"Damn Kakuzu, are you saying I'm even worse than a fool?"
Hiruko immediately caught on, his brows knitting in offense, feeling insulted.
"Calm down, he has a point," Orochimaru said calmly.
"Your fusion bird has good endurance and is adept at long-distance flight, but its agility is too low; compared to the Third Kazekage's swift ability to fly, it could only be described as clumsy…"
Uchiha Nian crossed his arms and analyzed, "Once we're in the air, we'll become living targets."
"Now I understand, thanks for the explanation," Hiruko quickly regained his composure, reflecting on Nian's words. He turned to Orochimaru, "Are you saying the same thing?"
"No, I just think you're an idiot."
"Damn you…" Hiruko fumed, jumping up in frustration, but he had no way to retort against Orochimaru.
"Calm down, calm down," Nian chimed in, trying to redirect everyone's focus back to the hunting plan.
"The fundamental issue we face now is the lack of means to fly."
"There's no point considering summoning beasts; neither my Cat House nor Nian's Dragon Cave has a summoning beast capable of flight."
He pondered, analyzing, "Time is tight. Even if we could find an agile flying ninja beast to contract, it's hard to establish rapport in such a short time. Fighting against the Shadows isn't something to take lightly."
Orochimaru turned to Nian, thoughtful. "I remember that my master's complete Susanoo has the ability to fly. With wings unfurled, it soars thousands of miles into the sky. As a fellow wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, you should technically have this ability as well."
Nian smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Let's not even talk about ocular power; my development in the eyes is far from that of my uncle. Compared to him, my abilities are merely the tip of the iceberg right now. As of now, getting the second-stage Susanoo to grow legs is already quite a challenge for me."
"Furthermore, if I could truly master the complete form of Susanoo, I could handle this hunt all by myself."
"Sigh…" Hiruko sighed. "So, this operation is going to be quite challenging."
The three fell silent for a long time, all deep in thought, trying to find a way to deal with the Third Kazekage.
At this moment, Kakuzu, who had been listening intently, suddenly spoke up, asking, "I'm curious. If it's not for money or profit, why are you set on going after the Third Kazekage?"
"Oh? I haven't shared my path of evolution with you yet…"
Hiruko's eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled Kakuzu aside, animatedly introducing his Oniyara Technique.
Orochimaru and Nian exchanged glances but didn't stop him; after all, in their eyes, Kakuzu was undoubtedly one of them.
It was a joke, really. On the day Kamihane recruited Kakuzu, they had witnessed the entire process. He had been part of their crew longer than the three of them, making him a senior member.
Soon, through Hiruko's enthusiastic description, Kakuzu learned about the reason Hiruko wanted to take action against the Third Kazekage, and he became quite curious about the "Oniyara Technique" he mentioned.
Stealing others' creation to make up for one's own shortcomings, seizing bloodlines, melding them into oneself, the cycles of elements, eternal and indestructible.
This was somewhat akin to his own Jiongu Technique.
He glanced at the experiment table, his gaze slowly sweeping over the faces of the three young men, and he felt a sudden wave of inexplicable sentimentality.
It was truly unexpected that those little bugs he could easily crush back then had now grown into powerful beings capable of hunting the Five Shadows…
This world truly is filled with heroes, like a flood crossing the river…
No, these three, more or less, had grown to this point because of that man.
So, saying that he was working under him wasn't exactly a waste of talent…
Watching the three in distress, Kakuzu thought for a moment and suddenly suggested, "If you're troubled due to lacking flying abilities, I have a suggestion."
The three looked up simultaneously, staring at him blankly.
"What's your idea?" Hiruko asked with some anticipation.
Kakuzu didn't keep them in suspense. "I don't know if you've heard of the Hidden Sky Village from the Land of Sky?"
"Hidden Sky Village?" Nian frowned, evidently not very familiar with it.
Orochimaru and Hiruko exchanged glances. Ever since they left Konoha with Kamihane, they had been entrenched in the secret laboratory of the Land of Iron. Even when they went out to train, they hadn't ventured far, leaving their awareness of the outside world quite limited.
"Heh, entitled kiddos from big nations don't care to pay attention to the small ones around them," Kakuzu quipped, then proceeded to explain. "The Land of Sky is located in the southern part of the Land of Fire. It's a very small country, yet they established their own ninja village. Back when I was working for the Hidden Waterfall Village, I dealt with them."
"Hidden Sky Village… Could it be that they possess some kind of flying ninjutsu?" Hiruko asked, puzzled.
"Not ninjutsu for flying, but flying ninja tools."
"They are mechanical wings equipped with special devices." Recalling it from memory, Kakuzu gestured in the air to describe the mechanical wings' size. "When folded, they're about this long, and when extended, they resemble golden scissors, allowing the Sky Ninjas to freely soar through the skies."
"Such technology exists in the ninja world?" Orochimaru stared at Kakuzu, his eyes widening slightly.
"I can't decipher the exact principles, but I've seen how they fly. Their speed is quite impressive, just like a peregrine falcon in the sky."
Kakuzu spoke lightly of the past, "Back then, even the Daimyo of the Land of Waterfalls was quite interested in their flying ninja tools and sent people with a substantial sum of money to visit the Hidden Sky Village, attempting to purchase a batch of ninja tools to arm the Hidden Waterfall. However, they didn't respond well and flatly refused the trade, leaving the Daimyo no choice but to abandon the matter."
"Perhaps these guys' flying ninja tools could help you."
"This…" Orochimaru frowned, expressing his concerns, "The Third Kazekage's Magnet Release ninjutsu can control metal. What if he also uses it to manipulate the mechanical wings? Wouldn't we be walking into a trap?"
"No need to worry; not all metals are affected by magnetic fields." Hiruko displayed a confident smile. "My Steel Release not only operates on itself but can also be transferred to other metals, altering the atomic structure and reducing their magnetic properties, making them unaffected by magnetic fields."
He laughed, "I've tested this with my master before."
"In that case…" The three exchanged glances, nodding in agreement.
"Flying ninja tools could work!"
Orochimaru and Hiruko sprang into action, promptly turning to gather information about the Hidden Sky Village.
Kakuzu doused them with a bucket of cold water, "Don't say I didn't warn you; those Sky Ninjas are quite stubborn. If you can't provide enough funds, they won't easily sell their ninja tools."
"Funds? What are you talking about?" Nian looked at him curiously. "We'll take it by force."