Ten minutes later, a completely disheveled Gekko Chizan quickly left the Hyuga compound.
Mainly because when facing Hyuga Hiashi, he could neither block nor fight back—after all, this man might very well be his future in-law.
With no other choice, he could only rely entirely on his dodging skills, weaving around while continuing his grand mission of proposing marriage.
The result?
Hyuga Hiashi grew angrier and angrier, and the attacks under his palms became increasingly fierce.
"Damn, that bastard Hiashi—just like Fugaku. One's a son-con, the other's a daughter-con!"
"This is called striking first! But this bastard really hits dirty..."
"Gentle Fist aiming straight for the lower body now? Damn it!"
He only proposed once—was it really necessary to go this far?
Tch, no rush. There's plenty of time.
Just as Gekko Chizan calmly started whistling—
...
Within the Land of Rivers, a figure was staring at the kid in front of him.
"Kid, your arm is beyond saving. Want me to help you turn it into a puppet arm?"
"Heh heh heh..."
The sinister laughter made one's scalp crawl. It was hard to imagine such a terrifying laugh coming from the mouth of a boy who didn't look very old.
The kid in front of him had a right arm riddled with holes. Just as the boy said, this arm was completely unsalvageable.
"Sure. As long as I can live."
"Oh?"
The kid's voice trembled slightly from the pain, but there was a hint of resolve in his words—and that was what surprised the boy.
As long as I can live, huh?
Live on. Live forever. Heh heh heh...
The boy lifted his cloak, revealing a delicate face. His bright red hair was striking, though the smile hanging on his face was somewhat ferocious.
"Very good. Your words have piqued my interest."
"What's your name?"
The kid shook his head. He had no name—or perhaps he had forgotten it.
"No name?"
"Then from now on, you'll be called Kabuto."
"My name is Sasori. From now on, you are my disciple and assistant."
"Together, we will explore the mysteries of the human body and the eternity of life."
Kabuto raised his head and looked at the boy before him. Even though he couldn't understand a single word of what was said, he still wanted to follow him.
"Okay."
"Heh heh... hahahahaha!"
"I'll take care of your arm first. You'll soon discover the benefits of a puppet arm."
Sasori extended his right hand, and a steel blade instantly appeared. With a casual swing—
Kabuto felt a burst of intense pain, and then everything went black. He passed out from the pain.
When he woke up again, he was inside a cave. The dim environment and the strange smell lingering in the air made him feel an unexpected sense of novelty.
As for the pain in his right arm, it was already gone. Though one arm was missing, he still struggled to his feet and walked deeper into the cave.
When he saw Sasori again, he was fiddling with an arm—one that looked no different from a human arm.
"Awake?"
"Perfect timing. This puppet arm is finished. It's an arm made from a real human arm."
"Aside from the internal modifications turning it into a puppet, it looks exactly the same as a normal arm. This is my craft—called the Human Puppet."
"Heh heh heh... as for the original owner of this arm..."
"Hahahahaha!"
Suddenly, Sasori laughed wildly. He didn't explain who the arm originally belonged to. Instead, with a flick of his finger, puppet threads instantly wrapped around Kabuto from behind, dragging him in front—and right there, he began installing the arm.
Installing a puppet arm onto a human body requires connecting the exposed internal mechanisms with blood vessels.
This level of pain was far beyond what Kabuto could endure, and he passed out once again.
When he opened his eyes again, his right arm still hurt a little—but it was already usable.
"Don't use too much force at first. It's just been installed, after all. You'll need some time to adapt."
"These are the things you need to study. Only after you finish them will I teach you the next steps."
If Gekko Chizan were here, he would definitely sigh in admiration.
As expected of people who pursue immortality—their methods of educating others are exactly the same.
But Kabuto wasn't Gekko Chizan.
Looking at the books and scrolls in front of him, a trace of curiosity and excitement appeared in his eyes—motivation that Gekko Chizan never had.
Kabuto's expression also satisfied Sasori.
"It seems saving you was the right choice. I hope you can give me a pleasant surprise."
"Otherwise, the only thing waiting for you is death. After all, a mere kid isn't even qualified to become my Human Puppet."
Right here, within the Land of Rivers, the gears of fate turned once more.
Only this time, the paths of the two individuals were completely different—and who knows what kind of future awaited them.
...
One month later, Konoha Village was finally fully rebuilt.
Gekko Chizan held his son, Gekko Dōnin, in one arm, while wrapping the other around Pakura. Behind them were Gekko Hayate and Yamato. Both kids looked utterly exhausted—clearly, they had been worked to the bone during this period.
Gekko Chizan, however, commented with great satisfaction:
"Not bad. This is way more luxurious than our old place. Yamato, your Wood Release really deserves to be called the number one bloodline limit."
"The quality, the grain—and the artificial mountain and pomegranate tree I bought—damn, this is awesome!"
"I hereby declare this the brand-new Gekko household!"
The expansion of the courtyard also meant Yamato officially moved into the Gekko household.
Yamato moving in was something Gekko Chizan had applied for early on. After all, Yamato was cultivated by his teacher—there was no way he'd let anyone else take over.
Danzo wanted control? Dream on. He should first figure out the curse marks on his own body.
From this moment on, Konoha's era of peace truly began.
Gekko Chizan could finally rest easy for a while.
Between daily academy classes and ANBU training, he already had more than enough on his plate.
"Chizan, your courtyard turned out great. And thanks for letting Yamato and Hayate help out."
Sayo and Ebisu also walked into the Gekko household.
Sayo looked at the now-accomplished Gekko Chizan and found it impossible to imagine that this was once the same little brat who used to steal chickens and cause trouble everywhere.
"Hahaha, Aunt Sayo, your place is right next door to mine. Satisfied with the courtyard?"
"From now on, we'll do things just like before—eat from the same big pot! Hahahaha!"
Hearing Gekko Chizan's words, Sayo rolled her eyes at him.
"Do you think I don't know what you're planning?"
"You just want me to help Pakura take care of the kids, right? Fine, I agree—but there's something you need to help me with too."
"No problem. It's about Ebisu's kid, right? Leave it to me. I guarantee he'll become someone remarkable!"