Chapter 113 – The Poisoned Path
The desert wind blew hard against them, warm and sharp like the breath of a giant. Hajime, Naruto, and Sakura stood at the border of Sunagakure. The huge walls of the village loomed in the distance, rising from the endless sand like a fortress carved into the world itself.
Hajime's presence was impossible to ignore. With his huge stature and in his gleaming silver war armor, glowing red lenses in his helmet, and carrying weapons of war strapped to his back, he looked more like a walking statue than a man. Each step he took left deep prints in the sand.
They didn't even get close to the gate when a patrol of Suna shinobi appeared. The sand around them shifted, and several figures dropped from nearby dunes and rocky ledges, weapons at the ready.
"Halt!" one of the guards called. "Identify yourselves!"
Naruto stepped forward, raising a hand. "We're from Konoha! I'm Uzumaki Naruto. This is Haruno Sakura. And that—" he pointed his thumb toward Hajime "is Hajime!"
The Suna guards tensed. All eyes locked on Hajime, and more than one hand moved closer to a kunai. His power was hard to read, but it was clear he was someone dangerous.
The patrol leader paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned Hajime from head to toe. Then his eyes widened slightly.
"Hajime... That's the one. The one who destroyed the Kumo border force two years ago and took down the Two-Tails," he whispered to another guard. "The one who killed Danzo."
They relaxed, but only slightly.
"You're the Hokage's student?" the leader asked carefully.
Hajime nodded. "We're here to help."
"Come with us. Quickly."
The patrol led them through the checkpoint and into the village. People stared as they passed, eyes wide. Hajime drew the most attention, not just because of his size, but because of the quiet strength in his stride. Even without drawing a weapon or saying a word, he made people stop and stare.
They were taken to a side building near the central tower, a medical wing.
Inside, the air was thick with tension. Several healers rushed between beds and scrolls. In one corner lay Kankuro, pale, drenched in sweat, his breath weak and shallow.
Standing beside him was an elderly woman with strong, sharp eyes: Chiyo of the Sand.
She didn't even glance at the newcomers at first, until her gaze landed on Hajime.
"You…" she muttered.
Naruto blinked. "Huh?"
Chiyo stepped forward, narrowing her eyes. "Tsunade's student. You're the one they talk about. A giant in armor. The one who destroyed the Root, and defeated the Kumo army in the north."
Hajime didn't answer. He simply looked at the bed, then at Kankuro.
Chiyo's voice was rough. "Sasori did this. My grandson. His poison is more dangerous than ever. I've tried everything. Nothing is working."
She turned toward Hajime. "Can you help?"
Hajime gave a small glance to his side.
Sakura stepped forward. "Let me try."
She knelt beside Kankuro, opening her medical pouch and pulling out tools with calm hands. Her eyes were focused, determined.
"The poison… it's attacking the chakra network directly," she murmured. "Very targeted. He wanted this to be slow… painful."
She pulled out a thin chakra scroll, placing it gently over Kankuro's chest. As chakra readings appeared on the paper, she narrowed her eyes and took out three small vials.
Chiyo watched silently.
Sakura poured drops from each vial into a small bowl, mixing them with a little of her own chakra. The liquid glowed a soft blue.
She carefully injected it into Kankuro's arm.
Then, placing both hands above his chest, she channeled healing chakra.
The green light of medical jutsu pulsed softly.
The room held its breath.
One of the Suna medics gasped. "His pulse… it's stabilizing!"
Another leaned in. "Breathing returning to normal."
Chiyo's lips parted slightly, surprised. "That's… the work of someone trained by Tsunade."
Sakura pulled back slightly, exhaling. "He'll be okay. He needs rest, but the poison is neutralized."
The medics quickly moved in to support Kankuro's recovery.
Chiyo gave Sakura a nod. "You've done well, girl. You've done better than I could've expected."
Sakura smiled faintly. "Thank you."
After a moment of silence, Hajime spoke. "Now. Gaara."
Chiyo looked up. "We believe the Akatsuki went northwest. But we've lost track of them."
"Leave it to me," Hajime said.
He stepped back, planting the butt of his halberd into the ground.
"I'll use space-time ninjutsu."
Sakura just crossed her arms. She already knew Hajime could do far more than that.
Of course, it wasn't traditional space-time jutsu. Hajime's teleportation was a fusion of psychic perception and Flying Thunder God principles. But there was no need to explain that to them.
He closed his eyes.
The world blurred around him.
His perception spread, like light through a lens, across the entire desert. Chakra patterns flickered in his mind like sparks in the dark.
He found it, far above the desert, flying fast.
A large clay bird flapped through the sky. Deidara was atop it, smirking as always. Sasori sat inside his puppet body, cold and still.
Below, two other figures moved, Kisame and Itachi.
But…
"Clones," Hajime said quietly. "They're just distractions."
He pushed his mind further.
Then he saw it: a hidden cave buried in a mountain range, surrounded by dry cliffs. Inside, he felt heavy chakra seals. The real destination.
"That's where they're going."
He opened his eyes and turned to the others.
"Everyone, hold on. I'll bring us there."
Naruto stepped beside him, fists clenched. Sakura and Chiyo grabbed his arm.
The space around them twisted, folding in like paper.
In a single blink
They were gone.
And in the next
They reappeared inside the cave.
The walls were rough stone, but smooth at the center where the seal had been placed. Symbols glowed faintly. Hajime could feel Gaara's fading chakra ahead.
He unslung his halberd, the blade humming faintly with psychic charge.
"We wait," he said.
Far above, wings beat against the air.
The Akatsuki were coming.
But this time, they were walking into a trap.