Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Nakatani Kensuke's expression was incredibly grim. As the leader of Kusagakure, his word was absolute in this village. For decades, no one had dared to run wild on his turf.

But now, a foreign youth had killed his subordinate right in his village and declared to his face that he was taking his people away, yet Kensuke didn't even dare to utter a single harsh word in response.

He wanted to maintain his dignity and prestige as the leader of Kusagakure.

This was his village. If he just swallowed this humiliation today, how could he establish his authority here in the future? How would his subordinates view him? What would the villagers say about him?

However, standing before Uchiha Taiga, he clearly lacked the confidence to do so.

With so many of his subordinates watching him, he couldn't completely cast aside his pride either.

Therefore, keeping a stern face was the only thing he could manage.

"That is me."

His voice was stiff, as hard as a rock, but hollow on the inside.

He didn't look into Uchiha Taiga's eyes; instead, his gaze fell upon the youth's chest.

It wasn't that he didn't dare to look, but rather that he refused to appear inferior in a staring contest.

What he didn't realize was that this action alone already spoke volumes.

Nakatani Kensuke fell silent for a moment, as if organizing his words, or perhaps gathering his courage.

He finally spoke, the anger in his voice suppressed but distinctly audible.

"Why did you hurt the people of our village?"

He deliberately addressed them as a group, rather than singling Taiga out.

It was a very subtle choice of words, shifting the spearhead from Uchiha Taiga alone to the entire visiting party.

This way, he wasn't interrogating Uchiha Taiga, but questioning all the outsiders.

It was the kind of shrewdness a leader ought to possess.

But Uchiha Taiga wasn't buying it.

"It's nothing. Just teaching him a little lesson."

Nakatani Kensuke's mouth twitched.

He lowered his head, looking at the puddle of remains on the ground that no longer resembled a human.

Flesh and skin had been torn to shreds, bones were exposed, and the blood had nearly drained dry, leaving only dark red stains embedded in the crevices of the stone paving.

This was called a little lesson?

Nakatani Kensuke raised his voice slightly. "But he is dead."

Uchiha Taiga glanced at the mess on the ground, then withdrew his gaze.

"Oh. Good riddance."

His tone was terrifyingly flat.

Nakatani Kensuke's lips trembled, and his facial muscles twitched. It felt as if something was about to explode in his chest, but he didn't lash out.

Because he knew he couldn't afford the consequences of losing his temper.

Standing to the side, Rasa watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but inwardly click his tongue.

He looked at Nakatani Kensuke's flushed face, then at Uchiha Taiga's completely unfazed expression, and an indescribable sense of relief welled up in his heart.

Thank goodness.

Thank goodness he had kept his own posture low enough.

Comparing his situation to Nakatani Kensuke's current predicament, he was incredibly glad for his previous choices. Lowering his pride indeed had its benefits; at least he didn't have to be roasted over an open fire in front of everyone like Nakatani Kensuke.

Just watching it made Rasa feel uncomfortable.

Nakatani Kensuke was still enduring it.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms. His teeth ground together audibly, and the veins on his temples throbbed.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Uchiha Taiga to give him a way out.

But Uchiha Taiga was clearly not the type to offer anyone a graceful exit.

"So, are you refusing me?"

Nakatani Kensuke's heart skipped a beat; he heard the underlying threat in those words.

It was an ultimatum.

Nakatani Kensuke took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound steady.

"They are people of Kusagakure."

He paused, as if weighing his words.

"Your actions are far too overbearing, sir."

This was the harshest thing he had said all day. After speaking, his heart raced even faster, and his palms were slick with sweat.

Uchiha Taiga looked at him, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly in what might or might not have been a smile.

"Their surname is Uzumaki."

Nakatani Kensuke's expression stiffened.

Of course he knew that surname. The Uzumaki clan—a once-prestigious noble family that had established their own ninja village and nation.

"So what? The Land of Whirlpools has already fallen. They have always been people of Kusagakure," he said.

Only, his voice was a bit quieter than before.

Uchiha Taiga stared at him, the light in his eyes unchanging.

"Nothing. I'm merely informing you."

He spoke so calmly that it made one's hair stand on end.

Nakatani Kensuke fell silent.

Everyone looked at Nakatani Kensuke, waiting for him to speak.

The Kusagakure ninja watched their leader, gripping their kunai tighter and tighter.

Rasa watched Nakatani Kensuke with a look of amusement, as if enjoying a good show.

Chiyo and Ebizo stood at the back of the crowd. They exchanged a glance but said nothing.

Maki stood behind Rasa, his expression subtle, as if deep in thought.

The silence dragged on for a long time before Nakatani Kensuke finally spoke.

"Fine."

His voice was dry. "You are strong. No one can stop you from doing whatever you want."

He paused, as if gathering his last ounce of strength.

"You can take them away, but you must compensate Kusagakure for our loss."

He said this firmly; it was his final act of stubbornness.

He had already lost face; he couldn't afford to lose everything else.

If he just let them walk away and Kusagakure gained nothing, how would his subordinates view him? How would his villagers view him?

At the very least, he had to secure some form of compensation.

This was the sorrow of being the leader of a small ninja village.

Even anger had to be weighed against its cost, and dignity had to be converted into currency.

Rasa's eyes lit up. He took a half-step forward, his voice not loud but full of certainty.

"Sunagakure can handle the matter of compensation."

Hearing this from behind, Maki's mouth twitched slightly.

Nakatani Kensuke glanced at Rasa, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

He hadn't expected Rasa to volunteer to take on this burden.

Obviously, what he didn't know was that Rasa had long since made up his mind to build a good relationship with Uchiha Taiga.

To curry favor with him relentlessly.

This was the strategy Rasa had set for himself.

Not out of cowardice, but because he saw further than anyone else.

A youth who possessed Wood Style, could alter the landscape, and had defeated Uchiha Madara—his future was limitless. If he didn't build a good relationship now, by the time Taiga truly became the number one figure in the ninja world, he wouldn't even spare them a glance if they tried to cozy up to him then.

Every bit of effort spent now was paving the way for Sunagakure's future.

Hearing Rasa's words, Uchiha Taiga glanced at him.

Then, he smiled.

"Compensation?"

He repeated the word, as if savoring its taste.

"Very well."

Rasa felt somewhat helpless at being rejected.

A glimmer of hope flashed in Nakatani Kensuke's eyes. At the very least, he would have something to show for this when he returned.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Uchiha Taiga moved.

He raised his hands and began weaving hand signs. His speed wasn't fast; every sign was formed clearly. Immediately after, chakra surged from his fingertips, transforming into pale blue threads as thin as hair that shot outward.

The threads were incredibly fine and seemed to possess a life of their own as they drifted toward the mangled corpse on the ground.

The threads landed on the corpse, piercing one by one into the flesh, bones, and the chaotic mess of torn tissues.

Then, the corpse began to move. It was as if something was manipulating it from the inside, causing it to twitch, contort, and reshape.

The pieces from the thighs, the calves, the neck, the torso.

Piece by piece, slice by slice, like a jigsaw puzzle, they were reassembled back into their original positions.

The chakra threads wove through the flesh like a needle and thread mending clothes, stitching the shredded skin and meat together stitch by stitch.

The sutures were densely packed, every single line clearly visible.

The flesh was sewn together, but the wounds remained. Blood continued to seep out, trickling down the suture lines and dripping onto the ground drop by drop.

Under everyone's gaze, the corpse gradually regained its human shape.

The entire process lasted about a minute.

A minute later, the mangled mess on the ground had once again become an intact human figure.

But it was still a corpse.

Then, Uchiha Taiga's hand signs changed, and a cluster of pale golden light appeared in his palm.

Stepping up to the corpse, Uchiha Taiga pressed his palm down, shoving the pale golden light directly into the body's chest.

The moment the light sank into its chest, the body convulsed violently, as if an electric current had passed through it.

Then, its eyes opened.

They were a pair of hollow eyes, completely devoid of life, like two soulless glass beads.

It was looking.

Looking at everything around it—at Nakatani Kensuke, Rasa, Yugito Nii, and finally, at Uchiha Taiga.

At the same time, the chakra radiating from its body rapidly increased, quickly surpassing the capacity of an average Jonin—and far exceeding it at that.

Nakatani Kensuke's pupils shrank sharply.

"A Living Human Puppet."

Uchiha Taiga's voice rang out in the quiet alley. "It possesses all five chakra natures and ten times the chakra of an average Jonin."

He paused, as if giving everyone time to digest this information.

"From now on, it will protect your Kusagakure."

As he spoke, the "person" who had just stood up took a step forward.

Its gait was mechanical, like an infant just learning to walk, but every step was incredibly steady.

It walked up to the Kusagakure ninja, standing between them and Nakatani Kensuke.

Then, it turned around to face the Kusagakure ninja.

Its eyes were still hollow, but its chakra had blanketed the entire alley like an invisible net, enveloping all the Kusagakure ninja within it.

"It will kill anyone who endangers Kusagakure."

Uchiha Taiga's voice continued.

"As long as no one makes a move that endangers Kusagakure, everyone will be safe."

As he finished speaking, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly into a half-smile.

Rasa watched this scene in shock.

His mind raced, processing everything he was witnessing.

The man was already dead, yet Uchiha Taiga had pieced him back together, stuffed a mass of chakra into him, and brought him back to life.

No, not back to life—he had been turned into a puppet. A puppet with self-awareness?

Rasa subconsciously asked a question.

"What is the boundary for endangering Kusagakure?"

Uchiha Taiga glanced at Rasa, his smile deepening, quite satisfied with this perfect setup.

"Naturally, it is to protect the villagers of Kusagakure and monitor the entire village."

He paused, as if recalling something amusing, and added one more thing.

"Anyone."

Hearing this, Nakatani Kensuke's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

He understood exactly what "anyone" meant.

Because this "anyone" also included him.

As the leader of Kusagakure, Nakatani Kensuke naturally didn't want to be included in the scope of "anyone."

How was this compensation? It was clearly a shackle.