Because premature birth might lead to developmental delays, Seiki decided to stay in Sunagakure for two full months before leaving, just to take care of Gaara's health.
At the village's main gate, it wasn't just Kazekage present; a dense crowd had gathered as well.
"Seiki, I'm truly, deeply grateful!" Rasa said, his voice full of emotion. "The wisest decision I ever made was proposing that idea to the Third Hokage during the Chunin Exams!"
If at first he may have had ulterior motives for trying to win Seiki's favor, now his gratitude comes straight from the heart.
Without Seiki, he could've lost Karura forever. Every time he thought about this possibility, chills of fear and anxiety ran through him.
"The people of Sunagakure have all been so warm and welcoming—it's felt like my second home here. And I'm very thankful for everyone's care," Seiki smiled in response.
As his words faded, cheers erupted from the crowd on both sides.
"Master Seiki, we should be thanking you for teaching our children!"
"My family's child also greatly benefited from your guidance!"
"Teacher Seiki, please do visit us again someday!"
Behind Seiki, the three young ones were moved. For them, who had never been to school, those six months were incredibly valuable memories.
Beneath their gratitude, they mostly felt pride swelling inside them—they couldn't believe someone like Teacher Seiki had won so much respect in another village!
...
In a small valley, a hundred-odd people were crammed together in complete disarray.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, "He's coming! That man finally appeared!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than vicious cheers echoed through the valley.
"That bastard actually dared to leave! Does he even remember he belongs to Konoha?"
"Damn it! Does he know how long we've been waiting here, suffering endlessly?"
They had some awareness of Seiki's standing in the shinobi world. To avoid leaks, after their initial failure, they had remained in this valley for two months, taking care of all daily needs—eating, sleeping, even relieving themselves—right here.
As for food purchases and intelligence gathering, one person would be chosen to go out each time, marked with dozens of Cursed Seals. Once he returned safely, the seals would be removed.
This meant that within just two months, the entire valley had already become unbearably foul—as smelly as a toilet, to the point even these rogue ninja struggled to tolerate it.
But for Kakuzu, his pain came from an entirely different source.
"Two damn months! You have any idea what I've gone through these past two months?!" Kakuzu growled, furious. He hadn't dared ease up on watching Sunagakure for even a second these last two months—that means zero income, got it?!
"I'll make sure to collect every penny of what I've lost from you!"
As Kakuzu seethed, the leader of the rogue ninjas approached. "Lord Kakuzu, when shall we strike?"
Their willingness to target Seiki stemmed partly from their origins in minor nations, where they lacked true understanding of powerful figures. Additionally, their sheer numbers gave them false confidence.
On the other hand, Kakuzu's legendary battle record had given them great confidence. To assassinate the First Hokage and still escape unscathed—such power, even if not matching Seiki Shimaseki's, must at least be close.
With a powerful expert backing them up and having the advantage in numbers, and the enemy bringing along three burdens, how could they not feel tempted by that ten-billion bounty?
Kakuzu took a deep breath, his expression unmoved despite the stench in the valley. "Wait a little longer. Once they approach the Land of Fire and let down their guard, that will be our moment to strike!"
...
A small village on the border of the River Country.
"We'll stay here for tonight!" Seiki said, glancing around.
"Yep!" The three others nodded in sync. Although they were eager to meet everyone back at the orphanage, they also knew that getting enough rest at night would keep them more energetic the next day.
After settling into a guesthouse, the rogue ninja who'd been secretly watching began their move.
"Perfect chance! Seiki Shimaseki has separated himself from those three brats!"
"Go capture those kids now!"
"Send some people to grab the innkeeper too! Given Seiki's personality, he definitely won't want to involve innocent people!"
Inside the room where Kabuto and the others stayed:
Kabuto's eyes cracked open slightly. "That sound... someone hiding outside?"
He was used to light sleep, stirring awake at the faintest sound.
Though unsure exactly how many people were out there or whether they were really targeting them, Kabuto never considered relying on himself alone.
He knew better than to try handling this alone—it'd only cause more trouble for his teacher!
In such situations, one should take action immediately—to report to the teacher!
No sooner had he made up his mind than Kabuto rolled off the bed, yanked Ren and Mist up, and bolted for the door.
However, just as he reached the doorway, he was flung back by an invisible wall.
"This is… a chakra barrier?" Kabuto's face turned serious.
The two girls sat bolt upright, eyes wide with alarm as they looked around.
Several shadows emerged from the corners of the room, chuckling coldly.
"You're sharp. Pity—it's far too late now!"
"Don't think about asking your teacher for help. We've set up a chakra barrier. No matter how loud things get here, he won't..."
Bang!
The room door suddenly flew open and the barrier shattered.
Seiki walked in as if entering empty space, smiling softly. "Won't what?"
The rogue ninja who had just leaped into the room trembled, fingers outstretched toward Seiki. "You—you—are you seriously him?"
The ninja suffering backlash from the broken barrier couldn't believe it either. "Even an army of fifty ninja shouldn't have broken through this barrier so quickly!"
With her teacher here, Ren's confidence surged back in an instant. "To stand a chance against our teacher, you'd at least need a barrier capable of blocking five hundred ninjas!"
"Five hundred?!" All the rogue ninja present stared wide-eyed. Even gathering five hundred ninja was tough for their respective Small Countries.
"You dogs sure have keen noses. I guess you've been tailing me ever since I left Sunagakure, huh?"
"Seiki Shimaseki sighed. 'If I want to keep things quiet later, I guess I'll just have to cut down a few folks today!'"
Hearing Seiki's sentence of death, the group of rogue ninja panicked.
"Wait! We're useful!"
"Yeah! Don't you wanna know who our backer is?"
A calm, soft smile appeared on Seiki's face. "Don't worry. I'll just read your souls myself."
At Seiki's words, the rogue ninja could only gulp nervously.
For them, [Soul-Reading Jutsu] seemed otherworldly, and even without understanding its specifics, they could sense the danger inherent in such an ability.
Just then, a panicked and urgent voice came from behind Seiki.
"Seiki Shimaseki, if you don't want these two men to die because of you, surrender now!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>