Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template-Chapter 164

Whenever Orochimaru left, he always took Kabuto with him. Kabuto was a perfect tool—skilled in data collection and analysis. Orochimaru often praised him highly.

Yet Kabuto had his own goals. His life had been a web of lies and deception, and somewhere along the way, he lost himself. Now, he seeks the meaning of his existence.

Due to an injury and amnesia in his childhood, Kabuto was taken in by the orphanage director, Nono Yakushi. But when Danzo Shimura threatened Nono, Kabuto chose to leave and serve Danzo in her stead.

He had been traveling the world as a spy ever since he was young. Eventually, Danzo orchestrated a mission that forced Kabuto and Nono to kill each other. Kabuto accidentally killed her, and from that moment on, he felt empty—like he no longer had a reason to live.

Later, he met Orochimaru and followed him in the pursuit of uncovering the truth of the ninja world. But even after studying everything, Kabuto still couldn't find the meaning behind his existence. He still wore the glasses Nono gave him, perhaps in hopes of returning to those days.

"Kabuto, maybe it's time you returned to your roots," Orochimaru said, having long noticed Kabuto's absent-mindedness. There were several occasions when Kabuto would've mixed the wrong reagents had Orochimaru not stepped in.

"...Ah, okay." Kabuto didn't hide the joy in his heart. He pulled a small shovel from behind him—digging graves was the job he liked best.

"Teacher Nono... I will find you. Even if I haven't found my purpose yet, I'll revive you... Maybe then, you can help me find it."

He made a silent vow, put on his raincoat, and disappeared into the downpour.

As the self-proclaimed Tomb Raider of the Ninja World and father of the "Golden Spatula," Kabuto knew where the strongest dead shinobi were buried. His little black notebook wasn't for show.

"Amegakure... Hanzo of the Salamander is dead now, but Pain is still around. That'll make it hard to act."

Kabuto extended his hand, catching the rain falling from the sky. These weren't ordinary raindrops. This large-scale rain in the Land of Rain was a technique used by Pain—he could detect everyone entering the area through the rain.

He'd learned this from Orochimaru, though he wasn't sure how Orochimaru found out. All he knew was that Orochimaru had become strange after returning from the Land of Whirlpools.

"Let's cross off Rain Village first. Now, who else is strong and worth targeting..."

Kabuto left Amegakure, while Pain, standing on the head of the mechanical Buddha atop the village, watched him leave before turning away.

"Konan, have Hidan and the others already departed?" he asked.

A slender woman with purple hair walked out of the statue's mouth, paper fluttering around her as she stepped forward.

"They've gone to capture the Three-Tails in the wild," Konan replied. The rain had soaked her purple hair, but she still radiated a sharp, untouchable aura.

Pain gave a silent nod, then stood motionless—his body online, but his mind seemingly somewhere else, eyes wide open in eerie stillness.

"Let's start with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. There are many of them, so it should be easier to find. The real target, though, is the former Mizukage. Hōzuki Gengetsu was one of the strongest. I hope I can locate him."

With that decision, Kabuto didn't delay any further and set off.

Meanwhile, Hidan was loudly cursing. It wasn't just because of his usual bad temper—though that was certainly part of it—it was mostly because of his new partner.

"Senpai, don't be like that. We're comrades, y'know? Let's just talk nicely," chirped the orange-masked Akatsuki member walking behind him—only one eye visible in his swirling mask.

Hidan thought he was talkative, but this guy? He was insane. Kakuzu had complained constantly about him. Anyone who could annoy Kakuzu had to be on another level of weird.

"Senpai, we're almost there~!" the masked man, Tobi (Obito Uchiha), said in a ridiculous voice, almost like a fart.

"I KNOW! Shut the hell up, would you? You're so goddamn annoying." Hidan grumbled, slinging his scythe over his shoulder.

"The Three-Tails is hiding at the bottom of a lake. Just be ready. Tailed beasts without Jinchūriki aren't hard to handle." For once, Hidan was serious—without Kakuzu around, his severed arm wouldn't regenerate easily.

"Don't worry," Tobi replied, puffing his chest and giving a big thumbs-up. "Leave it to me!"

Since the Mizukage and other elites had left to attend the Competition, the defense of Kirigakure had weakened. But Mei Terumi was cautious and had deployed more shinobi than usual. Still, to Tobi and Hidan, they weren't real obstacles. There were no Kage-level enemies around—just a bunch of jōnin.

The two, accompanied by a dog summoned by Tobi, made it to the lake housing the Three-Tails. Time to plan.

"You get it out. I'll draw blood and start the ritual," Hidan said, licking his lips in anticipation. He hadn't had a proper sacrifice since killing the Two-Tails.

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"Roger, roger!" Tobi said, pulling out a few orbs filled with explosive tags. Before Hidan could say anything, he tossed them into the lake.

Boom!

The explosion wasn't massive, but the splash nearly killed Kabuto, who had been secretly digging a grave nearby.

"I was buried so deep underground—how the hell did they detect me?" Kabuto was baffled.

Hidan didn't hesitate. Once things started, there was no turning back. He dove straight into the lake.

He wasn't great at swimming, and the longer he held his breath, the heavier his body felt. Time was of the essence.

Below, he scoured the lakebed, feeling around for the beast. But the number of fish swarming the area made it tough to focus. It was like they were all searching for treasure or something.

Eventually, he spotted the Three-Tails (Isobu) nestled beneath a large rock, resting in the shadows.

"Tch."

Hidan snorted and hurled his scythe toward the rock...

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