It was nearly dusk when Zou Hyuga reached the desert near Sunagakure.
The Land of Wind was the largest nation in the Shinobi World. Had the Rōran oasis not been close to Sunagakure, he might not have made it back in a single day.
Before reaching Sunagakure, Zou Hyuga met Oto Uchiha.
Oto Uchiha's face was full of worry as she paced back and forth. The moment she saw Zou Hyuga, she hurried over and asked, "Zou, are you all right? What happened to the One-Tail? Did the Akatsuki capture him?"
Zou Hyuga had no intention of hiding anything. "I had no choice but to kill Shukaku. As for the Akatsuki, I ran into their leader, Pain."
"Pain." Oto Uchiha's expression changed. Zou had told her more than once how powerful Pain was.
Zou Hyuga stroked Oto's hair and smiled. "I didn't fight the Akatsuki's leader to the death. On the contrary, I accepted his invitation and became their newest member."
Surprise crossed Oto Uchiha's face. She opened her mouth to say something, but glanced toward Sunagakure behind her instead.
Zou Hyuga dropped the subject as well. Soon, a Sunagakure ANBU appeared before them and said cautiously, "The Lord Kazekage requests your presence."
"We'll be right there..." Zou Hyuga told the Sunagakure ANBU.
Compared with when they had first arrived in Sunagakure, the ANBU's attitude had improved considerably, his tone cautious and respectful.
It was all because of the strength Zou Hyuga and Oto had displayed. The Sunagakure ANBU had witnessed their earlier performance.
There were few ninja in all of Sunagakure who could fight a tailed beast head-on.
That required at least the strength of an elite jonin. In the Shinobi World, strength ultimately spoke loudest.
Before long, the Sunagakure ANBU led Zou Hyuga and Oto to the Kazekage's