blogombal Chapter 155 Scorpion of the Crimson Sand, 3rd Generation Kazekage Puppet!
Chapter 155 Scorpion of the Crimson Sand, 3rd Generation Kazekage Puppet!
Chapter 155 Scorpion of the Crimson Sand, the Third Generation Kazekage Puppet!
With a group of over sixty people traveling through the desert, their pace was naturally slow.
Although Makoto Kokuju could have used Kamui to take all these people into his spatial dimension, he didn't do so.
Firstly, while the Divine Might Space can accommodate living beings, prolonged stays could potentially cause irreversible damage to ordinary people. He certainly didn't want to bring a group of mentally unstable Loulan survivors back to the Water Kingdom.
Secondly, he needs time to adapt to the surge of dragon vein chakra within his body.
After seven days of sealing and ninety-nine repetitions of the Ninefold Dragon Seal, the power of the dragon vein had been completely integrated into his body.
At this moment, Makoto Kariju is like a humanoid tailed beast, no, even more exaggerated than a tailed beast.
"This feeling—"
While leading the team forward, Gouju Cheng silently sensed the state within his body.
He could clearly "see" that the golden dragon vein chakra was quietly suspended in his dantian, like a small sun, continuously sending warm and powerful energy to his limbs and bones.
He can draw upon this power at any time and convert it into chakra for his own use, as long as he wishes.
How big is the quantity?
He roughly estimated that, based on his previous consumption level, he could probably continuously release the Great Strike or directly release the complete Susanoo!
Even without considering his own safety, he can unleash some even more advanced techniques!
Furthermore, the Dragon Vein Chakra possesses the same self-healing function as the Tailed Beasts.
What does this mean?
This means that as long as he doesn't drain the dragon vein dry all at once, this power is truly "inexhaustible".
"It's out! It's out! It's out!"
Gouju was overjoyed. The group traveled through the desert for about two more hours before it gradually got dark.
Sara walked up to Makoto Karatachi and said with some concern, "Lord Mizukage, it's getting dark. Traveling through the desert at night is too dangerous. Shouldn't we find a place to camp and rest?"
Gouju Cheng glanced at the sky and nodded.
"Alright. There's a rocky hill up ahead; let's spend the night there."
The team set up a makeshift camp on the leeward side of the rocky hill.
Makoto's shadow clones were responsible for guarding the area and collecting firewood, while Sara and several strong young tribesmen began distributing food and water.
After these few days of contact, the Loulan survivors' fear of Goujucheng has faded considerably.
They discovered that although this Mizukage's assistant was incredibly powerful, he didn't act superior to them, ordinary people.
"Speaking of which, I'm also curious about what happened after we killed that centipede guy."
By the campfire at the campsite, Makoto Goji tachibana grilled meat while asking a question curiously.
Sarah, sitting not far away, dimmed upon hearing this.
Uncle Kase looked at Sara and said in a low voice, "After killing Centipede, Minato Namikaze of Konoha, together with Konoha ninjas from the future, sealed the Dragon Vein with the help of Princess Sara."
"After the seal was completed, Minato Namikaze led his people back to Konoha, and the Konoha ninja from the future also disappeared and was sent back to the future."
"We thought it was all over. Centipede was dead, the dragon vein was sealed, and Loulan—though destroyed, could at least be rebuilt."
Cassell's voice became low.
"But before we could even breathe a sigh of relief, Sunagakure arrived."
"Sunagakure?"
Gouju Cheng raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Sunagakure."
Kase gave a wry smile: "This is, after all, the Land of Wind, the territory of Sunagakure. How could they not have noticed such a huge commotion caused by the Dragon Vein eruption?"
"Less than two days after Minato Namikaze and that brat left, the Sand Village's forces surrounded the ruins of Loulan, led by an old puppeteer named Chiyo."
A knowing glint flashed in Gouju Makoto's eyes.
Chiyo, an advisor and elder of Sunagakure, the founder of the puppet army, was a veteran powerhouse from the same era as the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage.
With her leading the team, let alone the Loulan people who no longer have the dragon vein, even if Minato Namikaze and others were still alive, they would not be her match!
"What do they want, the dragon vein?"
"At first it was."
Kase nodded: "Old Lady Chiyo said that the Dragon Vein is the legacy of the Land of Wind and should be taken over by Sunagakure. Princess Sara argued with them, saying that although Loulan has declined, it is still an independent country, and the Dragon Vein belongs to Loulan."
"But what's the use?"
"In the eyes of Sunagakure, Roran is nothing more than a tiny country that can be crushed at any time. They have no intention of reasoning with Princess Sara."
"They gave us two choices. Either we relinquish control of the dragon vein, and the entire Loulan is annexed by Sunagakure, becoming a vassal state under its 'protection.' Or—"
"Either hand over my life."
Sara finally spoke, a bitter smile playing on her lips: "Chiyo said that the Loulan royal family is the key to the Dragon Vein. If I am killed, the Dragon Vein will sleep forever and cannot be used by anyone. This way, at least it can be guaranteed that the Dragon Vein will not be coveted by other great powers, and it can also save Sunagakure a lot of trouble."
"So, Chiyo gave us three days to consider. If I don't voluntarily hand over control of the Dragon Vein and agree to annex Loulan into Sunagakure after three days, they will take action."
"Three days————"
Gouju Cheng murmured to himself, already guessing what would happen next.
Three days later, I still hadn't submitted it.
Sarah looked up, a hint of stubbornness flashing in her emerald green eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.
"I thought that as long as I didn't hand it over, even if I died, the dragon vein would remain dormant forever, and the glory of Loulan could at least be preserved. But that woman, Chiyo—"
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly.
"That woman had no intention of letting us go. She said that since Loulan was unwilling to submit to Sunagakure, it had no reason to exist. Keeping you alive would only be a scourge if someone were to break the seal on the dragon vein one day."
"So they began the massacre of the city."
Uncle Kase took over the conversation, his eyes reddening.
"Back then, hundreds, even thousands, of survivors were still hidden in the ruins of Loulan. The Sand Village ninjas killed anyone they saw, regardless of gender or age. Granny Chiyo's puppet army was even more cruel; the puppets' swords were coated with poison, and anyone struck by them would die instantly—"
His voice choked up, and he couldn't continue.
Sarah closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"It's all my fault—if I had chosen to surrender and join Sunagakure, perhaps, perhaps none of us would have died—"
"No, Your Highness Sarah, it's not your fault."
Uncle Kase quickly said, "Those people from Sunagakure never intended to let us go from the start. Even if you surrendered, they would have found an excuse to kill us, just in a different way. The choice you made at the time at least gave some of us a chance to escape!"
Gouju listened silently without interrupting.
He knew how ruthless that old man Chiyo was.
Currently, the most powerful figures in Sunagakure besides the Kazekage are probably the siblings, Rasa and Chiyo. Rasa alone could not have accomplished what happened in Pakura; that old woman Chiyo must have been involved.
They are capable of directly suppressing heroes in order to consolidate their power.
It's impossible for such a person to be soft-hearted.
"And then?"
"later----"
Uncle Kase wiped his eyes: "Later, Princess Sara led those of us who had barely escaped and hid in these ruins and deserts for four years."
"The people of Sunagakure have been hunting us for a long time, but this is, after all, the homeland of Loulan. We are more familiar with the terrain, and we barely survived thanks to a few hidden underground caves and abandoned mines."
"Furthermore, the disappearance of the Third Kazekage and the outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War meant that Sunagakure was preoccupied with its own problems, which greatly relieved the pressure on us."
"Over the past four years, we've changed hiding places more than a dozen times. Some places were discovered by the Sand Village, forcing us to flee again overnight. Many people died on the run—starved, thirsted, died of disease, or were caught and killed by the Sand Village—"
He looked at the emaciated, ragged people of his tribe not far away, his voice hoarse.
"Of those who escaped with Princess Sara, there were several hundred. Now, only fifty or so remain."
Silence fell over the camp.
The campfire crackled, its light illuminating the pale faces of the Loulan survivors.
Looking at these people, Gouju Cheng felt a mix of emotions.
The tragedy of Loulan is actually quite simple.
A small country, possessing a powerful dragon vein that was coveted by many, was targeted by a powerful nation. After refusing to submit, it suffered annihilation.
Such stories have happened countless times in the history of the ninja world.
The country of rain, the country of grass, the country of rivers, the country of taki————
Countless small countries struggled in the power struggle among the five major powers; some survived by sheer luck, while others were crushed under the wheels of history.
Loulan is just one of them.
"That old hag Chiyo is truly ruthless."
Gouju Cheng gave a soft hum.
Massacring an entire city is something that's hard to talk about openly. The fact that Sunagakure could be so ruthless shows that old man Chiyo clearly had no intention of leaving himself any future trouble.
As dawn broke, the people in the camp gradually woke up.
Sarah rubbed her slightly sore eyes as she stepped out of the tent and saw Gouju Cheng standing on a rock at the edge of the camp, gazing at the distant desert.
The morning light shone on him, casting a golden outline on his handsome face.
"Lord Mizukage, you haven't slept all night?"
Sarah walked over to him and asked with some concern.
Gouju Cheng turned around and smiled: "I'm used to it. Besides, in my current state, not sleeping for a few days won't have much of an impact."
""
He was telling the truth.
After sealing the dragon veins, his physical condition far surpassed that of ordinary people. Not to mention one night, even if he went without sleep for several days in a row, he would not feel tired as long as his chakra was sufficient.
Sarah paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I apologize for what happened yesterday."
"Is this laughable?" Makoto Koji shook his head. "There's nothing funny about it. The tragedy of Loulan is, in the end, nothing more than the oppression of a small country by a large one. This kind of thing happens every day in the ninja world."
He paused, then looked at Sarah.
"But you did the right thing. Peace gained through surrender is never true peace. Someone like Chiyo, even if you surrendered then, she wouldn't have truly accepted you. Rather than being slowly devoured and eventually becoming slaves of Sunagakure, it's better to fight to the death; at least you can retain your last shred of dignity."
Sarah stared at him blankly, her eyes slightly red.
"You're the first person to say that."
"Really?" Makoto Koji raised an eyebrow. "What did the people you've met before say?"
"They said—" Sarah smiled bitterly, "that I was too stubborn and out of touch with reality. They said that if I had chosen to surrender back then, perhaps not so many people from Loulan would have died. They said I was a good queen, but not a good monarch, because I caused the deaths of my own people."
"fart."
Gouju Cheng interrupted her without any politeness.
"Those people are all talk and no action. When a knife isn't at their throats, they can certainly talk at length about sacrificing the individual for the greater good. But if it were up to them, how many of them would be willing to give their lives for the so-called 'greater good'?"
"You led several hundred men and survived four years of relentless pursuit by Sunagakure, protecting over fifty members of your clan. That's a miracle. Anyone else would have been captured by Chiyo on the first day, and their entire clan would have been wiped out by the second."
Sarah opened her mouth, as if to say something, but found her throat tightening.
She hadn't heard such words in a very, very long time.
For the past four years, she has been blaming herself every day, wondering if more people would have survived if she hadn't been so stubborn and insisted on the so-called "Glory of Loulan".
But now, this man from the land of water tells her she did the right thing.
you are right.
"Thank you—thank you."
Sarah lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly.
Gouju Cheng glanced at her, said nothing, and simply patted her shoulder gently.
"Alright, stop thinking about it. Since I promised to take you to the Land of Water, I'll see it through to the end. Chiyo and Sunagakure are no longer your concern."
He turned around and looked at the Loulan survivors who were packing their belongings.
"Let's prepare to set off. Let's try to leave the desert and enter the border of the Land of Rivers before nightfall. Although it's also a chaotic area, it's at least safer than the Land of Wind."
"Um."
Sarah nodded vigorously.
The team set off again.
After walking for several dozen miles, the surrounding desert gradually became less desolate.
Occasionally, you can see a few tenacious cacti and some drought-resistant shrubs.
Makoto knew that they were approaching the eastern border of the Land of Wind.
If you travel one more day, you will enter the Land of Rivers.
Upon arriving in the Land of Rivers, although it was still a chaotic area, at least there was no need to worry about pursuers from the Sand Village. The Land of Rivers' terrain was mostly mountainous and hilly, making it easier to conceal one's movements and find supplies than in a desert.
"Keep up the good work, everyone. We'll reach the border in another half day's journey."
Gouju Cheng shouted to the team behind him.
Although exhausted, the Loulan survivors' eyes lit up with hope upon hearing the news.
But as evening fell, the shadow clone in charge of the outpost dispelled the clone and sent back a message, causing Makoto Kouju to stop.
"What's wrong?"
"There are Sand Ninja."
Gouju Cheng spoke in a deep voice, his eyes gazing into the distance.
According to the message relayed by the shadow clone, there is an elite squad of eight Jonin ahead!
Furthermore, they also appear to be traveling, and their directions are slightly overlapping. Judging from their routes, they are moving from northwest to southeast, likely heading towards Kikyoyama Castle!
Kikyo Mountain Castle.
Gouju Cheng's eyes flickered slightly.
That was one of the frontline fortresses in the battle between Sunagakure and Konoha, and judging from the current situation, Sunagakure was preparing to gather a large force there in an attempt to fight Konoha to the death.
However, according to the storyline, in the Battle of Kikyo Castle, Sunagakure was ultimately defeated, and the village's vitality was almost completely shattered in that battle. In the end, they had no choice but to sign a peace treaty with Konoha and thus withdrew from the Third Shinobi World War as the defeated party.
Judging by the timeline, Kikyoyama Castle should still be a major military stronghold of Sunagakure, with a large number of troops amassed there.
And this elite squad that was moving towards Kikyoyama Castle—
"Notify the troops to slow down and prepare to set up camp on the spot." Makoto Goji quickly made a judgment: "I'll go check ahead."
"yes!"
The shadow clone accepted the order and began organizing the Loulan survivors to find a suitable place to camp and rest.
Goji Tachibana Makoto concealed his aura, his figure flickered, and like a ghost blending into the night, he sped toward the location reported by the outpost.
A moment later, he lay in ambush atop a sand dune, using the cover of night to observe the advancing column from a distance.
It was like the information transmitted back by a shadow clone.
Four people.
All four were Sand Village Jonin wearing Jonin vests!
With the war escalating to this point, every Jonin is an extremely valuable asset to all sides, especially to a village like Sunagakure.
In this situation, the fact that Sunagakure could still field a four-person elite squad is clearly extraordinary.
But what truly caught Gouju Cheng's attention was the object they were escorting in the middle of their group.
That was a jar?
No, to be more precise, it was a ceramic jar covered with layers of sealing talismans.
The surface of the pottery jar was covered with dense sealing seals, and the outer layer was reinforced with chains. It was carried carefully by two ninjas, who moved with extreme caution, as if it contained something extremely dangerous.
"That is—"
Makoto Koji narrowed his eyes slightly. In his perception, the sealed pottery jar was emitting an extremely peculiar and violent chakra fluctuation.
That chakra—
It's a tailed beast!
"These guys from Sunagakure are actually transporting tailed beasts?"
Countless thoughts flashed through Gouju's mind in an instant.
With the war dragged on to this point, Sunagakure is suffering repeated defeats on the front lines, and the Daimyo of the Land of Wind is cutting military funding for Sunagakure again and again. The Sunagakure leadership has no choice but to consider various extreme measures to reverse the decline.
Ultimately, they decided to gather strength at Kikyoyama Castle for one last push.
I never expected that they would even be preparing to use the tailed beasts now!
Moreover, it is a tailed beast that does not have a Jinchūriki and is simply in a sealed state!
"They're really going all in, huh?"
Gouju Cheng's lips curled into a dangerous smile.
If Sunagakure successfully transports Shukaku to Kikyoyama Castle, given Shukaku's destructive power, Konoha will definitely suffer a huge loss on the front lines.
Of course, whether Konoha suffers a loss or not has absolutely nothing to do with Makoto Karatachi. But that's related to the fact that Rasa wanted to use Kirigakure to eliminate Pakura.
You fought Konoha with great effort, and Makoto really approves.
But you previously tried to use Makoto as a pawn, which made him very unhappy.
Makoto Kari lay hidden in the shadows of the sand dunes, his eyes fixed on the elite Sand Village squad escorting Shukaku, his mind racing with calculations.
Four Jonin and one Tailed Beast that was heavily sealed away.
This lineup and this setup are definitely strategic targets!
"If only we could snatch Shukaku away—"
A fiery glint flashed in Gouju Makoto's eyes.
He's already a Jinchūriki of the Dragon Vein. Adding another Shukaku, while unnecessary, wouldn't be bad if he were sealed away as a backup energy source for future trouble in the ninja world.
Anyway, Sunagakure and Kirigakure don't have much of a relationship now, and besides, that old schemer Rasa is even more scheming against him than before.
So what if they robbed it?
But just as Makoto Koji was about to make his move...
An extremely cold and dangerous chakra surge suddenly came from the side and rear!
"And there are pastry makers?!"
Gouju Cheng felt a chill run down his spine and once again concealed all his aura.
The next moment, a red figure emerged slowly from behind the sand dunes in front of the Sand Village squad, like a ghost.
He was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old.
Her short red hair swayed slightly in the night breeze, and her exquisite features were as perfect as a doll's, yet exuded an eerie coldness. Her amber eyes were devoid of any emotion, like a stagnant pool.
Even Makoto Karatachi, who was in Kirigakure, was not unfamiliar with the other party's identity.
A future member of the Akatsuki organization, an S-rank rogue ninja hailed as a genius puppeteer, and a monster who personally assassinated the Third Kazekage!
Red Sand Scorpion!
What's this guy doing here?
According to the timeline, Sasori should have already assassinated the Third Kazekage, defected from Sunagakure, and joined the Akatsuki organization.
But now, he's here, intercepting the elite Sand Village squad transporting the Tailed Beasts?
What kind of development is this?
The Sand Village team had clearly also noticed the unusual situation ahead.
The leader, a Sand Village Jonin, waved warily, signaling the group to stop. At the same time, his eyes were fixed on the red-haired boy who emerged from behind the sand dunes, and his face turned deathly pale.
"That, that figure—"
"It's Scorpion! It's that traitor, Scorpion!"
Someone in the group cried out in alarm, their voice filled with fear.
Sasori's name is known to everyone in Sunagakure.
"Red Sand Scorpion!"
The leading Sand Village Jonin, barely suppressing his fear, shouted sternly, "You traitor, how dare you show your face here!"
The scorpion did not answer.
He simply raised his head slowly, his amber eyes calmly sweeping over the eight Sand Village Jonin in front of him, finally settling on the heavily sealed Shukaku pottery jar.
"It seems the village is really desperate, even willing to send Yiwei to the battlefield."
"you!"
"Hand over Shukaku, and I might spare your lives."
Scorpion spoke calmly, seemingly not taking the four people seriously at all.
"You traitor!"
The Sand Ninja exchanged bewildered glances. Their leader, a Jonin, sneered and shouted, "Do you know what you're saying? Shukaku is the village's strategic weapon! How dare a traitor like you lay a finger on it!"
"All personnel on standby! Protect Shukaku!"
Upon receiving the order, the four quickly dispersed, surrounding the pottery jar that sealed the crane in the center, forming a defensive formation.
Chakra surged, and various ninjutsu and puppets were ready.
But no one dared to make the first move.
Because standing opposite them was the Red Sand Scorpion.
"It seems you're not planning to cooperate."
Scorpion chuckled softly and slowly took out a special scroll engraved with the number three from his robes: "Very well, then let you experience my newly created work of art!"
As the reel slowly unfurled, a thick cloud of white smoke instantly billowed out.
As the smoke cleared, a figure stood silently in front of the scorpion.
He was a man wearing a sand-covered wind-shadow robe.
With his dark brown hair, cold and stern face, he exuded a suffocating aura. Most eerie of all were his empty, lifeless eyes, which seemed to be nothing more than two glass beads embedded in his face.
"That—that is—"
The leading Sand Village Jonin stared wide-eyed, his voice trembling so much it was almost incoherent.
"Sandaime Kazekage-sama?!"
"How is this possible—wasn't the Third Kazekage missing?!"
"It's a puppet! That's the Third Kazekage, who was turned into a puppet by Sasori!"
Finally, someone realized what was happening.
The Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest Kazekage of all time, was a legendary ninja who possessed the bloodline limit Magnet Release.
At this moment, it reappears before the world in this bizarre way.
"good."
Scorpion's voice remained calm, but a hint of almost morbid fanaticism flashed in his amber eyes.
"This is my most perfect work of art to date. An eternal masterpiece made with the strongest wind shadow."
"Today, I invite you to properly appreciate what true art is!"
Before the words were even finished, the Third Kazekage's puppet suddenly moved!
"Magnetic Release: Iron Sand Rain!"
The Third Kazekage puppet formed hand seals, and instantly a pair of enormous black wings made of condensed iron sand unfolded from his back.
With a sudden flap of its wings, countless fine iron needles, as thin as cow hair, shot out like a torrential rain, covering the eight Sand Village Jonin!
"Defend! Defend now!"
Earth Escape·Earth Flow Wall!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Several Jonin desperately used defensive ninjutsu to try to withstand the overwhelming rain of iron sand needles.
But how could ordinary ninjutsu withstand the Third Kazekage's iron sand?
The iron sand needles pierced through the earthen wall and tore through the wind barrier, instantly piercing through the bodies of several Jonin like the Grim Reaper's scythe!
"Aaaaaah!"
Screams echoed throughout the room.
In just one round of attacks, two members of the elite squad of eight Jonin fell to the ground, their bodies covered with wounds pierced by sand needles, blood gushing out.
"This...this is the power of the Third Kazekage?!"
A Jonin who narrowly escaped the first wave of attacks had eyes filled with fear and despair.
They were facing the strongest Kazekage in history.
The one who controls this strongest Kazekage is Sasori of the Red Sand, a puppet genius that Sunagakure has seen only once in a century!
How can we fight this battle?!