"It should end now," Kaguya said, her water-clear eyes showing a faint glow.
A large amount of chakra surged from Kaguya's body, swirling around her like a whirlwind, dyeing her entire body a light blue. This was the Chakra Mode of her Tenseigan.
"Is this..." Sasori's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the girl in the sky. He had never seen Kaguya's Chakra Mode before, but he could feel the terrifying power emanating from it.
Orochimaru, seeing Kaguya's form, had his pupils contract. He was reminded of the events during the Konoha Crush Plan and knew the power of this technique. Without hesitation, Orochimaru turned and ran into the cave.
Kaguya raised her hand, and the Truth-Seeking Ball floated around her palm, spinning rapidly and generating a powerful storm that struck toward the cave where Orochimaru was.
"Boom!"
A massive explosion ensued, with a giant mushroom cloud rising. The forest was left in ruins, and an area of several hundred meters had been leveled, revealing scorched earth. The trees were reduced to charcoal, and the remnants of Orochimaru's base were completely obliterated.
In the darkness, around a stone platform, shadows appeared, faint and indistinct, representing their spiritual images rather than their actual bodies.
"I searched through the rubble but couldn't find Orochimaru's body," Sasori said solemnly. "I can't guarantee he's dead."
"Keep an eye on Orochimaru's actions in the future. As long as he's alive, he'll certainly make a move," Nagato said, turning to look at Kaguya. "Additionally, I have another mission for you. A few hundred years ago, a meteorite fell in a village. This meteorite is said to have strange powers. The village is now known as Hoshigakure. Your mission is to investigate Hoshigakure and bring back the meteorite."
"Understood," Kaguya nodded lightly.
"Moving on, we have other tasks..."
Coming out of the spiritual connection, Kaguya stood up, brushing leaves and dust from her body. She had initially planned to go to Hoshigakure, and it was a coincidence that this mission aligned with her plans.
She walked over to Sasori, smiling, "I can handle this mission alone. I don't need your assistance."
"Akatsuki's rule is that every mission must be carried out by a two-person team," Sasori said coldly. "What's your purpose in acting alone?"
"Rules are dead, but people are alive. This investigation requires secrecy," Kaguya glanced at Sasori. "Your current appearance is too conspicuous."
"Even if you have some strength, but—"
Suddenly, Sasori's eyes widened. He felt his body losing control. No matter how much he tried to manipulate it with his mind, there was no response. A rare sense of tension appeared in Sasori's usually calm heart.
"Is this enough?" Kaguya's lips curled into a smile.
This was the Tenseigan's ability to control puppets. Since Sasori's entire body had been transformed into a puppet, Kaguya's power was perfectly suited to counter him.
Sasori looked at Kaguya with the only part of his body he could control, his eyes, and felt a storm of emotions inside. He had never considered the girl before him to be of any significance. To him, Kaguya was just a pretty face, an inexplicable addition to Akatsuki.
Now it was clear that anyone who could join Akatsuki was no ordinary person, even this seemingly harmless girl.
Suddenly, Sasori felt his body relax as control returned to him, bringing him a small sense of relief. However, he no longer dared to underestimate the beautiful girl in front of him.
"Alright," Sasori said in a deep voice, "but I will report this to the organization."
"Yes, that is expected." Kaguya nodded, completely unbothered. The organization still had Black Zetsu, who surely knew the true purpose of Kaguya's mission.
After parting ways with Sasori, Kaguya set out alone. She removed her "Akatsuki" attire and changed into casual clothes. "Akatsuki" was becoming increasingly well-known, and she wanted to avoid drawing attention.
Hoshigakure was in the north, adjacent to the Land of Earth, a rather remote area. As she traveled further north, the forest grew denser, and the population thinned out.
She stopped in her tracks upon seeing a massive gorge ahead, shrouded in a peculiar purple mist. She approached it.
Just then, a bird flew into the mist, and within seconds, it stiffened and fell from the sky. Using her Tenseigan, Kaguya saw many animal skeletons at the bottom of the gorge, and even human remains, densely piled up.
The thick fog seemed to be highly toxic.
As Kaguya contemplated investigating, a masked individual suddenly emerged from the bushes, shouting, "Stop! Who are you?"
"I am a Konoha ninja here on a mission," Kaguya said, taking out her forehead protector.
The person removed their mask, revealing a boy about Kaguya's age. He walked over, and upon seeing Kaguya up close, his eyes widened in disbelief at her beauty.
"Is that enough?" Kaguya asked, blinking her eyes.
"Y-Yes," the boy stammered, blushing. "What's your name?"
"I'm Kaguya. What's yours?" Kaguya asked with a smile.
"My name is Sumaru," the boy named Sumaru replied, scratching his head. "Please, follow me."
They crossed a wooden bridge over the gorge into the village. The village seemed small and sparsely populated, with low houses and simple structures, much smaller than Konoha.
They arrived at a large house. Though not luxurious, it was well-built compared to the other village houses.
"This is it," Sumaru gestured, smiling. "Please, go ahead."
"Alright." Kaguya nodded slightly.
Walking inside, Kaguya found the room spacious and simply decorated, with a certain elegance. Seated in the center was a thin middle-aged man.
"Hello, are you the ninja from Konoha?" the man asked with a smile. "I am Hoshikage's acting leader, Akahoshi."