Chapter 139: The Kid is Found, but She's Someone Else's
That night, while Stelle and Hyuga Gen patrolled the distant perimeter, Kou materialized from the shadows of the woods. His Mangekyo Sharingan flared to life in the darkness. Without a single wasted motion, he cast a Genjutsu over Hyuga Gen, dropping the man into a deep, inescapable illusion, before turning his visual prowess to manipulate the situation further.
Hidden in the foliage, Black Zetsu watched the entire performance. He was completely fooled by the flawless double-act orchestrated between Stelle and her clone, becoming firmly convinced that Uchiha Kou had a genuine Anbu contact named Tsukiki.
When Kou drew his blade, executing his supposed Anbu friend with a single, brutal sword strike and incinerating the corpse to ash, Black Zetsu finally let out a raspy breath of relief.
As expected of a Root operative. His actions were swift, ruthless, and precise, devoid of even a fraction of hesitation.
The news of Uchiha Kou attacking a border patrol and brutally murdering a fellow shinobi swept through Konoha like a localized storm. The victim was an ordinary, unremarkable ninja whom few people even recognized, meaning the incident should have faded into the background of standard village casualties.
However, Hyuga Gen ensured that did not happen. He made a massive, unavoidable scene. Raging all the way from the border back to the village gates, he threw his own funds around to post high-rank bounties within Konoha, rallying a group of close associates to hunt down Uchiha Kou. The sheer volume of his outrage made the matter known to every passing civilian and shinobi in the streets.
If the Hyuga clan elders had not forcefully dragged him back to their compound and locked him in confinement, Gen would have torn the village apart looking for vengeance.
Behind closed doors, Orochimaru and Tsunade exchanged knowing glances and tacitly chose to bury the actual truth of the incident.
Consequently, Jiraiya, who was currently isolated and training at Mount Myōboku, received absolutely no intelligence regarding the chaos unfolding back home.
The toad sage sat cross-legged, entirely absorbed in the thick scrolls spread across his lap. These ancient documents contained a highly classified series of Ninjutsu and tactical countermeasures formulated by Lord Tobirama during the Sengoku Period, designed specifically to dismantle the Uchiha clan.
Among the forbidden texts, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique and the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags stood out. When combined with Shadow Clones, these jutsu boasted a terrifyingly high success rate on the battlefield.
Beside his knee rested another towering stack of scrolls, these detailing Kou's personal combat flaws and physical weaknesses. Some of the intelligence had been provided by Orochimaru and Tsunade, while the rest was painstakingly gathered from Senior Sakumo.
Jiraiya carefully flipped through the aged parchment, his brow furrowed as he strove to absorb every lethal detail. He had made a solemn vow to the Hokage to remain at Mount Myōboku for five uninterrupted years of brutal training.
Five years. That was the deadline. As long as he could surpass Kou, capture the rogue Uchiha, and drag the truth out of him, the Hokage promised him full authority over Kou's final judgment.
Miles away, high in the jagged peaks of the Land of Lightning, the atmosphere in Kumogakure was entirely different.
Ye sat leisurely on a wooden swing in a quiet garden courtyard.
Blue B had taken a rather unique approach to raising her. Instead of treating her like a weapon, he raised her like a completely normal, fragile child. He taught her zero Ninjutsu, completely ignored physical conditioning, and banned Taijutsu practice. He simply let her spend every waking hour eating, drinking, and playing, pouring all his massive chakra reserves into ensuring she had a happy, carefree childhood.
In fact, after taking a brief walk through the village and noticing the local children playing on a swing set, Blue B had immediately gathered lumber and built one specifically for her courtyard.
The prestigious Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, a walking natural disaster feared by every shinobi in Kumogakure, currently stood barefoot in the grass behind that very swing.
Whenever Ye called out to him, he would push the wooden seat with measured, gentle strength. He did not find the repetitive task boring in the slightest; instead, a wide, goofy grin stretched across his face as he played along with endless enthusiasm.
Only when she finally let out a small yawn, growing tired of the rhythmic motion, did Blue B carefully lift her down.
"What would Ye like to eat later?" he asked, his deep voice softening. "I will have the kitchen prepare the freshest ingredients."
"Whatever Big Brother Blue B makes, I will eat."
Ye sat on a cushioned chair, sipping the sweet fruit juice Blue B handed her. She genuinely felt that he was treating her like a precious younger sister; his careful care was almost suffocating in its warmth.
She reached up, her small fingers brushing against the thick cloth wrapped securely over her eyes. That thick-browed, big-eyed brute, the Third Raikage, had deliberately delayed her eye transplant surgery. He wanted to force her to build a deep emotional bond with Kumogakure first, which effectively meant she was still barred from formally leaving the heavily guarded courtyard.
The only times she had ever stepped foot outside were late at night, when Blue B secretly carried her out on his shoulders to feel the cool mountain breeze.
Since she was completely blind anyway, those trips consisted entirely of Blue B describing the scenery while she sat and listened.
The sensory images scanned by her chakra perception were dull, projecting the world like a static black-and-white movie. It was incredibly boring to look at, making it nearly impossible to actively fleece this massive gathering of Kumogakure shinobi for mood values.
Still, successfully infiltrating Kumogakure was an unexpected joy in itself, so she reminded herself not to be too greedy.
Slacking off every single day while passively farming the Third Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki should have been a delightful vacation. Yet, right now, Ye could not muster a single ounce of happiness.
According to the mental link updated from Stelle's main body, Black Zetsu discovering her sudden disappearance had only yielded a pitiful two hundred thousand mood points.
Two hundred thousand. It was not even a fraction of the massive payout she received when he lost the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. The sheer stinginess of it made her chest ache with genuine irritation.
'Fine, fine, so that is how you want to play?'Ye grumbled internally, her invisible eyes rolling behind the blindfold.'We have known each other since the Sengoku Period, and I have called you Mama for so long. How can you be this cheap? Just wait until you find your way here. I will switch back to my main identity and annoy you straight into the grave.'
The thought offered little comfort. She felt purely discouraged. She had assumed her elaborate, multi-layered kidnapping scheme would at least trigger a massive emotional breakdown.
Although this wave of triple-queueing personas had indeed earned her a massive overall profit, this specific phase of the plan left her deeply unsatisfied.
She genuinely wanted to drag Black Zetsu out, seal him in a jar, and give him a thorough beating. He was nothing more than a sentient blob of Yin-Yang Release; it was not as if she lacked the Yin-Yang Release techniques to handle him.
Suddenly, distinct chakra fluctuations rippled through the edge of her perception range. Ye paused, her juice glass hovering near her lips. Distinguishing the familiar, oily signature carefully, she realized Black Zetsu had finally arrived, and Kou was trailing right beside him.
Ye immediately sat up straight, adjusting her posture.
'So they finally made it?' A wicked, invisible smirk pulled at her thoughts. She would switch to her main identity in just a moment and give Black Zetsu another massive heart attack.
Meanwhile, the culinary preparations continued. The shinobi of Kumogakure were notorious meat-lovers, likely because the village was populated almost entirely by massive, muscular men who required heavy protein.
Although Blue B was not a towering giant like the Raikage, he shared the village's passion for cooking various rich beef dishes.
Normally, he preferred heavily spiced grilled meat or thick, seared beef slices. However, meat that was charred on the outside and bleeding raw on the inside was hardly suitable for a delicate child's stomach.
Therefore, Blue B compromised, carefully preparing a spread of Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu.
These two dishes were incredibly nutritious, easy to digest, and universally loved by children.
He carefully arranged the steaming pots and fresh ingredients on the low wooden table. Ye reached out, wanting to help organize the plates, but Blue B immediately blocked her hands.
"Do not move, just sit right there," he instructed gently. Both dishes involved boiling soups and scalding liquids; he refused to risk Ye getting even a minor burn on her fingers.
"It is fine, Big Brother Blue B," Ye replied, her voice bright and cheerful. "Although I cannot see, my perception is very sharp. I can sense exactly where everything is."
To prove her point, Ye reached out, accurately locating the small ceramic bowls and wooden chopsticks, setting them perfectly in front of her. After settling back onto her cushion, she flashed a brilliant, innocent smile.
"See? I am very capable too."
"Yes, yes, Ye is very capable." Blue B chuckled warmly, reaching over to gently rub the top of her small head. He picked up a large, marbled slice of beef, swirled it through the boiling broth, dipped it in a rich sauce, and placed it directly into her bowl. "Careful now, it is very hot."
"Thank you, Big Brother Blue B."
Ye lowered her head, blowing softly on the steaming meat before popping it into her mouth. The incredibly tender texture practically melted across her tongue with a single, light chew. Without relying on heavy, overpowering seasonings, the pure, rich fragrance of the high-quality beef filled her senses.
Blue B's culinary skills were genuinely top-tier. Every single time she ate his cooking, Ye felt a deep sense of enjoyment, to the point where she actively wanted to brag about it to Stelle's other personas.
Aside from Tobirama, absolutely no one's cooking could compare to Blue B's.
"How does it taste?" Blue B asked, watching her reaction with bated breath.
"It is delicious! Big Brother Blue B's cooking skills are getting better and better every day."
Ye did not hold back her praise in the slightest.
Hearing that simple, honest compliment, the fearsome Eight-Tails Jinchuriki looked exceptionally satisfied, his broad shoulders relaxing completely.
Happy, genuine smiles appeared on both the adult's and the child's faces, creating an atmosphere so warm and domestic it was practically intoxicating.
Hidden in the shadows just beyond the courtyard wall, Black Zetsu was currently feeling 'intoxicated' by the scene as well—though for entirely different reasons.
When he heard Ye sweetly call that Kumogakure brute 'Big Brother,'his pitch-black, amorphous face twisted into a grotesque snarl of pure jealousy.'She actually calls a complete stranger Big Brother, but she calls me Pitch-black!'Zetsu raged internally, his yellow eyes narrowing into slits.'I was clearly the very first person she saw when she opened her eyes in this world, yet she is not even willing to call me Lord Black Zetsu!'
Standing silently beside the seething shadow, Kou curled his lips in a dry, hidden smirk. Black Zetsu's internal monologue made it sound as if he had been a devoted, loving parent to Ye, yet the cheapskate was not even willing to burst out a few decent mood values for her kidnapping.
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