On a secluded woodland path in the Land of Hot Water.
"Cough, cough..."
Asuma knelt on one knee, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he gasped for breath.
Behind him, Kurenai Yuhi and Rei Uesugi lay unconscious on the ground, clearly having fallen victim to the enemy's techniques during the ambush.
Around them, six ninja wearing animal masks and tight black clothing silently closed in, surrounding them.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their eyes cold.
"Bastards... who the hell are you?"
Asuma gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.
He could not identify where they came from, but every move they made was vicious, clearly aimed at taking the three of them alive.
The lead ninja made a hand signal, and the other five lunged at once!
Not far away, beneath the shadow of a large tree, a small, brightly colored snake lay hidden without a sound, taking in the entire battle nearby.
Its tongue flickered slightly before it slowly retreated into the depths of a tree hollow and disappeared.
Five days later.
Konoha Orphanage.
Lin Ze put away the scroll containing Living Corpse Reincarnation.
He sensed his surroundings and found that Tagitsuhime was not in the orphanage.
Where has she run off to now?
Lin Ze frowned slightly but did not pay it much mind.
This beautiful snake woman was secretive in her movements and difficult to fathom. As long as she did not cause him trouble, he could not be bothered to interfere.
Sitting at his desk, Lin Ze began considering his next steps.
I have Living Corpse Reincarnation now. With one of the most important pieces of the puzzle secured, the next step is to leave Konoha.
*Once Kurenai gets back from this mission, I'll say goodbye to