Upon reaching the Land of Waterfall, Ruri finally returned to his full state. The attack that had drained all his chakra had left him weakened for a full day and night, significantly slowing their travel speed.
"Come out." Ruri casually sent a Wind Style technique into the forest behind them, instantly severing a towering ancient tree. He hadn't aimed at the person because he sensed the follower wasn't strong, possessing extremely faint chakra.
"Sir..."
From behind the felled tree emerged a filthy child, wearing a tattered mask that covered his mouth completely. The boy exuded a strange, foul odor.
"A child?"
Kakuzu said in surprise. He admittedly had poor sensory abilities, but failing to detect a child no older than ten was just pathetic. It seemed he needed to train harder.
[Name: Hattori Masashige]
[Overall Strength: Genin]
[Talent: Kage]
[Chakra Nature Affinity: Fire]
[Special Ability: Salamander Toxin]
[Evaluation: A man (boy?) with a tragic past, firm resolve, and outstanding talent, fitting half a protagonist's template!]
Salamander Toxin? Ruri was puzzled. In the original story, the only one known for Salamander Toxin was the leader of Amegakure, the one called "Demigod," Hanzo of the Salamander. Who was this child?
And possessing Kage-level talent? That wasn't an aptitude you could just find anywhere!
Could this person be Hanzo? Ruri walked towards Masashige. With such outstanding talent, he had to recruit him for Takigakure, regardless of his identity.
However, he wasn't successful. For every step Ruri took forward, Masashige took two steps back.
"Kid, aren't you afraid of death?"
Kakuzu spoke up. This child was clearly following them for a reason, yet he wouldn't let Ruri approach. Was it some kind of reverse psychology for an assassination attempt?
He immediately dismissed the thought. Assassinating Ruri was like trying to assassinate Hashirama—virtually impossible. At best, someone might throw a shuriken from miles away. Their perception was sharp enough to handle any trouble long before an assassin got close.
"Don't... don't come near me. I'm poisonous..."
Masashige took another step back. His muffled, childish voice from behind the mask sounded as if he wasn't even opening his mouth fully.
Poisonous? Ruri recalled that Hanzo was said to wear a mask because even his breath was toxic. Judging by the age, Hattori Masashige was most likely Hanzo.
"It's fine. A little poison like that is useless against me."
Ruri took several steps forward, closing the distance to stand right in front of Masashige. The toxic powder of the Seven-Tails, while not as corrosive as the Six-Tails' acid, was still far superior to Salamander Toxin, giving Ruri a degree of resistance.
Ruri reached out and pulled off Masashige's mask. The skin on the lower half of his face was a stark contrast to the rest of his complexion, appearing smooth and unblemished.
"I'm poison—"
Masashige started to speak, then realized his mask was off and instinctively covered his mouth.
"You don't need to wear it around me."
Is he afraid I'll be poisoned? Ruri felt a pang of heartache looking at the boy. This child was only six or seven years old, yet he had to endure such suffering.
Masashige, seeing that Ruri showed no signs of poisoning, was confused for a moment. Then he took a deep, desperate breath. Being able to breathe so freely and without worry felt incredibly comforting!
"Now, can you tell me why you were following us?"
Ruri affectionately ruffled Masashige's messy hair, not minding in the least that it might dirty his hand.
"I... I want to become your disciple, Sir!"
Masashige immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed.
"You want to be my disciple? Are you from the Land of Iron?"
Although Masashige's clothes were ragged and covered in dust, they were clearly a samurai's attire.
Hearing this, Masashige bit his lip, seeming to make a decision. "Yes... but not anymore."
"Alright then. I'll take you as my disciple."
Seeing Masashige's reluctance to speak about his past, Ruri didn't press him. He wasn't worried about what trouble a child could cause. This was a genius with Kage-level talent; the priority was to bring him home.
It worked? Just like that? Masashige thought as he kowtowed. He had chased them all the way from the Land of Iron, expecting a long-term effort. How could a powerful figure who performed divine signs so easily accept a disciple of unknown origin? He had been prepared to be persistent, but it was this easy?
Looking at Masashige's expression, Ruri thought, If you didn't have this kind of talent, I wouldn't have accepted you so easily! The system said cultivating talent for the village would give rewards!
Of course, Ruri wouldn't say "I have a system" in front of Masashige.
"I see something different in your eyes, something ordinary people don't have. I can tell you are a person with strong conviction. Therefore, you are now my disciple."
Ruri casually spouted some nonsense as he helped Masashige to his feet. Conviction? What nonsense. Such lines were just for fooling children.
"Sir..."
It all felt like a dream. Masashige could hardly believe it.
"Call me Sensei. First, we'll go to the capital of the Land of Waterfall to get you cleaned up, then we'll return to Takigakure."
Ruri smiled. Recruiting a Kage-level genius so easily—it felt great to have a reputation.
Masashige remained rooted to the spot, looking at the mask in Ruri's hand. "That... Sensei..." he whispered.
Ruri paused. How could I forget? He was immune to the Salamander Toxin, but others weren't. Even Kakuzu would be affected.
"Wear this mask for now. Once we're back in the village, I'll definitely find a way to solve your toxin problem."
The Salamander Toxin wasn't an incurable poison. something like an Evil Sealing Method should be able to handle it. While the toxin gave Hanzo a significant advantage in battle, it also prevented him from breathing fresh air normally.
Moreover, Masashige already possessed Kage-level talent. Even without the Salamander Toxin, his achievements wouldn't be low. Ruri didn't want his first disciple to have to wear a mask for his entire life. Kakashi and Kakuzu wore masks by choice; Hanzo did not.
"Big Brother, you'd actually take a brat like this as your disciple?"
Kakuzu, lacking a system, couldn't see Masashige's talent. He just found the kid utterly unremarkable, his only notable feature—besides sharing his own preference for masks—perhaps being his kindness.
Yes, kindness. In the shinobi world, just a few years out of the Warring States Period, it seemed somewhat unusual.
Kakuzu could tell that this child, because of his inherent toxin, avoided contact with others. Even when he wanted to become Ruri's disciple, he kept backing away, afraid of getting too close and poisoning him.
The Land of Iron was coastal, with plenty of streams and rivers. Even someone living on the streets wouldn't let themselves reek with such a strange stench. This smell was clearly deliberate, a way to keep people at a distance. A crude mask couldn't guarantee the toxin wouldn't leak; only by maintaining distance could he prevent others from being poisoned.
"Perhaps he has talent no less than yours?"
Ruri teased.
Kakuzu dismissed this with disdain. His own talent was considerably less than Ruri's, but it was still excellent. This brat was just a destitute beggar from the Land of Iron. Did wearing a similar mask mean he had similar talent?
"Let's go. We'll head to the capital to buy some supplies and also meet with Linglong."
Ruri pulled Masashige, who was trailing behind, to walk beside him. A disciple wasn't a subordinate; he preferred this feeling of walking side-by-side.
"Meet that woman..."
Kakuzu shuddered, as if recalling something terrifying.