"Hey, hey, hey! Can you stop pulling my hair, you bastard? That hurts like hell!"
Just as Hidan stumbled out of the distorted space, his irritated voice rang out.
"And hurry up and put my body back together! I'm not about to let you carry my head around!"
"If you keep running your mouth..."
Kakuzu, already fuming with anger, glared at the head in his hand and growled.
"I'll toss your head into a damn latrine right now!"
"You... Fine, never mind!"
Hidan, furious at first, quickly backed down when he realized Kakuzu wasn't joking.
"Alright, I'll shut up. I'll shut up."
"Enough!"
Obito Uchiha coldly interrupted, his voice laced with irritation. With a wave of his hand, he tossed the half-destroyed body of Sasori—now resembling the Third Kazekage—onto the ground.
"What the hell happened? What's going on?"
Obito was seething. He had just arrived on the scene only to be greeted by an unexpected "heavy artillery" attack.
If not for his cautious nature and quick reflexes, he might have been obliterated on the spot.
Anyone would be furious in such a situation, especially when they had no idea what had transpired.
"We're not sure either. I was fighting Chiyo when, out of nowhere, a massive surge of Chakra exploded," Sasori replied coldly, his puppet-like voice devoid of emotion. However, his mind was clearly racing.
Hidan nodded in agreement, while Kakuzu let out a cold snort, his gaze subtly shifting toward Obito.
"It was Kitagawa Minamoto and Orochimaru's battle that caused this. Who knows what they were up to? And that Hatake Kakashi... His abilities are no joke."
"..."
Obito avoided Kakuzu's gaze, but his expression darkened.
Seriously? Kakashi again?
Not only had they been utterly defeated, but they also had no clue what had happened. Obito was beginning to doubt the competence of his so-called "allies."
"I think I know what's going on."
Just then, Zetsu emerged slowly from the ground, his dual-toned voice breaking the silence.
"And Sasori, you've probably figured it out too, haven't you?"
"Hmph."
Sasori snorted coldly. As someone from the Land of Wind, he couldn't possibly be ignorant of the truth.
Initially, he had only speculated and didn't want to speak up. But now, he realized he couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"Roran, right? That legendary place rumored to hide secrets."
"Roran?"
Obito and Hidan looked puzzled; they had no idea what Sasori was talking about. Meanwhile, Kakuzu's gaze once again shifted toward Obito.
"I've heard of that place. They say even the Fourth Hokage went there once. So..."
Halfway through his sentence, Kakuzu turned to Obito, causing the latter to clench his fists in frustration.
Seriously? Are you done yet?
"That's right. It's Roran!"
Black Zetsu seized the opportunity to explain.
"I was already suspicious when Orochimaru suddenly appeared in the Land of Wind. Now it's clear—he went there for Roran.
And as you all know, the Fourth Hokage visited that place, while Kitagawa Minamoto knows the Flying Thunder God Technique. So..."
"Orochimaru triggered the Flying Thunder God and caught Kitagawa Minamoto's attention?"
Obito muttered, painful memories flooding his mind. He had been outmaneuvered by the Flying Thunder God Technique twice before!
"So, their subsequent battle caused the explosion in Roran?"
Sasori, now fully understanding the situation, felt his mood worsen.
"That damn Orochimaru, and that damn Kitagawa Minamoto! So that's what happened!"
He already had a grudge against Orochimaru, and Minamoto, inheriting the title of "White Fang," was another thorn in his side.
With both old and new grudges piling up, Sasori was seething with rage.
"Damn it..."
Kakuzu gritted his teeth, fuming as well. Meanwhile, Obito suddenly snapped out of his anger.
"Wait a minute. What about the thing hidden in Roran? With such a massive explosion, it must be something extraordinary, right?"
"It's definitely not ordinary," Black Zetsu replied, nodding knowingly.
"Unfortunately, after such a large explosion, it's hard to say how much Chakra remains. Plus, with the Flying Thunder God Technique present..."
"Damn it..."
Obito cursed under his breath.
Blown up for no reason and left empty-handed—who wouldn't be pissed?
Fortunately, Black Zetsu had a knack for soothing tempers.
"Still, this wasn't a total loss. At least Orochimaru's plans were thwarted.
And we've convinced Danzō Shimura that the intel we provided is reliable, which will help us avoid interference from Konohagakure.
Most importantly, I've observed Kitagawa Minamoto in action. I'll compile the data, which will be invaluable if we encounter him again."
Hearing this, everyone except Hidan—who was still just a head—nodded in agreement.
The primary goal of this operation had been to test the waters and gather intelligence, and in that regard, it had been a success.
A heavy silence fell over the group as they each mulled over their thoughts.
Finally, Hidan, unable to hold back any longer, broke the silence.
"Hey, hey, hey! Now that you're done talking, can someone put me back together already?
Don't act like I'm not here! Do you know how uncomfortable this is for me? Hurry up and fix me, damn it!"
Meanwhile, in a guesthouse for foreign visitors in Sunagakure...
"Sunagakure really pales in comparison to Konohagakure."
Sitting by the window, Kitagawa Minamoto gazed at the scenery outside and shook his head.
"True," Might Guy nodded in agreement.
"But their defenses are impressive. That canyon would be incredibly difficult to breach."
"Let's not get into hypotheticals. After so many years of war, none of the Five Great Shinobi Villages have ever been invaded," Kakashi remarked nonchalantly, lounging on the bed with a copy of Make-Out Paradise in hand.
"Besides, Sunagakure's location is strategic enough. At least they have access to multiple oases nearby, ensuring a steady water supply. Unlike us, who had to wander the desert for ages just to find one."
"But this place feels so desolate," Minamoto muttered, unable to hold back his complaint.
"It's even worse than Kirigakure."
"That's normal. We saw it ourselves yesterday," Kakashi replied, his interest piqued.
As a teacher, he rarely had opportunities to impart knowledge to his overly clever student, so he wasn't about to let this chance slip by.
"The Land of Wind may be vast, but its habitable areas are limited to regions around oases. They lack manpower and resources.
Even the daimyo provides minimal support, especially after their alliance with us."
"That's so short-sighted!"
Guy immediately understood Kakashi's point. Despite his seemingly simple demeanor, he was still a seasoned Jōnin.
"Sure, the alliance has eased external pressure for now, but this approach doesn't bode well for their future development."
"It's not our problem," Kakashi said with a shrug, stretching lazily before grinning.
"By the way, aren't you two planning to go out and explore a bit? Take in the sights of another village?"
"No interest."
Minamoto ran a hand through his white hair and patted the short blade on his back.
"I'm afraid I'll get mistaken for someone else again."
"..."
Kakashi clenched his fist, feeling an urge to punch his cheeky student.
"I'll stay in too. Training outside might cause trouble. I'll just do some light exercises here," Guy added, not wanting to be mistaken for a spy while running laps around the village.
"Alright then, Kakashi, let's spar!"
"No way. I'm injured right now," Kakashi refused flatly, but Guy wasn't about to let him off the hook.
"Exactly because you're injured, you need to exercise! A ninja must maintain the vigor of youth!"
"Wait, I'm seriously injured!"
"Wooden Leaf's medical system may be improving because of you, but I think your issues are more personal, Kakashi!"
"...??"
"Accept the power of youth, and you won't be so weak. Let's go!"
"Hey, stop! Put me down!"
As Kakashi's protests faded into the distance, Minamoto watched the two with a bemused expression.
"Such boundless energy. I hope Kakashi-sensei survives."
Shaking his head, Minamoto couldn't help but admire Guy's relentless vitality.
"Well, this gives me more time to study the Dragon Vein's Chakra."
Even though only a portion of the Dragon Vein's Chakra had entered his body, it had already shown remarkable effects.
It was steadily enhancing the Tailed Beast Chakra of both the Three-Tails and the Seven-Tails within him.
"Although the improvement to my eyes isn't significant, I can feel my bones absorbing Chakra more efficiently."
Clenching his fist, Minamoto could sense the changes in his body.
"And this acceleration... It's making my bloodline boil!"
Though the intensity wasn't overwhelming, it was consistent.
He didn't know how long this process would last, but he was certain that when it ended, his bloodline development would reach a new level.
"However, the faint traces of temporal power within the Dragon Vein... They're proving difficult to grasp."
In his memories, the Ōtsutsuki Clan often spoke of "space-time techniques" as rare abilities, yet nearly all of them seemed to possess at least one or two.
"Especially Urashiki. His mastery of space-time techniques was unparalleled."
But despite his immense strength, Urashiki had been foolish enough to get himself poisoned and ultimately defeated by Jiraiya and the others.
"Hmm?"
As Minamoto pondered, his System suddenly chimed.
[Side Quest Completed]
[We All Have a Bright Future]
[Reward Being Calculated]
Seeing the notification, Minamoto's mood brightened. Another task completed meant another reward to claim!
"Damn it..."
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rice Fields, the shattered corpse of Manda suddenly reappeared in a puff of smoke.
From within the wreckage, a white serpent with Orochimaru's head slithered out.
Glaring at Manda's lifeless body, still twisted in rage, Orochimaru's voice rasped with venomous fury.
"Danzō Shimura... You're dead!"
(End of Chapter)
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