From Amegakure to the Land of Rivers — given Saitama's speed, it wouldn't take long.
After all, the two countries were right next to each other, and the Shinobi World wasn't particularly vast — at least not from the perspective of the strong.
Back then, when Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara fought, legend had it they battled from one end of the Shinobi World to the other, shaking the entire world.
So from that angle, for powerful individuals, the Shinobi World really wasn't that big.
Saitama might still be somewhat inferior to those two legends, but in terms of speed, he certainly wouldn't lag far behind!
The wind howled past his ears, whipping his short hair backward and flapping his coat noisily.
"If this mission goes smoothly, we'll complete the preliminary phase by securing the Six-Tails and Three-Tails. With the Five-Tails already in Kakuzu's possession, the initial collection of Tailed Beasts will be declared complete!"
Saitama's gaze was sharp, flickering with contemplative light.
Once those were secured, only the last two targets remained — the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails!
For these two, there were two options: either Akatsuki's core members would mobilize entirely, swiftly launching a surprise attack on one village, forcefully capturing the Tailed Beast before escaping before reinforcements arrived; or wait until the grand battle Saitama remembered, trying to seize the required beasts amid the chaos!
However, both options were far from easy.
At least Saitama didn't think proceeding like this was the best way forward!
If he truly did so, he would once again walk down the same path as Obito from his memories!
Therefore, he was considering whether he could find another breakthrough point to crack the current stalemate.
Still, the immediate priority was ensuring things went well on Sasori's side, and that the Three-Tails Jinchuriki would arrive for support this time.
But if Yagura failed to show up this time, they'd be forced onto the defensive again.
"We can only take one step at a time and see what happens!"
Looking ahead, Saitama's thoughts soared.
The border line was just ahead, about to enter the Land of Rivers. He calculated he'd need at least two hours to reach Sasori's location.
That estimate was based on maintaining high-speed movement.
Of course, if it were an ordinary ninja, covering the same distance might take a day or two!
Without his unique physical constitution, maintaining such speed would've drained his chakra completely. Fortunately, thanks to Hashirama's cells and the additional enhancements continuously restoring his energy.
...
"Terumi Mei, Deputy Kage, could you give us more details about the enemy situation this time?"
From Kirigakure to the Foam in the Land of Rivers was extremely distant — after all, separated by the ocean.
The Land of Water itself was an island located far from the mainland continent.
Thankfully, this world had ships. Without considering passenger comfort and sailing nonstop, the trip would take roughly three hours!
There happened to be a shipping route from the Land of Water toward the Land of Rivers. Moreover, seasonal conditions provided a strong current exactly in that direction, aiding their journey!
"Hmm, the information I have is limited, and Captain Ao's intelligence reports were also sparse. Still, I'll briefly explain what I know."
"Since Terumi Mei serves as the Mizukage's deputy, calling her 'Kage's Aide' is a relatively formal way for Raiga Kurosuki to address her."
"Ephemeral—everyone knows that during the rebellion of Takehaya Clan over half a year ago, he took advantage of the chaos to kill his master and escape from the village."
"This information was kept classified and has never been officially released!"
Terumi gently swept her fringe with her fingers while glancing casually at their faces.
She noticed that aside from Raiga Kurosuki, the other four didn't seem to care much about this matter.
Not dwelling on this, she went on.
"We've never stopped trying to retrieve him. Not long ago, the Mizukage sent Ao."
"And an hour ago, Ao sent news from River Country—he has caught up with the Six-Tails Jinchuriki (the host of the Six-Tailed Beast), but the Jinchuriki's situation looks grim."
"The Akatsuki has found him and is currently capturing him!"
"According to Ao's intelligence, Akatsuki only deployed one person this time—a Puppet Master. His identity remains unknown, but he's powerful; his puppets are formidable, seemingly capable of employing strong Fire Release techniques!"
Terumi paused. As she mentioned how strong this puppet master and his puppets were, aside from Raiga Kurosuki, the eyes of the remaining four showed slight changes—not expressions of fear, but rather ones filled with eager anticipation!
"The mission assigned by the Mizukage is to retrieve the Jinchuriki. So we either bring back the Tailed Beast or kill it and wait for its next reincarnation before sealing and capturing it again!"
"In short, absolutely no way should allow the Akatsuki member to take away the Tailed Beast!"
As Terumi spoke these words, her tone became colder, revealing determination on her face.
"Understood!"
Kisame rested his hand behind him; Samehada was wrapped in white bandages, hiding itself entirely.
This weapon was not only his tool but also his companion.
Zabuza sat cross-legged on the other side of the boat. The Cleaver Sword rested across his thighs, while many bandages covered his arms and face.
His eyebrows were barely visible, giving him an eerie and unsettling look.
Ameyuri Ringo's expression turned dark and cold; her reddish-brown hair was tied into two vertical braids sticking out like oversized ears on either side of her head.
Her weapon was Shibari Needle—the Lightning Blade: Raikuto, held by Raiga Kurosuki, was her preferred choice, yet since Raiga possessed it, she had to settle for using the Needle temporarily.
"If he's a Puppet Master, then he's definitely someone easier to deal with!"
Mangetsu Hozuki finally spoke. All of them were Mist shinobi known for their excellence in assassination techniques.
Thinking about this point, he voiced his opinion.
Puppet masters always have one vulnerability—their real body. Once located and engaged up close, victory is almost assured.
"If it were this easy, Ao wouldn't have asked us for backup!"
Raiga Kurosuki replied. He appeared quite gloomy overall. Two peculiar weapons hung beside his body—shaped neither clearly like blades nor forks—and occasional blue electric arcs flickered upon them.
"Ruiga's right," said the speaker, though uncertain about the specifics. "We shouldn't be too careless either. Our opponent is from the Akatsuki Organization! They're a rogue faction bold enough to go after our Hidden Villages!"
"And who knows—there might be enemies hiding somewhere as well!"
Terumi Mei gazed into the distance, her mood complicated.
...
[Puff!]
Ephemeral swung his tail and grabbed Roshi like a toy, slamming him forcefully into the ground.
Even Sasori's control was instantly rendered useless.
Sasori flicked his right hand, flipping Roshi upward. The old man sprang into action, unleashing a powerful burst of chakra, but the magma coating his body kept fading visibly by the second.
Sure, this Human Puppet was once a jinchuriki with some leftover tailed beast chakra in him—but there's no way it can beat a real one!
And it certainly couldn't last in a prolonged fight!
[Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!]
Meanwhile, Ephemeral, whose human form was rapidly vanishing, spat out a gray-blue sticky liquid.
Frowning, Sasori swiftly maneuvered Roshi away using his strings.
The liquid had intense corrosive properties. Even protected by magma, Roshi still suffered damage.
Earlier, due to a brief moment of carelessness, Roshi had taken a direct acidic hit, causing his movements to slow down ever since!
Even under Chakra Threads, his motions were stiff and awkward—clearly something was broken inside.
Sasori stared at Ephemeral, torn between choices.
Should he keep wearing Roshi down, or play his next trump card and fight for real?
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>