Chapter 316: 307. Attack on Benisu Island Part-1
Hmm…
Izuna stares at Ido's demonic figure and ponders over the matter.
'Looks like I have to delve deeper into the origin of the Kurama clan.'
"Of course, I will help you. You are my student, after all. For now, you should try to assimilate the large amounts of dark chakra you absorbed from the bead."
Izuna waves his hand and exits Yakumo's mindscape.
"Is there something wrong Sensei?"
Hanabi and Yakumo ask him as he staring at the space.
"Hmm… I was wondering about your recent performance in the battle. A ninja should always expect the unexpected."
He shakes his head and turns to Kanami.
Kanami walks towards him with a smile.
"NO!"
Ayaka stands in front of Izuna and crosses her arms to keep her away.
"ARA!"
Kanami purses her lips and chuckles.
"Don't worry Ayaka-chan! I am indeed interested in your brother but I can't stand beside him."
She shakes her head and turns to Izuna.
"I sincerely thank you on behalf of the entire fleet. If not for you, then our entire fleet might have perished in the sea."
Kanami has a sincere expression on her face.
"There is no need to be so modest with me."
Izuna shakes his head.
"These people saved my life once; I am just repaying the debt."
"Thank you so much!" Kanami bows to express her gratitude.
The Mist in the sea gradually clears up and rays of sunlight descend from the clouds.
"Miss Kanami! We are about to reach the shore."
One of the sailors informs them.
"That's a relief!"
Kanami heaves a sigh of relief.
"Ayaka-chan! Hanabi-chan! Yakumo-chan! I will take you on a scenic tour around Benisu island. There are various tourist spots around here."
She waves at them.
"Ohhh…! I am so excited about the trip."
Hanabi has stars in her eyes.
The group gets off at the harbor. The members of the cargo fleet wave goodbye to them.
"You lot enjoy your tour with Kanami, meanwhile I will pick up some supplies," Izuna waves goodbye to them and departs.
"Alright girls, follow me," Kanami and the group walk in the opposite direction.
Whoosh…
Izuna flickers through the streets. He takes out a scroll from his pocket. There is a map on the scroll.
"It must be around here!" He stops at the container near the docks.
"Pride! You can come out." Izuna turns towards a corner.
Swoosh…
A cloaked figure leaps out from the shadows and bows in front of Izuna.
"Report!"
Izuna nods his head.
"Leader, after seven years the three-tails has finally resurrected itself."
Hmm…
"That took a while!" Izuna nods his head.
"It is severely weakened after its previous death. It's still recuperating its chakra at the bottom of a lake in Land of Water."
Pride passes another map to Izuna.
"Hmm… that's good!" Izuna pockets the scroll and asks him.
"What about the six-tails and its jinchuruki?"
"I last spotted him at the Nagi Island. After he deserted the Kiri village, the hunter-nins of the Mist have relentlessly chased him down."
"I see!"
'Akatsuki hasn't made a move in all these years. I haven't even heard any news about Nagato since our previous scuffle. Either they are just lying low or they are planning something big. Anyway, for now, Zero-tails takes the priority.'
Izuna turns to Pride as an idea comes to his mind.
"Pride! I would like you to infiltrate the Land of Sky's flying fortress, Ancor Vantian, and monitor their activities. They are planning an uprise against the five shinobi nations, but I believe someone else is pulling the strings from the dark. Your task is to source out the puppeteer in the shadows."
He assigns another task to Pride.
"Understood!"
Pride bows again and gets ready to depart.
"Wait!" Izuna stops him.
He takes out a small sealing talisman from his pocket and passes it to Pride.
"Keep this talisman with you. It will ward off the sinister chakra of Zero-tails," Pride pockets the talisman and flickers away.
Sigh…
"Lately, I feel like a lot of things are happening in the shadows. Everything seems to be a part of some big conspiracy," Izuna rubs his forehead.
"I still have two months before my body fails and my chakra system ruptures. Even thinking about such a thing scares me. Even after searching nonstop for almost four years, I haven't been able to find a solution. Looks like I have to rely on the chakra fruit to revive myself. As for now…"
Izuna raises his head and notices a fleet of ships sailing towards Benisu island in a distance. He notices the emblem of the Sky troop etched on the hull of the ship.
"Another battalion of Land of Sky! They are most probably here to attack the Benisu island to harvest some fuel for the Zero-tails."
Izuna concludes.
"Hmm… the speed at which they are traveling; they will be here in another hour or so."
He predicts the arrival of the Sky troop.
"In this time, I can strike a deal with the Merchant Association of the Benisu Island in exchange for the protection of this place."
Various ideas pop up in Izuna's mind.
'Running an organization is such a pain. I have to always think about the finances. I am turning more and more like a certain money-loving shinobi Frankenstein.'
-------------
In a small tavern in the Land of Fire,
Achoo…
Kakuzu sneezes loudly.
Sniff…
He wipes his nose and chugs down a cup of sake.
"You caught a cold, haven't you?"
Another shinobi with medium-length grey hair and distinctive purple eyes chuckles at Kakuzu. There is a giant triple-bladed scythe tied around his back.
"Shut up or I will kill you!" Kakuzu growls in anger.
"Haha… You can give it a try!" Hidan laughs hysterically.
"Shut up!"
Kakuzu slowly sips his sake. He gazes out of the window.
A giant Shaolin Monastery appears in front of his eyes. There are a multitude of staircases in front of the monastery, as it is located on top of a small hill.
The walls of the monastery are surrounded by impenetrable sealed iron walls. A gigantic metallic gate lies in the center of the walls. Multiple statues and images of Karasu and Yamabushi Tengu are sculpted on either side of the entrance.
"So, that's the Fire temple of the Land of Fire."
Kakuzu licks his lips as he appreciates the beauty of the temple.
"It sure is a giant temple."
Hidan nods his head.
"After I lay waste to this temple, I will make it a worship place for Lord Jashin."
"What a waste!" Kakuzu snorts.
"Look how fancy this temple is. I am sure there are lots of treasures and hidden wealth buried deep within this temple! That's worth a lot of Ryo. It will be a shame to demolish this temple and make it a worship place for some phony God! I can even sell the bricks of this temple for lots of Ryo," Kakuzu's eyes shine with Ryo.
Hmph…
Swoosh…
Hidan waves his giant triple-bladed scythe and attacks him.
Clang…
Kakuzu blocks the blade with his hand.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear"
He circulates earth chakra through his hand and turns it into a darker shade of black to raise his defense.
"Take it back!" Hidan growls in anger. Take back what you said about Jashin-sama!"
Hidan frantically attacks him.
"Hmph… Make me if you have the skills. A blind worshipper of a phony God!" Kakuzu snorts at Hidan's effort.
"Damnit! I will kill you," Hidan goes berserk and attacks Kakuzu.
"Bring it on! I am not afraid of you and your phony God!"
BOOM…
Both of them start a fight as they flicker towards the middle of the forest.
----------------------
At Benisu Island,
In front of the Merchant Association.
Izuna stares at the gigantic headquarters of the association and clicks his tongue.
"This place sure has a huge influx of money. Can't wait to strike a deal and squeeze some money out of them." He has a sinister smile on his face.
'I am not some saint or messiah who will blindly protect anyone because I am entitled to do so. I will provide my services as an S-Rank shinobi and get paid for the mission commissioned to me.'
Izuna convinces himself and takes a step inside the building.
Chapter 317: 308. Attack on Benisu Island Part-2
A/N:- Spent past few weeks on prepping for an exam for job and further studies. The exam is on 18 Sep(exam name: CSIR-NET; a huge pain btw ) I have exhausted my brain cells by revising through 3 years worth of syllabus in 3 weeks. No chapter on 15 and 18. After which The updates will be stable, I promise!
--------------------
Izuna enters the building of the merchant association.
"Irasshaimase!"
A blonde woman with shoulder-length hair welcomes him. There is a beauty mark on her chin as she greets him with a warm smile.
Mmm…
Izuna nods and greets her.
"Sir, are you here to purchase something?"
The woman asks him with a friendly smile.
"Sort of!"
Izuna nods his head and walks upstairs. There are multiple items placed on display on the first floor.
Hmm…
Izuna's curiosity is piqued as he stares at the various items shelved into glass cases.
"Respected Sir! These are the recent batch of items dug out from the ancient ruins discovered on a nearby island."
The attendant introduces the items to Izuna.
"Ancient ruin?!"
Izuna tilts his head in confusion.
"Yes! Recently, one of the exploration team of sailor shinobis discovered a hidden archipelago that resurfaced nearby. Four small islands surround a tall mountain in the middle. There is an ancient temple in the middle of the mountain."
The attendant points towards various murals, wine jars, swords, and other antics kept on display.
"These priceless artifacts were scavenged from that place. The exploration team placed them here. Later, they will be auctioned to the collectors."
The attendant has a polite expression as he introduces them to Izuna.
"That makes sense!" Izuna nods his head.
He throws a momentary glance at the so-called priceless artifacts and prepares to leave.
'There is nothing noteworthy among them.'
He turns around to walk to the second floor to meet someone familiar.
Hmm…
Izuna notices a momentary glint from the corners of his eyes.
"This is…"
His attention is attracted by a dull blade with five hollow rubies embedded in it.
'I sensed some intense chakra fluctuation in it for a second.'
Izuna walks up to the shelf.
"I would like to take a closer look at this blade."
He turns towards the attendant.
"Ah… dear customer! They are carefully preserved in the case. I am afraid touching them might damage them and thus hamper their value. I am sorry but I can't fulfill your request."
The attendant apologizes to him.
"It's alright! He is a guest of mine."
A middle-aged man in a traditional green kimono walks down the stairs.
"Vice-chairperson!"
The attendant hurriedly bows to the newcomer.
He has long black hair tied in a topknot at the back of his head. He sports a petit handlebar mustache and a garibaldi beard. There are thick hairs on each side of his arms.
"It's a been a while, Ezume-san!"
Izuna greets the middle-aged man.
"Haha! It sure has been."
Ezume nods his head.
"Back then, you were still a kid when you escorted my supplies. Time sure flies away quickly."
Ezume laughs heartily. He turns towards the attendant.
"What are you waiting for? Show him the artifact!"
He waves impatiently.
"Yes… yes sir!"
The attendant hurriedly removes the blade from the case and carefully hands it over to Izuna.
Hmm…
Izuna grabs the blade in his hand.
'It's quite heavy for a one-handed blade and its hilt is quite small for two-hands.'
Izuna flips the knife in his hand. He carefully examines the gems embedded on the blade.
'These look like pure chakra ores. But they have dried up their reserves.'
"What's the name of this blade?" Izuna asks the attendant.
Ezume notices the interest in Izuna's eyes as the latter analyzes the blade.
"Ermm… Sir, let me check the details!" The attendant turns around to bring the log register.
"There is no need!" Ezume waves his hands.
"This blade was found by a squad of sailor shinobis working for me. It's called the 'Dragon Blade'. I was the one who put this on auction."
Ezume turns towards Izuna.
"Are you interested in this blade?"
"Sort of!"
Izuna nods his head.
"The material of this blade is quite rare. I was thinking of reforging it into a new katana for my personal use."
"I… I see!"
Ezume is surprised to hear Izuna's response since this blade is an old antique.
"Ezume-san! A blade is a weapon, a weapon meant for battles. It will be a waste to put such a fine weapon on display!" Izuna shakes his head.
"Well, I can't argue with you on that!" Ezume chuckles.
"Since you are interested in this blade, I will directly sell it to you for half the price." Ezume presents an offer.
"Really?!"
Izuna raises an eyebrow.
"Of course! It was thanks to your help back then that my supplies were safe, and I was able to grow this big. If not for that, I would probably be drowned in debt by now."
"Is that so?! Then I will appreciate your goodwill. Please state the price." Izuna gently caresses the blade.
"I was originally about to auction it at a starting price of 1 million Ryo, but since I promised to sell it to you for half the price, then what about five hundred thousand Ryo." Ezume has a smile on his face.
'Damn! That's too expensive for such a rusty blade. These businessmen sure are fickle-minded people.'
Izuna curses them in his mind.
"Fine! I will buy it."
He hesitatingly draws a stack of Ryo from his storage and passes it to Ezume.
"Haha… As direct as ever!" Ezume bursts out in laughter.
He passes the money to the attendant and gestures at Izuna.
"I am sure you are here for another batch of sake and tea. I will send someone to fetch them for you. Meanwhile, you can wait in my office and have a chat with them. I am thinking of expanding my business to Konoha."
Before Izuna could reply, he was dragged upstairs by Ezume.
Izuna has a helpless expression as he stares at Esme's back.
'Damn! I was here to grab some free cash from them, but instead, they scammed me for 500 thousand Ryo. Still, it's a steal even with the amount of sum.'
Izuna flips the dragon blade in his hand.
'This blade is made from meteorite iron, which is a very good crafting material and is extremely rare.'
'Brat! Can I take a look at that blade? It feels familiar!"
Yin Kurama's voice rings in Izuna's ears.
"Well sure!"
Izuna passes the blade to Kurama as he arrives in Ezume's office.
Ezume gestures to Izuna to sit on a sofa. He waves at an attendant to serve some tea.
"So, I would like to talk about the potential business expansion in Konoha…"
Ezume starts his long, boring monologue.
Izuna sips the tea and enters the Sin Space to take a look at the Dragon Blade.
Hmm…
Kurama is carefully inspecting the blade as it holds the weapon in its claws.
"Do you recognize it?"
Mmm…
Kurama nods his head.
"It's the Dragon Blade from Mount Koryū."
Kurama points towards the five-partite prism symbol engraved on the hilt of the blade.
"This is the symbol of Mount Koryū."
"Mount Koryū?!"
"Mount Koryū or the Ancient Flow Mountain is an ancient temple located at the junction of the chakra ley-lines of the shinobi world. This faction existed way before even the birth of the Sage of Six Paths.
Back then, humans couldn't channel chakra through their bodies. Instead, they use such special weapons, which absorb chakra from nature, to combat against various powerful beasts roaming throughout the world. However, not much is known about their origin and downfall."
Kurama shakes his head and passes the blade to Izuna.
"You can still restore this blade and use it without smelting and reforging it. The forging method of this blade has been lost centuries ago. It has a blood seal engraved on it. Just drop some blood at the hilt and you can summon it during the battle."
Kurama introduces the method to wield the blade.
"I see!"
BOOMM…
A loud explosion occurs in the middle of the city. Multiple sky shinobis fly through the skies of the Benisu Island as they wreak havoc everywhere.
"That's my cue to leave!"
Izuna exits his mindscape.
Ezume has a terrified expression on his face as he stares at the flying sky, shinobis.
"What… what's going on? Who… who are these people? Why are they attacking us? Where are the guards?"
Ezume shouts at his attendant.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Multiple sailor shinobis flicker through the rooftops as they engage in a battle against the Sky shinobis.
"They are the sky shinobis!" Izuna replies to Ezume.
"They attacked Konoha a few days ago and lost the battle. This time their target seems to be Benisu Island."
"Sky shinobis?! What grudge do they have against us?" Ezume panics as the Sky shinobis closes on.
"It looks like they are targeting the Merchant association!"
Izuna scans the pattern of their flight.
"Our Association?!" Ezume's expression turns ugly.
"Seems like it!"
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
stone 
Paragraph comment