Morkel thought that his disguise was flawless!
However, as soon as they entered the Land of Thunder, he noticed that a ninja wearing the Cloud Shinobi Village forehead protector was staring at him and Naruto.
The ninja followed them persistently until Morkel finally led him into an alley and beat him up.
In the alley, Morkel sternly questioned, "Tell me, why are you following us?"
The ninja, now bruised and battered, looked up pitifully and replied, "You must be Morkel and Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha Village. Raikage-sama wishes to see you."
Morkel and Naruto exchanged surprised glances.
They had been keeping a low profile. How had they been recognized?
As if reading Morkel's thoughts, the Cloud Shinobi explained, "The Hokage sent a message to Raikage-sama, informing him of your arrival in the Land of Thunder. Besides, the genius Morkel is famous worldwide. Not only does he have red hair, but his handsome face, which makes men jealous, is also a distinguishing feature. You're easy to recognize."
Morkel found the explanation reasonable but still hesitated.
He vividly remembered the Raikage's expression during the negotiations with Konoha—a look that seemed ready to devour him whole.
The Cloud Shinobi, sensing his reluctance, quickly added, "Rest assured, Cloud Shinobi Village is now an ally of Konoha. Raikage-sama has no ill intentions toward you. In fact, he requires your assistance."
After a brief exchange of glances, Morkel and Naruto nodded.
"Alright, let's go," Morkel said.
---
A Few Hours Later: Cloud Shinobi Village
As soon as Morkel stepped into the Land of Thunder, he noticed that the people there were either extremely fair-skinned or extremely dark-skinned. However, due to the country's bustling trade, its population was diverse. But within Cloud Shinobi Village itself, this distinction became particularly evident.
Inside the Raikage's office, Morkel pushed the door open and immediately sensed the tense atmosphere. The man sitting at the desk had a gloomy expression, as if something extremely unpleasant had occurred.
However, upon seeing Morkel and Naruto, Raikage stood up with enthusiasm. "Morkel, long time no see. And Naruto, three years have passed. You two have grown even more impressive."
"Not at all," Morkel replied casually. "Let's get to the point. Why did you summon us?"
Raikage hesitated, knocking on the table lightly before sighing. "You both know that, aside from our Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, Cloud Shinobi Village has another Jinchūriki."
Morkel nodded. "Yes, Yugito Nii, who has the Two-Tails sealed within her."
Raikage's expression darkened. "Yesterday, she disappeared."
"At the location where she vanished, witnesses reported seeing Akatsuki members clad in black cloaks."
"I suspect it was Hidan and Kakuzu."
Morkel raised an eyebrow. No wonder his sources had placed Hidan and Kakuzu in the Land of Thunder. They were after the Two-Tails.
Raikage continued, "I need you two to rescue Yugito. Cloud Shinobi Village is willing to pay 10 million ryo."
"I understand Akatsuki's objective is to extract the tailed beasts, as they did with the Kazekage. So my main priority is Yugito's safety. The Two-Tails can be sacrificed if necessary."
"However, if you manage to save both Yugito and the Two-Tails, Cloud Shinobi Village will triple your reward."
Raikage looked at Morkel expectantly.
"Why not assign this mission to your own ninjas?" Morkel asked.
Raikage sighed. "Cloud Shinobi has very few shinobi capable of confronting the 'Undying Duo' of Akatsuki. Moreover, we recently dealt with the Wuling Rebellion, which weakened our forces. We must keep warriors stationed here for protection."
"And since their target is the tailed beasts, I can't risk sending Killer Bee."
"After much deliberation, I concluded that you two are the best choice."
Morkel considered the proposal. He had already planned to take down Hidan and Kakuzu for their bounties. With Cloud Shinobi Village's commission, this mission just became even more profitable.
After consulting Naruto, Morkel nodded. "We accept."
Raikage smirked and immediately ordered his subordinates to bring the money. "Here's a two-million-ryo advance payment."
Morkel stored the money in his summoning scroll, grabbed Naruto, and set off eagerly.
---
The Land of Thunder: Civet Peak
The Land of Thunder was known for its towering peaks shrouded in mist, with thunder rolling through the skies. Civet Peak, where Yugito disappeared, was one of them.
Upon arrival, Morkel sat cross-legged on the ground and focused his chakra perception to its limit.
Tailed beasts had massive chakra reserves, making them easy to detect for someone with Morkel's abilities.
Sweat trickled down his forehead as he expanded his sensory range, and finally, he locked onto Yugito's location.
Opening his eyes, he pointed north. "She's there."
Summoning a hawk, Morkel and Naruto soared toward the target.
"Morkel, did you research Hidan and Kakuzu's abilities?" Naruto asked.
Morkel shook his head. "Even intelligence dealers don't have detailed information on them. All I know is that one is immortal, and the other is a money-obsessed freak."
---
Inside a Cave in the Land of Thunder
Yugito had already transformed into her Two-Tailed beast form—a giant flaming blue cat.
Hidan grinned, gripping his scythe. "This is the Two-Tails? Looks fun."
Kakuzu warned, "Don't underestimate it, or you'll regret it."
Hidan smirked. "Regret? I'll send her to our god first."
Yugito let out an earth-shaking roar and lunged at Hidan!
Hidan deflected her attack with a clash of metal and struck her with a hidden black spear, drawing blood.
Licking the blood, his body turned black with eerie white markings.
Yugito screamed, her chakra attack abruptly stopping as she reverted to human form.
Kakuzu nodded. "As expected. Once Hidan gets the enemy's blood, the fight is half-won."
At that moment, Morkel and Naruto arrived outside the cave.
Morkel raised his hand and—
BANG!
With a single punch, the cave entrance crumbled.
Morkel and Naruto stepped in, taking in Yugito's beaten form.
Both shouted in unison: "Let go of that girl!"
Hidan sneered. "Oh? Two brats from Konoha? Looks like Cloud Shinobi really is out of warriors."
Kakuzu studied them carefully before his expression hardened. "Wait... Morkel?!"
A name worth 250 million ryo on the bounty list.
Hidan's smirk vanished as realization hit him. "Wait, that's... the kid from Kawakuni?! Shit, this is bad..."
Morkel unsheathed his Kusanagi sword and hurled a kunai infused with Flying Thunder God.
Hidan deflected the kunai, but as their blades clashed, his arms trembled.
"What the hell?! This brat's strength is insane!"
Kakuzu smirked. "That's why you'll need my help, Hidan."
Morkel grinned. "I was looking for you two anyway. Now I can collect your heads and your bounties."
The battle was about to begin.