As the dust gradually settled, what remained before them was a towering heap of shattered rock, piled high like the aftermath of a small catastrophe.
"Looks like it's over," one of the Shimizu clones exhaled, a note of relief in his voice.
"Probably," the real Shimizu replied, lifting a hand to wipe his forehead—only to find it damp with cold sweat.
That attack just now… the one capable of petrifying its target…
It was genuinely terrifying.
One moment of carelessness, one misstep—and he would have been finished.
"Your reaction just now wasn't bad," the clone remarked, offering a rare note of approval.
Shimizu gave a faint smile. "After seeing those two surprise attacks, I'd say I've learned something… it's got a bit of my style."
"Are you praising it, or yourself?" the clone asked dryly as he stepped forward, preparing to inspect the aftermath. "I doubt it died so easily, but it should at least be seriously injured."
That much seemed reasonable. The sheer scale of the collapse had been overwhelming—less a technique and more akin to a natural disaster in miniature.
For a fleeting moment, Shimizu found himself wondering… could even a tailed beast withstand something like that?
"Or maybe it's just unconscious—"
His expression changed abruptly.
"Move—now!"
The Body Flicker Technique activated instantly, propelling him away at top speed.
In the next instant, the mountain of rubble exploded outward.
Countless fragments of stone shot in every direction like bullets, tearing through the air with lethal force. One struck the clone squarely—there was a sharp poof, and it vanished in a puff of smoke.
Having narrowly escaped once more, Shimizu steadied himself, his gaze fixed on the ruins.
From within the wreckage, Garaga rose slowly, its massive form pushing aside the fallen stone as though it weighed nothing.
Not a single visible injury.
This time, however, it did not attack immediately. Instead, it regarded him with its single eye and spoke in a low, measured voice.
"Human… why did you target the stone pillars instead of me with that last technique?"
So it understood.
At the very least, it wasn't beyond reason—it recognized the destructive power of that final strike.
After all, Shimizu hadn't come here to kill it, but to subdue it as a summoning beast. Using something like Water Severing Wave directly against Garaga would have been reckless. He had no idea whether its scales could withstand such force.
If they couldn't…
It might already have been split clean in two.
"I bear you no grudge," Shimizu said calmly. "Why should we decide this with life and death? Besides, this fight started for no reason at all. I don't even know your master."
"That scent on you… I will not mistake it. It belongs to him!" Garaga's body tensed again, poised to strike.
"Stop! I don't even know who your master is, so stop pinning labels on me!" Shimizu frowned in confusion. "Just who was your master, anyway?"
"He was known as the strongest Kazekage in history—the Third Kazekage."
"…!"
In that instant, a cascade of thoughts flashed through Shimizu's mind.
Garaga… was connected to the very incident that ignited the Third Great Ninja War?
Then it might know the truth behind what happened.
Seeing the serpent stir once more, ready to lash out, Shimizu spoke rapidly, careful not to give it another opportunity to strike.
"Listen to me first. I'm a shinobi of Konoha. I've never even been to Sunagakure, let alone met the Third Kazekage. There's no way I'm the person you're talking about."
"You said I carry the scent of the killer… then maybe I've encountered that person. Maybe I've even come into contact with them."
His words came in a steady rush. Garaga had already lashed out without warning twice—he could not afford to relax for even a second.
"Tell me everything," Shimizu pressed. "Explain what happened when your master was killed."
"Maybe I can help you."
Silence fell.
"You think I'm lying? That I have some hidden motive?" Shimizu let out a quiet breath, a trace of helplessness creeping into his voice. Being misunderstood by a snake—of all things—was not something he had anticipated.
"Fine," he said at last. "Then how about this? Come with me when I leave, and we'll confront Manda face to face."
"If I'm lying, it won't let me off either. What do you think?"
Another pause followed.
Then, at last, Garaga spoke—its voice slower now, as though drawing something long buried up from the depths of memory.
It turned out that several months ago, the Third Kazekage had, for reasons unknown, ventured alone beyond the borders of his village—only to fall into an ambush laid by a red-haired youth named Sasori.
Struck by a potent poison, the Kazekage had been rendered nearly helpless, his formidable abilities sealed away by the venom coursing through his body. In that desperate moment, with no other recourse, he had summoned Garaga to his side.
But what he had not anticipated… was that the boy called Sasori was not alone.
"There was another," Garaga said slowly, its voice thick with restrained fury. "He wore a white mask… patterned with spirals."
"…Tobi," Shimizu said, his tone dropping as recognition flashed through him. "That was his name, wasn't it?"
"You know him?!" Garaga's single eye narrowed sharply.
"A mortal enemy," Shimizu replied without hesitation. "Even if he were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize him." His voice grew colder, edged with something far more personal. "He killed one of my comrades. I've crossed paths with him three times. But unfortunately… I failed to kill him every time."
"His strength is monstrous, and he can use the Wood Release of the 'God of Shinobi'... My own eyes were damaged by his Wood Release."
So Tobi had indeed been involved—perhaps even orchestrating the assassination of the Third Kazekage alongside Sasori.
But why?
What was he trying to gain by so meticulously igniting the flames of the Third Great Ninja War?
"Then why would Sasori and Tobi want to kill the Third Kazekage?"
"Shortly after summoning me, my master lost consciousness," Garaga replied. "I do not know the full story—what led to it, or why."
Shimizu couldn't help the flicker of frustration that crossed his face.
Such a crucial matter—and it had never been asked?
Seeing that expression, Garaga spoke again, its tone carrying a trace of irritation. "At the time, the situation was dire. I could barely ensure my master's survival, let alone my own. How could I spare the time to question them?"
"You're supposed to be strong, aren't you?" Shimizu said bluntly, his confidence in the serpent beginning to erode. "And yet you couldn't even deal with two humans?"
Garaga's eye glinted dangerously. "Since you've fought Tobi, you should understand his strength… and that boy, Sasori, was no less troublesome."
"True," Shimizu replied with a shrug. "Which is why you alone wouldn't have been able to take them both down."
"If they were to appear before me again…" Garaga growled, hatred simmering beneath its words.
"Don't be ridiculous," Shimizu cut in, waving a hand dismissively. "This is Ryūchi Cave. Who do you think would come here besides me?"
"…."
A heavy silence lingered.
"Ah, forget it." Shimizu let out a breath and turned away, already starting back the way he had come. "I thought I might get something useful out of this."
"Cough, cough, cough..." Garaga coughed loudly, the harsh sound echoing through the cavern.
Shimizu kept walking.
"Human… wait!"
"What now?" Shimizu turned, looking perplexed.
"Don't you want your revenge? Do you not need help?"
Shimizu couldn't help but laugh softly. "I can kill Tobi on my own. The only reason he's still alive is because he slipped away from me before."
"But you haven't caught him," Garaga countered quickly. "My sense of smell is keen—I can detect hidden enemies long before they reveal themselves."
"My sensory abilities are just as sharp," Shimizu replied indifferently.
Garaga hesitated, then pressed on, almost grudgingly. "Since we share a common enemy… it would be logical for us to cooperate."
"Let me make one thing clear," Shimizu said, turning back fully now, his gaze steady. "I have one enemy. You have two. And from what I've heard, you're… temperamental. Prone to destruction."
"That is only because my eye has not fully healed," Garaga snapped, a hint of defensiveness creeping in. "It aches from time to time… I need some way to vent it."
"Then feel free to keep lashing out here." Shimizu replied flatly, turning to leave once more.
"I can change!"
Seeing Shimizu remain unmoved, Garaga cried out in desperation, "Boss, wait! Please... I beg you... you must take me with you!"
At that, Shimizu's steps faltered.
He stood there for a moment, as though weighing the absurdity of it all.
"…Fine," he said at last, a reluctant note slipping into his voice. "I suppose I can agree—grudgingly."
...
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