Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 353 Who is he?
Swish!

In the dense forest at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water.

Several figures moved silently among the branches of the trees like ghosts. The light and shadow in the forest were dappled, and only the slightly swaying branches and leaves after they passed could be barely seen.

This was the elite squad that Konoha had sent to explore the underground palace in the Land of Hot Springs.

Leading the group was Jiraiya, followed closely by Kakashi Hatake, who wore a mask and was responsible for coordinating the team's pace and formation.

In the middle of the group, Sarutobi Asuma had an unlit cigarette in his mouth, with Yuhi Kurenai beside him, while Shizune, the medical ninja, was in a relatively protected position within the group.

Besides the four, there was also Genma Shiranui, who had a senbon needle in his mouth, and Hayate Gekko, who looked sickly.

One of the Legendary Sannin, two Jonin, a special Jonin skilled in genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and reconnaissance techniques, and a group of Chunin...

This team is capable of handling almost any situation; its roster is truly impressive.

but……

"Cough! Cough!" Another suppressed cough came from the group, breaking the few natural sounds in the forest.

Genma Shiranui turned his head slightly and looked at Hayate Gekko beside him.

Moonlight Gale's face was pale, with an unhealthy bluish-gray tinge, and his breathing seemed somewhat rapid.

He looked as if he might collapse at any moment because he couldn't catch his breath.

"Hey, Gale, I said..."

Genma Shiranui glanced at him a few times, the senbon he was holding moved as he spoke, and asked in a low voice, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Why do you look even weaker than before?"

"Hasn't Xi Yan already been sent to Daming Prefecture to perform a guard duty? Logically speaking, now that no one is 'torturing' you anymore, you should be able to catch your breath a bit more, right?"

Upon hearing this, Moonlight Gale rolled his eyes at Genji, about to retort, but was interrupted by a series of coughs: "Cough! Cough! Huff..."

He finally caught his breath, a strange flush rising on his pale face from the cough, and said in a hoarse voice, "Mind your own business... cough!"

"This is an old problem of mine, it has nothing to do with whether Xiyan is here or not."

Actually, he was lying.

His illness had indeed worsened, but he didn't know why.

The reason he coughs is because of qi deficiency and yin deficiency, which means insufficient qi and blood.

After a hospital examination, it was found that his condition had not worsened, but he didn't know why he looked even sicker.

"I think you are..."

Genma Shiranui wanted to tease Hayate Gekko a few more times, but then he saw Jiraiya at the front of the group suddenly raise his right arm and clench his fist to signal everyone to be quiet.

Upon seeing this, Genma Shiranui immediately shut his mouth, his languid expression instantly replaced by vigilance.

rustle……

They walked through the dense forest, the warm sunlight shining on them, and suddenly the view opened up before them.

The border of the Land of Hot Springs is now in sight.

However, the sight that came into view made everyone gasp for breath.

In my memory, the area that should have been the port in front of me was now just a huge, almost circular area, completely out of place with its surroundings.

Years have passed, and the wind and rain have allowed the weeds to grow tenaciously. The once barren land is now covered with lush weeds and low shrubs, a verdant landscape.

However, a huge subsidence area with irregular spiral edges is still clearly visible, making it impossible to completely heal this scar on the earth.

In the center of this subsidence area, a huge pit still stands out, with accumulated water forming a dark pond.

Unlike the surrounding tall forests, this area is only covered with low weeds, shrubs and a few shallow-rooted, fast-growing tree species; there are no towering trees at all.

Because the intact soil structure deep enough below the surface has been completely destroyed, it is no longer possible to provide a root system for large trees to take root.

All of this indicates that an unimaginable force once forcibly carved away a piece of this place.

"This..." Sarutobi Asuma's voice was hoarse, "Is this the trace left by that 'monster' from back then, as mentioned in the intelligence?"

As a Jonin and the son of the Third Hokage, he naturally knew more secrets than others.

Among these events was the disappearance of a group of ninja from Kumogakure and Konoha, along with the entire border port of the Land of Hot Water. Everyone assumed that the battle between Kumogakure and Konoha was the cause of it all, but Sarutobi Asuma knew that this was not the case.

It was a humanoid "monster" who created all of this with just one technique.

"Yes." Kakashi Hatake, who had experienced it firsthand, nodded and exhaled a breath of stale air. "I didn't expect that even after so many years, it would still be so obvious..."

"What do you mean?" Kurenai Yuhi, unaware of the truth, was stunned for a moment, then looked at the vast depression in disbelief and said, "This entire terrain was created by one person?"

"Permanently altered the landscape and ecology here..." Genma Shiranui's throat bobbed. "Really? What kind of person could leave such marks?"

"Hmph." The pig in Shizune's arms squirmed and made soft, uneasy whimpering noises.

Jiraiya stood at the very front, his expression grave as he surveyed the area.

As a ninja who had traveled far and wide and had seen much, he knew better than anyone else.

What terrifying power would be needed to create such a dramatic change in the terrain, which remains striking even after years of natural restoration?

The most famous example is the Valley of the End, created by the battle between the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha.

This is something that no ordinary S-rank ninjutsu can achieve.

Therefore, in addition to exploring the underground palace, he actually had another mission during this operation.

The goal is to find out who that guy who appeared with the underground palace was.

Is there any connection between him and the owner of the underground palace, that Otsutsuki clan member?

As he pondered, Jiraiya remembered again the inscription the old man had shown him.

[By adhering to the "Wedge" as a secret technique for reincarnation, even if the body dies and the form is destroyed, one can reside in a "vessel," and even if the body dies and the form is destroyed, one can be reborn through a "vessel"...]

"So..." Jiraiya's gaze turned serious as he thought to himself, "Was that person from back then...the so-called 'vessel'?"

Could it be that Otsutsuki is still alive?
rustle!

As the Konoha members were marveling at the "scar on the earth" that hadn't healed in years, a rustling sound came from the woods to their side.

Everyone instantly became alert, their hidden weapons already subtly drawn in their hands. They adjusted their formation, adopting a defensive posture, and looked toward the source of the sound.

Suddenly, several figures leaped out from the opposite woods and landed lightly on the open ground on the other side of the depression.

The leader, agile and lithe, was none other than Yugito Nii of Kumogakure. Beside him was Tsuchida, whose face was composed, and behind him was Darui, who had a lazy look on his face.

Besides the three, there are also Hii, Karui, and Omoi, who are skilled in sensory ninjutsu and medical ninjutsu.

Jiraiya's gaze swept past the familiar faces and landed on the silent figure at the end of the line.

The person's face was covered by a tightly sealed mask, revealing only a pair of cold, icy blue eyes. They were tall and slender, with beautiful curves.

“Samui?” Jiraiya clearly recognized the woman, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Several years ago, on the battlefield of the Land of Hot Springs, the commander of the Cloud Village side, and one of the survivors of Hyuga Kumokawa's "Takemikaze", was captured by Konoha along with the two Yugitos.

Kakashi and the others who had participated in the battle back then immediately recognized Samui, and a hint of wariness flashed in their eyes.

Kakashi, in particular, witnessed the entire process of Takemikazuchi descending.

Although Samui was saved by Konoha, he was completely disfigured, and his younger brother Atsui died at the hands of Hyuga Kumokawa.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, she and the two Yugito were returned to Kumogakure by Konoha, and have almost disappeared since then.

I never expected to see it reappear here in this way.

What kind of face is hidden beneath that mask, and what kind of hatred is buried within it?
Why did Yunyin include her in the team exploring the underground palace...?

"Hmph, you guys from Konoha, you're certainly on time."

The two Yugito spoke first, their voices cold and clear. Their gazes swept over the Konoha members, lingering especially on Jiraiya for a moment.

"Where's Hinata Kumokawa?" she asked coldly. "That guy didn't even come?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere between the two sides instantly turned cold, and Karui, the most hot-tempered member of the Samui squad, already showed anger on his face.

(It's almost the end of the month, and I'm about to fall below 100 again. Only those above 100 have a chance to get a fan title.)
(I really want to give you guys the title of "Standing in the Sky," please give me your monthly votes, don't let me fall below the top 100 QAQ)

(End of this chapter)