Chapter 229: The Price of Intelligence Depends on How Much You’re Willing to Pay

Words : 1395 Updated : Oct 10th, 2025

The refining process was difficult, but thanks to his excellent chakra control, after multiple trials, he finally managed to stabilize the ratio. Only a small amount. At the moment, it wasn’t of much practical use—unless his body could adapt to absorbing more natural energy and Senjutsu chakra. At this rate, the day he could achieve that wasn’t too far off. Next came the process of acclimation. Through the night, they occasionally heard strange, low growls from outside, but those quickly faded away. By the next morning… Hara Takeshi and Shibukawa arrived with a group of villagers. They stood at the door, all wearing grave expressions. The moment they saw Kyoichi, they dropped to their knees and shouted in unison: “Please, Shinobi-sama, save us!” “You’ve made up your minds?” “Yes, Kyoichi-sama. If there’s a chance, of course we hope to join Konohagakure. If not, we’ll follow your instructions and leave this place,” Hara Takeshi said with utmost respect. It was the conclusion of a long night of discussion. They all understood—not everyone could become a ninja. In the end, not everyone would be accepted into the village. Those who weren’t would follow the initial plan: leave the village and resettle elsewhere. But of course… If they had a choice, it’d be best if they all could go to Konoha. Konoha was the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages—strongest among them, and relatively peaceful. Naturally, they wanted to go. Besides… If they made it there, they could even learn specialized ninja techniques. Who wouldn’t want that? “Don’t celebrate just yet. For now, Konoha can’t officially accept you, and even if you do join, those receiving treatment will still have to repay part of the cost through missions. You understand that, right?” “Yes, Kyoichi-sama. Don’t worry, we’ve thought it all through.” Everyone nodded. Paying for medical treatment was only natural—being accepted by Konoha was a bonus. And to them, that condition hardly felt like coercion— They just wanted to live safely, after all. Plenty of people wanted into Konoha and couldn’t even get in! “Have the younger ones with more serious symptoms step forward.” Younger minds adapt faster. Shibukawa and a few others stepped up. Kyoichi gathered them and began to instruct them. The process wasn’t long. The technique’s main function was guiding natural energy, and the method was rather crude. As long as they grasped the basics, they’d at least stop being affected by the environment—no more random berserk episodes. This would take time. Which worked out… Kyoichi still needed to wait for Kakuzu to act. He could afford to stay here longer. Back in the village, Gekkō Hayate and Mukai were managing things in the Anbu—no major issues there. Over the next few days… Kyoichi focused on teaching them to guide natural energy. The results were promising—most of them successfully grasped the basics. They hadn’t seen a significant boost in power yet… But their loss-of-control episodes had already shortened. What used to happen every day or two now only happened every few days. Kyoichi’s hypothesis was correct. Their symptoms mirrored those of Slug Sage Mode. That meant he could let Shisui and the others begin training safely. At worst, they’d end up like these villagers. And for some of them, a Cursed Seal might even be life-saving in desperate situations. And if it worked? They’d unlock Sage Mode! It was a win-win. Even a loss wasn’t too bad, but a win would be an absolute windfall. There was no reason not to train. Shisui and the others, now immersed in this environment, had begun to sense natural energy. While they hadn’t started synthesizing Senjutsu chakra yet, their bodies were slowly adapting. Throughout his instruction, Kyoichi also received some feedback from the system. His Senjutsu chakra mastery had increased significantly. So… He began testing whether he could inject the Senjutsu chakra he accumulated each day into his Yin Seal. If it worked, it meant he could store it over time and enter Sage Mode instantly in critical moments. If it worked with Tailed Beast chakra, there was no reason it wouldn’t work with Sage Mode. Of course… He only dared to try now because he’d gotten much stronger. Ten or so days later… They finally departed. Anbu intelligence arrived: Iwagakure had a major incident recently. Rōshi, together with Han—the Five-Tails Jinchūriki—had defected. Many were injured in the process, but curiously, they didn’t kill a single person. Which made things awkward for someone else. Kakuzu… He tried to take advantage of the chaos and sneakily killed an Iwagakure shinobi to steal his heart, but Rōshi and Han had both shown restraint—wounding but never killing. So… Iwa-nin figured out that Rōshi’s current strength could easily kill any of them, meaning the missing jōnin was clearly assassinated by someone else. And so, Onoki sent someone once again— To the Land of Fire border. Kitsuchi came in secret, waiting for the Konoha contact. Moments later… Four figures appeared before him. “Kitsuchi, didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon.” “Really? I thought you would.” Kitsuchi sighed helplessly. He was certain Kyoichi must’ve said something to Rōshi, because when Rōshi returned, he’d gotten noticeably stronger—and not only defected himself, but took Han with him. Who knows what kind of spell Kyoichi cast on him? Onoki was absolutely livid. But… Now wasn’t the time to argue over what Kyoichi had or hadn’t said. Rōshi had hurt people but hadn’t killed anyone, and Kyoichi’s methods were still within the bounds of diplomacy. They had no concrete evidence against him. But whoever was operating in the shadows—that was another matter. So… Kitsuchi joked lightly, then quickly got to the point. “Kyoichi-sama, Iwagakure’s intel says you encountered Kakuzu in the Land of Rivers. We’d like to exchange information—terms have already been discussed.” “Kakuzu? We killed him once in the Land of Rivers.” “Killed him once?” “Yes. I stabbed his heart with my blade, but he didn’t die. It’s strange—likely related to his technique. That’s all the intel I have.” Kyoichi said calmly. Shisui and the others stayed silent behind him. Their teacher was about to squeeze some money out of this. Back when they’d reviewed the fight, Kyoichi had clearly explained: Kakuzu’s masks likely represented multiple lives. To truly kill him, every mask had to be destroyed. And… Each mask corresponded to one chakra nature. Kyoichi had mentioned this too—but now he was playing dumb. “Kyoichi-sama, could you share a bit more? We’re truly sincere about this… While the payment terms were already settled with your village, we’re willing to raise the offer.” Kitsuchi lowered his stance. He wasn’t surprised—others might not know, but he was sure Kyoichi knew more. “I just remembered—he had many special masks. Each one corresponded to a different chakra nature. But we didn’t see an Earth Release mask, so it’s possible the one I destroyed was the Earth Release one.” Kyoichi smiled faintly. Onoki was cunning, already guessing the enemy might be Kakuzu and had sent Kitsuchi to verify it. But… To Kyoichi, this wasn’t necessarily bad news. The more people aware of the organization behind Kakuzu, the better—especially someone like Onoki, a powerhouse whose Light-Weight and Heavy-Weight techniques synergized with nearly anyone. And let’s not forget— He also had Dust Release. Against someone like Uchiha Madara, Onoki would be a huge asset. “An Earth-natured mask…” Kitsuchi pondered for a moment, and it clicked. No wonder Onoki told him to confirm it with Kyoichi—he must’ve already suspected Kakuzu. “What your father really wants to know is probably what Kakuzu’s up to, right? Sorry, we’re not sure. We only know he has a powerful puppet master ally—likely Sasori of the Red Sand.” Sasori of the Red Sand. Another infamous rogue ninja, long ranked at the top of the wanted lists. Kitsuchi went quiet. Those two working together couldn’t mean anything good. Worst part? They had their sights set on Iwagakure. What were they planning? Just looking to “replace” some masks? He had a bad feeling. “They’re not just two rogue shinobi teaming up. I suspect there’s a larger organization with a specific purpose behind them. I suggest you remain vigilant.” “…Understood. Thank you, Kyoichi-sama. We’ll send the payment to Konoha.” With growing unease in his heart, Kitsuchi knew he couldn’t stay here any longer.

Chapter 229: The Price of Intelligence Depends on How Much You’re Willing to Pay

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