Shota left Suna with all the appropriate papers for his leave. These official documents were important because they proved he had permission to be outside the village.
Without them, any border patrol team might mistake him for a rogue shinobi and start hunting him down immediately. He carried the papers safely inside his cloak and made sure they were easy to show if needed.
The desert sun was already high in the sky as he moved away from the hidden village gates and stepped into the open sands.
His destination was the Capital of the Land of Wind. It was a long journey through the desert, but Shota was determined to reach it. 'I still do not think my plan would work but it all depends on the Daimyo,' Shota thought as he traveled.
His entire plan was based on many assumptions, and he knew the risks were high. He was going to the capital to request an audience with the Daimyo.
There was a chance the Daimyo might not even agree to meet him. Shota hoped that his reputation as the Eraserhead of Suna would be enough to get him inside the palace, but his young age could work against him. Many important people might not take a teenager seriously no matter how strong he was.
He was also assuming that the proof he had gathered would be enough for the Daimyo to act against the elder. Shota knew the evidence was substantial but not perfect.
None of the documents directly said the elder was a traitor in clear words. There were connections, old records, and patterns, but they needed the Daimyo to believe his interpretation. Shota hoped the ruler would see the danger and take action.
The last big assumption was that the Daimyo would actually get involved. The matter was mostly about Suna's internal politics and not directly about the Daimyo's own court. Rulers usually preferred to stay out of hidden village problems unless it affected their power or taxes. Shota understood this clearly.
'There is a high chance he might not even act even if he finds the proof good enough. I will have to tell him the implications to his rule and how the elder had manipulated people in his court to get the fight between Iwa and Suna restarted. That should work,' Shota thought while moving.
As Shota was contemplating all of this, he continued moving with body flicker toward the Land of Wind Capital through the sand.
The wind blew hot air across his face, and the sun made the desert feel like an oven. He kept a steady pace, saving his chakra for the long journey ahead.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of Shota's neck rose up. His instincts warned him of danger. Without thinking twice, he pushed his body flicker to move much faster than before. The exact spot where he had been standing a moment ago was hit by hundreds of senbon needles. They rained down like a deadly storm, sticking deep into the sand.
Shota jumped high into the air to gain distance. At the same moment, a thick chain shot out from underneath the sand and tried to wrap around his leg. The attack was fast and precise. He barely avoided it by twisting his body in midair.
"Now where would you go, annoying brat," a deep voice called out from somewhere hidden.
More senbon came flying toward him while he was still in the air. Shota made quick hand signs and created a shadow clone. The clone appeared right below him in the air.
Shota used the clone as a springboard and pushed off hard to jump even higher. The shadow clone took the full force of the senbon attack and dispelled itself in a puff of smoke.
Shota landed back on the sand in a defensive stance. His binding cloth unfurled from around his neck and floated ready around his arms. He turned his head toward a certain direction and finally saw the attacker.
"Sasori nii-san, it is bad manners to just fight without even introducing yourself first. And we have met after such a long time. And you still call me an annoying brat that's so mean," Shota said calmly.
'Just a black cloak, so he had not joined the Akatsuki yet,' Shota thought as he observed Sasori's appearance. The puppet master stood there in his Hiruko puppet body, covered with a simple black cloak that blended with the desert environment.
"At least your skills to evade have gotten better," Sasori said in a sarcastic tone. "It seems you are not slacking with your training and considering how lazy you were back in the day, it is truly a miracle."
Shota smiled under his scarf. "How could I slack off when I was going to beat you and bring you back to Suna."
Sasori scoffed loudly. "Still living in your delusions I see. And do not think you are a big deal now just because you have a big bounty on your head and have an epithet. You are still an annoying brat to me."
Shota replied confidently, "We will see, Sasori-san."
He immediately activated his Erasure kekkei genkai and focused his eyes on Sasori. .
Sasori unsealed a scroll from his puppet body. Two new puppets made from human bodies emerged from it. With chakra strings attached to his fingers, Sasori began controlling them smoothly. The puppets moved with deadly precision. Shota grimaced because he knew his Erasure had failed to work on the main target.
Sasori spoke with clear amusement in his voice. "Do not make that face, boy, as if you did not know your ability would work on me or not. After all, it was I that helped you discover the strengths and weaknesses of your ability."
Shota knew exactly why his kekkei genkai had no effect. His Erasure only worked on living beings that were in his direct line of sight. Sasori's real body was completely hidden and protected inside the Hiruko puppet. The technique could not reach the actual target.
'This fight is going to be a pain. I can already tell,' Shota thought.
The desert wind picked up around them, blowing sand across the battlefield. Sasori's puppets stood ready on both sides while the Hiruko puppet watched with its poison tail raised. Shota kept his binding cloth active and prepared for a difficult battle.
Facing his former senior was never going to be easy, and this time Sasori had come prepared with full knowledge of his abilities.
Shota took a deep breath and focused completely on the fight. He knew he could not afford any mistakes against someone as skilled and ruthless as Sasori.
--------Author Notes---------
I have decided to increase the number of extra chapters on patreon from 15 to 20. Thankyou.
Y'all can now read the next 20 chapters of the fanfic on my pat*reon.
https://pat*reon.com/Charizard6
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