Chapter 159. Prison Break Team
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Land of Rain.
Today.
Scorching sun.
Yet it was still drizzling.
The iron ore in the mines remained scalding hot. Raindrops landed on his face, making the heat even more suffocating, and the iced milk tea outside was still an unattainable dream.
"We can't go on like this!" Biwa Juzo angrily tossed his tool to the ground. "These bastards are trying to trap us to death here!"
As he spoke, he shot a cold glare at the red-haired young man, who remained indifferent, still hammering away at the ore as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Sasori of the Red Sand!
A famous puppeteer from Sunagakure, but no one knew exactly why he, too, was imprisoned here. And oddly enough… it was said that this twisting, labyrinthine prison—also had his contribution.
The old-timers used to say—
A long, long time ago, this prison wasn't nearly this secure.
Until—
A hero appeared.
From then on, no one even thought about escaping anymore.
"Even if just one of us makes it out, it'll be worth it!"
However—
Sasori's expression remained unchanged. He cast a fleeting glance at Juzo before responding flatly, "You're a rogue ninja. I'm a rogue ninja. Most of the people here are rogue ninjas. Even if we escape… where do we go?"
All we'd be doing is running from one prison to another. Or worse—we might not even make it that far.
"I'm not a rogue ninja!" A burly, red-haired man with a thick beard raised his hand and declared, "I was just out traveling and training!"
He had long disagreed with the Third Tsuchikage's rigid policies, but he never betrayed his village.
"And I'm done staying here!"
"Then go ahead and escape." Sasori remained unmoved. He stood up, glanced at his task list, and said calmly, "Sorry, I've finished my work for the day. Time to rest."
"We need you!" Juzo growled at his retreating figure. "You, me, and Roshi together—only the three of us have a shot at getting out of this damn place!"
"Not interested."
"Do you want to be a coward for life, or do you want to fight alongside us? Even if we fail, at least we'll be heroes!" Juzo's gaze was firm. "Or is the genius puppeteer of Sunagakure—Sasori of the Red Sand—just a coward?"
After those words—
"…"
Sasori's footsteps faltered for just a moment.
Then—
He kept walking, his expression unchanged, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Juzo's eyes dimmed with disappointment.
He wasn't afraid of failure.
What he feared—was giving up without even trying.
Scoffing, he shook his head and turned toward Roshi, who sat cross-legged, expressionless.
Just as he was about to speak—
"Come to my place during free time tonight."
Sasori's light voice drifted over.
At that moment—
The two of them froze, then exchanged knowing smiles.
"I knew this brat wouldn't give up that easily!"
They watched Sasori's calm, departing figure, and their confidence soared.
The Prison Break Team was officially established!
…
Night.
After dinner, as planned, they arrived at Sasori's place.
They had been trapped here for far too long. Now, finally, they were about to break free. And Biwa Juzo was beyond excited.
There was no milk tea and no barbecue here, and outside, 1 billion ryo was waiting for him! How could he afford to waste any more time here?!
If he waited too long, what if someone cashed out his 1 billion?!
That settled it. He had to escape from this damn place as soon as possible!
At that moment—
The three of them sat in a serious, tense silence, staring at one another.
"I think we need more like-minded partners." Biwa Juzo scanned their three-man team and frowned. "It is difficult for us to extract chakra right now. We're stuck relying on pure taijutsu. And outside, that red-haired monster is watching us like a hawk. So the more people we have, the better our chances!"
However—
Before Roshi, who looked like he was about to nod, could even respond—
"Sorry. I quit!" Sasori immediately refused.
"???" ×2
"If you add more people, I will quit!"
"Why?"
"…Too many people…" After a brief silence, Sasori replied matter-of-factly, "Too many people means a bigger target, and it is easier to get caught."
"…"
Is that so?
Biwa Juzo and Roshi exchanged glances but eventually nodded in agreement.
After all, despite being younger than them, this brat was said to be a veteran escape artist—a high-profile inmate under heavy surveillance.
So, with his expertise, following his lead wasn't a bad idea.
As a ninja, the biggest mistake was to be an idiot pretending to know what you don't—and refusing to follow orders!
"What's the plan?"
"Plan?" Sasori let out a faint chuckle, his usually indifferent gaze suddenly flickering with light. He drew a blueprint of the prison on the ground and said, "This time… we're walking right out the front door in broad daylight, right under their noses."
As soon as he said that—
Juzo and Roshi were stunned, staring at him in disbelief.
That… sounded incredibly badass.
But…
Why do you know this prison so well?!
…
The next day.
The scorching sun still hung in the sky, but today, the rain was even heavier.
Juzo exchanged a subtle glance with Roshi, and both nodded slightly.
The time had come!
According to Sasori's plan, they would escape in broad daylight, with all the guards watching. After all—daytime meant more people around, more distractions. As long as they weren't directly monitored, even sensory-type ninja wouldn't immediately notice their disappearance.
So, the first step was to start a conflict and split up!
"You bastard! Why do you keep touching my ass?!" Biwa Juzo glared at Roshi, eyes burning with anger. "Do you want me to beat the crap out of you?!"
The words fell—
Roshi froze.
…This idiot.
Sure, finding a good excuse for a fight made sense. But come on—you can't pick such a disgusting one!
However—
Now wasn't the time to hesitate. All eyes were on them. They had to escalate the conflict immediately to draw the guards' attention!
"Yeah, I touched it! I touched it! So what?!" Roshi stepped forward and, right in front of everyone, grabbed Juzo's ass again. "What are you going to do about it? Huh? I'll touch it again!"
At that moment—
The entire prison yard fell silent.
Everyone was stunned.
"I heard rumors that Iwa ninjas had a lot of gays… is it true?"
"Wait, wasn't that Kumo ninjas?"
"Same difference. To be honest, I always thought these two gave off a… vibe. Especially that Kiri ninja who always hangs around the Iwa ninja and Suna ninja. If they're already this open, what's wrong with being touched by someone?"
"Honestly, he's got a nice build."
"Dude, shut up."
"…"
The crowd broke into hushed whispers. Even Sasori's lips twitched slightly. He had told them to attract as much attention as possible.
But he didn't say… it had to be this kind of attention!
That said—it worked. Even the prison guards had taken notice!
Just as Juzo and Roshi were about to start a full-blown fight—
The prison guard came over and fiercely stopped them. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Do you want to work overtime?!"
"He touched my ass!"
"…" The guard blinked, momentarily speechless. He turned to Roshi, his expression complicated.
For a split second—
Roshi considered staying here forever.
Seriously.
Maybe… breaking out wasn't worth it after all.
However—
"We don't judge, nor do we discriminate! But in here, you work. No fooling around!" The guard cleared his throat and declared sternly, "Get back to work! One more fight, and it's double shifts for both of you!"
"No way! I'm requesting a workstation transfer! I feel unsafe here!"
Biwa Juzo refused outright!
The guard hesitated for a moment… But in the end, he agreed. After all, it wasn't worth causing more trouble over this.
Switching places wasn't a big deal.
He nodded and led Biwa Juzo away. As Juzo left, he turned his head slightly, casting a confident smirk toward Sasori and Roshi.
[Success!]
At that moment—
Both Roshi and Sasori realized why Biwa Juzo had used this excuse.
So that's how it is…
Not bad.
The guards hadn't questioned a thing and transferred him without a second thought!
Sasori's eyes gleamed with intrigue as he watched Juzo's retreating figure. His lips curled into a faint smirk.
Step One—
Success.
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