The deep night cast shadows over the forest as Reiki clenched his fists, anger evident on his face. "Is the information you gave me true?" he demanded, voice low and tense.
Gulal handed him a scroll. "This is the answer you seek. Contact me if you need more." Without another word, Gulal vanished into the night.
Reiki opened the scroll, and his eyes darkened as he read:
> "Nawaki Senju was attacked. The assailant used… the technique of spiritualization."
A single line, but it was enough to ignite fury in Reiki's heart. *Kato Dan,* he thought, *you've crossed the line.* He burned the scroll to ashes in his hand.
Reiki had suspected something was off with Kato Dan before, but this revelation confirmed his worst fears. This wasn't just some rogue ninja—it was orchestrated by Konoha's Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Reiki had arranged for Namikaze Minato to protect Nawaki, fearing that Dan might use him to manipulate Tsunade. But he hadn't expected Kato Dan to personally launch an attack.
Realizing Tsunade could also be in danger, Reiki hurried to her room, only to find it empty. "Teacher…," he whispered, feeling the creeping edge of panic.
---
Just then, Shisui appeared nearby. "Reiki, what's going on?"
"Tsunade-sensei's missing. Kato Dan went after Nawaki, and I fear he might be targeting her too. Go check the casino in Takino Country while I head to Cangzi's residence—Tsunade might be there."
Shisui nodded and dashed off without another word.
---
Reiki arrived at Cangzi's home, noticing a lingering chakra presence he recognized immediately: Nanabi Shigeaki's chakra. It was the same tailed-beast energy he'd helped purge from Cangzi just days earlier.
Suddenly, Cangzi emerged from the shadows with an unreadable expression. "Oh, you're Tsunade's student… Reiki, right? It's late. What brings you here?"
Reiki eyed her carefully, not trusting her outward calm. "I wanted to ask my teacher a question and thought she might be here. Any idea where she is, Cangzi-sensei?"
"I'm afraid I don't," Cangzi replied lightly, waving him off. "Good luck finding her." She turned and disappeared back into her courtyard.
Suspicion gnawed at Reiki, and he murmured to himself, *Something's wrong…*
Inside her house, Cangzi smirked as she entered the dim living room. "The boy is indeed sharp," she muttered, "but he's just a child."
A figure with mottled hair stepped out of the shadows, exuding a powerful aura filled with Shigeaki's tailed-beast energy. "The time is close," he said with an evil grin.
"Yes," Cangzi agreed, "and if we succeed, Konoha's legendary Tsunade will be ours—a puppet to wield as we please."
---
Far from the guesthouse, deep within a hidden cave, Tsunade had been bound in a sinister ritual. Chains etched with chakra connected her to a sealed chamber where a pair of golden eyes blinked open—Nanabi Shigeaki's eyes.
Around her, several Takigakure shinobi formed a circle, pouring their chakra into a massive curse-sealed array. A middle-aged man, his expression exultant, oversaw the ritual, shouting, "Puppet Jinchuriki Ceremony, commence!"
With a booming echo, a chain of chakra shot from Tsunade's body toward Shigeaki, linking the two. "Once we control Tsunade, Takigakure will stand as an equal to the Great Ninja Villages!" he declared with a twisted grin. "In time, there will be *six* great villages!"
One by one, the shinobi surrounding Tsunade sacrificed themselves, their chakra flooding into the array to maintain the barrier. They channeled the tailed-beast chakra into Tsunade, drawing her closer to becoming Takigakure's puppet.
The man named Takikage watched with cold satisfaction, aware of the bargain he'd struck with Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Konoha's Third Hokage sacrificed his own disciple to eliminate a threat within Konoha. Ruthless, but it works to our benefit," he said. "And once Tsunade falls, the Senju will be no more."
Just as they thought victory was near, a dense fog filled the barrier space.
"What…?" Takikage shouted, alarm flashing in his eyes. "Who's inside the chakra barrier?"
Startled, the Takigakure shinobi took defensive stances, but it was too late. The fog parted to reveal a familiar figure with a gleaming scroll in hand—Reiki.
The fight for Tsunade's soul had only just begun.
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