Kazuyama Gekkō had thought about finding a chance to kill Nagato directly.
But he quickly pushed that thought aside.
He knew all too well how terrifying those eyes were—not to mention Nagato's own strength. Madara Uchiha had gone to great lengths to pass down his Rinnegan in order to use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. Nagato, as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, was the perfect vessel he'd found. After awakening the Rinnegan, Nagato had mastered all six chakra nature transformations, including the yang attribute. This allowed him to use nearly all mainstream ninjutsu, making him incredibly powerful.
And that wasn't even the most critical part. What truly made Kazuyama wary was the power of the Six Paths and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
That statue was the body of the Ten-Tails. Even without the chakra of the nine Tailed Beasts, it was still nothing to take lightly.
Not to mention those chains capable of restraining a Tailed Beast—once you're caught, you're as good as dead.
Of course, Kazuyama had confidence in avoiding such attacks. After all, his Flying Thunder God Technique wasn't just for show. But if Nagato were cornered enough to summon the Demonic Statue, the odds of killing him would drop to near zero.
And if he did make a move, Nagato wouldn't be the only one he'd have to deal with.
He wasn't an idiot—he'd never fight a battle he wasn't prepared for.
Now that he'd received a new reward—Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique—it might not be as powerful or imposing as Great Fire Annihilation or Great Fire Destruction, but it was still an effective offensive jutsu. It turned flames into high-temperature ash that spread upon landing, burning enemies over time before eventually exploding.
It also had a concealment effect, making it a technique that combined offense and defense.
When paired with Kazuyama's fighting style, it was a perfect fit.
He opened his system panel and froze—it had completely changed.
The old interface was gone, replaced by a brand-new panel.
[Name: Kazuyama Gekkō]
[Identity: Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, Konoha Jōnin, Clan Head of the Gekkō Clan]
[Kekkei Genkai: Transparent Release, Crystal Release]
[Ninjutsu Proficiency: Fire Release, Water Release, Wind Release, Earth Release, Summoning, Sealing, Snake-style Ninja Arts, Taijutsu, Forbidden Techniques]
[Senjutsu: Ryūchi Cave Senjutsu]
[Tailed Beast: Seven-Tails Chōmei; Affinity 100%, Tailed Beast Transformation: 100%, Tailed Beast Ball (Mastered, Optimization Progress: 50%, Enhanced Abilities: Handheld Power, Compressed Bomb), Transformation Sync (Chakra Cost -10%)]
[Base Attributes: Strength 77, Speed 80, Chakra 96, Constitution 91, Taijutsu 71, Genjutsu 84, Hand Seals 84]
[Resistance: Six Paths Resistance 20%]
[Ninjutsu Amplification: +20, boosts both power and nature transformation]
[Ding! Overall Evaluation: Your physical strength surpasses most ninjas, and your ninjutsu is strong. However, your Taijutsu is pitifully weak. Your abilities are seriously unbalanced.]
Kazuyama looked at the now streamlined interface with some surprise.
Ninjutsu Proficiency reflected all the techniques he had mastered.
Under Fire Release: Fireball Technique, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Great Fire Annihilation, Great Fire Destruction, Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique.
Under Water Release: a single line—You know everything the Third Mizukage does!
Wind Release had no changes. Earth Release had gained the Added-Weight Rock Technique.
Taijutsu only had the One Thousand Years of Death.
However, there were many Forbidden Techniques, including: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Flying Thunder God Technique, and more.
What caught his eye the most was that evaluation—seriously unbalanced.
So what if his Taijutsu was a bit weak? Why did that count as unbalanced? He was aiming to master stealth and survival, so why on earth would he be fighting people head-on with Taijutsu?
Was he crazy?
Closing the interface, Kazuyama glanced at the cheerful crowd in front of him and began thinking about how to sway Yahiko and Konan—especially Yahiko. If he could bring Yahiko to his side, the Akatsuki Organization would be in the bag.
"Alright, calm down."
"Sure, we've set up the organization, but look at the current situation—it's still a ragtag team. We've got a long way to go."
That bit of reality was like a bucket of cold water, dousing everyone's excitement.
Yeah, what did they have now? Three huts? Nine people?
Though the name "Akatsuki" thrilled them, the road ahead was still long.
But Yahiko, being someone with great resolve, quickly bounced back.
"Hahaha, Kazuyama, you're right—we still have a long way to go."
"From now on, we'll train hard and grow stronger. We've always stood for peace, but I know that only with strength can we truly pursue it."
"For that goal, we'll keep moving forward until our dream becomes reality."
Looking at Yahiko's serious expression, Kazuyama shook his head. He just couldn't handle people like this—too passionate.
Even though he was in a hot-blooded anime, he really didn't like all that passion. Passion made people lose their heads, and that always led to pain.
Over the next few days, Kazuyama and Yugito moved with Yahiko and his group.
They were Amegakure ninjas. Though ostracized, they continued to take missions and save money.
Kazuyama stayed hidden within their ranks and managed to sneak into the village with them.
Looking at the tightly guarded Amegakure, Kazuyama smacked his lips and grumbled,
"This village probably has the strongest defense among all the ninja villages."
"So many guards?"
Yahiko explained, "Yeah. Hanzō always says ninjas need to be ready for battle at all times, so everyone in the village stays on high alert in case war breaks out."
"Hmph, it's not like there's constant war. Even the Second Shinobi World War ended, didn't it?"
"I'm sure the Third Shinobi World War will end soon, too."
Kazuyama glanced at him, thinking, You're right—the war will pass. But if I don't step in, this war will be the end of you, brother.
His mind was racing, but that didn't stop his eyes from wandering.
A hot spring!
Amegakure's bathhouse made him recall the scene in the original story, when Jiraiya entered Amegakure—soaking in a hot spring under the drizzle?
Sigh... His long-dormant heart suddenly came alive.
"Yahiko! Let's go! Let's hit the hot springs!"
That one sentence left Yahiko and the others dumbfounded.
Hot springs? At a time like this?
And where would they even get the money for it?
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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