Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki

At this time, the Valley of Clouds and Lightning was in chaos, with the Eight-Tails, its crimson eyes gleaming, running amok.

In the distance, a "kunoichi" smiled as she observed the destruction unfolding before her.

"Tailed Beast... Jinchūriki... Haha..." she murmured.

"Just as Kazuyama said, the Jinchūriki who cannot control the Tailed Beast are nothing to fear. A little manipulation is all it takes to turn them into puppets."

Her tone shifted slightly, laced with quiet disdain. "However, Kazuyama, you were wrong to claim the Tailed Beasts are uncontrollable. By harnessing the cells of a Tailed Beast to create something new, the resulting replica will be entirely controllable."

The figure was none other than Orochimaru, who had infiltrated Kumogakure in disguise.

The rampaging Eight-Tails before him was his masterpiece.

Nearby, the Third Raikage led his ninjas in an intense battle to suppress the beast. The ferocity of their efforts made Orochimaru marvel silently.

"Only by wielding controllable power can true success be achieved," he muttered to himself.

A dark gleam lit up his eyes as he added, "Kazuyama, just wait. Perhaps we, too, can seize the power of the Tailed Beasts!"

…

Far away in the Land of Grass, Kazuyama had no idea what was happening in Kumogakure.

He was currently in a gambling house, surrounded by the excited buzz of gamblers. The energy in the room was electric.

"Place your bets and hands off the table!" the dealer called out, and the crowd hurriedly placed their wagers.

"Kazuyama, what are we doing here? All this yelling is boring," Chōmei's voice echoed in his mind, dripping with disinterest.

Kazuyama ignored him, crouched beside the dealer, and pulled out the fake money he had prepared with a Transformation Technique. Swiftly and skillfully, he executed a flawless swap.

"Done," he muttered with a faint smirk.

The beauty of the Transparent Escape Technique was its sheer undetectability. Back in the village, pulling a stunt like this wasn't worth it—everyone there was practically family. But here, in the Land of Grass, teetering on the edge of becoming a battlefield? Why bother saving money? Might as well let them "chip in."

After the switch, Kazuyama dashed to a tree in the distance and began counting his haul.

"This is so boring. Why are you so obsessed with these pieces of paper?" Chōmei asked, still unimpressed as he watched Kazuyama tally the money.

"You don't get it, Chōmei. These aren't just pieces of paper; they're money," Kazuyama replied, eyes gleaming. "You can't live without it."

He counted quickly, then nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, 400,000 ryo. Enough to live on for a while."

Of course, it wasn't just about the money—it was all about the attributes. As soon as the gamblers realized their money had been swapped for leaves, the attributes would be credited to his account. It wasn't much, but every little bit counted.

It had been a week since his arrival in the Land of Grass. He'd seen plenty of Iwagakure ninjas moving around but no Jinchūriki. He also hadn't found a temporary base in Iwagakure yet.

But he wasn't in a hurry. While he searched, he could keep himself entertained. He'd already burned through the 50,000 ryo given to him by Hiruzen Sarutobi. To fund his plans—and help himself along the way—he'd decided to target gambling houses across the Land of Grass.

And now, on his first attempt, he scored 400,000 ryo. His excitement was palpable.

"Huh? What's that?"

Kazuyama suddenly felt a tremor in the distance, followed by a wisp of white smoke curling into the sky.

"Kazuyama! That's it! That's Kokuō's Boil Release!" Chōmei's voice was tinged with excitement.

"Hurry! Kokuō's Jinchūriki must be over there!"

"Eh? No, why aren't you moving? Move, Kazuyama!" Chōmei's agitation grew, urging him to act.

"Cut it out, Chōmei. Can't you be more convincing?" Kazuyama replied, unimpressed. "You're only urging me because you want to watch the show, don't you?"

Chōmei, his intentions laid bare, didn't even try to deny it. He was bored, and any excitement was better than none.

"Fine, let's go," Kazuyama sighed. "After all, our mission is to scout out this Jinchūriki. Let's see what they're made of."

In the forest ahead, a battle had just concluded.

The Five-Tails' Jinchūriki, Han, stood amidst the wreckage. He held a Kumogakure ninja by the neck with one hand, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

"Hmph, what are Kumo's ninjas doing in the Land of Grass?" Han sneered. "Weren't you just causing trouble in the Land of Hot Water? What now? You want a piece of the Land of Grass too?"

The ninja, struggling to breathe, tried to respond. But before a single word could escape his lips—

Snap!

With brutal force, Han crushed the ninja's neck.

"In your next life, speak faster. I'm a hot-tempered person," he muttered coldly, tossing the lifeless body aside.

Taking a deep breath, Han steadied himself, trying to quell the pounding in his chest. Despite his claims, it was clear he didn't have full control over the Five-Tails.

"Everyone, step up patrols in the Land of Grass!" he barked. "Kill any Kumogakure ninja you find!"

The Iwagakure ninjas around him obeyed immediately, dispersing into the forest.

This scene was witnessed by Kazuyama, who had just arrived.

"My, what strength!" he thought, his eyes narrowing. "It's like watching Lady Tsunade..."

Tsunade was renowned for her unmatched strength, but Kazuyama couldn't help but feel that the raw power Han displayed might rival hers. For all her invincibility, perhaps there were others in the world who could compete with her.

"Really? Someone can actually compare in strength to Kokuō? Boy, you must be joking," Chōmei said incredulously.

"Why would I lie to you? Do you think the Senju Clan is just a myth?" Kazuyama replied with a smirk.

The moment Chōmei heard the words "Senju Clan," he fell silent. Memories of that time resurfaced—when the nine of them were utterly defeated by a single human.

That human was Hashirama Senju.

Even now, Chōmei vividly recalled it: that man creating a wooden dummy, grabbing its tail, and flinging him through the air like a helpless kite.

No, no, he couldn't bear to remember. Just thinking about it made him feel like crying!

Meanwhile, Kazuyama remained focused on the Jinchūriki in front of him.

Han, an elite ninja of Iwagakure, was undeniably powerful—an opponent not to be underestimated. But Han's unstable state hinted at a possible opening to exploit.

Kazuyama's gaze shifted to the armor Han was wearing, and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Chōmei, take a good look at that armor," he said, his tone playful.

"Huh? What's so interesting about it? It's ugly with all those circles," Chōmei replied, unimpressed.

"Look closely. Don't you notice anything?"

"Look closely?" Chōmei muttered, squinting at the armor. "Hmm... Hmm? Wait, there are holes!"

Kazuyama chuckled, his grin widening.

Chōmei, initially confused, finally caught on. Spending so much time with Kazuyama had rubbed off on him, and his insect brain finally pieced it together.

"Hahahaha, Kazuyama, you're so bad!" Chōmei laughed.

"What about Scale Powder? I guarantee it can block all those air vents." Chōmei cackled, delighted by the plan.

Kazuyama nodded firmly. "But just blocking the holes isn't enough. Chōmei, does your Scale Powder have any hallucinogenic effects?"

"I don't know anything about Genjutsu," Chōmei admitted. "You'll have to handle that part yourself."

Genjutsu was the simplest way to disrupt a Jinchūriki's control. If the person was a perfect Jinchūriki, they could use their Tailed Beast's chakra to dispel it. But if they weren't, falling into a Genjutsu could push the Tailed Beast to run wild.

Kazuyama's thoughts mirrored those of Orochimaru almost perfectly.

One couldn't help but wonder—were they so alike that they might as well have been master and apprentice?