As the Six Tails Jinchūriki of Kirigakure, Bubble had the tailed beast sealed within him since childhood.
Living with such a burden felt like a curse.
Not only did he suffer excruciating physical pain, but he also endured the cold gazes and rejection of those around him.
Until one day, his respected master summoned him to a cave.
Medical instruments lined the cavern walls. Without warning, his master tied him down, inscribed talismans on his abdomen, and began a strange ritual.
Bubble still vividly remembers that unbearable pain.
It felt as if his bones were being ripped from his flesh.
At the time, Bubble believed his master—just like the villagers—viewed him as a monster. He thought the ritual was an attempt to kill him along with the tailed beast sealed inside him.
Luckily, during the ceremony, the Six Tails went berserk.
It slaughtered everyone involved in the experiment—except for Bubble himself.
From that day forward, Bubble was labeled a murderer and fled from the Hidden Mist Village.
He carried the guilt for years, believing his beloved master had deceived and betrayed him.
But today, everything changed.
When Morkel transferred the seal within his body, Bubble felt the same tearing pain he had experienced during that ritual long ago.
And in that moment, a realization struck him.
Maybe… my master wasn't trying to kill me.
Maybe he was trying to help me remove the tailed beast and end my suffering.
The memory of his master's care and training returned like a flood, shaking Bubble's beliefs.
"I need to go back," Bubble said firmly as he sat up from the bed.
Morkel nodded. "Alright."
But before they could move—
Boom!
The ground trembled beneath them.
It wasn't a powerful quake, but it was sudden and suspicious.
Morkel's eyes narrowed. He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and released his full Chakra sensory ability.
At that moment, Naruto burst into the room. "What was that? An earthquake?"
Morkel opened his eyes and pointed northwest. "Strong chakra fluctuations coming from the Tsuchigumo tribe's village!"
—
Outside the village of the Tsuchigumo clan.
On a barren patch of land in the jungle, Tsuchigumo Ying stood with her clothes partially torn. A strange rune glowed on her upper arm—marked with the word "curse."
Bulging veins crawled along her back, and embedded under her skin was a sinister black device.
Beside her stood a man with a twisted smile, wearing a ridiculous belly-exposing outfit.
"I finally got you," he said, his voice full of greed.
Back in the cabin, Bubble had just been preparing to leave, but the sudden chakra disturbance made him pause.
"Did something happen to Ying?" he asked, remembering the energetic girl who had pestered him to teach her ninjutsu and insisted on calling him "Master."
"I'm not sure," Morkel replied, eyes cold.
Naruto looked between them. "Should we check it out?"
Morkel nodded. "Yes. We can't ignore it."
Bubble added, "I'm coming with you."
Morkel didn't object. One more wouldn't slow him down.
The trio took off aboard a flying device and sped toward the source of the disturbance.
Within a forest clearing, four captured thieves remained tied up, screaming and struggling.
Morkel had shown them mercy—allowing fate to decide their end.
"The plane is way slower than Flying Thunder God," Morkel muttered.
Previously, out of politeness, he had refrained from leaving Flying Thunder God marks on female companions.
But no more.
In emergencies like this, he couldn't afford such restraints.
He made a silent vow: From now on, I'll leave a Flying Thunder God mark wherever I go—until I've spread them across the entire continent.
Then, no matter where trouble arises, he can be there in an instant.
"Look! There's Ying—and someone else beside her!" Naruto shouted, pointing ahead.
"No need to panic."
Morkel deactivated the plane's shielding. The group dropped from the sky—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shadows landed heavily in the center of the crater.
The sinister man—Bai Lang—hid behind Ying and snarled at the intruders. "You're Konoha ninjas, aren't you? You're too late! Ying is already under my control, and with her secret technique, I'll destroy you all!"
He activated the embedded Nuhaten Core—an ancient Tsuchigumo secret weapon that, once charged with natural Chakra, could obliterate entire regions.
Half an hour had already passed since its last activation. The power was fully charged.
But just as Bai Lang raised his hand—
Whoosh!
A thick vine erupted from the earth and bound his wrists tightly. Chakra surged from the vine, sealing all his chakra points in an instant.
Bai Lang screamed. "What?! You didn't even move your hands! How—?!"
Morkel calmly stepped forward. "Do you know what Wood Style is?"
He lifted his foot, pulling another thick vine from the ground. Its other end was already wrapped around Bai Lang.
"I can turn any part of my body into wood—even the soles of my feet."
With a simple tug, the vines constricted—compressing Bai Lang's body into a bloody pulp.
Instant kill.
Morkel dusted off his hands. "Also, stop calling me that red-haired foodie. It's not accurate."
As Bai Lang died, the curse mark on Ying's body vanished.
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she collapsed into Morkel's arms.
"Thank you… If you hadn't shown up, I would've become that freak's plaything…"
Morkel blinked. "That's… a bit much."
"You can relax now," he said gently. "He was the ringleader. With him gone, you can return to your village."
"I won't go back!" Ying cried. "They betrayed me! They colluded with Bai Lang to capture me!"
"I see…" Morkel murmured.
Naruto clenched his fists. "Even if they're scared of your power, doing that is unforgivable!"
Ying lowered her head. "The villagers have suffered through war. They fear the power of the secret arts I inherited..."
Morkel watched her closely.
It reminded him of Naruto's childhood—shunned for being the Nine Tails' host.
But unlike Naruto, Ying had no one.
"Hmph. If the villagers reject you, it'll be hard to change that," Morkel muttered.
Just then, an old man hurried toward them.
It was Dunbei.
Bowing deeply, he said, "Thank you for saving the young lady."
"I sensed something was wrong when she wasn't in her room and rushed here."
Ying turned to him. "I'm not going back. The villagers betrayed me."
After hearing everything, Dunbei sighed. "Fear made them do it… The world is vast, yet there's no place for those like us."
Bubble crossed his arms. "Is there a way to remove the secret technique from her?"
Naruto nodded. "People's prejudice is stubborn, but without the secret technique, maybe they'll accept her."
But Ying shook her head. "No. It's my grandfather's legacy. I won't give it up."
Dunbei smiled gently. "Actually, your grandfather expected this. He told me how to undo it, just in case..."
Ying hesitated, torn.
Morkel watched in silence.
Removing the technique would make Ying's life easier—and prevent others from targeting her.
But it also meant losing a powerful jutsu forever.
Finally, he said, "Why not transfer the technique to me?"
Everyone looked at him in shock.
"But… you're not part of our clan," Ying said.
"I know the value of a clan's secret technique," Morkel said seriously. "That's why I'll offer something in return—protection."
He pulled out three Grell Stones from his scroll, each engraved with his unique Flying Thunder God mark.
"Use Chakra to activate these. I'll appear instantly to protect you—three times, no matter where you are."
After some thought, Ying nodded. "Alright. But on one condition—be my teacher!"
Morkel stared. "Huh?"
"I want to learn ninjutsu from you! You're famous across the ninja world!"
"Nope," Morkel said bluntly. "Naruto and I live fine together—I don't want to babysit."
The tension rose until Dunbei offered a compromise: "Can she go to Konoha to study?"
Morkel nodded. "That works. She can train there freely."
With that, the deal was made.
Using Dunbei's knowledge and Morkel's sealing skills, the Nuhaten Core was transferred to Morkel's right upper arm.
He inspected the device—strange and mysterious.
"So many secrets in the ninja world…" he muttered.
Meanwhile, Ying nearly fainted seeing him shirtless.
"No young girl can resist a tall, strong, handsome guy," Dunbei sighed.
That night, Morkel used Wood Style to build a hut outside the village. The next day, he took Ying and Dunbei to Konoha via Flying Thunder God.
—
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Who are these two?"
"They're from the Tsuchigumo clan. I brought them back," Morkel replied.
Tsunade facepalmed. "I told you to protect the secret technique, not bring it back as cargo!"
After a quick explanation, she grinned and gave him a sly wink: Good job, kid. You just scored a powerful technique for free.
Later, after settling Ying in the village, Tsunade looked serious.
"Have you tested the Nuhaten yet?"
"Not yet. I'll head out soon."
"Good. Don't do it near the village," she warned. "Go to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind."
Morkel nodded, a small smile forming.
A new power now rested in his arm—waiting to be awakened.
---