The Fire Temple, meditation room.
Under the faint light, the old monk and Kanpū were kneeling on a pillow across a small square table, each holding a blue-gray quaint teacup, savoring the tea carefully.
The commotion from both sides of the front yard and back room gradually subsided, and the night slowly returned to tranquility.
After three rounds of tea, the old monk kindly put down the plain teacup, and asked slowly, "Benefactor, I just saw you perform the Thunder Dance and Slashing Wind in one breath. Are you a master of Konoha-Style Kenjutsu?"
Kanpū nodded slightly, and reported his name: "I am Gekko Clan's Clan Head, Gekko Kanpū."
'Gekko Kanpū?'
The old monk was startled in his heart. Although he has been living in the Fire Temple all the time, he still knows that after Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato came to power, he attached great importance to the younger generation, like Hatake Kakashi, Gekko Kanpū, Shiranui Genma, and these names have reached the ears of the old monk before.
It's just that the old monk didn't expect that Gekko Kanpū can be strong enough to single-handedly take care of the Fire Temple.
'Konoha's strength is getting stronger and stronger.'
The old monk secretly sighedwith emotion, and then asked with a familiar smile: "Kanpū, is there anything you need from this old monk for you to come here this time?"
"The truth is, I came to the Fire Temple to ask the abbot about Curse Mark, but I encountered a little unpleasantness. Please forgive me." Kanpū has a regretful expression on his face when he said so.
"This matter is Chiriku's fault in the first place, and you are also merciful, no need to blame yourself."
The old monk has been training for decades, and he has already cultivated to become a master. So how can he mess up their relationship just because of a little misunderstanding?
After a few words of courtesy, the old monk said: "Kanpū, there are indeed Ninja Monks who study the Curse Seal in this temple, please wait a moment."
The old monk solemnly stood up, as if he was an eminent monk, then he bowed slightly to Kanpū, and walked out of the meditation room with wind in his sleeves.
After some time, the old monk walked in again with his hands clasped together.
Kanpū originally thought that he would bring a Ninja Monk who studied Curse Mark, but he didn't expect that he would directly bring the Curse Seal which was created by others.
Kanpū didn't have the position to complain, so he could only give him a thumbs up in his heart!
The old monk took out four small scrolls from his arms and placed them on the small square table, motioning Kanpū to take a look.
Kanpū was not polite to him, and started unfolded a small scroll, 'First, let's try a Collection Technique.'
The green light cluster in his mind surged for an instant, and then slowly subsided.
Kanpū's eyes lit up upon seeing this. Although the collection failed, it has been proved that the Curse Mark on these scrolls is real and effective, and can be collected!
Breathing a sigh of relief, Kanpū then takes a closer look.
"These are several Curse Marks developed by many Ninja Monks in this temple over the past decades. Kanpū, feel free to comment." The old monk smiled subtly.
"Very profound!"
Kanpū answered perfunctorily while quickly browsing the Curse Marks recorded on the scroll.
The four scrolls each record a kind of Curse Mark, one some binds the fleshy body and some that binds the spirit. Just looking at the introduction, he felt they are extremely weird and bluffing.
Then, when he saw the last scroll, Kanpū's body trembled.
'Heart Binding Curse Mark.'
'By injecting Curse Mark into the heart, it can force others to act…'
This is a bit like the kind of Curse Mark used by Madara on Rin, but in terms of effect, it is obvious that Madara's Curse Mark is more powerful.
Although this Heart Binding Curse Mark can restrain others' actions, it cannot prevent others from committing suicide.
"Cough."
Kanpū let out a dry cough, and asked calmly, "Abbot, can there be a way to release this Curse Mark after being planted on a person?"
The old monk then said confidently: "Except for the caster himself, only death can get rid of it."
Kanpū nodded, and at the same time, he threw a Collection Technique toward scroll.
The green light cluster in his mind surged again, but unfortunately, it still failed.
Kanpū took the scroll into his pocket unceremoniously, and then said: "Abbot, the visit to the Fire Temple this time has benefited me a lot. Gekko Clan will remember the kindness of the Fire Temple."
"Haha, Clan Head Kanpū is too polite."
The old monk then pressed home one's advantage, and said with a smile on his face, "The relationship between the temple and Konoha has always been friendly, and I hope the temple can also increase contacts with the Gekko Clan in the future."
The two were polite for a while, and Kanpū offered to leave.
The old monk refused, and invited Kanpū to stay here because it was getting late.
But Kanpū is a very cautious person. He has just made a big fuss, so even if the old monk doesn't blame him, the other Ninja Monks below might be full of hatred towards him.
'Especially the kind of Fuinjutsu that nearly a hundred Ninja Monks were preparing to jointly use when the old monk came out before, it was definitely not simple.'
Kanpū didn't dare to stay.
The two sides came and went, tossed for a long time, and the sky started turning bright.
Well, Kanpū didn't say much more, then got up and left.
The old monk yawned and solemnly said to the Ninja Monk, who was guarding outside, that he would meditate for a while. He removed the small square table and the three small scrolls on it, and then lay down on the tatami mat with his clothes on and fell asleep.
It's just that not long after lying down, there was a faint cry of a child.
The old monk didn't open his eyes, and asked: "Who is crying?"
"Master, it's Kazuma's child, Sora." An answer came from outside.
"Kazuma is dead…"
The old monk sighed and said, "Let Sora stay. I hope he can put down his hatred and become a Buddha immediately."
"…Yes."
…
After leaving the Fire Temple, Kanpū didn't stop, and just activated Sage Mode to surf the Internet!
He came this way going on a scenic tour, so he had the time to bury the Flying Thunder God Technique's stones along the way, because of that, it only took him more than ten seconds to get home.
After retching for a while, Kanpū awakened the shadow clone sleeping in the bedroom and asked him to stay guard in the underground base of the Forest of Death, and then took out the small scroll in his pocket and threw the last Collection Technique of the day.
Unfortunately, it still fails.
Kanpū is not in a hurry, after all, Kabuto can't run away, so he still has a lot of time.
When it was a little brighter, the mansion gradually became lively.
Especially Keiko's voice calling for Karin can be heard across several wooden corridors!
Kanpū remembers that when school just started, Karin got up very early every day excitedly, and didn't want to delay even for a moment, but now, it took her a long time…
"Karin, get up quickly, you're going to be late!"
Keiko's voice rang faintly, "Hinata is already waiting for you outside the door, if you don't get up, you will be late!!"
"I got it, let me sleep for a while, just for a while …" Karin stuffed herself under the quilt.
After sending Karin and Hinata to the Academy, Kanpū slept comfortably for a long time.
After getting enough sleep, Kanpū went to the backyard and carefully read the content of the Heart Binding Curse Mark.
As the saying goes, reading a hundred times will make you smart. As long as he reads more, he can increase the success rate of the collection.
Heart Binding Curse Mark is to use the user own blood to fuse with their own Chakra and will, and then engrave the Curse Mark on the chest of the target, and wait for the Curse Mark to blend into the heart, and the Heart Binding Curse Mark finally completes.
'It doesn't seem to be too difficult.'
But Kanpū knows how much he worth, so he doesn't bother and just read it once, twice, ten times, a hundred times…
After seven days of hard work, Kanpū successfully collected the Curse Mark!
On this day, Asuma returned.
Asuma, who has a non-mainstream hairstyle, looked at the Konoha's gate with complicated eyes.
'How long has it been since I left Konoha?'
Asuma recalled carefully. He remembered that at that time, Minato suddenly declared Obito as a Missing-nin. He, Kakashi, Guy and the others couldn't stand such thing, so they went to find Minato to take back the wanted warrant, and then he and Kanpū fought, then he quarreled with his old man, and finally finally ran away from home. It has been almost six years.
The innocent youth who used to be brash, high-spirited, and vigorous, is now a non-mainstream youth.
'Are Kakashi and Guy alright?'
'Kurenai… She didn't make me wear a hat, right?'
Asuma shook his head to throw these messy thoughts out of his mind, 'I come back this time to give Kazuma justice!'
'That damned Shinobi…'
'Eh?'
Asuma was suddenly startled. In his mind, the Konoha's Shinobi made a big fuss in the Fire Temple and killed Kazuma slowly merged with the annoying Gekko Kanpū in his memory.
'Is it him?!'
Asuma was both shocked and angry!
It's no wonder he can't remember it, after all, there is no friendship between him and Kanpū!
The only intersection between the two is that when Obito became Missing-nin, he, Kakashi and Guy went to trouble Kanpū all day long, but apart from this, he and Kanpū are completely strangers.
'Furthermore, after six years, that guy… why is he taller than me?'
Asuma is very angry.
After entering Konoha, Asuma glanced at the gatekeepers, Izumo and Kotetsu, 'These two… looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn't remember their name.'
'Well, I don't really care.'
Asuma returned to his home with a sullen face.
The gate of his house has been locked, but is is not a problem for Asuma.
He jumped over the wall with a single leap and walked around the house, but he didn't see anyone here.
'Where did you go?'
Asuma frowned. After his father resigned from Hokage's position, although he became an advisor, most of the advisor's works were done by Koharu and Homura, so Hiruzen had very little workload. Asuma remembered that he always took his work home to deal with it slowly.
In doing so, he could spend more time with Asuma, but Asuma didn't appreciate it at all.
When no one could be found, Asuma went to ask his other clansmen.
Although it can't compare with the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha Clan, Sarutobi Clan is also a big clan in Konoha.
"Uncle Nitten, where is my old man?" As soon as he climbed over the wall, Asuma hurriedly stepped forward to ask.
The elder called Nitten looked at the non-mainstream youth with a confused face: "Who are you?"
Asuma's face twitched, and he said with clenched teeth: "I, it's me, Asuma!"
"Asuma? Are you really Asuma?!"
Nitten grabbed Asuma's two arms in amazement, then looked up and down at him, and then said, "I didn't expect that you have grown so tall, very good. You are finally back, your father is thinking about you everyday!"
Asuma is a little uncomfortable, but still asked patiently: "Uncle Nitten, where is my old man?"
"He is in the advisor's office building."
Nitten said, "You don't know yet, but Advisor Koharu and Advisor Homura have resigned. Although Yondaime promptly promoted two temporary advisors in time, their experience can't be compared with Advisor Koharu and Advisor Homura, so Hiruzen's workload has increased."
Asuma nodded: "I see, Uncle Nitten, I have something else, I'll talk to you next time."
After saying that, Asuma quickly rushed to the office building next to Hokage Tower.