Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

The charred tentacles sizzled under the intense flames. Zixu vaguely glimpsed a twisted, shadowy figure of a heart in the burning mass, but it quickly turned to ashes.

"Good thing we were cautious. Otherwise, that bastard might've actually revived again." Zixu stored away the scroll, only leaving after ensuring Kakuzu's remains were reduced to nothing but ash.

Helping the clones separate could wait—right now, securing the Two-Tails was the priority.

"Speaking of which... where the hell is the Two-Tails?" Only now did Zixu remember her. She had been captured by Kakuzu earlier, but surely he hadn't accidentally finished her off along with him... right?

Closing his eyes, Zixu expanded his sensory perception. With Kakuzu gone, his lingering chakra no longer interfered as much, but traces of it still lingered in the air, causing slight disturbances.

"Found you. Trying to run, huh?" He locked onto the Two-Tails' chakra signature. The fleeing jinchūriki wasn't moving at an impressive speed—probably still disoriented from her earlier battle. What was more interesting was that she wasn't running toward Kumogakure but in the opposite direction.

That left Zixu in a dilemma. He could still chase down Hidan, who had already fled far away, but doing so would mean losing track of the Two-Tails. Given her condition, she wouldn't last long if she ran into trouble.

"Tch. Guess I'll let you live another day." With a swift leap, Zixu disappeared into the dense forest, moving toward the fleeing jinchūriki.

—Some Time Earlier—

Nii Yugito had woken up just as the battle between Zixu and Kakuzu was reaching its climax. Strangely, the first thing she noticed upon regaining consciousness was a large footprint imprinted on her back. Her chest felt tight, her breathing labored, and for a moment, she couldn't figure out what had happened.

She remembered Kakuzu and Hidan—two Akatsuki members who attacked her together. They were a formidable duo; Kakuzu was a nightmare to deal with, while Hidan was simply unkillable. She had severed his limbs multiple times, but Kakuzu just stitched him back together like some twisted old tailor.

Whenever she attempted to go after Kakuzu, Hidan would shield him with reckless abandon. There was no way to break through their synergy.

The last thing she recalled was getting grazed by Hidan's scythe. Then, he pulled out a black spear and plunged it into her chest. Everything after that was a blur.

"The enemy of my enemy isn't necessarily my friend. I need to get out of here." Yugito made her decision instantly. In her current state, if Zixu had bad intentions, she'd be completely helpless.

She wasn't sure if Zixu had won, but frankly, it didn't matter. Her only goal was survival.

What she didn't expect, however, was that Zixu actually managed to kill Kakuzu. She had firsthand experience of how damn near impossible that man was to kill—his disgusting tentacles burrowing underground, attacking from every direction, making him a nightmare to fight.

Yet, Zixu not only killed him but completely incinerated him, reducing him to nothing. That alone made him just as terrifying in her eyes. There was no way she was sticking around to see what he'd do next.

But how could Zixu let his prize escape?

Yugito, still badly injured, struggled to move quickly despite her jinchūriki healing abilities. Even at full strength, she wasn't confident she could beat him.

Zixu finally caught up, finding her crouched in a defensive stance, her blue fur bristling like an oversized cat with its back arched.

To appear less intimidating, he smiled and extended a hand toward her.

"Relax. I'm a good guy. I won't—"

The moment the words left his mouth, Yugito's reaction was immediate. Tailed beast chakra flared around her, forming a flickering blue and black cloak of flames. A single long tail sprouted behind her as she began to enter a partial transformation.

"..."

Zixu's outstretched hand froze mid-air, his forced grin stiffening. Was he really that scary?

Fine. If talking won't work, he'd just knock her out and take her back. He had no time for this nonsense.

—THUD!—

A crisp, bell-like sound echoed through the forest. Was it pleasant? Perhaps. But more importantly, it signified the end of the struggle.

Yugito collapsed, knocked out cold.

Zixu hoisted her up effortlessly and took off toward Kumogakure.

He had no intention of giving her back for free. If the Raikage wasn't willing to trade for her return, well... Orochimaru might just get himself a brand-new test subject.

—Raikage's Office—

Most of the damage caused by Zixu's earlier attack had been cleaned up. Secretary Mabui stood behind the Raikage, her lips pressing together as if debating whether to speak.

"If you have something to say, just say it," the Raikage muttered, adjusting his bamboo hat. His tone was firm, his presence imposing.

"Lord Raikage... are you really planning to participate in this so-called 'World's Strongest Martial Arts Tournament' that guy mentioned? What if it's just a trap to lure you away? We still don't know if he has any connections to Akatsuki..."

She was wary—understandably so. Sunagakure's Kazekage had been assassinated not long ago. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"It's fine. I'll bring Bee with me. If this guy brings back Yugito, she'll come too." The Raikage leaned back in his chair, unconcerned. "This is also a chance to clean house, Mabui. Use the opportunity to deal with certain... matters. Understand?"

Kumogakure wasn't a village that anyone provoked lightly. They were like a powder keg—one wrong move, and an all-out war could erupt.

As they spoke, the office door suddenly flew open with a loud CRASH.

Zixu strode in, casually dragging an unconscious Yugito by her collar.

"This bastard...! That was a brand-new door!" Mabui clenched her pen so tightly that it nearly snapped.

"I got your Two-Tails. Wasn't easy, y'know. Now, let's talk terms." Zixu dropped Yugito onto the floor, watching Raikage's expression carefully.

Ai's pupils shrank as he stared at his unconscious subordinate. He knew that two Akatsuki members had taken her, yet Zixu somehow retrieved her alive. That alone told him plenty.

"Speak. I'm listening." Ai pulled his hat down slightly, obscuring his expression.

"My request is simple," Zixu said, crouching beside Yugito and patting her head as if she were a pet. "Kumogakure will be the first to officially recognize the establishment of Uzushio as an independent nation. You'll also establish trade relations with it. Fair deal, right?"

Then, with a casual shrug, he added, "If you refuse... well, let's just say Orochimaru might be getting a fresh test subject soon."

Raikage's reply was immediate.

"Fine. Hand over Yugito."

Without hesitation, Zixu flung her toward Mabui, who barely managed to catch her.

"Pleasure doing business with you." He turned toward the door, waving over his shoulder. "I'll be off now. Still got a few more villages to visit. Oh, and by the way, I took care of one of Akatsuki's tentacle freaks for you. No need to thank me."

With that, he disappeared, heading toward his next destination.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Do you want to read Advanced Chapters?

Visit this link:

Påtreon.com/Fanficlord03

Change (å) to (a)