Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

"I..." Veins bulged on A's forehead as he clenched his fists, barely restraining himself from punching Zixu on the spot. Testing weapons was one thing, but shooting him in the head? That was straight-up disrespectful.

The bullet was fast, but A was even faster. Blue and white lightning crackled through the air, and the sharp clang of metal echoed as his steel bracelet deflected the incoming chakra bullets. The condensed chakra reverted to its raw form as the projectiles dissipated. A fixed Zixu with a dark glare, his expression clearly questioning why the hell he was being used for target practice.

"Tsk, blocked it," Zixu muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" A's voice was sharp, his glare intensifying.

"Nothing." Zixu smirked. "I knew you'd block it. Now that you've experienced it firsthand, you'll better understand the technology behind this chakra pistol." He holstered the weapon and casually strolled toward the door.

"I refuse to believe that Kumogakure, renowned for its battle prowess, wouldn't be interested in this technology. If you want to learn more, come to the martial arts tournament. That should keep you from overthinking things."

Zixu knew exactly what was going through A's head. The moment this kind of technology was revealed, every major village would be itching to get their hands on it—whether through negotiation or outright theft. But if anyone dared to make a move, Zixu was ready to show them what true retaliation looked like. No mercy, no survivors.

"Hmm..." A dispelled the lightning around him, deep in thought. While he was hotheaded, he wasn't stupid. He knew when to bide his time.

"Fine, I'll agree for now. Tell me the time and location." He decided to participate—if nothing else, he'd get an opportunity to snatch something useful. Worst case, he could just take it and bolt.

"I'll let you know before the event starts. It's tentatively set for three months from now, but I'll update you if anything changes." Zixu grinned, satisfied. Step one, complete.

Just as he was about to leave, the door slammed open. A Kumogakure shinobi stumbled inside, breathless and panicked.

The secretary scowled. First, the red-haired brat had barged in without warning, and now this? At least Zixu had the excuse of being a guest, but this guy? He didn't even bother announcing himself.

"No... Something's wrong!" The shinobi collapsed to his knees, panting heavily.

"Compose yourself!" The secretary snapped, though she refrained from scolding him further—his urgency made it clear that this was serious.

A sat silently, staring at the man. He recognized him—a cautious, level-headed shinobi. For him to be this rattled, something catastrophic must have happened.

Zixu, sensing the shift in atmosphere, decided it was time to slip out. But just as he turned to leave, the shinobi finally forced out his words.

"Yugito... has been captured by the Akatsuki!"

Boom!

The room was instantly engulfed in a suffocating surge of chakra. A's eyes burned red with fury as he slowly rose from his seat, his voice low and controlled—a stark contrast to his usual explosive temper.

"You mean... the Two-Tails has been taken?"

The air grew heavy with tension, as if the very room were bracing for a storm.

Zixu's stomach twisted. Damn it, this timing was terrible. It practically made him look like he was working with the Akatsuki to distract A.

"Don't even think about leaving, brat," A growled, his killing intent razor-sharp. If his earlier punch was just a test, this time, he was ready to kill.

"Don't look at me. If I did it, I'd admit it. But I didn't. And since you clearly don't trust me, I'll go get the Two-Tails back myself. If you don't believe me, then follow me."

Zixu's chakra surged like an unleashed tempest—lightning crackled, flames roared, and fierce winds howled, clashing against A thunderous aura. The suffocating tension broke, and the messenger shinobi finally managed to catch his breath.

"You better deliver," A muttered, reluctantly backing down. He couldn't afford to leave the village just yet. If this was a ploy to draw him away, then he had to ensure his brother—the Eight-Tails—was protected.

"You. Lead the way."

Without wasting another second, Zixu grabbed the shinobi like a sack of rice and disappeared from the room.

The secretary turned to A, concern etched on her face. "Lord Raikage, are you sure this is wise? News of Yugito's capture will spread fast. The other villages—"

"I know," A interrupted, rubbing his temples. "But we can't afford to make any more mistakes. Summon Killer B back to the village immediately. If they took the Two-Tails, they might come for the Eight-Tails next. We need to be ready."

Meanwhile...

On a battlefield of rubble and destruction, a blood-soaked figure was pinned to a jagged rock, skewered by an iron rod. His long, beige-colored braids were in disarray, and though his hands and torso were impaled, he still struggled fiercely—a testament to his resilience.

A short distance away, a large crimson seal was etched into the ground, its design resembling an outer circle enclosing an inner triangle. Within it, a man covered in black-and-white curse marks lay motionless, an iron rod protruding from his chest. A silver ring with the kanji for "Three" gleamed on his left hand.

The markings on his skin slowly faded as he groaned, his slicked-back gray hair slightly disheveled. His pale purple eyes gleamed with madness as he reached for the necklace around his neck, his Akatsuki cloak draped loosely over his shoulders.

"Hidan, it's been thirty minutes. You're still not done?"

A second figure—cloaked in the same Akatsuki attire—watched impatiently. His entire body was wrapped in black bandages, with only his eerie, blue-rimmed, black sclera eyes visible.

"Shut up, Kakuzu! Don't interrupt my ritual—it hurts!" Hidan yanked the iron rod from his chest, wincing.

Kakuzu frowned, glancing at the map in his hands.

"Every damn time, we have to go through this ridiculous prayer. Can't you skip some of it? We need to move on to the next target."

"Blasphemy!" Hidan shot him a glare. "Skipping steps would offend Jashin-sama!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just hurry up."

Kakuzu folded the map, drawing a red cross over the area near Konohagakure. Their work wasn't done yet.

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