Blue Sage

The Konoha Squad's wind and fire Combination Jutsu was too fast; it overwhelmed the unprepared Sunagakure Ninja team as soon as it was unleashed.

Katsuta was unaware of Shuichi hiding below. Generally speaking, one cannot move after using Barrier to conceal chakra fluctuations, and staying in one place would likely result in being surrounded by the enemy.

The area was previously the site of a major disturbance, making it even more likely to attract attention.

Even a seasoned Jonin like Yara couldn't have predicted that his opponent, confident in his overwhelming strength, would create such a commotion and then arrogantly wait for more enemies to arrive.

"Oh no, everyone be careful!"

On the other side of the crater, two teams of Sunagakure ninja watched helplessly as their comrades were engulfed in flames, their cries of despair rising simultaneously.

Many team members instantly formed an orderly formation, their chakra gathering within them, ready to be unleashed.

Swish!

They didn't have to wait long. Before the embers of the fireball had even dissipated, a figure had already flashed nearby, moving at a speed that seemed to defy the limits of the naked eye.

Seeing Akiha's hand gesture, Shuichi understood that she had successfully captured two Sunagakure Ninja who were still alive. Therefore, there was no need to capture the other targets alive; none of them would be let go.

With a single toss into the air, multiple Senbon needles landed with a hissing sound, circling the two Sunagakure teams in a circular formation.

"Unfortunately, you're now surrounded!"

Shuichi leaped forward, completing four hand seals in an instant. He inhaled deeply and exhaled several condensed, invisible giant blades, weaving them into an impenetrable net that covered the Senbon Formation below.

Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!

Several Sunagakure Ninja quickly stepped forward, immediately using Earth Release to summon multiple defensive walls.

But the strength of that vacuum blade was beyond their imagination. Multiple layers of walls were neatly sliced open like tofu, and then it cut into the crowd without any hindrance.

"Ughhhh!"

Screams of agony echoed across the battlefield. Only the quick-reacting Yara and Katsuta managed to dodge the fatal attack before the ground was slightly cut open.

One man, leaving behind a severed arm, kept jumping backward, while another, clutching a wound in his waist, ran frantically outward.

Faced with the crisis, they chose to flee in different directions in order to send back news of the Purple Aurora reaching the Land of Tea.

As the two were about to break free of the Senbon encirclement, Shuichi smiled slightly, gathered Explosion Release chakra in both hands, and seized the opportunity to unleash the Flying Thunder God Technique at its limit.

Explosion Release: Explosion Fist!

Almost simultaneously, a purple light flashed before Yara and Katsuta. They felt someone touch their bodies, and the world instantly became empty.

There were no screams, no time to think, not even enough time for the brain to process; consciousness seemed to vanish entirely in the midst of running.

Boom boom--

After the two explosions, Shuichi landed lightly, with only traces of blood and indescribable bits of flesh to indicate what had happened.

After gathering up the scattered ninja tools and finishing off the two Sunagakure who were now only upper-body, he quickly returned to his unit and instructed Shisui to interrogate the captured personnel.

"... Several small teams have recently left, possibly on secret missions, because... the Kirigakure's activity patterns have changed considerably, and the village's higher-ups should have discovered quite a few clues..."

Shuichi frowned upon hearing this news. The reason why the two countries sent people into the Land of Tea was because there were many precious resources such as silver and copper there.

As for why Konoha doesn't care about this, to put it arrogantly, the Land of Fire has no shortage of these things.

In the course of a prolonged battle, unusual enemy movements are easily detected.

The Sunagakure Village wasn't going to be trifled with either. Since the Kirigakure was willing to abandon a region they'd fought over for so long, could it be that they'd found better resources?

If the large-scale deployment of Sunagakure's forces is for this reason, they will discover the location of the Seven Star Tree area sooner or later, which poses a significant challenge for the Konoha Squad.

"The situation is a bit complicated right now, so I'm going to take a risk."

Shuichi gestured for his teammates to gather around, found a relatively flat rock, spread out a map, and made new arrangements.

"Our location is roughly here..." He pointed to the central region of the Land of Tea, then slowly moved upwards, crossing the border back to the Land of Fire.

"According to that Mist Jonin, the Seven Star Tree isn't very large in this area to the north; it will take some time to find it once we get there."

They still had Mrs. Miyazaki, who had fainted from exhaustion, with them; it was impossible for them to participate in the power struggle between the three kingdoms with such a burden.

It is known that the Sunagakure's base is located on the west coast, while the Kirigakure typically lands on the east coast. A small team fighting against two separate villages would be extremely difficult.

Meanwhile, news of Shuichi's arrival had not yet spread; secretly stirring up trouble was the way of the ninja.

"We'll split into two groups. The three of you will follow a curved route westwards to the north, attempting to locate the main force of the Sunagakure."

"Akiha will be the captain. I will relay intelligence with Itachi. If we discover the enemy, it's best not to expose ourselves. Try to provoke a battle between the other two villages. You just need to act according to the situation..."

After discussing all the details of the operation, Shisui and Akiha immediately set off.

Shuichi quickly cleared away the surrounding corpses and erased all traces of the battle. Then, he picked up Mrs. Miyazaki and ran wildly towards Matsuyama Castle.

Less than half a day after the team separated, Shuichi, with his incredible stamina, traveled without stopping, secretly finding Miyazaki Kazuhiko in the city to return his wife.

He was also warned not to make any unusual movements recently and to stay at home obediently.

After leaving the city, Shuichi rushed to the location of the Seven Star Tree without stopping.

According to his estimation, he was probably much faster than the other three. Itachi's small frame definitely needed rest, and his Byakugan couldn't be activated all the time.

They currently lack the strength and confidence to dominate the Shinobi World, so they must proceed with caution when penetrating behind enemy lines. The breakthrough will require Shuichi himself to find it...

In the vast southern rainforest, a dark shadow moved like a fish.

The obstacles such as swamps, poisonous insects, and dead branches and leaves were not at all difficult to deal with in the terrain and had no effect on him whatsoever.

Shuichi stopped in the shade of a tree. His approximate location was close to the Seven Star Tree Forest that Chūkichi had mentioned, but the information obtained from the interrogation couldn't possibly be pinpointed to the exact coordinates.

Given a person's activity range, finding a destination is not an easy task.

"If we use the Super Beast Imitation Drawing, the Ink Bird can't fly too low; if it flies too high, its vision won't be clear. This technique isn't suitable for search missions."

Shuichi looked up at the cloudless sky and thought to himself, after surveying the rainforest environment several more times, low-altitude flight was not working, so he had to find another way to complete the task.

Snap!

He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and stood motionless.

In the darkness, a transparent and colorless aura gradually appeared around consciousness, seemingly visible even in the lightless environment.

Each indescribable aura was extremely active and disorderly, as difficult to control as a naughty child.

A few minutes passed in a flash, and suddenly, light blue eyeshadow appeared at the corner of her eyes, and a small, diamond-shaped crystal was imprinted on the center of her forehead, making her look elegant and noble.

Shuichi opened his eyes, his golden pupils seemed to hold a sky full of stars, so deep that they were irresistibly captivating.

Sage Mode, activated!

If you were to ask him what he's most satisfied with after all these years since he transmigrated, this incredibly handsome, exclusive Sage Mode would be one of them.

Perhaps the main god of the transmigration felt that his nickname wasn't imposing enough, so he specially gave him some compensation?

"It has almost no practical value. The peak of an ordinary person in history is probably even worse than I am now," Shuichi thought to himself. "The Six Paths family is indeed full of bugs. If I train for another ten years, the activation speed should be within a few seconds."

"As expected, the fastest way to become stronger is still to stuff the things of the progenitor of chakra into your body." He sighed with some regret.

This Sage Mode is far superior to Jiraiya's (excluding the Toad possession), but it doesn't last long enough to sustain the battle; it will dissipate once the Senjutsu Chakra is depleted.

For Shuichi's style of quick and decisive battles, this is currently somewhat of a double-edged sword.

Shaking off distracting thoughts and returning to reality, he moved swiftly, floating a great distance. His physical abilities were enhanced in every way, and the world became exceptionally bright in his senses.

The Continuous Body Flicker Technique enhanced by Senjutsu Chakra is truly effortless and leaves no trace, without a single spark.

After running a considerable distance, Shuichi stopped and crouched down, pressing a single finger to the ground to fully sense the chakra fluctuations in a large surrounding area, which were crystal clear.

He didn't need to use his eyes to find the Seven Star Tree; since Kirigakure had already discovered it a long time ago, he probably wouldn't go wrong where there were many people.

"Found it!"

Shuichi turned his head to look into the distance, narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly, then disappeared with a soft whoosh...