"From this day forward, Konoha shall be Loulan's most steadfast shield," Hiruko said with a beaming smile, his mood clearly at an all-time high.
"Loulan will be in your capable hands, everyone from the Leaf," Sara responded with a graceful smile. "As an ally, I intend to visit the Fourth Hokage in Konoha frequently. Who knows? I might even settle down in Konoha one day. I'll be counting on your hospitality when the time comes."
The thought of one day holding her beloved in her arms sent a surge of happiness through her. Sara couldn't help but blush slightly, her smile laced with sweetness.
"Konoha's gates will always be open for you. I'm certain the Fourth will welcome a Queen into the Leaf family," Hiruko chuckled. In the corner, Inoichi Yamanaka narrowed his eyes, sensing that Hiruko's words carried a double meaning.
Walking through the endless shifting sands, Sasori received the latest intelligence from his subordinates. A playful glint flickered in his eyes.
"Konoha and Loulan have officially allied. How interesting."
"A massive influx of Leaf shinobi is moving into Loulan... and sending high-level officials to sign a treaty at a time like this? It seems this land hides quite a secret."
As a ninja with a meticulous and calculating mind, Sasori took intelligence gathering seriously. He controlled vast information resources—even a few significant figures had unwittingly "worked" for him. He naturally wanted to understand this new player, Konoha; after all, knowing your enemy is the first step to victory. It also allowed him to pick out his desired "materials" in advance to avoid wasting time later.
Sasori's intellect was top-tier. Upon seeing the Leaf's intelligence, he immediately realized Loulan was far from simple. However, the secret of the land itself held little appeal for him. He was more interested in the Leaf's big shots. As a man obsessed with the art of puppetry—specifically the creation of Human Puppets—talented individuals were his ultimate "prime materials."
"Choza Akimichi... an elite Leaf Jonin and close friend of the Fourth Hokage. I could craft a specialized siege puppet based on his size, or perhaps a meat-shield capable of protecting a Kage. A decent choice."
"Inoichi Yamanaka... a specialist in pure spiritual secret arts. Making him into a puppet might fill the gap in my mental assault capabilities."
"Mikoto Uchiha... possessing the Sharingan. A truly superlative specimen. Whether as a puppet or by transplanting her eyes, she would vastly improve a puppet's dynamic vision and control precision."
"As for Hiruko... a Leaf Jonin and one of the leaders behind the recent reforms. He has close ties to Orochimaru..." Sasori ticked them off one by one, already deciding which "model" they would become. To him, the Leaf shinobi were already fish on a chopping block.
However, when he reached Hiruko's file, Sasori frowned.
Intelligence on Hiruko's strength and background was remarkably scarce. He was ruthless, rarely leaving survivors, which meant very little was known about his personality or combat habits. The scattered reports mostly described his scientific genius, his inventions of convenient transportation—useless data for a battle.
Sasori guessed Hiruko might be a Sannin-level powerhouse, or perhaps just a scholar focused on research with no real combat experience. In the shinobi world, the feeling of being blind to an enemy was never pleasant. To make a slippery snake like Orochimaru cooperate, he can't be a weakling. Perhaps he will be the biggest surprise of this operation.
Sasori gently traced the scroll on his back, a cold smile touching his lips. That scroll contained his greatest masterpiece to date: the Third Kazekage. He hoped Hiruko was strong enough to warrant a place in his collection.
Despite the lack of intel, Sasori decided to strike. This wasn't recklessness, but a calculated move. Sasori was one of the few villains in this world whose will was near-unbreakable. Unless he was talked down by a certain blonde brat—which hadn't happened—he was a force of nature. His parents had been killed by Leaf ninja, leaving him with a natural malice toward anyone from that village. Seeing Hiruko in Loulan was merely an opportunity to collect high-quality materials and vent some long-held rage.
Elsewhere in Loulan, a puddle of deep-black sludge was commanding several White Zetsu. It was using specialized methods to engrave ancient characters onto underground rock walls, reinforcing the soft strata to make the site more "noticeable."
That fellow Hiruko has finally arrived in Loulan, Black Zetsu thought. Now, an ambitious man like him won't be able to resist the lure of the Dragon Vein. He'll come here to study it, hoping to devour that power.
Black Zetsu nodded with satisfaction at the runes. It knew Hiruko was cautious, so before studying the Dragon Vein, he would scour the environment. "Accidentally" discovering an ancient ruin was an inevitable outcome. Black Zetsu hadn't just faked a ruin; it had personally led the Zetsu in an "archaeological" dig, unearthing genuine Loulan artifacts only to modify their narratives and rebury them for a "lucky" find. After a thousand years, Black Zetsu was a master of Loulan's ancient script and style. Combined with its Yin-Yang Release, it was the world's most professional forger.
That evening, in the Leaf's Loulan office, the lamplight flickered dimly.
Mikoto Uchiha turned gracefully, her sleeves fluttering with her movement. A subtle, lingering charm radiated from her. Her eyes, like pools of dark water, rippled as her gaze drifted over Hiruko.
"Lord Hiruko, what grand scheme has you looking so serious?" her voice was soft and melodic.
Hiruko's scientific brain stalled for a moment as he locked onto her soulful gaze. Looking at a beauty like this only makes her look prettier by the second. His heart picked up speed.
"Merely trifles, Lady Mikoto. They hardly compare to your radiant charm."
Mikoto let out a soft chuckle, stepping closer. "Oh? Just trifles?"
Hiruko's throat hitched as he suppressed the stirrings in his chest. "Heh! It's time to clock out, Lord Hiruko. Itachi is very eager for his next lesson!"
With that, Mikoto swayed her slender waist and walked out. Hiruko had to admit, she was a mature enchantress; a simple gesture was enough to move him. But he knew he couldn't cross that line. I need to finish up here and get back to Tsunade. Fugaku is truly a bastard, putting a temptation like this next to me. Is he trying to force me to commit a crime?
Wait... is he trying to force me to make a mistake so he can have leverage over me?!
Hiruko suddenly realized a crucial point.
The next day, at the Dragon Vein seal, Hiruko was cautiously surveying the terrain. Numerous cybernetic spider-bots were fanning out in every direction. The site looked dilapidated, likely due to how long it had been sealed and forgotten. Even the specialized tri-pronged kunai stuck in the ground was covered in dust.
Hiruko gently blew the dust off the kunai and wiped the ground. He didn't pull the blade to break the seal; instead, he studied the mysterious runes and arrays carved into the stone.
He clapped his hands. His aura shifted instantly. While he didn't manifest the typical shadow-markings of Sage Mode, his transformation was far beyond ordinary. In Sage Mode, natural energy flooded him, tempering his physique. He theorized that one day, he could reach a Six Paths-level body through this method alone.
His body had evolved to resist the corrosive nature of natural energy, allowing him to maintain balance with ease. Entering "Instant Sage Mode" and keeping it active was child's play for him now.
He touched the ground. Enhanced by Sage Mode, his senses bypassed the seal to feel the thrumming power beneath. It was the power of the Dragon Vein—energy that could pierce the barriers of time and space. This was arguably the most valuable treasure in the entire Naruto world.
Hiruko smirked. This was the ultimate medium for time travel. Whether it was traveling to an unknown future or wandering parallel Leaf timelines to hoard "trump cards," it would make him significantly safer. As long as he didn't land in a "troll" timeline—like being locked in an Infinite Tsukuyomi prison immediately—he was golden.
He studied the seal on the tri-pronged kunai, feeling a surge of excitement. This kunai wasn't the core of the seal, but a node for regulation. You couldn't pull it without breaking the seal first—unless you were like the movie villain Mukade, who used a crude absorption method that carried massive risks.
Minato's seal was an unsolvable riddle for most, but Hiruko had inherited Minato's Fuinjutsu legacy. It wasn't hard. The issue was that the energy was so vast that a mishandling could trigger a chronal catastrophe in Loulan. He didn't want to screw over his ally or draw the attention of the Five Great Nations. He preferred "making a fortune in silence."
He contemplated a modification: instead of breaking the seal, he would open a "micro-pore." He would bleed out small amounts of Dragon Vein chakra for study. As a steady researcher, he had plenty of time.
Suddenly, his Sage-enhanced senses spiked. Something was approaching fast outside the Dragon Vein chamber. He felt a foreign chakra signature—definitely not a Leaf shinobi.
"Sh-sh-sh!"
Countless black senbon rained down toward Hiruko's back, the whistling air filling the room. Each needle tip shimmered with an eerie blue light—deadly poison.
Before Hiruko could even stand, he was turned into a human pincushion, collapsing to the ground with a shrill, agonizing wail.
Seeing Hiruko "incapacitated," a figure resembling a brown wooden puppet crawled down from the rock wall like a giant spider. Joint-clicking sounds echoed as it reached Hiruko in a blur. This crawler-type puppet had a black iron cylinder between its belly and joints—the "mouth" that had fired the senbon.
"Who are you...?" Before Hiruko could finish, the puppet's back sprang open, several sharp blades hacking down.
The blades tore "Hiruko" into several pieces. But there was no blood. The shattered body dissolved into shimmering bubbles.
The puppet had only shredded a phantom created by Hiruko's Kurama bloodline. Hiruko, in Sage Mode, was entirely unfazed by such an amateur ambush.
He threw a savage punch.
BOOM! The unexpected strike reduced the puppet to splinters, scattering it across the floor.
"Not coming out yet? You've already exposed yourself," Hiruko said flatly, looking toward the shadows.
He had used the phantom to bait the attacker and pry for information. Now that the enemy had revealed their hand, he had a good guess who it was. Pity Sasori was cautious; he hadn't come in person, but sent a puppet instead.
Genjutsu? It hadn't worked.
"As expected, you are an interesting one." A youth radiating a melancholy aura walked slowly into the light. It was Sasori. He wore a faint, almost demonic smile, his eyes filled with a murderous "madness."
One had to admit, the boy was stunningly handsome—the kind of face that would have girls screaming in a shoujo manga. Hiruko himself had to acknowledge the boy's looks.
Sasori had intended to turn Hiruko into a puppet; seeing that the "material" was of even higher quality than expected was a pleasant surprise. Hiruko, meanwhile, was delighted to see the master puppeteer. He had coveted Sasori's techniques for a long time. If he wanted to build giant combat Mecha in this world, Sasori was the key.
Judging by Sasori's current state, he hadn't yet fully "puppetized" his own body. The "Performance of a Hundred Puppets" wasn't ready yet, and Hiruko (the puppet he hid in) wasn't exactly high-art. His only real trump card was the Third Kazekage.
This was a golden opportunity.
Sasori raised an eyebrow. The fact that the target recognized him—and looked at him with such "interest"—made him uneasy. In a ninja battle, being read while the enemy is a mystery is a disaster.
"The genius puppeteer of the Land of Wind... I've been watching you for a long time," Hiruko said. "Your talent is unique in this world. I quite like it."
Sasori's smile turned vicious, his hidden mechanisms already clicking into place. Sasori was a nice surprise, but being interrupted during Dragon Vein research made Hiruko irritable—a common trait among scientists.
I must!!
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