Uchiha Itachi

In the days that followed, Kazan took Kurenai to make a home in the Forest of Death.

When people heard Kazan had moved into the Forest of Death, their expressions were a sight to behold.

But anyone who knew him figured that, terrifying as Kazan was, the beasts in the forest probably couldn't even bite through his skin if they ambushed him.

Compared with those beasts, Kazan was more of a beast himself, so everyone left him to it.

Outside the Forest of Death, the contest for Fourth Hokage was growing more intense.

With Orochimaru out of the running, more and more people chose to back Minato Namikaze.

Barring any surprises, Minato Namikaze would still become the Fourth Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was already preparing to take Minato Namikaze to meet the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Choosing a Hokage was no small matter. Konoha depended on the Land of Fire, and the daimyo had to be informed whenever the village selected one.

But with Hiruzen Sarutobi's strong recommendation, the trip should go smoothly.

Kazan paid no attention to village affairs.

One day, Kazan carried the Kubikiribōchō as he made his usual rounds, pushing the beasts of the Forest of Death through their Senjutsu training.

For the first time, he saw the blade's advantages.

It handled those enormous creatures far more easily than a kitchen knife.

Better yet, it needed no maintenance. If the blade chipped, he only had to bleed some disobedient beast, and it would repair itself.

After he chopped up a few and put them in the pot, all the beasts fell in line. They trained even harder than humans did, because slacking meant a beating—and possibly ending up in the pot themselves.

Kazan had even given them names.

The golden lion was called Golden Lion.

The