Sasori of the Red Sands

More than a decade of life after transmigration had made the memories of his previous life distant and hazy. Hyuga Kagami truly could not remember whether Otsutsuki Toneri needed hand seals to enter Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

If he needed hand seals, then what seals would they be? And what was the chakra circulation pattern inside the body?

Amid such doubts, Hyuga Kagami experienced the awkwardness of lacking an inheritance.

It was like possessing a treasure mountain yet being unable to enter it!

Thinking of Obito, Nagato, Itachi, the Fourth Hokage, and the other figures currently or soon to be riding the tides of the era, Hyuga Kagami realized that all of them had, to varying degrees, received careful guidance from Kage-level experts and inherited all kinds of legacies.

As for himself, he had nothing!

Hyuga Kagami was not one to wallow in self-pity. Since he had identified the problem, he would solve it.

The most suitable inheritance would naturally be that of Otsutsuki Hamura on the moon. However, Hyuga Kagami had no idea how to reach the moon at present. Furthermore, Otsutsuki Toneri's branch was there, guarded by the Giant Tenseigan formed from countless fused Byakugan, so this inheritance could be set aside for now.

The Hyuga Main Branch might possess some secret inheritances. That was worth putting some thought into.

Orochimaru's research ability ranked among the very best in the world, so if Hyuga Kagami wanted to advance his strength further, he could not cut off contact with Orochimaru.

But Hyuga Kagami felt that the nature of their cooperation had to change.

Continuing to serve as Orochimaru's spy, a puppet with no will of his own, held no future whatsoever. He had to change his status from subordinate to collaborator before he could profit from it.

That involved strength once again. In the ninja world, the weak had no right to discuss cooperation with the strong.

Having fully adjusted his mindset, Hyuga Kagami began assessing his current combat strength.

In terms of chakra reserves, he had undoubtedly reached Jonin level. Combined with the Tenseigan's unparalleled perception, the Gentle Fist, and the inscrutable, seal-less Rotation, he believed that barring any surprises, he had a good chance of defeating a Special Jonin. But if he faced a true Jonin, he would most likely be the one to die.

Of course, that was only for now.

As he gained more experience and developed the Tenseigan further, he believed that it would not be long before his strength reached the level of a Jonin, or even an Elite Jonin.

Then, he would have the qualifications to have a proper talk with Orochimaru.

After looking ahead to the future, Hyuga Kagami pulled his thoughts back to the present.

He was still caught up in the village's Purge plan, and his strength was far from enough to contend with the village. Therefore, how to protect himself without exposing the Tenseigan was his most urgent concern.

Just after returning to the outpost, Mitsui Chuichi summoned Hyuga Kagami before him and coldly ordered, "Prepare yourself. There is a mission tomorrow."

Hyuga Kagami's expression sharpened. "What mission?"

Mitsui Chuichi said, "I will lead the team personally. As for the specifics, I will tell you on the road tomorrow."

Hyuga Kagami had wanted to refuse, but after pondering it for a moment, he ultimately nodded.

In truth, he knew that because of his "illness," he had already avoided one round of the Purge. Now that he had recovered, he could no longer keep making excuses.

The next day.

Fully armed, Hyuga Kagami set out with Mitsui Chuichi. Since Anko had not yet recovered from her injuries, only the two of them took part in this operation.

On the way, Mitsui Chuichi briefly explained the mission.

Like Anko and Oda's previous mission, it was to rendezvous with a Konoha spy embedded in Sunagakure and retrieve the Sunagakure intelligence the spy had gathered.

After hearing the mission briefing, Hyuga Kagami became one hundred percent certain that this mission was a trap meant to Purge him.

Yet his expression did not change. He merely pondered in secret, Who would make the final move? Root? Anbu? Or perhaps people from Sunagakure?

If Root was making the move, then Danzo was almost certainly the one overseeing the Purge. If it was Anbu, then it was most likely the Third Hokage. But if it was Sunagakure Ninja, the situation would become complicated.

If it was Sunagakure Ninja, that meant the village had reached some kind of agreement with Sunagakure.

In other words, this was no longer an internal village matter, but a matter between ninja villages. The one orchestrating it behind the scenes was likely not a single person, but the entire Konoha leadership.

As he sped along, Hyuga Kagami rapidly analyzed the situation he was about to face.

To deal with a Chunin like me, promoted during wartime, there is no need to dispatch Jonin. The enemy should be a four-man squad made up of Chunin.

Because I belong to the Hyuga Clan, they probably will not set up an ambush in advance. That would expose them too early.

They should attack from all directions once I reach the rendezvous point and launch a full-scale siege. Or they might disguise themselves as the contact and strike suddenly while I am off guard!

What role will this Mitsui Chuichi play? Is he only leading me into the ambush, or will he also take part in surrounding me?

After obtaining the Tenseigan, Hyuga Kagami's mentality had gradually begun to change. If he had once merely wanted to survive, he now harbored greater desires and ambitions.

It was also because of the Tenseigan that he was so confident. Once he cast aside negative emotions such as fear and confusion, he accurately analyzed the circumstances he might face.

A long while later.

Mitsui Chuichi and Hyuga Kagami arrived at the rendezvous point. It was a barren expanse strewn with rocks, with an unobstructed view in every direction. No matter how one looked at it, it was not a suitable place to meet.

In the distance stood a solitary figure, somewhat blurred by the windblown sand.

Hyuga Kagami focused his gaze and immediately discovered that the other person contained a massive amount of chakra. In terms of chakra reserves alone, he far exceeded Chunin level.

Moreover, he noticed several Sunagakure Ninja corpses lying haphazardly beside the figure.

This strange sight made Hyuga Kagami sense danger. He immediately stopped and said in a low voice, "Captain, something seems wrong."

Mitsui Chuichi also frowned deeply. Clearly, the situation before him differed somewhat from what he had expected.

But he did not possess Hyuga Kagami's sharp perception. Separated by the sky full of wind and sand, he could neither judge the stranger's strength nor see the corpses half-buried beneath the stranger's feet.

After hesitating for a while, Mitsui Chuichi ordered, "Come on, let's go over!"

Mitsui Chuichi was the captain. Since he had given the order, Hyuga Kagami had no choice but to follow him slowly toward the stranger.

A moment later, the two arrived before him.

The stranger was wrapped from head to toe in a grayish-brown cloak. Even his face was covered with cloth, leaving only a pair of bright eyes exposed. Yet the look in those eyes made one deeply uncomfortable, as though a beast were watching its prey.

Only then did Mitsui Chuichi notice the several corpses clad in Sunagakure attire lying beside the stranger. His face immediately turned grim. "You... who exactly are you?"

The stranger slowly lowered his hood and tore away the cloth covering his face. Tilting his head, he said with a teasing grin, "Oh? So they were waiting here for you two."

"Sasori of the Red Sands!?"