Assembly

The Cloud Thunder Mountain Range, the largest mountain range within the Land of Lightning, are located in the center of the country and are regarded by the people of the Land of Lightning as the "origin of civilization."

In the Land of Lightning, countless ancient legends and folk tales that have been passed down to this day, including the <Cloud and Lightning Source Chronicle> (see also: Peach Blossom Spring Chronicle) which is included in the "Ninja World Historical and Cultural Heritage List", are mostly related to this mountain range in one or more ways.

However, unlike the widely circulated folk tales, the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range today are no longer the prosperous place they once were.

The near-vertical cliffs, the deep valleys covered by layers of dense primeval forest, and the poisonous insects and miasma that have quietly bred over the centuries have all combined to turn this area into a forbidden zone rarely visited by humans.

As for those "legends" that have been passed down to this day, people today only regard them as the ancestors' awe and imagination of the unknown nature.

Today, few people set foot in these towering mountains forgotten by time.

And deep within this forgotten mountain forest, a hunched figure stands quietly, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive.

The figure was wrapped in a large Black Cloak with Red Clouds, and was short and bulky, looking at first glance like an elderly person with limited mobility.

However, upon closer inspection, one will find that the joints of the body have an extremely unnatural mechanical feel.

That's Scarlet Amber, Sasori of the Red Sands's puppet shell.

A mobile fortress that tightly encloses his main body and possesses Jonin firepower capable of directly suppressing several Jonin!

At this moment, Scorpion was controlling Scarlet Amber body, pacing back and forth in the forest.

His heavy footsteps crushed the withered branches and fallen leaves on the ground, as if venting the pent-up frustration in his heart.

He was waiting for someone.

The thing he hated most in his life was waiting for people.

A moment later, a gentle breeze swept through the woods without warning.

Scorpion's steps suddenly stopped, and a cold light flashed in Scarlet Amber's eyes.

"Hey, Scorpion, I'm not late, am I?"

Accompanied by a familiar voice, Kouch appeared unexpectedly beside Scorpion.

He was wearing Black Cloak with Red Clouds from the Akatsuki, underneath which was a black Uchiha high-necked long robe, the collar of which was neatly folded above his collarbone.

A grin played on his handsome, unruly face as he waved at Scorpion.

Scorpion slowly turned around, and a muffled sound came from Scarlet Amber's heavy body.

His face, hidden beneath the puppet's shell, remained expressionless, but the hoarse voice emanating from within clearly revealed deep displeasure:

"You're too late, Uchiha Kuro."

"Hey! Scorpion, don't accuse me wrongly! I clearly came here as fast as I could!"

Kou dramatically covered his mouth, his words filled with the grievance of being wrongly accused:

"I rushed here the moment I received the leader's order! Do you know how much I suffered on the way to get to you as quickly as possible?"

To avoid keeping you waiting, I didn't dare to waste a single moment, and even painfully turned down over a dozen blonde, blue-eyed girls from the Land of Lightning who tried to chat me up on the street!

While wiping away non-existent tears, she continued to speak with a wronged expression:

"I've paid such a high price, and you still put pressure on me the moment we meet, hmph."

Do you know how much this hurts a 22-year-old like me? sigh

He looked at the scorpion before him and passionately accused it:

"My young heart has suffered irreversible trauma! I will appeal to the leadership, I will report to Pain!"

If you don't compensate me for my emotional distress, this matter is absolutely not over!

Scorpion:...ꐦ≖ ≖

"Don't give me that crap. Don't think I don't know you could get here much faster than me!!"

Scorpion gritted his teeth and whispered:

"Don't think I can't tell. You stopped somewhere to eat on the way, then strolled around leisurely until you were digested before setting off, right?"

"Arriving at top speed"... You bastard, can you ever tell the truth?!

"Damn it, how could you tell that?!"

Seeing that his lie had been exposed, Kou Lian showed no remorse whatsoever. Instead, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he shouted loudly:

"I waited until I had completely digested it before coming here, how did you figure that out?"

He paused, then said with a look of suspicion:

"You didn't somehow get Byakugan, did you? Are you using X-ray vision cheats?!"

"... Oh."

Sasori, who had dissected thousands of human bodies, developed Human Puppet technology, and was considered a human anatomy expert in the Ninja World, looked at the astonished guy in front of him and let out a mocking snort.

Sensing the displeasure in Scorpion's eyes, Kou shrugged and replied casually:

"Don't be so angry, Sasori. I can't possibly go fight that stinky snake Orochimaru on an empty stomach, can I?"

What if I'm hungry and not in good condition, and Orochimaru manages to get away? Wouldn't that be even worse?

I'm doing this all for the sake of the tasks ahead... Don't keep focusing on those trivial matters; you need to have a broader perspective."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said with righteous indignation:

"Besides, isn't there someone even slower than me?"

Uchiha Chu... cough, hasn't Itachi arrived yet?

Actually, I arrived late on purpose because I was upholding the spirit of unity and friendship within our Akatsuki, and I didn't want the new juniors to lose face.

As a senior colleague, you should understand my good intentions!

Sensing the increasingly undisguised killing intent emanating from the scorpion, Kou knew when to stop, immediately waving his hand and forcing a smile, saying:

"Okay, okay, I was just joking to lighten the mood, don't take it so seriously..."

I'll treat you to dinner next time. Order whatever you want, it's on me!

Before he could finish speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember something and exclaimed in realization:

"Oh right, you don't seem to need to eat, so how about... I get you some lubricant?"

"Shut up!!"

Scorpion, staring at the object before him, roared in uncontrollable rage.

Alright!

Looking at Kou's handsome, irritating face, the anger that had been building up in his chest for so long not only didn't dissipate, but instead became even more intense.

He felt no remorse whatsoever for using Kokunoha's information as bait to lure out the White Fang of Konoha. Now, looking at this infuriating guy in front of him, the thought that had just surfaced in his mind instantly became incredibly firm.

"Let's just kill this guy along with White Fang of Konoha and Orochimaru. Then we can say he died in the chaos of battle, Pain and the others won't be able to say anything..."

Scorpion thought maliciously to himself:

"Anyway Uchiha Itachi, that newcomer, doesn't get along with this guy. Even if he dies here, the guy who slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan won't say much, and might even side with me..."

"Human Puppet with the Sharingan... just thinking about it is fascinating."

Knock instantly sensed the faint chill in the scorpion's eyes and couldn't help but shiver.

"This life-size figure is so petty. It was just a few jokes, why would it turn into murder?"

Kou observed Scorpion out of the corner of his eye, Chunin complaining.

In the original timeline, he and that idiot Deidara got along quite well, so why is he being so hypocritical in his own timeline?

Just as Kou was about to use his silver tongue to cool down this flammable and explosive figurine, a familiar Chakra suddenly appeared within his perception range.

His previously playful expression vanished instantly, and his gaze darkened.

"... Am I coming at the wrong time?"

A steady and restrained voice came from the other side of the dense forest.

Uchiha Itachi slowly emerged from the shadows of the trees.

Although his face looked very young, his eyes showed a deep sense of weariness.

Scorpion looked at the guy who had arrived last, a clear hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

Before he could say anything, Kou, who was standing next to him, immediately turned cold.

"You're too late, Uchiha Itachi!"

The knocking sound suddenly subsided, and the expression on his face, which had been playfully joking with Scorpion just moments before, instantly turned grim.

He looked at Itachi, his eyes surging with undisguised hostility:

I hate waiting for others, and I don't like being waited for either!

scorpion:???

No? All of these are my words?!

Completely ignoring Sasori beside him, Koko stared coldly at Itachi in front of him, and rebuked him in a low, angry voice:

"You've kept us waiting here for so long. Do you not take the mission assigned by the organization seriously, or do you not respect us, your seniors Scorpion and me?"

Itachi, experiencing workplace bullying for the first time, was clearly still in shock.

For once, a very brief moment of blankness appeared on his usually calm face.

Before he could react, Kou turned to look at Scorpion, his tone becoming serious and sincere once more:

"Hey Scorpion, I'm not one to stir up trouble, but this newbie clearly doesn't respect us two brothers."

How about we team up and teach him a lesson, just as a warm-up for fighting Orochimaru later? What do you think?

The scorpion's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

He manipulated Scarlet Amber to silently turn away, expressing his clear stance of refusing to participate in this farce.

Itachi selectively ignored Kokoro, who was still trying to stir up trouble, and turned his gaze to Sasori, who had information about the mission, and said in a calm tone:

"Now that everyone is here, let's get on with the leader's orders as soon as possible."

Itachi looked at Sasori and tentatively asked:

Where is Orochimaru now?

A low hum came from Sasori Scarlet Amber's throat amplification device, and just as he was about to speak, the knocking sound rang out again, interrupting him:

"The mission to hunt down Orochimaru... we probably can't set off immediately right now."

Kou didn't look at Itachi's face, which was making him feel irritated.

He looked coldly at the scorpion beside him, raised his hand, casually pointed to the surrounding dense forest, and asked meaningfully:

"You've set up so many traps and puppets around here... surely it's not to deal with Orochimaru?"

Hearing Kou's words, Scorpion slowly turned around, looking at him with a serious expression, as if he was ready to make a move at any moment.

Aren't you going to talk to me, your "comrade"?

Knocking, seemingly completely unconcerned about Scorpion's actions, said with a smile:

"Who exactly are these traps you've set for?"