"Damn it, still no news?"
In Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage's eyes blazed with anger as he stared at Darui, who could only nod helplessly.
"There's still no news. Perhaps they've encountered some issues, or maybe..."
Darui dared not finish his sentence, but everyone knew what was happening.
"Raikage-sama, according to the intelligence, Orochimaru attempted to steal the secret treasure of the Land of Wind, leading to a massive explosion."
C, standing nearby, spoke with a hint of helplessness. At times like this, saying something was unavoidable.
"It's said the treasure was destroyed, and Orochimaru was severely injured. The impact was widespread, so it's hard to say..."
"Orochimaru, another one from Konohagakure? Are they all dead?"
The Fourth Raikage was barely containing his fury. This situation was hard for him to accept.
"What's happening in Konohagakure now? Sunagakure seems to have signed a new agreement with them?"
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
C glanced at Darui, noticing his laziness kicking in again, and spoke softly.
"They were already allies, and with that mysterious organization causing such a commotion in the Land of Wind, they surely won't let it slide."
Not only Sunagakure but Kumogakure had no intention of letting it slide either.
One targeted the Akatsuki, the other targeted Konohagakure.
"Raikage-sama, what should we do now?"
C looked at the silent Fourth Raikage and quickly turned to Samui, who had remained quiet. Only then did Samui speak.
"Should we continue investigating that mysterious organization, or try to contact them? And what about Konohagakure..."
"Hmph, a bunch of rogue ninja gathered together as a rat pack organization. Keep an eye on them and see what they're up to."
The Fourth Raikage had no trust in rogue ninjas, especially since their village rarely produced any.
"As for Konohagakure, the joint Chūnin Exams will be held there next year. I'll personally go over, so before that..."
At this point, the Fourth Raikage hesitated, his pride holding him back.
But a glance at his empty left arm, along with memories of a speed rivaling Minato Namikaze and the demeanor of Tobirama Senju, made him sigh coldly.
"If you encounter Kitagawa Minamoto, you may abandon the mission without penalty. But for everyone else, make sure to repay them double. Understand?"
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
"It seems this mission was a complete success."
In Konohagakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe as he looked at the scroll in his hand, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Deepening our alliance with Sunagakure is certainly a good thing. Thank you for your hard work, Kakashi, Guy."
"It's our duty."
Kakashi and Guy bowed slightly. Sunagakure had faced disturbances from the Akatsuki, even meddling with the Dragon Vein, which naturally raised their concerns.
Moreover, having encountered a stingy daimyo, they made some compromises to ensure future safety.
Even if they only expressed an intention, the rest needed to be negotiated by Konohagakure's professionals, but it was enough.
"Besides that, we've mostly confirmed that Danzō's intelligence was fairly accurate, though this time the situation seemed odd."
After his initial joy, Hiruzen couldn't help but frown.
"The Akatsuki's performance this time seemed lacking compared to before, more like a probe against us."
"Indeed, Minamoto felt the same way."
Kakashi nodded seriously, his expression stern.
"We didn't encounter Itachi Uchiha or Obito Uchiha, nor Jiraiya-sama's two disciples, and this time there were people from Kumogakure involved. Could it be..."
"Perhaps Kumogakure is probing us as well."
Hiruzen furrowed his brow and could only conclude this way.
"Kumogakure must be handled carefully. As for the Akatsuki, we've gathered some intelligence on them, which is beneficial to us."
The Akatsuki's secrets were no longer a complete mystery to Hiruzen and his team.
Even though many details remained unclear, such as whether they had a main base or how they intended to alter the world's balance, these were subject to discussion. But they had a general understanding of the personnel.
"Perhaps we could attempt to unite other ninja villages for a siege against them."
The Akatsuki's situation was too troublesome. Not only were they powerful, but their ideas were extremely dangerous.
Even if their exact plans were unknown, just their rogue ninja status was enough to provoke some villages into action!
"Are you sure about this?"
Kakashi frowned, not opposing the idea but feeling it was risky.
"Will the other villages cooperate? And what about Jiraiya-sama..."
"Don't worry, I said it's just a trial. We'll discuss it after solidifying things with Sunagakure."
Hiruzen chuckled, unsure if this plan would work, merely suggesting it as an idea.
"As for Jiraiya, I'll speak with him. But speaking of which, why hasn't he arrived yet?"
Hiruzen checked the time. He had sent someone to find Jiraiya after Kakashi returned, but the meeting was almost over, and Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen.
Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it and continued speaking.
"Alright, enough of this. You've worked hard. Go rest. By the way, did you make any progress this time?"
"Hmm?"
"At least none of you ended up in the hospital this time, right?"
"..."
Seeing Hiruzen's bright smile, Kakashi took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.
At least he wasn't recuperating in Konohagakure.
"Hokage-sama."
Just as they wrapped up their conversation, an ANBU member rushed in urgently.
"What's the matter?"
Hiruzen felt a sudden jolt, instinctively clutching his chest.
He had encountered such situations many times and was now quite apprehensive.
"Jiraiya-sama caused trouble at the hot springs, then ran into Tsunade-sama, and they had a confrontation..."
"..."
"Now, Jiraiya-sama is in the hospital."
"..."
"You're too wicked, aren't you?"
At Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto spoke up while eating his noodles.
"I was waiting for him to finish peeping so he could teach me, and then you did this?"
"Don't worry, the Pervy Sage is tough-skinned; he'll be fine."
Minamoto replied nonchalantly, then smiled at Naruto.
"You should worry about yourself. After all, it was 'you' who got him into trouble!"
"You're always causing me trouble..."
Naruto lowered his head, not wanting to speak. Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to such things over the years; it was just a minor issue for him.
Besides, the Pervy Sage was easy to deal with. At worst, he could use Shadow Clone combined with the Sexy Technique to put on a good show tomorrow.
"Hey, what do you call the combination of Shadow Clone and Sexy Technique?"
"Oh, he taught you that technique?"
"Tch, it's my talent. Don't talk about that; help me think of a name."
"Harem Technique, isn't it obvious?"
"Huh? How do you know it so well?"
"Tch." Seeing Naruto's incredulous face, Minamoto raised an eyebrow.
"Also, Naruto, it's not good to keep asking me about developing techniques. Why don't you let Hokage-sama evaluate it for you?"
"Huh?"
Naruto was stunned, hesitating.
"That technique isn't suitable for Hokage-sama, is it?"
"You forgot? Didn't I tell you to respect your elders?"
"Weren't you tricking me that time?"
"But was the reasoning wrong? Besides, Hokage-sama is a ninjutsu expert; his evaluation is more valuable than anyone's. And I have a secret to tell you."
"What is it?"
"The Pervy Sage's teacher is Hokage-sama, and their personalities are somewhat similar."
Saying this, Minamoto flashed a mysterious smile and said no more.
But Naruto's eyes lit up, and he seemed to be contemplating the feasibility of this idea.
"Minamoto-senpai? Oh, Naruto, you're here too?"
Just as Naruto was deep in thought, a voice came from behind. Turning around, he saw it was Ino and Sakura.
"Oh, it's you guys. Here for ramen too?"
Minamoto turned and greeted them. Naruto perked up upon seeing Sakura, while Ino smiled and spoke.
"No, we were just passing by and saw Minamoto-senpai, so we came to say hello. Speaking of which, Minamoto-senpai hasn't bought flowers from us in a while."
"Thanks to Naruto, he often waters the flowers for me when I'm away."
Minamoto glanced at Naruto.
"And lately, missions have been going well, with no one getting hurt. Besides, with Tsunade-sama in the village, even if someone ends up in the hospital, they'll be out soon."
"Indeed, everyone feels reassured with Tsunade-sama back."
Ino's face beamed with a smile. As a member of the Yamanaka clan, she naturally knew of Tsunade. But her expression soon turned peculiar.
"But I heard Tsunade-sama put someone in the hospital earlier."
"?!"
"That guy was so despicable, peeping at the hot springs. It's just unforgivable!"
"..."
"Tsunade-sama was too lenient."
"..."
Listening to Ino's words, Minamoto and Naruto exchanged a silent glance, seeing the awkwardness and disbelief mirrored in each other's eyes.
Yet neither dared voice any opposition.
"Ino..."
After a while, Minamoto sighed.
"Prepare a bouquet for me tomorrow, will you?"
"Huh?"
Ino was surprised, but Minamoto was already getting up.
"For visiting a senior. Thanks for your help."
"Oh, okay."
Ino nodded, and Minamoto immediately paid and left, feeling he couldn't stay any longer.
"I'll take my leave then."
"Safe travels, senpai."
Ino and Sakura were polite, but as they watched Minamoto's departing figure, their expressions turned curious.
"Naruto."
Sakura turned to Naruto curiously.
"Do you know what's going on?"
"Don't, don't ask me!"
Naruto shook his head vigorously.
"I don't know anything, don't ask me!"
"..."
While Naruto was left in a bind, Minamoto had already teleported home using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Returning home, Minamoto felt a special sense of comfort. He even considered waiting at home when faced with a tough enemy, letting them tire out before confronting them!
"But who would have thought Kakashi survived Sunagakure, only for Jiraiya to end up in the hospital upon returning?"
Rubbing his temples, Minamoto felt troubled. It seemed he was encountering a streak of bad luck.
Every mission seemed to involve the Akatsuki, and afterward, someone invariably ended up in the hospital.
"Who's the unlucky one here?"
Unable to figure it out, Minamoto decided not to dwell on it and turned his attention to his own situation.
"Now that I've decided not to hold back anymore, I need to acquire some things first."
His mission in the Land of Wind had yielded significant rewards.
Not only did he test the power of the "Moonlight Cannon" for the first time, but he also obtained part of the Dragon Vein. As for the rest, he could easily retrieve it using the Flying Thunder God Technique!
"The only regret is that Rasa won't let us meet Gaara. Compared to Konohagakure, they're far behind, and..."
[Side Quest Completed]
[We All Have a Bright Future]
[Reward: Self-Reincarnation Technique]
Looking at the reward, Minamoto experienced a mix of delight and dismay!
The effect of the Self-Reincarnation Technique was undeniable, but its core was "equivalent exchange."
"Life for life—does this principle apply to the Ōtsutsuki?"
Minamoto pondered, feeling that for a lifeform like the Ōtsutsuki, reviving someone shouldn't require sacrificing life.
After all, the Ōtsutsuki's vitality was no joke!
"But without anyone to test it on, I dare not risk it."
Minamoto wouldn't dare use the technique recklessly, at least not now. Unless his bloodline development reached a sufficient level, he'd only consider using White Zetsu for experimentation.
"But now my strength should allow me to search for those divine weapons, right?"
Minamoto hadn't forgotten the information he received after his first encounter with Itachi Uchiha.
He hadn't acted on it because he felt his strength was lacking, and he had no means to leave the village unnoticed.
But now things were different. With the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could freely enter and exit Konohagakure, and his vast Chakra reserves allowed him to sustain Shadow Clones for extended periods.
This was more than enough for him to venture out alone. Besides, he'd been eyeing the monk Sora from the Fire Temple and the Nine-Tails Chakra within him!
"So, once the village matters settle, I'll head out. I can also test the Self-Reincarnation Technique and explore the Yin-Yang release I obtained from Obito Uchiha."
Having sorted out these thoughts, Minamoto slowly closed his eyes. In an instant, all of Chiyo's research steps, experiences, and other details about the Self-Reincarnation Technique flooded his mind.
Not only that, but even the usage method of the technique and aspects Chiyo hadn't uncovered were continuously merging in his mind.
Minamoto felt his mind itch, but gradually his expression turned peculiar.
When everything finally settled, and he fully absorbed the knowledge from Chiyo and the System, he opened his eyes in disbelief.
Then, he gently raised his hand.
Buzz—
In the next moment, black and gold Chakra specks appeared on his hand!
Seeing these two forces, he couldn't help but murmur.
"Is this even possible?"
(End of Chapter)
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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