Were you here to act cute?

On the eastern coast of the Land of Lightning, two enormous fleets were hidden deep within the thick fog, with the flag of Kirigakure flying high atop their masts on the open sea.

The flags fluttered in the sea breeze, and it wasn't hard to spot the small flag next to the large one, which was clearly the crest of the Kaguya Clan.

That's right, the ninjas who attacked Kumogakure from the East were from the Kaguya Clan.

However, their mission was not to actually attack Kumogakure, but to tie down a portion of Kumogakure's fighting force. This is why Killer B was able to retreat quickly and save the Raikage at the last moment.

On a large ship, the space was floating, and a figure emerged, breaking through the ripples of the waves. He seemed to be carrying an old man in his hand.

Kaguya Shōtarō stood respectfully at the bow of the ship, witnessing this scene. When he clearly saw the face of the old man among the Tōka...

His pupils suddenly contracted, Ōnoki...

Dead??

The Tsuchikage of Iwagakure is a powerful figure known throughout the entire Ninja World, a great man who has survived from the most chaotic Warring States period to the present day!

Having survived World War I, Second Shinobi World War, and Third Shinobi World War, the Third Tsuchikage are now like a broken doll, casually held in Tōka's hand.

The charred body emitted a strong smell of roasted meat.

The taste of grilled meat, undoubtedly the most popular food in the Ninja World, made Kaguya Shōtarō feel an overwhelming sourness and nausea at this moment.

He had seen dead people before.

Instead...

"Ancestor." Sensing Tōka strolling over, Kaguya Shōtarō immediately suppressed his discomfort and put on a very humble and respectful appearance.

Upon seeing this, the others immediately lowered their heads, showing great humility and respect.

Tōka nodded slightly, then walked through the crowd and went straight into the cabin.

Kaguya Shōtarō had already prepared a hot bath and a table of delicious food, and they didn't need to worry about the pursuers sent by Kumogakure.

Because...

Kumogakure is located on the edge of the Cloud Gorge Mountains, outside an ordinary village on the coastal edge.

Surrounded by mountains, there is only one road into the village, which requires passing through a Small Woods of rocks.

The Forest of the Land of Lightning cannot compare to those of the Land of Fire, yet they possess a unique charm, unlike the layered, towering Big Tree of the Land of Fire.

In the Small Woods, the tall, solitary trees stood alone, much like the robust and strong people of the Land of Lightning.

Two figures in Red Clouds on a Black Background stood bored under a tree, leaning against the Big Tree and staring blankly in the direction of Kumogakure.

At the end of the Cloud Gorge lies the Kumogakure, where thunder roars in the darkness.

All things perished, and the world fell silent, as if it had lost its voice.

Feeling the immense power of nature, Kakuzu and Sasori remained stunned for a long time, staring blankly at the distant sky.

Until...

Two Elite Squad of Cloud Ninja quickly approached.

Kakuzu and Sasori composed themselves and once again revealed their calm demeanor.

"Scorpion, did you see that lightning!" Kakuzu's deep and steady voice rang out, though his seemingly calm heart was actually rippled with countless emotions.

Even Kakuzu himself didn't realize that there was a slight, unnatural tremor in his voice.

"Hmm." Scorpion responded coldly. He wasn't blind; he could naturally notice the scene above Kumogakure.

More than that, Scorpion was concerned about the enemy's whereabouts.

"They're taking way too long!" Scorpion was getting impatient.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh...

Amidst the sound of the night wind, the whooshing sound of a strong gust of wind cutting through the air could be heard.

Sasori and Kakuzu immediately perked up and arrived in the early hours of the morning. They had been waiting for most of the night and their eyelids were starting to droop.

Several figures entered the Small Woods, but were immediately detected by the sensory traps set up by the two.

"Looks like we've reached our target for smashing down the door!" Kakuzu straightened up, stretched, and gave a bloodthirsty sneer.

Scorpion's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a chilling killing intent. They actually made him wait this long; these people deserve to die!

The sky was still dark, and the night wind was somewhat chilly.

A chilling atmosphere filled the air, much like Beast hunting its prey at night. The two stood in the darkness, completely blending into the shadows.

Swish swish swish!!

Several dark figures darted through the Small Woods, moving at incredible speeds like shadows in the night, the shadows of the Tree Shadow on either side rushing past like a series of accelerated slides.

Sudden!

A Jonin the group, Tanaka Jirō, crouched on a tree trunk, raising his right fist to signal everyone to stop and take cover nearby.

They received instructions from the forward squad leader.

The other seven people had no suspicions whatsoever. They immediately used a Body Flicker Technique to leave their original spot, changed their route, and hid in the nearby woods.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh...

Just then, a dense swarm of poisonous needles, like a fine drizzle, pierced the air. The Dark Green venom coating the needles not only increased their power but also served as their best camouflage.

Poison needles pierced through the leaves, scattering directly along the path of the two Cloud Ninja squads.

"There was an ambush as expected! Prepare for battle!" Cloud Ninja Jonin the Tanaka Jirō, changed his expression and shouted in a low voice, while drawing the large sword from his back with both hands.

Ding ding ding!!

Tanaka Jirō wielded his massive sword with terrifying power, creating a blur of afterimages in front of him. The dense, impenetrable sword shadows blocked all the incoming rain of poisoned needles.

Kakuzu and Sasori also emerged from the shadows at this moment. Both were Kage-level and disdained to hide and ambush the group of Cloud Ninja.

Scorpion decided to use his venomous stinger to eliminate the smaller fish in order to save time.

Surprisingly, not a single person was infected.

"Scorpion, your strength is as weak as ever!" Kakuzu taunted mercilessly, his eyes fixed on the Cloud Ninja without a moment's carelessness.

Eight Jonin, including two Elite Jonin.

This lineup posed a slight threat to the two of them. Kakuzu a calm and vigilant man, and he would never allow anything to go wrong.

"Is all you can do is talk, Kakuzu?" Sasori wasn't one to mince words either, and immediately retorted.

Kakuzu snorted coldly with a tense expression, then focused his attention heavily on the Elite Jonin Cloud Ninja wielding a large sword.

Sasori didn't really want to fight Kakuzu; it was just that neither of them would submit to the other.

The air was still, and the leaves in the Small Woods trembled and swayed.

A bone-chilling cold swept over them. Everyone present was a powerful figure with blood on their hands, and the mere aura emanating from them was enough to intimidate anyone.

In this situation, even moving a single finger would be extremely difficult for an ordinary person.

"Leave these four to me!" Kakuzu's gaze turned cold, and as soon as he finished speaking, Earth Release instantly enveloped his body.

His hands were hardened like steel; a single punch from him could easily shatter a solid wall.

If it hits flesh and blood...

At best, it will cause serious injury; at worst, it will kill you instantly!

Kakuzu's figure transformed into a streak of black light and rushed out. Sasori's movements were equally unsatisfactory. Hiruko opened her mouth, and an iron pipe inside her mouth stretched out with a clicking sound.

A cold glint flashed within the finger-thick tube, not particularly noticeable in the darkness.

However, when that small Black Hole was pointed at me, a chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up my back.

Sugimoto Kōsuke, the other elite Jonin leading one of the two Cloud Ninja Elite Squad, is skilled Elite Jonin Lightning Release, Wind Release, and Taijutsu.

They are strong and have even more experience.

When Sasori launched his first ambush, Sugimoto Kōsuke knew that there was Puppet Master among the enemy, and a very skilled Puppet Master at that.

However, no matter how skilled Puppet Master, their Original Body is their biggest weakness.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Sugimoto Kōsuke chose to hide. The moment he saw Hiruko make her move, he quickly approached and poured a burst of violent Lightning Release power into the Steel Fist he was holding.

Sizzle...

The sound of Lightning was clearly audible, and even from a distance of several steps, one could feel the immense energy contained within those gauntlets.

"Lightning Release, huh? Troublesome Ninjutsu." Sasori frowned. Hiruko's tail was made of a special metal.

Metals can conduct electricity!

If Hiruko were to be struck by that Hiruko Lightning Release punch, let alone whether she could withstand the terrifying damage.

The terrifying penetrating power of the Lightning alone could damage the Regeneration Core hidden within the Hiruko.

Sasori is not a complete puppet after all. Puppet Master need chakra to control the puppets by creating Chakra Threads, which requires a flesh and blood body.

Crunch, crunch...

As Sugimoto Kōsuke soared into the air and transformed into a bolt of lightning, Sasori controlled Hiruko to retreat rapidly.

The poisoned needle mechanism in Hiruko's mouth was aimed at Sugimoto Kōsuke of the Cloud Ninja Jonin.

"Hiruko - Needle Eight Waves!"

A hoarse, deep voice rang out, like the low murmur of Shinigami. Suddenly, the wind blew through the forest, and a chilling cold swept across the entire land.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!

Countless ultra-high-density poison needles were fired from the mouth of Hiruko's Human Puppet, released by Talisman hidden in the mechanism.

Powered by the mechanism mentioned by Hiruko, it moved with incredible speed, like a light drizzle, making it impossible for ordinary people to dodge.

Sugimoto Kōsuke's eyes narrowed, a deep sense of seriousness flashing in them.

This is no ordinary Puppet Master!

Although he had told himself that his opponent was very strong and that he had to be careful, Sugimoto Kōsuke never expected Sasori to react so quickly.

He not only mastered the Lightning Release Taijutsu, but was also proficient in Wind Release, allowing him to perfectly control the nature transformation of Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation.

With the combined power of Wind Release and Lightning Release.

Sugimoto Kōsuke was extremely fast, though not as fast as the Raikage, a Kage-level had fully mastered the Lightning Release Taijutsu.

However, Sugimoto Kōsuke can also unleash a Ninjutsu that instills genuine fear— the Instant Kill Technique!

A dense barrage of poisonous needles pierced the air; compared to the previous probing attacks, this time Scorpion was going all out.

The opponent was no ordinary fodder, but Elite Jonin Kumogakure!

Boom!!

With nowhere to dodge, Sugimoto Kōsuke unleashed a powerful punch, the Lightning Release energy contained in his gauntlets exploding in mid-air.

A dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the dark mountain forest.

One after another, poisoned needles coated with deadly venom reflected streaks of Dark Green light, shooting densely into the air.

Sudden!

A powerful surge of energy erupted the instant the light flashed, and Sugimoto Kōsuke unleashed a punch, the force of which shook the very fabric of space.

The overwhelming force shattered all the poisoned needles that had been enhanced.

At the same time, Sugimoto Kōsuke's attack was also thwarted, and the seemingly dangerous offensive ended in vain.

Sugimoto Kōsuke immediately used Wind Release Secret Technique to empower himself, stopping in a way that was incomprehensible to humans before gracefully backflipping down like a swallow.

He crouched on a branch that ran horizontally through two Big Tree in the Forest.

Sugimoto Kōsuke's attack temporarily halted, but he was not fighting alone; Kakuzu assigned an Elite Squad.

There were a total of eight Jonin responsible for pursuing Tōka!

Whoosh whoosh!!

Three dark figures streaked through the air, moving with the speed of ghosts.

"Ha... a bunch of idiots!" Scorpion remained calmly in place, this time without even making a move to dodge, as if he was too lazy to do so?

Several Chakra Threads shot through the air, and a huge cloud of smoke suddenly exploded in the inky night.

Immediately afterwards, a strong and powerful nine-foot-tall man appeared before everyone's eyes.

Upon seeing the person's appearance, Sugimoto Kōsuke's pupils constricted sharply, and even his voice trembled involuntarily, "The Third, Third Raikage?!"

Sizzle...

A chilling flash of lightning!

Hell Stab...

Four-Fingered Hand Thrust!!

The electric arcs flashed by at lightning speed, and the Third Raikage's palm was sharper than Steel Sword, his movement seemingly tearing space in two.

The two Cloud Ninja Jonin, positioned one in front of the other and the other behind, were originally meant to support each other, but now they became their death knell.

Puff!

With a muffled thud, a spray of glaring blood erupted into the air, like two poignant fountains.

A gentle breeze swept through the forest, carrying with it the stench of blood. Sugimoto Kōsuke stared blankly at the corpses of his two companions falling from the sky.

A moment of distraction was the key to his death!

Kakuzu suddenly appeared under the Big Tree where Sugimoto Kōsuke was, his hands clasped together, and the two masks on the spiderweb-like creature formed by the Earth Grudge Fear behind him opened their mouths one after another.

Click!

Fire Release: Head Hunter!

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

The wind fanned the flames, amplifying the power of the Fire Release exponentially. A tsunami of flames engulfed half the Forest, and the scorching heatwave reduced everything in sight to ashes.

Kakuzu's body began to twist strangely, Earth Grudge Fear quickly shrank back into his body.

With a muffled thud, Kakuzu landed heavily beside Sasori, the ground beneath his feet sinking and cracking open in a spiderweb pattern of dark fissures.

Kakuzu glanced at the two charred corpses and sneered mockingly.

"Scorpion, you're still so slow."

"Hmph, do you want to try?"

Sasori glanced at Kakuzu with disdain, completely disregarding the fact that it was an Elite Squad of Cloud Ninja composed entirely of Jonin Cloud Ninja.

If Sasori hadn't realized that Kakuzu had already taken care of the other Cloud Ninja squad, he wouldn't have planned to use the Human Puppet Third Raikage.

Kakuzu gave Sasori a deep look, snorted coldly, and turned to walk towards the Northeast coastline.

Their mission was to intercept the team chasing Tōka. Any ninjas from either Kumogakure or Iwagakure who were pursuing them along this route were already on the kill list.

Now that their mission is complete, Sasori and Kakuzu plan to retreat.

The Lightning Prison Plan has succeeded, and the target, Ōnoki, is currently on the Kaguya Clan's large ship.

Watching Kakuzu's departing figure, Sasori disposed of the corpses in the Forest and hurriedly followed.

Tsuchikage...

The only person to possess Dust Release, a Kekkei Genkai surpassing Kekkei Tōta.

This is so exciting!

The scorpion can't wait!