Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Equally shocked that his ninjutsu had transformed into lion heads charging at him, Kakuzu was caught off guard and instantly struck by four tall, imposing lion heads, letting out a scream. The four ugly monsters were instantly reduced to dust. However, Shinto's Observation Haki detected that Kakuzu was no longer there. When he saw the four lion heads turn and charge at him, he didn't even recall his four henchmen, leaving only a clone behind before decisively running away.

This guy is so decisive—he's willing to risk his life for money but also values ​​it!

"Big brother, is that guy dead?"

When Handsome Scorpion's father walked over and saw a pile of black ash on the sand, he said with lingering fear, "That weirdo's ninjutsu was really damn good. If it weren't for my older brother being so good, this pile of black ash would have been my older brother."

"It's not that easy. If this guy were so easy to kill, he would have been killed by Hashirama Senju back then. How could he still be alive now? He's the man who assassinated the God of Shinobi..."

Masato shrugged and said, "Although I couldn't defeat Kakuzu, I took four of his hearts in one go. He's probably bleeding profusely right now..."

"What?! The person who assassinated the 'God of Ninjas'?!"

Handsome Scorpion's dad and his three friends were stunned!

Who is the "God of Ninjas"?

Although they weren't from Konoha, the title of "God of Shinobi" had suppressed the ninja world for decades, so of course they knew who it was—a truly invincible figure!

That weirdo actually dared to assassinate the "God of Ninjas," and the key point is that he's still alive!

How old must he be?!

"It's nothing serious. This guy came from Takigakure. Because he failed to assassinate Hashirama Senju, Takigakure was afraid of Konoha's revenge and gave up on him. He went back and got his hands on Takigakure's secret technique, and killed all of Takigakure's high-ranking officials at the time. It's because of this secret technique that he's been able to survive until now."

Seeing the question marks on the faces of the three after their initial shock, Masato knew they were pondering the age of Kakuzu, this old relic. In fact, Kakuzu was much older than Chiyo.

91. Kakuzu: I'm so touched! I'll protect these three brats!

"Sigh! This Kakuzu is so pitiful. Those high-ranking officials in Takigakure back then were truly despicable! (▼he▼メ)"

"That's right! How could those guys do such a thing? Kakuzu risked his life to assassinate the First Hokage for the sake of Takigakure, and although he failed, those bastards were too heartless...!"

After hearing about Kakuzu's ordeal, Yusaori was the first to stand up for Kakuzu, and the other two nodded in agreement, feeling disgusted by the actions of the Takigakure village's higher-ups.

The handsome Scorpion's father and Mada, who were in their chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) stage, couldn't help but start gesturing wildly and spouting nonsense, wishing they were Kakuzu back in the day and could beat those bastards up again.

"Waaah..."

At this moment, deep underground, Kakuzu was already crying.

Moving!

This was the first time he had been so moved since leaving Takigakure. Although he didn't know how that brat "Golden Lion" knew his story, hearing the three little devils above speaking up for him and expressing their indignation touched his heart, which had been as hard as a rock, and softened it.

Unbelievable! He dedicated decades of his life to Takigakure, only to be betrayed in return. His own villagers didn't utter a single word, while brats from other villages were speaking out on his behalf!

I'm so touched!!!

The decision was made at this moment!

He'll protect these three brats from now on! Anyone who kills them, he'll hunt them down to the ends of the earth and wipe out their entire family!

"Huh??? Who is it? Show yourself! (⊙_⊙)"

The three weaklings couldn't hear the sudden crying, but Masato's Observation Haki detected the sniffling sound. He pulled Sasori's father and his father behind him, and said, "Madama... let him fend for himself."

"boom!"

"Lord Golden Lion, please don't misunderstand. What I did before was wrong. From now on, I will no longer hunt down those three children!"

"boom!"

"........"

"...Was that Kakuzu just now? (⊙_⊙)?"

After suddenly appearing and spouting a bunch of nonsensical words, he vanished with a "bang," leaving everyone bewildered without a trace.

If it weren't for that familiar green light, Masato would have thought it was just an illusion.

"It seems...it should...maybe."

Handsome Scorpion's father also looked bewildered. Had anyone appeared just now?

I think so...

.......

"Lord Kazekage, it seems someone fought a fierce battle with Shinto here. Judging from the traces left at the scene, it was caused by at least four S-rank ninjutsu: lightning, wind, water, and fire. However, this person should have been driven away by Shinto. We received news from the Anbu that Shinto and Jie have just arrived at the Daimyo's residence..."

Kakuzu and Shinto had a big fight at the entrance of Sunagakure. The huge chakra fluctuations were sensed even when they were still some distance away from Sunagakure. When he sensed this powerful chakra fluctuation, Sunagakure didn't even change out of his costume and put on the Kazekage robe. He then rushed over with Rozen and a group of his underlings.

There was nothing he could do. He knew that Shinto and the others were leaving for Konoha today. Everyone else was fine, but Jie's identity was too sensitive. He had been on tenterhooks all night. He had changed into his costume and wanted to sing a few lines to ease his mind, but he just couldn't sing.

His heart nearly jumped out of his chest after sensing the chakra fluctuation; his worst fears had come true! The Crown Prince had barely stepped out the door when the assassination attempt arrived.

"Phew... It's good that you're alright. Thank goodness for Shinto. But who is he? Wind, fire, lightning, water—he has five chakra natures, only earth is missing. Could it be Hiruzen Sarutobi?"

Upon hearing Luo Zhen say that Masato and the others were alright and that the intruders had been driven away by Masato, Kaizo, who was next to Sunakawa, breathed a sigh of relief and then frowned as he speculated.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was so famous for his five innate elemental attributes. The appearance of so many S-rank ninjutsu with four different attributes at the same time makes it hard not to suspect him, even though it's known that the possibility of Hiruzen Sarutobi appearing here is extremely slim.

"I think it's unlikely. Only a few of us know about this plan, so the news couldn't have reached Konoha. Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the Hokage, has even less reason to kill Shinto and the others. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi has met Shinto and has a certain understanding of his abilities and strength. He wouldn't do this without absolute certainty."

Sunagawa shook his head. Putting himself in his shoes, if he hadn't been absolutely certain of killing Hatake Sakumo, he wouldn't have personally gone after him either. Firstly, their statuses were different; as the Kazekage, he had so many subordinates, why would he bother chasing after a mere brat? That would be beneath him.

Secondly, the Kazekage is so busy every day that he has to time his bathroom breaks perfectly, let alone the Hokage of Konoha. Who would have the time to come to their village entrance and attack their next generation?

"Who they are doesn't matter. They've already been driven away by Masato. Should we go too? We'll find out when Masato and the others come back."

Chiyo, on the other hand, was completely calm and unconcerned, a stark contrast to when she rushed out. She seemed utterly unconcerned about her son.

.......

"This is the border of the Land of Fire. Tomorrow I'll take Jie and Mada to Konoha. Saori will stay here as support and be ready to assist us at any time. Although it's not wartime now, if there are too many of us, we'll be easily discovered. Also, this place is very close to a Konoha garrison. You need to pay attention to their reactions and report back to the village immediately if anything happens. Remember, our current identity is that of Iwa ninja. If we are discovered, just 'accidentally' drop your Iwa ninja headband on the ground."

After the great battle with Kakuzu at the village gate, no one dared to slap Shinto in the face anymore, and they arrived at the border town of the Land of Fire without any obstacles.

Just as he said, the Land of Wind is hardly a tourist destination. Even people from the other ninja villages wouldn't bother coming to the Land of Wind to starve unless there was something important going on. Encountering Kakuzu was a completely unexpected turn of events. After all, someone like Kakuzu has patronized almost everyone with a bounty on the black market. Those he hasn't patronized are either not worth enough or are too dangerous. Kids like Shinto and Sasori, worth tens of millions, are too tempting for Kakuzu, which is why he came to the Land of Wind and just happened to bump into them at the village entrance.

Upon arriving in town, Masato immediately arranged the battle plan. This operation had a mission entrusted to him by Chiyo, so it was better for Yusaori to stay here and keep watch. After all, Chiyo had said that it didn't matter if her son lost his hands or feet, but her daughter-in-law had to be whole.

By the way, he emphasized the word "unintentionally," thinking that a top student like Saori would definitely understand what he meant—to shift the blame to the Iwa ninja...!

92. The white fur is almost becoming a symbol of Konoha.

"Big brother, will this work? Do you think the people of Konoha will be so easily fooled?"

Not far from the entrance to Konoha Village, Sasori's father and Mada overheard Shinto instructing them to use the Transformation Jutsu to become two white-haired individuals. Then, Mato himself transformed into a white-haired person, claiming to be a relative of the Hatake clan... Afterwards, the two were completely bewildered, especially Sasori's father. "Don't try to fool me," he thought, "I'm not very educated. I've never heard of any white-haired relatives in the Hatake clan..."

"Trust me, you two don't say a word later, just remember to keep your underwear-like appearance. The 'doorman' of Konoha is the easiest to fool!!"

Shinto, reverting to the same Hatake Gouwu he was when he collected Tobirama Senju's body, patted his chest and said, "We're all human, so who's really that much smarter than whom? Jie and Mada have been hearing about how powerful Konoha is since they were little, so they subconsciously think that Konoha's ninjas might be better than their Sunagakure ninjas. But Shinto, who has been in and out of Konoha twice, knows Konoha like the back of his hand. There's nothing like that idiot."

Only an idiot would be assigned to guard the gate. After all, he's not needed elsewhere, so assigning him to guard the gate isn't a waste of talent; it's making use of waste!

"Three seniors, please show your identification..."

When the three white-haired men, dressed in their underwear, appeared at the entrance of Konoha Village, they immediately became a striking sight. Konoha's "gatekeeper" was quite serious about his work. Seeing that the three white-haired men were wearing Konoha ninja headbands, he stopped them, though his tone was much more polite.

After all, almost all the white-haired people in Konoha are big shots, from the Second Hokage and Lord Itō who passed away a couple of years ago, to one of the Hokage's disciples recently, and in between, there is the even more remarkable genius Sakumo, who made a name for himself on the battlefield at the age of ten. All of these people are white-haired, so white hair has become a symbol of Konoha, almost like Wood Release.

These three all had white hair and wore expressions that suggested they were from the Hatake family, exuding an air of elite status. They were either relatives of the second-generation lord or members of the Hatake clan...

So it's better to be polite. Everyone knows that the young leader of the Hatake clan recently took down the head of the Sunagakure Anbu; he's a big shot!

"We are from the Hatake clan. I am Hatake Sakumo's cousin, Hatake Gogokai. During a mission, we encountered danger and lost our identification in the process of fighting. If you don't believe me... our white hair... uh, white hair is proof! If all else fails... you can report to the Hokage, but we have urgent information that we must report to the Hokage immediately. Please hurry."

Shinto, now back to his handsome white-haired self, spoke cautiously in a tone that was both polite and slightly rude, mimicking Hatake Sakumo's manner.

"No need for that... Just register here..."

"Hey! Ikeda, this isn't in accordance with the rules. Why don't you go and report to the Hokage first?"

Just as one of the gatekeepers was about to have them register and let them go, another gatekeeper pulled him aside and whispered something.

"Oh dear, Lord Hokage is always so busy. Don't bother him with such trivial matters. Didn't you hear what the senior said? He has an urgent intelligence report to Lord Hokage. What if it delays something important and causes losses to the village?"

The doorman from Ikeda looked at his companion with equal seriousness and said.

"Well... that's true. Anyway, we're all going to see the Hokage. Please register here, seniors."

The companion thought about it and realized it made sense. Since the three Hatake elders were going to meet the Hokage anyway, their actions would be redundant, especially since the Hokage was a member of the Hatake clan, and the previous leader of the clan had died defending the Second Hokage against the current Hokage...

.....σ(⊙▽⊙a!

Behind Zhendou, the handsome Scorpion's father and Mada still had their pants on their faces, but they were shocked inside.

This is allowed?!

Are all the ninjas in Konoha brainless at work?

It's common knowledge that the Hatake family has a single-son lineage, so why do people from other villages seem to know this better than the locals themselves...?

"Yes, you two are very diligent. I'll tell the Hokage about this after I report to him. Please don't let me down..."

After writing some illegible characters on the register, Masato patted the two men on the shoulders and said something.

"Yes! I promise I won't let you down, senior!!!"

Upon hearing this, the two doormen straightened their heads, pulled in their stomachs, and saluted, clearly excited!

Life is full of surprises! As long as they work diligently, and as long as their performance reaches the Hokage's ears, they'll immediately reach the pinnacle of their lives!

Handsome Scorpion's dad and Mada looked at the two "gatekeepers" with pity. If your Hokage knew that you were the ones who let us in... whether you've reached the pinnacle of your lives or not, you'll definitely get a lot of trouble... and you'll have to change your shoes every day.

...

"See? Don't be fooled by Konoha's prosperity and strength. With so many people, there's a real mix of good and bad. You can find all sorts of scoundrels, even the most incompetent. These two 'gatekeepers' don't even know that the famous Hatake clan is a clan with only one headman. They clearly got in through connections. That's why, despite Konoha's strength, they're stuck on this land, unable to expand beyond our borders. Mada, write what I said down in red ink. When we get back, remind me to tell the Third Hokage about this. We must tighten our grip on education and not slacken our efforts in the slightest to prevent similar talent from emerging in our village. Konoha can afford to fail, but we can't. If a 'gatekeeper' doesn't even know who my uncle's wife is, then we're not far from destruction..."

As he entered Konoha, Masato took the opportunity to give the two shocked country bumpkins behind him a lesson: don't always assume that people with higher ranks than you are gods; they might just be weaklings who paid boosting services to level up.

"Oh...but...Captain, who is your uncle? And who is your uncle's wife?"

The good-natured Mada, like a diligent student, pulled out his notebook and started writing diligently. But after finishing, he realized he didn't seem to know who the captain's uncle was, or who his uncle's wife was...

"Go home and ask your dad, he'll tell you the answer..."

After looking at the motor for thirty seconds, Masato spoke seriously.

"oh......".