Seven-Tails Chakra

Takigakure basked in the gentle afternoon sunlight. Streams murmured, tree shadows swayed, and everything seemed peaceful and serene.

Yet beneath that tranquility, an uninvited guest was quietly making his move.

Using an exquisite Transformation Technique, Minamoto Takuya perfectly replicated the appearance of an ordinary villager. He walked calmly along the village paths, his steps firm and his goal clear: the location of the Seven-Tails Chakra he had sensed with Mind's Eye of the Kagura.

Following that unique chakra signature, he soon arrived at an unremarkable-looking courtyard.

His sharp gaze swept the surroundings like a hawk's, instantly revealing the positions of the guard shinobi hidden in the shadows.

Almost silently, several black crows took flight. A few black feathers drifted slowly down, appearing with uncanny precision before the guards' eyes.

The next instant, without cries or struggle, every guard crumpled soundlessly to the ground like puppets with cut strings, falling into a deep coma.

Minamoto Takuya's figure flickered, and he easily cleared the courtyard wall.

Inside the courtyard, a little girl of about several years old, with lively braids, was squatting on the ground. She was intently playing with several colorful stones, their crisp clattering accompanied by her cheerful laughter.

She was the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki—Kaede.

"Who are you?" Hearing the movement, Kaede looked up. Her clear, large eyes held no fear, only a child's natural curiosity as she examined the unfamiliar face before her.

Minamoto Takuya did not answer. He stared at Kaede for a moment, as if weighing something, then snapped his fingers sharply.

Kaede's small body trembled slightly. The curiosity in her eyes was instantly replaced by confusion, and then, like the guards, she collapsed limply to the ground and lost consciousness.

Minamoto Takuya had no desire to waste time here. There was no need to get entangled with