It was time to choose sides.

A Land of Wind, a realm of yellow sand.

Three figures dressed in Red Cloud Black Cloak and wearing Wind Chime Hat moved slowly across the yellow sand.

Waaaaah~~

Amidst the Wind and Sand, the swirling dust stung their eyes, and the three men wrapped their faces in thick cloth to shield themselves from the knife-like sand.

"Kakuzu, what exactly is the objective of this mission?" Sasori's deep, impatient voice rang out.

Without even being explicitly told what their mission was, Sasori was ordered by the Deva Path Dao to form a three-person team with Kakuzu and Kisame to come to this godforsaken place.

Facing Sasori's incredibly sour face, Kakuzu remained as expressionless as stone, saying indifferently, "You'll know when we get there. There's no use in being anxious now."

"Don't try to fob me off with this nonsense. Don't you want your heart anymore?" A murderous glint flashed in Scorpion's eyes, and his voice turned cold.

"Heh... If you can do it, you can try!" Kakuzu retorted without fear, in his eyes Sasori was nothing more than a treacherous fellow hiding in a puppet.

Kakuzu managed to escape from the First Hokage, has every reason to be proud.

It was this arrogance that made him believe that while someone in the world might be able to defeat him, no one could ever kill him.

Because he's someone who escaped from the clutches of Hashirama Senju, the God of Ninja World!

The three of them stopped in their tracks, and the atmosphere froze instantly.

The cold, oppressive air was more terrifying than Sandstorm; the suffocating smell felt like clumps of sand rushing into my throat.

Of the three, Kisame was inferior to Sasori and Kakuzu in both seniority and strength, so he wisely chose to remain silent while secretly keeping a watchful eye on the two.

That way, if the two troublemakers really start fighting, he'll have a quick reaction time.

Crunch, crunch...

Hiruko's tail gradually lengthened, revealing a sharp steel blade covered in green liquid, and a mechanical sound broke the deathly silence.

Kakuzu's pupils contracted sharply. He and Sasori had been at odds for a long time, but they had never actually fought.

The reason is simple: the two have never met alone; either Deva Path or Tōka is present.

This time, however, he was accompanied only by Kisame. Kisame joined Akatsuki later than the two of them, making him a junior, and his strength was inferior to theirs.

Sudden!

Deep in the yellow sand, a boy of about ten years old slowly walked out.

Kimimaro didn't deliberately conceal his aura, because he knew that even if he did, these terrifying guys would still detect it.

As expected, the moment Kimimaro approached, the stagnant air around the three of them suddenly dissipated.

Immediately afterwards, the three of them turned their heads and looked over.

The difference lay in their gazes. Kakuzu maintained a straight face without the slightest surprise, while Sasori's eyes flickered slightly, as if he were pondering something.

Kisame, however, was somewhat puzzled. Hadn't Kimimaro Squad received a mission from Tōka to leave the Land of Rain?

Could the mission's destination be nearby? Karin and Yakumo must be hiding somewhere.

"Lord Kimimaro asked, neither humble nor arrogant.

"You'll have to ask him!" Scorpion glanced coldly at Kakuzu and let out a cold snort.

Kimimaro shifted his gaze from Sasori to Kakuzu's face, remaining silent but his eyes conveying his Kakuzu.

What is your purpose in coming here?

Kakuzu's face darkened. Sasori was one thing, but how dare a mere brat question him like that?

If it weren't for the fact that Kimimaro, Kakuzu would have almost killed the brat in front of him!

Kimimaro seemed oblivious to the murderous aura emanating from Kakuzu; not far behind them lay the abandoned ruins.

The Sandstorm has obscured the view, but the distance is actually not that far.

When Karin noticed the three approaching, Kimimaro came alone, already hiding in the shadows and observing from afar.

The reason for this was that Kimimaro was worried that Kakuzu and Sasori really fought, the commotion would affect Tōka.

The tense atmosphere grew increasingly intense, but this time it wasn't between Sasori and Kakuzu.

Instead, Kakuzu unleashed an oppressive aura upon Kimimaro!

Kimimaro, but being young, he felt immense pressure facing Kakuzu, who had lived for decades.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples, and his body seemed to stiffen.

However, Kimimaro refused to back down.

"Mr. Kakuzu, shouldn't you tell us about our mission?" At that moment, a voice, seemingly close yet distant, rang out.

It was Kisame, who had remained silent and intended to stay out of it, who finally spoke up.

He and Kimimaro both came from the same Land of Water, but that's not the point. The point is that Kisame and Kimimaro are both from Tōka.

Kisame is aware that he is no match for Kakuzu at the moment, but he is not afraid of Kakuzu.

Compared to the oppressive feeling of facing Tōka, Kakuzu? That's child's play...

Upon hearing this, the gazes of the three people in the arena immediately fell upon Kakuzu, and there was a subtle indication that they were about to surround him.

Sasori disliked Kakuzu, while Kimimaro was wary of the group getting close, and Kisame was curious about this strange affair.

"..." Kakuzu pursed his lips, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

The Deva Path had secretly told him that he must not reveal the details of his mission to Sasori and Kisame until they reached their destination.

But given the current situation...

Kakuzu felt no pressure facing Sasori, Kakuzu sneered at Kisame. As for Kimimaro? Kakuzu didn't even consider him a threat.

However, even if Sasori and Kisame team up, Kakuzu knew his chances of winning were slim.

After a moment of silence, Kakuzu took out a Scroll from his wide sleeve and tossed it through the air, throwing it directly at Sasori.

"These are Pain's orders. See for yourselves."

Sasori had no suspicions and was not worried about Kakuzu's plot, since he was just using Hiruko's tail anyway.

With a flick of its long steel tail, it caught the intelligence Scroll securely.

With a ripping sound, the thin rope binding the Scroll was snapped...

"The Ruins Deep in the Land of Wind —leave no survivors!"

In a short sentence, Kimimaro was already told that the three of them were heading to the ruins behind him.

Pain's orders... targeted them!

To be precise...

There was only one objective—his teacher, Tōka!

The three people present were extremely shrewd and easily noticed Kimimaro's slight change in expression.

"Kimimaro, do you know about those ruins?" Kisame hadn't said it outright yet, but his words were practically a reminder to Sasori.

Kakuzu is clearly on Pain's side, and Kimimaro's appearance here...

Doesn't that mean Tōka is not far away?

Upon hearing this, Scorpion's eyes narrowed slightly, and a figure appeared in his mind—a god-like youth.

To be honest, Scorpion had a pretty good feeling about Tōka.

After all, Tōka had given him many exquisite collectibles, but now Pain's order was to eliminate Tōka.

Judging from the way the Kakuzu fearless, it appeared that Tōka's power had weakened somewhat at this moment, and he even had three disciples guarding him outside.

"Kimimaro, since you know the location of those ruins, take us there." Kakuzu's indifferent voice rang out again.

While urging Kimimaro on, he was also secretly observing Kisame and Sasori's reactions.

Naturally, Kakuzu's focus was almost entirely on Sasori. As long as Sasori was on his side, he was willing to stand by and do nothing!

Pain had told Kakuzu that Tōka was currently in seclusion and his strength was at most at the Jonin.

If we don't kill Tōka now, we'll inevitably be at the mercy of others in the future!

Having witnessed the power of the Rinnegan, Kakuzu chose Nagato without hesitation.

Although he knew that Tōka was also very strong, and that his Ice Blue eyes exuded an aura of despair, Kakuzu still chose Nagato.

The power of the Deva Path was so immense that he could hardly muster the will to resist; it was too powerful, like the power of a god!

Kakuzu firmly believes that even Tōka would be instantly killed in front of Nagato!

"Mr. Sasori, what do you think?" Kisame faced Kakuzu, standing beside Kimimaro. Though he didn't say it explicitly, his actions told everyone his choice.

Before the scorpion could speak, a small snake darted out of the desert with a whoosh.

The little snake opened its mouth, revealing two sharp fangs, venom clinging to the tips, poised to strike.

Snap!

A white light streaked across the air, its cold gleam radiating outwards. The sharp steel blade severed the small snake in half, and blood spurted out with a whoosh.

"A stink bug smell... Orochimaru, is that you?!" Though the words were a question, Sasori stared intently at the sand dune not far away.

"Tsk tsk... Scorpion, your senses are quite sharp!" A low, husky voice rang out, followed by a figure emerging from behind the Yellow Sand Dune.

It was none other than Orochimaru, whose face was unhealthy and pale!

Orochimaru's appearance made the atmosphere even more bizarre, Tōka tricked Orochimaru in Konoha.

Orochimaru was no pushover either; after all, he and Danzo had a long-standing relationship. The two exchanged some information without tacit agreement and soon realized that something was amiss.

The Land of Fire is vast and rich in resources, and it also has a large number of spies from the Great Nations.

After gathering information and making deductions through various inquiries, Orochimaru followed Kakuzu, who had left the Land of Rain, to this place.

"Orochimaru, what are you doing here?" Kakuzu frowned; Orochimaru wasn't part of Pain's plans.

An uninvited guest...

It's definitely not a good thing!

Orochimaru chuckled eerily, licking his lips and saying in a sinister tone, "Our goals are different, but we share the same stumbling block."

Although Orochimaru didn't say it explicitly, it was clear that he was on Kakuzu's side.

Having been inexplicably outmaneuvered by Orochimaru Tōka, Orochimaru was seething with anger.

"Oh?" Kakuzu gave Orochimaru a meaningful look, and his mind started to stir upon hearing this.

If Orochimaru were on their side, they would have a very good chance of winning against Sasori and Kisame!

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, his expression Budong, but he took a half step closer to Orochimaru.

"I'll leave Orochimaru to me!" Sasori hadn't intended to get involved in this mess, but being inexplicably ambushed by Orochimaru had put him in a bad mood.

As soon as he finished speaking, Sasori glared coldly at Orochimaru, then controlled Hiruko to walk deeper into the stormy yellow sand.

He believed that Orochimaru would catch up.

As a strong person, Orochimaru has his own pride. When challenged to a duel, Orochimaru has no reason to back down.

Swish!!

A figure flashed by, and it was none other than Orochimaru, who had been chasing after them. In the blink of an eye, the two of them completely disappeared into the yellow sand.

The area became empty once again, with much of the sand and Wind and Sand being blocked by the massive sand dunes behind them.

The swirling sand still made everyone squint.

"If Kakuzu- san's target is that person, I won't agree!" Kisame's lips curled into a faint smile, but his Sharks eyes were filled with seriousness.

Kisame slowly pulled Samehada out from behind his back, and a powerful fighting spirit erupted from him.

Kakuzu snorted coldly. He might be a little hesitant when facing Sasori, but he was not afraid of Kisame Kakuzu all!

Chakra surged, and his hands swung like boneless noodles.

Crackling sounds...

The black thread connecting the arm snapped, and the Earth Grudge Fear burst through the flesh, its countless black tentacles waving in the air, looking extremely disgusting.

"Kimimaro, you should retreat. I can't help you while you're fighting this guy!" Kisame stared sharply at Kakuzu, a cold, bloodthirsty glint in his eyes.

Before taking action, Kisame might consider the outcome.

But once he starts fighting, his inherent warlike nature turns him into a complete battle maniac, making Kisame no less formidable than the former Kaguya Clan.

Kimimaro glanced indifferently at Kisame's profile. With that Sharks blocking his way, it would be difficult for Kakuzu to advance any further.

The thought flashed through his mind, Kimimaro turned and left.

He needs to hurry back and think of a solution. Kisame might be able to hold off Kakuzu for a while, but that guy is no match for Kakuzu.

Kimimaro must find another way to stop Kakuzu.

If it's Pain's order, then perhaps others will come!

Rustling...

The Wind and Sand were blowing everywhere, and the fine sand and pebbles brushed against my face, stinging like a knife.

However, the two men, locked in a cold standoff, remained unmoved, letting the Wind and Sand wash over their bodies, standing like two guardian deities on the yellow sand.

"Kisame, you'll regret your choice!" Kakuzu, muffled voice rang out amidst the howling wind, a seemingly pointless and meaningless statement.

In fact, this is precisely where Kakuzu lies.

He would use words to disrupt Kisame's composure and strike the moment Kisame made a mistake, aiming for a fatal blow!

Unfortunately, Kakuzu underestimated Kisame.

When Kisame first met Tōka, he realized that Tōka was extraordinary, especially after the Fourth Mizukage, in his Full Tailed Beast Transformation form, was instantly killed by Tōka in one move.

Kisame then decided from the bottom of his heart to follow Tōka, because Tōka was far Nagato to Nagato in both ideals and strength!

Snap!

Kisame drew Samehada but did not intend to use Samehada to attack; instead, he slammed it into the sand.

Then clap your hands together!

The Water Release Chakra within his body poured out wildly, like Waterfall.

"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"

Instantly create a Sharks -shaped water bullet with chakra to attack the enemy. If the Sharks -shaped water bullet envelops the caster, they can glide through the air.

One of Kisame's signature Ninjutsu!

"Oh? As expected of Jinchūriki without Tailed Beast, such chakra reserves are truly enviable." Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, completely disregarding the Sharks that was pouncing on him.

Instead, an admiring look appeared in his eyes; this guy must have a pretty good heart.

Fire Release: Head Hunter!

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"