Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

But happiness came so suddenly. Before he could even kneel down, his teacher brought him an awesome taijutsu, supposedly the strongest in the ninja world. Looking at the awesome taijutsu in his hand, how could he recognize it? Although the conditions on the road were harsh, without custom-made weight-bearing equipment or a reasonable diet, they had plenty of precious medicinal herbs. Besides, children from ordinary families weren't so delicate that they needed custom-made weight-bearing equipment. It was just weight-bearing. They could just carry the scrap metal they had collected from ninja tool shops along the way into a big bag and carry it on their shoulders. The effect was about the same.

He did it, and the teacher agreed. The first and second days were alright; he could add a little more weight. But by the third day, he started to feel exhausted. Carrying such a huge backpack was incredibly inconvenient, and he even had to carry it while eating and sleeping. The teacher said that the closer he got to his limit, the more he had to persevere; only by pushing his limits could he improve his physique. Before, this made sense, but now he felt like the teacher was taking advantage of his kindness and deceiving him. Today was the fourth day, and he didn't know if he had broken through his limits. All he knew was that he was exhausted and sleepy, wanting nothing more than to go home, lie on his big bed, and sleep for three days and three nights. (T_T)

"That's right! Humans are a species that's inherently perverse; the more comfortable they are, the more decadent they become. Potential is always brought out by pressure. If you don't push yourself hard while you're young, you won't know where your limits are. Ye Cang, little sister, how about it? Want to give it a try? This technique doesn't say that girls can't practice it. A well-rounded development is the key to success...ヾ(^Д^*)/"

Masato was quite satisfied with Kudo Yusaku's attitude. To be honest, after being thoroughly beaten by the Perfect Ninja, the kid had indeed changed a lot. People really do grow when they encounter setbacks.

Then Masato turned to Yekura and asked with a smile.

"...My energy is limited; I'll focus on researching Scorching Release. -_-||"

Seeing the teacher's wolfish gaze, as if she were trying to lure Pleasant Goat away, Ye Cang sighed. She had actually considered it at first, but after seeing how her friends were treated, she quickly gave up. She didn't have her friends' freakish physical abilities. While some taijutsu training was necessary for ninjas, her friends' approach was far too extreme... -_-||

"Teacher, I don't know if I'm up to the task?"

Yekura doesn't want to risk her life, but Umekawa does!

Who doesn't dream of kicking the Kazekage and punching the Golden Lion? Even if he doesn't have feet, he still has hands, right? After hearing Yekura's refusal, Meikawa Nai-i was also a little eager to try and asked expectantly.

"...Actually, everyone's path in life is different. God may close one door for you, but He may open several windows for you; you just haven't realized it yet. What happened back then has drained a lot of your vitality. Even if I dared to let you do this, your father and grandfather wouldn't agree. The greatest tragedy in the world is for parents to bury their children. Your father and grandfather love you so much; can you bear to make them sad and heartbroken? In fact, living in this world doesn't necessarily require great strength. The most important thing is to find meaning in your existence. Think about it carefully; what is the meaning of your existence?"

Seeing the longing look in Umekawa Nei's eyes, Masato was startled. "Dude, stop messing around! You don't have either leg, how are you going to open the door? Haven't you heard that legs are two doors, and you rely on your hands to fight people...?"

However, in order not to hurt his feelings, and not to be too blunt, I should at least learn from Snake's persuasive skills.

Young man, what is the meaning of your existence? ヾ(^?^)?

"What is the meaning of my existence?"

This was the first time Mei Chuan Neiyi had heard such a sophisticated topic, and she pondered it with a mixture of understanding and confusion.

"Yes, the meaning of your existence. Everyone hopes to be incredibly powerful in the future, ideally kicking down the old folks' home in Nanshan and punching the kindergarten in Beihai. However, everyone's talent or some uncertain factors determine their upper limit. There are usually only a few spots at the top of the pyramid. They spend their entire lives in vain, leaving nothing for future generations and disappearing into the long river of history. These people simply don't know what the meaning of their existence is. They live in a daze, meaninglessly, for decades. Instead of living like this, chasing after unrealistic things, it's better to stop and think carefully about the meaning of your existence. Some people may not be the strongest, but because they have found the meaning of their existence, their spirit continues to influence future generations."

"Take the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. In his era, when Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were the two most powerful figures in the world, everyone else paled in comparison. But Tobirama found his own purpose in life. Instead of competing with Hashirama and Madara in terms of strength, he developed various ninjutsu and forbidden techniques for Konoha, which Konoha still benefits from today. The policies he established were imitated by other villages. His influence can be said to be even greater than that of the two most powerful figures in the world!"

Seeing that Mei Chuan Neiyi was swayed by his persuasive skills, Zhen Dou added fuel to the fire, saying, "As long as you don't do anything rash, even if you're like Orochimaru, unable to distinguish between male and female, both human and demon, I have no problem with it..."

473. Hiruzen Sarutobi: That brat even lost the clan's territory!

"Sogatari! The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju..."

After listening to the story of Tobirama Senju, the greatest ninja in history, Mei Chuan Neiyi suddenly realized something, as if struck by a thunderbolt. He had grown up listening to his grandfather tell him stories about Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and their First Kazekage. He could recite their love and hate stories by heart, but he really didn't know anything about the Second Hokage. In those years, he only admired how awesome the three main characters in his grandfather's stories were. He never expected that the Second Hokage was also so talented. The ninjutsu he created had a profound impact on Konoha.

The teacher is right. Since there's no hope of becoming a powerful ninja, it's better to find another path and forge our own way. Speaking of which, there don't seem to be many ninjutsu techniques in the village, right?

I, Mei Chuan Neiyi, have studied poetry and books diligently for over a decade since childhood. Why can't I develop some ninjutsu for the village?

At that moment, he seemed to see a broad and prosperous road ahead!

"It would be great if you could figure it out...ヾ(●′?｀●)"

Although Shinto didn't know what he had comprehended, seeing the light in the kid's eyes, he figured the kid had found meaning in life and was no longer thinking of risking his life with his disabled body, so he was relieved...

"..."

Next door, Yekura was engrossed in the story, though she didn't have many thoughts about it. Her goals had always been very clear, so unlike Umekawa Nai, she wasn't at a turning point in her life and needed someone to guide her. However, seeing the gleam in Umekawa's eyes, she was speechless. One Yusaku was already enough, and now another one... -_-||

.......

"Orochimaru, how badly is Danzo injured? Is there any hope for him?"

After some time, the turmoil at the Konoha Hokage Building gradually subsided. With Hatake Sakumo and a group of high-ranking officials explaining the situation to the villagers and "voluntarily" vouching for him, Hiruzen Sarutobi, though his reputation in the ninja world was somewhat tarnished, at least no longer had to hide at his friend's house. Two months... who knows how he survived those two months? His friend's house was a standard three-bedroom apartment, with rooms not far apart, and the soundproofing was terrible. It was hard to believe that his usually steady and reliable friend had such a passionate and unrestrained side. Every night, he was kept awake until three or four in the morning by the noise of people playing cards. He already expended too much energy dealing with documents during the day, and after get off work he couldn't rest properly. If he stayed up any longer, he'd almost gone insane.

Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi had just been released from his "cage," he was still worried about his best friend. Even if his best friend had really done something wrong this time, Tsunade's departure was a done deal. He couldn't let go of their childhood friendship after so many years. Besides, his best friend had received the punishment he deserved. He was beaten up by Tsunade and was still lying in the ICU. He didn't know if his injuries had improved. It wasn't a good idea for him to be in such a state of half-death. So, as soon as he arrived at the Hokage Building, he summoned Orochimaru and asked him about it.

With Tsunade gone, the only one in the village who has any hope of curing his best friend is his learned disciple. Although his professional skills are not as good as Tsunade's, his knowledge is by no means inferior. The only thing he lacks is practical skills.

"Hehe, don't worry, teacher. Danzo's willpower and will to live are extremely strong. Konoha has passed the critical period, and he can be discharged from the hospital in just one or two months..."

Orochimaru habitually licked his lips, speaking with some impatience. When he mentioned Danzo's willpower and survival instinct, his eyes began to flicker. This was a euphemistic way of putting it; to be honest, given Tsunade's punch that almost triggered Zone mode without any reservations, very few people in the entire ninja world would have survived. The weakling Danzo was definitely not among them. Although he was very knowledgeable, he was far inferior to Tsunade in terms of healing. He didn't do anything to Danzo at all, but instead kept observing the changes in Danzo's body as experimental data. After all, Danzo was the only one who had received the First Hokage's cells and Sharingan, and he couldn't miss this opportunity. Whether Danzo lived or died was entirely up to fate.

However, while observing the changes in Danzo's body, he discovered an incredible secret: Danzo's right eye wasn't a sty, but a Mangekyou Sharingan! Although he had never seen a Mangekyou Sharingan before, he couldn't be mistaken about the unique pattern. Moreover, because of the transplanted Hashirama's cells, the powerful life force contained within those cells had saved Danzo from the clutches of death. However, Orochimaru wasn't interested in investigating this matter; what they were more concerned about was that Danzo actually possessed a Mangekyou Sharingan—a truly astonishing discovery!

As a great scientist determined to surpass the Second Hokage and become the greatest in history, Orochimaru was completely absorbed in studying the Mangekyou Sharingan in Danzo's right eye after discovering it. Everything else was secondary; he estimated Danzo would awaken in a day or two, making these two days his last chance to collect data. He was naturally annoyed to be summoned for questioning by his teacher, especially since Tsunade was his friend and Nawaki was his student. He could accept that his teacher was protecting his good friend out of sentimentality or whatever, but Tsunade was also his student, and she hadn't been asked about even once in over two months, which made him frown.

"Phew! It's good that you're alright. You've had a tough time these past few days."

When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard that his good friend had once again bravely overcome the difficulties, he breathed a sigh of relief and said to this disciple whom he had once wanted to entrust with important responsibilities.

Although this disciple disappointed him in some ways, he still held a very important place in his heart, far surpassing even his short, good-for-nothing son. Moreover, this disciple was incredibly learned, completely exceeding even Orochimaru's own knowledge as a ninja scholar. Therefore, if Orochimaru said his best friend was alright, then he was definitely alright...

However... if he knew what Orochimaru was thinking, he'd be spitting blood!

Doesn't he care about Tsunade?

For the past two months, Tsunade has been frequenting casinos of all sizes in the Land of Fire with Nawaki. With her gambling luck surpassing that of the First Hokage, if he hadn't sent people to clean up the mess and help Tsunade pay off her debts, the debt collectors would be lining up from the Hokage's building all the way to the village entrance. The entire Senju clan's territory wouldn't be enough to cover the losses.

That brat is outrageous! She even lost the clan's territory...

474. Cool guys are always popular.

"Samato-sama!"

"Hey, Luo Sha, you've gotten cooler and cooler in just over half a year. Kids shouldn't always have that stern face, I wonder who you learned it from..."

After being away for more than half a year, he finally returned to the village. Sunagakure was almost unchanged. After sending the three students home, Masato took their spoils to the Kazekage Tower. As soon as he arrived at the entrance, he saw, unsurprisingly, the future Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, who would suffer the same tragic fate as Sunagakure, walking towards him and greeting him. He didn't know if the kid was just naturally expressionless or if he could act cool, but he had always been like this since he was a child, always with a poker face. And unlike the handsome Sasori's indifferent yet slightly disdainful expression, this kid was much more natural. Perhaps it was because he was older, or perhaps it was because his father had died...

People who are not sensitive often close themselves off after the death of their loved ones, pretending to be aloof and unapproachable. In the original story, Handsome Scorpion's life turned completely black and white after his parents died. Now, because his parents are still alive, even though Handsome Scorpion often has a stern face, you can still see a trace of pretense. As for Luo Sha, he is now completely unable to open up.

However, it must be said that this kind of cool guy, whether he's faking it or not, is indeed popular in the Naruto world. In the history of the rankings, almost every top spot since Tobirama Senju has been occupied by that kind of cool guy. Rasa's popularity in the village is much higher than that of Sasori, the handsome little otaku. Although Sasori is good-looking and has a cool personality, he rarely goes out and has a sharp tongue that offends people with his words. Although he is a genius and handsome boy, he has offended many little girls who wanted to play house with him because of his sharp tongue. Therefore, Sasori's popularity has declined a lot in recent years. In addition, there is also a strong and protective female warrior, Shuri Uzumaki, who protects him. Many girls cry after being scolded by him and then get a beating from Shuri. Sasori is practically a big boss in the village's children's circle.

At this time, Rasa, who had previously kept a low profile, awakened Magnet Release and was taken in by Sunagawa as a disciple, making a strong comeback. His popularity in the village also rose steadily. If Sasori hadn't been the Crown Prince, and if he hadn't had that captivating face that kept him a few die-hard fans, he would have fallen to the second or third tier long ago. This is an example of a trump card being ruined.

"Master Masato, your teacher is waiting for you upstairs."

Luo Sha, suppressing the pain from being pinched, finished speaking in a respectful tone and quickly left Fengying Tower.

If anyone else dared to pinch his face like that, he'd have smashed that bastard to death with gold dust by now. But he wouldn't dare; his dad's ninja tools back in school were sponsored by this bastard...

I can't beat him in a fight, and staying here will only make me feel more uncomfortable. I might as well escape from this bastard's clutches as soon as possible.

"Tch! Your Kazekage is a complete failure at raising children. Look at these two, they don't know a thing or two..."

As Masato watched Rasa's retreating figure, he began to complain to the two guards standing beside him.

The two guards, one on each side, stood with their heads held high, chests out, stomachs in, and buttocks tucked in, eyes fixed straight ahead without blinking, silently chanting: "I can't hear you, I can't hear you, I can't hear you..."

Just kidding. Anyone who answers that will get into trouble. Do you think the leaders of the secret police are blind and deaf? They fought tooth and nail to get this job. There are plenty of opportunities to stand guard for Fengying downstairs. Who knows, you might get noticed by some boss and get promoted and a raise, reaching the pinnacle of your life.

But as the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; if you say the wrong thing, you could be exiled to guard the border...

But the two above are bosses, and this guy next to them is a boss too! Not responding would be disrespectful. The entire Jonin squad is this boss's underlings; a single spit from each of them could drown them both. Being targeted by a bunch of Jonin bosses doesn't seem like a good thing, so they can only pretend to be diligently on guard duty and not hear anything...

"Come on up, don't make things difficult for them... -_-||"

Just as the two underlings were on high alert, Ebizo's voice came from above, making them feel like they'd been granted a pardon. They breathed a huge sigh of relief. It really was like serving a king—a tiger's den, and there were quite a few tigers at that…

"I know you have questions, but let me finish speaking first. First, these are the results of the three kids' raid in Konoha. They got a pretty good haul, mainly ninja tools and all sorts of precious medicinal herbs. You can calculate how much to buy them at, because I need to distribute the bounty for this mission to them tomorrow."

"Secondly, Tsunade's departure from Konoha is really none of my business. It was all caused by Danzo Shimura's antics. It's speculated that Danzo was targeting the sole heir of the Senju clan, the crown prince of Konoha, because of the issue of the next Hokage. Unfortunately, Tsunade happened to be there and took him down. As for why Tsunade left Konoha, she was probably tired of the infighting there. Good friends aren't always so harmonious."

"Third, in conjunction with the second point, Orochimaru allied himself with Shimura Danzo, which is why he didn't become the Fourth Hokage. According to Shimura Danzo's thinking, the next Hokage should undoubtedly be the heir of Konoha, so he planned to strike first. Therefore, all of the above events have absolutely nothing to do with me. That's all I have to say. You can ask your questions now. Try to choose the most important ones. I've been traveling for three months, I'm exhausted and sleepy, and I need to get back to shower and sleep..."

As soon as Masato entered the Kazekage Building and arrived at the Kazekage's office, before Sunagawa and Ebizo could even ask any questions, he started chattering away.

"...Go back and rest..."

Sunagawa and Ebizo were speechless, their faces as red as if they were constipated. "You've already said everything, what the hell are we supposed to ask?"

After a long pause, he finally managed to say something like, "Let's get rid of this bastard so they won't feel uncomfortable watching him."

However, they also gleaned some useful information from this bastard's words. Before the war ended, when Konoha was in a very favorable position, Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Orochimaru to Kumogakure to clean up Danzo Shimura's mess. They all thought Hiruzen Sarutobi was going to promote Orochimaru to a higher position. But Orochimaru, whose future seemed bright, actually went and teamed up with Danzo Shimura. The two exchanged glances and shook their heads, saying they couldn't understand it. Had Orochimaru lost his mind?

Instead of being the proper leader of Konoha, he went off to hang out with Danzo...

475. Handsome Scorpion has gotten so fat he's practically a ball!

"You are..."

"Holy crap! Aunt Chiyo, your precious grandson has gotten so fat!!!" Σ(⊙▽⊙a

As soon as he entered the house, he habitually headed towards Sasori's toy room. When he arrived at the door, he peeked inside but didn't see Sasori. Instead, he saw the back of a chubby little boy. Masato was puzzled. When did Sasori make friends, and even bring this chubby friend to his toy room? That seemed impossible. After all, this toy room was Sasori's private territory. Apart from family members, only Karin's mother, who often came to clean, was allowed to enter. Even his best friend, Tatsuki, couldn't enter his toy room, let alone anyone else.

Just as Masato was about to ask who the chubby little boy inside was, the little boy suddenly turned around. Masato couldn't help but scream as if he had seen something terrifying. His face was still that pretty face that appealed to all ages. Although his baby fat had become unusually obvious, it did not diminish the beauty of his pretty face at all. However, the change in his round head and body shape from half a year ago was too great.

If it weren't for his still-handsome appearance, Masato really wouldn't be able to resist commenting that this is the damn handsome Sasori. In just over half a year, the handsome Sasori has actually gotten so fat that he's become a ball!

"You bastard! Say that again and I'll kill you! (▼he▼メ)"

"Ding ding ding...!"

Although he's gotten so fat he's practically a ball, which adds a touch of cuteness to his handsome face, Scorpion's temper is still as fiery as ever. Especially when he sees this bastard uncle in front of him, he shoots a dozen green needles at him.

"Hey! Haven't seen you in over half a year, you've grown even cuter, but your methods are still so old-fashioned. If these pieces of junk could take me down, I'd be done for. Hey! Not bad, huh? Did your grandma feed you some kind of animal feed? You've gotten so fat in just half a year...ヾ(^?^)?"

Ignoring the senbon that had fallen to the ground, Masato walked over and picked up the chubby, handsome Sasori. His plump, tender flesh was enough to make anyone drool...

"Let me go! You bastard! Or I'll kill you!!" (▼he▼メ)

Handsome Scorpion didn't answer but kept struggling in Masato's arms. However, his strength was so weak that Masato could barely feel it that it was all in vain. But he never backed down from the beginning.

"Kid, you shouldn't set flags. Everyone who sets flags never ends up well. Save that for when you're capable. Honestly, who raised you like this? You've probably gained dozens of pounds in the last six months, haven't you?"

Shinto ignored the brat's struggles, and, weighing his hands down, exclaimed in surprise, "The handsome Sasori used to be a bit chubby, with fair and delicate skin, but he was definitely not 'fat.' Especially after being 'taught' by him and the Seven-Tails, his body became quite muscular, the epitome of 'slim when dressed, muscular when undressed.' But now, the change is too fast. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the fat kid from the Akimichi family had run away from home and come to Sunagakure to lose weight..."

"None of your business, put me down!"

Handsome Scorpion is just that brave, he retorted without giving any face.

"Hey, I admire a brat like you. Believe me or not, I'll strip you naked and parade you through the streets."

Seeing that Sasori showed no respect whatsoever, Masato lost his temper and pinched Sasori's chubby face hard with one hand.

"You two stop messing around. Why did you provoke Scorpion as soon as you got back?"

Just as the uncle and nephew were bickering, Chiyoko walked out of her herb garden with a large pair of scissors and said irritably.

After finally getting close for half a year, this brat's return caused chaos. Her precious grandson has gotten so fat, even though he's usually so cute.

"Aunt Chiyo, you didn't feed him animal feed, did you? It's only been half a year, and he's already like this."

Seeing Chiyo come out, Masato asked.