The atmosphere in Iwagakure's council hall was so oppressive it was suffocating.
The 75-year-old Ōnoki, hunched over, his cloudy eyes filled with anxiety. "You've all seen the battle between Pain and Shun. That Susanoo was over a thousand meters tall, capable of destroying several mountains with a single blow. What methods do you have to deal with such a monster? If we don't find a solution soon, Iwagakure will be flattened by him."
As soon as the topic was raised, the council hall fell into a dead silence.
An Iwa ninja, dressed in a grey Jonin uniform, pondered for a long time and said, "Tsuchikage-sama, Sasuke is on the front lines. If we capture him, give him some medicine, and find some women... within a few years, Iwagakure will also possess the Uchiha bloodline."
"Furthermore, as long as Sasuke is in our hands, we can use him to threaten Shun, preventing him from attacking the Land of Earth."
Ōnoki suddenly looked up, a glint of greed flashing in his cloudy eyes, like a hungry wolf spotting a fat piece of meat.
He pondered the suggestion, his breathing becoming rapid. "With such talent, Sasuke is practically Uchiha's prized possession. But what if it fails..."
He didn't finish his sentence, his tone softening again, clearly wanting the Sharingan but also fearing offending Shun.
"Shun cherishes this son greatly. If it fails, and that monster gets angry, our Iwagakure..."
He didn't finish, but it sent shivers down the spines of all the ninjas present. Everyone knew Shun's protective nature, capturing his son would have unimaginable consequences.
In the corner, an Anbu Jonin, with a pair of sinister eyes, suddenly interjected, "Tsuchikage-sama, rest assured. As long as we have Sasuke's descendants, Shun will have reservations if he seeks retribution."
Another Anbu Jonin added, "Recently, a large number of refugees have poured into the Land of Water's resettlement points. It's chaotic, perfect for hiding people. We'll send ten elite ninjas disguised as refugees, bringing paralyzing gas."
"This stuff is colorless and odorless. Just a touch can cause a Jonin to continuously lose Chakra and be unable to move for a short period, then we..."
Another Anbu Jonin supplemented, "According to intel, Sasuke personally distributes food to the refugees every day, with only two teammates by his side. It's a good opportunity to strike."
Ōnoki's fingers tapped lightly on the stone table, the "thump-thump" sound exceptionally clear in the dead silent council hall.
He hesitated for a full half-minute, greed and fear warring in his eyes. Ultimately, fear of the future outweighed everything.
"Alright. Kitsuchi, you lead the team personally. Remember, you must capture Sasuke alive. He is Iwagakure's hope."
Kitsuchi clenched his fists, his voice as deep as thunder. "I will bring Sasuke back to Iwagakure, unharmed."
—
Three days later, at the refugee resettlement point on the border of the Land of Water.
The autumn wind swept past, carrying withered grass and dust, the stirred sand grains hitting the canvas tents with a "rustling" sound.
The temporarily erected tents were arranged haphazardly, some canvas ripped with bowl-sized holes, barely patched with straw and rags. The cold wind seeped through the gaps, causing the cries of children and sighs of adults to emanate from within the tents.
Sasuke wore a dark blue ninja uniform, his silver forehead protector tied to his brow, yet it did not diminish his upright posture in the slightest.
He was handing a bag of food to a refugee leaning on a crutch. Even though the refugee was in rags and covered in dirt, he showed no trace of disdain.
"Thank you, Sasuke-sama."
A "refugee" dressed in tattered clothes took the food bag, a fawning smile on his face, and quickly gave a look to his companions nearby.
Those people immediately understood, slowly surrounding him, pretending to adjust the rags on their bodies, but their fingers secretly pressed on the gas pouches at their waists.
Sasuke's Three-Tomoe Sharingan suddenly narrowed, his pupils rotating rapidly in their sockets, like three spinning red lights.
These four people are suspicious.
Ordinary refugees, due to prolonged hunger, had shallow and rapid breaths, even with a faint, weak quality. But these four had steady, strong breaths, their chests rising and falling evenly, with the unique rhythm of ninja.
Moreover, beneath their cuffs, the edges of black ninja wrist guards were vaguely visible, still stained with a bit of unwashed mud, clearly having just come from the wilderness.
Sasuke sharply said, "Be careful, they might be spies!"
His right hand instantly pressed on the hilt of the Kusanagi Sword behind his back. The cold metallic touch calmed him somewhat, and Lightning Chakra began to condense in his palm, like a pulsating blue electric arc, ready to erupt at any moment.
Whoosh!
The foremost "refugee" suddenly moved. He violently crushed the gas pouch at his waist, and with a soft "hiss," a colorless, odorless gas, like smoke, instantly spread, enveloping a one-meter radius around Sasuke.
Sasuke felt a slight tingling sensation in his nasal cavity. Immediately after, his vision began to darken, his limbs felt heavy as lead, and the flow of Chakra became sluggish. He barely had the strength to even lift his hand.
"Oh no! It's poison gas!"
Sasuke was startled. He tried to retreat, but three "refugees" pounced on him, pinning his shoulders.
Their palms were rough and strong, their fingernails still stained with dirt, and their grip was so powerful it felt like they would crush his bones.
Seeing the plan succeed, an Iwagakure Jonin growled viciously. "Don't struggle! Come back to Iwagakure with us willingly, and you'll keep your life! If you dare to resist, you'll regret it!"
"Let go of Sasuke!"
A frantic shout suddenly cut through the chaos, like a clap of thunder exploding over the resettlement point.
Sakura, wearing a pink medical ninja uniform, her white apron still stained with green herbal juice, carrying a brown medical kit, rushed out from the innermost tent of the resettlement point.
Her pink hair was disheveled from running, a few strands sticking to her sweaty cheeks, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
She had been feeding medicine to a child with a fever, but hearing Sasuke's shout, she immediately grabbed her medical kit and rushed over.
Seeing Sasuke pinned to the ground, with the poison gas still lingering around him, Sakura's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up.
She quickly formed hand signs, her fingertips glowing with faint pink Chakra.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Two pink figures instantly appeared beside her, charging towards the Iwa ninja holding Sasuke down.
"Annoying woman! Get out of my way!"
An Iwagakure Jonin's body suddenly blurred into an afterimage, appearing behind Sakura using the Body Flicker Technique.
His fist, encased in hardened rock, smashed into Sakura's back.
Sakura felt a sharp pain in her back and was instantly sent flying by the immense force, crashing heavily into a pile of grain in front of her.
With a muffled "thud," the sack split open, spilling golden wheat everywhere. Some grains even splattered onto her face.
She clutched her chest, a sweet, metallic taste rising in her throat, and a mouthful of blood "pffft" out, staining the pink front of her uniform.
She tried to struggle to her feet, but the pain in her back made it difficult to even move a finger. She could only watch helplessly as the Iwa ninjas pulled out chains, about to shackle Sasuke's hands and feet.
"Sasuke! Sakura!"
Not far away, Naruto suddenly erupted with red Chakra, his hair standing on end, his blue pupils glowing with the Nine-Tails' red light, even the surrounding air became scorching hot.
He charged towards the Iwa ninjas, but was blocked by a tall figure in front of him—it was Kitsuchi of Iwagakure.
Kitsuchi stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes full of disdain. "Want to save Sasuke? You'll have to get past me first."
He quickly slammed his hands onto the ground, Chakra surging down his arms into the earth.
Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!
Rumble!
The ground suddenly shook violently, and three stone walls, over thirty meters high, rose from beneath the ground, like three towering small mountains, forming a triangular cage that trapped Naruto in the middle.
The stone walls were covered with sharp stone spikes, each as thick as a finger. A slight movement could result in being impaled.
Naruto condensed a blue Rasengan in his palm, Chakra spinning wildly, emitting a "buzzing" sound.
He slammed the Rasengan into the stone wall, creating a deafening "thud." Stone fragments continuously fell from the wall, but only shallow marks were left.
"Sasuke! I'll buy you time! Hold on! Don't let them take you!"
Just then, the "Sasuke" who was pinned to the ground suddenly turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared. It turned out that this was just a Shadow Clone.
The three Iwa ninjas holding "Sasuke" instantly froze, their triumphant smiles stiffening, replaced by utter astonishment.
"How is this possible? This was a Shadow Clone? Where's the real one?"
Sasuke, hiding behind a nearby grain pile, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan rotating in his eye sockets, quickly scanned the surroundings.
He had already sensed that the four people were suspicious. The second before the poison gas spread, he had quietly created a Shadow Clone, while his real body hid using the grain pile for cover.
"Want to catch me? It's not that easy."
He looked at Naruto, trapped by the stone walls, and then at Sakura, lying on the ground, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Kitsuchi, hiding in the shadows, saw "Sasuke" turn into a Shadow Clone, and his face instantly turned ashen. He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging into his palms until blood was drawn.
"Damn it! I was tricked by this kid! The real body must still be nearby. Search for him! Even if you have to turn the entire resettlement point upside down, find Sasuke!"
The Iwa ninjas immediately dispersed, holding Kunai, and began searching everywhere in the resettlement point.
Tents were overturned, grain sacks were pushed down, and refugees screamed in fear, hiding in corners. The entire resettlement point instantly became chaotic.
An Iwa ninja grabbed Sakura's hair and crushed her right arm. "Sasuke, if you don't come out now, I'll kill her!"
Sasuke slowly drew his Kusanagi Sword, his Chakra surging. "These Iwa ninjas are truly despicable."