Unlike Usugaki, who hid himself during the escape, Taketsuki soon encountered a wealthy caravan after landing in the Land of Fire.
The caravan owner, upon hearing that he was a family-trained ninja, did not suspect much and directly hired him as a caravan guard.
Taketsuki was quite pleased with this, as he was not good at stealth and did not know how to obtain money in the Land of Fire.
He could think of quick ways to earn money in the Land of Fire, besides plundering, such as bounty hunting and private commissions from the caravan.
Therefore, he readily accepted the caravan's invitation, disguising himself as a family-trained ninja from the Land of Fire and traveling with the caravan towards the interior of the Land of Fire.
He had no particular destination in mind. Unlike Usugaki's deliberate defection, Taketsuki had to leave the Land of Water because he possessed something that was not allowed to exist.
In recent years, the village's control over Kekkei Genkai ninjas had become increasingly strict. Many ninjas, clans, or ninja groups with Kekkei Genkai had resisted the mainstream factions of Hidden Mist Village.
But without exception, the village always won. With each victory, the suppression of ninjas with Kekkei Genkai became more severe.
Taketsuki didn't know when it started, but as a "mixed-blood," he was also targeted. Despite being a Jonin of the village and supposed to have considerable autonomy, he was constantly monitored.
Whether it was his colleagues, subordinates, or even his friends, they all seemed to become his watchers.
Until recently, the village acted against him.
Stimulated by his mother's blood, Taketsuki awakened the talents of his maternal clan. Those familiar people who once said, "Come back and cooperate with the investigation," completely changed their tone to, "Arrest! Capture! Kill!"
Using his somewhat mutated Shikotsumyaku, Taketsuki successfully escaped the village and fled overseas. After much wandering, he seized a fishing boat near the Land of Whirlpools, allowing his exhausted self to finally have a moment of respite.
Subsequently, using the Land of Whirlpools as a transit point, he arrived in the Land of Fire. Many days of peace made Taketsuki begin to forget those pains and plan to start a new life. However, the first step proved difficult for him.
Where to go?
Before figuring this out, Taketsuki wanted to stay with the caravan. After all, the people here were very nice.
"Taketsuki-sama, at the next town we're heading to, there's a hot spring inn. Would you like to experience it?"
A well-dressed middle-aged man winked at Taketsuki. Taketsuki had not concealed his name since it was quite common and did not point to any specific region; he didn't want to change it.
Hearing the man's words, Taketsuki frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "I don't mind, but is the caravan leader okay with it? After all, I won't be able to watch over the goods while I'm at the hot spring inn."
Upon hearing this, the man slapped his forehead and said, "I'll go ask the leader first. Taketsuki-sama, please wait a moment."
With that, the man quickened his pace and ran ahead. When he got permission from the leader and came back to share the good news, he found that Taketsuki was gone.
Several kilometers away, Taketsuki was strolling, patting his side impatiently and saying, "If you want to talk, just talk. Don't touch me!"
Minato, retracting his hand, was stunned for a second, not even understanding what Taketsuki meant. This person... is so calm!
"Did the leader agree?"
Not hearing a response, Taketsuki asked with displeasure. He then looked up to see the expression on the person who had invited him, but instead, he found himself facing a towering tree.
"Duang~"
Taketsuki bumped into it headfirst. It didn't cause any injury, but it made him realize that his surroundings seemed different.
He quickly stepped back to get a broader view and looked around, only to find that he seemed to no longer be with the caravan. How long had it been? How could he have strayed so far from the group?
And why hadn't anyone warned him? Could it be they wanted to isolate him and not take him to the hot spring inn?
"Hidden Mist Village Jonin Taketsuki."
A strange voice reached Taketsuki's ears. He looked around in panic and asked, "Who?!"
A figure appeared in the forest. Tatsuma, dressed in a beige trench coat, calmly said, "Taketsuki, you are designated as an S-rank rogue ninja by Hidden Mist Village for the crimes of maiming colleagues and harboring rogue ninjas."
"Fleeing to the vicinity of the Land of Whirlpools, you killed a total of seven Land of Fire fishermen, stole a fishing boat, and took two sets of clothes."
Hearing this stranger recount his crimes, Taketsuki was initially agitated and then became even more so. How could taking two sets of fitting clothes be considered a crime?
After listing the charges, Tatsuma's tone turned curious as he asked, "Have you awakened your Kekkei Genkai?"
Upon hearing this, the agitated Taketsuki's expression darkened, and he watched Tatsuma warily. Tatsuma observed Taketsuki and noticed that his muscles and joints were relaxed, yet he gave off the impression of a crouching feline.
Taketsuki did not respond. After three seconds of silence, Tatsuma made a hand gesture. In an instant, a shadow appeared beside Taketsuki. Taketsuki's relaxed body almost instinctively dodged and simultaneously raised his arm to counterattack.
"Bang~"
A bone spike suddenly protruded from Taketsuki's palm, piercing the chest of the approaching figure, which then dissipated into a puff of smoke.
Beside Tatsuma, there was a muffled grunt, and Minato, wearing an owl mask, appeared, his eyes fixed solemnly on Taketsuki. Tatsuma's eyes narrowed slightly, but he still said:
"Shadow Clone is still too inflexible."
If Minato's real body had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport over, the time left for Taketsuki would have been even shorter. Even if Taketsuki had counterattacked, Minato's quick thinking would have allowed him to come up with a way to evade.
Minato nodded but added, "However, his speed and Taijutsu should not be underestimated."
Taketsuki looked at the two in front of him, his right hand slowly grasping the bone spike in his left palm. He pulled out the spike, which brought out some blood, but his wound healed quickly, causing little damage.
Seeing this, Tatsuma analyzed, "Compared to the Shikotsumyaku ability in the intel, his Shikotsumyaku seems like an incomplete version. The overgrown bone tissue can't detach smoothly, causing a certain amount of blood loss."
However, this might reduce the common Hemophilia problem that Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai ninjas usually face. Judging from the likely time when he awakened his Kekkei Genkai ability, we can rule out the possibility that he is currently affected by Hemophilia."
The not-so-quiet plotting between the two made Taketsuki's face darken even more. He glanced at the spot where Minato's Shadow Clone had appeared, feeling puzzled.
His vision was excellent—he could clearly see the flight path of ninja tools during Ninja Tool Throwing—but he couldn't see how Minato had actually appeared.
Tatsuma then asked in a low voice, "No problem, right?"
Taketsuki's Taijutsu and physique seemed to surpass Minato's considerably, which surprised Tatsuma. He speculated that it might be due to the physical enhancement brought by the awakening of the Kekkei Genkai, but it was also possible that Taketsuki specialized in Taijutsu and had trained extensively, although this seemed less likely.
After all, Tatsuma's information on Taketsuki was based on a comprehensive assessment of his past performance. Compared to the intel, Taketsuki's physique was significantly stronger. It was impossible for Taketsuki to have made such substantial progress through conventional training in such a short time.
If it were the Taketsuki from the intel, Tatsuma could confidently let Minato "play." But the current Taketsuki seemed challenging even to him.
It was known that his speed was not on par with Minato's, but Minato's speed was not on par with this Taketsuki either. In a direct confrontation, Tatsuma would be at a speed disadvantage and would have to rely on other methods to achieve victory, but it would be tricky.
Minato shook his head and said, "It's fine, I just need to get faster."
With that, he hesitated no longer. He didn't use a Shadow Clone or the Flying Thunder God Technique but instead used the Body Flicker Technique to charge at Taketsuki.
Taketsuki swung the bone spike in his right hand. Given their speeds, Minato would likely crash into the spike. However, Minato suddenly changed direction, narrowly avoiding the spike.
At the same time, Minato's right hand brushed against Taketsuki's right hand and then immediately flickered away while forming a seal.
"Seal Detonation!"
Unbeknownst to Taketsuki, an Explosive Tag had been attached to his hand. As the tag's jutsu was activated, flames erupted from the tag.
Minato watched the scene within the flames intently, praying that the Explosive Tag would injure Taketsuki. This would indicate that Taketsuki's physique was not monstrously strong and that he could still be harmed.
However, as the flames and smoke dissipated, Minato's expression grew even more serious. Taketsuki's clothes were in tatters, but from his joints sprouted bone spikes, enveloping his body like armor.
When Taketsuki looked up again, his face was no longer the same as before. His previously simple appearance had transformed into a highly recognizable face.
A red mark like a mole above his eyebrow, eyes looking red as if from severe allergies, and the exposed skin was paler than before—this was Taketsuki's true appearance without his disguise.
But this was not Minato's main concern. The crucial point was that despite the explosion, the bones covering Taketsuki seemed undamaged.
"Is this what enabled you to escape from the Hidden Mist Village?"
Minato murmured, but then gripped a Kunai in his hand and flickered towards Taketsuki once more.
"Clang!"
The Kunai struck Taketsuki's exoskeleton, causing Minato's arm to go numb. His expression under the mask turned grim as he saw Taketsuki smile.
Taketsuki retaliated, reaching towards Minato. The bone spikes attached to his arm lifted slightly, resembling the tips of spears, aiming for Minato.
Minato's initial reaction was to use the Flying Thunder God to escape, the most prudent option. However, he immediately dismissed the idea because maintaining the mystique of the Flying Thunder God was crucial until he could ensure he could take down the enemy.
Continuously retreating to evade Taketsuki's successive attacks, Minato appeared somewhat awkward. Taketsuki's speed matched his own, and the flexibility of the bone spikes exaggerated each evasion by Minato.
The relentless barrage left Minato unable to break free and use Ninjutsu to assess its effectiveness.
"Rip~"
Taketsuki's bone spike slashed across Minato's collar, piercing through the collar with an embedded metal plate and completely slicing it open. However, Minato felt a twinge of relief because the clothes slightly slowed down Taketsuki's speed, allowing him to quickly grab one of Taketsuki's bone spikes.
He followed with a spinning kick to Taketsuki's ribs. Instantly, Minato pulled out a bloodied bone spike. Taketsuki grunted, his speed dropping sharply. Minato took advantage of this moment to distance himself and began examining the bone spike in his hand.
The spike was surprisingly hard, explaining why even a Kunai couldn't damage it. However, its joints were unstable, and it lacked a sharp blade edge.
Minato paused and looked at Taketsuki, who had already regenerated his exoskeletal armor. He knew how to handle this now.
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