Effortless and Unhurried

"Hey, Taiichi, how was the battle today? Minato's power was amazing, wasn't it? I've been keeping it a secret for so long, I was practically dying to know!"

Nine-Tails' voice was full of smugness, and its eyes were gleaming.

Taiichi grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and lifted it right in front of him. It obediently went limp, looking completely at his mercy.

Clearly, over the past two years, Nine-Tails has become familiar with this process.

"You're really impressive. I almost couldn't handle you. By the way, when did you and Minato become so close? I could tell that without your help, that performance would have been absolutely impossible."

Taiichi walked and talked, Tsunade beside him cast a curious glance at him.

As a fellow villager, she naturally couldn't pry into Taiichi's previous battle with Minato, but if he were to tell her, she wouldn't mind listening carefully.

"This—that—" Nine-Tails's eyes darted around, clearly trying to change the subject.

Taiichi wouldn't tolerate it; this guy had too many past offenses and didn't deserve any sympathy.

Taiichi then grabbed the fox's head with both hands and began to rub it, causing the Nine-Tails fox to whimper.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk, I'll talk, alright?"

Taiichi then withdrew his hand and placed the Nine-Tails on his shoulder.

Nine-Tails perched on Taiichi's shoulder, extending its paws to groom its fur while reluctantly speaking.

"Minato, he's not bad, much better than that red-haired woman. But his troublemaker is too clingy. I let it slip once and he overheard, and he kept bothering me for a whole year before I finally—"

As she spoke, Nine-Tails became embarrassed, though her words still carried a hint of annoyance and anger.

Tsunade listened in amazement, never expecting that the Minato kid had such abilities.

Taiichi sighed inwardly, wondering if this was the power of fate. Even though Naruto didn't become the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, his relationship with the Nine-Tails was still extraordinary.

Despite Naruto Nine-Tails, the fact that Naruto could get him to cooperate with Minato in Nine-Tails Mode shows that the two must have a very good relationship.

Taiichi glanced sideways at the guilty-looking fox on his shoulder, then refrained from further provoking its proud spirit, instead changing the subject.

"Your Nine-Tails Chakra Mode today was indeed amazing, but it seems there's still room for improvement. Are you holding back something?"

"Nine-Tails Chakra Mode?" Nine-Tails's eyes lit up, its tone cheerful. "That's a good name, much better than Minato's 'Invincible Golden Flame Nine-Tails Radiant Armor.' That name was garbage; it was just narcissistic."

Taiichi's lips curled into a smile, and even Tsunade beside him, pursed her lips.

As expected, Minato's taste in naming things is notoriously bad; even Tailed Beast can't appreciate it.

However, Taiichi still reached out and tapped Nine-Tails's fluffy head, staring into his eyes as he continued to press for answers.

"Don't change the subject! Are you holding back? There's definitely an even stronger form beyond the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!"

Nine-Tails Fox stammered and kept his mouth shut, refusing to speak, but his attitude said it all.

Taiichi smiled and stopped pressing for answers. He only needed to tell Minato this information, and Minato would know what to do next.

If all else fails, there's always his son Naruto!

In the days that followed, Taiichi Matsushita once again.

During this time, he often went to meet up with his former partners to practice and exchange skills, but more often than not, Taiichi took the opportunity to guide them in practicing Sage Mode 3.0.

The practice of Senjutsu has already been promoted among some people in Konoha. Such a powerful technique, anyone who knows the inside story and has enough merit will naturally not hesitate to make a contribution to exchange for a copy to learn.

Taiichi's friends were among these people, and they were among the most talented.

Even so, the 3.0 version of Senjutsu still has a cultivation threshold, and having Taiichi's guidance at this time will naturally make things much easier.

While Taiichi was enjoying his leisurely days, the Ninja World was anything but peaceful these past two days.

Konoha Akatsuki members discovered in Land of Hot Water were only a small part of their operation.

In fact, Akatsuki has been secretly operating in the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, and even the Land of Water.

Kakuzu and Hiruko were Akatsuki members discovered by Konoha in the Land of Hot Water.

Their destination was the Land of Lightning; the Land of Hot Water was merely a stopover for them. Unexpectedly, their trail was discovered by Konoha's intelligence agents.

However, that's no longer important.

Not long after Kakuzu and Hiruko in the Land of Lightning, Zetsu approached them.

At the previous meeting, Zetsu said he wanted to find the whereabouts of the Jinchuriki.

In Jonin, the few Jinchuriki in the ninja world are known to be constantly under Zetsu's surveillance.

Black Zetsu will not be careless about any of the key points of the plan to revive his mother, Jinchuriki is a crucial part of it.

Therefore, Kakuzu and Hiruko obtained crucial information for their mission immediately: the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yuki Nii.

She is currently on a mission in the Land of Frost, accompanied by three of her teammates.

The Yugito Nii are only on an escort mission to the Land of Frost.

Logically, this kind of mission wouldn't be assigned to a Jonin of her rank.

The village only appointed her as the team leader because she needed to build bonds with the other ninjas as Jinchuriki, and the goods on this trip were indeed valuable.

The entire mission went exceptionally smoothly. Not only did they not encounter any hostile ninjas, but they also did not encounter any bandits or highwaymen. The team members also got along very well.

On the night of their return journey, heavy snow began to fall, and the mountain wind whipped up snowflakes that lashed against people's faces, making even ninjas feel extremely uncomfortable.

The eldest member of the team suggested to Yugito, "Captain, the snow is so heavy, let's rest for the night before we continue!"

The other two team members echoed this sentiment.

Yugito looked up at the weather; the snow was showing signs of getting heavier, and since the mission was already completed, he agreed.

The four of them found a sheltered cave, gathered around a lit campfire, and ate a hot meal. The atmosphere in the group was relaxed and harmonious.

"After this mission, I'll have enough money saved up. I also promised my son I'd take him out to play, so I can take him when I get back."

Let's go fishing at the beach!

The older ninja excitedly described his plans, a happy smile spreading across his face.

"Ah, Brother Matsuji, you have a child now? I had no idea."

"Haha, you two kids are about the same age now. You should hurry back and find someone to marry. The Ninja World is peaceful now, but that might not be the case in a few years."

The older ninja shared his experience, while his two companions blushed. One of them even secretly sized up his Captain, his mind filled with unrealistic fantasies.

The older ninja observed everything, shook his head imperceptibly, and immediately changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, Captain, you're really something. I remember during the Third Shinobi World War, on the battlefield in Iwagakure, Captain blew up an Iwagakure fortress with a single Tailed Beast Bomb Ball. If it were us, we would have suffered countless casualties."

The young man who had been spying on Yugito nodded repeatedly. "Back in the Third Shinobi World War, our team even covered for the Captain together. At that time, the Captain was only fourteen years old and couldn't even control his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. Now he has grown into a capable leader."

Yugito hair tied in a high ponytail, smiled, revealing her fangs, and twirled the Ninja Blade at her waist with her fingertips. "There are no great figures here. If it weren't for everyone's protection, I would have been gone long ago. Now it's my turn to protect everyone; it's only right that I do it."

After saying that, she stood up and walked towards the cave entrance. "You've all had a long day, go inside and rest. I'll keep watch tonight, and we'll set off for the return journey at dawn."

The three team members didn't stand on ceremony with her, packed their sleeping bags, and retreated deeper into the cave to avoid the wind. Soon, even snoring filled the air.

Yugito leaned against the granite at the cave entrance, his hand resting on the hilt of his Ninja Blade, his sharp gaze sweeping across the outside.

Amidst the raging wind and snow, the Gekko was obscured by snow clouds, plunging the outside world into darkness. The Yugito heightened focus, listened intently to every sound, its ears trembling slightly.

Around four in the morning, when people are most tired, the wind and snow had stopped, and the whole world seemed exceptionally quiet.

A figure crept silently into the darkness, a hoarse voice breaking the silence. "Yugito Nii, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Yugito instantly drew his sword and stood up, his eyes fixed on the figure in the darkness. "Who goes there!"

The Gekko parted the clouds, illuminating the black robe embroidered with red clouds on the man's body.

"You're... a member of the Akatsuki? You're not going to be mice anymore?" Yugito laughed loudly.

"Ignorant little girl."

Kakuzu didn't say much. After a mocking laugh, the black tentacles of the Earth Grudge Fear shot out from his sleeve and rushed straight at Yugito with a whooshing sound.

On the surrounding snow, rows of Earth Style is a type of magic) spears continuously thrust from the ground, compressing the space Yugito were hiding.

The Yugito its sword, the impact of which made her hands go numb. Alarm bells rang in her mind instantly; her opponent's strength far surpassed that of an ordinary ninja.

Before she could think any further, Kakuzu had already wrapped himself around her, his tentacles baring their claws and blocking her way back to the cave. Every move was a grappling hook, giving her no chance to break free.

Yugito was getting increasingly agitated. From the standoff to the start of the battle, she had already made quite a commotion, and her companions should have been awake by now.

Judging from their attack stance, they were clearly trying to entangle her: there were other people on their side!

Sure enough, a short, painful scream came from deep within the cave.

Yugito's eyes widened in fury. She frantically cleaved through the tentacles blocking her path and turned to rush back into the cave.

Kakuzu seemed to be running out of strength and relaxed his attack intensity. He only followed Yugito after Yugito rushed into the cave.

Yugito entered the cave, its steps immediately came to a halt.

Deep inside the cave, where the team members used to sleep, an Akatsuki member stood covered in blood, a maniacal grin on his face.

At his feet, the three teammates who had been joking with him just moments before were staring wide-eyed in disbelief.

The older team members, who could have gone home to spend time with their sons on vacation, are now lying on the cold ground.

The boy who had been spying on him was still looking at him, but his eyes had lost their sparkle.

Yugito could hardly believe her eyes. Her eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and a blue Chakra tail quietly formed behind her.

"Those three inside have been dealt with; now it's your turn."

Hiruko looked at Yugito a smirk, defiantly forming hand seals as he did so.

"I've only just mastered this move, so don't move, or you'll miss! Hahahaha!"

Enraged, Yugito was no longer willing to waste words with the enemy and charged towards Hiruko with a leap of his foot.

But then, Kakuzu's hoarse voice came from behind.

"Your opponent is me; it's impolite to turn your back on me."

Numerous tentacles wrapped around him from behind, Yugito to turn around and deal with Kakuzu's entanglement once again.

This time, however, Kakuzu clearly abandoned his previous fighting style. His limbs transformed into long tentacles, which coiled Yugito from all directions like snakes.

On the other side, Hiruko Hand Seals.

Storm Release: Light Fang

A bright purple Storm Release laser instantly condensed, completely Kakuzu Kakuzu's ongoing entanglement with Yugito, and swept towards the two of them around the waist.

The commotion behind her was naturally noticed by Yugito. At this moment, she didn't even want to know why the other party would use Storm Release. The bright purple laser made her scalp tingle. If she were hit in the waist, she would definitely be cut in two.

But damn it, another Akatsuki member clung to him like glue, and since this was the entrance to a cave, there wasn't much room to dodge.

With the Storm Release: Lightning Bolt already close at hand, a burst of Chakra suddenly erupted from the Yugito golem's feet, propelling it out of the cave. At the same time, it twisted its body to hold the "dog skin plaster" in front of it, and its tail formed a shield, adding another layer of obstruction.

"Swoosh! As expected of Storm Release, its penetrating power is terrifying. As the laser swept across, the shield made of Tailed Beast Chakra was the first to break in two."

The next instant, Kakuzu, Kakuzu was standing in front of him, did not last long. He was split in two at the waist, with his lower half slumped to the ground, while his upper half was still hanging on Yugito.

Even with two layers of obstruction, the power of Storm Release should not be underestimated.

While in mid-air, the Yugito its abdomen, and upon landing, its legs buckled and it nearly fell to the ground.

Staggering out of the cave, the Yugito ripped off the half-corpse still wrapped around its body with one hand and threw it hard at its feet, while quickly clutching its abdomen with the other.

At this moment, Hiruko staggered Earth Flow the cave, glanced at Yugito, then at the half-destroyed Kakuzu at her feet, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh dear, you're still alive? Your life is much tougher than those three dead ghosts in the cave."

Hiruko's behavior was despicable; she directly used Yugito's companions to provoke her, but the effect was remarkable.

The tragic death of his companion and his severely injured body completely unleashed Yugito's inner turmoil.

"You beast, I'll kill you!"

The Tailed Beast Chakra erupted once more, and a second tail was slowly forming behind its rear end.

"Puff"

Lightning Style: False Darkness.

A lightning spear pierced through the Yugito's abdomen from behind, and the intense electric current instantly paralyzed her entire body.

"Water Style - Water Prison Technique"

A large amount of water gushed from the ground, forming a spherical Water Prison that further suppressed her struggles.

Yugito let out a muffled groan, her eyes filled with disbelief. She turned her head with difficulty, and what came into view were two masked tentacle monsters extending from the "corpse" she had just thrown away.

The next moment, she lost the strength to open her eyes and completely fell into a coma.

The Water Prison Technique dissipated, and the masked monsters regrouped. After a burst of pupae, Kakuzu stood up again.

Hiruko up and kicked Yugito's cheek, then turned to Kakuzu, who was tending to his wounds Kakuzu, and asked, "Dead?"

Kakuzu pulled a shattered earth-elemental heart from his chest and casually tossed it onto the snow. "He's unconscious, but as long as he's alive, that's all we need. Hurry up and get out of here, I've lost a heart this time!"

Hiruko chuckled and hoisted Yugito onto his shoulder, "The mission is complete. Trading one heart for Two-Tails Jinchuriki is a sure win. Once we return and complete the mission, you can exchange it for another one."

The two quickly cleaned up the surrounding traces and disappeared into the depths of the mountains in the newly lit morning light.

All that remained were three cold, lifeless corpses of Cloud Ninja in the cave, and a broken heart that rolled in the snow, slowly freezing solid.