---
After settling Fu, Takuya spent another week deepening his bond with her. Now, Fu had grown very close to Takuya. Influenced by Kushina and others, Fu, being young and impressionable, had already made up her mind: she would marry into the Senju Clan and contribute to its revival and prosperity.
Besides Fu, Kakuzu had also established a solid foothold in Takigakure. As soon as he took charge, he demonstrated his iron-fisted methods. He not only modeled some practices after Konoha but also introduced several new rules. Anyone who dared resist was swiftly and decisively dealt with.
Takuya didn't interfere too much. After all, he had visited Takigakure before and understood that the village's ninjas were steeped in outdated traditions. Change often demanded sacrifice.
After handling these matters, Takuya set off for Kumogakure. Before departing, he consulted with Mabui, Samui, and the others. Other than Yugito, none of them wished to return to Kumogakure. To them, Kumogakure was a remnant of the past. They preferred staying with Takuya, living a life of peace.
Thus, Takuya could only bring Yugito along to Kumogakure.
---
In the Raikage's office, Darui, the Fifth Raikage, looked at Takuya's sudden appearance with a flicker of panic on his face.
"Takuya-sama, what brings you here?" Even as Raikage, he couldn't suppress the nervousness he felt in front of the most powerful man in the ninja world.
"Darui, I'm here to collect the Eight-Tails. Where's the Jinchūriki?" Takuya got straight to the point.
"Ah... I'm terribly sorry, Takuya-sama," Darui replied quietly. "Killer Bee isn't in the village at the moment."
"Really?" Takuya's eyes narrowed. "Since when can a Jinchūriki leave the village at will?"
"Killer Bee holds a high status in Kumogakure and shares a close bond with the previous Raikages," Darui quickly explained, his voice tinged with concern. "I didn't impose restrictions on his movements. But please rest assured, Takuya-sama, our Anbu are constantly monitoring Killer Bee's whereabouts."
"Then tell me where he is, and I'll go retrieve him myself," Takuya said, his tone final.
Darui hastily contacted the Anbu, and soon, Killer Bee's location was confirmed.
"The Land of Birds?" Takuya nodded. "Yugito, stay here for a few days. I'll come back to get you."
Yugito had expressed her desire to spend a few days in her hometown, and he saw no reason to refuse.
"Understood. Take care, Takuya," Yugito said softly, unable to resist offering a word of caution.
"Haha... don't worry," Takuya chuckled. "Take care? That's a joke. There's no one left in the ninja world who can challenge me."
With that, Takuya used Kamui and vanished from Kumogakure. After he left, Darui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Yugito, please take a seat," Darui offered, gesturing to a chair.
"Darui, you're the Raikage. There's no need to be so formal," Yugito laughed lightly.
"That won't do," Darui said, his smile a mixture of respect and nervousness. "You're Takuya-sama's wife now, and I can't afford to be negligent. During your stay in Kumogakure, if there's anything you need or want to do, just let me know. I'll arrange everything."
---
After leaving Kumogakure, Takuya arrived in the Land of Birds, a nation known for its flourishing entertainment industry. It was said that the people of this land had voices as melodic as nightingales, and singing and dancing were their favorite pastimes.
As he walked through the streets, Takuya's ears were bombarded by a cacophony of voices. People hummed as they walked, and many held microphones, singing in groups with portable speakers.
"Tsk, it's so noisy," Takuya muttered, shaking his head. While he wasn't fond of the overwhelming noise, he knew better than to meddle with another culture's customs. It wasn't his place to disrupt the people's way of life. Letting a hundred flowers bloom was always the better approach.
After walking for a while, Takuya noticed a large crowd gathered up ahead. Cheers erupted from the group from time to time.
"Excuse me, what's happening over there?" Takuya asked a passerby.
"You're not from around here, are you?" the passerby asked curiously.
"That's right. I'm from Konoha," Takuya replied with a polite smile.
"Oh!" The passerby's expression lit up. "A visitor! There's a singing competition going on ahead. It's one of our most cherished traditions in the Land of Birds. The winner earns the title of 'Singing King.' It's only held once a year, so you're lucky to catch it!"
Takuya's curiosity was piqued. A singing competition? It sounded amusing. After thanking the passerby, he moved closer to the contest. On the stage, a man was belting out a song, and after he finished, the judges gave their scores. The crowd had the option to vote for a re-evaluation if they disagreed with the results. The whole process seemed quite open and fair.
Just as Takuya was watching, someone nudged his arm.
"Yo, are you entering the singing contest too?" came a voice from behind him. Turning, Takuya saw a muscular man wearing sunglasses, gazing at the stage with excitement.
Takuya chuckled to himself. What a coincidence. The man standing before him was none other than Killer Bee, the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails.
"I just came to take a look," Takuya said.
Killer Bee turned, looking at him with excitement. "You want to participate?"
Takuya glanced at Killer Bee with curiosity. "You're competing?"
"Of course! How could a competition like this go on without me?" Killer Bee exclaimed, breaking into his signature rap. "Yo, my rap is unstoppable, and my flow's undeniable. I got everyone bowin' like it's undeniable! Yo yo yo, check it out!"
Killer Bee started dancing and rapping impromptu, much to Takuya's amusement.
"Do you know rap?" Killer Bee asked, his excitement bubbling over.
"Uh... I know a little," Takuya replied, clearing his throat, unsure how to respond to the ninja's eccentricity.
Killer Bee beamed, delighted. "So, what do you think of what I just dropped?"
Takuya paused for a moment. In the ninja world, few appreciated rap, and even fewer understood it. "It's... okay," Takuya commented diplomatically. "But if you want to win the Singer King title, you might need something stronger."
Bee's rhymes were rough at best, more of a personal flair than a competitive edge.
"Yeah, I figured. Coming up with a good rap on the spot ain't easy, you know? But I got that killer vibe!" Killer Bee added, his voice full of energy, but it was clear he was a bit unsure of himself.
Takuya thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Bee, I've got a piece that might be perfect for you."
Killer Bee's eyes widened with interest. "For real? Lay it on me, brother!"
"I already have a title for it. It's called 'Cramming.'" Takuya smirked and began reciting the lyrics from memory. As Killer Bee listened, his excitement grew with every verse.
"Whoa! This is sick! If I use this, I'm takin' that title for sure!" Bee said, his eyes practically glowing.
Takuya chuckled. "Glad you like it. Go for it."
"Are you serious, man? You'd really let me use it?" Killer Bee asked, a little taken aback. Even though they had only just met, Takuya was offering him something valuable.
"Go ahead. Consider it my support," Takuya said, offering a fist bump, which Bee gladly returned.
"Thanks, brother!" Bee grinned, his excitement returning in full force. He pushed his way to the front of the competition, his presence alone commanding the crowd's attention. "I wanna participate!" he shouted.
The crowd cheered, and the host approached him with a welcoming smile. "Looks like we've got a new challenger! What's your name?"
"Killer Bee! And I'm bringin' some rap to this competition!" Bee declared proudly, the crowd's energy rising.
"A rap performance? Well then, let's hear it! Killer Bee, everyone!" The host handed him the microphone.
The crowd fell silent, their excitement growing as they waited to see what the foreigner would bring. Killer Bee stood tall, ready to perform.
"I'm always cramming, cramming! This song is crammed, crammed!" Bee rapped as he danced across the stage, his performance energetic and passionate.
However, instead of applause, the crowd remained completely silent. Killer Bee grinned, thinking they were awestruck. "I've got 'em hooked!" he thought. But as moments passed, the looks of confusion and disdain spread across the audience, including the judges.
"Hey, are you here to cause trouble?!" one of the judges shouted angrily.
The crowd's mood shifted. People began picking up rotten vegetables and eggs, hurling them at Bee. Without hesitation, Bee activated his Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the stage in a blur, leaving chaos behind him.
---
Takuya, no longer interested in the spectacle, quickly tracked Bee's chakra signature. He found him squatting nearby, sulking with disappointment.
"My dream of becoming a singer... over before it even began," Bee mumbled.
"Killer Bee, don't give up," Takuya said, approaching him with a smile. "Someone will appreciate your rap one day. You just have to keep going."
"Huh? How'd you find me?" Bee asked, his tone more serious now. He had used the Body Flicker Technique to cover a long distance, yet Takuya had found him with ease. "This guy isn't normal," Bee thought to himself.
"Bee, pay attention," the voice of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, resonated in Bee's mind. "This man is dangerous."
Killer Bee slowly stood up, placing his hand on his sword, ready to fight if necessary. "Who are you? And what do you want?"
Takuya smirked. "Come on, Bee, you don't remember me? I'm Takuya."
Killer Bee's eyes widened as the name triggered his memory. "Takuya... the guy who took down the other four Kage during the war!"
"That's right," Takuya said, his smile fading as he got to the point. "I'm here for the Eight-Tails, Bee."
Bee's face hardened, and his hand tightened on his sword. "You want Gyūki? No way, man. That's not happening!"
Takuya raised a hand calmly. "Don't be so quick to refuse. I understand why you'd hesitate. But don't worry. I'll bring you back to life after I extract the Eight-Tails."
"Why should I trust you?" Bee asked coldly, his stance guarded.
"Because," Takuya said, his voice low, "the Eight-Tails is the last of the tailed beasts still living outside of my grasp."
Takuya's body suddenly radiated with immense power as he released the seals within him. In an instant, the forms of Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, and Kurama—the One through Nine-Tails, all appeared behind him.
Killer Bee's eyes widened in shock. "All of them...?"
---