Chapter 76: Natural Sage Transformation? Talent, Join Konoha!

A short while later, Namikaze Minato arrived. He had been scouting another area ahead and hadn’t made it to this region yet. Seeing them unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief. "What happened?" "It’s like this..." Kyohiko explained the situation. Hatake Kakashi had already summoned his ninken, and as the group walked and talked— Suddenly. "Such a strong smell of blood!" Pakkun sniffed the air, then abruptly raised his head, looking upwind. It was a mountainside where the wind blew through a nearby valley. Climbing up, they found a small village—now completely collapsed—with blood splattered everywhere, dyeing the entire settlement red. But strangely... There were no bodies. Where were the corpses? "Follow me!" Pakkun sprinted ahead. Inside a cave, corpses were strewn about, many torn to pieces. Before even entering, an overwhelming stench of blood assaulted them. Apart from Minato and Pakkun, who were accustomed to battlefields, the others all paled slightly. It was too strong! Inside the cave, dried blood covered the ground. In the dim corners, severed limbs and broken bones created a scene straight out of hell. "Ugh!" Might Gai, who had only "participated" in killing before, couldn’t hold it in. He turned aside and retched. Fortunately, they had been eating soldier pills these past few days, so he only vomited some bile, nothing too embarrassing. The entire cave was filled with rotting corpses and flesh. As they ventured deeper— "Stay away! Stay away! I don’t want to kill you! I don’t!" "Ah! I killed someone!" "No, it wasn’t me..." Muttered words echoed from within, the voice sounding utterly deranged, devoid of reason. Minato frowned slightly and made a cautious gesture. Something’s off! Kyohiko was already certain—this person was likely a natural Sage Body user, similar to Jūgo. But whether he was responsible for the surrounding corpses remained unclear. "Kill!" "Kill!" Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted violently. A terrifying surge of chakra erupted from the cave, followed by a grotesque, enlarged hand shooting out like a whip. Minato formed a Rasengan in his palm. But no matter how he attacked, the hand—despite being torn apart—regrew wildly, its assault never faltering. A complete madman! "Fall back!" The group quickly retreated from the cave. Strangely, after they exited, a pained wail came from inside. The person didn’t chase them. Hmm... "Senpai, it seems he isn’t someone who kills indiscriminately. The villagers might not have been killed by him." Kyohiko spoke quietly. Gai looked at him in surprise. "Why?" He could admit that the man hadn’t pursued them, suggesting some remaining rationality. But if he went completely berserk, could he really control himself? "Behavior patterns?" "And the corpses. Though I only glanced briefly, there were missing chunks of flesh and bones in the cave. If he killed them, where did all that go? Did he... eat them?" Kyohiko gave his reasoning. Of course, it could also be due to the Sage Body’s cellular absorption technique. But currently, Kyohiko couldn’t possibly know that, so "eating" was the most plausible explanation. Gai was stunned—not by Kyohiko’s deduction, but by... "You can tell the amount of flesh and bones at a glance?" "Don’t be so surprised. These are just basic anatomical facts." "That’s not basic at all!" Kakashi said coldly. Not just him—Minato and Kakashi both looked at Kyohiko as if he were some kind of monster. Who could see that at a glance? Even Minato, a veteran of countless battles, had never heard of such an ability. After the initial shock, Minato came to his senses. Kyohiko had studied medical ninjutsu, so it wasn’t impossible for him to know. Still... While human anatomy was indeed fundamental in medicine, being able to assess it so quickly was downright terrifying! "The question is, what do we do now?" Kakashi looked at the two jonin. Minato collected himself. "Kyohiko, what do you think?" "Lure him out. We need more intel before formulating a plan. Ideally, we subdue him and examine his condition... Maybe use Mystical Palm Technique?" "No need. I know some sealing jutsu. Create an opening for me, and I’ll seal him." With that, Minato dashed into the cave. The next moment, furious roars erupted from inside. Minato burst out like a yellow flash, followed by a grotesquely distorted man with wild, bloodshot eyes. His arms had enlarged, resembling massive hammers. Boom! A heavy punch cracked the ground, showing terrifying power. Minato retreated. Kyohiko immediately took over, forming a one-handed seal before spewing a jet of water. The water gathered into a concentrated stream. Water Release: Wild Water Wave! But this wasn’t an ordinary technique—Kyohiko had added compression-based nature transformation, increasing the water’s pressure. Though not as powerful as Senju Tobirama’s Water Release: Water Severing Wave, it was far stronger than the standard version. Ssss! The water sliced through skin, drawing blood while simultaneously aiming for the man’s face. The monster roared, one arm swelling grotesquely to block the water. Kakashi was surprised. Kyohiko’s attacks were ruthless, aiming for lethal spots—hardly the approach of someone trying to capture an opponent alive. In that case, I won’t hold back either! Kakashi charged forward. At the last moment, he drew his blade. The White Fang’s sword flashed— The enlarged hand was severed. But the next instant, the man howled, his other arm morphing into a claw that seized Kakashi. At the same time— Gai swiftly repositioned, darting in front of Kakashi and delivering a powerful kick to the claw. When it didn’t budge— He activated the First Gate: Gate of Opening, drew two kunai, and stabbed them deep into the claw with all his strength. The monster roared in pain, releasing Kakashi. Kakashi broke out in cold sweat. If not for Gai’s desperate intervention... Meanwhile, Kyohiko had already Body Flickered behind the man, placing both hands on his head and flooding him with Mystical Palm chakra. As the man’s eyes drooped, his chaotic chakra flared again! "Rooaar!" Just as he was about to rampage— Minato completed his seals. Four Symbols Seal! The seal struck the man’s body. Instantly, the monstrous form shrank, reverting to a normal human appearance—a young man in his early twenties. Dazed, he clutched his head in agony. "Don’t lose it yet." Kyohiko maintained the Mystical Palm Technique but shifted his hands to the man’s arms— His hands had been severed during the fight, but now only deep wounds remained. A kunai was still embedded in one. Pulling it out left two bloody holes. After a quick treatment, the wounds healed rapidly. "What’s your name?" "Kurokawa. My name is Kurokawa." The man was bewildered but answered truthfully. Kyohiko continued, "Can you control that state? Or do you remember anything after going berserk?" "I remember, but... it’s hazy." Kurokawa replied painfully. Kyohiko nodded, scanning his clean clothes before glancing at Minato. "Senpai, his clothes are spotless, and there’s no blood on his face. I don’t think he’s the culprit..." "Mm. You take over the questioning." Minato had intended to interrogate him but, seeing Kyohiko’s calm and methodical approach, was happy to let him handle it. Kyohiko turned back. "Do you have the ability to absorb flesh and blood?" "Absorb flesh and blood?" Kurokawa thought hard, then shook his head blankly. "No, I don’t think so. Why?" "Then you shouldn’t be so quick to blame yourself. One, your memories are incomplete. Two, there’s missing flesh and bones in the cave. Unless you can absorb them, eating that much in a few days isn’t feasible." Kyohiko’s tone was calm and clinical. Even Minato stayed silent, not daring to interrupt. This was too technical! Without medical knowledge, they were completely out of their depth. "But... they..." Kurokawa was lost. If he didn’t kill them... How did the villagers die? "What I mean is, don’t jump to conclusions. If someone else did this and you take the blame, it’ll only hinder our investigation." Kyohiko walked deeper into the cave. Inside was utter chaos. Rotting flesh, decaying bones, and... Perfectly preserved corpses. Kyohiko scanned the scene, his expression grim. Too brutal! This was practically hell on earth. It was easy to imagine what kind of experiments had taken place here. He grew even more certain— Sasori must have stayed here for some time. "Kakashi." "Got it." Without needing elaboration, Kakashi summoned Pakkun again to help search for clues. The overwhelming stench nearly made the ninken pass out. But— "Pakkun, sniff around. See if you can detect any drugs or traces of shinobi." "Roger!" The ninken got to work. Minato surveyed the area thoughtfully. "You suspect a shinobi did this?" "Most likely Sasori." Kyohiko was more certain. "Sasori." Minato’s face darkened with anger. If this was truly Sasori’s doing, he would hunt him down and kill him! Moments later, Pakkun sniffed a corner and turned back. "Over here—there’s a strange herbal scent. Probably some kind of poison, but I don’t know the specifics." "Ahhh!" Suddenly, a scream came from another corner. The group rushed over. They found Gai collapsed on the ground, staring at a small alcove where a girl stood motionless. Her body looked perfectly preserved, as if alive. Kyohiko approached, examined her, then sighed. "Probably embalmed with chemicals." He lifted her slightly. She was light. "Empty. What’s the purpose?" "If it’s Sasori, he might be using human puppets. These were all civilians!" Minato’s voice was laced with fury. Originally, he had just wanted to complete the mission—even the Third Hokage had said it wasn’t mandatory, just to do their best. But now... "Sasori... I’ll definitely kill him!" To anger someone as kind-hearted as Minato, Sasori had truly crossed the line. "If it’s human puppetry, could his attack on Hyuga Hizashi have been for a Kekkei Genkai?" Kyohiko steered the conversation toward bloodline limits. Minato considered it. "Possibly. He might be researching how to preserve Kekkei Genkai in puppets. But if so, why would he—" He suddenly looked at Kurokawa. For this unique physique?! Minato realized—Sasori must have gotten wind of Kurokawa’s existence, which was why he came to this village. Kurokawa stood frozen, staring at the girl with tear-filled eyes. His chakra grew erratic, threatening to break the seal and send him into another rampage. "Little sister! Little sister!" "Calm down! Or her body might not remain intact." "I... I..." He forced himself to steady, rushing over to embrace the girl’s body. Kyohiko fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Let’s step outside. Give them some time alone." "Yeah." Minato’s reply was heavy. Gai and Kakashi were equally somber—especially Gai, whose face was still pale from shock. That girl suddenly floating out... He thought it was a ghost! Outside, Minato’s usual smile was nowhere to be seen. Sasori. Human puppetry. Too despicable. He had to die! "Captain, judging by the scene, he couldn’t have left more than a few days ago." "Right." Minato’s voice was icy. "We pursue. We kill." Much later, Kurokawa emerged from the cave silently. He looked at Minato, then at Kyohiko, Gai, and Kakashi. "I remember now. I remember everything!" "The one who killed the villagers... it was a terrifying person. No, wait—maybe multiple people..." His words were disjointed. He clutched his head in agony. "I didn’t see them clearly. I don’t know." "That’s Sunagakure’s puppetry. By combining certain ninjutsu, they can make puppets indistinguishable from humans." Kyohiko stepped forward. "We suspect it was Sasori. He might have been researching human puppetry. Was your sister like you—special in some way?" "Special?" "Prone to berserk states." Minato clarified. Kurokawa shook his head. "No, my sister was normal. But me... I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Sometimes I lose control, but I’d always run out of the village to uninhabited areas." So that’s why he wasn’t caught! The group understood. Sasori had come here looking for Kurokawa but arrived too late. With Konoha ninja nearby, he had no choice but to leave. "Please... help me get revenge! I’ll have my revenge! Release the seal—" Desperation filled Kurokawa’s eyes. This power was his only hope. Minato shook his head. "You can’t control it. And Sasori specializes in poison and puppets—your ability wouldn’t be effective against him." "We’re Konoha shinobi. We were already tracking Sasori, which is how we found you." Kyohiko explained. Kurokawa froze, then tears streamed down his face. "You’ll help me get revenge?" "Yes." Kyohiko nodded. Kurokawa dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly. "Get up, get up!" Minato quickly helped him to his feet. "I’m from the Land of Rivers. Can I... become a Konoha shinobi? I want power—to protect those I care about, to kill Sunagakure ninja!" His eyes burned with hatred. Minato hesitated. Kyohiko stepped in. "Your condition is unique. You understand that, right?" "Yes, I know..." Kurokawa’s gaze dimmed. His berserk states made him a walking time bomb. Kyohiko smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Your power is strong, but there might be ways to manage it—like how you’re sealed now." "So... I can go?" Hope flickered in Kurokawa’s voice. Minato nodded. "Given your situation, we can take you to the village. But we can’t promise you’ll become a shinobi, and you might not have complete freedom." "That’s fine. It’s for the best. I don’t want to hurt innocents. At least in Konoha, you can restrain me if needed." Guilt laced Kurokawa’s words. Clearly, over the years, he hadn’t been as harmless as he claimed—perhaps he had hurt others before. "Then... welcome to Konoha!" Minato extended his hand. Kurokawa stared for a second before grasping it and standing. At that moment— Kyohiko heard a prompt. He glanced discreetly. [Under your guidance, a natural Sage Transformation user has voluntarily joined Konoha.] [Reward: Hearing Enhancement] Huh? Hearing enhancement? But Kyohiko didn’t feel any different. Wait— He checked his memories. Sure enough, a new chakra technique had been added— Chakra-Enhanced Hearing! According to the information, this required extremely precise chakra control—unless one had natural Sage Transformation like Kurokawa, which allowed direct enhancement. Precise control... He should manage! Focusing, Kyohiko carefully channeled chakra to his ears. Gradually, sounds became clearer, more distinct. He could even hear birds and animals—not understanding their calls, but sensing their emotions. Was this part of the enhancement? If he increased the chakra flow— No, no. The head was too delicate. He wasn’t about to risk deafness. This ability was likely a Sage Transformation side effect. But without it, extreme chakra control was necessary. Luckily... Kyohiko experimented, marveling at how this new sense opened up a whole new world. Amazing! Meanwhile, Kurokawa buried the villagers, giving his sister the only marked grave. His expression was bleak. Minato glanced at the ruined village below. "Want to go back and see?" "No. Let’s go." Kurokawa steeled himself, turning away. Without revenge, the villagers’ deaths were meaningless. "Then let’s move." Minato agreed. Though Kurokawa didn’t know Sasori’s whereabouts, he knew the local terrain. If Sasori sought more test subjects, he’d target shinobi. So— Wherever shinobi gathered, that’s where they’d go! With a local guide, tracking became much easier. Over the next few days, Kyohiko practiced his enhanced hearing, mastering its limits. Pure chakra enhancement only expanded his range and let him sense animal emotions—not understand their language. That might require cursed seal transformation. But by pressing against trees or the ground, he could hear even farther. With this ability— On the third day, near a lakeside mountain bordering the Land of Rain, Kyohiko picked up unusual sounds. "Fighting over there. Should we check it out?" Kyohiko pressed against a tree trunk, pointing northwest. Minato followed his gaze, stunned. "You can hear that far?" "Used a little trick to enhance my hearing." Kyohiko nodded. Minato blinked. "With chakra? Are you insane? One mistake, and you could go deaf!" "It worked, and it’s been helpful. By the way, did you inform Shikaku-senpai?" Kyohiko deftly changed the subject. "Yeah. They’re close—just a few minutes behind." "Should we head over first?" "Sure. If it’s Sasori... kill him outright. He’s a Suna rogue—they can’t complain." Kyohiko smirked. "He’d probably thank us, huh?" "For a high-profile missing-nin like Sasori..."