After a friendly discussion between the two, the culprit was finally identified as Kakuzu.
Hmm, as the leader of the Integration Movement, attacking the daimyo's army—wasn't that exactly what he was supposed to do?
Quite reasonable.
As for how to transport the surviving civilians to Konohagakure, that was also simple.
Don't forget, there was still someone in Konohagakure whom Takeshi trusted deeply—the first and only person who knew of the Integration Movement's existence and facilitated its actions.
Exactly, Uchiha Obito.
Takeshi just needed to write a letter to Kakuzu; the rest would naturally be handled by him.
However, this operation could only save a dozen or so people.
To save the entire Country of Rice, he would need to use his wisdom properly…
Soon, Takeshi came up with a good idea.
For the civilians of the Country of Rice, why not kill the daimyo?
Takeshi seriously considered whether this was feasible.
After all, in this country, there didn't seem to be any real threats.
Stretching his wrist, Takeshi carried the thought of going to the daimyo's residence to scout the weapons around him and left his hiding place.
Then, in the distance, he saw a signal flare shoot straight up and explode in the sky.
Because it was daytime, the sparks from the flare were not very conspicuous, but he still recognized it as a signal flare from Konohagakure.
...
Outside the Ōtsutsuki ruins, Sarutobi Shinte was awkwardly hiding behind a large rock that barely served as cover. Beside him, Shimura and Myō were sprawled on the ground, motionless.
Outside the cover, Aburame Shinge lay prone, blood from his wounds spilling rapidly toward their side.
Shimura Myō curled up, covering the wound on her arm with her hand, not daring to make a sound.
As the youngest jonin in the team, she had already exerted her utmost to launch the signal flare. The battle ahead was no longer her concern.
A hole was shot through the giant rock; the arrow pierced it, almost grazing Sarutobi Shinte's cheek.
The invisible enemy was probing his position!
Realizing this, Sarutobi Shinte gritted his teeth. Looking at the incapacitated Shimura Myō, he knew that as the team leader, he had to act.
At the very least, he needed to preserve one young spark for the team.
Thinking this, Sarutobi Shinte no longer hesitated. He summoned a shadow clone, letting it jump out of cover first, then followed himself. Together, they rushed toward a smaller rock.
The shadow clone was hit by an arrow the moment it leapt out, turning to smoke and disappearing.
Sarutobi Shinte himself was shot through the left leg just a second before reaching the new cover.
"Damn, that speed is incredible!"
Sarutobi Shinte felt despair. Could such a bow-drawing speed really be humanly possible?
After over twenty years of struggling on the border, he never expected to die on a rescue mission.
The four of them were a temporary team, united only by their service in border units near the Country of Rice.
Konohagakure and Iwagakure, both near the Country of Rice, had received an emergency message from Kumogakure, asking them to investigate newly discovered Ōtsutsuki ruins in the Country of Rice and search for a team of over forty soldiers.
After entering the Country of Rice, this team had lost contact with Kumogakure.
Before departure, they had complained that the higher-ups were overreacting, thinking such a mission didn't require four jonin. Now, it seemed the leadership had been conservative.
Even if the Hokage were here, under a surprise attack, survival wouldn't be guaranteed.
A kilometer away, Lust drew her bowstring, ready to give Sarutobi Shinte the final blow.
"How boring, these ninjas are just fragile toys."
Lust's Byakugan had long seen through the scene behind the rock; the previous adjusted shot was merely to add a bit of fun, deliberately leaving hope for the opponent.
"Are you the one who shot me not long ago?"
Just as Lust was about to release, Takeshi's voice sounded from behind her.
Impossible!
The moment the voice came, Lust saw Takeshi's figure behind her through the Byakugan.
In other words, he had almost instantly located her position and appeared behind her.
Such terrifying speed—too fast even for the Byakugan to detect.
The last person to surprise her this way had been Obito with Kamui.
Surprised as she was, Lust twisted her upper body, shooting arrows at Takeshi.
Takeshi mobilized natural energy and threw a punch.
The punch shattered the arrows formed by Yin-Yang Release and cut some flesh from Lust's waist.
"Ugh…"
In pain, Lust drew two more arrows, stringing and shooting them at incredible speed.
Takeshi stepped forward. As she strung the bow, he rushed to her side, dodged the arrows with a tilt, and kicked her off the high cover.
The force of the kick shattered Lust's pelvis.
If she weren't a human-made being from Ōtsutsuki cells, she would probably have been split in two.
Her broken bones began to heal automatically. Lust, though confused by how this kid had become so formidable in less than a year, instinctively sensed the danger.
"Senjutsu: White Surge Technique!"
Seeing Lust ready to string another arrow, Takeshi unleashed Senjutsu from Ryūchi Cave.
...
The white light and vibrations rendered Lust unable to maintain posture, letting the technique shake her body.
Takeshi, mastering natural energy, ignored the effect and quickly approached the freely falling Lust.
"Damn kid!"
Usually calm, Lust could no longer control her emotions. By feel, she stuck her longbow into the nearby rock wall to control her fall.
Takeshi formed hand seals midair, turning the rock Lust was on into spikes, stabbing at her.
The White Surge had just dissipated. Lust, unable to react, was struck and sent flying downward again.
Seeing this, Lust no longer defended. Blood flowing from mouth, nose, and eyes, she only wanted to kill Takeshi.
Five consecutive arrows.
Five arrows shot at the same spot, all aiming for Takeshi's face.
No matter how skilled, he couldn't dodge five continuous attacks.
Lust showed a grim smile, thinking victory would be hers.
A flash of steel.
Lust didn't see what happened next, plunged into darkness.
In a moment, Takeshi had slashed eight times.
The White Fang imbued with wind chakra and natural energy not only cut the incoming arrows but also blinded Lust's Byakugan.
Blood streamed from her eyes. Feeling the heat and sudden pain, she realized her eyes were destroyed.
Why? She should have been faster.
But why was the result so unexpected?
Lust couldn't understand how someone she had shot in the legs could defeat her with such thunderous power.
Having witnessed Sloth's death, she had anticipated that Takeshi could kill her.
She expected a fierce battle, ending in her defeat. But reality completely contradicted this.
The space-time rift—yes, she still had the rift.
Lust tried to open it with chakra, swinging her right hand.
The rift didn't open.
Her arm flew off.
I see, it's over.
Lust opened her mouth. Her head detached and fell into Takeshi's hands.
"Senjutsu: Inorganic Rebirth."
The ground rose, stopping at a height that allowed Takeshi to land safely.
Lust's headless body continued to fall, hitting the ground with a "thud," embedding itself.
"It's over, you despicable sneak."
Grabbing Lust's hair, Takeshi gave a final look at the one who had once humiliated him and disdainfully sealed her in a scroll.
Hmm, there were two surviving from Konohagakure. Time to check.
Sarutobi Shinte and Shimura Myō didn't know what had happened outside.
The pressure from Lust had been overwhelming, and the battle was kilometers away. Until it ended, they didn't dare peek, only wondering why the archer hadn't delivered the final blow.
Nervousness made them miss the sound of Takeshi altering the terrain with Senjutsu.
Shimura Myō hesitated whether to risk herself to scout information for Sarutobi Shinte. Suddenly, a figure appeared, prompting her to swing her intact arm instinctively.
"Calm down, I'm not the enemy."
Takeshi easily blocked her strike and began healing her.
"You… are you the Fifth Hokage?"
Shimura Myō, recognizing Takeshi, first froze, then quickly tried to push him away: "No, please leave, it's dangerous here!"
Her voice drew Sarutobi Shinte's attention. He noticed Takeshi and, despite severe leg injuries, shouted while crawling out: "Be careful, Fifth Hokage!"
"Relax, don't worry. The enemies have been eliminated."
Their reactions made Takeshi smile and also touched him.
They acted to protect themselves.
"Eliminated?"
Sarutobi Shinte couldn't believe it.
How long had it been since the arrows stopped, and the Fifth Hokage had already destroyed the enemy, not just defeated them?
Shimura Myō opened her mouth wide in shock.
She and Takeshi were peers, yet the gap between them was as if separated by centuries.
"All right, rest for a moment. You're Sarutobi Shinte, right? Tell me in detail what happened."
After healing their wounds, Takeshi began asking what had occurred in Konohagakure during this time.