When Madara Uchiha opened his Sharingan, an immense pressure descended on White Zetsu.
The pressure seemed almost tangible, pinning the half-crouching White Zetsu flat against the ground.
White Zetsu did not dare waste words and hurriedly said:
"Lord Madara, those three Sand ninja didn't discover the Rinnegan, and they didn't pay any attention to Nagato either.
"They seemed more interested in that kid named Yahiko,
"and kept discussing things like changing the Shinobi World and achieving true peace."
Only then did Madara Uchiha withdraw some of his killing intent, giving White Zetsu considerable relief.
Madara narrowed his eyes and said mildly:
"Get to the point first next time!
"If the Rinnegan's safety wasn't affected, it's nothing worth mentioning.
"Were the Sand ninja who came into contact with that kid Yahiko the little girl Chiyo, or that clown of a Kazekage from Sunagakure?"
"Neither. They seemed to be a seven-year-old Genin from Sunagakure and a Chunin known as a genius puppet master.
"Oh, right, their team leader is Pakura, the Jonin known as the Scorch Release user.
"They've gotten together to plan a canal from the Land of Rain to the Land of Wind.
"Those Sand ninja seem to be on very good terms with Yahiko and Nagato.
"They helped Nagato kill a few wandering ninja.
"Could they affect Nagato's growth?"
Madara Uchiha seemed to have little interest in such trivial matters. He snorted and said:
"What a joke. What threat could Sunagakure pose after Konoha beat it into the ground?
"Pakura of the Scorch Release?
"I seem to have heard of her in Kirigakure.
"She made a name for herself with the fire Ninjutsu of her Kekkei Genkai, but her strength is nothing special.
"The Land of Wind has no future. Pay more attention to Konoha, and see whether any geniuses have emerged among the Uchiha.
"What formidable ninja could come from a country slowly being swallowed by the desert, a country with no future?
"Friendship? Bonds?
"Still, it wouldn't hurt for Nagato to have a few more close companions."
Madara Uchiha's voice was thick with disdain:
"Bonds... The deeper the bonds, the greater the power gained when they're severed.
"Go on, then. Play ninja games with those children!
"Don't bother me with such trivial matters."
With that, Madara Uchiha fell asleep again. White Zetsu did not dare waste words and withdrew into the dark tunnel, disappearing from sight.
Land of Rain
"Nagato, we have that kid Mukai to thank.
"With all this food, there's enough to feed everyone in Moon Sake Town!"
Yahiko, returning from buying food in the Land of Birds, patted the storage scroll on his person and grinned at Nagato.
Nagato was practicing the Hand Seals for Earth Release as he walked.
Hearing Yahiko's question, he nodded in agreement.
Nagato was normally quiet like this, so Yahiko paid it no mind and went on talking:
"Nagato, what kind of brain does that kid Mukai have?
"How did he even think of using Ninjutsu to dig tunnels?"
As they spoke, the two reached a mountain several dozen li from Moon Sake Town.
The perceptive Nagato reached out and stopped Yahiko:
"Careful, there are quite a few Chakra signatures ahead.
"Huh, two of them feel familiar.
"They seem to be Mukai and that guy named Sasori."
"Come on, let's go help!"
Yahiko hid the storage scroll he had borrowed from Konan. Then he and Nagato pulled out their Kunai and ran toward Mukai and the others.
They had just climbed the slope when they saw an astonishing sight:
A mixed group of bandits and ninja stood in front of a cave halfway up the mountain.
A wandering ninja without a Forehead Protector stood before the ragtag band.
He held an enormous Fūma Shuriken and spun it in his hand as he cursed:
"Where did you Sand ninja brats come from?
"You've got a death wish, daring to come stir up trouble at my stronghold!
"You think this is some kind of ninja game?
"Hand over your ninja tools and valuables, and I'll spare your lives!"
Mukai wore the eye-catching Zealot Mecha, one arm bent in front of him and the other drawn back, a half-meter-long blade extended from it.
The arm blade began to vibrate slightly, and then violent arcs of electricity appeared along it.
Behind the gold-and-red Zealot Mecha, six streams of cyan air burst out in an instant.
Wind Release Chakra, compressed to the extreme and amounting to one-fifth of his total Chakra, erupted from the vents.
Boom!
Mukai was no Taijutsu ninja, nor had he mastered the Body Flicker Technique.
But with precisely controlled Chakra output, the air blasting from those vents generated more than seven tons of thrust!
Boom!
Mukai shot from a standstill into a high-speed charge.
Under the violent, instantaneous force of seven tons, he crossed twenty meters in an instant!
The wandering ninja spinning the Fūma Shuriken saw only a blur.
The arcs of electricity paralyzed his body, and before he could react,
the arm guard of Mukai's Zealot Mecha pierced his skull, carrying him into the mountainside.
The Fūma Shuriken fell to the ground, its wielder no longer in control. The leader, so arrogant a moment ago, had been plastered against the rock.
Gulp.
The samurai and wandering ninja who had been shouting along with their leader all swallowed hard at once.
That's a ninja?
When ninja fight, don't they use assassinations, Ninja Blade duels, or Ninjutsu against each other?
Why did this ninja just charge straight in and blow his head open with the sword on his arm?
Isn't that too brutal?
The bandits stared blankly as Mukai slowly pulled his arm blade out of the rock.
Mukai wasn't deliberately trying to look cool. He had supplied Chakra according to a set proportion and forgotten to account for how much his Chakra reserves had recently grown.
Damn it, the thrust was too strong. I nearly sent myself crashing into the rock too.
Mukai's arm blade had just been driven into the stone all the way to its base.
Suppressing the churning discomfort in his chest, Mukai slowly pulled out the arm blade and shook the red and white matter off it in disgust:
"Do you want to follow this idiot to hell, or drop your weapons and surrender?
"You only get one chance to live."
Mukai's breastplate was covered in blood and flesh, and he wore a look of disgust.
Blood dripped from his constantly vibrating arm blade, making him look as though he was waiting to slaughter them all.
"We surrender, we surrender! Lord Ninja, spare us!
"We were all forced to become bandits!
"Please let us go, Lord Ninja!"
Their strongest leader, the one who had once boasted that he had been a Jonin in one of the great ninja villages,
had been killed in a single blow by the ninja before them. How could they dare keep resisting?
And didn't that puppet standing by look even scarier?
Given a chance to surrender, how could they not seize it at once?
Mukai gestured for the bandits to drop their weapons and crouch with their hands clasped over their heads.
Only after making sure the situation was under control did Mukai speak to Yahiko and Nagato, who had been coming to help:
"Oh, Yahiko and Nagato, you're back?
"Did the food purchases go smoothly?"
Yahiko also swallowed hard. Mukai had killed an enemy right in front of them with such sheer violence.
Does he seem stronger than before, and more violent too?
"Yes. We didn't buy very much, so the merchants in the Land of Birds didn't raise their prices.
"Mukai, these bandits have done plenty of bad things. Are you just going to let them go?"
Mukai pointed at Nagato and said:
"Nagato, try sensing these people and tell me which ones harbor ill intent."