Minato had never seen the Ninja Beast in its true form, but based on Jiraiya's earlier conversation with Mou and his own observations of Awa, he made a snap judgment: the boy carrying the fish baskets was the transformation.
After all, not a single soul in Awa was out at sea. If a boy appeared carrying two massive baskets filled with stones, who else could it be but the creature helping Mou "fish"?
As Minato pointed, the boy panicked. He glanced frantically from side to side before spinning around and bolting with a clumsy, bow-legged gait. Despite his fear, he refused to drop the heavy baskets.
Jiraiya lunged, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Just as his hand reached for the boy's shoulder, the child spun around, his mouth falling open to release a low, mechanical gurgle that sounded like a revving engine.
Thud.
Jiraiya went down hard, eating dirt in a spectacular faceplant. Tatsuma and Minato, arriving a second later, hoisted their teacher back to his feet. Jiraiya shook his head to clear the cobwebs, quickly forming a seal.
"Genjutsu: Release!"
The illusion shattered, and Jiraiya let out a ragged breath. By then, the boy had vanished. Tatsuma pulsed his chakra to sense the area, but he couldn't detect any abnormal signatures nearby.
"Are you alright, Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato asked, concerned.
Jiraiya wiped his face and groaned. "I just got caught off guard by a bizarre illusion. It was... weird. In the dream, I somehow tripped over my own... extra skin. Tripped and fell flat on my face."
Tatsuma rolled his eyes, casting a judgmental look at Jiraiya's midsection. "Sensei, you really need a more realistic self-image. No man on earth is tripping over his own manhood. Even with extreme hypertrophy, that's physically impossible."
Minato looked down, appearing to give the logic some serious thought. "I think Tatsuma's right. An illusion that ridiculous should have been broken instantly by sheer common sense."
"That's because you brats don't understand the 'romance' of being an adult man!" Jiraiya huffed, dusting the sand off his clothes. "Anyway, it's clear this Genjutsu's influence is growing by the day. If we don't stop this now, everyone in town will end up like that child—or his mother."
He gestured toward the woman who had been wailing for help moments ago. The frantic light in her eyes had been replaced by a dull, vacant stare. She was currently leading her son back toward Mou's stall, her steps mechanical.
"Let's head back to the stall," Tatsuma said, looking toward the center of town. "Mou must be running low on 'fish.' That beast was likely on his way to restock the supply."
Jiraiya nodded. "Since we can't track the beast, we'll have to make the beast come to us."
The trio repositioned themselves near the stall, staying out of the queue. Mou's pile of stones was indeed dwindling. Between serving customers, he began looking around anxiously. Normally, his "helper" would have arrived with a fresh catch by now, but the presence of the ninjas had spooked the creature.
Hiding their presence, the team waited. As Mou weighed out the final "fish," the bow-legged boy finally reappeared, creeping toward the stall with two fresh baskets.
"Kincho! What took you so long?" Mou asked, his voice thick with relief.
The boy, Kincho, merely shook his head. He set the full baskets down and reached for the empty ones, clearly intending to make a quick exit.
"Kincho, is it? I'd suggest you stay right where you are."
Suddenly, Mou felt something cold and sharp press against the side of his neck. He reached up instinctively, but froze when he saw Kincho's face turn pale with terror. The boy raised his hands in a frantic "stop" gesture.
"Mou, don't move!"
Kincho had spoken. Jiraiya, standing behind the fisherman with a kunai held to his throat, was momentarily surprised by the beast's human speech, but he quickly regained his composure. He glanced at the villagers still waiting in line—none of whom reacted to the hostage situation—before looking back at Kincho.
"Make the villagers leave," Jiraiya commanded. "Then, we talk."
"Kin... Kincho? What's happening? Did you get into trouble with someone?" Mou stammered. He couldn't turn his head, but he could hear the panic in the boy's voice.
Kincho didn't answer Mou. He looked at Jiraiya, then at the two young ninjas flanking him. Finally, he gave in. He turned to the crowd and released that engine-like gurgle again.
As the sound rippled through the air, the villagers turned as one and began walking away. Within moments, the once-crowded street was empty, save for the five of them.
Tatsuma and Minato stepped forward, flanking Kincho. Both held the Seal of Confrontation, their chakra coiled and ready to strike.
Seeing that Kincho had no immediate plans to resist, Jiraiya signaled the boys to stand down slightly. He looked at the beast. "Care to explain what's going on here?"
Before Kincho could speak, Mou tried to interject, but Jiraiya tightened his arm around the man's chest, muffling him.
Kincho's trembling grew worse. "I... I'll tell you. It was me. All of it. I just wanted a good man like Mr. Mou to have a better life. So I told the other fishermen not to go out. I told everyone to buy from him instead."
Mou's eyes went wide. He hadn't realized the village's sudden patronage was Kincho's doing. But why would that bring ninjas to his door?
Ninjas?
Mou finally processed the children standing near him. He had been too busy earlier to notice, but now he saw the forehead protectors—one tied around an arm, the other partially hidden by blonde bangs. The man holding him... the white-haired one... he was a ninja too?
Jiraiya ignored Mou's internal crisis. "Kincho, does Mou know what you really are?"
Kincho's face contorted with fear. His bow-legs shook as if he were about to bolt. The slight movement put Tatsuma and Minato back on high alert, their hands twitching toward their pouches.
But Tatsuma looked at the terrified creature and softened his expression. He offered a small, reassuring smile.
"Kincho, there's no point in hiding it anymore, is there? Mr. Mou saved your life. Don't you think you owe it to him to say thank you as yourself?"
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