"How are things progressing?"
Deep within the underground shadows of Root, Danzō questioned his kneeling subordinate.
"Lord Danzō, Kyosuke has already accepted the mission," the subordinate replied. "He left the village this morning. The plan is proceeding smoothly."
Danzō sneered. "Very good. A mere Chunin who dares to defy me... Ninjas who do not obey orders have no reason to exist."
In Danzō's mind, getting rid of an arrogant brat like Kyosuke required minimal effort. It would serve as a quiet warning to others. There was no need to dedicate much thought to it.
Dismissing Kyosuke entirely, Danzō turned his attention back to planning his grander schemes for Konoha.
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware that a target had been painted on his back, Kyosuke was happily carrying out his assignment.
In two days, I'll be able to use the power of the Tailed Beasts, Kyosuke thought giddily. Before long, I'll get a promotion, a raise, become the Hokage, collect all the Tailed Beasts, unify the Ninja World, and become a Sage. Just thinking about it gets me excited.
Half a day later, Kyosuke arrived at a remote town and received a warm, desperate welcome from the locals.
"Lord Ninja, we've been waiting for you! Several people have gone missing over the past few days, and everyone is terrified."
"Rest assured, I will definitely solve this problem."
Kyosuke took full responsibility with a confident smile. According to the mission brief provided by the village, the culprit was likely a rampaging Ninjabeast or a low-level Rogue Ninja.
Given Kyosuke's current strength, even if he couldn't defeat the enemy, he was confident he could retreat safely.
Soon, by following a trail of clues, Kyosuke found himself standing before a massive, yawning cave entrance.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Looking down into the pitch-black abyss, Kyosuke sent a Shadow Clone jumping down first to scout the enemy's situation.
The cave was dozens of meters deep. Although it was noon and sunlight blazed outside, very little light penetrated the depths. Further down, there was a vast underground space shrouded in complete, suffocating darkness.
The subterranean terrain was filled with bizarre rock formations and countless smaller tunnels. The path was extremely rugged.
The Shadow Clone held a flickering torch, walking carefully for several minutes. Suddenly, it was attacked from behind and instantly destroyed.
Receiving the memory feedback from the dispelled clone, Kyosuke rubbed the back of his head. "The clone was taken out instantly without even a chance to react. The enemy is formidable."
Feeling that the situation was getting troublesome, Kyosuke naturally considered backing out. He wasn't a workaholic like Kakashi, after all. Why take unnecessary risks?
However, on second thought, he decided to press on.
Even if I give up on the mission, I should at least gather some solid intel. Retreating before even seeing the enemy's face would be hard to explain to Minato. Besides, I'm not weak. It's not like I won't be able to escape.
Kyosuke didn't know that just a few hours later, he would desperately wish he could travel back in time to strangle his current self.
Using the Shadow Clone Jutsu again, he had the clone hold a torch and jump down as bait. Kyosuke followed stealthily behind, groping his way through the damp cavern.
This place is interconnected, dark, and damp, Kyosuke mused, his imagination running wild. Could it be the nest of some legendary Ninjabeast? Hehe, according to standard novel tropes, this is exactly when the protagonist stumbles upon a top-tier pet. My demands aren't high; a Sannin-level Summoned Beast will do.
Staring at the clone walking ahead, Kyosuke indulged in his beautiful fantasies.
About ten minutes later, the sharp whistle of something cutting through the air echoed in the dark. Kyosuke was attacked.
And it wasn't the clone—Kyosuke's original body was targeted.
Countless senbon needles shot out from the blackness, attacking both the clone and Kyosuke simultaneously. The Shadow Clone was instantly destroyed. The torch fell into a puddle, hissing as the flame was immediately extinguished.
They were far from the cave entrance now. As the torch died, the world plunged into absolute, blinding darkness.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wall!"
There was standing water everywhere inside the cave, with some areas pooling into small underground lakes. This environment perfectly enhanced Water Release.
Kyosuke's hands blurred through seals. He spat a massive volume of water from his mouth, forming a rapidly rotating, circular wall that completely enveloped his body.
The senbon rained down, deflecting off the high-pressure water wall and bouncing against the surrounding stone pillars with sharp, crisp clinks.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Kyosuke didn't stop. He continuously formed seals, spitting out four bright fireballs in different directions. The flames illuminated the cavern, finally allowing him to see his situation clearly.
"Damn it!"
In the flickering orange firelight, dozens of grotesque puppets were crawling densely across the ground, scaling the walls, and clinging to the stone pillars. They had completely surrounded him.
"Konoha is truly confident, sending someone of your caliber to deal with me."
A low, raspy voice echoed through the cavern. Kyosuke whipped his head around and saw a short, heavily armored puppet.
It was unmistakably Hiruko—Sasori's signature puppet armor!
"Sasori?!" Kyosuke blurted out in shock.
For a split second, he hoped he was wrong. What if it was just some deranged fanboy doing a really intense cosplay?
One must always have dreams, Kyosuke thought desperately. What if they come true?
His dream was violently shattered a second later.
"Oh? It seems you know me," Sasori's muffled voice chuckled from within the puppet. "Heh heh heh, I see. Someone wants to use my hands to get rid of you. Kid, it seems you've offended a big shot back in Konoha."
Kyosuke immediately connected the dots. It was definitely that insidious, crafty old bastard, Danzō.
Just because I rejected your job offer once, you turn to murder? You don't even know how to properly recruit someone! You deserve to die without ever becoming Hokage!
"I know exactly who schemed against us, Brother Sasori!" Kyosuke shouted, feigning righteous indignation. "Don't worry, I'll deal with him the moment I get back to avenge both of us! Oh, Brother Sasori, don't try to stop me—someone like that doesn't deserve our sympathy!"
Kyosuke plastered on a flattering smile, calling him "Brother Sasori" repeatedly in a desperate bid to build some kind of rapport. At the same time, he slowly lifted his foot to inch away, only to find the surrounding puppets shifting to block his path.
He could only laugh awkwardly.
"Hehe, Brother Sasori, could you please make way? I've actually always been a huge fan of yours. I greatly admire your art. We're practically on the same side!"
The current Sasori had clearly already modified his own body into a puppet. Even if he wasn't fully Kage-level yet, he was terrifyingly close. Kyosuke had absolutely zero confidence in winning and could only try to suck up to him.
Facing Kyosuke's shameless flattery, Sasori remained completely unmoved.
"What an interesting fellow," Sasori mused coldly. "Don't worry. I'll turn you into a lovely puppet to fight for me. As a fan, you should be honored to die without regrets."
Kyosuke couldn't help but sigh. He hadn't expected Sasori to have such a dark sense of humor.
Hearing the unsettling rustle of wooden joints as the puppets prepared to pounce, Kyosuke spun around and sprinted for his life.
The fireballs had long since burned out, plunging the cave back into darkness. Sasori, utilizing his puppet body, wasn't hindered by the lack of light, but Kyosuke was practically blind. In this pitch-black, treacherous environment, his combat effectiveness plummeted.
He already couldn't beat Sasori in a fair fight. Now, Kyosuke only hoped he could escape with all his limbs intact.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In the darkness, dozens of clones scattered in every conceivable direction, successfully drawing away a large swarm of the lesser puppets.
Kyosuke scrambled toward the direction of the cave entrance. He could see a faint glimmer of daylight ahead—it was almost within reach!
Suddenly, every instinct in Kyosuke's body screamed in alarm. He slammed his feet into the ground, skidding to a halt.
Squinting into the dim light ahead, he saw it: hundreds of near-invisible Chakra Threads had been woven into a massive, deadly net, waiting perfectly for him to crash into it.
Sasori stood perched atop the Chakra net, flanked by four menacing Human Puppets.
"Surrender," Sasori commanded, "and I promise you a quick death."
Flight was no longer an option. He had to fight.
Kyosuke dropped his joking facade. His gaze turned icy and razor-sharp.
"Sasori, you were chased out of your village like a stray dog by the Sand Ninja, yet you still dare to act so arrogant! Let's see what you're really made of!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Facing a lethal enemy, Kyosuke held nothing back, burning through a massive chunk of his Chakra. The Great Fireball he expelled was titanic—the size of a small house—roaring as it smashed directly toward Sasori's blockade.
Although the Great Fireball was only a C-rank Ninjutsu, its hand seals were simple, and its destructive power scaled beautifully with the user's raw Chakra. It was highly practical, and one of Kyosuke's absolute favorites.
"With this level of Fire Release, I'm liking you more and more!" Sasori's voice echoed with morbid delight. "You will definitely make excellent material!"
Seeing the massive wall of flames, Sasori wasn't afraid in the slightest. He was simply thrilled to have found such a high-quality specimen.