Go, Poke Ball!

Aragaki Yasushi used Teleport to whisk the unconscious Kimimaro away from Kirigakure, landing on a desolate island not far from the village.

Beneath his feet lay rough, jagged reefs, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore filled his ears; there wasn't a soul in sight.

He loosened his grip, gently laying Kimimaro down on the rocks, and began to mutter to himself.

Should he really hand this brat over to the village?

Given the Third Hokage's methods, he would likely return Kimimaro to Kirigakure.

After all, Konoha was currently looking to cooperate with Karatachi Yagura, and if they succeeded, Yagura would become the Fourth Mizukage.

As the last survivor of the Kaguya Clan, Kimimaro would serve as the perfect bargaining chip to curry favor with Kirigakure.

Sigh, the older the Third Hokage gets, the softer he becomes.

Although he is much younger now than he was during the era of Uzumaki Naruto, he is no longer in his prime; his energy is not what it used to be, and he has become timid and overly cautious in his dealings.

He prefers to settle things quietly, so if Kimimaro fell into his hands, he would certainly meet a miserable end.

In a few years, wouldn't Hizashi Hyuga be handed over to Kumogakure?

Even if the Third Hokage were to stand his ground and refuse to return Kimimaro to Kirigakure, the boy would likely still face a grim fate.

Kimimaro was a genius of the Kaguya Clan who possessed the Shikotsumyaku; if that old schemer Danzo found out, he would surely move heaven and earth to snatch the boy away.

Wouldn't that just be playing into Danzo's hands?

No, he absolutely could not hand Kimimaro over to the village.

It was far too disadvantageous.

With that thought, Aragaki Yasushi made up his mind, pulled out the Poke Ball he had drawn, and weighed it in his hand.

Since he couldn't give the boy to the village, he might as well try to capture Kimimaro with the Poke Ball.

He took aim at the sleeping Kimimaro and hurled the Poke Ball with all his might.

Go, Poke Ball!

The Poke Ball traced an arc through the air and struck Kimimaro precisely, instantly erupting in a dazzling red light that enveloped him and began to spin.

Aragaki Yasushi held his breath, his eyes locked onto the Poke Ball.

But before two seconds had passed, the Poke Ball popped open with a "pop," the red light vanished, and Kimimaro lay sprawled on the rocks, still fast asleep.

Aragaki Yasushi stood stunned, scratching his head in confusion.

Huh? The capture failed?

How is that possible?

He had already lost all ability to react; he couldn't even put up a fight.

Aragaki Yasushi crouched down, picked up the Poke Ball, and examined it over and over again.

Could it be that humans cannot be captured by Poke Balls?

Are humans not Pokemon?

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

Even though it is a living ninja sword, it isn't a Pokemon, so how was it successfully captured?

How exactly does this Poke Ball distinguish what is a Pokemon?

Does it mean that as long as it is a non-human entity, it can be identified as a Pokemon?

That is far too hypocritical!

The more Aragaki Yasushi thought about it, the angrier he became, but there was nothing he could do if it wouldn't capture him.

Forget it, forget it; if the capture failed, so be it.

Aragaki Yasushi performed hand seals rapidly, and countless tiny paper scraps began to drift in from the surrounding air.

These scraps gathered quickly before him, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into a figure identical to himself.

This was the Paper Clone Technique he had been diligently developing during this time.

Aragaki Yasushi looked at the paper clone before him and smiled with satisfaction.

Finally, a successful development.

Hard work pays off!

Compared to a standard Shadow Clone, Aragaki Yasushi's paper clone lasted longer and was much harder for enemies to identify; it was comparable to the Wood Clone Technique, perhaps even more useful!

It was the perfect solution to have the paper clone take Kimimaro out of the Land of Water and hide him in a secure location.

He would take good care of Kimimaro and slowly tame him.

Aragaki Yasushi looked down at the sleeping Kimimaro.

This brat had been raised as a weapon by the Kaguya Clan since he was a child; he didn't even know what freedom or a life of his own meant, with nothing but combat in his mind.

As long as he was guided properly, taming him wouldn't be difficult, and he would surely become a capable subordinate in the future.

Although his paper clone couldn't be maintained for long periods, he had Teleport; if anything went wrong over there, he could arrive in an instant, so he didn't fear any accidents, nor did he fear the brat running away.

Aragaki Yasushi gazed out toward the distant sea.

The sea breeze fluttered his hem, his eyes gradually deepening as he began to calculate his plans.

Although I have already been promoted to Jonin and my strength is not weak, having carved out a bit of a reputation on the battlefield, I still hold no real status within Konoha.

I have neither stepped into the upper echelons nor do I hold any substantive position; I have no power in my hands whatsoever.

Without power, I cannot openly cultivate my own faction within the village, nor can I accumulate my own influence.

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

Since it won't work within the village, I will cultivate my own forces outside of it.

Kimimaro is only the first; whenever I encounter good talent in the future, I will take them in and slowly train them into my own core team.

If I can successfully become Hokage in the future, this team can be legitimized, integrated into Konoha, and become my most capable support.

If I ever have a falling out with the village and can no longer stay in Konoha, I won't be left with no one to rely on after leaving; at the very least, I will have my own forces to stand on firm ground.

Furthermore, as my strength grows, I will surely obtain many items from card draws and mission completions that I have no use for.

Rather than letting them go to waste, it is better to use them to cultivate my subordinates.

Having thought all this through, Aragaki Yasushi felt a sense of clarity; he suppressed his ambition and looked toward his Paper Clone.

The Paper Clone, carrying Kimimaro, performed Teleport and vanished from the spot.

Aragaki Yasushi withdrew his gaze, focused his mind, and vanished in an instant.

When he reappeared, he was already back in an alleyway in Kirigakure.

The alley where Aragaki Yasushi stood was exceptionally secluded.

However, the Mizukage Building was not far away.

According to the intelligence gathered earlier, that old geezer, the Third Mizukage, was a workaholic who stayed in his office every day and rarely went home.

The Kaguya Clan should be launching their rebellion right here.

At this moment, the sounds of slaughter drifted over from not far away; the Kaguya Clan must have started their assault.

Aragaki Yasushi quietly slipped onto a large tree near the Mizukage Building, found a hidden branch to crouch on, and folded his arms, switching into spectator mode.

Let me see if these battle-crazed maniacs can take down the Third Mizukage.

If they end up mutually exhausted, I can reap the rewards without waiting for people from the village to arrive.

In front of the Mizukage Building, the battle was already raging fiercely.

Cries of battle, screams, and the roar of ninjutsu were woven together, turning the scene into a chaotic mess.

The Mist Anbu ninjas were struggling to resist the Kaguya Clan's offensive.

But even with the well-trained Mist Anbu, the battle was trending toward a one-sided slaughter when faced with the lunatics of the Kaguya Clan.

The Kaguya Clan ninjas were all acting as if they had been injected with adrenaline, radiating a fanatical aura as they brandished their bone blades and charged madly; the Anbu ninjas simply could not hold them back.

Aragaki Yasushi watched this scene without the slightest hint of surprise on his face.

If the Kaguya Clan didn't even have this much strength, they wouldn't dare to rashly launch a rebellion and court their own destruction.

These lunatics might not have the best brains and only know how to fight, but they aren't idiots.

Aragaki Yasushi watched with great interest, even feeling the urge to cheer for the Kaguya Clan.

After all, the fiercer they fight, the easier my subsequent missions will be.