After arriving at the place where they would be staying, Naruto laid down on the comfortable large bed. Just as he was about to enjoy a moment of peace, a system prompt sounded in his mind.
[It is detected that the host has stayed in Sunagakure for one hour. Sign-in successful. Reward: Puppet Technique!]
[Puppet Technique: This technique allows for the manipulation of puppets and even corpses in combat. With high proficiency, it can also be used to control enemy's puppets or people.]
A familiar yet unfamiliar memory appeared in Naruto's mind. He felt his body's Chakra Pathway becoming more resilient, and his Chakra Control becoming even more precise.
Chakra Threads were essentially a form of precise Chakra Control, and learning the Puppet Technique allowed Naruto to refine his use of Ninjutsu even further.
"Controlling people? Now that's interesting."
Naruto didn't think too much about controlling puppets.
After all, techniques like the Eight Gates and Bijudama were far superior to puppets.
Though the Weapon Blessing could enhance the power of puppets, creating powerful ones would take a lot of time and effort. Given the current situation, Naruto wasn't keen on focusing on puppets.
After closing the system panel, Naruto lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed uneventfully, and the next day, when Naruto woke up from his sleep, the sun was already high in the sky. It was obvious that he had overslept again.
After freshening up, Naruto stepped outside. But after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped. Using his Observation Haki, Naruto sensed a presence, one that felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
It was a strange feeling. He hadn't seen this person, but it felt like he had encountered them before.
Without hesitation, Naruto formed hand seals and used the Subterranean Voyage to sneakily move underground.
But as he got closer, Naruto saw intertwined roots.
'This is a desert… how could there be trees here?'
A series of thoughts flashed through Naruto's mind, and then the key realization struck him.
'These weren't trees at all. It was the familiar yet unfamiliar presence!'
'Zetsu!'
With this realization, Naruto didn't dare to linger. He quickly used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport away.
If he were to run into Zetsu head-on, things would get difficult to explain. After all, now wasn't the time to confront him.
Naruto's eyes shifted, and he appeared before Gaara using the Flying Thunder God's mark.
"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"
Noticing the tension in Naruto's expression, Gaara guessed that something had happened.
Naruto spoke urgently, "There's no time to explain. Just do as I say. Head southwest to the two-story building with a yellow flag. There are people from my organization there spying. To protect my identity, pretend you discovered him and eliminate him!"
"I understand."
Gaara nodded, and with a swift movement, he leaped out the window, riding the sand as he flew toward the southwest.
Naruto, not feeling entirely at ease, quietly followed behind.
Before long, Gaara arrived at Zetsu's location.
"You rat, how dare you infiltrate Sunagakure! If you don't have a good reason, you'll be buried here!"
Gaara snorted coldly. Although he questioned him with words, his body had already rushed to Zetsu's position.
The one in front of him was just a regular White Zetsu's clone, with little combat power. It was definitely no match for Gaara.
"Sand Funeral!"
Gaara waved his hand, and countless grains of sand wrapped around White Zetsu, then with a tight squeeze, White Zetsu was instantly crushed, turning into a mist of blood.
Seeing White Zetsu died on the spot, Naruto finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Gaara turned his head to look at Naruto, and asked in confusion: "Naruto-kun, he was just a lowly minion. Was it really necessary to be that tense?"
Naruto waved his hand and said, "You don't understand. This guy is a split body, like a shadow clone. While he has no combat strength, they are everywhere, and there are many of them. If he had discovered that Sasori and the others had already arrived in Sunagakure but hadn't made a move, it would definitely raise suspicions with the organization's leader."
"Is the leader that powerful?"
Gaara furrowed his brows, 'Since even Naruto-kun seemed cautious about him, he must be quite a formidable opponent.'
Naruto waved his hand and said, "To me, he's nothing special. I could crush him with a single finger."
"In that case, why do you still..."
Before Gaara could finish, Naruto interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "The truth is, the current leader of the organization is just a puppet controlled by someone else. The person behind the scenes is still hiding. If that person catches wind of my movements and goes into hiding, I won't be able to track them down. No matter what, it's always the person in the shadows who's the most difficult to deal with."
"That's true."
Gaara nodded, understanding that Naruto's anxiety was more out of concern than fear.
"Anyway, the guy you just killed will soon try to sneak back in. It's almost impossible to stop them all. We need to come up with a countermeasure while we still have time."
With that, Naruto went to gather the others.
After nearly an hour of discussion, they came up with a highly feasible plan.
They would have scouts patrol 24/7, setting up barriers around the village. As soon as any chakra signature that didn't belong to a Sand Ninja was detected, they would immediately investigate. If it was White Zetsu clone, they would eliminate them on sight.
It was a simple and brutal method, but it was effective.
As long as they were cautious, Sunagakure should have no problem keeping an eye on a single White Zetsu clone.
"Alright, now that everyone's in agreement, we'll go with this plan."
Naruto confirmed.
After a brief pause, he added, "As I mentioned yesterday, Sasori and Deidara will stay in Sunagakure, and as for Kisame and Itachi, you two will go with me. You two need to pack your things. We'll leave Sunagakure as soon as possible."
"Leaving so soon? Can't you stay a few more days?"
Gaara frowned.
Naruto sighed. "I'd love to stay longer, but there's no time. Sasori and Deidara took on the mission to capture you, so their presence here is justifiable. If White Zetsu finds them, they can explain it away by saying they were lying low, waiting for the right moment. But Itachi, Kisame, and I weren't assigned this mission. We should be hundreds of kilometers in the opposite direction right now. If White Zetsu discovers us, it'll definitely raise suspicions. So, it's best we leave now."
"This…"
Gaara wanted to say more, but he understood that there was no way to solve this situation.
It was indeed the best choice for Naruto and the others to leave.
"Alright then, safe travels. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll make sure everything's prepared for you."
Gaara expressed his concern.
Naruto waved his hand and said, "No need to trouble yourself. We really don't need anything. Just focus on improving your strength and securing your position as Kazekage. That's all I need to be content."
"I will!"
Gaara nodded firmly.
Naruto gave him a smile and nodded back, "I believe in you, brother!"
Men didn't need many words. With a hug, a glance, or a fist bump, everything was understood without speaking.
After Kisame and Itachi finished packing, Naruto brought them to another travel, and their next destination was...