Kusagakure and Amegakure were both only mid-tier or small vilges—so why should Kusa bee Ame’s vassal?

  Other top figures in Kusa likewise shook their heads, unwilling to ply. They only came in person because Uzumaki Senshi was formidable and at least willing to talk. If iatiohrough, Kusa might still be able to pay a steep price to kill him:

  “Kusagakure won’t bow down to anyone!”

  “We’ll never execute our own ninja!”

  “We’re open to sincere iation, not threats!”

  “We’re all prepared to go down together if necessary!”

  Seeing their defiance, Senshi decided there was no point in tinuing a fruitless debate. He simply raised an arm, pointing to a wooded area in the near distance, and asked:

  “Do you see that open field?”

  The Kusa elders exged puzzled ghat pce is obviously a forest. Why’s he calling it a field?

  As they looked, a violent surge of Lightning-chakra began radiating from Senshi.

  “60 Million Volts: Thunder Dragon!”

  In a fsh, endless arcs of electric-blue light gathered before him.

  “Roooaaar—!”

  A dreadful dragon’s roar pierced the air, as tless bolts of Lightning Release coalesced into an enormous thunder dragon.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! BOOM!

  R with unimaginable power, it barreled through the distant forest. Trees and shrubs burst into splinters or scorched ders. The once-lush grove was obliterated into a wastend of ravines and charred debris.

  Witnessing that, the Kusa officials instantly quieted. Even a Tailed Beast might manage such destru at best. Those elders who had been shouting moments earlier all ged their tune:

  “But on sed thought…our vilge may indeed have done some things wrong.”

  “Those who harmed Karin and her mother must be severely puo preserve justi Kusa!”

  “Kusagakure doesn’t have it easy; we should learn from Ame’s path to resilience! Only under Ame’s leadership we hope to develop, despite the five great nations oppressing us!”

  “We fully agree to Lord Senshi’s terms!”

  Faced with a “humanoid Tailed Beast” like Senshi, how could they dare object? Even someone as powerful as Mui said nothing. Of course, many of them were only yielding on the surface. Senshi’s power was too fearsome, so they feigned submission while pnning how to deal with him ter.

  It wasn’t long before all those responsible for Karin’s mother’s death were brought outside her old home.

  “On your knees!”

  Kusa’s elite jōnin Hatta Shin’ichi barked, wielding his bde. He’d been almost instantly overwhelmed by Senshi, so he cowered around him. But with these “bastards,” he felt free to go all out. Lucky for him, he’d never been involved in abusing Karin’s family.

  Shuck, shuck!

  As Shin’ichi’s bde fshed repeatedly, heads rolled oer ahese ninja had overused Karin’s mother’s healing ability until she died far too young, all her chakra drained. Now that they fell here, the vengeance for Karin’s mother was done. Watg from ihe house, Kari only sweet relief. She looked at Senshi, gratitude shining in her eyes. Inwardly she vowed she’d prove her worth someday—without him, she would surely have shared her mrim fate.

  After avenging Karin’s mother, Senshi g Kakuzu, then turo the Kusagakure chief:

  “This man here once fought the ‘God of Shinobi,’ Hashirama Senju. He’s Lord Kakuzu. For the matter of being Ame’s vassal, you Kusa leaders discuss it with him.”

  Kakuzu’s expression stiffened—no esg these iations now, it seemed. Upon hearing Senshi’s introdu, Chiya grew solemn.

  “I see…Lord Kakuzu, then, please e with us to the ference hall to discuss steps.”

  Kakuzu didn’t refuse, leaving with Kusa’s upper eeanwhile, Mui remained behind, as earlier Senshi had mentioned wanting to “talk business” with him. Curious, Mui waited. Ohe others were gone, Senshi approached him casually:

  “Mui, you want to capture a Tailed Beast, right?”

  Until now, Mui had stayed calm, but his face ged sharply at these words; tiny fmes of Fire chakra danced in his hands. Indeed, he had that goal, but it was a secret—how did Senshi know?

  Before Mui could act, Senshi went on:

  “Kusagakure is loaded with stubborn old fools, and holy, the majority of higher-ups here are just biding their time, hoping to backstab me ter. I’m not about to waste my energy subduing every one of them individually. Let’s cooperate. I’ll help you capture a Tailed Beast—for a friendly fee, of course—and iurn, you take total trol over Kusa’s leadership. You saw my power just now. And while capturing a Tailed Beast is tough, for me it’s far from impossible.”

  In truth, for someo Senshi’s level, tag a Tailed Beast wasn’t all that hard, but obviously he wouldn’t say so. One must “ask a high prid settle lower,” after all. Besides, capturing a Tailed Beast ideally meant a long-term ission: these legendary “nuclear ons” of the ninja world deserved the highest rank—and the best system rewards.

  Mui fell silent, torween shock, excitement, and caution. He wondered how Senshi knew he needed a Tailed Beast’s chakra. Still, there was no doubt about Senshi’s strength. But truly siding with Senshi against the Kusa elders?

  He recalled how his attempts to approach that “Box of Ultimate Bliss” had been obstructed by these same entrenched old-timers.

  “They really do need removing!” he thought. “Uhem, Kusagakure is doomed to nguish—no future at all!”

  At st, Mui turo Senshi:

  “What do I o do?”

  Senshi smiled in satisfa.

  “You only o do this…”

  …

  The Kusa leadership had no idea their sleepless night was about to begin.

  …

  “Bang—!”

  At the vilge head’s mansion, Senshi kicked in Chiya’s door. Entering, he saw nobody in bed—Chiya had instantly fled through the window. The man ooked. He thought they’d “stabilized” Senshi earlier, yet here he was, attag again at night.

  Making it to the rooftop, Chiya finally caught his breath—only to find Senshi and Mui already waiting. The one in his bedroom had just been a Wood e. Seeing the pair, Chiya was both shocked and furious.

  “What do you two think you’re doing? Mui… Are y to destroy Kusagakure?”

  He got no further. With a mere point of Senshi’s finger, a surge of lightning struck him, robbing him of any ability to move. Mui dashed up:

  “Fire Release: Heavenly Prison!”

  A fiery palm struck Chiya, releasing bck crossed seal markings that spread across his body, sealing away all his chakra and leaving his fate entirely in Mui’s hands. And that was only the start—every bigwig in Kusagakure would share a simir fate.

  Elsewhere in the vilge, on another rooftop, a figure sped along—an elder named Guima, dressed in his dark-red cloak, bd-yellow horse mask. Moments earlier, he’d received an urgent message from another elder, Guiniu, warning that Mui had betrayed them and was helping Senshi, the invader, seize trol of Kusa’s leadership.

  “Damn it! I o escape the vilge and seek refuge in Konoha!”

  Guima poured every ounce of speed into his flight, though he still wasn’t sure he could make it out safely. And indeed, he was right. Two figures flickered into sight, blog his path. Gng at them, Guima trembled in rage.

  “Uzumaki Senshi! We already agreed to bee the Ame’s vassal—why attack us further? And Mui—you despicable traitor, helping an outsider seize our vilge leadership!”

  But Senshi wasn’t in the mood for discussion. He raised a hand:

  “Lightning Finger!”

  Zzzt-zzzt-zzzt-zzzt!

  A radiant blue arc zapped Guima, electriakes” dang across him. The pap was moal; the elder had no ce to dodge and now y paralyzed, muscles locked by crag bolts.

  “Fire Release: Heavenly Prison!”