The general state of the Ninja World was undeniably trending toward stability.
Even Asura, who personally stood against Soushu Hyuga, acknowledged this fact.
After all, even during the ancient era when people were simple-hearted, such a completely bandit-free environment as today never existed.
Of course, there was a reason for this. After warfare had mostly ceased, large numbers of ninjas found themselves idle. So, the Ninja World Coalition Government went to great lengths to assign them countless tedious but long-term tasks. While doing so, they also rooted out the persistent criminals once and for all.
"I admit that the current Ninja World is indeed quite good, and the Joint Government isn't entirely without redeeming qualities," Asura admitted openly but quickly shifted his tone. "However, Kakuzu, do you think this price is worth it?"
"The cost is that civilians now dare to travel in groups of three or five across prefectures!"
Upon hearing these words, Kakuzu's mind erupted with a thousand curses.
What an example of all talk and no action! He finally got what "empty rhetoric" really meant!
If he wasn't stuck owing his life to someone, Kakuzu would have lost control of his emotions and unleashed every element of Ninjutsu to reduce the other to ashes.
"Most likely, Ninjutsu won't work on me."
Yet just as Kakuzu silently followed closely behind with a blank expression, Asura suddenly stopped walking, turning around to say exactly that.
"What do you mean?!" Kakuzu exclaimed, his scalp tingling.
Could it be this guy could actually read minds? And after multiple modifications through Earth Grudge Fear, he wasn't even human anymore—how could someone still sense him?
"In fact, I can't read minds at all. The so-called 'mind-reading' technique is nothing but myths and rumors; it doesn't really exist. So don't get any wrong ideas," Asura explained seriously.
"You still said that!" Kakuzu blurted out in alarm.
"It's simply one of the functions of the Sealing Cursed Seal. It's merely based on emotional judgment." Asura lifted his palm before Kakuzu's eyes. "Every single emotion a human feels creates distinct emotional ripples. With targeted analysis, guessing the true thoughts isn't difficult."
"I..."
Kakuzu didn't know what to say.
And if things stood as described, hadn't Asura already seen through all those malicious intentions he'd harbored earlier?
"Don't worry. You're the only one left who still follows me now—a person, more or less. Well, that part isn't important anyway." Asura's voice sounded genuinely sincere. "So, I won't easily eliminate you."
"Should I express gratitude for sparing my life?" Kakuzu retorted coldly.
"Yes. Say thank you."
Equally calm and serious, Asura responded firmly.
"Thank you!"
With his life hanging in the balance, Kakuzu had no choice but to show submission.
"That's better!"
Asura smugly accepted Kakuzu's submission entirely.
Although appearances suggested otherwise, deep down he was fully aware that this outcome stemmed purely from absolute military domination. Asura wasn't entirely blinded by illusions; he maintained clear understanding regarding this very point.
However, as the two continued forward, something unusual seemed to be unfolding ahead.
With squad after squad of ninja forces boldly riding along the road, Asura began to suspect that something was off.
"How does it feel to you?"
Asura suddenly asked out of nowhere.
"It feels off."
Kakuzu honestly voiced his own suspicion: "It seems like they're being redeployed repeatedly."
"So it's not just me noticing this either!"
Without hesitation, Asura twisted his neck, preparing himself for battle.
Among those squads of Allied Shinobi Forces ninjas passing by on both sides, there were even several familiar faces from past battles!
Of course, nearly all other acquaintances had truly lost their lives when struck by various Ninjutsu techniques.
"This definitely goes far beyond a simple misjudgment!"
Just as Asura stopped in his tracks, the Standing Ninja Army no longer pretended to simply pass him by. Instead, they descended at a distance and gradually formed into a Sealing Technique formation.
"Hmm...and regarding the chakra signature issue, I suppose that initial clue was what tipped things off for you guys, right?" Asura raised an eyebrow before reaching his own conclusion.
"You don't need to know too much, though it appears you've already braced yourself for martial confrontation."
Multiple Jonin landed and, with assistance and preparation from the Sealing Technique barrier, launched a coordinated barrage against both Asura and Kakuzu.
Unexpectedly, the assault they coordinated was swiftly neutralized by Asura, and any attempts at sealing techniques appeared countered too. With no alternative, the Jonin Officer at the front line began urgently calling for reinforcements. Soon enough, more Veteran Jonin well-known throughout the ranks arrived one after another.
Yet rather than seeming like a battlefield setup, this gathering resembled more like a reunion among former apprentices; after exchanging greetings and catching up, the Jonin jovially prepared to attack.
However, the lax attitude displayed by the Jonin assembly also created a rare slip-up opportunity.
During this manhunt for Asura and Kakuzu, the assembled Jonin found themselves outnumbered again. Asura directly overturned their efforts using extremely powerful Ninjutsu. With no choice left, the frontline commander could only report upwards again, hoping additional reinforcements might resolve the problem.
"Lord Sakumo will arrive at the frontline in three minutes!"
Following this, the frontline commander couldn't help but amplify and broadcast the good news over the microphone.
"Hold on tight!"
"Maintain the barrier!"
"Don't take reckless action!"
Therefore, what had initially seemed like a small, low-risk mission by the Joint Government Security Force suddenly spiraled out of control, growing significantly larger and more crucial than initially anticipated.
When Sakumo Hatake finally arrived, he looked momentarily stunned.
He was precisely the kind of person who arrived at just the right time, even if his presence here wasn't originally planned. Yet facing the microphone and cameras now meant he couldn't openly admit that aloud. Thus, Sakumo Hatake responded using official jargon and standard responses while promising to fully handle and resolve the current confrontation.
Right after Sakumo Hatake and the Jonin launched another surprise attack, the situation still didn't improve.
Asura moved like a slick eel, dodging with uncanny speed and finesse despite the Jonin's tight surveillance. Even as the space around him closed in, Asura kept slipping through, appearing right where he shouldn't be—like he was dancing between seconds.
"Report this to Honorable Lady Soushu!"
With no other option, Sakumo broke focus just long enough to shout a reminder.
"At once!"
Though feeling uneasy about it, the group of Jonin reluctantly complied.
But what came next was far from expected.
"Honorable Lady Mahiru!"
Upon seeing Mahiru Uchiha slowly step out from the temporary Heavenly Transport Formation, all the Jonin bowed deeply.
"So this is who they're after."
Mahiru Uchiha simply nodded lightly toward the group as acknowledgment, yet her gaze remained fixed entirely on Asura.
"This is..."
At that moment, Asura—who appeared to be playing around—suddenly sensed a trace of danger in the air.
It felt somewhat similar to his older brother Indra, yet noticeably different at the same time.
"It seems I was right after all!"
But when he spotted the swirling red ripples shimmering within Mahiru Uchiha's eyes, Asura immediately sensed trouble.
What Mahiru Uchiha revealed wasn't just an ordinary Sharingan—it was the Mangekyo Sharingan!
More remarkably, even the term "Mangekyo" seemed insufficient to capture their true nature. Based on Asura's extensive knowledge of the Ninja World, the pair of Mangekyo within Mahiru's eyes clearly belonged to the mythical Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, whose power and mysteries far surpassed those of a standard Mangekyo.
"How intriguing!"
When chakra-infused bones began forming around Mahiru Uchiha, Asura's expression turned serious.
After all, no one stood a chance against Susanoo—not even Asura. He figured it was time to fight back.
And sure enough, Susanoo's deity-like form generated a cluster of flame-wreathed lightning balls with a clap of its hands, launching them directly toward Asura and Kakuzu!
If that were all, Asura and Kakuzu might've shrugged it off—but the follow-up melee strikes from Susanoo were nothing short of deadly.
However, instead of confronting head-on, Asura chose to evade using the Shifting Body Technique.
After dodging and weaving evasively for nearly half an hour, Asura suddenly vanished mid-shift, leaving Mahiru Uchiha and the others with a difficult situation.
"Now then, have you decided? Will you accept punishment willingly or choose to end your life here and now?"
Mahiru Uchiha urged while activating Susanoo's massive sword pointed straight at Kakuzu, who looked foolishly bewildered.
"I..."
Though still trapped within the sealing barrier, Kakuzu could clearly sense that Asura's presence had vanished entirely.
This kind of disappearance signified an absolute distance—one last experienced when Asura ventured into Ryuchi Cave.
So, Kakuzu slowly crouched down with his hands over his head, like someone bracing to be stepped on.
Thus, Kakuzu, who had roamed freely for years and always remained at large, was finally arrested and soon prepared for transfer to a major prison in a distant region.
As for Asura, after his escape he completely vanished without a trace. Therefore, the Joint Government no longer dwelled on such trivial side matters, shifting its focus entirely toward the campaign against the Underground World.
Now, as many as five underground secret passages have been discovered and controlled by the Ninja World Coalition Government. Thanks to specialized snake antidotes developed by Orochimaru, the Standing Ninja Army and conscripted ninja warriors smoothly penetrated deep into the Underground World, eliminating ninja snakes one by one within the tunnels.
But as they advanced deeper and deeper, nearly three months into combat, the ninja gradually found themselves unable to continue.
The air within the Underground World was far too thin, and the pitch-black environment where one couldn't even see their own hand before their face was truly unsuitable for human operations. After advancing halfway in depth, further progress became difficult, and the conflict between both sides entered a stalemate.
Soushu, however, paid little mind to this, merely maintaining a steady deployment of military forces while allowing frontline ninja to continue fighting in prolonged engagements.
For the Ninja World Coalition Government, the expedition against Ryuchi Cave wasn't considered overly important. Since Soushu himself seemed unconcerned, the government simply turned a blind eye and allowed those ninja deeply embedded in underground warfare to remain at certain depths within the Underground World, continuing to accumulate battlefield merits.
However, following years of continuous warfare, Ryuchi Cave also gradually struggled to dispatch large numbers of ninja snakes to keep fighting against the ninja, causing battlefield merits from the Underground World to become increasingly difficult to obtain.
Ever since fleeing an unexpected pursuit by the Ninja World government, Asura had stayed hidden inside Ryuchi Cave, silently awaiting changes in the tides alongside the White Snake Sage.
In the White Snake Sage's opinion, the destruction of Mount Myoboku was certainly an event powerful enough to shake even the Sage of Six Paths.
After Senior Toad Sage's death, the world envisioned by the Sage of Six Paths completely disappeared, and history had fully entered an unimaginable era.
Just like ordinary civilians failing to comprehend the modern locomotives of the new age, the White Snake Sage along with the entire ninja serpent lineage residing in Ryuchi Cave likewise struggled to adapt to this rapidly changing era, where ninja tools wielded by ninja grew increasingly sophisticated.
Therefore, returning to the past naturally became an instinctive choice.
However, even through Asura's attempts to communicate via Mount Myoboku's secret techniques with his vague yet omnipresent father—the Sage of Six Paths—he never received any response.
"Are we really just going to sit around waiting for final judgment to arrive?"
The White Snake Sage felt somewhat disheartened.
It wanted to send its three Divine Maidens deep into the underground tunnels to join the battle with their powerful strength, but hesitated, fearing that such action might trigger the sensitive intelligence network spun by Katsuyu clones hidden within the ninja forces. It thus remained hesitant, caught between action and caution, fearing that one wrong move might cost everything, persisting in a delicate balance of self-restraint and prudence.
And yet, all this careful planning went unnoticed by humans, making it feel more helpless than ever.
What was even more heartbreaking was that even Asura's earnest silent prayers could not rouse the Sage of Six Paths from his unbroken silence. This strange silence left the White Snake Sage feeling completely betrayed, as if caught in an invisible pincer movement—besieged by misunderstanding and pressure from all sides while receiving neither support nor response. His troubled mind felt like a rat caught in a bellows, squeezed from every direction with no escape and no one to turn to.
"I guess there's nothing we can do."
After yet another failed attempt at silent prayer, Asura felt he could no longer stay.
If things kept going like this, the White Snake Sage might see red and start lashing out at others.
"Negotiate peace."
The White Snake Sage suddenly said.
"Huh?!"
For a moment, Asura couldn't wrap his head around what he'd just heard.
"Making peace with humans—what do you think about it?"
The White Snake Sage fixed Asura with his glowing green eyes, his voice dripping with icy malice.
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