Fu showed a surprised expression on her face and anxiously looked toward the old man:
"Grandfather..."
However, before Fu could finish her words, the old man waved his hand, interrupting her.
"Leader, for the sake of Takigakure, let's handle it this way."
The old man turned his head to look seriously at Shibuki, his expression grave.
Hearing the old man's words, Shibuki fell silent for a moment before nodding.
Takigakure really didn't have the qualifications to become an enemy of Kirigakure.
Seeing that Shibuki had agreed, the old man let out a slight sigh of relief, looking at Yuto with an apologetic expression on his face:
"Takigakure Elder, I have met with Lord Yuto."
Yuto raised an eyebrow, a surprised expression appearing on his face as he looked curiously at the old man:
"How do you know who I am?"
Hearing this, the Takigakure Elder quickly put on a respectful expression.
As expected!
By a hair's breadth, Takigakure might have been completely destroyed!
"Although Takigakure is a small village, we have always been paying attention to the situation of the entire shinobi world. I don't mind if Lord Yuto finds this amusing, but we just returned from a meeting between the three great shinobi villages."
"Calling it a meeting between the three great shinobi villages is just a nice way of putting it. It's actually a meeting composed of our three small villages: Takigakure, Yugakure, and Sugigakure."
"The main purpose was to analyze the current situation in the shinobi world. It was during this very meeting that we received intelligence from Konohagakure, which contained information about the revival of Lord Yuto, Uchiha Madara, and Senju Hashirama."
"And just as we received this intelligence, we also received information that our village was under attack, so we hurried back."
The Takigakure Elder spoke with a respectful expression, detailing everything that had happened to Yuto.
In truth, there was one thing the Takigakure Elder didn't mention: he had actually received intelligence about Suiken attacking the village earlier but hadn't paid it much mind.
After all, with Fu here, even if Suiken eventually consumed the 'Hero Water,' the impact wouldn't be significant. It would also serve as a test of Shibuki's character.
The reason he had hurried back was because the intelligence mentioned Kirigakure shinobi getting involved.
Regardless of Kirigakure's intentions, they absolutely could not offend them at this time. That's why the Takigakure Elder had rushed back with his men, fearing that something might go wrong.
"So Senju Hashirama has already spread the news, that's a bit faster than expected."
Yuto took a light breath, a mysterious smile suddenly appearing on his face.
For some reason, when the others around him saw Yuto's smile, they suddenly felt a chill deep in their hearts.
"Cough, Lord Yuto, regarding the 'Hero Water,' I shall..."
The Takigakure Elder beside him spoke with a humble and respectful expression.
"There's no need. After delaying for so long, it should be about time we found it."
Yuto waved his hand dismissively, interrupting the Takigakure Elder.
Not long after Yuto's words fell, the water in a nearby pond suddenly exploded.
Following that, a palm-sized turtle-like creature leaped out of the pond.
In this creature's mouth, it held a withered branch-like piece of wood.
Shibuki's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at this scene.
He knew that the place where the 'Hero Water' was sealed was known only to him in all of Takigakure.
Even if the elders wanted it, they could only entrust Shibuki to retrieve it from the sealed location.
Suddenly, Shibuki remembered the miniature turtle that had left his body.
That meant that when he went to the sealed location, he had already exposed its whereabouts.
Shibuki stiffly lifted his head to look at Yuto, who stood in the distance with an indifferent expression.
This meant that from beginning to end, the other party hadn't cared whether he agreed or not.
As the palm-sized creature shot out of the water, it rapidly crawled toward Yuto's direction, showing no signs of being a turtle.
Yuto raised his hand, and the creature landed in his palm.
After dropping the withered branch it was holding, the creature turned into a wisp of white smoke and dissipated once more.
Yuto looked at the withered wood in his hand with interest, examining it with a fascinated expression.
"This must be the origin of the 'Hero Water,'"
Yuto said softly, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
In Yuto's perception, this piece of wood, which had existed for who knew how long, was absorbing the natural energy in the air with an extremely faint breath.
This was probably the reason the wood still maintained a certain degree of vitality.
Unfortunately, the wood absorbed energy very slowly; it probably wouldn't absorb much even after a year or so.
As for the 'Hero Water,' it should be the residue left after this wood converted the natural energy it absorbed from the air.
Could it be a remnant from the Ten-Tails?
Yuto narrowed his eyes slightly. In this world of Naruto, anything mysterious could generally be connected to the Ten-Tails.
"Isobu, do you recognize this thing?"
Yuto suddenly spoke to the Three-Tails on his shoulder.
Hearing Yuto's words, Isobu poked its head out, glanced at the withered wood in Yuto's hand, and shook its head slightly. However, a trace of wariness flashed in its eyes.
When Isobu had sent a clone to retrieve this piece of wood, it had already seen that this wood was very likely a remnant that had fallen from the Divine Tree.
But even knowing this, Isobu would not tell Yuto this information.
Glancing at Isobu, a thoughtful expression flashed in Yuto's eyes.
Whether Isobu recognized the wood wasn't important; what mattered was Isobu's attitude.
The words "Ten-Tails" should be a taboo for all Tailed Beasts.
Isobu's act of pretending not to know anything earlier had actually convinced Yuto that this piece of wood was indeed likely a remnant left by the legendary Divine Tree.
He had originally planned to come to Takigakure only to obtain Chomei's chakra, but unexpectedly, he had made such a surprising discovery.
Yuto had a faint feeling in his heart that this piece of wood might help him greatly in the future.
Since that was the case.
"Cough, I'll take this piece of wood then, as proof of the alliance between Takigakure and Kirigakure."
Yuto looked at the Takigakure Elder with a solemn expression and said shamelessly.
Hearing Yuto's words, a pained expression flashed in the Takigakure Elder's eyes, but his face still wore a bright smile.
At this moment, the Takigakure Elder only hoped that Yuto would keep his word and truly treat Takigakure as an ally.
On the other side, Fu and Shibuki couldn't help but purse their lips. Although they were somewhat dissatisfied, they knew this was the only option for Takigakure at present.
(End of Chapter)
Unlock 30 chapters instantly (for the price of the old 20-chapter tier) and get 50–55 new chapters every month.
If you're enjoying the story, consider supporting me here:
patreon.com/anish_44
{I need to be real with you for a moment. I'm reaching out because I'm in a genuinely tough spot financially right now, and I need your help to keep the stories flowing. Writing these chapters for you is my passion, but circumstances have put me in a position where I desperately need monetary support to continue dedicating time to what we both love—this fic.
Here's what I'm offering if you join my highest tier:
🚀 Instant Gratification: The moment you sign up, you get 30 chapters immediately—no waiting, no delays. Just a massive backlog of content to binge.
📅 Consistent Monthly Rewards: After that, you'll receive 60 fresh chapters every single month—double the story, double the excitement, all for your favorite fic.
But it doesn't stop there. Your support means everything, and I want to repay your generosity with mass releases, bonus chapters, and exclusive content that won't be available anywhere else. The more support I get, the more I can pour back into creating the stories you love.
If you've ever enjoyed this fic, if you've ever stayed up late reading "just one more chapter," if this story has been there for you during hard times—please consider joining. You're not just funding chapters; you're keeping this story alive and helping a creator in dire need.
Join today, get those 30 chapters instantly, and let's keep this journey going together.
Thank you for even considering it. You mean the world to me.}