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JST Chapter 120: Terrorism 101 with a Smile
🕑 Added 2024-11-28 14:45:06 +0000 UTCThe members of the root slowly stood up and looked at Kazuki with complicated eyes.
But starting with Nono, the Root members greeted Kazuki one by one, and finally took off their masks with an excited and somewhat fearful heart as they walked towards the gate of the Root base.
Some wanted to go home, others just wanted to wander freely around the village…
It sounds absurd, but it was the most genuine wish of these poor humans who, since they were children, had been manipulated by Danzo.
Kazuki looked at Nono’s back and smiled softly. “A smart person.”
From the moment she responded to Kazuki with her name to the moment she raised her hand first to make her request, Nono, using her position at the root, had skillfully complemented Kazuki's power and rhetoric, helping him break through the others' defenses.
"As expected of the Root, there are so many talented people, Tobirama..."
When talking to Tobirama, Kazuki changed to an excited tone. "Look, the information of these shinobi!"
Senju Tobirama snorted. “Kid don’t get too excited. Root missions aren’t easy…”
But deep inside, Tobirama felt satisfied. When Kazuki had released his chakra and eye power, the deep pressure that emanated almost made him tremble, as if he were facing Uchiha Madara.
But what did that matter?
In the end Kazuki was still just a child who was excited before him.
Kazuki ignored Tobirama, picked up a document and muttered: "Yamano Kaito, good at the mind transfer puppet curse seal. As long as the puppet is attacked by the enemy, the enemy's mind will be sealed into the puppet and the caster will take control of the attacker's body."
“It really is an excellent technique…”
Senju Tobirama frowned. “Kazuki, this technique can only temporarily control the enemy, it has no lethal capability. At most, it can cause confusion on the battlefield, don’t overestimate it.”
“No, Tobirama.”
Kazuki's eyes shone with excitement, as if he had completely integrated into the darkness of the root.
“You just need to seal explosive tags inside the puppet. When the enemy is possessed, you pretend to be injured and call for reinforcements, then you can make an explosion that destroys multiple enemies at once!”
“Moreover, this technique strikes fear into the enemy. You only need to use it a few times, and who will dare to rescue the wounded?”
"Once there is a crack in trust, morale will become extremely low!"
Kazuki continued to break down his ideas: “Maybe we could capture some enemies and mark them with sealing techniques, then use them to make them return to the enemy camp before blowing themselves up. What do you think?”
Tobirama fell silent. Although Kazuki's logic wasn't wrong, why did his idea sound so extreme?
Could it be that the environment at the root is really affecting Kazuki's way of thinking?
“And this Jar of Poison Technique, it’s even more impressive!”
Kazuki expressed his sincere admiration: "It gathers multiple infected corpses and contains them within a barrier where the rotting flesh will release a gas that will eventually ignite an explosion and release the poisonous insects in a massive swarm that could cover the surrounding landscape."
“The biggest limitation of this technique is the limited explosion radius, it cannot be moved, and the poisonous mist can be dispersed by wind release ninjutsu, even before it becomes infectious, it could be destroyed, and it could also affect our own allies.”
Senju Tobirama nodded silently.
At least Kazuki still had some common sense…
"But my medical ninjutsu is not afraid of this poisonous insect. My accomplishments in the sealing technique should also be able to move the poisonous insect's barrier. If I silently carve the Flying Thunder God's mark on the enemy and launch a surprise attack in the middle of the night, I will teleport to the enemy formation with the Jar of Poison Technique and detonate it..."
Tobirama took a deep breath. This child, how had he ended up like this?
Tobirama interrupted Kazuki's flow of thoughts, saying seriously: "Kazuki, you're too extreme. If you do this, Konoha will have to fight to the death with the other shinobi villages. Don't do it unless it's necessary. You'll regret it..."
Kazuki waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "Tobirama, I am the leader of the root!"
“If there must be darkness, then I will be the one to bear it. This is the duty of the root of Konoha!”
Senju Tobirama covered his face with one hand. At that moment, he felt that Kazuki's thoughts were too similar to his own.
However, Kazuki's eyes were shining more and more brightly, as he muttered to himself: "Jar of Poison Technique, Impure World Reincarnation, Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags..."
Tobirama hesitated. He wanted to say something, but suddenly realized that all those jutsu… he had invented them himself.
And yet, he couldn't help but feel a strange anticipation in his heart.
If these forbidden techniques were to be deployed without restraint on the battlefield, how would our enemies react?
Back then, he had been limited by Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito…
But Kazuki had no one who could stop him.
Tobirama coughed lightly. "Kazuki, I have an idea, listen to it..."
With that, Tobirama kept pace with Kazuki, getting involved in his dark plans.
...
Land of Bears, Exchange Point.
Kakuzu walked with a box full of ryo bills in one hand and a bundle of newly acquired information under his arm. His face reflected deep thought.
"The situation in the Shinobi World has really become turbulent since the death of Uzumaki Mito..."
Wandering in the black market, Kakuzu, who is extremely experienced, has already smelled the smell of war from various intelligence.
The shinobi world was like a powder keg, where each village hid its own conflicts: past defeats that called for revenge, excessive ambitions or internal decadences. They all waited for the right moment to redraw the map of power.
After agreeing to work for Kazuki, Kakuzu tried to carry out his role diligently. However, his new boss rarely contacted him, let alone assigned him missions.
This made Kakuzu feel very uncomfortable, and he could only spontaneously kill some missing-nin to earn money and gather some intelligence for Kazuki to prove that he did not break his promise but was working diligently.
Curiously, the more he immersed himself in his role as Kazuki's subordinate, the more he felt... satisfied.
Since leaving Takigakure, Kakuzu had developed an unhealthy obsession with money. For a homeless ninja, black markets and Bounty Exchange Points offered something of a refuge: a stability that filled his inner emptiness.
The betrayal of people's hearts is what Kakuzu is most reluctant to face, and it is also the shortcoming he is working hard to make up for.
And what Kazuki said after defeating him——
"If you think there is still truth in this world, then you should keep your words..."
"Even if I regret it, I am not afraid of having you as an enemy, but I understand the falsehood of the world, which is worth it for me."
These words were deeply engraved in Kakuzu's heart.
Kazuki wasn't just a good boss; his carefree attitude towards Kakuzu bordered on blind trust. He never demanded money from him, nor sent him on absurd missions. He simply left him to his own devices.
Despite all this, Kazuki gladly accepted both the intelligence reports, and the money sent to him, responding with letters of encouragement. This showed that it was not out of pity that he let him go, as Hashirama had done, but because he recognized his usefulness.
At times, Kakuzu wondered if Kazuki also questioned the authenticity of relationships and promises in the world. Perhaps that was why he decided to bet on him after hearing his story.
How else to explain his indulgence?
With Kazuki's strength and the dangerous power of his dojutsu, Kakuzu would never think that Kazuki is a naive child. The only explanation is that he and Kazuki have similar knots in their hearts, and he was touched after hearing his story...
This reflection pushed him to work harder.
He regained something he had not felt since his youth, when he was fighting for Takigakure: a simple joy. Even money was beginning to lose its importance.
"Hello, you are Kakuzu, right?" A friendly greeting interrupted Kakuzu's thoughts.
Hatake Sakumo was wearing a comfortable black sportswear, carrying a backpack that Kakashi used when he was in school, with a short knife hanging on his waist, and an excited smile on his face. "I finally found you! It wasn't easy keeping track of you!"
Kakuzu saw Hatake Sakumo's appearance, and his pupils shrank suddenly-who the hell is this?
Kakuzu knew Hatake Sakumo's reputation and appearance, and in the Bingo Book, Hatake Sakumo's ranking was also very high.
However, Kazuki's image of him was completely different: a man as sharp as a sword.
But the Hatake Sakumo standing in front of Kakuzu was dressed like a rich silly boy who was out for fun.
Is this man crazy?
Hatake Sakumo, who had attempted suicide once, threw away many heavy burdens in his heart and changed into this outfit that he thought was the most comfortable to welcome his new life.
