Once these three ANBU were convinced, half of Natsuhiko's plan was already successful.
Their presence was crucial. Only with them could Natsuhiko's achievements—and his current strength—spread widely.
They belonged to the Third Division, completely different from Natsuhiko's own unit.
But more importantly, Kusunoki had been the Commander of the Third Division.
In other words, the position Natsuhiko needed to compete for was precisely the Commander of the Third Division.
Building good relations with members of that division in advance—and at the same time spreading word of what he had accomplished during this mission—would be extremely beneficial to him.
Beyond that, it would also earn him points among Konoha's higher-ups.
Although Natsuhiko could turn his disadvantages into advantages, all of that required time.
So right now, he needed people to spread news of his strength within the ANBU.
Kakashi alone would be useless—especially since Kakashi was practically isolated at the moment.
Once the ANBU knew of his situation, it was only a matter of time before the Third Hokage and his faction learned as well.
Natsuhiko intended to use this method to step onto a larger stage.
Otherwise, as someone capable of deceiving the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques, why would he go through all the trouble of acting out such a performance?
Eliminating them all would have been far simpler than keeping them alive and making them believe him.
After settling matters with the three ANBU, Natsuhiko maintained a gentle yet sorrowful demeanor and finally stopped refusing the ANBU's final measure.
The ANBU's final measure was, naturally, to dissolve the corpse so that it would vanish from the world forever.
He could not be the one to propose it himself—it had to come from someone else.
The three ANBU had considered bringing Kusunoki's body back. But the problem was that it had already decayed to such an extent.
Even touching it required caution, lest they risk further poisoning.
Thus, rather than keeping it, it was better to dissolve it entirely.
In such extreme circumstances, even within the ANBU, no one would blame them for making that decision.
After handling everything, they spent two days returning to Konoha.
Sasori did not pursue them further.
Perhaps Natsuhiko had truly run too quickly—or perhaps Lizardmaru's strength had exceeded even Natsuhiko's expectations.
When fighting without anyone coordinating with him, Lizardmaru indeed preferred to rely on instinct.
However, Natsuhiko had overlooked one thing:
For decades in the past, Lizardmaru had essentially lived in a state of war.
And when Sasori faced him, he had no intelligence about this at all. So he chose to launch a large-scale puppet assault.
That action was like sending Lizardmaru back to the battlefield decades ago—activating something buried deep in his DNA and driving him to unleash everything he had learned in those years.
This left Sasori utterly stunned.
He simply couldn't understand what was going on with this lizard.
Faced with overwhelming numbers of puppets, it only fought more fiercely the longer the battle continued?
Of course, the reason Lizardmaru could hold out so long wasn't only because of the instincts etched into his very being and his formidable strength.
It was also because his defense was extraordinarily difficult to break.
The skin covering his body was incomparably tough. Ordinary weapons—and even many ninjutsu techniques—couldn't easily penetrate it.
That was the true foundation of Lizardmaru's dominance on the battlefield.
Powerful attacks demonstrated strength—but powerful defense was what allowed him to stand firm.
Lizardmaru delayed Sasori's pursuit for more than half an hour.
He even attracted the attention of Konoha's defensive forces.
That forced Sasori to withdraw. He wasn't prepared to confront Konoha's main forces yet.
Especially since quite a few of his puppets had been destroyed by Lizardmaru.
Strictly speaking, he had suffered a significant loss this time.
Natsuhiko only realized all this after Lizardmaru returned to the Summoning Realm. Late that night, he summoned a small lizard to gather information about what had happened. The result truly delighted him.
The better Lizardmaru performed and the more strength he displayed, the greater the benefits Natsuhiko could gain.
After all, Lizardmaru was Natsuhiko's summoned beast—and a summoned beast could be considered part of its contractor's strength.
The stronger Lizardmaru was, the higher Natsuhiko's perceived potential would be.
Still, Lizardmaru is ultimately just a battle partner—a summoned beast. Only when my own power is absolute will I truly be secure.
Lying on a hospital bed in Konoha, Natsuhiko rested his hands behind his head and thought quietly. He clearly understood what was primary and what was secondary.
No matter how powerful Lizardmaru was, he was still only a summoned beast. That did not mean Natsuhiko himself could wield that same level of strength.
Only by becoming strong himself could he eliminate so many weaknesses.
Besides, summoned beasts could not be called upon anytime and anywhere.
Just look at Orochimaru—after his hands were sealed, he couldn't summon Manda at all.
And although Orochimaru and the other two Sannin possessed powerful summoned beasts, their own personal strength was equally formidable.
Natsuhiko would never indulge in such rootless power. Only strength that truly belonged to him was the best kind.
I wonder how long I'll be allowed to rest this time. My sealing seed is almost ready to bear fruit. Once it does, I can try using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was undoubtedly the best method for Natsuhiko to improve himself at this stage.
He constantly wished for the sealing-type fruit to ripen sooner.
But some things could not be rushed. Looking at the progress—over sixty percent—Natsuhiko felt immense anticipation, yet forced himself to remain patient.
Patience was something he had always possessed. Even if he hadn't before, nurturing those "seeds" had tempered it into him.
And besides, he wouldn't have to wait too much longer.
I wonder how things are going up there. And has Kakashi returned yet?
Bored, Natsuhiko lazily stretched. He was currently staying in one of the hospital's best private rooms.
Apparently, it had been specially arranged for him because he had assisted the Third Division in completing an important mission.
Natsuhiko had no objections to that.
But inwardly, he felt nothing but disdain.
He understood very clearly that this arrangement was less a reward and more a form of surveillance.
He had already sensed that around his hospital room were quite a few observers—either ANBU or members of Root—watching him.
The three ANBU who had returned with him were reportedly receiving the same treatment. As for whether they were still alive or dead, Natsuhiko wasn't entirely sure.
But he didn't care.
He could afford to wait patiently.
At this moment, both the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage were probably extremely surprised by his situation.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Natsuhiko was lost in thought, someone knocked on his hospital door.
"Please come in," he said, sitting up.
The door soon opened, and a man with golden hair tied in a ponytail slowly walked in.