Seeing Yuto's figure, Haku was first startled, then hurriedly let out a respectful exclamation.
"Lord Yuto!"
Yugito was also momentarily stunned, but unlike Haku, her body tensed up reflexively. However, upon noticing her own nervous state—
Yugito couldn't help but feel a trace of self-mockery, and quickly relaxed again.
"Haku, your strength has improved a bit more. It seems you've been training in secret."
Yuto walked into the training ground and said to Haku with a light smile.
Haku quickly bowed, a slightly embarrassed expression appearing on his face.
"Everyone is working hard to grow stronger. Haku must not fall too far behind."
Yuto raised an eyebrow. The old Haku would never have said something like that about striving to become stronger.
Even though Haku was the first to grasp Sage Mode during their training, Yuto knew very well that Haku's desire for battle was never particularly strong.
Perhaps it was precisely this pure nature that allowed Haku to comprehend Sage Mode first.
After all, from the very beginning, Haku had followed Momochi Zabuza, a ninja of slaughter. Under those circumstances, even Zabuza hadn't been able to change Haku's kind nature.
It seemed that such things truly were tied to one's innate disposition.
Looking at Haku bowing before him with that gentle expression—this was the boy described as being like "snow."
"Since you have your own thoughts on the matter, that's all the better."
Yuto smiled and reached out to ruffle Haku's hair.
Haku's face flushed slightly. Watching this scene, Yugito couldn't help but twitch the corner of her eye.
She had to admit, even knowing full well that Haku was a boy, Yugito still couldn't help but feel he was adorable.
"Lord Yuto, Haku will take his leave first."
With those words, Haku spoke respectfully, then turned to Yugito beside him and said:
"Lady Yugito, I hope we can have another match next time."
After speaking, Haku bowed once more to Yuto and left the training ground.
With Haku's departure, the atmosphere in the entire training ground suddenly grew quiet.
"In a place like Kirigakure, Lady Yugito, you still train so earnestly. That's truly admirable."
Yuto's face carried a smile as he offered a genuine compliment.
With Yuto breaking the silence, Yugito felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
"What else can I do when my freedom is restricted?"
"Besides, what exactly is your purpose in bringing me here?"
Yugito raised her head and met Yuto's gaze directly.
After arriving in Kirigakure, Yugito had actually prepared herself for the worst—that the people of Kirigakure would strip the Tailed Beast from her.
But instead, Yuto had simply handed her and Fu over to a Jinchuriki named Utakata for safekeeping.
Moreover, up until now, aside from Utakata, Haku, and the occasional appearance of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, she hadn't seen a single other Kirigakure ninja.
It was as if Kirigakure had forgotten about them entirely!
They were Jinchuriki!
And as long as they didn't leave a designated area, even Utakata, who was supposed to be watching her, couldn't be bothered to pay her any attention.
This left Yugito, who had braced herself for the worst, with a strange feeling of having strength but nowhere to use it.
"I believe I said from the very beginning that I brought you to Kirigakure simply because I didn't want Uchiha Madara to take the Tailed Beast."
Hearing Yugito's words, Yuto shrugged helplessly.
Yugito didn't seem entirely satisfied with this answer. After a brief silence, she spoke bluntly.
"Isn't your goal the Tailed Beast as well?"
"Oh?" Yuto raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his expression as he looked at Yugito.
"After the four great ninja villages attacked Konoha, Kumogakure began taking notice. After all, a ninja of such immense power appeared on the battlefield, yet left after merely fighting once."
"No matter how you look at it, that doesn't make sense. At the time, our Kumogakure didn't yet know that this powerful ninja was actually you!"
Yugito paused briefly here, then continued under Yuto's steady gaze.
"The reason we noticed was because that guy Killer Bee is different from ordinary Jinchuriki. Even though you were very discreet, when you extracted the Tailed Beast's Chakra, Killer Bee still sensed it."
"So?"
Yuto showed not the slightest hint of displeasure at having his intentions laid bare. He remained completely calm, as though he didn't care at all.
So?
Yugito couldn't help but freeze for a moment, but she quickly realized something, a flash of sorrow crossing her eyes.
Even if they had noticed, what difference did it make now? If Yugito's guess was right, Yuto had already gathered at least seven types of Tailed Beast Chakra.
Perhaps allying with Konoha back then wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all.
But now, it was already too late to be thinking about such things.
"In the past, the Shinobi World was led by the five great ninja villages, while the many smaller villages didn't even have the right to step onto the stage. And it's the same now."
"Except now it's the five great villages that have replaced the smaller ones, and you still haven't realized this at all."
Yuto's expression was calm, his tone carrying a trace of detachment and coldness.
Yugito's expression shifted slightly. She naturally understood what Yuto meant.
Kumogakure had already lost its right to stand on the stage!
Faced with such contempt, Yugito wanted to argue back, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Seeing Yugito fall silent, Yuto looked thoroughly uninterested. He stepped past her and walked toward the exit of the training ground.
However, before Yuto had gone far, he seemed to remember something and turned back to look at Yugito.
"Didn't you want to know the purpose behind my collecting the Tailed Beasts?"
With that, Yuto turned back around and continued walking toward the exit.
Yugito's spirit jolted. She was about to step forward and follow him, but her feet suddenly stopped.
Because in that instant of taking a step, Yugito suddenly realized that if she followed him, today might very well be her last day alive.
The purpose behind collecting the Tailed Beasts—whether for an individual or a ninja village—was an absolutely monumental secret.
And such a secret, the moment it was so easily revealed to her, also meant her death.
Yugito's hands couldn't help but clench into fists, and her tall frame began to tremble slightly.
The First Mizukage Yuto hadn't said anything extra just now, but Yugito could feel a sense of contempt radiating from his back!
Not just contempt for her, but contempt for all of Kumogakure!
Yugito wasn't afraid of death. She just couldn't accept it—couldn't accept knowing such a secret and then dying so effortlessly.
Yugito watched the figure gradually disappearing beyond the training ground, forcibly suppressing the urge to chase after him.
It took a full moment before she managed to calm herself down again.
Only then did Yugito realize that her back was already soaked through with sweat.
What a terrifying man.
Yugito's eyes flickered slightly. That direction—was it where Yuto's so-called secret lay?
Though she had her suspicions, she had absolutely no desire to go investigate right now.
Now was not the time!
On the other side.
Stepping out of the training ground, Yuto noticed that Yugito hadn't followed. He wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Yugito was definitely a clever woman, and the choices of clever people were rarely hard to predict.
If the training ground where Yugito had been was already considered a relatively remote area within Kirigakure—
Then Yuto had now arrived at the very edge of the village.
As he approached, a barrier roughly the size of half a basketball court materialized before his eyes.
Around the perimeter of this barrier, a Jonin squad was standing guard.
This Jonin squad naturally noticed Yuto's arrival, and every one of them wore expressions of delighted surprise.
The squad's Jonin leader instantly appeared at Yuto's side, his tone somewhat nervous as he spoke.
"Greetings, Lord Yuto."
"No need to be so tense. I appreciate your hard work during this time."
Yuto waved his hand casually, speaking in a relaxed tone.
Faced with Yuto's gratitude, the Jonin leader grew even more nervous, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
"Moving forward, I'm afraid I'll still need you to keep watching over the barrier. In a while, Anbu ninja should come to relieve you."
Yuto patted the Jonin leader's shoulder, looking somewhat apologetic as he spoke.
"Yes, Lord Yuto!"
The Jonin leader quickly shook his head and spoke with an expression of utmost respect
[
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