I Punch the Tailed Beast Ball

Everything was progressing just as Black Zetsu had planned.

Under his manipulation, Shijou Kaori and Itachi kept encountering various events together.

Although Itachi didn’t have any special feelings for Kaori, he had come to realize that she bore no ill will toward him, in fact, she seemed to go out of her way to help him.

Every task Kaori asked of him was simple, bodyguard duties that were really just excuses to stroll around together, or other minor errands that were easy for Itachi to handle.

The tasks were simple, but the payment was very generous, always starting at 100,000 ryō.

Itachi had initially thought he’d need to find ways to earn more money mid-journey, but thanks to Kaori, he was now flush with funds.

As a result, he didn’t see Kaori as anyone special, just a generous friend.

Black Zetsu was pleased with this outcome. His understanding of human nature was sharp, and he rarely needed White Zetsu to act, his plans relied mostly on careful manipulation.

Now that the emotional foundation was laid, it was time for the real operation.

Black Zetsu first had White Zetsu disguise himself as a townsperson and spread a rumor that Shijou Linchuan, Kaori’s older brother and heir to the Shijou family, was abusing his power.

Black Zetsu, having lived through ages of history, was extremely skilled at spinning such tales. The story of a noble oppressing a commoner was old hat for him, and he told it in such vivid detail that it was blood-boilingly believable.

The fabricated tale went like this,

Linchuan had taken interest in a woman working within one of his family’s businesses. He then used her job and her husband’s safety as leverage to force her to fulfill his twisted desires.

The woman, though unwilling, had to comply with tears in her eyes, for her husband’s sake.

To make matters worse, Linchuan had even arranged for the husband to ”accidentally” witness it all.

It was disgusting and enraging, the kind of story that made people want to tear the villain apart.

Naturally, the story spread quickly through the town. Since Linchuan already had a bad reputation for other misdeeds, people found the story entirely believable.

Conspiracy theories even emerged, suggesting this wasn’t his first offense, just the first time he’d slipped up.

As the rumors intensified, the Shijou family became aware.

Linchuan, when questioned by his father, was completely baffled.

He hadn’t done any of that. As a noble, he had women lining up to marry him, why go through such extreme measures for another man’s wife, and then intentionally get seen? That was psychotic.

”Father, you know me. If I wanted her, I’d just pay her husband to leave. Why would I make it so complicated?”

Linchuan argued.

His father actually found that logic believable. He knew his son’s nature, crude, violent, but not that devious.

So the Shijou patriarch began investigating the family mentioned in the rumors and tried to publicly refute them.

But the townspeople didn’t buy it. To them, this was clearly the family protecting their heir.

The denial only fanned the flames. The rumors got worse and more elaborate.

Eventually, the Shijou family had to threaten legal action against anyone spreading slander to slow the rumors down.

Even then, the gossip only went underground, and became even wilder.

Black Zetsu watched the chaos his little rumor had caused and smiled disdainfully.

”Humans only believe what they want to believe.”

Next came the real moves.

First, he would get the townsfolk to beg Itachi for help, pleading with him to eliminate the evil noble Linchuan.

This wasn’t meant to actually get Itachi to act, it was just laying the groundwork.

After all, Itachi wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t kill a noble based on hearsay with no proof.

Next, Black Zetsu would provoke Linchuan’s anger, prompting him to lash out at civilians.

At that point, Itachi would have just cause to intervene, rumor or not.

Then came the final act, Black Zetsu would arrange for Kaori to be gravely injured right in front of Itachi.

This was the turning point. Oppression of the people and a friend critically wounded?

There was no way Itachi wouldn’t act.

But the Shijou family wouldn’t abandon Linchuan, he was the heir, and they would never admit the rumors were true.

A battle between Itachi and the Shijou clan would be inevitable.

Though Itachi was strong, the family would throw everything at him, ninja guards, hired shinobi, even regular armed men.

If Itachi had no secret protection left by Nagasawa, he’d likely be overwhelmed, exactly what Black Zetsu wanted.

He could then spirit Itachi away.

If Nagasawa had left someone, Black Zetsu would evaluate their strength and decide whether to continue.

Why go through all this effort instead of sending White Zetsu in disguise to test Itachi directly?

First, White Zetsu’s combat strength wasn’t reliable.

Second, Black Zetsu was extremely cautious.

If Nagasawa was secretly watching, any move involving White Zetsu could tip him off and provoke Konoha into hunting down Akatsuki. Black Zetsu didn’t want that heat, not when Nagasawa was basically a final boss.

If the plan left any trace of Akatsuki, Black Zetsu would abandon it and use a fallback strategy to help Nagato.

As expected, the plan unfolded smoothly.

Itachi rejected the townspeople’s requests to kill Linchuan, stating he needed evidence.

Kaori, knowing her brother was awful but not that bad, tried to bring Itachi to meet him, hoping to clear up misunderstandings.

Meanwhile, Linchuan was walking the streets with his guards, growing angry at the scornful stares from the public.

He bumped into someone and immediately snapped,

”Blind or something? You dare bump into me?! You wanna die?!”

The man snapped back,

”Just because you’re from the Shijou family doesn’t mean you can kill me in public!”

A crowd quickly gathered.

Linchuan, furious and unable to contain himself, lunged and beat the man mercilessly, shouting at onlookers to back off.

”Shijou family attacking people for no reason!”

The beaten man yelled, drawing more spectators.

Linchuan realized this was escalating, but couldn’t control himself anymore.

”You ran into me first! I didn’t attack you for no reason!”

He shouted, trying to justify himself.

The crowd deliberately blocked his path, he couldn’t catch the fleeing man.

Then, one of Linchuan’s guards suddenly drew his blade and slashed the man down, blood spraying everywhere.

Linchuan was stunned.

”Why did you kill him?! I just wanted to talk!”

”The Shijou family committed murder!”

Someone screamed.

Panic erupted.

Meanwhile, Kaori, dragging Itachi through town, heard the commotion and frowned when she heard that someone had been killed.

Seeing a Konoha ninja, the crowd swarmed around Itachi like he was a healing shrine NPC.

”Lord Itachi, you must avenge us! Linchuan’s done it again, murdering in the street!”

”Please, calm down. Let us through to check the scene,”

Kaori said, but she and Itachi were surrounded.

”Don’t trust her! She’s one of them, they’ll cover for each other!”

someone warned.

Itachi said nothing, only asked the crowd to back off.

At his words, they obeyed, following behind instead of encircling them.

Kaori was furious.

”I’ve done so many good deeds, and yet they treat me like this while treating Itachi, who just arrived, like a savior?”

She and Itachi finally reached Linchuan, who was in shock, near the bloody corpse.

”Are you stupid?!”

Kaori snapped, skipping even the honorific ”brother.”

”It wasn’t me! I didn’t...”

Linchuan began to explain.

But at that moment, the guard who struck the fatal blow quietly placed a black mass on Linchuan’s back, it merged into his body.

Suddenly, Linchuan’s demeanor changed.

”Yeah, I did it. So what? Just a filthy commoner. He touched me. He deserved to die.”

Kaori was horrified.

”You... you’ve gone insane...”

She stepped forward.

”Tell me what really happened!”

She still hoped to save her brother.

Then came the unexpected.

Linchuan suddenly grabbed the guard’s sword and slashed at Kaori.

Kaori stood frozen.

She never imagined her own brother would attack her.

Fortunately, Itachi reacted fast, blocking the strike with his own blade.

But Linchuan wasn’t done.

He ditched the sword and punched Kaori hard, sending her flying, only for Itachi to catch her.

The crowd was stunned.

”What is this? A family feud?”

Kaori coughed blood, eyes filled with disbelief.

Itachi, seeing this cold-blooded act against his own sister, was certain now, Linchuan was evil. The rumors must be true.

Rage surged within him.

His eyes turned blood-red.

Two tomoe appeared in each Sharingan, he had awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

He gripped his sword tightly, chakra flaring.

For a man this unforgivable, even killing him would be justified.

As the crowd reeled in shock and anger, Linchuan’s eyes suddenly went blank, his fierceness gone.

No one noticed that the guard was retreating into the crowd.

Boom!

Just as White Zetsu tried to flee, an unknown force smashed him aside, sending him crashing beside Linchuan.

Unable to maintain his disguise, he reverted to his true white form.

”So many tricks.”

Nagasawa, who had been watching from the start, commented as he appeared and immediately began healing Kaori.

”Nagasawa-sensei...”

Itachi was stunned, but quickly understood.

Even though Nagasawa said he wouldn’t protect him, he had clearly followed him here.

Itachi felt conflicted, but relieved.

With Nagasawa here, everything would be fine.

”Cough... just passing by on a mission. Saw you and came to take a look,”

Nagasawa said with a dry cough.

Itachi didn’t ask why the Hokage’s advisor was doing field work, he just nodded silently.

”You’re still too green, being led around without realizing it,”

Nagasawa said, patting Itachi’s head.

Since Itachi was using transformation jutsu to appear older, and Nagasawa looked young, the scene looked odd.

”Now, let me tell you the truth,”

Nagasawa said.

He had been observing everything in secret.

Originally, he was going to intervene when Linchuan drew his blade.

But when he saw Itachi move to protect Kaori, he waited, this was the perfect opportunity for Sharingan awakening.

Sure, it wasn’t the kindest tactic, but he’d compensate Kaori afterward. Opportunities like this didn’t come often.

As for the black figure hiding in the shadows, Black Zetsu, he had vanished the moment White Zetsu was revealed.

Too terrifying. He really was following... Nope, I’m out of here.

He immediately fled, no hesitation.

The bystander who started the bump?

Hired.

The guard who killed?

White Zetsu.

The crowd?

Some were paid plants to stir things up.

It was a perfect plan.

They’d hooked a big fish...

But the fish was too big.

It might even swallow him whole.

Better to switch to the backup plan, Itachi was just too dangerous to mess with.