Information must never be leaked. The mission has already failed, so the only thing I can do now… is take the intel with me into the Pure Land! For Konoha!
"Eh?! Hey, don't be rash!"
Qingshan tried to stop him, but he hadn't expected the enemy to be so decisive. Without even a thought of survival, the Root ninja ended his own life in an instant—no hesitation, no chance given.
With all the enemies seemingly eliminated, the mission should have been complete. But staring at Godzilla and Kong, Qingshan sensed otherwise. He called out to Kakuzu and Deidara:
"Don't wander off yet. There's still someone here. Likely an opponent skilled in concealment jutsu—be on guard."
Concealment techniques—like Breath Suppression or Floating Jutsu—could erase the presence of one's body, hide the sound of a heartbeat or breath, and make detection nearly impossible.
Thanks to Qingshan's warning, the two snapped to alertness. As they scanned the area, they realized something was indeed off.
It was too quiet. Far too quiet. No insects. No rustling wind. As if time itself had been frozen, leaving behind only silence.
Deidara, still young and impatient, quickly lost his temper. "Oi! Don't tell me your senses are wrong. How could anyone still be here? This great artist doesn't have time to waste on your nonsense. We've finished the mission, so let's go already! Dragging things out is boring!"
Ninja skill was tied to both strength and experience. Unless blessed with extraordinary talent, someone of Deidara's age naturally lacked experience. His ability to sense hidden foes was practically nonexistent, and his patience even less so.
Kakuzu hissed coldly:
"Brat. Stop shouting. Look thirty steps ahead, to your left. What do you see?"
Deidara followed his gaze. "Huh? You don't mean—wait… a trap made with explosive tags? There is someone?!"
He was stunned. He hadn't expected to find proof of an enemy. His face hardened as he pulled out clay, ready to throw and detonate at a moment's notice.
Qingshan gestured toward Godzilla. "Go check it out. You're tougher than anything—they won't kill you."
With a roar, Godzilla thundered forward like a living tank, his massive body crashing recklessly through the ruins.
A shadow was forced out of hiding, leaping back and hurling three kunai before melting into the darkness again.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The kunai were swatted down, but once again the enemy had vanished.
Kong pounded his chest in mockery, roaring at Godzilla with disdain, as if saying: What a disgrace. You're making our monster clan look bad.
Naturally, Godzilla understood the insult. He fumed, stomping in rage, before charging forward once more, determined to flush the enemy out.
Kakuzu cast Qingshan a look—it couldn't be clearer. He was asking: Do we chase, or do we let it go? The mission was already complete; continuing could be a waste of time.
But if the enemy refused to retreat, then clearly they had another plan. That was reason enough to pursue.
Qingshan was intrigued. Who dared to remain? Root operatives were the most emotionless weapons in the shinobi world. They followed orders to the letter. They never stay behind unless it's intentional.
He nodded at Kakuzu. Under Deidara's surprised gaze, Qingshan climbed onto Kong's shoulders. The sight was bizarre, even painful to look at. Still, he ordered Kong to pursue Godzilla, chasing after the enemy's trail.
From the shadows beneath a tree, hidden from Godzilla's eyes, the figure quietly drew out kunai and explosive tags.
Facing a beast that massive was impossible for any normal person. And Kong, bare-chested with eight-pack abs gleaming, only made it clearer—his physical strength would be monstrous.
Godzilla, enraged again by Kong's taunts, flared with energy. His dorsal plates lit up, glowing with a dangerous radiance—his atomic breath was about to be unleashed.
Seeing this, Kakuzu froze in his tracks and immediately backed away with grim resolve.
"Why are we retreating again?!" Deidara shouted in confusion.
Stay here and die? Kakuzu thought bitterly. He'd once been on the receiving end of that devastating breath—he wasn't about to risk it again.
Kong hacked apart trees with his massive axe as he charged. A kunai flew through the air, but Kong gleefully split it with a single swing, sparks scattering in the air.
Qingshan's eyes sharpened. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the enemy's figure. "After them!" he barked.
Godzilla roared and gave chase. Kong, with Qingshan on his shoulders, was a step slower but soon followed with equal ferocity.
Kakuzu reluctantly kept pace, though he stayed at a safe distance behind Godzilla. Once burned, twice shy—he refused to risk another atomic blast.
Deidara formed a clay bird and leaped onto its back, laughing. "Heh! This great artist will take the lead!"
But the fleeing figure wasn't about to make it easy. Realizing the pursuit was closing in, they launched a jutsu toward the sky.
A Fire Release—B-rank level.
Qingshan made no move to help. Just a B-rank fire technique. Deidara could handle it alone.
Boom!
The fireball clashed against Deidara's clay insects mid-air, erupting in smoke and sparks.
Deidara's eyes gleamed with excitement. Now that he was sure the enemy was real, he hurled another batch of clay fleas. They hopped after the target, chasing relentlessly.
The enemy veered sharply, avoiding the blast radius just in time.
And in that instant, Qingshan caught a clear look at her face.
A woman. Draped in a cloak. Thick glasses resting on her nose. Her presence was refined, almost serene.
A name rose in Qingshan's mind.
The Wandering Shrine Maiden.
Yakushi Nonō.
Back when Konoha and Iwagakure clashed, Shimura Danzō had planted operatives in Iwa. One such pawn was Yakushi Nonō. After a failed mission, however, Danzō began to suspect her loyalty—and quietly plotted her elimination.