"…Looks like this is your loss, Lady Chiyo."
Natsuhiko's gentle, smiling voice rang out from behind Chiyo. The last kunai in his hand was already pressed firmly against her throat.
Chiyo stood still, her expression momentarily unfocused.
Even now, she could hardly believe it.
Surrounded by layers upon layers of puppets—defenses she had painstakingly constructed—
And yet…
He broke through.
Effortlessly.
And in the end—
She lost.
It was a terrible feeling.
A bitter one.
Of course, she knew full well how terrifying speed-type taijutsu users were to puppet masters.
She had learned that lesson long ago.
Her own son and daughter-in-law…
Had died at the hands of Konoha's White Fang.
And that man—
Was the very embodiment of this kind of shinobi.
But even knowing that…
Even after taking every precaution she could—
She still lost.
Lost without the ability to fight back.
Even if the deciding factor had been space-time ninjutsu—
She had fought this boy for quite some time before reaching this point.
And still…
She lost.
"You're impressive, brat."
Chiyo let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head.
"In today's shinobi world… even factoring in your space-time techniques, there are very few who could surpass your speed."
"Lady Chiyo," Natsuhiko replied with a soft smile, "there's always someone stronger."
"I've never considered myself exceptional… nor have I ever believed I couldn't be surpassed."
He paused slightly.
"Besides, there are still the Second and Fourth Hokage ahead of me."
"…How humble."
A strange smile appeared on Chiyo's face.
Then—
Her voice turned sharp.
"I wonder… Captain Nightingale…"
"Are you starting to feel dizzy? Weak, perhaps?"
"…Dizzy?" Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow, then thought of something.
During the earlier fight, he had noticed a strange odor lingering in the air. But since it hadn't bothered him much, he hadn't paid attention.
Honestly, he hadn't felt anything during the battle, which made him wonder if he'd imagined it.
But now that Chiyo mentioned it, he realized things might not be that simple.
Did this old woman really poison the battlefield… and I just didn't notice?
With that thought, Natsuhiko quickly began examining his own body. To his surprise, there was nothing wrong!
If he were poisoned, he'd be able to tell, but his body was perfectly healthy. This only meant one thing: he wasn't poisoned at all!
The antidote I took was just a standard one; theoretically, it shouldn't have worked against Chiyo's poisons. It must be that fragmented Asura chakra—my physical stats have improved to the point of near-immunity, Natsuhiko realized. It was a pleasant surprise.
Still—
Surprise or not, he didn't lower his guard.
His awareness remained sharp, constantly monitoring his body.
The moment he detected even the slightest sign of poisoning—
He would kill Chiyo without hesitation.
And then extract the antidote.
Chiyo was undoubtedly a genius.
Her techniques—especially the One's Own Life Reincarnation technique capable of restoring life—were among the rarest in the entire shinobi world.
But even so—
If pushed to the brink, Natsuhiko wouldn't hesitate.
As for whether killing her would affect the future?
He didn't care.
His very existence here had already begun to reshape it.
"…I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Lady Chiyo."
After confirming his condition once more, Natsuhiko spoke with a faint smile.
"You're referring to that strange scent earlier, aren't you?"
"I don't know what kind of poison you used…"
He leaned slightly closer, voice calm and steady.
"But unfortunately—"
"I'm not poisoned."
"Not poisoned?"
At those words, Chiyo's expression shifted—just slightly, but enough. Then, without hesitation, she took a risk and forcefully ignited her chakra.
Natsuhiko's kunai still rested lightly against her throat.
This time, however, he didn't strike.
He could tell what she was trying to do—trigger the toxins within his body.
Once activated, what had been a slow-acting poison would instantly turn violent and lethal, ravaging the body in a single burst.
But—
As Chiyo's chakra surged, Natsuhiko felt… nothing.
No disruption. No pain. No change.
That alone confirmed it.
He hadn't been poisoned at all.
"Don't waste your effort, Lady Chiyo." Natsuhiko shook his head lightly, a faint, knowing smile tugging at his lips. "I've encountered someone whose methods were strikingly similar to yours. Unfortunately for him… he couldn't do a thing to me. What makes you think you'll fare any better?"
"What do you want from me?"
Even the toxin burst had proven useless—or perhaps her methods had been exposed from the very beginning. Either way, Chiyo had completely lost the will to continue.
Her puppets were ineffective. Her poisons were useless.
And as a puppet master… being forced into close combat—
There was no fight left to be had.
Chiyo knew her limits. She let out a quiet sigh and gave up.
But there was another reason she made that decision so quickly.
She had noticed something.
Natsuhiko had no intention of killing her.
If he did, he wouldn't be wasting time talking. The moment her protective puppets were destroyed, the kunai in his hand could have slit her artery cleanly.
The fact that he hadn't—
Made one thing clear.
This ANBU operative from Konoha had other plans.
And that gave her an opportunity.
A chance to live.
A chance to obtain more information.
"What do I want?" Natsuhiko smiled faintly. Seeing that Chiyo understood, things became much simpler. "I have to say, Lady Chiyo… you really are sharp."
"Then stop circling around it," Chiyo replied coldly. "That false politeness of yours is revolting."
"Very well, if that's what you prefer."
Natsuhiko shrugged, utterly unconcerned by her hostility.
"In truth, what I want isn't much. Just two things."
He paused for a moment, his gaze steady.
"If you agree to my terms, you'll be free to leave. And in return… I'll give you a piece of information. Something quite interesting—and already verified."
He truly intended to trade her life, along with a piece of intel that would be both valuable and intriguing to her, in exchange for what he wanted.
It was amusing, in a way.
At first, he had thought it was Rasa who had shown up.
If it really had been that man, Natsuhiko would have questioned him directly about Pakura. As long as Rasa admitted it—and if Natsuhiko could force him to forge a document for the ANBU—then he'd have a solid chance of turning Pakura to his side.
After all, hers was the Scorch Release bloodline.
Sooner or later, Natsuhiko would walk the path of chakra fusion. Naturally, he had a keen interest in fully developed kekkei genkai born from such fusion.
And he was confident he could persuade Rasa.
Yes, Rasa was the Kazekage. He had to protect Sunagakure's interests.
But—
He was also an ambitious man who had already reached the position of Kazekage.
Many of his ideas had yet to come to fruition. If it meant surviving, Rasa might very well be willing to make certain… concessions.
But Chiyo was a different matter entirely.
She was the kind of shinobi who did not fear death.
Perhaps it was her age. Or perhaps she truly was the sort of person willing to give everything for Sunagakure.
Either way, Natsuhiko didn't particularly care.
Because no matter who it was—everyone had a weakness.
And just so happened, he knew hers.
Sasori.
Without a doubt, Sasori was Chiyo's greatest weakness.
She carried an unshakable sense of guilt toward him. Maybe it stemmed from what happened to his parents. Maybe it was because she believed she had failed to guide him properly.
Her feelings toward him had always been… complicated. Even in the future, when she knew full well that Sasori had committed unforgivable crimes, she still hoped to bring him back.
At the very least—
To bring his heart back from the abyss.
And since Natsuhiko knew about Sasori, he could easily use that as leverage. It didn't matter that he wasn't entirely sure whether Sasori had already joined the Akatsuki.
Uncertainty didn't mean uselessness.
If anything, it made the opportunity even more flexible.
Who knew—he might even be able to use this to deal Sunagakure a heavy blow while profiting from it himself.
Taking advantage of others while reaping benefits in the process—
Natsuhiko had no intention of letting such an opportunity slip by.
"I told you—if you want something, just say it!"
To Chiyo, this was nothing less than a naked threat.
And yet, she had no way to resist it.
"My demands are simple."
At some point, unnoticed, Natsuhiko had already left a mark behind her. Then, as if showing magnanimity, he withdrew the kunai from her throat.
"First—I want the decryption key to your ANBU communication codes."
"Keep dreaming!"
Before he could even finish, Chiyo spun around in fury, glaring at him.
"If I asked you to hand over Konoha's codes, would you give them to me?!"
"That depends on the value."
Natsuhiko answered without the slightest hesitation.
"If the price is right—and it's something I need—then yes, I would."
"…Are you really Konoha ANBU?"
Chiyo froze for a moment, then let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"Don't act so righteous," Natsuhiko tilted his head slightly, spreading his hands with a faint smile. "Trading benefits for benefits—isn't that the most common thing in the world?"
He paused briefly, his gaze sharpening just a fraction.
"I've heard that Kirigakure is planning to bring an end to those ongoing small-scale, low-intensity conflicts with your village."
"They did make a request, though. For a person."
"A hero, as far as you're concerned."
"And according to the intelligence we received from Kirigakure—"
"Enough!"
Chiyo cut him off instantly.
Her expression darkened to an extreme.
She had never imagined that such a highly confidential matter would be known by Konoha.
She could already picture the consequences.
If this information were to leak—whether intentionally or not—Sunagakure would be dragged straight into hell.
At that thought, her expression shifted again. Chakra began to stir faintly within her body.
But in the very next moment—
Natsuhiko vanished.
And just as suddenly, that cold sensation returned to her neck.
The kunai was there again.
Pressed firmly against her throat.
"Still thinking of making a move?"
Natsuhiko's voice remained as gentle as ever.
And yet, that very gentleness felt like falling into an endless abyss of ice.
"You…"
Chiyo struggled for a long moment before finally unclenching her fists, forcing herself to calm down. When she spoke again, her voice was icy—yet beneath that coldness lingered a trace of helplessness.
"What exactly are you trying to do? What does Konoha want?"
"Some information isn't revealed," Natsuhiko said with a faint chuckle, "because it's more useful as leverage—saved for the most critical moment."
As he spoke, he casually pulled the kunai away from her throat once more.
"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place. Let's both keep that in mind, Lady Chiyo."
Chiyo turned around slowly, her body trembling ever so slightly. Her eyes burned as if they could spit fire, locked firmly onto Natsuhiko.
In the end, she gritted her teeth… and nodded.
She understood now.
Konoha had no intention of exposing this matter.
No—
They intended to hold onto it.
And the moment Sunagakure did something questionable—something that threatened Konoha's interests—
This would become the perfect weapon.
To be controlled by others was always a miserable thing.
And when that control came in the form of a scandal like this… it could destroy Sunagakure entirely.
But just as Natsuhiko had said—
If you don't want others to know, then don't do it.
"…Go on," Chiyo said at last. Her voice seemed unusually subdued now, as though the weight of everything had finally begun to settle on her shoulders. "Tell me the rest of your demands."
"The second one isn't anything too excessive."
Natsuhiko smiled lightly, as if the matter were trivial.
"According to a deceased ANBU operative of ours, Sunagakure has been researching a forbidden technique."
"I don't know how far along the development is, but it's… quite an interesting jutsu."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"And it seems that you, Lady Chiyo, are the one leading it."
He paused deliberately before finishing—
"The technique called… One's Own Life Reincarnation."
Chiyo stared at him in silence.
Perhaps it was because she had already received too many shocking revelations today—too many things beyond reason—
But for a moment, she found herself unable to speak at all.
One's Own Life Reincarnation.
Why did Konoha know about it?
She didn't even want to ask anymore.
At this point, only one thought remained clear in her mind—
The man before her was a monster.
A devil who seemed to know everything.
Or perhaps…
It was Konoha itself that was truly terrifying.
Just how deeply had they infiltrated Sunagakure?
Or was it that Sunagakure simply lacked the strength to resist such infiltration?
Could it be—
That the sheer volume of leaked intelligence was the very reason they had been forced out so early in the last great war?
"Strange, isn't it?"
Natsuhiko's voice broke through her thoughts, carrying a hint of amusement. He nodded to himself, as if affirming his own words.
"You're wondering why we know so many of your village's secrets, aren't you?"
He paused for a moment, then deliberately adopted a tone of casual certainty, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Lady Chiyo, do you know what your so-called 'defensive policies' really amount to?"
"They exist only to make your own people believe they're protected."
"Your secrets are only secrets to yourselves."
His smile deepened, just slightly.
"But to others… they're already laid bare."
"For example—"
"Konoha."
...
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