For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter!
19 left!!!!!
-----------------
As night fell, Ye Zi and Konan finally left the Land of Rain, reaching the border of the Land of Stone. Konan thought it was about time for a break, but Ye Zi had no intention of stopping to rest.
The Land of Stone was a desolate, harsh environment, even more so than the Land of Earth. The terrain was dominated by stone mountains, and even the flatlands were littered with massive boulders. Despite the country's large size, the land suitable for farming was far less than in the Land of Rain, due to both the environment and the mineral content of the soil, which made it unsuitable for growing crops.
Still, the Land of Stone had managed to establish itself as a country due to its wealth of diverse and rich mineral deposits.
Given the difficult terrain and the long day of travel, Konan believed they should stop for the night and continue in the morning. She felt Ye Zi was deliberately pushing her to her limits and was filled with frustration.
"We should stop and rest now," Konan called out to Ye Zi as she leaped over a large boulder.
Ye Zi paused and landed on top of a massive stone, turning back to look at Konan. "What's the matter? Can't keep up already?"
"Do you really plan on confronting Sasori of the Red Sand like this?" Konan asked, her expression showing fatigue after a full day of travel without food, water, or rest.
"Is there a problem?" Ye Zi replied with a hint of mockery in his eyes. He couldn't help but hold a grudge against Konan ever since their earlier confrontation, though the root of it likely stemmed from the time when Hanzō and Danzo had plotted against Nagato.
"Of course, there's a problem!" Konan snapped, growing angry. "If we get into a fight in this state, what do you think will happen?"
She didn't think Sasori would be easy to deal with and wasn't sure if they could recruit him peacefully. In the worst-case scenario, they would have to fight. Anyone capable of killing the Third Kazekage was no weakling. If they engaged in battle while exhausted, it wouldn't just be a matter of being at a disadvantage... They could lose their lives.
"You can just watch from the sidelines," Ye Zi said, glancing up at the cloud-covered moon. "You're just a burden anyway. If it weren't for you, I would've used my Lightning Release and found Sasori by now."
"You…!" Konan couldn't hold back her frustration any longer and flung several paper shuriken at Ye Zi.
Without even looking, Ye Zi effortlessly caught the paper shuriken between his fingers. The ease with which he did so caught Konan off guard—she had thrown them in anger, and while she hadn't infused them with much chakra, the close range made his casual interception surprising.
"You seem to have plenty of energy left," Ye Zi remarked as flames appeared in his palm, turning the shuriken into ash, which scattered into the night breeze.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Konan growled.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ye Zi replied, though he indeed considered Konan a burden.
Konan took a deep breath, deciding that arguing with him was pointless. "We'll rest here for the night and continue in the morning."
"Do as you like," Ye Zi said as he sat on top of the boulder, gazing up at the sliver of the moon visible through the clouds.
Konan found a spot among the stacked stones and sat down, pulling out some food rations to eat. As she chewed, she glanced up at Ye Zi's back.
After hurriedly finishing her meal, she suddenly asked, "Why didn't you come with us back then?"
Ye Zi recalled the memories and answered coolly, "Because I had given up."
Konan lowered her gaze slightly, remembering the darkness she had sensed from him at the time. Was it because of that?
"Then why did you become a Konoha ninja?"
"There's no harm in telling you," Ye Zi said as he pulled out some food from his pouch. "I encountered Orochimaru and Tsunade. They took me back to Konoha."
Konan fell silent at that. She didn't ask any more questions and leaned back against the stone, closing her eyes to rest.
Ye Zi had been found by Orochimaru and Tsunade, while she and the others had encountered Jiraiya. But instead of taking them back to the village, Jiraiya had stayed to look after them, only agreeing to teach them ninjutsu after they were attacked by enemy ninja.
If Jiraiya-sensei had taken the three of them to Konoha, perhaps everything would have turned out differently.
Lost in her thoughts, Konan eventually drifted off to sleep.
Ye Zi glanced at Konan.
The moon, peeking out from behind the clouds, cast a soft beam of light through the cracks in the rocks, illuminating Konan's face as she slightly turned her head.
Ye Zi looked away and continued sitting on the boulder, silently watching the barren land.
At dawn, Konan awoke.
Ye Zi was already standing. "If you're rested, let's get moving."
Konan blinked in surprise and asked, "Did you not sleep at all?"
Ye Zi replied coldly, "If you had any awareness, you wouldn't have slept through the entire night."
He jumped down from the boulder and started walking ahead.
Realizing his meaning, Konan's brow twitched. She quickly followed, imagining the smug expression Ye Zi must have had, even though she hadn't seen it.
The two crossed the desolate landscape until they finally encountered signs of life—a small town nestled between sandy hills and rocky mountains.
They weren't certain of Sasori's exact location, but with his distinctive appearance, it shouldn't be hard to gather information. Entering the town, they hoped to learn more about him.
The town's inhabitants, hardened by the harsh environment, seemed physically and mentally tough. Perhaps due to being spared from the ravages of war, they weren't hostile toward the rare visitors.
Ye Zi casually asked a few locals about Sasori, and they were surprisingly cooperative. Before long, he had obtained useful information.
"He's in the abandoned mines to the south."
With that intel, the two didn't head there immediately. Instead, they stopped to have a meal, though they ended up overpaying for the food.
After quickly finishing, they left the town and made their way south.
As they approached the mines, they soon spotted Sasori's unmistakable figure in the distance.
Hunched over, his entire body was hidden under a black cloak, with only his head visible. He appeared to be a middle-aged man with a distinctive thick beard covering the lower half of his face.
Sasori had come to the Land of Stone for its minerals. He needed specific rare materials to craft his weapons and traps, and the more he could acquire, the better.
He had been staying in the Land of Stone for a while now, which allowed Ye Zi and Konan to track him down.
Sasori quickly noticed their arrival. He looked up at the two figures standing on the hilltop, his expression indifferent but already on guard.
The woman didn't seem like much of a threat, but the masked man beside her gave him an uneasy feeling.
As Konan considered how to persuade Sasori to join Akatsuki, Ye Zi spoke bluntly, "Sasori of the Red Sand, join Akatsuki."
Konan was still gathering her thoughts when she heard Ye Zi's direct approach. She couldn't help but feel speechless.
Sasori's response was swift, hidden beneath his cloak, a barrage of deadly weapons shot out toward them!
Check out the patreon and get 49 chapters in advance
Currently on Chapter 261 - An Existential Nightmare