Chapter 62

After the situation in Kirigakure stabilized, I was able to proceed without any unnecessary problems to tackle the tasks I had set for myself.

"Is that Kisame's head?"

Mei looked with surprise at what I had placed before them. Kisame's extremely good reputation among nukenin and numerous shinobi had played its role.

I simply glanced at Samehada, which, in this short period, had become a notable symbol of Hoshigaki. The Tail-less Bijuu had increased his power using this sword.

"Well, you can understand my surprise. It's not every day someone brings you the head of the Tail-less Bijuu," Mei said, massaging her forehead from fatigue. The piles of documents lying nearby eloquently spoke of the sources of Mei's headaches. "How long have you had him?"

"Long enough. I forgot about him..."

"Only you could forget about Hoshigaki Kisame's body..."

"But you can't say it's not a wonderful gift for your inauguration as Mizukage," I said, not denying her words.

With Samehada, Kirigakure now had a better chance to restore the former might of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

"You're right," Mei nodded. "It seems these papers have really worn me out..."

—= Some Time Later =—

The return of Samehada to Kirigakure truly had a favorable effect on Terumi Mei's reputation as Mizukage. By the day of my departure, discussions were already underway about starting the training of the next wielder of this blade. Apparently, wielding one of these legendary swords was a great honor. For this reason, there were an incredible number of young shinobi who wished to try their luck.

Since Mei was very busy with her duties as Mizukage, I could easily go about my own business. In particular, I needed to visit Sunagakure. The chakra of the One-Tailed Raccoon was my next target, as this bijuu was the closest to me. Moreover, during my flight, I had managed to leave a Hiraishin mark in this desert area.

In a moment, I found myself in one of the many houses of Sunagakure. The view from the window offered me a panorama of the village, which looked quite attractive. This attractiveness was not like that of Konoha or Kirigakure but had its own special charm. The village demonstrated the resilience of people in the face of numerous hardships in such a harsh region.

Sunagakure was located in the heart of a vast desert. Sand dunes surrounded the village like giant guardians, protecting it from the outside world. The entire architecture of the village was adapted to the harsh desert conditions: buildings were constructed from dense stone and clay, which helped keep the interiors cool on hot days. Narrow streets were shielded by high walls that protected them from sandstorms.

The main square of Sunagakure, located in the center of the village, was paved with large stone slabs that over time had acquired a golden hue from the sand. Here one could see many markets and shops where local merchants sold their goods. The people, despite the harsh living conditions, seemed cheerful and friendly.

One of the most impressive buildings was the Kazekage's residence, towering above the other structures.

My gaze settled on one of the houses that clearly indicated that prominent people lived there. That was where I needed to go. Using my mutant abilities, I placed a mark in the room where Gaara was at that very moment.

The son of the former Kazekage, and someone already taking steps toward becoming the next one, was in his room honing his skills.

In an instant, I appeared right in front of Gaara. Unable to react to such a sudden appearance, Gaara and I were now in his Inner World.

Gaara's seal, as expected, differed from those I had seen. However, my gaze couldn't help but notice signs of Jiraiya's work.

The One-Tailed Raccoon was suspended in the air by chains of chakra. Apparently, this was what Jiraiya had added, as I saw some similarities with Naruto's seal in this work.

"WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE EYES, YOU BASTARD?!" This is no longer funny.

—= Some Time Later =—

Convincing Shukaku was problematic, but I still managed to persuade the overgrown raccoon of the sincerity of my intentions. Moreover, I was also able to bring Gaara's relationship with the One-Tail to a more or less adequate level. I wouldn't say that the raccoon became friends with Gaara, but the former attitude of treating him as a puppet or tool was no longer there.

Apart from the One-Tail's chakra, I was also slightly interested in the village's puppets, but after studying the information on this topic, I quickly realized that there was little benefit from this type of shinobi tool.

Those same living puppets, though they seemed interesting on the surface, in essence, their potential was limited to the peak shown by Sasori. In the Marvel world, the creation of such living puppets would be impossible, as the characteristics of the organisms of this universe's inhabitants are not built on the structures of the Chakra Circulatory System (CCS).

Sasori demonstrated the maximum capabilities using the technique of creating puppets from living bodies, which gave him almost unlimited power and longevity. However, in the context of the Marvel world, where biology and energy function differently, reproducing such a method of creating puppets loses meaning and effectiveness. Without the presence of the CCS, which is a key element in transforming living beings into puppets, all attempts to create something similar would be fruitless.

For this reason, although the idea of creating living puppets looks tempting, it remains an unattainable fantasy outside the context of the original shinobi world.

After my ideas of creating living puppets were crushed, I went to my next target.

—= Black Zetsu =—

Itachi's betrayal was pretty bad news, but it could be dealt with, as Zetsu knew the weaknesses of the Uchiha. The disappearance of Kisame was not such pleasant news either, but a replacement for him could be found... However, at the moment when Obito disappeared, Zetsu became active, as the one-eyed Uchiha was an important part of the plan.

For this reason, Zetsu went to Kirigakure, where Obito had disappeared. The search for traces of the Uchiha didn't last more than three hours. Thanks to his abilities, Zetsu easily passed through all kinds of shinobi defenses.

Obito was dead. When Zetsu discovered this information, he didn't fall into a state of rage... Obito was an important part of Zetsu's plan, but he wasn't the key part. This meant that it was necessary to use Nagato more carefully.

"Too bad," whispered Zetsu, sinking into the ground.

The deaths of Kisame and Obito indicated that it was necessary to speed up the implementation of the plans. Akatsuki needed to accelerate the capture of the jinchuuriki.

—= Amegakure =—

"Speak," said the Deva Path.

"Kisame is dead, and Itachi is a traitor." After a couple of seconds, Zetsu added, "We need to speed up the capture of the jinchuuriki."

Nagato looked at Zetsu through Yahiko's eyes.

"Who is most vulnerable?"

The black half of Zetsu smiled.

"The Stone."

"Send Deidara and Sasori after Roshi, and Konan and I will take care of Han."

—= Reed Richards =—

My next target was Takigakure, where the jinchuuriki of the Seven-Tails was currently located.

"Four in hand..." I whispered, entering Kamui.

—\\—

Takigakure lacked the strength and influence of the great villages, and this was apparent even at the entrance. While other villages stationed chūnin at their gates, Takigakure had only genin. Utilizing my sensory abilities, I easily gauged the village's overall power level. It turned out that the strongest ninja here were merely of average jōnin level.

Nestled within dense forests and surrounded by waterfalls and mountain streams, Takigakure appeared like a slice of paradise lost in the wild. The entrance to the village was hidden behind a waterfall, beyond which a path led deeper into the settlement. Walls adorned with moss and vines gave the impression that the village seamlessly blended with nature.

At the heart of the village was a large plaza where locals engaged in their daily routines. Houses constructed from wood and stone, their roofs covered in greenery, added an extra sense of seclusion and harmony with nature. Water was omnipresent—rivers and streams crisscrossed the village, and the sounds of flowing water created a soothing atmosphere.

However, despite all this beauty, Takigakure lacked a powerful military force. The village was small and not particularly strong, which impacted its influence in the shinobi world. The main office was a simple building, lacking the monumentality one might see in the great villages. Even here, in the heart of Takigakure, modesty and limited resources were evident.

They were extremely fortunate that the Seven-Tails was a remarkably peace-loving bijuu. I doubted they would have been able to seal the Seven-Tails had it possessed Kurama's temperament.

Nevertheless, the villagers seemed intent on tempting fate, for I couldn't fathom any other reason for their poor treatment of Fū.

Locating Fū in such a village was exceedingly simple, not only because there was a certain exclusion zone but also because the bijuu's chakra was like a beacon to me.

At that moment, Fū was busy striking a wooden dummy. Her blows were incredibly swift for her age, and each strike carried considerable power.

I was inclined to believe that Naruto, without Hashirama's genes at this stage, was weaker than Fū. The girl had an innate talent for utilizing the Seven-Tails' chakra.

"I'd suggest shifting your weight to your hips when you strike," I said as Fū gazed with annoyance at the section of the dummy that had withstood her assault.

My words took the girl by surprise, and she looked at me with astonished eyes. She studied me intently; she wasn't accustomed to receiving normal interaction from others.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tension easing.

Ah, she needs to train her instincts better. Not sensing chakra reserves above the normal level from me, her wariness decreased.

"My name is Reed Richards, and I believe this meeting will be a turning point for you."

—= Some Time Later =—

"You shouldn't rely on the enemy being at your level."

Fū managed to raise a block, but her legs couldn't absorb the momentum. As a result, she slammed full-speed into a tree.

BAM

I wasn't concerned about her getting hurt, as the Seven-Tails would heal such injuries in seconds. Besides, this kind of training was the best way to teach someone the necessary skills.

"Oww, you could've been gentler, sensei!" Fū exclaimed, clear displeasure written on her face.

"If you want to become strong enough to stand up for yourself, you should get used to this," I stated, shrugging.

Her displeasure was due to the fact that her clothes were torn in places.

"Sigh, alright, if it makes you feel better, buying a few new outfits isn't a problem."

These words had their effect, and the girl stopped pouting. Purchasing clothes wasn't a strain on my wallet, considering that even a portion of the sum Kirigakure paid for Kisame's head was enough to live comfortably for a year.

"I'll hold you to that!"

The agreement I made with the Seven-Tails in exchange for its chakra required me to accept Fū as a student so that she could protect herself in the future.

And judging by what I sensed at that moment, the Seven-Tails had quite good intuition, as the "immortal" duo from Akatsuki had arrived in Takigakure.

"Fū, can you stay here for a while? I need to take care of something."

The girl looked at me in confusion but nodded.

"Just don't take too long!"

"I'll be back before you know it," I said with a slight smirk.

A Hiraishin mark was already placed directly near the duo. In a flash, I was in the air above Kakuzu's duo. As I appeared, five wood clones split off from my body.

"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

The colossal wall of fire, intensified by the equally powerful gust of wind, became even stronger. For a few seconds, the entire area beneath me turned into a veritable inferno.

I didn't hold back, as there wasn't a single living soul within five kilometers who could become a casualty of a shinobi battle.

"You bastard!" I heard as the fiery inferno subsided and my clones and I landed on the ground.

I could see that the two had survived the attack, though Kakuzu had lost one heart; at the cost of that heart, he had managed to create a defensive wall of water. However, Hidan had sustained burns all over his body, with blisters forming on the skin of his hands and face.

Kakuzu looked at me with cold fury, but Hidan wasted no time and rushed at me with his scythe at the ready.

The scythe was halted right before my face by an electromagnetic shield.

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH THAT HURTS?!" the zealot screamed, trying to break through the barrier.

Kakuzu, who had been observing until that moment, attempted to strike from behind. The threads of his Earth Grudge Fear were stopped just as easily as Hidan's scythe.

"No," I replied shortly, simultaneously using Mokuton to immobilize Hidan.

Kakuzu was slightly shocked by what he saw. The day of his encounter with Hashirama flashed in his mind.

"Chidori Sharp Spear!"

Hidan's body was pierced by a spear of lightning, which continued onward and struck one of Kakuzu's hearts.

"Damn you!"

Thanks to the Rinnegan, I could clearly see where exactly this bastard's hearts were located.

"Those eyes... Gah!" Kakuzu's eyes widened when he saw Pain's dōjutsu in my eye sockets.

But he couldn't be surprised for long, as a Hiraishin mark appeared on his shoulder, used by my clone with a Rasengan forming over his palm.

"Water Release: Spiraling Water Sphere!"

A Rasengan infused with water nature behaved quite interestingly. While the Rasenshuriken annihilated the opponent with millions of tiny wind needles, water acted entirely differently. Upon contact, the mass of water spinning at insane speeds instantly exploded, releasing steam under incredibly high pressure.

Kakuzu's body was reduced to atomic dust. Skin, muscles, threads, bones, and blood—all of it was annihilated.

Hidan, who witnessed this, looked at me with clear signs of fear. He understood perfectly that he wouldn't survive something like that.

Another clone began gathering chakra in his hands.

"Earth Release: Rasengan Burial!"

"Wait!" Hidan shouted, trying to break free. "I'm not yet dea—"

BAM!

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