At this moment, inside a secluded mountain cave.
Nine hazy, illusory figures gathered together.
"Uchiha Itachi—what exactly is going on in Konoha?"
"What do you mean?"
Itachi frowned slightly.
"We've received new intelligence. Recently, Konoha suffered another disturbance, but Akimichi Chōza turned the entire battlefield around using a terrifying technique."
Pain spoke calmly.
"Do you know anything about this?"
"Akimichi Chōza?"
Itachi paused, visibly surprised.
In his impression, Chōza was certainly strong—but someone capable of reversing a battlefield?
That sounded absurd.
"The Expansion Jutsu is powerful, but that's its limit. Most likely, the enemy was simply too weak."
Kisame chuckled from the side.
"If it were me, no matter how big he got, it wouldn't matter."
Itachi fell silent, thinking for a long time.
Finally, he spoke again.
"I don't have precise information. It's likely the Akimichi clan achieved a breakthrough after I left. However, we did obtain another piece of intelligence."
"Oh?"
"Recently, Konoha produced a genius named Yagyū Souma. He excels at creating ninjutsu. Konoha's recent changes may be closely tied to him."
As Itachi finished speaking, laughter echoed through the cave.
He glanced sideways.
Hidan met his gaze without restraint, laughing maniacally.
"A kid? No matter how talented, how strong could he be? Still—maybe a genius like that would make a fine sacrifice to Lord Jashin!"
"Hidan. Mind your manners."
"Yes, yes, of course."
Hidan answered lazily, with no respect whatsoever, even shooting a provocative look toward Pain and Itachi.
But he stopped there.
Kakuzu, however, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"Yagyū Souma… that name sounds familiar."
"You've heard of him too?"
Pain turned toward Kakuzu.
"Let me think."
Kakuzu squinted, then laughed.
"I remember now. He has a massive bounty on the black market—double that of Sarutobi Asuma. I didn't expect him to be just a kid."
Pain's eyes narrowed.
Asuma was a Konoha elite jōnin—his strength unquestionable, even among Akatsuki.
And yet—
A child worth twice his price?
That was absurd.
Black market bounties were subjective, but for someone to pay seventy million…
That alone spoke volumes.
"Itachi—have you fought him?"
Pain asked, looking at Itachi and Kisame.
Itachi considered briefly.
"His taijutsu and swordsmanship are extremely strong. I had to activate my Mangekyō Sharingan just to keep up with him."
Kisame nodded.
"In pure taijutsu, Itachi-san was indeed at a disadvantage. But from what I saw, Souma doesn't excel in ninjutsu. Against my Water Release, he struggled somewhat."
Itachi paused, then added:
"He also possesses a technique that completely erases his presence. Even sensory perception becomes useless—unless one has the Sharingan or Byakugan—and even then, you still need the speed to follow him."
"Completely gone?"
Even Pain looked surprised.
Now it made sense why Itachi and Kisame had failed—and reportedly needed time to recover afterward.
Konoha truly could not be underestimated.
"Do you need support?"
Pain asked.
"For now, no. Jiraiya has already left Konoha with Naruto. We'll test the situation soon."
Kakuzu grinned.
"If I hunt down that Souma, it won't interfere with your plans, will it?"
"It won't."
"Souma-sama… I never expected you to actually leave Konoha."
Kabuto Yakushi was visibly excited.
Souma leaving Konoha was both a restriction and an opportunity.
Kabuto knew himself well—without Souma, he wouldn't know what to do next.
Now, however—
Souma had come.
"This trip is mainly for experience. The Sound Village is the priority. The Daimyō is secondary."
Souma glanced at Kabuto.
"You leaving Konoha like this—no problems?"
"None at all. I'm assisting with trade matters tied to the Daimyō. I used that excuse to come out—and happened to run into you."
Kabuto bowed respectfully.
"I see."
Souma narrowed his eyes slightly.
Kabuto really was adept at exploiting loopholes.
And honestly—
Having Kabuto in the capital was useful.
Especially for managing the Sound Village—things Souma couldn't do openly while in Konoha.
"How is the Sound Village?"
"Everything is stable. Though Jūgo remains difficult—his impulses are restrained by kikaichū, but he's still troublesome at times. Also…"
Kabuto hesitated.
"The one you asked me to watch—Karin—hopes to see you."
"I'll meet her when I have time."
Souma nodded.
"And her progress?"
"Excellent aptitude for fuinjutsu. She's still a beginner, but she grasped several basic sealing techniques with ease. She also has strong medical and sensory talent…"
Kabuto reported carefully.
Souma listened, expression unchanged.
"Kabuto—Orochimaru's curse marks. You handled those, didn't you?"
"Yes—but I've stopped all replication attempts. No one is trying to recreate them."
Kabuto hurried to explain, inwardly panicking.
Had he crossed a line?
"No need to be afraid. I just need your help."
Souma continued calmly.
"I have an idea."
He explained his plan—
Using his own senjutsu chakra, combined with the Yin Seal and curse mark techniques, to grant Sakura-niwa Sadataki a controlled form of power.
Kabuto's eyes lit up.
"This… is possible!"
Unlike Orochimaru's brutal method of implanting Jūgo's flesh, this version was far safer.
Failure would at worst cause injury—not corruption.
"I can assist. And if you need a test subject…"
Kabuto clenched his teeth.
"I'll be the first."
Souma raised an eyebrow.
"You're sure? Curse marks aren't just gifts. They come with control mechanisms. I can do the same."
"I understand."
Kabuto answered without hesitation.
"If I don't have your mark, you won't fully trust me anyway. This way, I gain your trust—and your power."
Souma chuckled softly.
"You really thought this through."
Kabuto had no illusions.
Souma already had countless methods to control him.
One more hardly mattered.
"And only a test subject truly understands the technique."
Kabuto added.
Souma smiled.
"I finally understand why Orochimaru valued you so highly."
"Y-You flatter me!"
Kabuto bowed, sweat forming on his brow.
"I've refined this in my mind for days. Even if it fails, there won't be side effects."
Kabuto's heart skipped.
Days?
That felt… reckless.
But retreat was impossible now.
"When do we begin?"
"Now."
Souma replied calmly.
Kabuto froze.
No preparation?!
But it was too late.
He created a shadow clone to assist, then sat down and began explaining Orochimaru's original procedure.
Rustling sounds echoed behind him.
Before fear could take hold—
Chakra surged into his body.
A formula formed over his chest.
Then—
A mass of chakra and flesh pierced into his body via chakra needles.
The flesh writhed… and grew.
Kabuto stared wide-eyed.
Such regeneration—
Only Hashirama's cells had shown anything like this.
Not identical—but similar.
Was this… a pseudo Sage Body?
No wonder Souma was so powerful.
Layer by layer, Souma implanted flesh, Yin Seal constructs, and senjutsu chakra.
Finally, he completed the curse mark.
A symbol appeared on Kabuto's chest.
At first resembling Orochimaru's—
Then changing.
It bloomed like a lotus.
A red core at its center.
Souma paused.
This looked strangely Buddhist.
Perhaps the influence of senjutsu chakra.
"How do you feel?"
Kabuto blinked.
He looked down—
It worked.
Perfectly.
This power was nothing like Orochimaru's curse mark.
No erosion. No madness.
Only control.
His chakra flowed through the seal—
And was stored.
Kabuto's eyes widened.
"So that's it…!"
"Stored normally. Released when needed."
Souma said calmly.
"Less explosive than Orochimaru's, but vastly safer."
"And your flesh absorbs natural energy…"
"More or less."
Kabuto bowed deeply.
"I will serve you with everything I have, Souma-sama."
Souma smiled faintly.
"Observe the effects. There's room for refinement."
"Yes!"
Kabuto lowered his head, eyes burning with devotion.
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