Hospitalization

In the Hokage's office at Konoha, the middle-aged Third Hokage, clad in his Hokage robes, puffed away at his pipe, exhaling a long plume of smoke after hearing his subordinate's report.

"So, the news that Sunagakure has swiftly occupied the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds is beyond doubt?"

"Yes! This intelligence has been corroborated by merchants who fled the Land of Rivers."

"Originally, Sunagakure also planned to invade the Land of Stone simultaneously, but Iwagakure's ninja happened to be stationed at the border. The Third Kazekage and the Third Tsuchikage engaged in a fierce battle, which ended with Sunagakure withdrawing from the Land of Stone!"

An Anbu wearing an animal mask knelt on one knee, replying respectfully.

"I never imagined Sunagakure would have such boldness! During the negotiations, I thought they were just bluffing..." the Third Hokage said softly.

The Anbu did not respond, merely lowering his head.

"Where's Danzo? Where has he gone?" the Third Hokage asked, as if recalling something.

"Danzo... Lord Danzo, he should have gone to the Land of Rain!" the Anbu replied hesitantly.

"The Land of Rain? What is he doing there?" the Third Hokage muttered to himself. His rift with this former comrade had grown wider and wider, and Danzo's actions were becoming increasingly incomprehensible to him.

The situation in the Ninja World was as volatile as storm clouds, causing the Third Hokage to furrow his brow. Powerful enemies lurked on all sides, and Iwagakure had launched an unbridled offensive.

The AB Brothers of Kumogakure had also carried out multiple raids, while Kirigakure kept making covert moves in the shadows.

Even Sunagakure, which he had thought could be stabilized, was taking advantage of the chaos, annexing the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds. With that, their territories now directly bordered each other, and based on Sunagakure's past behavior, their next move would surely be aimed at the Land of Fire!

Fortunately... a figure as radiant as sunlight appeared in the Third Hokage's mind, and his brow relaxed, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Minato, who had achieved remarkable feats in this war, undoubtedly possessed enough strength to resolve Konoha's crisis.

In the Land of Wind, inside Sunagakure's hospital, Souya lay listlessly on a white hospital bed.

"Scorpion, I never thought a busy man like you would have time to visit me," Souya teased with a grin.

Ever since finding a new purpose in life, Scorpion's eyes, though no longer as dead as a stagnant pool, still maintained a fairly detached level of expression.

"..." Scorpion rolled his eyes, momentarily at a loss for words. He had been busy with missions lately, having developed a new jutsu called "Brain-Sand Manipulation."

Through this technique, he could covertly control certain spies, providing a steady stream of intelligence for Sunagakure.

"How is your investigation into that Forbidden Jutsu going? I've managed to control some Konoha ninja, but their ranks are too low to access that level of forbidden technique," Scorpion asked, cutting straight to the matter that concerned him most.

"Hey, Scorpion... I just got back from the Land of Rivers to the border and ended up hospitalized until now. How could I possibly have gotten any intel?" Souya scolded with a laugh.

"Oh." Scorpion turned to leave.

"Wait!" Souya suddenly called out.

When Scorpion turned back, Souya's face had taken on a serious expression, and Scorpion's heart filled with anticipation. Ever since he had met Souya, the man seemed to know all sorts of secrets about the Ninja World.

The more Scorpion learned of these secrets, the more he realized Souya was no ordinary person, because ordinary people had no way of knowing such things.

"There's one person in Konoha who can definitely access and learn that kind of jutsu!" Souya said solemnly.

"Who?" Scorpion asked urgently.

"Orochimaru!" Souya answered directly, without beating around the bush.

"Orochimaru... so it's him..." Scorpion's expression shifted slightly as he murmured softly.

The name of the "Konoha Sannin," renowned throughout the Ninja World, was naturally familiar to Scorpion.

Such a reputation meant formidable strength, and getting a forbidden jutsu from him would be as difficult as one could imagine.

"How is your Human Puppet development coming along?" Souya asked casually.

"Almost there. I took the bodies of a few Iwagakure ninja back in the Land of Stone, and their strength is nearly the same as when they were alive."

"The main problem now is the lack of strong corpses..." Scorpion trusted Souya implicitly and did not hide the truth.

Souya was not a rigid person either; he had no qualms about using enemy corpses to make puppets.

Having nearly become a puppeteer himself back in the day, he had some knowledge of the Puppet Technique. When Scorpion made puppets, Souya often offered novel ideas.

"Strong corpses, huh?" Souya suddenly revealed a mysterious smile.

"Scorpion, don't take any missions for a while. Prepare plenty of poison first, and then come with me on a trip. Let's see if we can get a few..."

"Mm!" Scorpion nodded in acknowledgment, clearly used to Souya's way of doing things.

"How much longer until you're discharged?" Scorpion looked Souya over and asked.

"Right now! Go handle my discharge paperwork!" Souya ordered Scorpion without any hesitation.

"..." Scorpion said nothing, turning and walking out of the hospital room.

By the time Scorpion returned with the paperwork done, Souya had already changed out of his hospital gown into a black-and-red combat outfit, exuding a sharp and spirited aura.

"Pakura?" Souya looked curiously at another graceful figure by the door.

"Yeah! I've been tied up with missions until now, so I'm sorry for only coming to see you now." Pakura was dressed as she had been during the war, her fair back fully exposed, while the fullness in front was quite eye-catching.

"What's there to apologize for? We're all from the same village, don't worry about it!" Souya chuckled.

"If it weren't for you, I might have died on the battlefield. I'll remember this debt of gratitude! Thank you!" Pakura bowed deeply before straightening up abruptly.

"The... sway... is so intense... Could it be... she's not wearing anything..." Souya's heart began to pound wildly.

His eyes couldn't help but drift to Pakura's generous assets.

Pakura lowered her head slightly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks without her noticing.

Although Souya had spent his life busy training in various ninjutsu and had little contact with the opposite sex, his Blue Star soul had been thoroughly guided by a wealth of "teachers."

He couldn't help but sigh—truly, this was an age of hot-blooded youth...

After an awkward cough, he forced his gaze away and said with feigned nonchalance, "It's nothing, nothing... We're comrades, helping each other is only right. Next time, it might be you saving me!"

"Mhm... I brought some fruit, please take it!" Pakura produced a fruit basket from behind her, tied with two pink ribbons into a bow, carrying a heavy girlish charm.