Chapter 17

Xuan Zhe's blade had left its sheath completely, its cold gleam filling the air, so dazzling that it hurt to keep one's eyes open.

Then came a cool sensation at his wrists.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke looked down and saw that both his hands had been severed cleanly at the wrists.

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

Two bloody hands lay on the ground, limp in the muddy water.

"Aaaah!!"

Several seconds passed before the agony erupted from the wounds and spread through his entire body.

He fell to his knees, convulsing.

His screams mingled with the occasional rumble of thunder, adding another whiff of blood to this country that never stopped crying.

"With those pathetic skills, you thought you could take over from your old man? Tsk, tsk. That old bastard isn't much himself."

Xuan Zhe found the praise he remembered being lavished on Sarutobi Shinnosuke in the original story laughable.

This fellow and his wife had probably used other means to land senior positions in the Anbu.

"You... you really think you can cover this up?!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke gritted his teeth and raised his head, his face wet with rain or tears. He bit his lip bloody and stared fixedly at Xuan Zhe.

"The old man's been investigating your Hatake Clan for ages! You think framing the Second Kazekage will get you off the hook?!"

"He can investigate all he likes, but he'll never dare touch me." Xuan Zhe slowly raised his blade, his voice dripping with disdain. "Your father's greatest talent is weighing costs and benefits. I actually admire that about him."

"But he has a flaw. He's soft, soft right down to his bones. Never mind having no evidence-even if you slapped it in his face, he wouldn't dare do anything."

The blade flashed.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's head rolled to the ground.

Xuan Zhe did not sheathe his blade. He slashed another dozen times, chopping the man into dozens of pieces as if slicing vegetables.

Then he swept his blade across, sending everything into the nearby pile of corpses.

The Land of Rain was littered with the dead. One more corpse made no difference.

That was the real reason he had chosen to strike in the Land of Rain.

The Second Kazekage would probably die sometime in the next few years.

Time waited for no one. To be safe, he had to make the trip himself.

Xuan Zhe did not even glance at the pile of shriveled "potato chips" by his feet as he considered his next move.

According to the original timeline, the Third Shinobi World War would not break out for another six years or so, ** being the disappearance of three Kage. Following that line of reasoning, Shamon, the Second Kazekage, definitely would not live another six years.

Turning back now could give the game away.

He might as well make the trip.

He was rather curious about the Second Kazekage who played with puppets and worked with Magnet Release. This was a good opportunity to face him. Perhaps it would push the development of his system-granted ability up another notch.

"Hmm?"

Xuan Zhe turned his head, glancing to his left.

Four presences were approaching.

Like those criminals with bizarre thought processes in the Conan World, Xuan Zhe, who had done his fair share of genuinely rotten things, did not rush to flee just because someone was coming.

He simply stood there and waited.

Of course, he had not lost his mind. He intended to dispose of everyone approaching and leave no loose ends.

But once he saw who they were, Xuan Zhe lowered his hand from his sword hilt.

There was no need to fight.

Because he recognized the person approaching-

His old classmate, Jiraiya, the "Mad Demon" of the Sannin.

"...Y-you're Xuan Zhe?"

Jiraiya's eyes widened. He stared at that distinctive white hair of the Hatake Clan, studying him for a long time before finally stammering out the name.

"I never expected to run into you here, Jiraiya."

Even Xuan Zhe, a transmigrator, had not expected to encounter Jiraiya in the Land of Rain.

Thinking back, Tsunade had mentioned it before-after his battle with Hanzō in the Land of Rain, this fellow had not gone to the next battlefield with her and Orochimaru. Instead, he had stayed in the Land of Rain to look after three children.

"Tsk... plans never keep up with change."

Xuan Zhe shook his head, his gaze settling on the three youngsters: Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.

Especially Nagato.

Beneath that red hair characteristic of the Uzumaki Clan hid a pair of Rinnegan-obtaining those eyes was essentially a ticket into the ranks of the world's strongest fighters.

Should I dig them out?

A rather nasty thought surfaced in Xuan Zhe's mind.

Of course, he did not covet the Rinnegan's abilities, nor would he force unsuitable eyes into his sockets like a certain Mr. Fifty-Fifty, only to spend all day short on chakra like someone with an overactive bladder.

The ability granted by the system was already enough to contend with the Rinnegan, never mind how much further it could grow.

Xuan Zhe simply thought that without the Rinnegan, all that subsequent nonsense would cease to exist.

But after thinking it over, he decided against it.

Nagato had not done anything bad yet. Gouging out his eyes for no reason really would be going a little too far.

"Haven't you been living tucked away in the mountains all this time? What brought you to a war zone like the Land of Rain?"

Utterly puzzled, Jiraiya could not help asking.

"The Second Kazekage."

Xuan Zhe answered casually, his tone as bland as if he were remarking on the fine weather. But the moment he said it, the expressions of the teacher and his three students changed, their pupils contracting sharply.

"As... ** the Second Kazekage?"

Jiraiya swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Although he had long known how capable Xuan Zhe was, hearing about such an outrageous mission in person still sent an involuntary shiver through him.

"We'll discuss the details later."

Xuan Zhe withdrew his gaze and glanced at the three youngsters who would one day become the core of the Akatsuki.

"These three are the students you stayed in the Land of Rain to teach?"

He reached out and gently rubbed Konan's head.

A beauty doomed to misfortune-the phrase might as well have been made for Konan. This girl had barely enjoyed a few peaceful days since birth.

Konan blinked her large eyes, staring blankly at Xuan Zhe.

What was wrong with this man? Touching her head when they had only just met?

A bit forward, wasn't he...

"Yes. I came today to say goodbye. These three children can now survive in this war-torn country. It's time I returned to Konoha."

The moment Jiraiya finished speaking, the atmosphere grew heavy.

All three youngsters lowered their heads, their voices choked with tears. "Sensei..."

"Then come with me."

Xuan Zhe said nothing more to Konan and turned to Jiraiya. "Let's go kill the Kazekage."

Xuan Zhe had no intention of wasting words on these three equally unfortunate children.

Frankly, there was simply nothing to say.

Was he supposed to tell these little brats not to trust the man in the mask because he would screw them over?

The problem was that the Masked Man was only six years old right now, still running around in split-crotch pants.

Saying it would do absolutely no good, and he would probably be taken for a lunatic.

"Hatred only creates more hatred! What you're doing is wrong!"

Konan suddenly raised her head and shouted at Xuan Zhe, her little face stubborn.

"Hmm?"

Xuan Zhe looked down at the defiant little girl. A moment later, he could not help laughing. He reached out and pinched her cheek. "So naive. Watch out, or the world will beat that out of you someday."

Konan puffed out her cheeks in anger, already firmly linking Xuan Zhe with the word "jerk" in her mind.

"Jiraiya, it's one thing for you to believe what a toad says, but could you at least not lead the children astray?"

Xuan Zhe turned to Jiraiya with a smile on his lips.

Xuan Zhe thought Jiraiya lived a truly exhausting life.

He spent his entire life living for others, never thinking of himself.

Just because that big toad had said something, he was even willing to throw his life away.

"That toad has lived since the days of the Sage of Six Paths. What he says-"

"Who cares how long he's lived? Don't you think calling him a 'sage' is ridiculous? That thing isn't even human."

Xuan Zhe took his hand away from Konan's cheek, his tone airy.

"Say goodbye to your students. It's time we left."

Jiraiya took a deep breath.