"Huh?"
Shigure blinked, momentarily stunned.
Did the Great Sage just imply that integrating Shikotsumyaku would change his entire appearance?
If that were the case, he'd have refused immediately.
He wanted power, not a complete transformation into someone unrecognizable.
Great Sage: "The integration of Shikotsumyaku will accelerate the host's physical growth and development. It is not a form of cosmetic alteration."
"Oh… so it's more like a growth enhancement," Shigure muttered, relaxing slightly.
A Kekkei Genkai that reshaped the body was one thing — but turning into a different person entirely? That, he wouldn't tolerate.
Still, if this "growth" merely meant strengthening his frame, bones, and chakra pathways, then it was perfectly acceptable.
"Alright then. Begin integration — but only partially for now. I don't want my body changing too drastically all at once."
Great Sage: "Understood. Recommended integration schedule: seven days.
Stage one —30% integration over three days.
Stage two —30% integration over two days.
Stage three —40% integration over the remaining two days."
Shigure nodded. "So the full integration will be completed in seven days… That's manageable."
Gradual change was preferable. Sudden physical transformation would draw too much attention.
Besides, he was still in a period of natural growth — a little extra height or muscle gain could easily be explained away.
Great Sage: "Shall we begin the first stage of integration?"
"No time like the present," Shigure said, exhaling slowly.
"Begin."
The moment he gave the command, a wave of warmth spread through his body.
It wasn't painful — rather, it was strangely comforting, like a deep current flowing through his veins and bones.
Soon, an odd sensation began to ripple across his skeleton.
He could feel every bone in his body — the structure, density, even the marrow — as if something inside him was being reforged.
It was both alien and oddly natural.
Unbeknownst to him, as the process continued, subtle changes began to manifest externally.
A faint silvery-gray tint began to appear in his black hair — barely noticeable at first, but spreading gradually.
His bones strengthened, his frame lengthened ever so slightly, and the chakra network within him pulsed with renewed vitality.
While Shigure underwent this silent transformation, far from his resting spot, Haku found himself in an increasingly awkward situation.
"Lord Jōnin of Konoha, please stop following me!" Haku called out, his tone strained but still polite.
Kakashi Hatake, his single visible eye calm as ever, replied without slowing his pace.
"You walk your path, and I'll walk mine."
"But you're clearly following me," Haku insisted.
Kakashi gave a faint shrug.
"He doesn't want to see me — but I want to see him. If I happen to take the same route as you, that's coincidence… not pursuit."
Haku's brow twitched. No amount of persuasion seemed to work with this man.
He sighed helplessly.
In the end, Kakashi's reasoning was… infuriatingly sound.
The jōnin from Konoha was here to meet Lord Shigure.
Haku wasn't sure how this would go. Shigure had made it clear earlier—he didn't want to see anyone. If this man insisted, there was no telling how his lord would react.
When Kakashi finally arrived, Haku immediately realized this was the very person Lord Shigure had avoided.
Kakashi Hatake.
So this was the man who had once been Shigure's teacher—his jōnin instructor back in Konoha. No wonder Shigure hadn't wanted to meet him.
"I didn't expect Shigure to let you return to the Hidden Mist," Kakashi said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Haku had been about to speak but paused at his words, then smiled faintly. "Yes. If it weren't for Lord Shigure, Lord Zabuza's dream might never have come true."
Haku knew well—Zabuza no longer saw him as a tool, but as family.
And Zabuza's greatest regret had always been his inability to change the Mist Village from within.
When he heard Shigure's name again, Zabuza's joy had been unmistakable.
That was why Haku had persuaded him to return.
Of course, Zabuza wasn't in the Hidden Mist right now—returning as a missing-nin wasn't something one could simply do. He had to accomplish something significant first.
And Shigure had already arranged everything: Zabuza would retrieve the Three-Tails, and after that, he could safely return.
At the very least, the death sentence would be dismissed. At most, he'd face minor punishment—perhaps even something that Shigure could turn into a disguised reward.
With Shigure's influence, everything could be negotiated.
As Haku pondered this, they arrived at Shigure's resting place. He hesitated, wondering whether to continue forward.
But before he could decide, a familiar voice called out.
"So you really followed me, Kakashi-sensei."
Shigure appeared from the trees, his tone calm but sharp. His presence carried quiet authority.
"Haku, go tend to Chōjūrō. He's still unconscious."
Haku bowed. It seemed Lord Shigure wasn't angry after all—thankfully. If he had been, Zabuza's plans might've failed before they began.
After Haku departed, Kakashi gestured for Shigure to walk with him.
Shigure hesitated, then nodded.
The two walked in silence through the forest, sunlight filtering through the leaves above.
Kakashi was the first to speak. "How has life been in the Hidden Mist?"
Shigure replied without hesitation, "I'm the Six-Tails' Jinchūriki now."
Kakashi stopped in his tracks, stunned.
"You… what?"
Had the Hidden Mist already turned him into a Jinchūriki? He'd barely arrived there!
His expression hardened, his visible eye narrowing behind the mask.
Shigure noticed the change and quickly added, "Don't misunderstand. The Mist didn't force me into it. I caught the Six-Tails myself. Becoming a Jinchūriki was my own choice."
Kakashi stared at him in disbelief. "Why?"
"I wanted to understand the power of a Tailed Beast," Shigure answered plainly.
Kakashi sighed inwardly. That does sound like him.
It was such a Shigure thing to do—take control of something everyone else feared just to test his own limits.
But this also meant there was no going back. As a Jinchūriki of another village, his return to Konoha was impossible.
Kakashi had a thousand things he wanted to say, but none of them would change that fact.
"Even if things can't be undone," Kakashi said softly, "I still want you to know—we never meant to abandon you. It wasn't—"
"I know," Shigure interrupted. His tone was cold but steady.
"It was Danzō, wasn't it?"
Kakashi's visible eye widened. "You… know about him?"
"Of course," Shigure said with a faint smirk.
"He was the one who pulled the strings. But the higher-ups made their choice too. It doesn't matter anymore. I can live in any village."
He looked up at the sky.
"In the Hidden Mist, I'm actually freer than I ever was in Konoha."
Kakashi clenched his fist. His expression twisted—not in anger at Shigure, but at the reality behind his words.
Shigure smiled lightly, seeing that look.
"I'm doing well here, Kakashi-sensei. Maybe next time we meet, I'll give you a surprise."
Kakashi tilted his head. "A surprise?"
Shigure's tone softened slightly.
"Goodbye, Kakashi-sensei. And… I'm sorry. I let Sasuke go on purpose."
Kakashi's breath caught. "What?"
"That was his choice," Shigure said simply.
"I won't stop him."
Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.
Shigure waved his hand dismissively.
"Goodbye, Kakashi-sensei."
With that, he turned and walked away. His back seemed broader now—steadier, more mature.
Kakashi stood there for a long time, watching him disappear into the mist.
"…He's grown taller," Kakashi murmured.
He thought back to his team—Team 7.
Now, they were all gone.
Shigure had gone to the Hidden Mist.
Sasuke had gone to Orochimaru.
And Naruto had been taken away by Jiraiya.
The Three New Legends of Konoha—once the village's rising stars—had splintered apart before they even reached their prime.
It had happened faster than Kakashi could have imagined.
In just a few days, Shigure had become a Jinchūriki. His power had already climbed to an entirely new level.
And Sasuke—under Orochimaru's tutelage—would only grow stronger as well.
Kakashi didn't know how powerful Shigure would be the next time they met.
But one thing he knew for certain—
Danzō… letting Shigure go will be the greatest mistake you ever made.
Kakashi sighed, the wind whispering through the trees.
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)