When it came to Lightning Release experts, Nagato's first thought was Zaraki Kita. Kita was an extraordinary lightning ninja—without exaggeration, she stood at the very pinnacle of Lightning Release mastery.
After a brief moment of distraction, Nagato refocused. He picked up the nearly lifeless clay scouting bird, examining it carefully.
"According to survivor reports, the attack came from underground. By the time we arrived, it was already over. A large number of bodies were buried beneath the shrine; it's likely that both the client and the target are among them. The incident happened suddenly. When we left, Mist Village hadn't reacted, and no one noticed us. In short, the mission failed."
Deidara was not suited for such tasks. After returning, he would dive into his workshop, obsessively researching how to defeat this unknown Lightning Release ninja. For now, only Nagato and two others remained in the reception hall, both using their original bodies rather than puppets, as was their usual practice.
"What do you think?" Nagato asked, probing the scouting bird, which no longer carried any lightning chakra. Only minor electronic traces remained in the clay, revealing nothing significant.
After a brief pause, colored with unusual emotion, he spoke casually,
"Strangely enough, the first person who came to mind… was Kita."
He said it plainly, locking eyes with the Rinnegan.
"To cause damage on this scale with Lightning Release… even the Fourth Raikage, at the peak of lightning mastery, couldn't do this. Forget whether he'd actually attempt it. Do you remember Kita's technique, Lightning Release: Twin Rising Dragons?"
Of course he remembered. When first confronted, that move had obliterated most of the area where Yamashōgyo Hanzo had been.
"But the shrine isn't small. Even Twin Rising Dragons… causing this extent of destruction would be extremely difficult."
Nagato nodded thoughtfully. "True. The building spans roughly 800 square meters, reinforced in multiple ways. Reducing it to rubble in a single strike… if using Earth Release, maybe, but Lightning Release? The only technique I can think of capable of this scale is Twin Rising Dragons."
Indeed, Twin Rising Dragons was the largest-range Lightning Release technique Nagato could recall. Comparable to a secret art, it couldn't simply be developed on a whim. Though not exclusive to Kita, only she had perfected it to a legendary level. But the question wasn't about a long-dead Kita. The issue now was identifying the formidable Lightning Release user responsible. Nagato's suspicion naturally gravitated toward Kita—but he was no fool.
"You mean…?"
"Edo Tensei."
The possibility existed.
"Reasonable, but Edo Tensei requires a substantial DNA sample. At her end, Kita used the Four Symbols Seal, leaving nothing behind—not even a corpse."
Nagato shook his head, rejecting the notion.
"No. Orochimaru has Kita's blood."
After a pause, he continued,
"Deidara spent his first New Year here. Kita received a gift from Orochimaru—a token of thanks for the blood he took. Theoretically, Orochimaru could perform Edo Tensei with her."
Yet…
"This Lightning Release ninja isn't necessarily Kita."
That was the crux of the problem.
"Moreover, Orochimaru has no reason to destroy a shrine in the Land of Water. Outside of making enemies, it serves no purpose."
Even Nagato acknowledged this. Reviving Kita to destroy a minor shrine would be pointless; anything outside experimental objectives never interested Orochimaru. Claiming this was an Edo Tensei Kita made no sense.
"This person… is strong."
After a long silence, he spoke lightly. Nagato nodded, acknowledging the assessment.
"For now, observe. Don't engage suspicious individuals rashly. Keep an eye on Deidara, and also Orochimaru. If he's involved, report to me immediately."
"Understood."
As he stood to leave, Nagato asked one more thing,
"Konan still refuses to see it?"
The torn will had been carefully reconstructed, word for word, yet remained unopened for years. Nagato smiled wryly, shaking his head.
"Konan decided long ago. I can't change that."
Unexpectedly, it wasn't just the will she rejected—it was speaking with Uchiha Obito as well.
A sigh echoed, indistinguishable from Nagato's or the room's. When silence returned, he was alone. Nagato picked up the clay scouting bird again; the faint electronic traces vanished completely. The bird was now a lifeless lump of clay.
I miss Kita a little… if she were alive, she'd find out who destroyed the shrine in no time.
…
After wreaking havoc on the Ōtsutsuki Shrine, it wasn't wise to storm the Land of Earth or the Land of Fire. Looking at her empty pill bottles, Kita knew it was time to return.
Otogakure wasn't a typical village; it was a scattered base spread across multiple locations. Orochimaru's lair contained only a few remaining minions besides necessary test subjects. Karin didn't run to greet her as usual, nor did Orochimaru remain in his lab tinkering with strange experiments. Following the sound, she found him in a subterranean training hall, guiding his prized pupil—none other than Kaguya Kimimaro, a boy from the Land of Water years ago.
Kita was not pleased with the pupil's training.
A thirteen-year-old girl in a pink yukata, her fiery hair matching Karin's, knelt clumsily on the ground before half-naked, curse-marked Kimimaro. Observers included Orochimaru, the "Five"—a mix of men and women—and a young test subject from the Land of Water, Hozuki Mizuki. Coincidentally, his brother Hozuki Mangetsu had died by Kita's hand.
"Garbage is garbage. Such trash deserves to die," said a red-haired girl, probably Dayuya, similar in age to Karin. The other three—a dual-headed boy, a six-armed boy, and a sturdily built boy—remained nameless to Kita.
"This is the difference from the strong. Trash lives like trash. What's a servant doing causing chaos?"
The dual-headed boy was equally unpleasant.
Orochimaru gave them a faint smile but chose not to comment.
Kita wouldn't take the children seriously, but she would teach them a lesson. Dayuya, the dual-headed boy, Kimimaro, the six-armed boy, and the sturdy boy were all made to kneel humiliatingly, like Karin had, suffering minor but meaningful injuries. None would die, but they would behave for a while.
Afterward, Kita lifted Karin, wiping away her tears, without even looking at Orochimaru.
"K-Karin… it's not… you're just my training partner."
Orochimaru laughed.
"Hehe… you really wronged me." Before she could question further, he waved her off.
"Fifty-three days… you really know how to time it. The pills?"
Kita handed over the empty bottle. Orochimaru looked at her with mock exasperation.
"I prepared extra just in case. Six should remain."
In later sessions, one pill was no longer sufficient. Kita thought but didn't speak, merely taking Karin's hand and declaring seriously to Orochimaru,
"K-Karin is mine."
A subtle warning: don't interfere with her plans. Orochimaru folded his arms, clearly bemused at her priorities.
Kita noticed Karin's slight sniffling, then downcast eyes.
"Kita… I asked Orochimaru-sensei to train me."
"W-Why?"
"I want to become a strong ninja, like you, Kita."
Ah, so I misjudged Orochimaru.
Kita gently rubbed the girl's hair, nodding.
"He… is too weak. He can't teach you. You… find Obito."
Orochimaru muttered under his breath,
"…Kita, you might as well be dead. I'm done dealing with you."
━━━━ ❖ ━━━
If you're enjoying the journey so far and want to read ahead, you can check out 50+ advance chapters on Patreon: Patreon.com/Crimson_Lore
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
Add to Library!