Chapter 109: The Focus
Outside Konoha, in a dense forest, Baishi's figure quietly appeared.
Weighing the scroll in his hand, Baishi smirked. "Finally, it's mine."
With that, he stored the scroll, locked onto a marker, and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique again.
However, instead of returning to Crescent Moon Island, he chose to remain cautious. As expected, Namikaze Minato and Jiraiya had likely headed there in pursuit of him.
While he wasn't afraid to face either of them, he had no desire to waste time in a meaningless fight.
Moreover, his recent battle with the Nine-Tails couldn't remain a secret. It wouldn't be long before the other villages learned of it.
When that happened, he wouldn't just be evading Konoha's forces but also dealing with other powers. A Tailed Beast was simply too tempting a prize for any village to ignore.
For this reason, returning to Crescent Moon Island was no longer a viable option.
What Baishi needed most now was a secluded location to study and master the Adamantine Sealing Chains. His goal was to fully harness the Nine-Tails' chakra and remove the energy limitations hindering his evolution.
This plan had been Baishi's priority since obtaining the sealing scroll, and now he moved swiftly to carry it out.
Moments later, Baishi arrived at the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, near the Land of Fields.
Unlike other minor nations, the Land of Fields had no ninja village but was home to numerous small ninja clans.
Though these clans were generally weak, and each had only a handful of capable members, the unwritten rules of the ninja world dictated that outsiders rarely encroached upon their territory without cause.
Additionally, the Land of Fields bordered the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Iron. Before setting out to sea, Baishi had left numerous Flying Thunder God markers in both territories.
Being in the Land of Fields meant he had easy escape routes if necessary. This made it an ideal place to remain unnoticed while pursuing his studies.
Baishi decided to begin his training here.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any markers in the Land of Fields. I'll have to travel on foot."
As he moved through the forest, Baishi couldn't help but reflect on the limitations of the Flying Thunder God Technique. Without markers, he couldn't teleport, even across short distances.
"This settles it. I really need to develop a way to fly," he muttered to himself while vanishing deeper into the woods.
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As Baishi had anticipated, the news of the "Nine-Tails Incident" in Konoha couldn't be contained. The scale of the event was too vast, and information leaked out rapidly.
Aside from spies planted in Konoha by other villages, the constant stream of merchants and travelers was enough to spread the story.
Baishi's name resurfaced in the discussions of the major ninja villages. A former Konoha ninja who had defected, wielding the legendary Wood Release, and now a Tailed Beast—he became a prime target of interest.
Whether out of curiosity about the Wood Release or a desire to claim the Nine-Tails for themselves, the great ninja villages began a fervent search for him.
The black market also saw a surge in the bounty placed on Baishi's head. However, after his disappearance following the battle, most bounty hunters lost interest.
The ninja villages, however, continued their relentless pursuit, with the Hidden Cloud Village leading the charge.
Although the Third Shinobi World War had ended nearly a year prior, the Hidden Cloud had yet to sign a peace treaty with Konoha. Tensions between the two villages simmered, marked by frequent covert skirmishes.
The loss of the Nine-Tails presented a significant opportunity for the Hidden Cloud. Sensing weakness, they expanded their operations, seemingly preparing to reignite open conflict.
In the meantime, Konoha's leaders sought to delay escalation. Although the village had lost the Nine-Tails as a powerful deterrent, its elite forces had survived largely intact, including the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Jiraiya and Orochimaru of the Sannin.
By comparison, the Hidden Cloud was at a disadvantage. Its notable leaders included the Fourth Raikage Ay and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer Bee. While formidable, their roster of high-level combatants was notably smaller.
The Second-Tails Jinchuriki Yugito Nii was still relatively young and hadn't fully mastered her Tailed Beast's power, leaving her a step below the others.
As such, the Hidden Cloud hesitated to provoke an all-out war unless they could gain a significant advantage—such as capturing the Nine-Tails.
The search for Baishi intensified as Konoha's and the Hidden Cloud's intelligence divisions clashed. Konoha prioritized ensuring that the Hidden Cloud couldn't capture Baishi, even considering aiding him in escaping their clutches if necessary.
While Baishi remained hidden, tensions between the two villages continued to rise.
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Meanwhile, in the Land of Fields, a team of Hidden Cloud ANBU was closing in on their target.
A group of over ten ANBU moved through the dense forest with purpose, following a prearranged plan.
Hours later, they arrived at their destination: a secluded area deep in the woods.
At the rendezvous point, another squad of four ANBU awaited them. After exchanging confirmation codes, the group's leader addressed the waiting team.
"Is the target still here?"
"Yes," one of the waiting ANBU confirmed. "I can still sense its presence. It hasn't moved."
"Good. Prepare to proceed with the plan."
"Understood!"
The Hidden Cloud ANBU swiftly divided into five squads of four. Four squads dispersed to surround the area from the cardinal directions, while the remaining squad stayed behind.
Each squad deployed scrolls on the ground, pouring chakra into them before forming the hand seals for summoning.
Moments later, a massive gastric sac materialized in the clearing, its bulk pressing deep into the earth and devouring the surrounding forest.
"What is that?"
In the shadows, a Konoha ANBU operative observed the scene.
"I'm not sure," another responded.
"Should we intervene?"
The Konoha team leader hesitated before shaking his head. "Not yet. Let's see how this plays out first."
He lifted a kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God formula. The name etched upon it was unmistakable—"Sword of Shinobi Love." It belonged to Namikaze Minato.
(End of Chapter)
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