Capturing the Ryūchi Cave Bone-Binding Princess

Byakuya could hardly tell her that he had opened a god-view perspective. Because he had, he knew that the Third Kazekage of her Sunagakure had not gone missing, but had been murdered by Chiyo's grandson, Sasori, and crafted into a one-of-a-kind puppet...

Since their interests were on the verge of being bound together, he had to give Pakura an explanation.

Byakuya regretted his impulsive honesty; it was just asking for trouble.

"I could even track down the Sunagakure ninja you have stationed in the Land of Rivers; do you really think I couldn't deduce this much?"

Pakura asked, "Did Root uncover concrete intelligence?"

"How could that be? Even now, no one knows where Sasori is."

"So you are indeed just guessing?"

The Third Kazekage had been missing for so long without a trace that the vast majority of the village already believed the Kazekage was likely dead.

It was precisely this power vacuum that had led Rasa and the others to compete for the position of Kazekage with such hysteria.

"Yes, I am a Konoha ninja; my perspective on things is different from yours."

Pakura sighed softly.

Her voice was scattered by the wind.

Next, the two discussed the situations within their respective villages.

She asked in surprise, "Is Konoha's rear truly so empty?"

"Yes and no. Konoha's foundation is beyond what other ninja villages can imagine. Not to mention the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki remaining in the village, the Anbu alone is a department filled with hidden talents. Furthermore, the Root led by Shimura Danzō, while seemingly subordinate to the Anbu, has long since become a separate organization."

"If Sunagakure were to crazily attack Konoha, the only outcome would be to break their own heads against a wall. At best, Rasa might be able to cover the retreat for the Sunagakure ninja and preserve some vital strength to return to the Land of Wind."

Pakura sighed, "With even the Third Hokage and Sarutobi Hiruzen sitting in Konoha without personally stepping onto the battlefield, it is clear that Konoha's strength is not something Sunagakure can challenge."

"There are also Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Torifu Akimichi. They are all disciples of Senju Tobirama, currently guarding Konoha just in case."

They arrived at the perimeter of the territory belonging to the Azure-Black Serpent and the Bone-Binding Princess.

Byakuya was in no rush to break in.

He chewed on a Military Ration Pill while sitting on the dry rocks to rest.

Only when his physical strength, spirit, and chakra levels had recovered to their peak would he have a chance to attempt a subjugation.

Pakura crossed her arms, looking on with composure, as if watching a play.

"Does it snow in Sunagakure during winter?"

"Occasionally, but very little. It melts into the sand the moment it hits the ground, leaving no trace. The village is perpetually short of water and can only grow drought-resistant crops."

"What about water storage facilities?"

"Every household has them. It's fine during the rainy season, as we can store quite a bit, but once the dry season arrives, everyone relies on the fresh water distributed daily by the village."

Byakuya asked curiously, "Groundwater?"

"Yes, groundwater. I worry that after a few more generations in Sunagakure, the groundwater will face a situation of total depletion."

"The First Kazekage once rejected your Konoha Hokage's plan to distribute the Tailed Beasts, hoping to trade for land and resources suitable for survival, but he ultimately failed."

"Times change. Today's Konoha is the best military ally your Sunagakure could ask for."

"I am only agreeing because I trust you, though there is a very high probability of failure," Pakura said, lacking confidence.

Byakuya asked with a smile, "You know the current foundation of Sunagakure well; you understand that my plan is the most feasible and the best for Sunagakure. Even if Rasa possesses Magnet Release, he will only fail."

He paused.

He stretched his limbs, sensing the Flying Thunder God Formula he had left nearby, and walked cautiously toward Pakura: "Someone like Rasa who loves to take risks is destined to fail. It would be better to have you, who loves peace, lead Sunagakure."

Pakura shook her head: "You are wrong. What I love is the peace of Sunagakure; for the development of the village, I can sacrifice the interests of other small nations."

"That is reality. To survive in the cruel ninja world, one can only seize the interests of others. As for those who carry the banner of bringing true peace to the ninja world—every single one of them is a cunning, evil old fox."

"How much longer do you need to rest?"

"Almost there. I had originally planned to subdue the Bone-Binding Princess later, but since I need to prove to you that I am qualified to cooperate, I have no choice but to do it now."

Pakura stared straight at him: "Can't you take off that mask?"

"Maybe in the future."

"I don't even know who you are; how am I supposed to contact you?"

"It is best if you don't. Danzō has countless eyes in Konoha, and Sunagakure is not a monolith either. The current mode of cooperation between us is quite good. You only need to make your own choices at specific moments, and I only need to put in a good word for you in front of Danzō."

Pakura said, "That makes some sense."

She represented the faction in Sunagakure that hoped for peace, but at present, the momentum of this group was not only weak but fragile. Only when Sunagakure stumbled would they be able to stand up.

This was why Pakura was only able to compete for the position of Fourth Kazekage after the failure of the attack on Konoha's heartland.

After recuperating for nearly an hour.

Byakuya organized his ninja tools, straightened his mask, and asked, "Are you really going to watch from the sidelines and not help me?"

"..."

Looking at the silent Pakura, he laughed: "If anything happens to you in Sunagakure in the future, I certainly won't stand idly by."

Having said that.

He leaped into the forest.

Bone-Binding Princess from Ryūchi Cave was right there.

This forest had existed for who knows how many years, and in some places, it was thick with miasma.

The moment Byakuya stepped foot inside, it was as if he had triggered the nerves of the entire forest, which instantly became fraught with danger.

All manner of venomous creatures emerged one after another, launching fierce attacks at him from unexpected places.

He had encountered this situation during his last visit, and Byakuya swung his Ninja Sword with ease.

The improvement in his swordsmanship talent gave him the ability to wield the blade as if it were an extension of his own arm.

Byakuya deliberately made a great commotion to attract the Azure-Black Serpent, Bone-Binding Princess.

At the same time, he sensed the Natural Energy nearby; if the Natural Energy fluctuated violently, it would mean Bone-Binding Princess had appeared in the vicinity.

He jumped onto the canopy of a large tree, slicing through several venomous snakes lunging at him as he moved.

He did not know the names of the snakes, but that did not hinder his analysis that they were certainly highly venomous.

"Storm Release: Thousand Blades."

The greatest benefit of developing ninjutsu while standing on the shoulders of Senju Tobirama was that the techniques he developed also had simplified hand seals.

There was no need for the forty-four complex hand seals required for techniques like Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet—though, of course, Senju Tobirama's version of Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet had also simplified the seals.

In Byakuya's view, Senju Tobirama was a more gifted ninja in terms of ninjutsu than Senju Hashirama.

It was just that Senju Hashirama relied on sheer brute force and possessed the bug-like Kekkei Genkai of Wood Release.

Even Uchiha Madara, who had awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and controlled the full Nine-Tails, was no match for him.

He opened his mouth and spat out a laser, roughly fifty centimeters in length and as thick as an index finger.

The Thousand Blades bombarded the tree trunks and the ground, first blooming with dazzling lightning, then exploding as flames swept through the area.

The Storm Release chakra relaxed Byakuya's entire body, keeping him in a state where he could fight for his life at any moment.

Pakura watched from afar, whispering to herself, "The growth rate of Shuten-doji is no less than that of the Namikaze Minato of the past."

She filtered through the young ninjas of Sunagakure and found that not a single one could compare to Shuten-doji.

In an instant, Pakura secretly mocked herself; wasn't it precisely because she valued Shuten-doji's future in Konoha that she had decided to cooperate with him?