"Spread the word?"
Rashōmon's tone carried a subtle hint of confusion. "This entity does not believe that Jiraiya, after being defeated by Hii Kōri, will act according to Hii Kōri's wishes."
"Hmm… that's why I went to all the trouble of hiding my true capabilities, isn't it? That guy only needs to relay what he 'saw' and what he 'knows' back to Konoha exactly as is't that's enough."
Lying lazily on the Iron Sand cloud, Hii Kōri looked up at the sky now overcast with the smoke left by Jiraiya's Fire Release, feeling his mood darken in turn.
Funny how he used to look forward to overcast skies back in Sunagakure. Hating the house for its crow that phrase pretty much summed up his current mindset.
He responded to Rashōmon's question while turning his gaze away from the oppressive sky, a slight pout on his lips.
"Do you remember which abilities I used just now?"
"Standard Water Release and Wind Release, taijutsu using your newly crafted weapons, followed by tailed beast transformation, Magnet Release, and finally the barrier technique."
Rashōmon answered honestly, then immediately grasped Hii Kōri's intent. "Is that so."
Even if it was to observe Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode, after the observation was complete, with Hii Kōri's strength and the means at his disposal, there would have been countless ways to kill Jiraiya.
When acting with the intent to kill, one naturally had no scruples. But in the previous battle, everything he had shown was stuff he didn't mind being exposed.
"So, concealing one's true abilities."
"Not just that. I also want to use that guy's mouth to obscure my actual strength."
Hii Kōri smiled as he answered, twirling a strand of hair with his fingers while simultaneously recovering the molten iron and using Earth Release to restore the coastline—a place he had grown rather fond of.
"I'm confident I wouldn't lose to anyone right now, but there's still a decisive gap between me and Hashirama Senju,the kind where one man can defeat an entire nation, where victory is guaranteed no matter what. Until I reach that level, I don't plan on drawing the attention of those troublesome people."
By revealing the One-Tail chakra form, he wanted Jiraiya to mistakenly conclude that Hii Kōri needed it to counter Sage Mode.
Unlike jinchūriki or the Gold and Silver Brothers, who had gained the Nine-Tails' power by consuming its flesh, Hii Kōri's One-Tail chakra could not regenerate on its own. This external factor couldn't be considered part of his regular combat strength.
Though his position allowed him relatively convenient access to replenish the One-Tail chakra, and the fact that he could achieve half-tailed beast transformation with just a small sample was still impressive, it sounded far more normal than overwhelming his opponent from start to finish.
Moreover, this approach would redirect outsiders' attention toward questions like "Has Sunagakure mastered this kind of technology?"
Such information, relayed through Jiraiya—who was skilled at intelligence gathering and analysis and had personally experienced the battle—would sufficiently obscure the upper limits of Hii Kōri's strength.
Being taken seriously was inevitable, but not to the point of others going to great lengths to eliminate him.
The Hard Water-style Water Release he had shown was another smokescreen. This technique was indeed very useful, and combined with Tobirama Senju's Water Release principles, its power had doubled. But exposing it to Jiraiya's eyes meant, to some extent, throwing sand in Hanzō's eyes.
The Second Shinobi World War had ended less than two years ago; all participating nations needed time to recover, and Hanzō had taken this opportunity to let the Land of Rain flourish. At this point, for Hii Kōri—a Sunagakure higher-up—to use his signature technique in a battle against Jiraiya would plant a thorn deep in Konoha's leadership.
Even with the intelligence that Hii Kōri possessed Rashōmon—a technique similar to the Nara clan's Shadow Imitation—they couldn't rule out Hanzō's involvement. Especially since Hanzō had extracted a huge sum of money from Konoha during the war's mediation phase.
Given Konoha's current financial difficulties, even if they suspected collusion between Sunagakure and Amegakure, they wouldn't be able to act. At most, they'd make some subtle inquiries.
Hanzō would certainly deny it. But once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would take root deeply in the soil of distrust, sprouting and growing. That alone would be enough to complicate Konoha's policies and stance toward the Land of Rain.
"And Reverse Cursed Technique, as well."
Replaying Hii Kōri's performance in the battle, Rashōmon added at the right moment: "In the current environment, with your constantly active top-tier Reverse Cursed Technique, your margin for error is actually higher than any ninja alive today. Yet in the previous battle, you still made various evasive movements—especially toward 'fatal wounds' that, by common sense, should have been lethal but could actually be healed."
"Mm-hmm. Exactly."
Hii Kōri affirmed this with a light tone. "Minor healing effects don't matter—stopping bleeding, closing cuts, even some flesh regeneration can be chalked up to constitution or medical ninjutsu. But if it's too outrageous—limb regeneration, organ restoration, brain repair… the longer such things stay hidden, the better. Who knows when they might catch someone off guard?"
"The same goes for you, Rashōmon. Your shadow manipulation technique before you gained consciousness was nothing compared to what you are now. Exposing you in a match like this would also be a waste."
"Understood. This entity follows."
Given that its foundation was built on Hii Kōri's personality and logic, Rashōmon accepted its master's reasoning quickly. Then it raised another point, asking in a calm tone: "Beyond that, Hii Kōri also intended to put pressure on Konoha, didn't he?"
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
Hearing this, Hii Kōri sat up with interest, wanting to hear its thoughts.
"Given that Konoha has already begun researching the First Hokage's cells due to their lack of means to counter tailed beasts, Hii Kōri's display of exceptional control over One-Tail chakra will naturally accelerate their development of similar technologies—"
"Or rather, if news of this research project were to leak out, it would likely pressure the entire ninja world."
Through the merchant guild's channels, Hii Kōri was also aware that someone had been spreading word about him on the black market, evidently trying to cause him trouble. Before, he hadn't cared much, since he rarely left the village for missions. But he planned to travel the world eventually.
That would be annoying.
Whether he could win was one thing; whether he wanted to fight was another. No one wanted to be constantly bothered while traveling.
Though he had no clear evidence of who was scheming against him, considering the war that had made his name known and the state of this world's designated scapegoat, Hii Kōri reasonably suspected that bastard Danzō was behind it.
As payback—though it didn't matter if he was wrong; even without that, Hii Kōri would have leaked news of Konoha's First Hokage cell research through the merchant guild's channels.
And the result would be exactly as Rashōmon had described.
Villages without tailed beasts wouldn't care much—Wood Release or not, Konoha could still spin them like tops.
But villages with tailed beasts would be far less comfortable.
As everyone knew, there were three types of abilities effective against tailed beasts.
First was Madara Uchiha's Sharingan—emphasis on the former. The strength of that Shinobi World Asura's ocular power was in a league of its own. Given the Uchiha clan's temperament, if they currently had anyone who could control a tailed beast with a glance, they'd already be singing "How lonely is invincibility."
Second was Wood Release—without the "Hashirama Senju's" qualifier, since he was currently the only one who could use it.
Third was the Uzumaki clan's secret technique, the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
When the four great villages attacked the Land of Whirlpools and divided the spoils, none of them mentioned the Uzumaki population—not because they didn't want them, but because they couldn't.
On one hand, to avoid leaving evidence, they had maintained secrecy during the operation and couldn't easily carry prisoners when retreating. On the other hand, it was a matter of balancing interests.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains was theoretically a secret technique usable only by those of Uzumaki blood, but compared to typical clan secrets, it was closer to a kekkei genkai. That is, rather than something that could be taught, it relied on lottery-like "awakening."
Under these circumstances, none of the four great villages would gamble on whether the Uzumaki they had taken could awaken this ability, nor would they allow others to gamble. If they didn't have it while another village did, their tailed beast could become a spinning top.
Since they couldn't guarantee they'd have it, they ensured no one had it. After all, both losing was better than only one winning.
Of course, that was the official line. Whether each village secretly kept some for themselves was another matter entirely. Right, Kōri?
Konoha's research project was clearly a response to the Uzumaki clan's downfall—eliminating one of Konoha's major advantages. How other villages would react was predictable.
"Precisely. Our ultimate goal is still the Ōtsutsuki. Even our current enemies will become allies in the future. Accumulating technology and strength is always a good thing."
Patting the dark form that had risen beside him, Hii Kōri looked toward the bright horizon, his tone light.
"Because in the end, Hii Kōri will still win."
"Exactly. Even if this spurs them to develop further, in the end, I'll be the one who wins."
The gloom that had hung over him since Jiraiya's untimely appearance had faded with Rashōmon's birth.
Even if he had gained quite a bit from Jiraiya, dislike was dislike—it needed no justification. And Rashōmon's performance had been far too pleasing.
His conversations with Bunpuku and Chūkaku had been about adjusting his mindset. His discussions with Orochimaru had been the resonance of fellow technical enthusiasts. But conversations with Rashōmon—completely open, without barriers—were the most comfortable of all.
"Now, we wait for Jiraiya's next move."
For Hii Kōri, Jiraiya's role as a ninja was now reduced to that of a message relay. But his other identity was still interesting.
He was the one chosen by Mount Myōboku's Great Toad Sage to carry out the prophecy. His life's trajectory had been firmly shaped by that prophecy. Therefore, Jiraiya's actions could, to some extent, represent the results of the old toad's prophecies.
Once Jiraiya reappeared after being sent back to Mount Myōboku, Hii Kōri could gauge the old toad's stance.
Though he had already obtained the locations of the Three Great Sacred Lands from future intelligence, Hii Kōri had no intention of visiting them personally just yet.
As a contractor of the Dragon Veins, he was theoretically aligned with the local sacred lands—they should share a common goal in opposing the Ōtsutsuki. But after that, when it came to dividing the spoils, it was hard to say.
The inhabitants of Shikkotsu Forest were all divisions of the Slug Sage, quite similar to Rashōmon's current state. Considering her abilities and temperament, she might be a good person to converse with.
Mount Myōboku was a different story. As the sacred land most closely tied to the mortal world, judging by Bunta's behavior, the toads there were unlikely to be easy to deal with. And with the Great Toad Sage's prophetic dreams, who knew what choices he would make?
His cryptic manner, combined with a thousand years of accumulated natural energy, gave him a bit of a "terrorist" vibe. Until Hii Kōri was sure of the old toad's stance, he would not set foot on Mount Myōboku.
When Hii Kōri finished cleaning up and returned to the town, pushing open the door, Tsunade immediately stood up, her face full of conflict—unsure how to begin.
Having heard from Shizune that Jiraiya had found this small town, she had guessed that the commotion outside was from a battle between him and Hii Kōri. Shizune, who had stayed by her side, looked at them both and, sensing the mood, quietly slipped back to her room, leaving them alone.
"Shizune really is a good girl…" Hii Kōri shook his head, smiling as he walked over. He took Tsunade's arm and guided her back to the sofa—a recent addition to the living room.
"I'm fine."
He gently rubbed her slightly cold hands, soothing her obviously tense nerves. "Your old teammate isn't dead either. I just left him with a souvenir. He probably won't be able to continue as a ninja from now on."
Tsunade's tense shoulders relaxed immediately, and she let out a long breath. She fell silent for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the window with a complex expression. "That's good. That idiot being unable to be a ninja might be for the best. Let him settle down and focus on writing his novels."
"…Don't you care about me at all? Mother of my child."
Hii Kōri's fingers gently brushed her palm as he leaned in closer, teasing her with the nickname he had picked up from Fukasaku.
A faint blush crept across Tsunade's cheeks. She tried to pull her hand back awkwardly but failed, so she just turned her head away from his intense gaze, stubbornly retorting: "…Who'd care whether you bastard lives or dies…"
Despite her words, she didn't struggle at all. She let him draw closer. The warmth of his lips and the moisture of his breath brushed faintly against her sensitive neck, deepening the color on her face.
"Hmm… Jiraiya escaped, so this place is compromised now…"
Hii Kōri kissed her neck affectionately, then traced upward to nibble on her reddened earlobe. Feeling her breath quicken, he murmured against her ear: "So... Mother of my child, what do you want to do? Will you come with me?"
"…This is why… you didn't kill Jiraiya, isn't it?"
Tsunade tilted her head uncomfortably, her eyes half-lidded and hazy, her voice low. "You're such a control freak. Going around in circles just to tie me to you, aren't you?"
"Mm-hmm. I won't deny that. After all, I've worked so hard to get this far with you. If all that effort went to waste because of him, I'd be losing big time."
Admitting this shamelessly, Hii Kōri pinched her now-warm cheek, pushed her lips into a comical pout, and added, "But if all I wanted was to tie you down, I wouldn't need to go about it so indirectly, would I?"
"That's exactly why I'm even angrier…"
Tsunade's voice was indignant but tinged with helplessness. "It makes me feel like I'm just some cheap woman you can do whatever you want with."
"I think there's nothing wrong with the first half of that sentence, my Princess Tsunade~"
"Can't you say something a little gentler?"
"Probably not. Gentleness is an emotion that's easy to fake. With a little patience, anyone can manage it… If I did that, wouldn't that make you look truly cheap?"
"I'm really going to get angry now!"
After saying this, she fell silent.
During the time she had lived with Hii Kōri, Tsunade had been thinking about what her hatred for him was really made of.
Hatred for being violated in front of her lover? That was certainly there. Hatred for her lover's death? That was only natural too.
But there was also displaced anger. Because Hii Kōri was such a tangible presence, she had blamed him for all the suffering she had endured in the war.
It was always easy to find someone to hate.
Looking back, perhaps she had also been hating herself. Hating the self who couldn't save her brother, couldn't save her lover, couldn't do anything.
And now, also hating the self who could feel those hatreds slowly fading.
Tsunade couldn't deny it. Hii Kōri's twisted logic had disturbed her heart, and maternal instinct had stirred emotions she wasn't sure were genuine. But even knowing all this, there was only one thing she wanted to do now: protect her son, so he wouldn't have to experience the same sorrows she had.
Even if that meant being with Hii Kōri—her enemy. Because she never wanted to lose anything again.
I suppose I really will have to make a clean break with my past in Konoha now…
After a long pause, she slowly buried her face in Hii Kōri's shoulder and, in a voice so soft it was barely audible, murmured: "…Thank you."
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!