Five years after the Night of the Nine-Tails, and two months after the battles between the nations of Fire, Lightning, Water, and Wind, the season had shifted to early summer.
Nighttime, Wind Country, the backyard of Mōrin Temple.
Inside the familiar house, Sōmi was lounging on the bed, legs crossed casually.
"Scorpion!"
"You've been staying here with me for over a month!"
"This place is so cramped; you've practically taken over the entire room!"
Sōmi glanced helplessly at Sasori, who was tinkering with puppet parts on the floor. The ground was scattered with numerous sealing scrolls.
Ever since Sasori learned of the passing of Sōmi's master, he had silently moved in to live with Sōmi.
During this time, Pakura had come to visit Sōmi as well. However, upon seeing Sasori sharing the same living space with Sōmi, her expression turned somewhat peculiar, and she left without much explanation.
At first, Sasori had indeed provided significant emotional support. He was an excellent listener, quietly absorbing everything Sōmi said and occasionally responding appropriately.
But now, more than a month had passed, and on the surface, Sōmi seemed to have fully returned to his usual self.
Yet Sasori showed no signs of leaving, sticking to Sōmi's side every single day.
After a while, Sasori finally stood up, packing the puppet parts into a sealing scroll. He yawned tiredly, walked over to the bed, and said flatly, "Move over, sleep on the inside."
"..."
Sōmi sighed and shifted his position reluctantly.
Lying back with his hands behind his head, Sōmi stared blankly at the ceiling.
Suddenly, Sasori spoke up.
"The world you've been describing these past few days is quite interesting."
"If it could really be achieved, peace wouldn't just be an empty promise."
"I'll walk this path with you, even if it means going all the way to the moon..."
"..."
"Sasori, that's unexpectedly sentimental of you," Sōmi chuckled lightly.
"Hm?!"
Sōmi's expression abruptly changed. His figure vanished from the bed in an instant.
Seeing Sōmi's reaction, Sasori immediately followed, his guard up.
The backyard, at a circular pit concealed by a barrier.
Inside the pit, an underground stream flowed with a soft, gurgling sound.
Suspended above the stream was a thick tree root, its tendrils sprawling like a dense beard, burrowing into the soil on either side.
At the center of the root's base, a faint blue glow shimmered, while its top had sprouted branches adorned with green leaves.
In the blink of an eye, Sōmi appeared at the edge of the pit, a steep cliff looming behind him.
"Ah, well, well..."
"It seems this barrier has an alert function."
"I didn't expect you to notice so quickly!"
Standing before Sōmi was none other than the Masked Man, who had once again suffered defeat at Sōmi's hands during the last war.
His tone remained as artificially deep as ever, as if everything was under his control.
Sōmi had no patience for this man. Without hesitation, he activated his Sage Crane Mode.
"Sōmi!"
"Who is this guy?!"
Sasori, who had arrived shortly after, wore a look of grave seriousness. The purple diamond-shaped mark on his forehead dissolved instantly, transforming into Senjutsu Chakra that began circulating through his body.
The single eye visible beneath the Masked Man's mask showed a flicker of surprise.
When did Sunagakure gain another individual capable of instantly entering Sage Mode?
And what was with the strange pattern on this red-haired guy's forehead?
"Wait!"
"I'm here this time with an earnest proposal for collaboration!"
Seeing the two hot-tempered individuals about to launch their attacks, the Masked Man hastily halted their impending assault.
Even though the red-haired man in Sage Mode wasn't a significant threat, Sōmi's space-sealing techniques were a major nuisance to the Masked Man.
For now, the Masked Man had no way to deal with Sōmi effectively.
"Collaboration?"
"What's the content and method of this collaboration?"
The moment the Masked Man appeared, Sōmi had already guessed that his visit likely involved Kakashi's Sharingan.
"We, the Land of Rain, plan to invade the Land of Earth."
"If our two nations form an alliance, we can divide the Land of Earth's territory after a successful conquest. What do you think?"
The Masked Man's proposal caught Sōmi off guard.
"The Land of Earth?"
"With just the Land of Rain? When?"
Sōmi's tone carried a hint of surprise. What kind of meetings were being held within the Akatsuki? How had their strategic direction shifted so drastically?
"It's not just the Land of Rain—it will be a joint effort between the Lands of Wind and Rain."
"As for the timing, of course, it won't be immediate. We still need some time to prepare."
"If you agree to the alliance, we can begin planning the operational strategy right away!"
The Masked Man's Sharingan had unknowingly shifted into its Mangekyō Sharingan form, enhancing his spatial awareness. He couldn't afford to be caught off guard again.
The memory of being bound mid-air and mocked by Zetsu was still fresh and humiliating.
"And if I refuse?"
Sōmi's eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous glint flashing within them.
Meanwhile, Sasori pulled out three sealing scrolls, ready to summon his puppets for battle.
"Heh..."
The Masked Man let out a low chuckle, his gaze dropping briefly.
"Your Sunagakure's irrigation system, with all its diverted waterways, relies entirely on sources in the Land of Rain."
"If I wanted to cut off those sources, it would be a simple task..."
Sōmi retracted his outwardly projected aura and gestured for Sasori to stand down.
"Fine!"
"What are the specific terms of this collaboration?"
Sōmi spread his hands, his demeanor as if nothing had happened.
"As long as you agree, everything else will fall into place. I'll contact you when the time comes," the Masked Man said with a sinister smile.
"Alright then. That's settled. Don't let me keep you any longer."
With that, Sōmi turned to leave, as if ready to head back to bed.
"Wait..."
"I heard you've collected quite a few Sharingan on the battlefield, is that true?"
The Masked Man spoke slowly, as though trying to conceal something.
But a sly smile played on Sōmi's lips. He paused and nodded in confirmation.
"Would you be willing to trade some of them with me?"
Finally, the Masked Man revealed his true purpose.
"Sure. What do you have to trade for them?"
Sōmi's tone was casual, almost indifferent.
This attitude wasn't surprising to the Masked Man. After all, for someone without a special constitution, possessing Sharingan was a significant burden.
For someone as powerful as Sōmi, ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan held little strategic value beyond serving as research material, unless they possessed unique Mangekyō Sharingan abilities.
"What do you want?"
The Masked Man pondered for a moment before throwing the question back.
"How many Sharingan do you want?"
Sōmi's tone remained nonchalant.
"All of them," the Masked Man replied, his voice suddenly firm.
"Oh..."
"Then how about you trade me the Rinnegan from your Akatsuki organization or your own Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Sōmi chuckled mockingly, as if ridiculing the Masked Man's overreaching ambition.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/GoldenLong