Naruto: Fire-Release system

Chapter 103: The Naivety of the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki

Takigakure, the Hidden Village of Waterfalls, is nestled behind cascading waters, shrouded in secrecy.

Back during the era of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, Takigakure managed to secure a share of the tailed beasts—though only a fraction compared to the Great Nations. This indicated the village had some influence and strength at the time.

However, that ambition led them to send Kakuzu to assassinate Hashirama—a mission that resulted in bitter failure. Though Kakuzu managed to survive a grueling battle with Hashirama, he returned gravely injured.

The Takigakure leadership, disillusioned and paranoid, latched onto a rumor that Kakuzu hadn't even faced the real Hashirama, but only a wood clone—and that he'd been bested from hundreds of meters away. This led them to accuse Kakuzu of incompetence and imprison him.

Feeling betrayed, Kakuzu rebelled. He escaped prison, stole Takigakure's Earth Grudge Fear forbidden jutsu, and slaughtered the village elders who wronged him. He then defected, leaving a massive gap in the village's leadership and causing a power vacuum that would persist for generations.

Over time, Takigakure's strength dwindled. Hidden away from the wider world, the village gradually fell off the radar, struggling to even rank among minor villages.

That was until Fū, the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, matured and became skilled at harnessing her tailed beast's power. Takigakure saw her as their ticket back to prominence in the shinobi world.

But Fū's involvement in the outside world proved disastrous. During the infamous attack that destroyed Konoha years ago, she witnessed the overwhelming terror of a single enemy obliterating the village. The trauma left her deeply scarred, instilling a lasting fear of the outside world. Since then, Fū had become reclusive, rarely leaving the safety of the village.

Takigakure's elders were growing desperate. Their hope of regaining strength seemed more unattainable than ever.

---

"Fū, you're thinking about that day again, aren't you?"

Shibuki, one of Takigakure's prominent shinobi, had found Fū sitting atop a rooftop, knees hugged to her chest as she stared into the distance.

"I'm sorry," Fū murmured, her voice tinged with guilt. "I didn't mean to worry you, Shibuki."

"You don't have to apologize," Shibuki said kindly. "I don't know what you saw back then, but I know you'll overcome it. I believe in you, Fū!"

"Thank you…" Fū forced a faint smile, though her lingering sadness was evident.

Before Shibuki could continue his encouragement, alarms blared throughout the village, signaling an intruder. Shibuki's expression hardened.

"Stay here, Fū. I'll handle this!" he said, sprinting off toward the commotion.

---

Moments after Shibuki left, a masked man materialized in front of Fū.

"Who are you?" Fū asked warily, instantly recognizing that this was no ally.

"Has Takigakure's isolation made its people so foolish?" Obito sneered. "I'm an intruder, obviously."

Fū tensed but didn't attack immediately. "If that's the case, then I won't hold back!"

"Secret Technique: Scale Powder Jutsu!"

Fū unleashed a cloud of shimmering powder, aiming to paralyze and blind Obito. The powder filled the air, seemingly engulfing him.

"I did it!" Fū exclaimed, seeing her attack land. She cautiously approached the immobilized figure, intending to interrogate him.

But as she neared, Obito sprang into action. His body, unaffected by the jutsu thanks to his Kamui intangibility, phased through the attack. Before Fū could react, he slammed a sealing tag onto her, severing her connection to the Seven-Tails and suppressing her chakra.

"What…? How…?" Fū gasped, her body frozen in shock and fear.

"Honestly, this could've been much easier if you hadn't tried to resist," Obito said, his tone mocking. "But it's over now."

He grabbed Fū and teleported her into his Kamui dimension. Her attempts to resist were futile.

Obito glanced around briefly before disappearing.

---

When Shibuki returned to the rooftop, Fū was gone. At first, he thought she might've fled, but the remnants of her jutsu told a different story. It was clear she had faced an enemy—and lost.

His heart sank. The invader's objective was Fū, or more specifically, the Seven-Tails.

Furious and guilt-ridden, Shibuki clenched his fists so tightly that blood seeped from his palms. He couldn't forgive himself for leaving her alone.

---

Meanwhile, Obito completed his mission and reflected on the progress of the Akatsuki's plan.

With the Seven-Tails secured, only the One-Tail, Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Six-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails remained.

The Two-Tails was currently being targeted by Hidan and Kakuzu in Kumogakure. The Three-Tails, unsealed and wandering the wilds, was already being tracked. The Six-Tails' location was unknown for now, but Obito was confident Zetsu would locate it soon.

The final two beasts—Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails—presented the greatest challenges.

The Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, was a perfect host and an incredibly skilled fighter. Defeating him would require brute strength, something Obito knew he alone might not be capable of.

As for the Nine-Tails, its Jinchūriki was under constant surveillance by Jiraiya and had ties to the powerful toads of Mount Myōboku. Any move against him would risk provoking not just Konoha but also the toad sages.

For now, Obito decided to delay action against the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, instead focusing on consolidating their captured beasts.

---

Shibuki, devastated by Fū's abduction, wasted no time. He informed Takigakure's elders and quickly assembled a small team to travel to Konoha.

Their only hope of recovering Fū lay in seeking aid from the Hidden Leaf Village.

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