Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

The sealing of the Seven-Tails went smoothly. The Seven-Tails, guarantored by its Six Paths father, probably genuinely sensed his presence and didn't cause any trouble. In fact, it actively cooperated with the sealing team, desperately trying to burrow into Karin's mother's womb, leading Shinto to suspect that the Six Paths father was indeed in the direction he was pointing...

"...Stop with the nonsense. I'm asking you, if it were a one-tailed beast, could it be made to submit like this?"

After having her beloved son take away her peacefully sleeping granddaughter-in-law and withdraw her ANBU underlings, leaving only Sunagawa, Ebizo, and Chiyo, Chiyo asked curiously. This time, sealing the tailed beast was much easier than she had imagined. She really had the idea of ​​letting Bunpuku release the One-Tailed Beast for her nephew to beat up. At the same time, she could also plan ahead so that the next generation of One-Tailed Jinchuriki would have a much easier time.

"...I'm not sure about One-Tail either. It's a byproduct of the old man Rokudo's poor math skills. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's the weakest among its brothers. It's the most stubborn. That fat cat won't submit no matter how much you beat it. The more you beat it, the stronger it will retaliate. Besides, Bunpuku isn't dead yet, is he? Could he have gotten some kind of cancer or hidden weapon?"

Masato was completely baffled by Chiyo's question. Why was she asking about the One-Tailed Beast? Gaara's father is still a little boy, when will it be Gaara's turn?

However, he wasn't entirely confident about the One-Tailed Beast. He dared to beat the Seven-Tailed Beast because he knew it was somewhat timid and cowardly, more afraid of death than the other tailed beasts. He figured if he hurt it, it would behave like a husky. He was also somewhat confident with the other tailed beasts; a good beating would do the trick if they disobeyed, and he'd see how long they could hold out. But he really couldn't guarantee anything with the One-Tailed Beast, that fat cat, and the Nine-Tailed Beast, that arrogant fox. One had the destiny of a leader but not the luck, the other the luck but not the destiny. The first one was born, yet its strength was the weakest; the other was born last, supposedly the junior, yet its strength was the greatest. This resulted in extreme personalities between the two beasts. It's difficult to change the minds of people with extreme personalities, let alone tailed beasts that have lived for thousands of years. Moreover, all these grudges started with the Six Paths Elder, accumulating resentment for thousands of years. He wasn't Jesus, and even Jesus might not have been able to reform them…

"...Isn't this being prepared for a rainy day? You're right. One-Tail's personality is too violent, and Bunpuku is getting old. Who knows how many more years he can hold on? It's better to be prepared now so we don't end up in a panic."

Chiyo was somewhat disappointed by her nephew's words, but it was understandable. She had dealt with Shukaku the One-Tailed Beast for many years and knew how irritable it was. It was indeed not easy to subdue it. However, Bunpuku's age was a potential problem that had to be addressed.

"...I'll talk to that fat cat then. Actually, tailed beasts are very sensitive. Don't be fooled by their long lifespans; they haven't had much contact with humans and don't know the evil in people's hearts. There are other ways besides violence..."

Seeing the worried faces of Chiyo and the others, Masato advised them that beating the Seven-Tails like that was definitely not going to work, but there might be other ways. Tailed beasts are much simpler than humans, so if beating doesn't work, you can try to fool them!

......

"Why didn't you stay home playing with your wooden puppets? Why did you think of coming to Konoha with me? But speaking of which, you really are useless. You managed to beat up not a single girl like that. Don't tell anyone you're my nephew when you go out in the future. I can't afford to lose face like that..."

In the thirty-eighth year of Konoha and the thirty-seventh year of Sunagakure, today is the day Shinto goes to Konoha to settle scores. Walking on the great desert of the Land of Wind, Shinto looks at the handsome Sasori with a bruised and swollen face beside him and teases him.

He didn't hit him. After he had disciplined Sasori for half a year, greatly enhancing Sasori's resilience and willpower, Chiyo strictly forbade him from touching her precious grandson, especially that pretty face that could be called the grass of the ninja world. Sasori's injury was caused by Karin's mother... no, that's not right! It was caused by the Seven-Tails living in Karin's mother's house who couldn't stand it anymore and beat him up.

Although she became a Jinchūriki, Karin's mother was still the same Karin's mother, obsessed with Sasori's handsome face to an obsessive degree. Naturally, she wouldn't lay a hand on Sasori. However, Sasori didn't know anything about chivalry. After hearing that Karin's mother had become a Jinchūriki, Sasori frantically sought out her for a match. This was perhaps the helplessness of a super genius. Every child in the next generation of the entire village, from four or five years old to fifteen or sixteen, was worthy of his attention, thus maintaining his undefeated record. Moreover, puppeteers' battles were too insidious, with various poisonous needles flying at the drop of a hat. Even if he wanted to spar with someone, he couldn't go all out. A duel without going all out is meaningless. Although he could go all out in a duel with his bastard uncle, the end result was always him getting beaten black and blue. Therefore, he was always in a state of having no opponents, and the puppets and hidden weapons he painstakingly made never had a chance to be used.

However, after he learned that Karin's mother had become a Jinchūriki, his attitude changed completely. He used to ignore her, but now he goes to fight her every morning before dawn. The Uzumaki clan's chakra and vitality are incredibly strong, and now with the Seven-Tails in her belly protecting her, he can fight without worrying about hurting anyone.

Seeing Sasori's initiative, Karin's mother thought her sincere efforts hadn't been in vain, and that this emotionless iron tree had finally blossomed. She readily agreed to Sasori's request, but instead of fighting him, she focused entirely on defense, clumsily dodging Sasori's puppet's attacks. Her poor movement skills meant she was slashed several times by the puppet, but her strong vitality allowed her minor wounds and poison to heal within seconds, leaving no trace. This, however, ignited Sasori's fighting spirit, and he unleashed a barrage of attacks on Karin's mother. Prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat, and Karin's mother sustained more and more cuts. Although they were minor and healed in seconds, the pain was still intense, causing her to scream pitifully. This angered the Seven-Tails that had just entered Karin's mother's womb.

From the day it was sealed away, it had already accepted its fate. However, the fact that its landlady was a little girl from the Uzumaki clan was fitting for its status as the Seven-Tails. From now on, it would be one person, one beast, and one life. Now, seeing its landlady being brutally beaten by a little boy like Jin, how could it tolerate it? If the Jinchūriki lost face, wouldn't it lose face too? If word got out, people would think that the Seven-Tails couldn't even protect a little girl!

327. What if we turned that bastard uncle into a puppet...?

Don't let Shinto's cowardly demeanor fool you; when Shinto isn't around, it's still that awesome tailed beast prodigy. It's hardly acceptable to get beaten up so soon after moving in. So, while Karin's mother was screaming in pain, it draped a tailed beast cloak over her, forcibly taking control of her body. Then, with overwhelming force, it blasted Sasori's puppet to smithereens before unleashing a brutal beating on Sasori. If Sasori weren't his nephew, and if the seven-tailed beast hadn't been relatively restrained, Sasori would have already gone to check in with his grandfather...

Those in the know understood that Handsome Scorpion had been beaten up by Seven-Tails, but those unaware thought their village's super genius crown prince had been brutally beaten by a little girl. Handsome Scorpion was truly humiliated in the village. If the news hadn't been kept under wraps, it would have spread throughout the village long ago, which would have severely damaged his reputation as the crown prince. To be beaten up by a little girl after all these years of being a super genius! Even their True Fighting Master, who was also a super genius in his childhood, had never been beaten up; he was always the one making others cry…

"...I need some peace and quiet...Does the puppeteer... really have a future?"

Handsome Scorpion stared blankly at the blazing sky, muttering to himself in a daze.

This first defeat in his life had a great impact on him. From the moment he came into contact with puppets, everyone said he was a super genius, and even he himself thought so. After all, in his opinion, the puppetry techniques his grandmother taught him were too simple. He could learn them with just one glance. He even dreamed of creating the most perfect puppet in the entire ninja world.

But after being brutally beaten by the Seven-Tails, he began to doubt the puppet for the first time. He could not beat this bastard uncle before, and he could use the excuse that he was too young. His bastard uncle was one of the top ninjas in the world, so it was normal that he could not beat him. He could go back and work hard for ten years or so and one day he would beat him into a dead dog. As long as there was hope, there was still a dream!

But this time, the Seven-Tails, using Karin's mother's body, blasted his puppet to smithereens with a single punch. He had no doubt about his own abilities, but he was shocked to discover that the puppet he had painstakingly created couldn't withstand a punch from a tailed beast using Shuri's body. Keep in mind, his puppet was made using the same materials as his grandmother, one of the Chikamatsu Ten, and even an upgraded version—a level higher in both hardness and toughness than the Chikamatsu Ten. It was absolutely the pinnacle of the industry. Yet, even this pinnacle was shattered with a single punch. This made Sasori wonder if puppeteers still had a future. What use was a puppet, no matter how high its quality, if it couldn't withstand a single punch?

"hiss....!"

"Existence has its reasons, and puppeteers aren't as bad as you make them out to be. It's normal to encounter setbacks once or twice in a lifetime. Even your uncle was chased by Hozuki Gengetsu when he first started out. Face difficulties head-on, don't doubt yourself here. When you overcome all difficulties and become a true legend, you'll realize how ridiculous your current thinking is. It's just a tailed beast. Your wooden puppet got destroyed because the materials were bad. Next time, just use iron, or even steel or gold. Get a few big ones, and the Seven-Tails won't be able to destroy them. Besides, don't be fooled by the Seven-Tails' cowardly appearance in front of me. It's a monster that's been hiding for countless years. What are you? You're just a newbie who hasn't even finished leveling up, starting with only a jungle item. Isn't it normal for it to destroy you? Your uncle doesn't even dare to go out and go find Baron. I'd rather farm monsters and get my full build. The Seven-Tails will be nothing to me then. A mere Seven-Tails has made you look so pathetic. Don't go out and say you're my Golden Lion's nephew..."

Seeing the handsome Scorpion looking self-doubting, Zhen Dou, feeling exasperated, took the opportunity to pinch his pretty face again before giving him a lecture.

Even a super genius is still too young and lacks life experience. Having the ambition to slay the dragon is a good thing, but it's too hasty. Trying to steal the dragon before upgrading skills and having complete equipment is just asking for kills.

"..."

Normally, if his rascal uncle were to pinch and knead his pretty face, handsome Sasori would definitely fly into a rage. But now, handsome Sasori seemed to be in a state of sudden enlightenment. He didn't quite understand his rascal uncle's theory of grinding monsters to collect six divine equipment pieces, but he knew about the materials for puppets. If he started with the materials for puppets, what in the ninja world could be harder than his rascal uncle? If he could turn this rascal uncle into a puppet...

Recalling those darkest six months of his life, Handsome Scorpion subtly scanned the bastard before him from head to toe, pondering how to break down the bastard's defenses...

"Put away your childish killing intent. Ninjas are very sensitive to killing intent. Being so undisguised makes you easy to spot. You might find yourself ambushed in the bushes without even realizing it. I'm glad you have the ambition to slaughter your uncle, but your uncle has been in the ninja world for so many years. To put it bluntly, the number of people who want to kill me could stretch from our Sand Village to the moon. If I were that easy to kill, I would have been selling salted duck eggs with your grandfather long ago. Just thinking about it won't help. You should use that time to improve yourself. Even if you can't kill me, at least you can get a top-tier contract in the future..."

Even without Observation Haki, one could sense the clumsy killing intent of Handsome Scorpion, and continued to pinch his pretty face with undiminished force, lecturing him.

Damn it, I worked so hard to save you from becoming an orphan, and you little bastard actually tried to kill me! You heartless little devil, I'll crush you... (▼へ▼メ)

However, if that little bastard really targeted him, then wouldn't that tragic guy Sunakawa not have to die? Sunakawa is actually quite capable. Although he hasn't been on the battlefield for many years, the fact that he made such a big commotion in this war shows that Sunakawa's mastery of Magnet Release has reached its peak. In the original story, Sunakawa was killed when he was caught off guard by Sasori and ambushed. After all, given Sasori's legitimate identity, Sunakawa had no reason to be wary of him, which is why Sasori was able to easily ambush him. In a real head-on confrontation, it would be almost impossible for the teenage Sasori to kill Sunakawa in a direct fight without being discovered, and he would likely be counter-killed by Sunakawa.

328. Arrived a month late

Speaking of which, it seems like all the super geniuses in the Naruto world have to lose several loved ones before they can truly take off. If their parents don't die young, even the most talented person can't really succeed...

In Konoha, Orochimaru, deeply affected by the deaths of his parents, turned to studying cultivation techniques...

Minato Namikaze also met the necessary conditions for taking off because his parents died when he was young. However, due to his family's circumstances, he was unable to come into contact with many people. Once he entered the Ninja Academy and learned ninjutsu, he immediately set sail.

Itachi Uchiha was even more impressive; after killing his own clansmen and parents, he immediately attained enlightenment at the age of twelve or thirteen.

Then, the rest of the Akatsuki were either orphans or had lost both parents. By all accounts, Sasori was the luckiest of them all, at least he had a grandmother who always cared for him. Look at Itachi Uchiha, although he had a younger brother, that brother was always thinking about how to kill him to avenge the loss of his Sharingan...

Currently, Sasori's parents are both deceased, Ebizo is likely to pass away peacefully, and Chiyo's death is not yet imminent. This means Sasori doesn't yet possess the necessary conditions for taking off. Perhaps Kishimoto's minimum requirement for takeoff is having a blood relative, which is why Sasori targeted him...

........

"Wow! Isn't this Lord White Fang? How could a lowly Jonin class leader like me be worthy of having the half-sleeved Hokage of Konoha personally come to greet me? Wow! Hiruzen Sarutobi is too enthusiastic, making such a grand gesture to welcome us uncle and nephew. Even your Konoha Anbu came out?"

Unlike the representatives from other villages, who, due to their lack of fame and to avoid trouble on the road (such as the bounty hunter Kakuzu being killed), would bring dozens or even hundreds of honor guards with them when they went out, Masato always maintained his "low-key and humble" persona. So this time, only the two of them went out, and there was no need for any honor guards. Wasn't his reputation as the Golden Lion enough to make a good impression?

After traveling and stopping along the way, "sightseeing" and crossing mountains and seas, as well as crowds of people, they finally crossed the border of the Land of Wind after three months. As soon as they crossed the border, they saw their ANBU guards standing in a tense standoff with a large group of Konoha ANBU. The white hair on the head of the Konoha leader and the small short blade on his back made them a little weak in the knees.

Shinto, accompanied by the handsome Sasori, addressed Sakumo Hatake in front of his own ANBU underlings.

"Phew... Could you please tell me what day it is today?"

Seeing Masato leading a red-haired little boy over, Hatake Sakumo wasn't surprised. This guy's character was always unpredictable. Instead, he tried his best to suppress the urge to draw his sword and asked.

"(⊙_⊙)?....What's the date today? Right, what's the date today again?"

Shindou looked at Sasori with a bewildered expression, while Sasori looked back at him with a strange expression. Then, the two of them looked at the ANBU underlings behind them. They had been traveling and sightseeing without checking the time, so who knew what day it was? And what did that have to do with the things they had discussed in the past?

"Lord Shinto, today is May 5th..."

One of the Sunagakure ANBU underlings, who had previously led a group to confront the Konoha ANBU, walked over with a helpless expression and whispered.

"Oh, today is May 5th, is it a holiday? (⊙_⊙)?"

Shinto counted on his fingers. He didn't know if other countries had this, but today wasn't a special day or a holiday in their Land of Wind, so he couldn't understand what Hatake meant.

"Phew... The agreed-upon date for peace talks was April 1st, and it's already May 5th. Do you know what that means? You bastard, you're a whole month late!! (▼へ▼メ)"

If it weren't for the need to avoid affecting the peace talks, world peace, and the ecological balance of the ninja world, Hatake Sakumo would have loved to kill this bastard. He knew that Sunagakure sending this bastard to negotiate was definitely unreliable, but he didn't expect this bastard to be so outrageous, actually arriving a whole month late!

For the past month, Konoha's Anbu has been in a semi-paralyzed state, because most of the Anbu's underlings have been sent out by their boss to starve on the border with him... (▼he▼メ)

"Hey! It's just a month. Konoha has so many entertainment options. I don't think Kumogakure and Iwagakure will object. In fact, they might even be hoping I arrive later so they have a reason to spend public funds... Sigh! You've been the head of the Anbu for so many years, and you still can't figure this out? You're really not cut out for politics. I'll write you a resignation letter for Hiruzen Sarutobi someday. You can stay home and train your little White Fang successor in peace and comfort. Look at me, and then look at you. You're the same age as me, but you look a whole generation older. If I shave and wash my face, I'll still be the most handsome guy in Sunagakure..."

Seeing Sakumo Hatake's deadpan expression, he immediately changed the subject after speaking carelessly. After all, it was indeed a bit unfair to make him wait so long at the border for more than a month. Besides, he did all this for Sakumo's own good. This guy was a loyal member of the Hokage faction, and in a few years he would become the target of Danzo, the "half of Konoha's sky" who had been beaten down and was turning to the dark side. Logically speaking, it would be a good thing for Sunagakure if Sakumo died and weakened Konoha's strength. But personally, he had fought with Sakumo for so many years and was both an enemy and a friend. He didn't want Sakumo to die so miserably. If he was killed on the battlefield, at least he would have the title of a hero and be buried in the cemetery. It would be too frustrating to be killed by a loser like Danzo and not even be able to be buried in the cemetery.

"...You don't need to worry about that. Now that you're here, let's get going!"

Sakumo Hatake rolled his eyes. "If I were born into the Senju clan, I'd hire hundreds of secretaries to supervise my shifts and clock in for me too," he thought. "You should shave before you say that..."

"Hey! Konoha brothers, isn't it exhausting to have a leader like this? It's okay, if the real leader ever needs a break, the gates of Sunagakure will always be there for you... Hey, hey, hey, we're all civilized people, don't draw your swords so easily, let's lighten the mood on this tedious journey with a joke..."

Before Shinto could finish speaking, an astonishing killing intent instantly surged towards him, and Hatake Sakumo's hand had already gripped the hilt of his sword behind his back without him even noticing.

The handsome scorpion on the side was a little excited: Kill this bastard!!!

329. The Golden Lion is a man of few words, yet he keeps his true strength hidden.

"By the way, who are the representatives from Kumogakure and Iwagakure this time? Let me make this clear: don't seat me at the same table if they're not high-profile enough. It's fine to be casual around others normally, but I won't be sitting at the same table as them on such a formal and ceremonial occasion..."

On the way, Masato suddenly spoke up, asking, "There are only a handful of people from Kumogakure and Iwagakure qualified to represent them, and I know them all. From Kumogakure, it's either Azaburo, the Raikage's right-hand man, or Tsuchida. However, the war has just ended, and Azaburo, as Kumogakure's strategist, is definitely too busy to come to Konoha. As for Tsuchida... well, he's barely acceptable, but to have him come to negotiate? That guy'd be played to death by Hiruzen Sarutobi..."

The situation was even more straightforward with Iwagakure. Aside from the legendary Civil Engineering student with an Intelligence stat of 95, they hadn't actually discovered any other talented individuals in Iwagakure...

If it really is these two people, then from a business perspective, in terms of fame or net worth, they really can't sit at the same table... He, Golden Lion, can usually be all smiles and jokes, but in such a formal setting, he represents not only himself, but also the face of the village, okay?

He, the top leader of Sunagakure, is sitting at the same table with two second and third-in-commands? Is that even reasonable?

"...Should I arrange a private room for you later...?"

Sakumo Hatake rolled his eyes in annoyance. His manhood intuition told him that this guy was here to cause trouble, but lacking evidence, he could only bring more people to observe Sakumo's every move and monitor his micro-expressions from every angle...

Who the hell was a month late for the negotiation and didn't want to sit at the same table as anyone else? Your rank is just a bored Jonin class leader.

"No need for that, it wouldn't be good to hurt the pride of others. Just tell me if Iwagakure and Kumogakure met with your three... no, four leaders of Konoha in private, or discussed reparations or anything like that, when they came. You know that Sunagakure is so poor that all we have left is money. You can have as much money as you want, but as for other reparations... all our second-hand kunai are with my nephew..."

Shinto, with his arm around Sakumo Hatake's neck, said something slyly, making the eyes of the group of Konoha Anbu members behind him nearly pop out of their sockets. When did the Golden Lion and their captain become so close? Weren't they still fighting and killing each other during the war? This was the first time they'd ever seen their captain with someone's arm around his neck without drawing his sword. Back then, when Jiraiya was drunk and had his arm around their captain's neck, their captain almost had his hand chopped off by his habitually drawn sword... Σ(⊙▽⊙a

"-_-...idiot."

Handsome Scorpion looked at his bastard uncle with a black line on his face, who turned his face away as if he didn't know him. You go to someone's territory to negotiate with their boss, and you expect them to tip you off? Are you out of your mind?

No wonder Grandma said this brat only gets older but not smarter...-_-

"...Since you haven't arrived yet, both sides have agreed to postpone the negotiations until you arrive. This way, our Hokage and advisors won't be so bored as to have private dealings with them..."

Sakumo Hatake, speechless, muttered as he was being hugged around the neck. He really wanted to crack open this guy's head to see what was inside. Where did all these conspiracy theories come from? The four-way meeting and negotiations, while merely a symbolic continuation of the previous administration's ceremony, were still fair, just, and open, okay? So many eyes were watching. Their Konoha's high-ranking officials wouldn't be that stupid... well... except perhaps Danzo, who had an "S" on his forehead...

......

"Hmph! How could that guy Fengying send such an unreliable person? He actually made us wait for him for a whole month!"

Arriving in a grand procession at the gates of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other three leaders were already waiting there. Apart from Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was still leisurely puffing on his pipe and inhaling deeply, the other three had different expressions. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were expressionless, but the one with the worst expression was Danzo, the "Half of Konoha," who was probably beaten too badly by the Raikage and whose injuries hadn't healed yet. He was wrapped in bandages and looked like he had been raped, his face dark from head to toe.

The four giants of Konoha, the overlords of the ninja world, actually had to wait for this bastard here. Danzo felt annoyed just thinking about it. He was just a class leader of a Jonin from Sunagakure. Did he have such a big reputation?

"Don't let him affect you. I think this is something the Golden Lion is doing on purpose, to annoy us so he can gain the upper hand in the negotiations... I never expected the Golden Lion to be so cunning..."

With a blank expression, Mitokado Homura looked at his friend's annoyed face and offered a seemingly unfathomable word of comfort.

"Huh?"

Mitokado Homura's words instantly made him the center of attention, and everyone around him eagerly turned to look at him, as if to say, "Please begin your performance..."

"Cough...! This is just a common tactic used before negotiations to influence the other party's mindset, thereby disrupting their rhythm and gaining the upper hand. Once we gain the upper hand, we'll be led by the nose, and the outcome will be out of our control..."

Mitomon coughed twice, adjusted his glasses, and then began to speak eloquently, spewing profanities as he explained negotiation techniques to his underlings.

"All in! Consultant Men Yan is indeed erudite and incredibly learned!!"

Those around him, upon hearing Mitokado Homura's explanation, instantly understood and were full of praise, saying, "No wonder he's a cultured man with glasses!"

"......-_-"

Danzo became even more unhappy as he watched the people around him praising Mitokado Homura relentlessly. The more they praised her, the more stupid he felt.