Under Teizawa's relentless prodding, Amaru quickly integrated into the little group formed by Hinata and Karin.
The three young girls advanced together through both hardship and honor.
They ate together, trained together, and even slept side by side on the same large bed after their daily exercises, too exhausted to move.
Of course, even if the three of them worked together, they were still no match for Teizawa.
But Teizawa was not someone who only indulged himself.
He had much longer-term plans for Amaru.
He began arranging for Amaru to try controlling the Zero-Tails chakra inside her.
The Zero-Tails was an artificial tailed beast, different from a true tailed beast.
Its chakra was gentler.
Easier to control.
Amaru was the Zero-Tails' natural vessel.
Her physique was special, and she was the reincarnation of Indra.
Teizawa had her set aside time every day to try communicating with the Zero-Tails.
To sense its emotions and guide its power.
Amaru was very obedient.
Every day, she would sit cross-legged in the courtyard and meditate with her eyes closed.
At first, she felt nothing at all.
Later, she gradually began to sense a warm current moving inside her body.
Like a small sleeping snake.
Once awakened by her consciousness, it began to slowly swim through her.
Teizawa also had her try controlling the flying fortress.
The Zero-Tails was the technological crystallization of the Sky Ninja Village.
It had originally been the core that powered the fortress.
As the Zero-Tails' vessel, Amaru could, in theory, control every function of the fortress as naturally as she controlled her own body.
He brought Amaru onto the fortress and led her into the energy chamber.
He had her stand before the enormous crystal pillar.
Then he told her to press both hands against it.
"Close your eyes. Feel it."
Amaru obeyed and closed her eyes.
The Zero-Tails' chakra surged inside her.
It flowed down her arms and into the crystal pillar.
Then it spread through the runes and pipelines, extending through the entire fortress.
She "saw" every level, every room, every passageway.
She could even "see" the mottled rust on the fortress's outer shell and the damaged armor plating.
She "heard" the low hum of the engines.
That was the Zero-Tails' heartbeat.
Intertwining with her own.
"Master…"
Amaru opened her eyes, her voice slightly unsteady. "I can feel it… the whole fortress is inside my head."
Teizawa nodded in satisfaction.
In a certain sense…
If the flying fortress were compared to a warship, then Amaru was the captain he had chosen.
At the same time, Teizawa had continued observing the Kotoamatsukami in Karin's left eye.
The power of this Mangekyō Sharingan was indeed formidable.
But its cooldown was far too long.
After one use, it required a long recovery period.
He calculated silently in his heart.
If Karin were transplanted with the First Hokage's cells, perhaps the immense vitality and recovery ability of those cells, combined with the Uzumaki Clan's natural constitution, could greatly shorten Kotoamatsukami's cooldown.
When that time came, he could use that power to control many people.
The Kage of the various villages, members of the Akatsuki, and those unruly powerful figures would all become his pieces.
Of course, the First Hokage's cells were not easy to control.
Danzō was a clear lesson.
But Karin was from the Uzumaki Clan.
Her vitality already far surpassed that of ordinary people.
She should be able to endure it.
This matter could be put on the agenda, but not now.
The most important thing at the moment was retrieving Shisui's other eye.
That afternoon, Teizawa was sitting in the Kazekage's office.
Temari was in his arms, while Kan sat beside him.
With one on each side, he looked thoroughly at ease.
Temari was peeling grapes for him, while Kan was massaging his legs.
Sunlight slipped through the gaps in the blinds.
It fell over the three of them, warm and lazy.
"Report…"
An ANBU's urgent voice came from outside the door.
Teizawa opened his eyes.
Temari stood up from his arms and straightened her clothes.
Kan also rose and stepped aside.
"Come in."
The ANBU pushed the door open, dropped to one knee, and spoke with barely contained excitement.
"Kazekage-sama, we've found traces of Jiraiya and Naruto."
"They're at a small town called Yugakure, on the border of the Land of Rice Fields."
"According to our intelligence, Jiraiya is training Naruto there. They are expected to remain for three to five days."
Teizawa's eyes suddenly lit up.
At last.
He stood and walked to the window.
Outside, the sky was dyed red by the setting sun.
Shisui's other eye.
He was determined to obtain it.
"Prepare everything. We leave tomorrow."
Teizawa turned around, his gaze cold and firm.
"I'll go personally."
Temari frowned slightly.
"You're going personally again?"
"This eye is too important. I can't afford any mistakes."
Teizawa walked over and gently brushed her cheek with his hand.
"Don't worry. I'll be back soon."
Temari sighed and did not try to persuade him again.
Kan stood to the side, hesitant to speak.
In the end, she said nothing.
Teizawa waved for the ANBU to withdraw.
After that, he turned back to Temari and Kan.
Before leaving, he stayed with them a while longer.
The office grew quiet behind the closed door, and the setting sun gradually sank below the horizon.
Night deepened.
Teizawa sat in his study.
Jiraiya and Naruto's files were spread out before him.
Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin.
His strength was unfathomable.
But Teizawa's objective was not to make an enemy of Jiraiya.
He only wanted the eye inside Naruto.
Before Itachi's death, he had entrusted Shisui's eye to Naruto.
He had set it to automatically activate Kotoamatsukami when it saw his own Sharingan.
Itachi was not dead yet.
Sasuke was not dead either.
That eye was still asleep.
It would activate Kotoamatsukami when it encountered Itachi's Sharingan, issuing the command to "protect Konoha."
But Itachi had not appeared yet.
That eye should still be inside Naruto.
Teizawa closed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop.
Naruto was troublesome.
He could be considered one of the Sage of Six Paths' contingencies.
Teizawa was not sure whether making a move against Naruto would attract the Sage of Six Paths' attention.
But either way, caution was necessary.
He needed a foolproof plan.
He had to obtain the eye without drawing the Sage of Six Paths' gaze.
Developing quietly from the shadows was the true path.
And he also had to be mindful of Jiraiya.
That man was not as frivolous as he appeared.
If they ended up fighting, Teizawa knew he might not lose.
But there was no need for that.
He was going to retrieve something, not start a war.
Outside the window, moonlight flowed like water.
At the village near Yugakure, Jiraiya was probably taking Naruto to soak in a hot spring right about now.
The corners of Teizawa's mouth rose slightly.
A plan had already formed in his mind.
Early the next morning, Teizawa brought several ANBU with him and sped toward Yugakure.
Temari stood at the gate of Sunagakure, watching his distant figure disappear.
Kan stood beside her.
Neither of them spoke.
(End of Chapter)
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