At this time, Orochimaru had not yet defected, so Haku was still living happily with his family of three.
His Kekkei Genkai had not yet awakened, nor had it been discovered.
Even if it had awakened, Takuno did not plan on seeking him out right now. Consider it one of his few acts of kindness, allowing him to enjoy that happy life a little longer.
As for helping him solve his problems, he didn't have the spare time for that.
Besides, he wanted Haku to prepare for the future, and that would definitely have to wait until after the Nine-Tails Attack, so whether he captured him now or not was irrelevant.
Moreover, for him, it was somewhat useful for Haku to grow up smoothly into the subordinate who could be easily manipulated, just like in the original work.
Takuno calculated the time. He would be returning to Konoha soon, so he needed to quickly resolve the issue with Jugo.
The next moment, his figure disappeared inside the experimental base... In a mountain forest near the Land of Waterfalls, there was a very peculiar village.
They had normal houses, but some, seeking harmony with nature, lived in caves. They had dug out habitable caverns one by one on the face of the large mountain.
And Jugo, the target Takuno was looking for, was born in this village.
However, due to Jugo's constitution, he was prone to unintentionally absorbing excessive Natural Energy, and since he had no means of controlling Natural Energy, he often lost control and went berserk.
Therefore, Jugo spent most of his time living in the mountains outside the village so that he wouldn't harm his companions and villagers when he went berserk.
As for Jugo's survival, since he could understand the language of nature, he rarely lacked food, and he had caves to live in. Furthermore, his constitution meant he was mostly free of illness, so he actually had no difficulties in life.
On this day, Jugo, as usual, walked aimlessly through the forest with his not-too-small body.
With an expressionless face, he listened to the various sounds coming from the animals.
Suddenly, he heard a small bird's cry of alarm, indicating that a giant, swallow-like figure had appeared in the sky.
"A swallow? Giant? Is it a new type of animal?" Jugo couldn't help but wonder.
Then, he saw the black-clad figure wearing a fox mask descending from the sky. Behind the figure were massive wings formed by a power that instinctively terrified him, making him look like a giant swallow.
Takuno looked at Jugo, a hint of surprise in his eyes. The boy was only two or three years old, right?
That physique? He truly lived up to his reputation as the tallest man in Naruto; this trait was evident even from childhood.
"Are you Jugo?" Takuno asked.
"I am. Who are you?" Jugo asked curiously. Being so young, he didn't know how to be wary yet.
"Me? I am... Never mind, that's not important." Takuno had originally wanted to use his familiar opening line again, but since the boy was alone, there was no one to spread the word.
Currently, his title as the ninja who collects strange artifacts had spread within a certain radius, and in more than one location. This identity was sometimes useful, so he had maintained it.
"Jugo, you are troubled by the fact that you go berserk, aren't you?" Takuno asked, looking at Jugo.
Jugo immediately fell silent. He recalled the monstrous looks his companions and the adults gave him. He was already hiding alone in the forest; how could he not be troubled by it?
"You should also understand that sooner or later, you will lose control of your rampages and inevitably bring destruction to your village," Takuno said again.
Jugo didn't speak. Being so young, he didn't think too deeply, but he felt the other party's words made sense.
He looked at his palms. He remembered the monstrous hands they became when he went berserk. Would he really hurt them in the future?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sit there, hugging his knees, feeling deeply saddened.
At that moment, Takuno's eyes silently revealed the one-tomoe Sharingan. He stared into Jugo's eyes, and the single tomoe began to spin.
He showed Jugo a scene where the boy transformed into a monster, wreaking havoc, and his village was engulfed in a sea of fire.
"Did... I do this?" Jugo asked in disbelief.
"If you don't leave with me, this is what will inevitably happen to you in the future," Takuno replied.
Jugo widened his eyes. After a long silence, he stared at Takuno and asked, "Can you help me solve this problem?"
Takuno immediately fell silent. Jugo's eyes slowly dimmed. Could it be that even someone this powerful couldn't help?
After thinking for a while, Takuno said, "Your rampages are caused by absorbing too much Natural Energy and being completely unable to control Natural Energy."
Jugo's eyes lit up. "If I can control Natural Energy, then I can..."
However, Takuno immediately poured cold water on his hopes, saying, "Natural Energy is extremely difficult to control. By the time you master it, it will already be too late."
Instantly, Jugo's eyes dimmed again.
Takuno looked at the surrounding environment and continued, "Staying in the forest is actually the wrong choice. The concentration of Natural Energy in the forest is much higher than in places with human habitation, so you are more prone to rampages here."
"Is that so?" Jugo realized, but his clan had always lived in nature, and he had never considered leaving the forest.
"So, leave with me and go to a place with human habitation. Although I cannot eliminate the root cause of your rampages, I can stop you when you lose control," Takuno said.
He didn't want to say things like, "I am your cage." That was too chuunibyou and too embarrassing. Kimimaro was at least Jugo's age; for a grown man like him to say such things to a child—wasn't that shameful?
"Is that really possible?" Jugo couldn't help but entertain the thought of leaving. If what Takuno said was true, then leaving was the best choice for him, wasn't it?
"Yes," Takuno nodded.
He couldn't change the Sage Body, but using Sealing Jutsu to seal Jugo after he went berserk was certainly something he could do.
"Alright, I'll go with you." Jugo quickly made his decision.
Immediately, a smile played on Takuno's lips. It was another moment of peace; he truly was a lover of peace.
Although he was also ready to use force.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to anyone in your village?" Takuno asked, looking at Jugo, who was ready to leave with him without preparing anything.
"If I disappear, they won't notice, nor will they be sad." A hint of sadness was revealed in Jugo's seemingly calm tone.
Takuno fell silent, and finally reached out and ruffled Jugo's hair.
Poor kid.