Go, Poke Ball!

Aragaki Yasushi used Teleport and took the sleeping Kimimaro straight out of Kirigakure, landing on a deserted island not far from the village.

Rough, jagged rocks lay beneath his feet. The waves crashed against the shore beside him, and there wasn't another person in sight.

He let go and gently set Kimimaro down on the rocks, then began to wonder.

Should he hand the kid over to the village or not?

With the Third's way of doing things, he'd probably return Kimimaro to Kirigakure.

After all, Konoha was going to join forces with Karatachi Yagura. If they succeeded, Yagura would become the Fourth Mizukage.

As the orphaned survivor of the Kaguya Clan, Kimimaro would make a perfect bargaining chip for winning Kirigakure's favor and earning them some goodwill.

The Third gets more timid with age.

He was still a good deal younger than he'd been in Uzumaki Naruto's time, but he was no longer in his prime, either. He had far less energy than before and had grown even more hesitant in his decision-making.

He always chose to avoid trouble whenever he could. If Kimimaro fell into his hands, the kid was sure to suffer for it.

A few years later, Hizashi Hyuga would be handed over to Kumogakure.

Even if the Third stood his ground and refused to return Kimimaro to Kirigakure, things probably wouldn't end well for him.

Kimimaro was a genius of the Kaguya Clan with Shikotsumyaku. If that old schemer Danzo found out, he'd definitely try every trick in the book to get his hands on the boy.

Wouldn't that just be doing Danzo a favor?

No. He absolutely couldn't hand Kimimaro over to the village.

It wasn't worth it.

Aragaki Yasushi made up his mind. He took out the Poke Ball he'd won and weighed it in his hand.

If he couldn't hand Kimimaro over to the village, he might as well try catching him with the Poke Ball.

He aimed at the sleeping Kimimaro and hurled the Poke Ball at him.

Go, Poke Ball!

The Poke Ball traced an arc through the air and struck Kimimaro dead on. A brilliant red light flared at once, enveloping him as the ball began to spin.

Aragaki Yasushi held his breath, his eyes fixed on the Poke Ball.

But less than two seconds later, the ball popped open with a sharp snap. The red light vanished, and Kimimaro dropped onto the rocks, still fast asleep.

Aragaki Yasushi froze on the spot. He scratched his head, looking utterly baffled.

Huh? It failed?

How is that possible?

Kimimaro had already lost the ability to respond. He couldn't even fight back.

Aragaki Yasushi crouched down, picked up the Poke Ball, and examined it from every angle.

Can't humans be caught with Poke Balls?

Are humans not Pokemon?

But that doesn't make sense. Samehada isn't a Pokemon, either.

It was a living Ninja Blade, but it still wasn't a Pokemon. So how had he managed to catch it?

How did this Poke Ball even decide what counted as a Pokemon?

Could it be that anything nonhuman gets classified as a Pokemon?

But that's such a double standard!

Aragaki Yasushi grew angrier the more he thought about it, but there was nothing he could do if the Poke Ball wouldn't work.

Forget it. A failed catch is a failed catch.

Aragaki Yasushi quickly formed Hand Seals. Countless tiny scraps of paper floated through the air around him.

The scraps quickly gathered in front of him, and in the blink of an eye, they formed a figure identical to him.

It was the Paper Clone Technique he'd been developing with great dedication.

Aragaki Yasushi looked at the Paper Clone before him and smiled with satisfaction.

He'd finally perfected it.

Hard work really did pay off!

Compared with a regular Shadow Clone, Aragaki Yasushi's Paper Clone lasted longer and was harder for enemies to identify. It was on par with the Wood Clone Technique—and even more useful than a Wood Clone!

He could have the Paper Clone take Kimimaro away from the Land of Water and hide him somewhere secluded.

He'd take good care of Kimimaro and slowly tame him.

Aragaki Yasushi looked at the sleeping Kimimaro.

The kid had been raised as a weapon by the Kaguya Clan from the time he was little. He didn't know what freedom or life even meant. All he knew was fighting.

With proper guidance, he wouldn't be difficult to tame. He'd be a valuable subordinate in the future.

Although his Paper Clone couldn't last forever, he had Teleport. If anything happened, he could get there in an instant. There was no need to worry about an accident—or about the kid running off.

Aragaki Yasushi gazed out at the distant sea.

The sea breeze lifted the hem of his clothes. His gaze grew distant as he began to plan.

I've already been promoted to jonin, and I'm not weak. I've even made a bit of a name for myself on the battlefield.

But when all's said and done, I still have no standing in Konoha.

I haven't entered the upper ranks, and I don't have any real position. I have no power at all.

Without power, I can't openly build my own team in the village or grow my influence.

Whether I want to climb higher or do something of my own in the future, I'll be held back at every turn.

If I can't do it inside the village, I'll build my influence outside it.

Kimimaro will be the first. Whenever I find a promising kid in the future, I'll bring them in and gradually build my own team.

If I manage to become Hokage one day, I can give that team a legitimate place in Konoha and turn them into my greatest source of support.

And if I ever fall out with the village and can't stay in Konoha, I won't be left with no one to rely on when I leave. At least I'll have my own people and be able to establish myself.

Besides, as I get stronger, I'm bound to get plenty of things I can't use from card draws and missions.

Rather than let them go to waste, I might as well use them to train my subordinates.

Once he'd thought it all through, Aragaki Yasushi felt a weight lift from his mind. He tamped down his ambition and looked at the Paper Clone.

The Paper Clone picked up Kimimaro, used Teleport, and disappeared from the spot.

Aragaki Yasushi looked away, focused his mind, and vanished in an instant.

When he appeared again, he was back in an alley in Kirigakure.

The alley where Aragaki Yasushi stood was especially secluded.

But the Mizukage Building was just a short distance away.

According to the information he'd gathered earlier, the Third Mizukage was a workaholic who spent every day at the office and rarely went home.

The Kaguya Clan must be staging their rebellion here.

Just then, the sounds of fighting came from nearby. The Kaguya Clan must have launched their attack.

Aragaki Yasushi quietly slipped over to a large tree near the Mizukage Building. He found a concealed spot among its branches, crouched down with his arms folded, and settled in to watch the show.

Let's see if these battle-crazed lunatics can beat the Third Mizukage.

If both sides end up badly wounded, I can swoop in and take advantage. I won't even have to wait for the people from the village to arrive.

By then, the area in front of the Mizukage Building had already become a battlefield.

War cries, screams, and the thunder of jutsu collided, turning the place into complete chaos.

The Mist Anbu Ninja fought desperately to repel the Kaguya Clan's attack.

But even the well-trained Mist Anbu couldn't hold their ground against the Kaguya Clan's lunatics. The battle was turning into a one-sided rout.

The Kaguya Clan's shinobi were all worked into a frenzy. With feverish fervor radiating from them, they wielded their bone blades and charged relentlessly. The Anbu Ninja couldn't stop them.

Aragaki Yasushi watched the scene without the slightest surprise.

If the Kaguya Clan weren't at least this powerful, they wouldn't have dared launch a rebellion and throw their lives away.

Those lunatics might not have much sense and might spend every day fighting, but they weren't stupid.

Aragaki Yasushi watched with keen interest. He even felt like cheering the Kaguya Clan on.

After all, the harder they fought, the easier his own mission would be afterward.