More than three months later.
Outside Sunagakure, within a barrier-concealed area, stood towering walls of hardened earth and sand. At the base of these walls was a spacious cavern that had been excavated.
Streams of water flowed along ancient grooves outside the sand walls, and nearby, patches of green vegetation had begun to sprout.
The cavern was roughly divided into two sections.
One side housed common furniture, while the other featured a table cluttered with papers, scrolls, and writing tools. Beyond that, there were numerous metal components and large chunks of clay-like material.
"Scorpion! Is everything proceeding smoothly?"
Sōmi sat cross-legged on a carpet, fiddling with a black iron tea kettle, and called out to Sasori, who was not far away.
"Hmm!"
"No issues at all."
"All information regarding the Akatsuki has been disseminated."
"I've also manipulated a few shinobi from Amegakure and Konohagakure, setting up dual-layered memory seals."
"If Kumogakure manages to capture them, they'd need to be extremely cautious just to break through the first seal."
"As for Kirigakure, after its recent purge, all valuable sleeper agents have been eliminated."
"The new operatives we've placed there can't gather any useful intelligence for now…"
Sasori, engrossed in studying a scroll in his hands, replied without even looking up.
"Good! Excellent work!"
"Hard-earned intelligence is always the most convincing!"
"As for Kirigakure, let's leave it alone for now…"
Sōmi nodded in satisfaction. In his eyes, the primary threats at the moment were Konohagakure and the Akatsuki.
However, Sōmi was unaware that the current Kirigakure was vastly different from the one he remembered…
To sow discord among Konohagakure, Amegakure, and Kumogakure, there was no one better suited for the job than Sasori.
After more than a year of training, Sasori had essentially mastered the application of Sage Mode.
With the enhancement of Senjutsu Chakra and sealing techniques, his Subconscious Sand Manipulation had far surpassed the Yamanaka Clan of Konohagakure in controlling memories within the brain.
It was certain that when Kumogakure painstakingly deciphered the "authentic intelligence" extracted from the captured shinobi's memories, they would erupt in fury.
Once Konohagakure joined the conflict, Sōmi could then openly acquire a wealth of precious materials.
"How's your puppet modification coming along?"
Sōmi inquired.
"Hmm…"
"It's proving challenging. Although Earth Milk Jade, with its affinity for Natural Energy, can be shaped into the joints and pathways of the puppets, ensuring the conduction of Natural Energy compromises the hardness of the materials…"
Sasori set aside his scroll and picked up a chunk of clay-like material, examining it closely.
"What about using Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation?"
"Couldn't you combine that technique with the puppets you control?"
Sōmi tossed the tea kettle in his hand, turning his head to offer a suggestion.
"No!"
"While that technique can imbue lifeless inorganic matter with life and allow for control, it's entirely different from my puppets!"
"The creations from that technique could never be considered true art!"
Sasori expressed disdain for such "crude" manipulation techniques.
"I need to find a way to infuse Natural Energy into every puppet I create, so that each puppet can unleash its full potential under Sage Mode!"
A gleam of excitement sparkled in Sasori's eyes. The challenge of crafting puppets capable of such feats was precisely what fueled his passion.
"And what about the Senjutsu Chakra itself?"
"Even if you manage to create these puppets, the Senjutsu Chakra they utilize ultimately comes from you…"
Sōmi reminded him. If they encountered a powerful enemy, endurance in prolonged combat would also need to be taken into account.
After all, it wouldn't do to expend all their energy on a few flashy techniques and then have nothing left for the rest of the battle.
"Didn't you give me the Yin Seal earlier?"
"I'm working on sealing Senjutsu Chakra into it!"
Sasori seemed to have anticipated this issue long ago.
"Hmm?"
"The power of Senjutsu Chakra is immense. If that's the case, the sealing formula for the Yin Seal will need to be significantly reinforced to contain it."
Sōmi's eyes flashed as he cautioned Sasori.
The Yin Seal was designed as a "storage container" for ordinary Chakra, but Senjutsu Chakra was entirely different. Its density and potency were far greater, and using a standard Yin Seal risked overloading the container, causing it to shatter.
Since the Yin Seal's formula was inscribed within the body, such an incident could lead to catastrophic consequences. If Senjutsu Chakra were to run rampant within the body's meridians, it could result in severe injuries or even permanent disability.
"Don't worry!"
"I'm aware of the risks. I'll gradually increase the amount of Senjutsu Chakra stored and adjust the sealing formula bit by bit."
Sasori exuded confidence, speaking with assurance.
Meanwhile, in Kumogakure, within the Raikage's office:
The head of the interrogation department was reporting "firsthand" intelligence extracted from the minds of Amegakure shinobi to the Raikage.
Bang!
"Hmph!"
The Raikage snorted heavily, slamming the dumbbell in his hand onto the floor with a resounding crash.
"So, Amegakure dares to spy on our village's Tailed Beasts?!"
"And how did they even find out about Turtle Island's location?!"
The Raikage's furious voice echoed throughout the office.
The man standing before him, however, appeared unfazed. After all, every shinobi in the village was well aware of their leader's fiery temperament.
"From the memories of those Amegakure shinobi, we discovered that they had contact with Konohagakure shinobi before their mission."
"They also mentioned the terms 'Root' and 'Danzo.' As soon as we probed those keywords using secret techniques, the seals in their brains detonated…"
The head of intelligence recounted the events with a calm demeanor, seemingly indifferent to the grisly sight of exploding brain matter.
"Root?"
"Danzo… that guy's one of Konoha's elders, isn't he?"
"There were rumors that during the power shift in the Land of Rain, Danzo was stirring up trouble behind the scenes…"
"Does this mean Konohagakure has already allied with Kirigakure?"
For once, the Fourth Raikage's tiger-like eyes revealed a rare glimmer of contemplation.
"Raikage-sama!"
"The current state of the ninja world is like a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment."
"From the intelligence we've gathered, Kirigakure and Konohagakure have already formed an alliance."
"And somehow, the Akatsuki and the Land of Earth have also struck a deal, forming an alliance of their own…"
"Even the Land of Wind failed to secure an alliance with Ōnoki of the Hidden Stone."
"If Konohagakure is also colluding with the Land of Rain, it means the Lands of Fire, Water, Earth, and Rain have secretly formed a unified front…"
"In this scenario, the ones left at a disadvantage are us and Sunagakure…"
A middle-aged man with dark skin spoke with a worried expression.
"Are we just going to let them run wild on our turf?!"
The Raikage frowned, his tone filled with displeasure.
"First, gather more intelligence!"
"Send a delegation to Konohagakure to gauge their stance on this matter."
"Then, dispatch people to the Land of Earth to uncover Ōnoki's intentions…"
The dark-skinned man restrained the Raikage's impulsive tendencies, offering a rational analysis.
"That old fox Ōnoki…"
The Raikage gritted his teeth and growled.
The mention of the Land of Earth caused his Chakra to surge uncontrollably, crackling arcs of lightning radiating outward. After all, it was Ōnoki's schemes that had led to the death of his father.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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