Kazuyama Gekkō swiftly set up a fire for barbecuing, transforming into a picnic master in an instant.
The massive water buffalo before him was like beef laid out on a cutting board, awaiting the precise slice of the crystal Wing Blade. He started the fire, added oil—wait, no. First, he cut the beef into pieces, skewered them, and placed them over the campfire.
As the flames licked the meat, the sizzling sound filled the air. Kazuyama reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll. With a flick, various condiments appeared on the ground—salt in the center, cumin next to it—and soon, the rich aroma of grilled meat permeated the surroundings.
Slurping back his saliva, Kazuyama praised himself smugly,
"My skills are top-notch. Patience is the most useless thing. In the future, I won't just open a shop with Pakura—I'll make a fortune."
Meanwhile, in the crystal room where Kazuyama had left her, Yugito's nose twitched. The enticing aroma seeped into her senses, stirring her from slumber.
"Mm… smells so good…"
Drawn by the irresistible scent, Yugito slowly stirred awake and unconsciously moved toward the campfire.
"Huh? You're awake?" Kazuyama remarked, glancing at her. "Looks like you're hungry. Well, no surprise—you've been asleep for so long."
But Yugito completely ignored him. Her gaze was locked onto the skewers over the fire, the scent overwhelming her taste buds, making her mouth water uncontrollably.
Kazuyama clicked his tongue.
"Ignoring me? Fine, then starve."
He took a large bite of the roasted beef, savoring the juices dripping from it. This sight left Yugito stunned.
"Hmph! I want some too!" she demanded.
"No."
"I want some!"
"No means no!"
Kazuyama smirked mischievously, refusing to hand any over. The little girl, already starving, grew more desperate. When her frustration reached its peak, her eyes reddened, brimming with tears.
"Alright, alright, don't cry. If the Two-Tails inside you starts blaming me, that's too much trouble."
With a sigh, he finally handed her a meat skewer. Yugito, still fuming, snatched it up, her cheeks flushed as she glared at him. But hunger quickly won out, and she dove in, devouring the meat in big bites.
"Eat slower, will you? If people saw this, they'd think I've been mistreating you," Kazuyama teased.
The meat was rich and filling. Even after a large portion, Kazuyama felt satisfied. But surprisingly, Yugito ate even more than he did, leaving him a little stunned.
He sighed inwardly. Every woman has the potential to be a foodie, huh…
Once full, Yugito flopped onto the ground with a blissful expression.
"So good..." she murmured.
Since being taken by Kazuyama, she hadn't eaten in days. If not for Chōmei's chakra keeping her body active, she might've starved long ago. That same chakra was probably the only reason she hadn't collapsed from overeating just now.
"Here, drink some water. You shouldn't eat so much meat all at once," Kazuyama said, handing her a bamboo tube filled with clear water.
As for where he got the water? There was a waterfall on the Island Turtle, a place said to help Jinchūriki purify their hearts and minds. Kazuyama had already scouted its location.
"Hmph, tell me, why did you kidnap me?"
"I'm a ninja from Kumogakure!"
Yugito already knew her situation, but she was not one to give in. Even if she had been kidnapped, she would not bow her head.
"Ooh, quite a stubborn one."
"But you're not even a ninja, are you? Why don't you take out your Kumogakure forehead protector and let me have a look?"
"Rogue Ninja, how old are you?"
Facing the ridicule, Yugito's face turned red again, but she had no way to argue back because she was indeed not yet a ninja. But she refused to accept it! She refused to accept it completely! And the man in front of her—his smirk was infuriating!
"Do you really want to hit me? Tsk, it's a pity you can't beat me," he taunted. "Not to mention that you can't beat me— even the Two-Tails within you can't beat me."
"Because I'm the same as you—a Jinchūriki. And not just any Jinchūriki, I'm a Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, and I can fly."
Yugito suddenly remembered that the guy in front of her was also a Jinchūriki. But at that time, the Two-Tails inside her had gone berserk, putting her into a deep sleep.
Now that she thought about it, it made sense. After all, he had survived the rampage of the Two-Tails and was still sitting in front of her…
"Hmph! So what!"
"So, you're going to follow me from now on. As for Kumogakure, forget about it—you're not going back."
Yugito was going crazy!
"Why! Why did you capture me?"
"Because of the Two-Tails inside me?"
"Which village are you from?!"
Watching her frustration only made him smile more. But behind that smile, his expression gradually turned serious.
"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I did capture you, and yes, it was for the sake of the Two-Tails within you."
"And, kid, remember one thing—Tailed Beasts have names."
"Her name is Matatabi."
Tailed Beasts have names? Was that for real?
Yugito stared at him, his face unusually serious. He wasn't lying.
"As for my purpose…"
"As a Jinchūriki, you just need to follow me from now on. This Island Turtle is my base camp."
"There are many things I can't tell you yet, but I will tell you this…"
"As Jinchūriki, our situation is very dangerous. If we don't stick together, we will be defeated one by one and then slaughtered."
Yugito looked at him with disdain.
Jinchūriki in danger? Apart from the instability of their own Tailed Beasts, they were practically invincible. No one could match the power of a Tailed Beast.
The only thing that could contend with a Tailed Beast was another Tailed Beast. Even the strongest person in each village—the Kage—needed to be cautious when facing one.
She couldn't control Matatabi yet, but she was still arrogant because she possessed such power.
Such nonsense—who would dare lay a hand on her?
"It's fine if you don't believe me," he said. "You can't leave here anyway."
"Forget about Kumogakure in the future. A village like that doesn't deserve your loyalty."
Although Kumogakure treated its Jinchūriki well, every Jinchūriki experienced the cold stares and special treatment of the villagers. If it weren't for Killer Bee and Yugito proving themselves through sheer strength, their situation wouldn't have been much different.
"No way! I must go back to the village!"
"I will prove myself with my own strength!"
She couldn't accept a single thing he was saying.
He didn't care. She wasn't going anywhere. There was plenty of time to change her mind.
"Okay, that's enough for today. I'll start training you tomorrow."
"Get ready, brat."
"I'm telling you—I'm a qualified sensei."
Watching his sneer, Yugito snorted in disdain.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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