed a sigh of relief and relayed the good news to the approaching Nine-Tails.

"What is it?"

Upon hearing that it wasn't Indra, the Nine-Tailed Fox felt relieved. It feared nothing but its grandfather and his two precious sons, so it asked casually, with a hint of ease and pleasure in its voice.

"Beep~ Beep~ Beep~"

However, Chongming, who was still on the phone, suddenly cut off the conversation. The cold, busy tone sent a chill down Nine-Tails' spine; its fur stood on end, and its nimble steps slowed.

"Hmph~ I'm not afraid at all!"

After a moment's thought, the Nine-Tailed Fox raised its head and snorted coldly. As long as it wasn't Indra, who could make anyone faint with a glare, it wasn't worried. That idiot Chongming must be unable to fight back during his transformation phase, which is why he was controlled by humans.

With this in mind, the Nine-Tailed Fox once again took off and rushed towards the waterfall not far away. It wanted to save Chongming before he was completely captured.

Let's rewind a few minutes.

"Pat-pat~"

Hashirama Senju lifted his foot in confusion. He wondered how he could have crushed the uniquely shaped white boulder beneath his feet with a single step, something he hadn't exerted much force at all.

"Um, is this stone hollow?"

Shaking off the unidentified liquid that covered his feet, Hashirama Senju realized that the giant rock he had been standing on for so long was actually hollow.

"Huff~ Huff~"

Just as he was wondering, a suppressed panting sound slowly came from the hole beneath his feet, making him feel restless. So he bent down, pressed his face against it, and peered inside.

"Holy crap, what a huge beetle!"

Hashirama Senju's eyes gleamed with excitement as he stared intently at the fully formed Chōmei within the cocoon, his mouth practically watering.

"So handsome!"

Armored insects have a fatal attraction for men, and even Hashirama Senju, the father of his child, was no exception.

"If I take this back, Madara will be so hungry for it!"

At this moment, Hashirama Senju, whose mind was captivated by the handsome beetle, had already put aside the matter of capturing the tailed beast and was eager to catch this handsome beetle.

"."

Feeling offended, Chongming dared not show the slightest displeasure, for long ago, before Senju Hashirama had even broken through its cocoon, it had sensed a familiar power emanating from the man above it.

As the most cautious of the tailed beasts, Chongming adhered to the principle of "I won't move unless the enemy moves," and given that it had been artificially broken out of its cocoon ahead of schedule and was still very weak, it immediately began to feign death by covering its head.

"It's a pity it's not a tailed beast, but it's not bad either~"

Hashirama Senju carefully examined the slightly panting Jumei, his gaze sweeping over the single tail on the other's rear end. He showed a disappointed expression, but quickly composed himself, after all, the harvest was quite fruitful, having captured a handsome giant beetle.

Not a tailed beast?

Hearing Hashirama Senju's mutterings, the feigning-dead Chongming's eyes lit up. He silently thanked the old man for the hairstyle he'd created for him; after all, no one would mistake wings for a tail, right?

"Sizzle!"

Suddenly, a piercing sound rang in Chongming's ears. He glanced over instinctively and was horrified to see that Hashirama Senju, with a beaming smile, was easily tearing open his large callus as if it were paper, clapping his hands, and walking towards him step by step.

Sensing the impending danger, Chongming was greatly alarmed and instinctively used his scale powder to try and confuse Hashirama Senju's vision.

"Looks like it's doing well; it should last until Konoha."

Seeing Chongming begin to resist, Hashirama Senju, who thought his opponent was about to die, nodded in satisfaction. Then, he clapped his hands together and used his signature Wood Release technique. Several ferocious wood dragons, carrying immense power, swirled towards the bewildered Seven-Tails.

Good news, this terrifying man is not Indra.

The bad news is his brother, who's a real devil.

Chongming was moved to tears. The experience of being sucked into a state of ecstasy by the Wood Release was still vivid in his mind. Compared to Indra's glare that made anyone dizzy, Ashura's manipulation of the giant wooden figure to give them a Thai massage made them tremble even more.

"Nine Lamas"

Although it had just contacted Kurama, it hadn't yet revealed the man's true identity. Now that the Wood Dragon's warning had arrived, it had to give Kurama a heads-up.

However, before it could even dial the number, the wooden dragons had already coiled around it. Accompanied by a familiar suction force, Chongming instinctively felt his body go limp and lay down stiffly.

Hey, this living devil, I can't beat him in a fight, might as well just lie down.

Anyway, the other party looks silly and hasn't recognized that he is a tailed beast. Once he relaxes his guard, he can just spread his wings and run away.

Thus, Chongming, who offered no resistance, was easily captured.

"This mucus."

After easily handling it, Hashirama Senju clapped his hands excitedly. This trip was definitely worthwhile. Just for this handsome giant beetle, he could brag about it to Madara for the rest of his life.

However, just as he lifted his foot, the viscous fluid remaining in the cocoon caught his attention. This liquid, rich in some strange power, exuded a violent aura.

Looking down, Hashirama Senju discovered an ancient, man-made irrigation ditch beside the cocoon, from which the residual mucus from the cocoon was slowly flowing.

Is someone collecting this slime?

Hashirama Senju raised an eyebrow, pondering to himself,

"Chief, the Hero's Water has begun flowing ahead of schedule!"

In the ninja camp of the Land of Waterfall, the leader had just finished comforting a wounded ninja squad and hadn't even settled into his seat when he heard an urgent report. He jumped to his feet, his eyes flashing with disbelief.

"Why so much earlier?"

According to their records over many years, the flow cycle of the Hero's Water is extremely precise, with an error margin of no more than one month. Based on this timeline, the Hero's Water should flow again at the end of this year. Why is it flowing earlier than expected?

"Take me to see it!"

Filled with doubt and apprehension, the leader immediately summoned his trusted men and ran towards the Hero's Water.

"Why is this Hero's Water so viscous?"

Upon reaching a secluded, narrow passage, the leader frowned, watching the viscous liquid slowly flowing down the cliff face, and exclaimed in confusion.

He had been the leader for some years, but he had only witnessed the Hero's Water flowing twice before. The previous Hero's Water was clear as water, but this time, it had become sticky and made him feel physically uncomfortable.

"But the efficacy hasn't changed; it even seems stronger."

The leader dipped his finger into the viscous Hero's Water, tasted it carefully, and felt the violent chakra surging through his meridians. His eyes lit up again; this time, the Hero's Water was even more effective than before.

The Land of Waterfalls is about to take off!

The leader gazed excitedly at the viscous Hero's Water before him, his excitement barely contained. With this pool of Hero's Water, their Taki no Kyu would surely rise to power.

"Huh? Why are you drinking this?"

Just as the leader of the ninjas of the Land of Waterfall was lost in a pleasant fantasy, a disdainful voice rang in his ear, making him tense up and instinctively assume a defensive stance, looking warily at the newcomer.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?!"

This is forbidden territory for them. Not to mention strangers, even their own people have to go through layers of screening before they are qualified to enter.

"Um, I'm Hashirama Senju, I came down from up there~"

After all, he was an outsider, and when visiting someone else's territory, he had to consider the locals' feelings. So, he scratched his head sheepishly and replied with a sincere expression.

"You're Hashirama Senju! You're the one who beat Yudai and the others into that state?"

The leader, who had been on high alert, instantly turned red-eyed upon hearing Hashirama Senju's self-introduction. This seemingly honest man was actually a ruthless thug.

Moreover, this guy is suspected of plotting to steal their secret treasure, so we absolutely cannot let him go easily.

"Xiongda, you mean those guys with bad breath? I just taught them a little lesson; I didn't kill them."

Hashirama Senju suddenly realized, and replied with a frown.

"What exactly is your purpose? Are you after our secret treasure?"

Now that the other party had found their way here, the leader stopped being mysterious and laid everything out in the open.

At the same time, he subtly gestured to his trusted confidant with his hand behind his back, instructing him to cooperate and seize the opportunity.

"A secret treasure? No, no, I'm just here to find a seven-tailed caterpillar."

Unexpectedly, the other party misunderstood the purpose of his visit, and Hashirama Senju quickly waved his hands to explain.

"Seven tails? A caterpillar!"

The leader, whose expression had been unpredictable, suddenly narrowed his eyes upon hearing Hashirama Senju's explanation. His heart seemed to skip a beat, and a surprised murmur escaped his lips.

"Does Your Excellency know? Please inform me, and I, Hashirama Senju, will surely repay you handsomely!"

Hashirama Senju, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks upon seeing the leader's expression. He turned and looked at the leader excitedly, anxiously asking, "..."

"We don't have any seven-tailed green caterpillars here. As for the matter of the male, we will not pursue it for the time being. Please leave quickly, or don't blame us for being impolite."

Recovering from his shock, the leader's eyes flashed with an ambiguous light. His face expressionless, he issued an order to leave. At this moment, he no longer cared why Hashirama Senju had struck his subordinates or whether he coveted their treasures.

"Then what the hell were you so shocked about?!"

"It's normal to be shocked when you hear about such an incredible insect, right?"

The leader explained calmly, then turned to his trusted men behind him and asked,

"That's right, that's right~"

"This is absolutely shocking!"

"Okay, sorry to bother you, I'll take my leave now."

Although he sensed something was off about the other person's attitude, Hashirama Senju couldn't press the matter further. After all, this was a personal issue, and if things escalated, it would become a national issue.

He had just promised the daimyo of the Land of Fire that he would seek a path of peace; he couldn't turn around and start a war with his neighbor.

Watching Hashirama Senju's retreating figure, the leader finally breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze then shifted to the slowly flowing Hero's Water. He not only knew about the seven-tailed green caterpillar, but he knew it better than anyone else.

The Hero's Water is not water without roots; its secrets are known only to the leaders of each generation.

Within the enormous waterfall of the Land of Waterfalls lives a divine beast with three forms. One of these is the seven-tailed green caterpillar that Hashirama Senju just described.

Initially, the mythical beast took the form of a seven-tailed green caterpillar. After a period of time, the green caterpillar would transform into a cocoon. The transformation process was very long. After more than ten years, a six-winged beetle would emerge from the cocoon and soar for decades. The six-winged beetle would then return to molt and transform back into a green caterpillar.

The cycle repeats itself endlessly, life goes on and on.

The Hero's Water that they have been guarding is the water that flows from the cocoon when the six-winged beetle emerges from its cocoon.

"The Hero's Water is still flowing, which means it still exists. As long as it exists, our Taki no Kuni will surely prosper."

"Chief, look at that guy, he jumped off the cliff!"

Just as the leader was gazing at the Hero's Water in contemplation, a surprised voice from his confidant sounded behind him.

"Let him jump then. Do you think we can stop him if he wants to die?"

Interrupted, his expression turned somewhat displeased. Following the direction his confidant pointed, he looked and was utterly shocked by what he saw.

As Hashirama Senju departed, he leaped off a hundred-meter cliff. Just as everyone was astonished, a wooden Arhat statue, as tall as a mountain, rose from the bottom of the cliff. With each step its massive body took, the earth trembled.

But this scene wasn't what shocked them the most. When they saw the giant beetle carried behind the slowly departing wooden figure, the ninja leader of the Land of Waterfall completely lost his composure.

"This guy isn't just after the Hero's Water; he's clearly trying to uproot our Land of Waterfalls!"

(End of this chapter)