The next day, just as the sun was rising, Yugito led Kazuyama into the forest.
"Kid, what was your original intention for wanting to become a ninja?"
Yugito was momentarily taken aback by the question. Original intention?
"I wanted to become strong and be recognized by the people in the village."
Kazuyama snorted in disdain upon hearing this.
"What's the point of some adoring stares when you're just a kid?"
"Do you think recognition will fill your stomach? Can you eat it?"
"Be more practical, kid. Becoming strong is about survival. When you have strength, you can enjoy life."
"Sure enough, kids are kids. Since you haven't been completely brainwashed by the village yet, let me change your way of thinking for you."
Facing Yugito's naive thoughts, he sneered. The kids in this world were all so simple-minded, and he couldn't stand it. Since he had captured her, she would have to follow him from now on.
"Hmph! You're a ninja too, so are you not loyal to your village?"
"Loyal to the village? What does that have to do with enjoying life?"
Yugito was stunned by his words.
"The village is just a part of our survival."
"Now, let's start training. Since you don't want to obey me, I'll make you obey."
"I've already planned it out. In the morning, we'll train your body. In the afternoon, we'll work on your connection with Matatabi. Only when you can communicate with Matatabi at a basic level will you be considered to have started."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kazuyama immediately began training her.
The physical training was simple: just run.
"Faster! If you want to become a ninja, how can you do that without a good physique?"
"How long have we been running? You're such a wimp—get up and keep going!"
Yugito had trained hard before, but now she realized how easy her previous training had been.
Even though Kazuyama only told her to run, he constantly put pressure on her. She didn't know what he was doing, but strange things kept appearing on the ground, forcing her to stay alert or risk tripping.
And if she fell, she'd get a flogging with a branch from Kazuyama.
"Asshole! Don't hit my head!"
"Believe me, I'll kill you!"
Yugito, who had been struck on the head once again with the branch, completely lost her temper and roared like a little tiger.
In response, Kazuyama only laughed, his movements becoming even faster.
The morning training quickly passed.
Yugito was so exhausted that she collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"Hmph, kid, aren't you great?"
"Why can't you handle just one morning of training?"
"Kid, you still have a long way to go."
"When you pass the physical fitness test, I'll consider teaching you ninjutsu."
Yugito didn't even bother responding; she was too tired to care.
Just as Kazuyama was about to say something else, a sudden system prompt interrupted him.
[Ding!] Detected: A, the son of the Raikage, has returned to the Land of Lightning—only to be relentlessly hunted down by creditors for a staggering debt of 500 million ryō. Upon seeing the loan statement, A coughed up blood and fainted on the spot.
The host's actions were truly outrageous! As a special reward, the Summoning Technique: Rashomon has been upgraded to Five-Fold Rashomon.
(Note: This is the highest level!)]
Hearing this reward, Kazuyama nearly burst out laughing.
This bastard A, you finally got what was coming to you! You worked so hard just to take out a loan? And now, you're drowning in debt!
So cool! So cool!
And it wasn't over yet. When he found out that the Two-Tails Jinchūriki was gone and that the Island Turtle had disappeared, could he even survive the shock?
However, this notification also made Kazuyama's thoughts churn. If the Fourth Raikage had returned to the Land of Lightning, that meant the Third Raikage was dead, and Kumogakure had completely withdrawn from the Third Shinobi World War.
The battles that followed would only become more tragic.
If I could, I'd love to stay on the Island Turtle forever... but unfortunately, I can't. I still need to return to Konoha.
"Hey! What are you laughing at?"
"I asked you a question! What ninjutsu can you teach me?"
Yugito's sudden outburst snapped Kazuyama out of his thoughts.
"Huh?"
"What did you say?"
Yugito looked at him with a puzzled expression before gritting her teeth and repeating herself.
"I asked you—what ninjutsu can you teach me?"
Ninjutsu?
Kazuyama glanced at her.
"You're a Jinchūriki. Do you really need to learn ninjutsu?"
"Wouldn't it be better to create your own techniques using the power of your Tailed Beast?"
"For example, Matatabi's flames are extremely powerful. You can borrow that fire to develop your own ninjutsu."
"Remember, the ninjutsu that suits you best is the one you develop yourself."
"For example..."
"Crystal Release: Bind."
The moment he finished speaking, Yugito suddenly found her feet wrapped in an unknown layer of crystal.
In an instant, she lost the ability to move.
"What is this? The power of the Seven-Tails?"
Kazuyama shook his head.
"This is my Kekkei Genkai. I'll explain it to you later."
"For now, focus on strengthening your body. Whether you're a Jinchūriki or a Jōnin, your physical strength is what allows you to grow stronger. Without a solid foundation, you can't accomplish anything."
"That's enough for now. Let's eat. After lunch, I'll take you somewhere."
After finishing their meal, Kazuyama and Yugito walked toward the Falls of Truth.
To perfectly control a Tailed Beast, one had to overcome both oneself and the beast. The most important thing was to see the Tailed Beast as a friend—not an opponent or a tool.
Kazuyama, however, was an exception. Thanks to his system, he had a direct bond with Chōmei and didn't need to train with the Tailed Beast at all.
On the other hand, Yugito did need it. She was still a newcomer who had only recently become a Jinchūriki.
The Falls of Truth would be useful to her.
That being said, since he was already here, Kazuyama figured he might as well give the Falls of Truth a try.
After all, this waterfall could reveal a person's dark side.
He was quite curious about what his dark side looked like.
"Where is this?"
"The Falls of Truth. It will show you your dark side."
Yugito gave him a skeptical look.
"What's the point of seeing my dark side?"
"If you confront it, defeat it, and strengthen your heart, you'll have the chance to make peace with Matatabi."
"Only then will you become a perfect Jinchūriki—like me."
Kazuyama spoke calmly. After all, he was a perfect Jinchūriki, someone even more complete than the others.
But his words only made Yugito more dismissive.
It was obvious—she didn't believe him at all.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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