Tagitsuhime, with snakeberries as her reward, was finally motivated.
The sensing ability of senjutsu chakra began to activate.
"Sensei, what is Tagitsuhime-sama doing?"
Haku watched as Tagitsuhime coiled up, closed her serpent eyes, and remained completely still. He couldn't help but ask curiously.
Gekko Chizan patiently explained to Haku.
"Haku, you need to understand that although we usually cultivate chakra, in this world, chakra is not absolute."
"Some civilians cannot refine chakra, so they cannot become shinobi. But there is another group of people who can elevate chakra to a higher level."
"That is senjutsu, also known as natural energy. Tagitsuhime is a crimson serpent who has cultivated for who knows how many years."
"And senjutsu chakra has a characteristic—it can sense the people and things around it."
"As for you, focus on training your ninjutsu first. When you grow up and can stand on your own, you might also come into contact with senjutsu."
When Gekko Chizan said this, he wasn't thinking about the three great sacred lands.
He was thinking about Orochimaru.
When it came to researching senjutsu, Orochimaru was already a successful example. With Jūgo's innate natural energy body, the progress of the Cursed Seal's refinement had advanced even faster than he had imagined.
If they could control the Cursed Seal in the future, even a pseudo-senjutsu body would be an invaluable asset.
After all, to deal with the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, senjutsu energy was indispensable.
Having people around him who possessed natural energy was beneficial to him.
Just imagine—if the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki really appeared…
Wait, that's not right. If the Ten-Tails appeared, what would happen to him???
Damn it, he was the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki!
No, this won't do. He had to hurry up and wipe out the Akatsuki. He absolutely could not let them succeed!
"Tagitsuhime, wha—"
"Chizan, something's not right. On the northern side of this island, it seems like unrest is breaking out."
"From the looks of it… it might be Kumogakure attacking?"
What???
What kind of situation was this?
Kumogakure attacking?
Was this a joke? A peace treaty had already been signed. Did they really dare to attack so openly?
"Tagitsuhime, you're not joking, are you?"
"No matter what, Kumogakure can't just invade the Land of Water, right?"
Gekko Chizan's eyes widened. He simply couldn't believe what Tagitsuhime was saying.
Faced with his doubt, Tagitsuhime nearly exploded on the spot.
"You still don't believe me?"
"Then why don't you just fly up and take a look yourself??"
"The sounds of fighting in the north are intense."
Gekko Chizan wasted no time. Transparent Release activated, and he leapt straight out the window. Before leaving, he said to Tagitsuhime and Haku:
"Tagitsuhime, watch Haku. I'll be back soon."
Without the Coiling Serpent Technique on him, and without having gathered natural energy in advance, he didn't use senjutsu flight.
Instead, two wings formed at his waist, and he flew straight into the sky.
The higher you stand, the farther you see—there was nothing wrong with that saying. From the sky, Gekko Chizan saw the unrest Tagitsuhime had mentioned.
But the opposing side didn't look like Kumogakure shinobi.
They looked more like… pirates???
There were bandits on land and pirates at sea—but how had this group of pirates ended up robbing onshore?
Something felt off.
To verify his suspicion, he flew directly toward the center of the battle.
"Move! Everyone! Hurry up!"
"Hey, hey! Don't grab useless stuff! Take whatever's valuable! Do I need to teach you that too?!"
A pirate boss glared at the small-time pirates under his command, cursing in frustration at their incompetence.
But judging by his demeanor, there was an unmistakable sense of inexperience.
"Uh… tea—no, Boss! Don't worry, we'll make sure to grab the expensive stuff!"
"Yeah! If you see something valuable, don't hesitate! Take it all back for me!!!"
There were a lot of pirates in this wave—over a hundred of them.
From the sky, Gekko Chizan watched these utterly unprofessional pirates and suddenly fell into deep thought.
At that moment, someone voiced the doubt in his heart.
"Hey, Chizan, don't you think they're kind of like your old disciples back then?"
"Just getting into this line of work—excited and thrilled at first—but in the end, they can't even do it properly."
Chōmei spoke while munching on insects, offering his own commentary.
His words made Gekko Chizan nod repeatedly.
"I had that same feeling just now."
"Looks like these Kumogakure guys learned a few tricks. However others robbed them before, they're just doing the same to others, huh?"
"They even threw on a bunch of ragged clothes. The acting's pretty decent."
He was already certain—this so-called pirate group was actually Kumogakure shinobi disguised as pirates, running to the prosperous Northern Three Islands of the Land of Water to carry out looting.
"Hmm? Looks like Kirigakure won't just let their country suffer this kind of loss."
"They reacted pretty quickly…"
"The one leading them… that blade…"
Suddenly, a figure entered Gekko Chizan's sight.
A massive Executioner's Blade.
And a face covered in markings.
Wasn't that Jūzō Biwa?
Shouldn't this guy have already left Kirigakure?
Why was he still here?
That was puzzling…
"Hmph! Pirates? I doubt it."
"Shameless Kumogakure shinobi. You actually dare to use such despicable tactics?"
"Water Release! Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Jūzō Biwa was considered a high-ranking figure in Kirigakure. Having experienced war, just like Gekko Chizan, he harbored serious doubts about the identity of these pirates.
At this juncture, the only village bold enough to openly attack the Land of Water was Kumogakure.
Very quickly, both sides clashed in battle.
Seeing this, a deeply cunning smile appeared on Gekko Chizan's face.
"Hey, Chizan, that smile of yours is really sleazy. What are you planning to do?"
"Don't tell me you're going to loot while the fire's still burning??"
Hearing Chōmei's words, Gekko Chizan couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter like a goose.
"Hon hon hon~ You guessed right. That's exactly what I'm planning."
"The situation's this chaotic right now. Even if I make a move, Kirigakure definitely won't suspect me."
Gekko Chizan was the type who left nothing behind—whether eating or drinking, he cleaned everything out. How could he possibly miss such a heaven-sent opportunity?
With that thought, he didn't hesitate for even a second and dove straight down.
His speed was so fast that Chōmei clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Tsk tsk tsk. I thought Kumogakure was already miserable enough."
"Sigh. Now it seems my vision was too limited."
"No matter which village you run to, that village ends up being the unlucky one."
Gekko Chizan ignored whatever Chōmei said.
Right now, with piles of wealth right before his eyes, he had no other thoughts at all.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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