"I'm practicing! You interrupted me so abruptly. What if I went crazy?"
From inside the room, Morkel shouted in irritation. He had been deeply focused on studying sealing techniques and didn't bother opening the door.
"I did it! I finally mastered the Tailed Beast Bomb Rasengan! From now on, I'm a qualified Jinchūriki!"
Naruto's excited voice rang out from the hallway.
Morkel wasn't surprised in the least. In fact, he thought Naruto's progress had been a little slow.
"Wow, you're amazing! Well, go play now!"
Morkel replied perfunctorily, more to end the conversation than to praise him.
Outside the door, Naruto paused.
Morkel's half-hearted response was just another sign—he still had a sliver of friendship toward Naruto, but not much more.
Naruto was used to Morkel's dismissiveness by now. He didn't let it bother him and asked eagerly, "What have you been working on these days? Are you planning something big?"
Inside, Morkel admitted openly, "You saw the memory your mother shared last time, right? Your father used the Reaper Death Seal."
"That means... his soul is still in the Shinigami's belly," Naruto said slowly.
"Exactly," Morkel continued, "I've been thinking—what if there's a way to bring him back?"
Naruto asked with wide eyes, "Have you figured out a solution?"
Morkel smirked faintly. "I have... but it requires a life in exchange. Someone has to be sacrificed to take his place."
Naruto's face darkened. "That's... that's not okay. Can't we try something less deadly? Like offering fruit or something to the Shinigami?"
At that moment, the Shinigami deep in the underworld clutched his stomach, feeling a strange discomfort.
Despite his usual obliviousness, Naruto understood that Morkel was genuinely trying to save his father.
He bowed deeply in front of the closed door. "Thank you, Morkel!"
Inside, Morkel gave another half-hearted grunt of acknowledgment before going quiet again.
Naruto didn't say more and turned to leave.
Within the room, dozens of papers covered in sealing formulas were strewn across the floor before Morkel.
"These techniques involving gods and spirits are truly troublesome," he muttered. "Exchanging one life for another is easy enough... but how do I get the Shinigami to agree to such an unfair deal?"
His eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should head back to Konoha and look for some of the Fourth Hokage's relics. They might offer a clue."
---
Outside Konoha Village...
Kisame Hoshigaki crouched on a thick branch, Samehada strapped to his back. His shark-like face stretched into a cruel grin.
"The main force is gone. Konoha's defenses are wide open," he muttered gleefully. "Even if Madara-sama didn't order me, I would've come to take a look myself."
He licked his lips.
"A peaceful, naive village like this... doesn't deserve to exist."
With that, his figure blurred into motion as he darted toward Konoha at high speed.
---
Inside Konoha Village...
Uncle Ichiraku stood at his ramen stall, frowning as he watched the slow day unfold. With most of the village's ninja forces gone, business had slowed to a crawl.
But what truly worried him was the war.
He glanced over at his daughter, Ayame, who was diligently kneading noodles. "Ayame, I heard the daimyo of the Land of Earth was evacuated during the Fourth Great Ninja War. This conflict's just as serious. Can we really win?"
Ayame wiped the sweat off her brow and smiled to reassure him. "Don't worry, Dad. With Hokage-sama and Morkel on our side, we'll be fine! You're just overthinking."
Uncle Ichiraku still looked concerned. "But the village is practically unguarded right now. What if the enemy attacks?"
Just then, the Konohamaru trio strolled in.
"Don't worry, Uncle Ichiraku," Konohamaru said proudly. "I'm a ninja too!"
As he finished, a chilling voice interrupted from behind: "Really? Then I'd love to see how a brat like you protects Konoha."
Everyone turned as a shadow loomed.
Konohamaru froze. A massive, oddly shaped sword rested on his shoulder.
He gulped. "You..."
"You better not move," Kisame whispered darkly. "Samehada here is covered in barbs. One twitch and it'll shred you like cabbage."
Kisame was clearly enjoying himself, toying with the young ninja.
"I-I'm not afraid of you!" Konohamaru stammered, trying to stand tall. "I'm part of Konoha's Defense Force now!"
Kisame chuckled. "A ninja should know their limits. Now tell me—who's controlling that massive iron fortress outside the village? Take me to him."
"R-Right…"
Before he could finish, Konohamaru ducked, twisted, and formed a Rasengan in one hand, slamming it toward Kisame's gut.
But Kisame was ready. With lightning speed, he thrust Samehada forward.
To Konohamaru's horror, the Rasengan didn't explode—it was devoured!
Samehada's grotesque mouth opened and swallowed his chakra attack whole.
Then came the counter.
Bang!
Konohamaru crashed through a wall and landed hard, coughing up blood.
Kisame snorted. "Don't try tricks with me, kid. Next time, I'll slice your head clean off."
Then suddenly—
"Morkel?! You're supposed to be hiding! What are you doing in Konoha?!"
Kisame's eyes went wide with disbelief. Morkel had suddenly appeared next to the injured Konohamaru.
Morkel frowned, mimicking Kisame's usual grin. "If I hadn't come back, I wouldn't have known the Akatsuki were stooping to such low tactics. Attacking Konoha's civilians during wartime? That masked man really is cunning."
Kisame, realizing he couldn't match Morkel's strength in a fair fight, didn't waste time talking. He lunged forward, Samehada slashing down.
But Morkel didn't flinch.
As Kisame's sword neared, a crystalline shield of chakra formed on Morkel's arm. The blade slammed into it with a metallic clang.
Then—a high-pitched shriek tore through the air.
Morkel's eyes darted to the side. That sound... it was the unmistakable cry of a Wind Style: Spiral Shuriken!
"Everyone, get out of the way!" Konohamaru's voice rang out, breathless but fierce.
He had recovered just enough to launch his strongest attack.
Without hesitation, Konohamaru grabbed Udon and Uncle Ichiraku, then disappeared using Flying Thunder God Technique.
Kisame was left alone, blinking in confusion.
"What the—?!"
Too late.
The shrieking spiral shuriken exploded toward him.
BOOM!!!
Wind-style chakra surged outward, exploding in all directions.
The jutsu created hundreds of microscopic wind needles that tore into Kisame's body at the cellular level. The blast radius extended over fifty meters.
It was so powerful, it nearly hospitalized Konohamaru himself!
Fortunately, Morkel had reacted quickly and saved him just in time.
Seconds later, Morkel returned with the survivors to what remained of the Ichiraku Ramen shop.
The restaurant was gone—only a smoking crater remained.
At the center of the destruction lay Kisame, his body mangled, barely clinging to life.
"You little... bastard..." Kisame croaked, blood dribbling from his lips. "You played dirty... no honor..."
Cough! Cough!
His words were cut off by violent spasms of blood.
Indeed, the Wind Style: Spiral Shuriken that Morkel had once refined and passed down had long been classified by the village as an S-rank Forbidden Technique.
---