Naruto: I have an attribute panel

Chapter 456 The Friendship of the Star Ninja Village?

"You're not a formal member of the organization anymore, so we have no obligation to handle your personal matters."

Hearing Kakuzu's words, Akagi's face turned bright red.

"How can this be a personal matter? That star is the most precious treasure of our Star Ninja Village! If I can obtain it, my strength will increase dramatically, and my contribution to the organization will be even greater! This will also benefit you!"

"Benefits?" Kakuzu scoffed. "I only care about tangible benefits. You say you can become stronger, that's a future possibility."

"Helping you seize the village's treasure requires us to invest time and take risks now. If it attracts the attention of other ninja villages—" He shook his head, "It's not worth it."

Hiruko, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, finally spoke slowly: "You need to understand that the organization is currently in the eye of the storm. Konoha has spread our information throughout the entire ninja world, and every ninja village is watching us."

At this point, to attack a ninja village and steal its priceless heirloom for a candidate who hasn't even officially joined yet—

It's too conspicuous.

"You—" Red Star clenched his fist, his chakra subtly fluctuating around him, a special energy with a dark purple glow.

Kakuzu's eyes suddenly sharpened: "Want to fight? You can try. Let me see if your power, cultivated with external aids, can withstand my ninjutsu."

The atmosphere froze.

Hongxing's chest heaved violently, and finally, he loosened his fist.

He wasn't stupid; if these two people really fought, he had no chance of winning.

"Then—what do you want in return for your help?" Hongxing asked through gritted teeth.

Kakuzu's green eyes narrowed.

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Hiruko was very familiar with that expression—it was the expression of seeing prey step into a trap.

“It’s simple,” Kakuzu said. “Since you’re not a full member now, there’s no ‘comradeship’ relationship between us. But there can be another kind of relationship—” He paused, “an employment relationship.”

Red Star was stunned: "A servant?"

"You, in your personal capacity, are hiring the two of us to assist you in seizing the Star Ninja Village's most precious treasure."

Kakuzu's voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "We'll offer a price based on the difficulty of the mission and the time required. You pay, we provide the service. Payment is made, and neither of us owes the other anything."

Hiruko's smile deepened. "What a greedy fellow, Kakuzu-senpai."

Hongxing clearly realized this as well. His expression shifted, and finally, he forced out a few words through gritted teeth: "—How much?"

Kakuzu announced a number.

Hongxing gasped, "This...this is almost all my savings!"

"You can refuse." Kakuzu turned around, as if to leave. "We're busy. Chief Payne asked me to recruit new people, but we don't have time to waste on things that aren't profitable."

"Wait!" Red Star called out to him, his face pale. "I—I agree. But I don't have that much cash right now. Could you—pay half first, and the other half after it's done?"

Kakuzu turned around, stared at him for a few seconds, and slowly nodded: "Okay. But a contract must be signed. If you breach the contract—" He didn't finish his sentence, but the coldness in his eyes said it all.

"I understand." Red Star nodded dejectedly.

"Well then," Hiruko finally spoke again, a hint of amusement in his voice, "it's been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Red Star. I hope that star from your Star Ninja Village is as valuable as the legends say."

For a week, aside from practicing Immortal Mode, most of his time was spent traveling.

Taichi, carrying Itachi, Eta, Yami, and the Nine-Tails clinging to his shoulder, traveled through the Land of Rain, passed through the Land of Birds, and finally arrived at the Land of Bears.

Considering the time involved, this far exceeds the marching speed of ordinary ninjas.

If Taiyi didn't frequently use the Flying Thunder God Technique for long-distance movement, it would be extremely difficult for him to move so swiftly.

According to intelligence, Taiyi and his group went straight to the small town located on the outskirts of the canyon, adjacent to a major transportation route.

The town is small, and the buildings are mostly constructed of wood and rough stone, exuding the ruggedness and simplicity of a border region.

Upon arrival, they did not delay and immediately began their investigation.

Fortunately, it didn't last long, and the townspeople still remembered the two teams of Konoha ninja who had recently rested here.

According to a hotel owner, both groups simply checked in after a long journey, stayed overnight to replenish their food and water, and left normally the next morning. Their words and actions were nothing special or noteworthy.

The trail seemed to have gone cold, and the group was at a loss for what to do.

Just as Taiichi was pondering whether to expand the search area or use more unconventional methods, an unfamiliar ninja took the initiative to walk from the street corner, his gaze clearly falling on them, who were obviously outsiders.

The three little ones went on alert almost instantly.

Although it wasn't outwardly obvious, the three of them had already subtly shifted their stance, forming a loose triangle with Taiyi positioned prominently in the center and slightly forward. This ensured that they were in a position that neither hindered the teacher's ability to perform at any time nor prevented them from effectively monitoring their surroundings and providing support at any moment.

This tacit understanding was naturally formed through their cultivation and Taiyi's teachings.

The visitor was none other than Firefly Star, who had been in town for two days.

He wore a Hoshigakure headband, his face showing signs of fatigue and anxiety. He had originally estimated that the Konoha investigators would take at least several more days to arrive, but he hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly.

Before Yinghuoxing could even get close, he took the initiative to reveal his identity. He wasn't stupid; the other party was clearly already wary of him.

After a brief introduction, the two learned that the man before them was none other than Konoha's "White Reaper," Matsushita Taichi. Yinghuo was filled with trepidation and became even more solemn.

He immediately stated his purpose, representing the Third Hoshikage of Hoshigakure, declaring that the matter had nothing to do with Hoshigakure and that he was willing to fully assist in the investigation. He also revealed the results of his preliminary investigation over the past two days.

Unlike Taiichi and his group who were newcomers, he had already roughly determined the area where the two Konoha teams last disappeared through visits and tracking.

This undoubtedly saves a lot of time.

Tai nodded his thanks without saying anything more, and then gestured for Yingxing to lead the way.

The group left the town and ventured into the dense forest not far from it. About fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a clearing in the woods.

The terrain here is relatively flat, and the vegetation shows signs of being trampled and impacted by force. Although some time has passed, the traces of battle still remain in the eyes of those who are observant.

"This is it." Firefly pointed to the open space. "I found this place based on the clues. Judging from the marks, they had a fight before they disappeared. However—" He shook his head, looking ashamed, "I couldn't find any clear clues pointing to the murderer."

Taiyi did not immediately offer his opinion, but instead slowly scanned the entire area with his gaze.

"Let's begin," he said calmly, then stepped into the center of the open space.

The three little ones followed closely behind, while the nine-tailed fox leaped off his shoulder, its small nose twitching slightly in the air, its golden eyes gleaming with an unusual light.

The following scene made Yinghuo Xing deeply realize the difference in "foundation" between a large ninja village and a small ninja village.

The gap lies not only in individual ability, but also in a whole set of systematic knowledge, experience and inheritance.

Taiyi, with his three children, began a thorough investigation of the scene, much like the most sophisticated instruments.

Some of the traces they examined were things that Firefly had seen but hadn't paid attention to, while many more were subtle details that he had completely overlooked or had never noticed at all.

What impressed Firefly Star even more was Taiichi's teaching method.

At each location he inspected, he would explain in a low voice to his three apprentices, as if he were not investigating a crime scene, but conducting an outdoor practical lesson.

"Look here." Taiyi squatted down and pointed to a relatively clear patch of muddy ground where many footprints were interspersed. "Carefully examine the patterns on these footprints. This specific anti-slip groove pattern is unique to our Konoha standard ninja shoes."

Based on size and depth, they can be roughly divided into four different specifications, which perfectly match the size configuration of a standard four-person team.

He gestured with his hand to indicate the direction of several footprints, "Judging from the stride and direction, they were either dispersed and on guard or preparing to fight the enemy."

Then he moved a few steps and pointed to the other side: "Look in the direction they're facing. Footprints—only one pair."

It's very clear and very stable. This means that the opponent is very likely only one person.

Taiyi stood up, his gaze following the direction of the lone footprints, his tone analytical, "Observing the initial distance between the two sides, and the lack of traces of maneuvering and shifting around them—the opponent is quite confident in their strength, and may even be playing around, choosing the most direct head-on confrontation."

Jiang Tai, Yami, and Itachi listened intently, their eyes following Tai's fingers and explanations as they tried to connect the theoretical knowledge with the scene before them.

Firefly, standing to the side, couldn't help but prick up its ears, secretly marveling: So many things can be gleaned from footprints!

Taiyi walked to several tree trunks and pointed to some deep scratches and charred marks: "Look at the marks left by these attacks. These are typical cuts caused by wind-style attacks, with sharp edges. Over there are marks from fire-style scorching; pay attention to their location and orientation."

He guided his disciples' gaze, "They are all pointing from our squad's location towards the enemy. In other words, in the early stages of the battle, it was our people who initiated the ninjutsu attacks."

He then pointed to several slightly strange spots in the open space: there were craters in the ground as if they had been hit by a heavy object, with broken wood chips and stones scattered around them, but there were no corresponding footprints near the craters.

"And these marks," Taiichi's voice deepened slightly, "look like they were caused by a physical impact, but there are no footprints near the point of origin, indicating it wasn't a direct physical attack. It's more like—some kind of long-range, invisible physical attack."

Looking at the entire scene, the enemy seemed to have been standing still or making only very small movements throughout, almost like they were stationary and attacking from a standstill.

This further demonstrates that the enemy's strength is clearly superior to our squad's, and that they possess a special secret technique—different from the conventional five-elemental escape techniques.

The three children nodded frequently as Taiyi explained, their thoughts gradually becoming clearer, and their understanding of the scene deepening layer by layer.

However, Yinghuo Xing's face gradually turned pale and ugly as Taiyi spoke his last few words.

Unlike the three children, as Taiichi explained, he immediately made a connection to what that "special" and "invisible physical attack" might be!

The Peacock Technique, a secret art passed down through generations in the Star Village, uses chakra to materialize various attacks, and its characteristics are remarkably similar to those described by Taiichi!

Cold sweat silently soaked through Firefly's inner shirt.

He was originally just ordered to make amends and distance himself from the situation, and thought that with his investigation, he could at least take some initiative.

But now, Konoha's Matsushita Taichi, through objective analysis of the traces at the scene, has almost pointed directly to the core secret technique of Hoshigakure!

This sent a chill down his spine, and left him feeling utterly helpless and lost.

Taiyi caught a glimpse of Yingxing Huoxing's drastically changed expression out of the corner of his eye.

In fact, with his knowledge and perception, after arriving at the scene and conducting a preliminary sensory scan, he had already identified everything he had just said from various traces.

But he pretended not to know.

This progressively advanced "on-site teaching" is not only about instructing disciples, but also a kind of probing and observation of their reactions.

He wanted to see how much this ninja, who had come on behalf of Hoshigakure, actually knew about this, and how he would react.

The firefly's desperate attempt to conceal its panic and its ugly expression made Taiichi realize: this person and the Star Ninja Village were truly unaware of the situation, but the murderer must be someone from the Star Ninja Village.

Taiyi's mind raced, but his face remained calm and composed, as if he had simply completed an ordinary on-site analysis lesson.

He turned to the pale-faced Firefly Star and asked in a normal tone, "Lord Firefly Star, based on these traces, what are your thoughts? Or, in your village's records or knowledge, are there any rogue ninja or wandering ninjas skilled in this type of special ranged attack in the vicinity?"

His question sounded reasonable, but it made Yinghuoxing's heart clench. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know how to answer.

As the saying goes, "A person's name is like the shadow of a tree," and Taiyi's fearsome reputation had already resounded throughout the ninja world. At this moment, Yingxing felt that the cold sweat on her forehead seemed to be flowing even faster.

His unusual behavior—hesitant to speak and sweating profusely—was noticed not only by the perceptive Taiichi, but even by the Nine-Tails perched on Taiichi's shoulder.

"Kid," Nine-Tailed Fox whimpered, yet spoke in a condescending tone, "you must know something, right? Judging from your expression, you're not exactly honest."

When questioned in such an interrogative tone by a fox, Firefly's face flushed red and then turned pale.

Normally, he might have found it absurd, but at this moment, under Taiyi's calm yet extremely oppressive gaze, he felt an invisible pressure surging from all directions, almost making it hard for him to breathe.

The kind of spiritual intimidation that can only be felt when faced with it in person is more compelling than imagined.

The three little ones beside them also curiously looked at the firefly.

They could sense the tension in this Jonin from Hoshigakure, and even see the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

The teacher was just asking a normal question and his attitude was quite calm, so why was this uncle so scared?

Their strength was insufficient to fully comprehend the oppressive power of a Kage-level being, but this scene planted a seed of pursuing strength in their young hearts.

Under Taiyi's ambiguous gaze and Kurama's relentless "whimpering" questioning, Firefly's psychological defenses finally crumbled.

He swallowed hard, his voice dry as he spoke, "This—this is truly not something I intentionally concealed from you all. It's just—it's just that listening to Lord Tai's analysis of the traces at the scene just now made me—made me think of a secret technique from our Star Ninja Village. Its manifestation seems—somewhat similar."