Freelancer in the Ninja World

"Musen, go handle the remaining rioters and help maintain order in the village," Tousen said calmly, raising a hand to pat his nephew on the shoulder.

"No problem, Ojisan!" Musen nodded, eyes shining with admiration. "But first, tell me—aren't you actually no ordinary Genin, but a bona fide Kage-level ninja?"

"You little punk! That's not important! Go on, get to work!" Tousen scolded in annoyance, giving his nephew a flick on the head. Then, turning on his heel, he went off to assist the village's police force in subduing the remaining rioters.

In fact, Tousen and Musen were no ordinary members of the Uzumaki clan. They were direct descendants of Uzumaki Ashina, head of the Uzumaki.

Years ago, the Uzumaki clan's powerful sealing arts and special constitution brought about catastrophe for them.

The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, its people scattered and displaced. Many were captured by major powers and subjected to cruel experiments. Even Kusagakure's Karin and her mother were not spared, treated like living "pills."

Having personally experienced all of this, Tousen deeply understood that "those who shine too brightly often become targets." To protect what remained of his clan, he chose to hide his true power.

For decades, he used only basic ninjutsu, concealing his real strength so thoroughly that no one ever suspected. Under his leadership, the Uzumaki struggled to survive in the ninja world, gradually gathering more and more survivors.

Then Amegakure appeared, changing everything. Here, they received an unprecedented level of acceptance and respect.

With Nagato, Senshi, and Karin—three powerful clan members—settling in Amegakure, the Uzumaki finally saw hope for rebuilding. New children of the Uzumaki clan were born, the clan's numbers gradually recovered, and Tousen became certain that Amegakure was the Uzumaki's second home.

Because of this, when Amegakure faced a huge crisis, Tousen resolutely stepped forward without further concealment, leading his clan in a full-force response. Even if that meant the Uzumaki's sealing techniques and secrets would once again be exposed to the world, he was willing to bear it.

"From what we saw in Tousen-ojisan's display just now, he's definitely been hiding a lot of strength. He might really be a Kage-level ninja," Lanyu said calmly from the side, analyzing the situation. "Actually, considering the tragic history of our Uzumaki clan, it's not hard to imagine why he's doing this."

Musen scratched his head in confusion. "It's really not hard to imagine his reasons? Then why can't I figure it out at all? Lanyu, are you messing with me?"

At that, Lanyu and Lanwu exchanged a look of mutual understanding, each revealing a helpless expression. Musen, for all his bluster, seemed to have no self-awareness regarding his own intelligence or what he knew.

As a member of the Uzumaki clan—Tousen-ojisan's own nephew, at that—he scarcely knew anything about the clan's origins or its tragic past. How could he possibly understand Tousen's careful intentions?

Lanyu didn't tease him further. Instead, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Now's not the time to discuss this. The village still hasn't fully settled. We need to work with Tousen-ojisan and the rest of our clan to stabilize things first."

Musen and Lanwu nodded. The three of them quickly separated and joined the security teams. This crisis that had struck Amegakure was far larger than anyone had anticipated. Without the academy students stepping up, and without the refugees led by the Uzumaki working together to maintain order, the turmoil in the village might have dragged on for far longer.

With more students from the academy, Uzumaki ninja, and other ninjas from the refugee shelter joining the security forces, order gradually returned to every corner of the village. The rioters were one by one arrested and taken to Amegakure's prison. The regions of unrest steadily shrank until, at last, all outbreaks were completely quelled.

Although the village was left scarred and devastated—a sight that filled people with both sorrow and outrage—those who survived felt deep gratitude toward the academy students, the Uzumaki clan ninjas, and everyone else who had stood up during the violence. The end of these riots was a result of everyone's joint efforts.

…

A few hours earlier, the moment Konan set foot in the village, ninjas from the Anbu and the police department immediately surrounded her to report.

"Angel-sama, the riots within the village have been quelled with help from the ninja academy students and the refugee-shelter ninjas led by the Uzumaki."

"We've arrested more than two hundred suspects in these disturbances."

"Among them are mercenaries harboring evil intentions, possible spies from other nations, and a few villagers who acted out of greed or were egged on by someone else. Our police department is stepping up interrogations, aiming to expose any higher-level masterminds."

Konan, anxiously concerned, had no time to worry about the details. Her biggest fear was for Nagato's safety. Immediately, she ordered the surrounding ANBU and police ninjas, "Keep working with the academy students and the refugee ninjas led by the Uzumaki. Intensify the search for any remaining rioters! Also, encourage villagers to report any suspicious individuals. We must bring every single person involved in these disturbances to justice—no exceptions! They will be punished to the fullest!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the ANBU and police replied in unison, then scattered at once to carry out her orders.

Konan raced through the streets of Amegakure like a gust of wind, heading straight for the high tower in the village center. When she rushed into Nagato's office and saw him collapsed on the floor, her heart clenched. She hurried forward and knelt to examine his condition.

"Nagato! Are you alright? What exactly happened?"

But Nagato did not respond to her calls. His face was ashen, breathing faint, clearly in a deep coma. Utter exhaustion and the agony of losing the Rinnegan had forced him into unconsciousness.

Konan's heart was in anguish. Yet as she checked him more carefully, she let out a breath of relief: though his Rinnegan had been taken, his life was not in danger. He was merely too weak and had slipped into a coma. After a thorough check, Konan felt slightly calmer.

Right then, in a spot not far away, a swirling dark-red portal suddenly opened. Moments later, Senshi and Karin emerged from it, landing steadily. As soon as Senshi returned to Amegakure, he received Konan's urgent news and hurried back with no delay, bringing Karin with him. His gaze swept the surroundings. He saw Nagato unconscious on the ground, eyebrows knitting in concern, then quickly surveyed the devastation. Parts of the village were ablaze, the air thick with the stench of burning.

"Sis Konan, what on earth happened here in the village?"

Konan shook her head, looking weary and helpless. "I'm not entirely sure of the details. All I know is that Nagato was attacked and…his Rinnegan was taken."

"They took his Rinnegan?" Senshi's pupils shrank in shock. He knew Nagato's strength had grown extraordinary after receiving the super-soldier serum; unless he was in dire shape with no defenses, ordinary ninja couldn't threaten him at all.

Konan nodded, her face full of self-blame and pain. "A mysterious force has been targeting the village nonstop recently. One crisis after another has utterly worn Nagato out—he's been working nonstop with hardly any rest. Maybe his exhaustion gave the enemy a chance."

Senshi pondered a moment, then turned to Karin. "Karin, go check on Nagato and use your medical ninjutsu to heal him."

"Got it!" Karin answered obediently, hurrying over to Nagato. She formed hand seals quickly, fingertips glowing with green chakra. Concentrating intently, she examined Nagato. A short while later, she looked up at Senshi and Konan. "Senshi, Konan-nee—Leader isn't in mortal danger. His chakra is almost completely depleted, and losing the Rinnegan put tremendous strain on his body and spirit, so he's fallen into a deep coma. I'll treat him, then have him rest for a while, and he should wake up."

Senshi nodded slightly, sounding relieved. "Thank you, Karin. I'll leave Nagato's recovery to you."

Karin gave a resolute nod, determination shining in her eyes. "Don't worry! I'll make sure Leader recovers as soon as possible."

As Karin treated Nagato, she was also consumed with anger. Nagato was one of her most important future clients, issuing numerous tasks for her. For someone to dare attack him was simply unforgivable. She silently tallied the account, telling herself she would seek revenge on whoever had dared to go so far.

At the same time, Senshi moved next to Konan and spoke softly to comfort her. "Sis Konan, this wasn't all your fault. No one ever expected something like this. And even if Nagato wasn't in prime condition, he's no easy target for ordinary ninja. This must have been a freak occurrence—an extremely unlikely event we never considered. I'll figure out a way to get his Rinnegan back. As for the village, we're strong enough to handle any fallout. Don't beat yourself up too much. Right now, the priority is to stabilize the situation and restore order."

Konan lifted her gaze, gratitude flickering in her eyes. "Thank you, Senshi. With you here, I feel a bit better."

…

Meanwhile, in the massive space beneath the Mountain Graveyard, Obito stood silently, eyes full of icy light.

After spending some time getting used to his new condition, he now had complete control over it. Time waited for no one, and the plan had to move forward swiftly. He fixed his eyes on the towering Gedo Statue in the distance, pondering in silence: "Next, I need to start capturing the remaining Tailed Beasts. But which one should I go after first?"

So far, the Three-Tails was sealed inside the Gedo Statue. If he captured the other eight Tailed Beasts, reviving the Ten-Tails would be within reach.

Obito narrowed his eyes, swiftly evaluating the combat potential of each Tailed Beast's Jinchuriki. Those able to fully transform into their Tailed Beast were powerful, making them troublesome to take on, so he decided to save them for last. By process of elimination, those who couldn't fully transform would be his first targets.

"The One-Tails and Nine-Tails Jinchuriki currently can't fully transform, so they're relatively weaker—especially the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. From our previous fight, his strength was nothing special."

But after a moment, he frowned. "That guy can perform some strange ritual with Uchiha Sasuke—a bizarre fusion ninjutsu that allows him to wield the Rinnegan. His strength rises dramatically in that state. So I'll put the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki off until the end."

After weighing the pros and cons, Obito decided at once: "Start with the One-Tails Jinchuriki. Gaara of the Hidden Sand isn't a threat to me." With that, he wasted no time, vanishing in a flash.

…

The Land of Wind—Sunagakure.

Under the blazing sun and swirling sand, the Hidden Sand Village lay amidst the desert's relentless heat. Ever since co-hosting the Chunin Exams with Konoha, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had taken on yet another burden: using his Magnet Release Gold Dust to pan for gold in the desert.

"This is absolutely rotten luck!" Rasa muttered, controlling his gold dust as it moved through the desert. He recalled everything that happened during the Chunin Exams, his heart filled with frustration.

That exam was supposed to be his grand comeback, yet it all went wrong, and the village ended up with nothing, hemorrhaging funds in the process.

The Wind Daimyō was short-sighted to the extreme, forever cutting Sunagakure's budget. The officials around him were just as petty, only encouraging that idiocy and devising new ways to slash the village's funding.

Some time ago, Rasa had gritted his teeth and decided to co-host the Chunin Exams with Konoha, hoping to rely on his son Gaara's power to bring honor to the village.

But Suna kept hitting streaks of bad luck throughout the exams.

First, his precious son Gaara and Shukaku were pummeled by Senshi's assistant, Karin Uzumaki. Rasa had to pay a fortune and bribe Senshi behind the scenes, forcing Karin to "hold back" in the later matches, all to preserve Gaara's reputation.

He'd thought that arrangement would guarantee Gaara's eventual victory, yet Gaara ended up facing Konoha's Jinchuriki before the finals concluded and didn't make it to the end.

So all of the money Rasa invested in co-hosting the exams—and the large sum he paid Senshi to make Karin throw the match—went down the drain. If not for the Five Kage Summit held at Konoha, which allowed Suna to bring back the Eternal Chakra Elixir, the village would have truly gained nothing at all.

But precisely because of the Eternal Chakra Elixir, Rasa now saw a new path to prosperity.

Sunagakure was known for longevity among its population, with many older ninjas like Lady Chiyo and Ebizō.

At their advanced ages, the current Eternal Chakra Elixir was especially beneficial. Rasa's drive to hunt for gold in the desert was largely fueled by a desire for more of that elixir.

With enough funds, Suna could research this miraculous drug on its own, and also collaborate with Orochimaru on a deeper level.

From the intel Suna possessed, Orochimaru was notoriously driven by profit: offer him sufficient gold, and you could buy more of the Eternal Chakra Elixir, maybe even acquire the secret of its manufacture.

If that happened, Sunagakure would have a steady supply of the elixir, allowing Lady Chiyo, Ebizō, and other elderly ninjas to keep contributing, continuing their work for the village.

Picturing that future, Rasa's lips curved in a slight smile. However, he remained unaware that his perceived losses in the Chunin Exams were just the tip of the iceberg. If he found out that Shukaku had, for the most part, been locked away in Karin Uzumaki's Kamui Dimension "prison," he might truly spew blood in fury.

After all that effort planning an exam with Konoha, he ended up losing the village's Tailed Beast. If such a thing were recorded in Suna's history, Rasa might go down as the most humiliating Kazekage ever. Fortunately for him, he still had no idea.

From his perspective, Gaara was growing more adept at controlling the Tailed Beast; especially after the Chunin Exams, Shukaku hadn't had a single rampage.

He was privately glad—maybe in time, his boy would become a perfect Jinchuriki, adding significant might to Suna's forces.

With this in mind, even the wearisome task of sifting for gold in the desert felt a bit lighter, as though the endless dunes glimmered with golden hope.

…

Elsewhere in the vast desert near Sunagakure, Gaara was training ninjutsu alone.

Ever since Gaara was small, Rasa had treated him as an Uchiha, constantly provoking him in various ways, making their father-son relationship distant at best.

Had Gaara truly been an Uchiha, he might have awakened his Sharingan the moment Yashamaru died—but of course, he wasn't. In such a cold and distant father-son bond, Gaara had never mentioned anything unusual about Shukaku to Rasa.

In truth, Gaara himself was puzzled by the Tailed Beast's changes. The once arrogant, mighty monster had become pitifully small and weak, even shrinking to a fraction of its former size.

It didn't affect his life too much, though. He'd never relied on Shukaku's power; if anything, Shukaku's weakened state gave him more peace. No more worrying about a rampage, and his sleep improved dramatically.

After a while of practicing, Gaara stopped and sat cross-legged to rest, entering his inner world to talk to Shukaku again.

His inner world was now empty, with only a tiny Shukaku curled up pitifully in the corner.

Seeing Gaara, Shukaku snorted arrogantly, turning its head away. Over the past few weeks, Shukaku had replayed its memories and concluded that its downfall was all Gaara's fault.

When Gaara was easily knocked out by Senshi back then, Shukaku ended up caught in a Tailed Beast Slicing Technique, leading to its current sorry state.

Gaara folded his arms and looked down at Shukaku with cold eyes. "So you're still not willing to tell me the truth? What happened that made you end up like this?"

"Go away, don't bother me!" Shukaku snapped, spurning any conversation. After all, how could it talk about something so humiliating? Though from what Shukaku knew, that pesky fox (the Nine-Tails) had been sliced in half long ago. If we're comparing humiliation, the Nine-Tails was the real "champ."

Shukaku's stance was nothing new to Gaara. Lately, every time he tried to speak to it, he was met with its same haughty, irritable demeanor. In the past, Gaara would have just left his inner world instead of wasting words on such a stubborn creature. But today, he remained, quietly voicing his guess.

"Was your strength taken from you by some sort of technique? And the ninja who took it is unimaginably powerful, which is why you won't talk about it and won't dare say anything?"

Those words were like a lit fuse, instantly setting off Shukaku's fury. It jumped to its feet, flailing its little claws in anger. "Gaara! If you can't speak properly, then shut up! My current state isn't something a measly human like you can fathom—stop acting like you know!"

Seeing Shukaku so worked up only confirmed Gaara's suspicions. Though he had no idea how it had happened or what mysterious technique the opponent had used, clearly he had touched on the Tailed Beast's sore spot.

Gaara paused, about to press Shukaku for more details. However, before he could speak, a powerful sense of danger yanked him back to reality.

Almost reflexively, he exited his inner world and sprang into combat stance, scanning his surroundings warily. At that very second, he noticed transparent ripples in the air not far away—then a mysterious man wearing an orange mask and black robe appeared, his gaze frigid.

Gaara's heart clenched, his eyes sharpening. "Who are you? How dare you trespass in Sunagakure?"

Obito chuckled lightly, the corners of his mouth curving behind his mask. He moved forward step by step, tone casual. "You don't need to know that."

"Stop!" Gaara barked, raising a hand to signal him. But instead of stopping, Obito sped up and headed straight for Gaara.

"Hmph!" Gaara snorted, eyes glinting coldly. By now, he was sure the intruder was trouble. He lifted his hands, and the desert sand answered his summons, coming alive and gathering into giant hands that lunged for Obito from all directions.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Against the multitude of sand hands, Obito moved like a wraith, employing an extremely fast Body Flicker to evade amid the flowing sands.

Yet this was the desert—Gaara's home turf.

Endless sand covered the entire battlefield, making it impossible to dodge everything perfectly.

Just when Gaara believed he had forced Obito into a corner, his eyes shrank in disbelief. Obito's form suddenly turned ghostly, as if phasing into a mirage.

The sand hands passed straight through him, inflicting no harm. It was as though his body didn't exist in the same space.

Gaara's gaze grew even more serious. He quickly steadied himself, raising both hands again to launch a more concentrated attack.

"Sand Drizzle!"

At his call, torrents of sand rained down from the sky like a downpour, pelting Obito. At the same time, tendrils of sand coiled from beneath his feet, attempting to snare Obito's legs and restrict his movement. Yet Obito still slipped away like a phantom, either causing the attacks to miss or phasing through them effortlessly, striding ever closer to Gaara.

Gaara's heart sank, eyes flickering with resolve. He knew this opponent was no pushover. If he didn't give it his all, he would never win. With a violent rush of chakra, he brought his hands together.

"Continuous Sand Drizzle!"

In an instant, sand from all directions converged like countless bullets, firing densely toward Obito. This time, the intensity, speed, and density were all at their peak, leaving almost no room to dodge. Yet Obito remained unruffled.

"Susanoo!"

A giant Susanoo of bluish energy erupted skyward like a towering mountain. Obito stood firmly on its brow, glaring coldly down at Gaara. "For a Jinchuriki, you're too weak."

In Obito's control, the colossal Susanoo raised its sword and swung it down at Gaara. The whistling blade wind seemed about to cleave the land in two. Gaara paled, hastily gathering sand under his feet to lift himself into the air and retreat. His mind whirred with thoughts.

"Susanoo… that jutsu again! Could he be an Uchiha? Or maybe he obtained the power of the Uchiha the same way Karin Uzumaki did?"

His wariness deepened. Last time he encountered Susanoo, he'd suffered badly; now, with Shukaku weakened and unable to enter a rampage, he wouldn't dare a direct clash.

Without hesitation, Gaara decided to flee, letting the flowing sand carry him away. However, Susanoo's speed far exceeded his expectations.

Swish!

Its sword swept down again, cutting off his escape. The flash of the blade sliced Gaara's form in two. Obito eyed the halved Gaara but didn't let his guard down—his eyes narrowed. "A sand clone again?"

Indeed, Gaara reappeared some distance away, riding another wave of sand that carried him upward, trying to flee. Obito frowned, somewhat puzzled. "Why is he being so cautious? And from the start of this fight, he hasn't used the Tailed Beast's power even once… What's going on?"

Though full of questions, Obito refused to slow. Susanoo's sword struck out again, forcing Gaara to dodge once more. In the howling desert wind, the swirling sand battered the terrain like waves. Gaara's expression was grave.

Without restraining Susanoo, escape seemed impossible. Inhaling sharply, he slammed his palms together, chakra surging like a volcanic eruption, instantly flooding the desert.

"Quicksand Waterfall Flow!"

At his command, the surrounding sand seemed to come alive, surging in a massive tide toward Susanoo. Its feet sank rapidly, forming a great vortex of sand, and the giant began gradually sinking, as though dragged by invisible hands into an abyss.

"Still not enough!" Gaara's eyes gleamed with determination. Forming seals again, he muttered, "Desert Layered Imperial Funeral!"

In a heartbeat, the vortex's pull intensified, forcing Susanoo deeper and deeper. Its towering form slowly sank into the devouring sands. Sweat dotted Gaara's brow; back-to-back large-scale jutsu were wearing him down.

Yet just as he believed he had finally pinned Susanoo in place, he sensed a sudden spatial distortion behind him. His pupils shrank, danger signals blaring in his mind—but it was too late to evade.

Boom!

Obito slipped out of a transparent vortex like a ghost and drove a powerful punch into Gaara's face. The force flung him away like a broken kite, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Before he could even land, Obito flashed over again, slamming a knee into Gaara's abdomen and sending him flying once more.

What followed was a relentless assault of fists and kicks, like a cat toying with a mouse. Blows rained down on Gaara in a frenzy. Finally, with a dull thud, Gaara crashed onto the desert sands, battered all over, face bruised and bleeding, in truly wretched shape.

Obito strolled up to Gaara and looked down at him, a cruel smile on his lips. "You sure can endure a lot, refusing to use the Tailed Beast's power even in a situation like this. Did you guess my goal? Still, even if you don't use the Tailed Beast's power, it won't change your fate."

Gaara lay sprawled on the ground, filled with frustration but powerless to act. He did want to draw on Shukaku, but in its present weakened form—reduced to a fraction of its true power, unable even to perform the Fake Sleep Technique—he had no choice. "Damn it…" he muttered, eyes flashing with unwilling fury.

Obito cut short any more talk. He knelt down to examine Gaara's Tailed Beast. But sensing Shukaku's condition, his face abruptly darkened. With a furious snarl, he demanded, "Where is my Tailed Beast? Why is Shukaku's power so weak? What did you do to my Tailed Beast?!"

Gaara, hearing that, was instantly outraged. His Tailed Beast—when did it become yours?!

~~~

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