Chapter 3: Desert Encounter, Clash with Sasori!
The Land of Wind—a sea of rolling yellow sand as far as the eye could see.
It felt like a forbidden zone of life: howling winds, endless dunes, not a blade of grass or a single soul in sight.
Oborotsuki had thought he could handle it, but only after stepping into this true death desert did he understand the meaning of hell on earth.
"How much farther to the Land of Wind, Konan-senpai...?"
He weakly sucked the last drops from his nearly empty canteen through a straw.
Konan walked ahead in silence.
Even she was struggling with this infernal desert weather.
Blazing sun overhead, churning sand below.
Her clothes were caked in dust, her skin sticky with grime. For a woman, this was pure torture.
Seeing her quiet, Oborotsuki's mind turned.
"Water Style: Parasol Jutsu!"
He formed seals and unleashed a modified Waterfall Technique.
"?!"
Konan whipped around, stunned by the name.
From his palm, a stream of water shot skyward, spreading into a wide canopy of shimmering liquid above them—like a giant parasol.
It continuously rained fine mist downward, blocking the sun, absorbing excess heat, and keeping the sand and dust out.
The trick was simple: precise chakra control turned the explosive torrent into a gentle, sustained flow—drastically reducing consumption while achieving the desired effect.
Impressed by his ingenuity, Konan finally cracked a soft smile.
"It's still a long way. Don't drain all your chakra."
She said it sternly, but inside she was thrilled.
No more scorching sun or choking sand—nothing could feel better right now.
"Heh, no worries, Konan-senpai. I've got plenty of chakra."
He wasn't lying.
The Small Chakra Pill from yesterday's newbie package had boosted him by at least five hundred kards—nowhere near Hashirama's monstrous reserves, but more than enough for a small-scale sustained Water Style like this.
Konan glanced at him again, surprised.
"I've heard that many ninjas from Kirigakure in the Land of Water are born with massive chakra pools. Seems the rumors are true."
"Of course."
Oborotsuki puffed out his chest proudly.
Watching his cocky, eager grin, Konan chuckled and shook her head.
Handsome, charming, and surprisingly pleasant to work with—this mission was turning out far more enjoyable than expected.
"Got any water left?"
"Here you go, Konan-senpai."
He immediately handed her a full bottle.
Seeing her hesitate, he grinned. "Don't worry—these were filled from clean sources before we entered the desert. Not made with my Water Style."
Reassured, she accepted it and took a small sip.
Suddenly, her movement froze. Her gaze locked onto something far ahead in the swirling sandstorm.
"What's wrong, Konan-senpai?"
Noticing her tense expression, Oborotsuki instantly went on alert.
Following her line of sight, he spotted a faint figure approaching through the haze.
"Who's that...?"
He scanned the empty dunes around them.
Out here in the middle of nowhere, a lone stranger was highly suspicious.
"Stay sharp, Oborotsuki."
Konan warned quietly, drawing a kunai and fixing her eyes on the approaching silhouette.
Gradually, the figure became clear: a red-haired boy, maybe twelve or thirteen, with delicate, almost pretty features.
But something about his body seemed... off.
Traveling alone through the storm, Sasori of the Red Sand had already noticed the pair. A subtle, intrigued smile played on his lips as he walked toward them.
That guy...
Oborotsuki's brow furrowed the moment he recognized the face.
Sasori of the Red Sand!
What are the odds?
"That's our recruitment target."
Konan clearly had intel—she identified him instantly.
"You don't look like you're from the Land of Wind."
Sasori stopped in front of them, smiling as he spoke.
In truth, he was already prepared to strike.
He wasn't wandering the desert for fun—he was hunting for suitable "materials" to craft new human puppets.
"We are from the organization known as Akatsuki," Konan stated bluntly. "We invite you to join us."
Now it was Sasori's turn to pause.
He hadn't expected his prey to be seeking him.
"So you know who I am."
His gaze shifted from Oborotsuki to linger on Konan's face.
"But I'm not interested."
"Allow me to grant you eternal beauty through my perfect art instead."
His eyes turned ice-cold.
"Watch out, Konan-senpai!"
Sensing the killing intent, Oborotsuki shoved Konan aside and charged with his Decapitation Greatsword raised.
Konan, startled that he would shield her so recklessly, stared at his charging back—then her expression sharpened.
Countless white paper sheets burst from her body, rapidly forming a thick wall in front of Oborotsuki.
At that exact moment, a volley of poison needles sprayed from hidden mechanisms in Sasori's puppet body.
Puff-puff-puff-puff...
The paper barrier shattered almost instantly.
Simultaneously, Sasori deployed Hiruko, transforming into its full scorpion form. The metallic tail whipped forward like lightning toward Konan.
"Konan-senpai, dodge!"
Oborotsuki shouted, leaping back to try and intercept.
"Focus on yourself!"
Konan frowned, paper wings sprouting from her back as she shot into the sky in explosive retreat.