"I don't taste good! My stomach is full of sand!"
The Giant Clam shook its shell in terror.
It just liked to play. It only wanted to pull a few pranks on passersby and the Kuraokami Tower Neko Clan, not get inexplicably devoured by a cat, even if that cat seemed terrifyingly powerful.
"Meow? That's a pity."
Takeshi felt a twinge of regret. Since Katsuyu had introduced the creature, he couldn't exactly eat it. He had promised the Sage he wouldn't harm a challenger's life. Although he could try the excuse, 'I was starving to death,' he knew it wouldn't hold water.
A pity. A true pity.
The clam retracted deep into its shell, filled with remorse and dread.
Why had it run over here in the first place? It should have realized sooner that anyone daring to call their territory a 'Holy Land' wouldn't be a simple character.
'I really just rushed in here to die...'
Its heart was heavy with regret. At this point, it was basically kidnapped. It secretly racked its brain for an escape route, anything to safely salvage its little life from the paws of this dangerous black cat.
Takeshi, however, didn't harm it.
The creature's abilities were actually quite useful to him. Releasing a layer of Thick Fog would greatly elevate the Ice City's mystique and security.
Of course, that was only strictly speaking of ordinary threats.
If the opponent was someone on the level of Zetsu or Madara, the Giant Clam's abilities wouldn't amount to much. Using it to deal with Madara was impossible, and Takeshi had no intention of relying on it for that.
He brought the Giant Clam to Kuraokami.
Beside the high tower, Kanna was in the middle of giving instructions to Nagato and Konan. Suddenly, Takeshi reappeared via the Flying Thunder God, a massive clam suctioned to the underside of his paw.
Konan froze for a moment, then spoke with a frown of concern. "That clam is huge... we won't be able to fit it in a single pot, will we?"
The Giant Clam panicked even more.
The black cat and his subordinates had nothing but food on their minds! Even this cute little girl was a fiend who only thought about butchering living beings! It shrieked in anger, speaking in its unique, warbling voice.
"Clams are living beings too!"
"Sorry! I didn't mean it like that."
Konan apologized immediately.
As the Kuraokami Tower Head Chef, she had butchered her fair share of ingredients. But this was truly the first time she had seen a clam this size. It had to be delicious and fresh. The thought made her feel a little tempted despite herself.
"From now on, this is your home. Are you happy?"
Takeshi pointed a paw at Kuraokami.
However, the Giant Clam immediately noticed the Great Hot Spring nearby. 'These guys want to throw me in the hot spring and boil me to death? That's too cruel!'
It was furious.
But then...
It sensed the black cat's incredibly powerful chakra and his freakish recovery speed. The Home Guard General, who had essentially delivered itself to their doorstep, wilted instantly. It offered a weak, final struggle.
"Can I go home?"
"You must be homeless to be wandering the ocean like that. Welcome. This will be your home from now on," Kanna cut in smoothly.
'Nice assist!'
The Giant Clam wanted to cry upon hearing this, while Takeshi wanted to give her a thumbs-up. He hadn't realized this girl was actually quite scheming. She had struck right at the vital point with a single sentence, if you weren't homeless, why were you wandering the ocean Plaguing Ships?
The logic was flawless.
The Giant Clam's limited brain couldn't find a way around it. It wanted to admit it had come to plague them, but it was terrified that saying so would earn it a one-way trip into the hot spring. So, it could only stammer, "I... I can still find a place to settle down."
"It's okay, meow. There's a Beach outside, big enough for you to inhabit."
Takeshi pointed toward the exterior.
Kuraokami wasn't far from the Bay. Moreover, after his modifications, the Bay here suffered no howling cold winds. Thanks to the slight influence of the hot spring, the water temperature was warmer and more pleasant than anywhere else.
Did it really have a choice? If the Giant Clam had hands, it would have slapped itself right then and there. Why did it come here when it was doing fine on its own? Now, there was likely no going back. Although its broken old home didn't have anyone else, staying here didn't seem much better.
Thinking about it, water began to overflow from its shell.
These were tears. Pure tears.
"Live here from now on. No need to be so moved. Our Kuraokami isn't just for the Kuraokami Tower Neko Clan, any ninja beast that joins us is family."
Takeshi spouted absolute nonsense with a straight face.
It was true they were all members of Kuraokami, but the Sage Mode possessed by Kuraokami could only be mastered by the cat clan. There was no need to explain those details, when a salesman pitches a product, they don't list all the defects, right?
He felt there was no issue with his logic.
The Giant Clam was forcibly settled in. Its control range for thick fog and genjutsu was massive, even from the bay, it could easily cover the ice forest and Kuraokami. Takeshi also placed a Flying Thunder God Mark on its shell.
He didn't hide this from the Giant Clam.
Many things required a mix of kindness and severity, and managing this clam was no different. Takeshi promised to protect its safety and provide for its lifestyle and food. Aside from relocating and occasionally releasing thick fog to screen Kuraokami, its life would remain almost identical to before.
At the same time, Takeshi made it demonstrate its power once.
The thick fog rolled out.
The location of Kuraokami was instantly obscured. The boundless Ice Forest vanished from sight. Looking at the area, it was as if the structures had never existed.
If outsiders entered the range, they would immediately fall into an illusion. If Takeshi needed the tower to be visible, he simply had to order the Giant Clam to withdraw the mist.
Very good.
Compared to before, the place finally looked like a proper Holy Land. Takeshi was very satisfied. Now he didn't have to worry about random cats and dogs coming up to provoke them. As for Katsuyu...
He hadn't harmed the clam, he had just kindly "taken it in."
Everything here was more or less settled.
Even if White Zetsu infiltrated, they would be affected by the genjutsu. Even if they could break free quickly, that split-second chakra fluctuation would be enough to attract Kanna and Nagato's attention.
With their abilities, they could handle it themselves.
Nagato's strength had increased significantly. He had mastered Almighty Push and Almighty Pull, and he had become proficient with the nature transformation of the basic Five Element Ninjutsu. in that regard, he was indeed an out-and-out genius.
With the home base secure, Takeshi could finally go find trouble with Madara.
But there was a problem.
Takeshi didn't know exactly where Madara was, nor did he know if Tsunade, Orochimaru, and the others had made any research breakthroughs during this time. If all else failed, he would have to take Nagato with him to search.
Nagato's mastery of the Rinnegan had reached the point where he could summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path: Gedo Mazo. Taking him along would at least allow them to sense the statue's existence. Given Madara's current state, connected to the Gedo Mazo for life support, finding the statue meant finding Madara.
But the risk was too great.
With Black Zetsu's abilities, he would likely try to directly control Nagato to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu and fully revive Madara. Although Takeshi wasn't particularly afraid of Madara at his peak, there was no need to be reckless when he could simply beat up an elderly man instead.
He was different from Madara, he always prioritized pragmatism. Activities like "dancing" were better left for Madara to do.
After issuing a few final instructions, Takeshi returned to Konohagakure.
The coordinate was still Orochimaru.
It had been a month. He wondered what stage Orochimaru's research had reached. After such a long time, even if the White Zetsu issue wasn't resolved, Kakuzu must have achieved some results, right?
If they were that inefficient, he would have to educate Orochimaru a little.
*Whoosh.*
He arrived via Flying Thunder God.
Orochimaru sat helplessly on the side. Ever since the Jutsu formula had been placed on him, he had been trying to remove it, but success eluded him. And since he was a very proud man, he refused to voice a request for removal to Takeshi or Minato...
Helpless, he had no choice but to endure it.
===============
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