Xuan Yu looked at Utakata and casually said something that left him dumbfounded. "Your teacher wasn't trying to get you killed. He was doing everything he could to lift the curse on you."
Utakata's wary expression shifted to one of shock and unease.
He forced down the emotions surging inside him and said to Xuan Yu, "What are you talking about? You don't know anything!"
His teacher was the last thing he wanted to talk about.
Still, during his years of living alone in the forest, he would sometimes find himself thinking about the time he had spent with his teacher.
Even without Xuan Yu's words, he had wondered whether he might have misunderstood his teacher. But after finally leaving Kirigakure, he no longer wanted to go back and investigate the truth.
Seeing the pain on Utakata's face, Xuan Yu secretly felt that he might be getting somewhere.
Utakata wasn't unreasonable, to begin with. Besides, everything Xuan Yu had said was true.
So Xuan Yu pressed his advantage. "Even if I didn't say anything, you should have noticed some clues about your misunderstanding of your teacher. Why don't you think carefully about it? Are there really no inconsistencies in the idea that your teacher was persecuting you?"
"The truth is just as I said: he never meant to hurt you, and he was always trying to find a way to lift your curse. If you don't believe me, you can go back to Kirigakure and investigate for yourself. Of course, there's a faster way. I can take you to the island where you used to live and investigate what happened there."
The more Xuan Yu said, the worse Utakata's expression became.
Back then, he'd thought his teacher was going to kill him. Overwhelmed by terror and fury, the thing inside him had gone berserk and killed everyone, including his teacher.
There were some suspicious details about what had happened, but Utakata still didn't believe the truth was as Xuan Yu described it.
He asked warily, "Why did you come looking for me? And why are you telling me all this?"
This time, Xuan Yu shamelessly made up a story with a straight face. "I just told you that your teacher was devoted to finding a way to lift the curse inside you. He once went to my teacher for help, but my teacher didn't know how to solve the problem back then, either."
"But that's changed. My teacher has figured out how to lift your curse, so I came to the Land of Water to help you, in accordance with the agreement our teachers made."
"After asking around in the Land of Water, I learned that you and your teacher had apparently had a falling-out, and that you'd already left. I had to spend quite a while searching before I found you here."
Utakata shook his head. "I can't trust you. My teacher never told me about any of this, and I don't believe I really misunderstood him. Please leave."
Xuan Yu knew this wouldn't be resolved easily, but he still didn't make a move against Utakata.
It would be easy enough to verify whether what he'd said was true.
All Utakata had to do was return to the island where he and his teacher had once lived and investigate carefully. Then the truth would come to light.
With that in mind, Xuan Yu continued, "Whether or not you believe me, I'll honor the agreement our teachers made. And I can use Space-Time Ninjutsu to send you back to that island without anyone noticing. Once you're there, you'll be able to find out for yourself whether I'm telling the truth."
"Space-Time Ninjutsu?" Utakata looked thoughtful.
He wouldn't dare return to the island near Kirigakure by normal means.
He was now a missing-nin from Kirigakure, an enemy of the Land of Water's shinobi.
But if he could slip in unnoticed, he really did want to know the truth.
The only problem was that he still had no idea what this mercenary in front of him was really after.
As Utakata struggled with the decision, Xuan Yu delivered another blow. "Are you only brave enough to live in the false reality you've made for yourself? Don't you have the courage to face the truth? Never mind that I have Space-Time Ninjutsu and can take you there to find out what happened."
"Your teacher cared for you and looked after you. You owe it to him to go back and learn the truth, no matter the cost!"
Xuan Yu's words rang out with conviction.
The wariness in Utakata's eyes gradually gave way to pain, guilt, and deep uncertainty.
But he didn't struggle with the decision for long. He raised his head again.
Xuan Yu was right. Apart from what had happened that night, his teacher hadn't done anything to wrong him.
Now that he had a chance to learn the truth, he really should go back.
Even if Xuan Yu was lying, Utakata could still protect himself to some extent.
He still couldn't properly control the monster inside him, but if he let it run completely wild, nobody would be able to do anything to him.
As for the deaths, injuries, and suffering it caused while rampaging, those wouldn't be his problem.
He wouldn't do that unless he had no other choice.
With that thought, Utakata gave a slight nod. "I'll go back with you and take a look. But if you've deceived me, I won't let it go!"
Xuan Yu replied casually, "I have no reason to deceive you. Let's go."
As he spoke, his form blurred and disappeared into a transparent vortex.
When he reappeared, he was behind Utakata.
Before Utakata could react, Xuan Yu took him along and activated Kamui again, heading for the island where Utakata and his teacher had lived.
Since Xuan Yu had never been there before, the two of them could only travel to somewhere nearby.
They were undoubtedly lucky: they landed right at the edge of the island.
Back in a familiar place, Utakata didn't rush to the wooden cabin and cave where he'd once lived. Instead, he warily surveyed his surroundings before finally turning his gaze to Xuan Yu.
His eyes were full of astonishment. He had never encountered a Space-Time Ninjutsu like Kamui before.
Xuan Yu said offhandedly, "There's no need to be surprised. It's only one of my many abilities. If I didn't have powerful techniques like this, I wouldn't be able to help lift your curse. Now go investigate the truth. I'm short on time, so I can't stay here with you forever."
Utakata silently nodded, took a deep breath, and headed toward the place where he and his teacher had once lived.
Xuan Yu followed beside him at an unhurried pace, casually taking in their surroundings.
The island was already very close to Kirigakure, but he had no intention of going there.
After a quick look around, Xuan Yu realized that choosing Utakata as his target had been a very wise decision.
He knew the Three-Tails lived in the wild, and he knew it was hiding in a vast lake.
But he could now say with certainty that even with that information, finding the Three-Tails would still be difficult.
After all, there were many lakes around the island where Utakata and his teacher had lived, and they were all much like the kind of lake the Three-Tails inhabited.
Before you continue