Calculation

In Akihamaru's small courtyard, Kato Osamu held a scroll and looked at it with great interest. He had secretly sneaked into the Hozuki Clan's secret room and made a great haul, with countless secrets of the Mist Shinobi and various Water Release scrolls.

Fortunately, his soul power far surpassed that of ordinary people, and with a little effort, he could achieve a near-photographic memory...

"I've always been curious about one thing... how do you manage to avoid being discovered by the Hozuki Clan?"

"As far as I know, the Hozuki Clan's scrolls are stored in a secret chamber. Although the guards aren't particularly tight, it's because of a special Sealing Formula that only members of the Hozuki Clan can access it..."

Akihamaru now seems to have broken free of his shackles, and he is more talkative than before. He doesn't seem to mind Kato Osamu eating and drinking at his place, and even discusses training and sparring with him.

The search he had been waiting for for several days did not materialize. The peaceful Mist Shinobi and the peaceful Hozuki Clan stirred up countless waves in his heart.

While asking the question seemingly casually, her gaze was unmistakably fixed on Kato Osamu, who was leisurely sipping tea and reading a book.

"Have you always been this blunt during all these years as a spy?"

He raised his eyes slightly, took a sip of tea, and then looked away again. Kato Osamu hadn't practiced the Five Elements Release Techniques much before, and these copied Water Release Scrolls made up for his lack of conventional means of combat.

"First, I can be fairly certain that you do not have the bloodline of the Hozuki Clan. Second, judging from the Hozuki Clan's reaction, they must not even know that you once entered their clan's territory."

"And the scrolls and information you possess do indeed originate from the Hozuki Clan..."

Akihamaru looked at Kato Osamu with a slightly solemn expression, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"Generally speaking, to obtain confidential information about a family, you need an insider with absolute knowledge as a source; otherwise, it would take years..."

"And you're new here, and based on my understanding of the Hozuki Clan, it's impossible for someone of unknown identity to gain the trust of anyone within their family..."

"So..."

Kato Osamu narrowed her eyes slightly, slowly raised her head, and calmly looked at Akihamaru. A subtle light seemed to flash across their eyes as they met.

"So... prying into someone's secrets comes at a price..."

"Do you understand, Akiba Gekko..."

With a cold, stern gaze meeting Akihamaru's, seemingly resisting some kind of pressure, Akihamaru took a deep breath, his eyes still holding a rock-solid resolve as he stared into Kato Osamu's eyes and spoke, word by word.

"The Kato Clan, who wield souls, were already famous in the Shinobi World during the Warring States period. They are indifferent to harm and silent. Even a Genin has a high chance of killing a clan leader without being harmed. They were once the nightmare of many large and small clans."

But even so, they have already become the target of everyone's hatred. Of the Kato Clan now, you are probably the only one still active in the Shinobi World...

"If you're just talking about things that happened in an era you don't even know, then you'll understand what keeps this person active..."

Kato Osamu slowly withdrew his gaze, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but the fluctuations of his soul spread silently, and no movement in the entire courtyard could escape his sight.

"What's most important to a person? It's their soul! If I'm not mistaken, you seem to be able to..."

"Controlling other people's souls!"

Before he could finish speaking, Akihamaru's already tense body seemed to be completely immersed in solid ice. A cold and piercing pain instantly surrounded him from all sides, and an unprecedented sense of suffocation filled his body.

"As expected of a secret agent lurking in the most hidden Mist Shinobi, he can guess so much from just the slightest clues..."

"I never thought you would be such a fool..."

"Without a reasonable explanation, you wouldn't want to know what else I can do..."

Akihamaru offered no resistance, surrendering without a fight, which puzzled Kato Osamu. He slowly loosened the restraints on Akiba Maru's soul power, allowing the already bloodshot-eyed Akihamaru to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Call..."

"That's really terrifying..."

Gently calming his breathing, Akihamaru wore a faint smile.

"Perhaps we all know that if this gets out, you will be feared and ostracized by everyone, and countless so-called big shots will want to kill you."

"So what you're thinking about now is silencing me..."

"I'm willing to pay the price for this, but I want to ask you..."

"Help me investigate something!"

Akihamaru's face was filled with reminiscence and silence, which was followed by a gentle smile, but it was fleeting.

"Ugh, the stench of romance is overwhelming..."

"Perhaps I can already roughly guess..."

"It's another cliché plot involving a woman and an undercover agent..."

Kato Osamu's confusion lessened slightly, but she still coldly watched the guy who stood ramrod straight, seemingly still lost in his own self-absorption.

Spies, politicians, and actors are generally not very trustworthy.

What if I don't help?

"I'm not that kind as to help you play any dating games. Besides, you should know that you probably won't leave this place unscathed, even if you don't fight back..."

"Thump..."

Without saying much, Akihamaru simply knelt upright on the ground, his forehead deeply embedded in the earth, silent, the ground already stained crimson.

I once heard a saying...

"Life is precious, love is more precious, but freedom is the most valuable of all..."

"If it weren't for what happened today, you could go anywhere in the Shinobi World, escape the life you're tired of, find a gentle and virtuous woman, and live a comfortable and peaceful life..."

"Having been a spy for so many years, I imagine you must have had ways to conceal your identity..."

"Wouldn't it be good to live a peaceful and joyful life like this?"

Akihamaru didn't speak, but remained silent, repeatedly pounding the ground.

"I really underestimated you..."

Gazing silently at Akihamaru's bloodied and mangled forehead, Kato Osamu remained silent for a long while, his eyes narrowed, a surge of anger rising within him for no apparent reason.

"You know I have the means to remove the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, and even the possibility of controlling souls as you mentioned."

So you probably already understand that the outcome of today's events will be: I'm controlling your life and death in some way, which puts my mind at ease, so you won't die, and you'll achieve your desired goal."

"The reason is probably that my stay here these past few days, and your interactions with me, have made you realize that I'm unlikely to be the kind of person who's bloodthirsty, and that I can be swayed by certain so-called human emotions, causing things to develop in the direction you want..."

"So you anticipated the general direction of things, and habitually resorted to your methods, attempting to draw me into your thoughts..."

"You can probably understand that I have some conflicts with Konoha that are almost impossible to resolve, so I need some help."

Even if I control your life, you won't be in much danger; in fact, I might even need to rely on your strength.

Perhaps at some point in the future, I will still consider you a trustworthy person and remove the means of controlling you...

Kato Osamu paused, but his eyes remained fixed on Akihamaru's eyes; he trusted his judgment.

"That's what you think, isn't it...?"

Akihamaru had already raised his head at some point, his eyes filled with a look of utter disbelief, as if he were looking at a monster, mixed with a certain fear.

He suddenly felt a pang of regret. If controlling a soul was terrifying enough, then someone standing right in front of you, able to read out your innermost thoughts almost word for word, was far more terrifying than using force to subdue someone.

He just kept his Adam's apple bobbing, unsure how to begin.

I really don't like that expression of yours...

"If you were to fight me today, even if you lost, I would still respect you as someone of importance..."

"Instead of scheming against everything, yet still kneeling on the ground like a bug..."

"What comes out of the Root is indeed all residue!"

Akihamaru took a deep breath and slowly stood up. Blood from his forehead slowly flowed down his cheek, the crimson blood mixed with dust, shimmering dazzlingly in the sunlight.

"I'm so sorry you had to see this..."

"Perhaps... you're right..."

Kato Osamu stood up, gave a soft hum, and slowly walked out of the courtyard, ignoring Akihamaru who was standing in the courtyard.

In the misty, hazy autumn air, the fallen leaves were covered with layers of dewy luster, and a gentle breeze carried a few scattered leaves, which landed on Akihamaru's shoulder.

As if snapping out of his daze, he watched Kato Osamu's departing figure with a complex expression, then suddenly shouted out loud.

"I crave passion! I crave to fight without hesitation!"

Righteous and awe-inspiring! His heroic spirit was like that of a hero. He would die without regret! He sacrificed his life for the Pure Land in his heart!

You also aspire to be that kind of person, don't you? You also yearn for these wonderful qualities, don't you?

But you too have felt ashamed of yourself! You too have humbled yourself!

Akihamaru's voice trailed off, tinged with melancholy, and his expression grew even more somber.

"Sometimes, once a person loses something, they can never get it back..."

"You know... you... you'll never become that kind of person, right..."

"The residue from the Root..."

Are you... talking about yourself too?