Natsuki couldn't be bothered and continued his leisurely journey of slacking off.

What he didn't expect, though, was that Deidara and Sasori had no intention of returning to the Land of Rain. Instead, they wandered all over, taking bounty missions as if they had completely taken over Kakuzu's job.

And just like that, Natsuki ended up tracking them for two whole months.

Fortunately, he continued to enter the gravity training room daily, never once falling behind on his regular training routine.

As for the special lab that opened on the first of each month—even though there were no new research projects for now—he didn't waste the opportunity. Instead, he focused on developing techniques based on the three kekkei genkai: Ranton (Storm Style), Mokuton (Wood Style), and Jiton (Magnet Style).

After two months of solid effort, Natsuki could clearly feel himself growing stronger.

But as for whether he'd reached the super-Kage level... well, that was hard to say. He'd have to actually fight a super-Kage to know for sure.

Currently, the only known super-Kage seemed to be Tendō Pain, and now wasn't the time to confront him.

As for others, like Uchiha Obito... Natsuki figured he wasn't truly super-Kage level either. He was just abusing Kamui like a cheat code. He couldn't even activate Susanoo, so in truth, he wasn't all that strong.

That said, Natsuki didn't dare underestimate Obito either. Techniques like Kamui were ridiculously broken, and he needed to develop some specific counters or else risk a nightmare battle later.

One day, Deidara and Sasori suddenly headed south and finally entered the Land of Rain.

Natsuki gave it some thought and didn't follow directly. Instead, he created a shadow clone, disguised it as someone else, and had it tail them into the Land of Rain while his true body retreated to a safe distance to avoid being detected by Tendō Pain.

As soon as the clone entered the Land of Rain, it was instantly drenched.

It was hard to imagine how a place could have such never-ending rainfall. But this was the world of anime—no point in questioning it. The logic here was already twisted enough.

While the clone was still trying to locate Deidara and Sasori, a figure suddenly appeared in the gloomy sky above.

In the next instant, the clone was destroyed.

Natsuki received the memory burst and immediately teleported away using Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique).

After all, the Land of Rain was under full lockdown. Any suspicious individuals caught in the rain would be instantly sensed by Pain's Ame no Naka no Jiyū (Rain Tiger at Will Technique), and then promptly eliminated.

That's exactly why Natsuki had sent a shadow clone instead of going himself—to test the waters.

As expected... Pain was seriously strong.

In the sky above Amegakure, Tendō Pain narrowed his eyes in doubt.

"A shadow clone? Someone was tailing Deidara into the Land of Rain? Or was it a probe into Amegakure itself? …No matter.

No scheme, no matter how clever, has any meaning before a god!"

Meanwhile, Natsuki yawned in a safe place far away.

Well, that should be enough reason to head back.

He'd long suspected Akatsuki's base was in the Land of Rain, but suspicion alone wasn't enough—he needed proof.

Also, he wasn't all that eager to return to the village.

Sure, he missed snuggling up with Tenten, but returning would only mean getting dumped with more annoying work.

And Tenten had her own missions too, so they wouldn't be spending much time together anyway. Might as well stay out here.

Now that he'd been wandering for over two months, and Deidara and Sasori had entered the Land of Rain, and his clone had been vaporized trying to follow them in—that counted as some form of evidence, right?

Next step: confirm Deidara and Sasori's movements again.

Natsuki figured they weren't returning to Amegakure on purpose. They were likely just passing through on their way to another assignment.

After all, Akatsuki members rarely gathered. Each duo had their own tasks. Even when something big happened, they just used their rings to group-chat—no one went back to headquarters unless necessary.

And sure enough, a few days later, Natsuki picked up Deidara and Sasori again—this time in the Land of Rivers.

Turns out they were just cutting through the Land of Rain to capture a high-bounty target elsewhere.

"Hm, time to head home."

Without delay, Natsuki used Hiraishin to teleport back.

After a refreshing wash-up, he stepped out of his house—only to immediately sense that the village felt different.

He noticed quite a few foreign shinobi roaming around.

A quick mental calendar check cleared up the confusion.

"Oh, right. It's time for the Chūnin Exams. No wonder so many outsiders are here. Eh, not my job. I'll go make my report and get some rest."

Before long, Natsuki arrived at the Hokage's office and knocked politely.

"Come in," came Tsunade's voice.

He stepped inside—only to see Shikamaru and Temari standing in front of the desk, apparently giving a report.

The two turned to look and blinked in surprise.

Shikamaru grinned. "Natsuki? You're finally back! I thought you were having too much fun out there to come home. Everyone's been wondering about you."

Natsuki raised a hand in greeting. "Yo! Shikamaru. Reporting in—should I wait outside?"

Shikamaru waved him off. "Nah, I'm just briefing Lady Tsunade on the Chūnin Exams stuff with Temari. Nothing classified, no need to step out."

Tsunade added, "Welcome back, Natsuki. Shikamaru's right—you don't need to leave. Once they're finished, I'll hear your report. Have a seat. Shizune, bring him some tea."

Natsuki didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. Shizune quickly brought him a cup of tea—this kind of treatment wasn't for just anyone.

Temari watched him curiously.

She definitely remembered Natsuki. During the last Chūnin Exams, he'd not only beaten Orochimaru but had also pounded the One-Tail back into submission. He'd even floored Maki-sensei with a single punch.

The nickname "Konoha's Demon Blade" had spread throughout the entire shinobi world. His real strength was terrifying.

Now, seeing how even the Hokage treated him with such importance, it was clear he'd just returned from a highly classified mission.

Someone like that... was best not taken as an enemy.

Fortunately, Suna and Konoha were allies now.

Having a powerhouse like Natsuki as a comrade-in-arms was actually quite reassuring.

Better him as an ally than an opponent.

As the briefing continued, it was nothing but mundane exam prep details that still needed Tsunade's sign-off.

Shikamaru scratched his head often, clearly annoyed at all the hassle, but he had no choice.

Temari, however, seemed to have shifted her attention back to him, a subtle warmth in her eyes.

Clearly, she preferred this kind of "lazy but clever" type over muscle-headed maniacs.

Fortunately, the report didn't take long.

Before leaving, Shikamaru turned to Natsuki.

"You've been gone for over two months. When you're free, let's get everyone together."

Natsuki smiled. "Sure, I'll set something up when I've got time."

(End of Chapter)

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