Naruto: Starting from Eating the Gold Fruit

Chapter 176 The Birth of the Toad Sage

Taki no Kuni is a country located near the northern ocean.

This country has a cold temperate climate, with temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius for half the year.

The highest temperature at other times does not exceed 28 degrees Celsius.

If Youa were to lead this country, his primary goal would undoubtedly be to vigorously develop the tourism industry.

Konoha Village and the Land of Waterfall are different. Konoha is self-sufficient because of its connection to the Land of Fire, and it has no problem using the Land of Fire's resources.

However, the Land of Waterfall is small in size, and although the only ninja village, Takigakure, also has tailed beasts, its strength is ultimately no match for that of the larger Kage village.

The Hidden Stone Village of the Land of Earth had previously fought against the Land of Waterfall. If it weren't for the Land of Waterfall's strategy of using Jinchuriki to launch a sneak attack behind enemy lines, forcing Onoki to return to defend, and the Hidden Cloud Village also keeping a watchful eye on the side, ready to tear a piece of flesh from the Hidden Stone Village at any moment, the Land of Waterfall would not have been able to defeat the Hidden Stone Village.

This country has many forests, and people and nature can be said to live in harmony—that's an optimistic view, of course.

To put it bluntly, the people of the Land of Waterfall are unable to resist nature and cannot erase the traces of nature like the steel jungle of Konoha.

However, this is normal, since all the villages in the ninja world except for Konoha Village have more or less made use of the natural environment to improve their living conditions.

On this day, an explosion occurred at a residence in Takigakure, the village of Takigakure in the Land of Waterfalls.

With a loud "boom," a figure burst out of the smoke.

The figure was completely shrouded in a black robe, and wore a mask that only revealed one eye.

This person is none other than Kakuzu, the most wanted criminal in the ninja world, with a bounty of 100 million ryo.

"Kakuzu! You're surrounded! Surrender!" Uchiha Kagami, wearing a fox mask, shouted and immediately assumed an attack stance.

Sure enough, Kakuzu stretched out a hand directly towards him.

[One-handed hand seal?!] Uchiha Kagami was shocked and quickly retreated. The ground where he had just been stood rose up, and rocks and soil formed a giant hand that reached out to grab him.

Kakuzu turned and ran away with a cold face.

Behind him, a dozen masked ANBU ninjas jumped up and simultaneously formed hand seals.

[Oh no! Sealing technique!]

Kakuzu was greatly shocked. Seeing that the sealing technique was about to be completed, Kakuzu no longer held back and directly grabbed at a masked ANBU ninja.

With a "whoosh," Kakuzu's hand extended, and a large number of black threads appeared from his arm, connecting to his palm. He then stretched out and grabbed the nearest ANBU ninja.

[What?! It's stretched out?!] Uchiha Kagami stared at this scene in shock.

When they were chasing Kakuzu before, he just ran away and never fought with all his might. Even when they occasionally clashed, he only used some Earth Release and Water Release techniques to stop their pursuit.

This was the first time that Kagami Uchiha and the other pursuers had seen Kakuzu use such methods.

Kakuzu grabbed the Konoha ninja, raised his hand, and a kunai appeared in his hand, which he held to the ninja's neck.

The others who were forming hand seals froze. It wasn't that they couldn't continue using sealing techniques, but it was obvious that Kakuzu would kill them if they did.

Yuya is not like Hiruzen Sarutobi. He repeatedly emphasized that the personal safety of Konoha ninjas is the top priority when they are on missions. If a person dies, they lose everything. Even if they are disabled, they can still create value while alive.

Therefore, every Konoha ninja, Yua, was required to do everything possible to return alive.

Now the question is...

Is it even worth trading a ninja for a horn...?

From a third-person perspective, it's definitely worth it.

After all, Kakuzu committed the crime of killing the Cloud Village merchant squad in Konoha (if Yua says so, they will definitely believe it).

However, although the Anbu ninjas would stop at nothing to complete their missions, that was during the time when Tobirama Senju was in power.

Yua is now in power. Although the Anbu's style of operation is still dark, it's not as dark as it used to be.

Yuya's definition of the Dark Division is similar to that of the intelligence and national security departments in his previous life.

The main point is that ordinary people don't know about it, don't participate in it, don't understand it, and don't come into contact with it.

To summarize, when he wears the mask, he is an Anbu member; when he takes off the mask, he is a regular Jonin living in the inner city of Konoha.

In this way, the person being held hostage by these ANBU ninjas was not just an unrelated ninja, but a comrade-in-arms.

Uchiha Kagami's expression turned cold.

The ANBU ninja held hostage by Kakuzu gritted his teeth and roared, "Don't worry about me! Seal him! Take him back to the Hokage!"

Kakuzu was furious, his eyes flashing with malice, and he gripped the kunai in his hand even tighter.

However, after careful consideration, Kakuzu abandoned his plan to kill the ninja directly.

The leader of the Land of Grass, misled by the instigation of the Hidden Stone Village, killed a member of the Hyuga branch family, resulting in the complete annihilation of the village and the deaths of tens of thousands.

Kakuzu visited the Kusagakure village after the war; the scene was beyond description, even "hell on earth" couldn't adequately describe it.

And all of this was ordered by that damned Third Hokage.

Kakuzu recalled his attempt to assassinate the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju...

At that time, Kakuzu was an elite Jonin in Takigakure. He was very proud of himself and believed that he was exceptionally strong. Indeed, no one in Takigakure was his match.

Arrogant and self-important, he believed that the so-called God of Ninjas simply hadn't encountered him yet.

He then accepted a mission from the leader of Takigakure to assassinate the First Hokage...

He went.

However, that terrifying creature sensed him before he could even get close.

The First Hokage was not human; the God of Shinobi lived up to his name, practically an omniscient and omnipotent deity.

Kakuzu threw a shuriken and then ran away.

He didn't want to have any more contact with that monster.

Afterwards, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was provoked by the Hidden Cloud Village and immediately sent troops to attack.

The Third Hokage, because of a member of the Hyuga clan, who was only from the branch family, actually used some kind of cannon to blast an entire village to smithereens!

madman!

The three Hokage of Konoha were all madmen!

Kakuzu's movements slowed down; he couldn't kill him.

This ninja must not be killed.

God knows how crazy the Third Hokage would go if he knew he had killed this ANBU ninja.

Kakuzu has lived for over fifty years, and he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life being relentlessly hunted.

not to mention……

[I have absolutely no idea why you bastards are trying to arrest me!!!]

Kakuzu appeared indifferent on the surface, but in his heart he had cursed countless times.

Why am I suddenly being blamed for killing those ninjas from Kumogakure stationed in Konoha?!

I've never been to Konoha before!

Kakuzu was devastated, but he could not accept the outcome of being taken back by Uchiha Kagami.

Kakuzu stared coldly at Uchiha Kagami, knowing that the man wearing the fox mask was the leader of these hundred-plus ninjas.

"Exchange," Kakuzu said in a deep voice.

Uchiha Kagami frowned: "What?"

Kakuzu coldly stared at Uchiha Kagami, but uttered soft words: "Let me leave. I'll let this person go."

"No! Minister, you... Waaaaah..."

Kakuzu shoved a hand over the hostage's mouth. "Damn it, you don't want to live, but I want to live for decades!"

I've had the secret techniques of the Land of Waterfalls for years, and I still haven't filled all five hearts with them!

Uchiha Kagami remained silent for a long time before reaching out and opening his arms to shield the people on either side of him: "Ten seconds. I won't let them chase after you for these ten seconds."

As he spoke, several kunai appeared in Uchiha Kagami's palm and shot them to both sides, hitting the tree trunks on both sides of the road in Takigakure.

The kunai was wrapped with steel wire, which formed a barrier net.

Without further hesitation, Kakuzu kicked the Anbu ninja toward Uchiha Kagami and then ran away.

Uchiha Kagami quickly caught the other person.

Turning my head, I saw that Kakuzu had already melted into the ground...

Uchiha Kagami sighed. This was a meticulously planned opportunity to capture him, but...

Kakuzu and the leader of the ninja village in the Land of Waterfall are enemies.

When Kagami Uchiha was pursuing Kakuzu, he felt that there was something wrong with Kakuzu's movements. Later, he found out that he was indeed heading towards the Land of Waterfall.

So he immediately devised a capture plan. Meanwhile, Kakuzu's purpose in coming here was to eliminate the remaining members of the gang he had killed earlier.

Everyone in the group is very principled. Those children were only three or four years old at the time, and one of them had just been born.

Even if Kakuzu is a scoundrel, he wouldn't kill a newborn child.

Now most of these kids are in their twenties, and Kakuzu comes to claim their lives.

It can also be considered as eliminating the root of the problem.

As a result, they were ambushed by Uchiha Kagami.

Fortunately, Uchiha Kagami was unaware that his ability allowed him to steal a chicken.

However, he also knew this was a one-time opportunity. This time, these Konoha mad dogs would be even more prepared.

Kakuzu never expected that Konoha would send nearly a hundred ninjas to capture him.

They were all Jonin.

Is this how you use Konoha Jonin?!

Kakuzu ran off looking utterly dejected.

On Uchiha Kagami's side, they naturally received thanks from the survivors of the Takigakure leader's family.

As for the destroyed houses and streets...

Compared to the leader's life, it is of little importance.

Uchiha Kagami sighed, knowing that the mission had failed and he needed to go back to report.

Before leaving, Kagami Uchiha said that Kakuzu would probably come again, and that in the future, Boss, you should stay with the Jinchuriki.

The leader of Takigakure Village nodded hurriedly, indicating that he would definitely agree.

……

When Uchiha Kagami returned to Konoha with the Anbu squadron, he was both happy and apprehensive.

After all, he did fail in his mission.

And it almost killed one of the team members...

He sighed. If there was only one of them, it wouldn't be a problem, but with both of them combined, Uchiha Kagami knew he couldn't escape the blame.

After returning to the village, Uchiha Kagami told the ANBU ninjas to take off their masks and go home to spend time with their families. As for Yua...

He can go and report it alone.

But before that...

Uchiha Kagami went home first to let his wife know he was safe.

When his wife, who was already middle-aged, heard that Uchiha Kagami's mission had failed, she sighed after learning more about it.

Accountability is certain, but it shouldn't be a big deal. At most, they'll just lose their jobs, but that's fine. It's not like they'll starve.

In fact, Uchiha Kagami did not squander his salary over the years; he gave it all to his wife.

Their family has tens of millions in savings alone.

Hearing his wife's comforting words, Uchiha Kagami breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with satisfaction.

Although his marriage to his wife was arranged by their families, the two had a very good relationship.

"Oh, right, the Hokage's wife, Tsunade, recently organized an organization whose members are all women, and I'm planning to join."

Although Uchiha Kagami and his wife are both older than Tsunade, Tsunade is the princess of Konoha, while Uchiha Kagami is a disciple of Senju Tobirama. Strictly speaking, Uchiha Kagami could consider himself an elder, but Senju Tobirama is now dead, and Tsunade's husband is the current Hokage. So, in private, they can call each other by their names or address each other as elders, but in public, they must address her as Lady Tsunade to show respect.

Of course, Uchiha Kagami and his wife were quite cautious, consistently referring to her as Lady Tsunade both publicly and privately.

Hearing his wife say this, Uchiha Kagami blinked: "Oh, Lady Tsunade... Okay, what exactly does that organization do? Does it introduce jobs to women?"

Uchiha Kagami could only make that connection, of course.

Unexpectedly, his usually gentle wife smiled and said, "No, it's just that everyone gathered together to drink tea, chat, and... discuss the recent news about the rich merchant in the village divorcing his wife and taking a concubine."

Uchiha Kagami suddenly felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

His wife followed up quietly, saying, "You're always out there working hard, and I'm not by your side. If you have someone else... I wouldn't mind."

Uchiha Kagami was completely dumbfounded...

How did the conversation escalate to this topic?!

I went out to do a mission to hunt down that vicious Kakuzu!

……

When Uchiha Kagami arrived at the Hokage's office in a disheveled state, Yua was holding a cup of goji berry tea, deep in thought.

He is now pondering whether there is any necessary connection between the meaning of marriage and the continuation of humankind.

Simply put, it's been completely drained, there's not a single drop left.

Sigh, when will Tsunade be able to go back to her parents' home again...?

Okay, I promise I won't take my son out to have fun this time.

I'll go by myself.

Then Yuya saw Uchiha Kagami walk into the office looking exhausted.

You Ya asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Uncle Jing?"

Uchiha Kagami fell silent. After thinking for a moment, he felt that this was too embarrassing and decided not to tell Yua. So he handed the mission report to Yua and said apologetically, "Not only did I fail the mission, but I also almost caused the death of an ANBU captain..."

"I request that the Hokage dismiss me from my post."

You Ya's expression immediately turned serious.

Then I opened the task report and started reading it.

To be honest, Yua had almost forgotten about Kakuzu's abilities over the past thirty years. All he remembered was that this guy's five hearts could take five lives, or that he could shatter several hearts at once with a single Rasenshuriken like the Crown Prince. The rest…

For example, he didn't really know what specific moves or ninjutsu Kakuzu used; he only knew that Kakuzu could use all five types of ninjutsu and that he could launch them by connecting his hands, feet, and head with black silk.

After carefully reviewing the mission report, Youya sighed.

He then shook his head at Uchiha Kagami: "Uncle Kagami, it's already quite an achievement to have done this much without any information."

As for dismissal... that's a joke. I wouldn't feel comfortable letting anyone else sit in your position.

Yuya smiled and offered a few words of reassurance before seeing Uchiha Kagami off from the Hokage's office.

After seeing the person off and returning to his office, You Ya fell into deep thought.

Kakuzu isn't actually that important, because Yua knows that the person secretly causing trouble is Black Zetsu.

But here's the problem.

How do you expect to find a lump of mud?

Furthermore, Black Zetsu's sensory-blocking ninjutsu means that neither the Byakugan nor the Sharingan can detect him using sensory-based ninjutsu.

unless……

Sage Mode?

You Ya lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then pressed the button.

Anbu ninja appeared instantly.

"Go, send a message to Jiraiya and tell him to stop wandering around outside and come back to Konoha immediately. I have something I need him to do."

While Black Zetsu's stealth capabilities are top-tier, his combat prowess is extremely weak.

Their main fighting style involves possessing other people.

If others are on guard, it is almost impossible to succeed.

OB Earth was controlled by Black Zetsu only after a major battle left him weakened, allowing Black Zetsu to seize the opportunity.

and so……

Jiraiya, stop thinking about your damn prophetic child. The prophetic child won't be born for another ten years or so!

……

Thus, the Land of Whirlpools:

"Are you leaving me, teacher?" Nagato asked, his bright eyes fixed on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya scratched his cheek and then laughed, "It's only temporary, and besides... Master is, after all, a member of Konoha..."

Besides, you're still young. When you're 10, work hard to become a student studying in Konoha! There are many geniuses in the Konoha Ninja Academy, you know~ Don't tarnish your master's reputation then~

Nagato stared wide-eyed at Jiraiya: "So, Master, what's your reputation in Konoha?!"

Jiraiya was taken aback, then looked up and recalled his experiences in Konoha...

He was caught peeping into a women's bathhouse, thrown out, and chased by a group of burly men...

"Ahem, your master has a great reputation."

My name is your master...

Ok……

Immortal, immortal arts, immortals, oh yes!

Toad Sage!

This is it!

When you arrive in Konoha, just mention my name! Lots of people will know it!

Nagato looked at Jiraiya with an expression of adoration.

Although he had only been teaching him for a few months, Jiraiya had already shown young Nagato the wonder of ninjutsu and made him realize that there was such a vast world out there...

Jiraiya looked up and smiled in the direction of Konoha.

Will my older brother let me go back...?

Although I don't know what happened...

Jiraiya's eyes gradually curved into a lecherous grin:

I'm the eldest brother's little brother, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to take me to see the filming location of the midnight beauty show, right? Hehehe~

And so, Jiraiya~

Ahem, the Toad Sage has returned to Konoha.

(End of this chapter)