The lively and uplifting sound of a flute echoed along the road, like a bluebird riding the wind, drifting far away.
While on his journey, Gensou slowed his steps, glancing at the long caravan beside him. An artist, wandering and playing his flute joyfully, caught his attention.
The melody was beautiful.
For once, Gensou slowed his pace, tilting his ear to listen.
When the song ended, applause erupted from the gathered crowd.
Gensou nodded in approval. Just as he was about to leave, his gaze swept over one of the guards by the caravan.
The guard seemed no different from anyone else, but as soon as Gensou appeared, his heartbeat quickened.
Now, it was even faster.
Gensou retracted his gaze and continued on his way.
A few minutes later, the guard, confident that the figure had moved far enough away, sighed in relief and quickly whispered to those beside him, "I'm going to the restroom."
He stepped into the dense forest lining the road and pulled out a scroll, writing: "Spotted Gensou. Time and location."
Just as he was about to perform the summoning technique, a hand rested on his shoulder, and a pair of eyes met his.
Without even a moment to feel shock or fear, the guard lost consciousness instantly.
"Konoha's ANBU has been very active lately," Gensou said thoughtfully as flames arose in his palm, quickly burning the guard's freshly written scroll.
On his way to Mount Katsuragi, he had already encountered several groups of Konoha shinobi.
Initially, he thought they were on some kind of mission, but now it was clear. These people had only one goal—to find the whereabouts of New Jomae Village.
Among the search teams, not only were there openly uniformed Konoha shinobi, but also undercover agents blending into the world of shinobi, like this guard.
The intensity of this search was far beyond that of the past two years.
Gensou had gleaned a significant amount of information from the guard's mind.
It wasn't just Konoha. The other four major shinobi villages and even the smaller villages under their control had mobilized the majority of their forces, both openly and covertly, in a bid to uncover the location of Jomae Village.
Individually, the power of a shinobi village may not seem impressive.
But war—that was their forte.
Now, the five major villages were trying to shift the situation to their most familiar battlefield.
"This reaction is quite intense. Have the five great shinobi villages finally realized that they're no longer the players controlling the pieces on the board?" Gensou chuckled but didn't dwell on it too much.
His current objective remained the key to all of his plans—the Rinnegan!
"I'll deal with you bigger fish later," Gensou muttered as he disappeared, moving swiftly once more.
While Gensou himself paid it little mind, the sudden massive search by the five great shinobi villages caused trouble for many others.
Pain, also on the move, sensed the strange happenings in the shinobi world. After extracting the memories of several Konoha shinobi using the Human Path, he roughly understood the situation.
"So, the entire shinobi world is searching for Gensou's forces? That's fine."
If White Zetsu had discovered the location of New Jomae Village, he wouldn't have minded spreading the information to fan the flames.
But now...
Pain paused, rubbing the ring on his finger.
Soon, the members of the Akatsuki, upon receiving the notification, appeared beside him in their holographic forms.
"What's the matter, Leader?" Kisame, who was on leave after his teammate Itachi's death, asked curiously.
Pain replied calmly, "The five great shinobi villages are now focusing all their efforts on searching for Gensou's forces. Everyone should be more cautious for the time being. If things seem off, you can put your tasks on hold."
Pain hadn't forgotten that his subordinates were all S-rank missing-nin. If they were caught by shinobi from the major villages, especially given the current mobilization levels, it wouldn't end well.
Until the mission of capturing the tailed beasts was completed, keeping everyone intact was the best course of action.
"Great!" Deidara was the first to voice his agreement. "I've been flying over the ocean for days! I'm exhausted. I'll take this opportunity to rest. Hmm!"
"I was already resting. Since the Leader says so, I'll just rest a bit longer," Kisame chuckled.
Hearing that, Deidara turned to Kisame and asked, "Are you still soaking in the hot springs of the Land of Hot Water, on that famous street of bathhouses?"
Kisame had mentioned during the last meeting that he was going to take a vacation in the Land of Hot Water, and Deidara had been "curious" about it.
Now, with the perfect opportunity, he wanted to confirm Kisame's location.
Kisame, never suspecting Deidara's motives, nodded without hesitation. "Why? You want to come too?"
Deidara grinned. "Of course! That street is part of my artistic vision!"
Knowing all too well what Deidara meant by "art," Kisame quickly waved him off. "You better not."
On the other side, Kakuzu reported to Pain, "We've tracked the Jinchuriki of the Five-Tails to the Iwadan Mountains in the Land of Earth. We've already arrived and will proceed cautiously."
Pain nodded.
He had merely issued a reminder. He wouldn't stop Akatsuki members from carrying out their plans if they were confident.
"The message has been delivered. Dismissed."
Without another word, Pain's holographic form vanished, and he continued on his way, his objective unchanged.
While others might fear the power of the shinobi villages...
He was different.
If discovered, he'd simply eliminate them.
No one could escape the gaze of the Rinnegan.
...
At the same time.
On a distant coastline...
"The hot spring street in the Land of Hot Water and the Iwadan Mountains in the Land of Earth... Thank you, Kisame, Kakuzu, and the Leader."
Deidara, feeling thrilled with his first time as a spy, gleefully wrote down the intel on a tiny bird he created and secretly let it fly away.
After completing everything, he joyfully returned to where Sasori was.
Sasori shot Deidara a sideways glance.
For some reason, this guy had been randomly grinning lately.
"Deidara, are you sure you're not sick?" Sasori asked coldly, distancing himself.
Deidara patted his chest. "Of course not! Brother Sasori, I've got an amazing art piece in mind. When the time comes, you'll be shocked! Hmm!"
Deidara eagerly anticipated Sasori's reaction when he eventually revealed, "I'm a spy."
Such a wonderful artistic moment, happening between two artists.
Just the thought made him excited!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Loud explosions echoed within Mount Sumeru.
"There's a secret base here!"
"There are shinobi! It's likely the target, New Jomae Village!"
"Gather more people! Seal the area, quick!"
...
People's circumstances were different.
The five great shinobi villages had yet to find Gensou or the Akatsuki, but by chance, they stumbled upon another individual.
Sitting at home, Utakata was bewildered as he watched the rising shinobi techniques drawing closer and the large number of shinobi behind them.
"Was this really necessary? I've been out of the shinobi world for years," Utakata murmured, still unsure what had just happened.
(End of Chapter)
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Mount Katsuragi.
The traces of battle from over a year ago had now completely disappeared from the land.
The collapsed houses had been rebuilt, the destroyed barriers restored, and even the deep craters caused by the repeated use of the Fury Hair Forbidden Jutsu were filled in.
The only difference was the owner of this place. The once-feared warrior of the shinobi world, the Traveler of War, had passed away.
Now, the one in charge of the Tsuchigumo Clan on Mount Katsuragi was his granddaughter, Hotaru, who was still quite young.
"Miss, it was too risky for you to save that person," said Tonbei, the old soldier, his brows furrowed in concern as he looked at the unfamiliar man lying on the bed. He turned to Hotaru with worry in his eyes.
Hotaru, whose youthful face had matured slightly, replied earnestly, "When I found him, he was already seriously injured and unconscious. I couldn't just leave him to die, Tonbei."
Tonbei shook his head and continued to advise, "But we don't know if the man on the bed is good or evil. If he turns out to be trouble, and the shinobi chasing him come here, it will endanger all of Mount Katsuragi."
Currently, Hotaru was the last heir of the Tsuchigumo Clan. Tonbei didn't want to see anything similar to what happened a year ago occur again.
"Don't worry, Tonbei," Hotaru said, patting her chest in assurance. "I'm strong now. I can definitely protect everyone."
Although her grandfather's passing had left her disheartened for a while, Hotaru had worked hard ever since. She tirelessly studied the Water Style training scroll that Gensou had left behind and had activated the clan's secret Fury Hair Forbidden Jutsu.
In terms of combat power, she wasn't any weaker than the famed Jōnin of the outside world.
Because of this, Hotaru had gained much more confidence compared to her past, more gentle self.
Looking at her now, Tonbei was momentarily stunned.
He had almost forgotten that Hotaru was no longer the powerless little girl she once was.
Now, as someone who had inherited the clan's forbidden jutsu and excelled in ninjutsu, she was even stronger than him. Hotaru had the qualifications to take on the responsibility of revitalizing the Tsuchigumo Clan and becoming the next Traveler of War.
With this realization, Tonbei sighed and was about to comply with her wishes when the man on the bed suddenly stirred.
Both Hotaru and Tonbei immediately turned to look.
Soon, the man opened his eyes.
"Where... is this?" Utakata asked in a cold voice as he looked around the unfamiliar room and people. He struggled to sit up and asked again.
Hotaru quickly moved to help him up. "Your injuries haven't healed yet. Don't move too much."
Utakata , not used to people getting close to him, shifted away slightly and repeated, "Where is this?"
Not bothered by Utakata's cold demeanor—having gone through experiences with Gensou, who had a strange personality but a good heart—Hotaru patiently explained, "This is Mount Katsuragi. Don't worry, you're safe here. There's no danger."
Utakata , however, clearly wasn't listening to Hotaru's words.
He glanced at Hotaru, who had saved him, and, ignoring his injuries, got out of bed and began walking towards the door.
"Wait! You're still injured!" Hotaru called out urgently.
Without turning his head, Utakata replied, "Don't stop me. You shouldn't have saved me."
With that, he pushed open the door and stepped outside.
But after only a few steps, his vision blurred, and with a thud, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious once again.
Hotaru and Tonbei exchanged glances.
Sighing again, Tonbei walked over, picked Utakata up, and placed him back on the bed.
Although his attitude hadn't been polite, his actions clearly showed he didn't want to bring trouble here.
All in all, his character seemed decent.
And since the young mistress had a kind heart...
This would have to do.
Outside Mount Katsuragi, Gensou lifted his head, his eyes focusing on the mountain peak standing straight like a chopstick in the distance.
"Never thought I'd come here again."
The Traveler of War was surely long gone. Back then, with just one glance, Gensou had seen that the man's body was at its limits. After the scare Gensou gave him, it was unlikely he'd lived much longer.
Now, the one in charge was probably that little girl named Hotaru.
Funny enough, even though Gensou had been an invader, Hotaru hadn't been afraid of him at all. In fact, when they parted, she even expressed a desire to become his disciple.
At the time, Gensou hadn't agreed but had left her a Water Style training scroll before departing.
He wondered how much she had learned.
Gensou withdrew his gaze and, just like last time, began making his way towards Mount Katsuragi.
If the butterfly effect hadn't shifted too much, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, who was fleeing, was likely somewhere near Mount Katsuragi.
If they hadn't arrived yet, he could afford to wait a little while.
As Gensou walked towards the mountain, he heard whispers coming from the nearby dense forest. Not bothering to pay attention, he continued on his way.
However, the conversation still reached his ears.
"Are you sure that old man is dead?"
"Yes, confirmed, Lord Shiro . Old man Tonbei tried to hide it for a long time, but under repeated questioning by the clan elders of the Hidden Mountain Village, he finally revealed the truth. It was always suspicious that the Traveler of War hadn't shown up for so long."
"Excellent! It seems the forbidden jutsu of the Tsuchigumo Clan has fallen into the hands of that little girl Ying. The Tsuchigumo Clan is truly without successors now!"
"Lord Shiro, shall we act now and take the forbidden jutsu?"
"No rush. Since Mount Katsuragi was attacked a year ago, they've replaced many of the barriers and traps. We need to scout thoroughly first. Otherwise, if Konoha's reinforcements arrive, it'll be troublesome."
"Lord Shiro is truly cautious... However, just now, a passerby overheard our conversation. What should we do?"
"I noticed already. Just a bug. Crush it casually."
"Understood!!"
With that, four figures shot out of the forest at incredible speed, surrounding Gensou.
One of them, a man, sneered at Gensou and said coldly, "Eavesdropping on others' secrets isn't a good habit. Unlucky guy, have you decided how you want to die? I'm feeling generous and can grant your wish."
Gensou paid them no mind, continuing to walk forward at his own pace.
Seeing that this man was about to meet his death, yet still acting so indifferent, Nanxiang and the others couldn't help but feel both amused and insulted.
As they prepared to strike, chuckling to themselves, the man muttered, "Pathetic stench—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Gensou finally spared them a glance.
Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!
In an instant, the kunai from the shinobi pouches of the four men flew out at lightning speed, piercing through their heads.
Before they even hit the ground, the four of them had no idea what had just happened.
Not far away, Shiro, standing with his arms behind his back in a commanding pose, waiting for his subordinates to return, saw the scene unfold before him and immediately froze, his mouth agape.
Drip.
A bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.
(End of Chapter)
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