Becomes a Rebel Ninja After Annihilating the Hyuga Clan
Chapter 115

Yes, this replica was meant to be Neiki's substitute in the Akatsuki.

Without fully understanding the specific details of the Byakugan's synthesis ability, it wasn’t wise for Neiki to hastily merge with his replica. Initially, he didn’t plan to create the replica so soon, but the sudden interest from the Akatsuki made him change his plans.

No matter what the future held, Neiki needed a spy within the Akatsuki to track their movements, influence key decisions in favor of his plans, and, importantly, to keep himself from having to play the spy game himself. With many other tasks requiring his attention, Neiki had neither the time to gather Tailed Beasts for Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's resurrection nor the patience to play political games with the Akatsuki members. Capturing Yagura, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, prompted Neiki to expedite the creation of his replica before finalizing his fusion plan.

Thus, the first replica, Kurome, was born.

This was not a Wood Clone Neiki used while posing as Hashirama Senju. This was a physical body nearly identical to Neiki but fundamentally different in other aspects. It was an extension of Neiki’s plans through the Byakugan Divine Tree.

Neiki handed over the Akatsuki ring engraved with the character "Ku" (Void), the Akatsuki cloak with red clouds, and his sword, Hades, to Kurome. From now on, "Kurome" would represent "Neiki" within the Akatsuki.

As a consequence, Neiki himself could no longer act under his own name in the shinobi world to avoid suspicion. This wasn’t a hindrance; in fact, it allowed him to fully immerse himself in his role as "Hashirama Senju."

As Neiki created a wooden mask to wear, the cave above shook again. He paused, glancing at Kurome before placing the mask on his face and saying with a faint smile:

“The turtle is very angry that you stole its chakra. Go apologize and test the combat capabilities of this body.”

Kurome clenched his fists. Since Neiki controlled this body indirectly through the Byakugan Divine Tree, its sensory responses were slightly delayed. Such minor delays could be exploited as weaknesses in combat, but the actual impact had to be assessed through battle.

And now, a suitably intense battle awaited.

…

When Hinoka emerged from the cave, she was in a daze.

She looked at Hashirama's back, unable to reconcile him with the fierce warrior who had just violently attacked the Three-Tails in the cave.

…Even if the Three-Tails was weak, even if it was restrained by her Adamantine Sealing Chains, it was still the Three-Tails!

How did he cut through the Tailed Beast Bomb?

How did he break through the Three-Tails’ shell under a barrage of water needles?

Aren't you supposed to be Hashirama Senju?

Where was the Wood Release?

Why did you only use a sword?

…And if you had the power to suppress the Three-Tails so easily, why did you call me here in the first place?

Hinoka couldn't understand, feeling increasingly confused and bewildered.

While it was great that the Three-Tails was dealt with, preventing harm to the nearby residents of the Land of Waves, the solution had little to do with her. If not for Hashirama’s sudden return and his heroic combat skills, Hinoka wouldn’t have been able to maintain the seal, let alone survive.

This only deepened her worries.

If her Adamantine Sealing Chains couldn’t even contain a weakened Three-Tails, how could she handle the rapidly growing "Ultimate Summoning Beast" on the Island of Forgetfulness?

“This mission was a great help; I'll have Zabuza deliver your payment,” Hashirama said suddenly during their silent return.

“Ah… Thank you, Lord Hashirama, but… I didn't actually do much…” Hinoka said, looking down.

She had felt she was contributing until she witnessed Hashirama single-handedly subduing the Three-Tails. Comparing that to her desperate attempts to maintain the seal while dodging attacks left her feeling utterly insignificant and powerless.

Hashirama glanced back at her, then smiled, “Don’t think my suppression of the Three-Tails looked easy. It was quite risky. Especially when I was sealing its chakra; without you, it would have escaped and caused chaos in the Land of Waves.”

“You’re very capable and crucially important. You haven’t let down your clan's bloodline or my expectations. That payment is rightfully yours.”

The sea washed over the beach, covering Hinoka’s injured white feet.

She was stunned, slowly lifting her head to meet the clear white eyes behind the mask and hearing his gentle voice. The evening wind brushed her face, and the starlight was enchanting.

“Re… Really?”

Hinoka, barefoot, with her pants rolled to her knees, looked like two thin branches extending from her trousers.

Her clothes were tattered, and her once vibrant red hair was now dull and dusty, making her look pitiful.

Despite this, her eyes shone brightly.

After a moment of silence, Hashirama took a few steps forward, stopping in front of her. He said solemnly:

“Of course. Your performance today exceeded my expectations. That was the enraged Three-Tails. Your ability to restrain it for so long is remarkable. You must trust my judgment. I believe your potential is immense.”

Hearing this, Hinoka placed her hand over her chest as if holding her heart.

She closed her eyes, imagining the Ultimate Summoning Beast locked inside her heart.

…Could she really hold it?

She didn’t know.

But…

“Lord Hashirama.”

“Yes?”

“For this mission, I don’t need any payment. I would like to make a request…”

“Go ahead.”

“On the day we attempt to seal the new summoning beast, could you come to witness it? Not… Not to intervene, but just because… if you’re standing by my side, I’ll have more courage and confidence…”

After speaking, Hinoka suddenly felt nervous. She didn’t dare look Hashirama in the eyes, focusing instead on the space between his mask and throat.

Inviting Hashirama to witness the experiment on the Island of Forgetfulness wasn’t about having the “God of Shinobi” as a backup in case of failure, but to increase the chances of success. The experiment required Hinoka to seal the "Ultimate Summoning Beast" within herself as a jinchuriki. It was a contest of strength and willpower.

With Hashirama by her side, she felt she could better face the Ultimate Summoning Beast.

The only problem was that making this request might be seen by Hashirama as an attempt to use him.

A sort of "if such a just shinobi god is present, taking a more aggressive approach might not be a bad idea since he won’t stand by idly."

Strong individuals often experienced such manipulations.

In the original story, the first mission of Team 7 involved Tazuna, who deliberately concealed the mission's true difficulty, hiring Kakashi and his team for an A-rank mission with a C-rank commission. After being found out, Tazuna morally coerced Kakashi, leaving him no choice but to risk taking three inexperienced genin to face a rogue ninja like Zabuza.

No one liked being used.

Chapter 117: Full Outbreak

Especially since the experiment on the Island of Forgetfulness had no direct relation to this God of Shinobi and was highly controversial with its military nature. If the experiment failed and Hashirama felt he was being used… Thinking of this possibility, Hinoka suddenly regretted making such a request.

While Hashirama's reassurance was indeed comforting, it only demonstrated his kind and approachable nature, proving him to be a genuinely good person. But does being good mean one deserves to be used?

In the silence broken only by the sound of waves, Hashirama did not answer immediately. As Hinoka's eyes began to fill with regretful tears, he turned away and walked a great distance. Finally, the wind carried his words back to her:

“Okay.”

…

The next day, Hinoka boarded a ship bound for the Land of Wind, with a stopover in the Land of Sea.

The experiment on the Island of Forgetfulness was in full swing. The “Ultimate Summoning Beast” grew stronger each day, and she couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

“Goodbye, Lord Hashirama!!”

On the shore, Hashirama waved gently.

Hinoka felt particularly touched by Hashirama’s early morning farewell.

There weren’t many people on the ship. Someone nearby was also waving, seemingly bidding farewell to someone on the shore. Hinoka turned her head and saw a person wearing a hat, carrying a long sword, and dressed in a black robe with red clouds. From Hinoka’s perspective, she could even see the horizontal slash across the person’s forehead protector…

A Konoha rogue ninja.

Hinoka recognized the symbol. She glanced at the shore but couldn’t find anyone suspicious who might be waving back… Surely, he wasn’t waving at Hashirama?

She kept this in mind but didn’t think much of it. While most rogue ninjas had blood on their hands and were ruthless, they weren’t all indiscriminate killers.

Most ninjas, even those who became rogues, had their own pride.

The Kado Shipping Company’s ship docked at the port of the Land of Sea. After disembarking, Hinoka looked back and saw that the cold-looking Konoha rogue ninja had not followed her but remained on the ship, meditating.

“So, he’s headed to the Land of Wind…”

Hinoka thought.

Although the Fourth Great Shinobi War had been raging for a while, its scale was limited to the “shinobi world.” For many ordinary people in the world, the so-called war was still a distant, vague concept.

Due to its unique geographic location, the Land of Sea was highly connected and informed. Hinoka knew that while the Land of Wind had allowed Kumogakure ninjas to pass through to attack Konoha, it had been the most restrained of the Five Great Nations, not deploying any troops. The clouds of war had lingered on its borders without crossing them.

She wondered what this Konoha rogue ninja was going to do in the Land of Wind, where there was nothing but sand…

Though she had reached the Land of Sea, Hinoka still had to take another boat to get to the Island of Forgetfulness. After buying her ticket and waiting for the ship, she purchased a newspaper from a street vendor.

The headline read:

“War Fully Erupts: Wind Country Daimyo Assassinated, Sunagakure Declares War on Konoha!!”

Hinoka frowned. She had just praised the Land of Wind for its restraint, but now…

She sighed.

As the head of a nation, the assassination of the Daimyo was a grave matter. No matter how restrained, the Land of Wind couldn’t ignore such an event. Konoha was in a difficult position; why would they assassinate the Daimyo…

Reading the article detailing the expansion of the war and the involvement of all Five Great Nations, Hinoka realized something was wrong. The Wind Country Daimyo’s assassination was not carried out by Konoha but by a group called the Akatsuki, operating under Konoha.

The newspaper detailed the entire process from the assassination to Sunagakure’s declaration of war against Konoha, an event that took place just last night.

Sunagakure accused Konoha of commissioning the Akatsuki to assassinate their Daimyo, violating the wartime agreement. Konoha did not respond, which was seen as a refusal to hand over the Akatsuki. Enraged, Sunagakure joined the war against Konoha.

The newspaper included a blurry photo of an Akatsuki member and a brief description of the organization.

Hinoka stared at the red clouded black cloak in the photo, stunned.

“I know why he’s going to the Land of Wind…”

…

At the cost of the death of a nation's leader and the expansion of the war, the Akatsuki's name appeared before everyone for the first time.

…

“Why did you assassinate the Wind Country Daimyo?” In the forest, an icy voice questioned.

“The deal is over. How we, the Akatsuki, operate is none of your concern.” The man, with vibrant orange hair and a lifeless pale face adorned with strange black rods, spoke indifferently.

At his feet lay the barely conscious Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.

“Do you know how much trouble this will cause Konoha? We were on the verge of ending the war after repelling Kumogakure, but because of you—”

“Ending the war… Why are you so naive, Jiraiya-sensei?” Pain shook his head, pointing at the defeated Killer Bee. “Once news of this man’s capture spreads, the Raikage will never allow the war to end, even if he fights to the death.”

“And have you asked your Konoha comrades…”

“Would they allow the war to end with that reanimation jutsu?”

“Do they want the war to end?”

Jiraiya clenched his fists in silence. The biggest obstacle to ending the war wasn’t the other Four Great Nations but Konoha itself, which sought vengeance.

He had seen the condition of Hiruzen-sensei on his sickbed and felt the burning rage when he heard that Tsunade had been kidnapped by Neiki. He knew that hatred, like a virus, was contagious and addictive…

But precisely because of this, a strong will was needed to overcome this cycle of curses.

“Hatred makes people lose themselves. The war cannot continue forever… Therefore, Konoha cannot take the blame for your assassination of the Wind Country Daimyo. That wasn't part of the agreement.” Rain soaked his hair as Jiraiya quietly declared.

Pain glanced at him, then hoisted Killer Bee onto his shoulder: “Fine.”

As he prepared to leave with his prize.

“Yahiko!!” Jiraiya suddenly shouted.

Pain turned to look at him quietly.

“Is this the path the Akatsuki has chosen?!!”

“Aren’t you…”

“Aren’t you an organization formed to achieve peace?!!”

“What are you doing now?!!”

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