Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki Chapter 298: Exposed!

If Yugito could hear what Konan was thinking, she'd definitely jump up and yell:

"What kind of sensei kidnaps people from other villages?"

Sure, she's a Jinchūriki—but that's no excuse for abducting her! Even though she's accepted her fate by now, it still ticks her off whenever she rembers how Kazuyama Gekkō ca to Kumogakure and whisked her away.

"Hmph, forget him. Let's just enjoy the hot spring."

"So relaxing…"

Yugito leaned back against a rock, completely at ease. Konan mimicked her and leaned against the edge as well—much to Kazuyama Gekkō's delight as he secretly watched.

[Ding! Detected host peeping at Konan and Yugito. Seriously? Even kids aren't off-limits? And they're your own disciples! Disgraceful! Absolutely disgraceful! Special reward: Ninjutsu Amplification 5%.]

Kazuyama: Dammit, system—he was looking at Konan, okay? Not Yugito!

Still, that reward wasn't bad. As expected of Konan, tsk tsk.

Just as Kazuyama was about to farm another round of rewards, things took a sudden turn.

Yahiko's loud voice suddenly echoed through the bathhouse.

"Quick, find out where Kazuyama went! He's been gone forever—don't tell he's been captured or sothing?"

"Ah man, I really let my guard down. It's his first ti in Agakure—how would he know where to buy booze?"

"Akaashi, hurry! Grab the guys and look for him!"

Kazuyama froze in place as soon as he heard Yahiko.

What the hell?! He just stepped out for a bit of side business, and now Yahiko's acting like he vanished into thin air?

Watching a bunch of shirtless guys in towels running around the bathhouse looking for him, he was at a total loss for words.

At the sa ti, Yugito suddenly opened her previously closed eyes, a trace of irritation flashing across her face—leaving Konan puzzled.

"Yugito, what's wrong?"

As she spoke, Konan tried to get up. She'd also heard Yahiko's voice, and since Kazuyama was missing, she figured she should help look for him.

But just as she moved, Yugito yanked her back into the spring.

At that mont, a red snake slowly erged from the surface of the water.

"Don't get up. You don't know that little bastard Kazuyama."

"Hmph, he didn't disappear—my guess is he's spying on you. Or maybe another pretty girl."

Tagitsuhi flicked her tongue and glanced to the side. With just the snake and the two of them left in the entire won's hot spring, it was obvious Kazuyama had his eyes on them.

"Tagitsuhi is right. My sensei, heh… his black history is pretty shocking."

"I bet he's staring right at you. Am I right, sensei?"

"Konan, move back."

"Ninja Art: Mouse Hairball!"

A burst of blue fla shot from Yugito's mouth, quickly forming into a rat-shaped fireball that darted off at high speed.

Konan was stunned by how fast it moved.

Kazuyama's attention was imdiately drawn to the blue fla.

He recognized this technique—it was one of the powers granted to Yugito by Matatabi. The jutsu released a mouse-shaped fla from the mouth, which could scatter into a barrage of blue fla tracking shots.

What he didn't expect was to be the first person targeted by it.

The fla-mouse would chase its target based on surrounding heat. Unlike the version in the original story, this one was faster and more relentless. Kazuyama imdiately tried to dodge.

But he'd overlooked the fact that he was standing on a steam-slick rooftop. His foot slipped.

"Damn it—whoa!"

The cry gave him away instantly. Yugito and Tagitsuhi both looked at each other knowingly—just as expected.

Konan, on the other hand, shrank back in panic, her face flushing bright red as she muttered, "He… he really was peeping!"

"Hmph! I knew it!"

"Sensei, you've gone too far! Ninja Art: Mouse Hairball!"

More blue flas flared up around Yugito, and under the command of her ten fingers, they surged toward Kazuyama in a wild barrage.

Faced with the oncoming flas, Kazuyama Gekkō steadied himself. With his shield still up, he rapidly ford hand seals.

"Water Release: Fang Cage!"

A torrent of water instantly converged, forming three spinning water columns that crashed straight into Yugito's fire attack.

Though the blue flas seed fierce, the three water twisters were even more powerful—they completely engulfed the flas.

"Tch… even a jutsu used in a rush is this powerful?"

"And you even have the nerve to fight back!"

Yugito was clearly frustrated. But seeing her flas completely swallowed and Kazuyama already gone, there was nothing she could do.

Tagitsuhi, however, looked intrigued.

"When did that kid learn Water Release? Not bad at all."

"Alright, Yugito, don't get discouraged. You're still young. Your sensei might be unreliable, but he really did earn his reputation on the battlefield."

"In terms of strength, he's definitely strong."

Konan looked up at the steam lingering in the air and once again felt the weight of Kazuyama Gekkō's power.

"So this is the strength of a ninja with a na for himself..."

"But he's just too shaless! Peeping like that!"

"He's really just like Jiraiya-sensei!"

ntioning Jiraiya made Konan sigh. Back when he taught them, he actually carried those kinds of books around.

Yahiko got a nosebleed from looking at them, and even Nagato was visibly uncomfortable.

But Jiraiya didn't care in the slightest—he just laughed it off.

Now, it wasn't just Jiraiya. Even Konoha's so-called Ghost was acting like this. Makes you wonder if all Konoha shinobi are like that.

The commotion from the won's bathhouse drew Yahiko and the others to the entrance in a hurry.

"Konan? Yugito? Are you two alright?"

"I heard sothing going on inside."

Hearing Yahiko's concern, Konan quickly replied that everything was fine. Only then did Yahiko and the others back off.

"Hmph! I don't know where that jerk of a sensei ran off to, but when he cos back, I'm definitely giving him a piece of my mind!"

Yugito sat back in the hot spring, grumbling with obvious annoyance.

This ti, Konan agreed wholeheartedly. In her view, Kazuyama Gekkō had really crossed the line.

...

anwhile, Kazuyama Gekkō, who had bolted after being exposed, was already perched on the roof of the bathhouse. He still had his Transparent Escape Technique active, but the steady drizzle chilled him to the bone.

"Damn it, what a perfect opportunity... wasted just like that."

"And now it's too late to go back."

"If I go back now, I'm definitely getting chewed out."

With no other option, Kazuyama shifted his gaze toward the distant castle. If his guess was right, that massive fortress was where Hanzō of the Salamander resided.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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