A cold wind blew through the forest, making a "woo-woo" sound that resembled someone crying softly. The withered branches swayed gently, and a couple of stubborn, dried leaves still clung to the tree, refusing to fall. Kakashi stood under the tree like a statue, lost in thought for a while before finally shaking off the inexplicable melancholy.

He shook his head vigorously, burying the memories that had suddenly resurfaced deep in his heart.

"How on earth did the Hokage's assistant discover such a secret...?" Kakashi muttered with a sigh.

"If you're curious, Kakashi-senpai, you could ask the clan leader directly. If he's in a good mood, he might explain it to you. But please, keep this matter confidential. The clan leader doesn't want too many people knowing about it, and he especially doesn't want anyone to find out that the information came from him."

Kakashi stiffened slightly and cleared his throat. "No, no need. I was just asking out of curiosity. The death of the Third Kazekage doesn't really concern me. I'm well-versed in confidentiality and wouldn't leak any sensitive information... But if the Hokage assistant's intel is accurate, the target we're pursuing this time is quite a formidable one!"

The "Red Sand Sasori"—a former genius puppeteer from the Hidden Sand Village.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel that neither he, Itachi Uchiha, nor Kimimaro Kaguya could confidently handle such an opponent. However, retreating out of fear was not an option.

"Pakkun, keep tracking."

"Huh? Are you sure, Kakashi? Shouldn't we call for some reinforcements?" Pakkun asked, concerned. He had overheard the earlier conversation, and it seemed reckless not to bring more help when chasing such a dangerous enemy.

"No need. The Hokage's assistant has already given us permission to retreat if things go south. We'll assess the situation first, and if we can't handle it, we'll withdraw."

Kakashi glanced at Itachi Uchiha, who lived up to his reputation as the Uchiha clan's genius. Not only was he sharp and skilled, but his ability to remain composed and emotionless was truly astounding. When Kakashi was Itachi's age, he certainly wasn't this mature.

"But..." Pakkun started to say.

"No buts. Let's go, Pakkun!" Kakashi urged.

Pakkun's suggestion wasn't wrong. Reinforcements would have made sense when facing such a ruthless enemy like the Red Sand Sasori. However, Itachi's earlier statement had shut down that option. The Hokage assistant's insistence on confidentiality not only implied secrecy but also that this mission was restricted to the three of them. No one else was to get involved.

Kakashi deduced that even if they failed, bringing in a fourth person was out of the question. He didn't understand why the Hokage's assistant would make such a decision, but orders were orders.

So, Pakkun's reasonable request couldn't be fulfilled.

Kakashi could only steel himself and continue with the mission.

Pakkun, though intelligent and able to speak, wasn't human. Without Kakashi explaining the complexities of the situation, he couldn't grasp the nuances. But seeing Kakashi's determination, Pakkun resigned himself to continue tracking the faint scent lingering in the air.

Outside, Uchiha Futaba stood at the door, turning away anyone who came by. She told them that the clan leader had a headache and was resting, making it inconvenient for visitors. Unless it was an urgent matter, they'd have to wait until tomorrow. Hearing this, everyone agreed to wait. After all, the war was over; what could possibly be that urgent?

Inside the office, Sōgen sat in his chair, deep in thought.

The headache was, of course, just an excuse. His body was perfectly fine. Although his training in Yin-Yang Release hadn't shown obvious results yet, he could feel his life force growing bit by bit. While he wasn't at the self-healing level of Hashirama Senju, he had reached a point where illness was nearly impossible.

He was currently contemplating the issue of the Red Sand Sasori.

Initially, he hadn't paid much attention to the theft case involving the body-handling division, but Kakashi's investigation had led to an unexpected revelation. The name "Sasori" wasn't common in the ninja world, especially in the Land of Fire. The connection between the name and the theft of ninja bodies had triggered Sōgen's instinct, reminding him of the infamous Red Sand Sasori. His intuition told him that this case was likely linked to that genius puppeteer from the Hidden Sand Village.

To be honest, Sōgen hadn't originally cared much about this puppeteer. While human puppets were formidable, they couldn't rival the bloodline abilities passed down from the Sage of Six Paths. This was a world where bloodlines reigned supreme, and the Sharingan was king!

The Red Sand Sasori was a genius, no doubt. But his talents weren't enough to overturn the fundamental truths of the ninja world.

However, Sōgen remembered something—an item from his previous spoils of war, one he had yet to use. That item was sealed inside a small, red-bordered scroll sitting on his desk.

Inside was the corpse of a White Zetsu.

During the war with the Hidden Mist, he had captured a White Zetsu's body, but he hadn't found any practical use for it yet. His initial thought was to use it to prevent the Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan users from going blind, a brilliant idea in theory.

The problem was that turning this idea into reality was exceedingly difficult.

Sōgen wasn't skilled in biological research, and he had no idea how to utilize the White Zetsu's body to unlock its immense potential. For now, it remained an untapped treasure. After all, in the ninja world, truly talented researchers were as rare as phoenix feathers.

While there were countless powerful fighters in the ninja world, researchers were a rare breed.

In the fifty-year history of the five great ninja villages, only a handful of individuals could be called true researchers: the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, the Second Kazekage Shamon, the Second Tsuchikage Mū, one of the Legendary Sannin Orochimaru, and the genius puppeteer from the Hidden Sand, the Red Sand Sasori. Even counting the deceased, the number didn't exceed ten.

Since Orochimaru's defection, Konohagakure had experienced a decline in talented researchers. The few capable ones were tightly controlled by the Fifth Hokage, and Sōgen had no intention of sharing the White Zetsu's secret with the entire village.

Thus, he was left pondering how to make use of the White Zetsu's body, even considering collaborating with Orochimaru.

But today, Sōgen had a realization: the Red Sand Sasori was likely a genius researcher on par with Orochimaru. While Orochimaru sought immortality, the Sasori pursued eternity. Both had achieved a degree of success. If not for his defeat at the hands of Chiyo, the Sasori wouldn't have been so easy to kill.

Moreover, considering the Sasori's puppet-making skills—having even transformed his own body, leaving only a "core" of flesh—this technology, in some ways, surpassed Orochimaru's body-hopping technique.

Orochimaru's technique required finding new bodies to host his soul, while the Sasori had directly modified his own body. Whether it truly granted eternity was uncertain, but the biological expertise behind it was undeniable!

"I wonder if the Red Sand Sasori has joined the Akatsuki by this point..." Sōgen thought.

He played with the scroll in his hand for a moment before making a decision. Whether or not the Sasori had joined the Akatsuki, Sōgen had set his sights on this brilliant researcher. If he wanted to fully utilize the White Zetsu's body, he would need the efforts of top-tier researchers.

And instead of wasting time with third-rate talents, it was worth seeing if he could control this top-tier researcher.

He had thought about similar ideas before. He once considered capturing Hiruko, another rogue ninja like Orochimaru. In order to catch up to the legendary Sannin, who were his classmates, he researched forbidden techniques, such as the Ghost Bud Luo technique, which was also a kind of biological modification technology. However, after being discovered, he had no choice but to defect from Konoha...

It always seemed like these top researchers were either Kages or rogue ninjas.

But thinking about it more carefully, it wasn't surprising. Human experimentation, such a taboo activity, was nothing under the will of the Kages in each village. As for Orochimaru and Hiruko, they weren't Kages and couldn't bear the backlash from being exposed for human experimentation, so they had to flee and become rogue ninjas...

But that's getting off-topic. Back to the main point.

It's not that Sougen didn't want to capture these top-tier researchers and make them work for him.

The problem was that these rogue ninjas were elusive and hard to track down. For example, he had once sent someone to contact Orochimaru in an attempt to team up and eliminate the Third Hokage. But the Uchiha he sent, Akitaro, came back empty-handed. If it weren't for the lucky capture of Biwa Jūzō, that old man Sarutobi Hiruzen might still be alive!

"What a pity Shisui isn't here!"

Sougen sighed regretfully.

If Shisui were here, he would have simply entrusted the mission to him. Kotoamatsukami was such a useful ability—there was no better method for manipulating people's minds! There really was nothing more effective than Kotoamatsukami.

But no matter,

Shisui was bound to return sooner or later. Kotoamatsukami could always be saved as the ultimate trump card, something to use as a last resort. Until then, he could try to handle things on his own for a while. After all, his own genjutsu skills weren't bad either!

"Futaba, I'm going to sleep for a bit. Make sure no one disturbs me."

Sougen called out.

"Yes, Clan Leader!"

A young woman's clear voice responded energetically from outside the door.

Sougen tucked the scroll away safely, stood up from his chair, and walked over to the window. He opened it and took a look outside. There were quite a few people around! But honestly, the guards weren't that strict. After the war ended, most people had let their guard down, thinking there was no way an enemy could infiltrate. Besides, with his own abilities as the Hokage's advisor, there wasn't anyone in the ninja world who could harm him.

Sougen had no intention of correcting this assumption!

Sure, it was better to be cautious, but there was no need to stay on edge 24/7. He himself couldn't stand the constant paranoia of the people around him—every slight disturbance making them think someone was trying to assassinate the Clan Leader...

Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage

Without making a sound, Sougen silently flipped out of the window, landing as quietly as a cat. As he descended through the air, he had already finished weaving signs, and as soon as he hit the ground, he disappeared into the earth like a fish entering water. The soil on the ground rippled briefly, but soon settled back to normal.

The ninja guards standing at the gate had no idea that the Hokage's advisor had just slipped out right beneath their feet.

Underground,

Sougen moved through the earth as smoothly as a fish swimming through water, diving deep below the surface. This masterful Earth Release technique was the result of his extensive research on the Banana Palm Fan. Previously, of the five chakra natures, he had been most skilled in Fire Release, while his proficiency in the others was pretty uneven—honestly, not very impressive.

But now,

His mastery of Wind, Water, Lightning, and Earth chakra natures had reached a solid, respectable level. Although still not as advanced as his Fire Release, with time, it wouldn't be hard for him to achieve the same level of proficiency as Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had mastered all five chakra natures.

What he needed most right now was time.

The Flame Fan, the Banana Palm Fan, and soon the Amber Purifying Pot would be in his possession. He needed time to fully absorb the benefits of these treasures. It had taken him over two years to fully understand the mysteries of Samehada, and the secrets contained in the Flame Fan, a branch of the God Tree, far surpassed that.

Utilizing Earth Release, Sougen quickly left the Konoha army's camp. Once he was far enough away, he resurfaced, standing back on solid ground.

"Now, let's see which way Kakashi and the others went?"

Sougen summoned Samehada.

He didn't know any tracking techniques himself, but he had other means to trace Kakashi's group. Samehada, as a living weapon, could not only absorb chakra and replenish its wielder's chakra, but it also had an incredibly sharp sense of smell. While it wasn't as specialized as a ninja hound in tracking,

Kakashi's team hadn't left long ago, and the residual scent they left behind was still quite distinct. Samehada extended its body, writhing as it made a sniffing motion in the air, then pointed Sougen in the right direction.

"Kakashi, don't let me down!"

Sougen muttered to himself.

He wasn't sure if Kakashi and his team would catch up to the Red Sand Sasori, but since Kakashi had taken the initiative to pursue him, there must have been some kind of lead. Sougen was betting on Kakashi finding and catching up to the Sasori. Whether they could defeat him wasn't important.

After all, Sougen was already prepared to step in himself if necessary.

The biggest question right now was whether they could find the Red Sand Sasori at all!

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