Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Swish!

"Puppet Technique: Mechanical Light Shield Seal!"

"Wow! You're doing great, kid! Lion. Thousand Cut Valley!"

Swish, swish, swish! .

"Damn it! Puppet Technique: Manipulating Blade!"

"Ding ding ding...!"

"Tch! It doesn't hurt at all... the Iron Fist of Love!"

"boom!"

On the training ground of the Miyamoto clan, nine-year-old Masato was teaching a little kid. Seeing countless kunai being flung by chakra threads, Masato sheathed his sword, his whole body turning dark black. He opened his arms to meet the countless flying kunai. The kunai didn't become bloody and mangled as the legends say, but instead made a clanging sound like they hit a steel plate before falling to the ground. Then, raising his dark fist, and in the bewildered eyes of Sasori's father, he rushed to his side and delivered a loving punch to the little head!

k...o!

"Hiss... Dude, what the hell was that just now? σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

Touching the large lump on his head, Handsome Scorpion's father seemed to have forgotten the pain in his head and looked at Masato in shock, asking...

"This is called Armament Haki, never seen it before, huh? This is top-tier stuff! I just figured it out out of nowhere, pretty cool, right? Want me to teach you?... Never mind, you wouldn't learn it even if I taught you, it's a personal one. (????)"

Shindou wore a smug expression, thoroughly enjoying the shocked look on Sasori's father's face. Four years! He had spent four whole years training his body day and night. Heaven knows what he had gone through during those four years. Heaven rewards those who transmigrate, and he finally mastered the legendary Armament Haki. Although it was only at the initial stage, and he was still some distance from the jet-black, purplish-black look, his attack power aside, his defense was absolutely formidable. The countless kunai that Sasori's father threw at him only caused a tiny bit of pain, like being pricked by needles, without even tearing his clothes.

Since his search for the arrogant snake and the three-legged toad yielded no results four years ago, he had no choice but to put aside his efforts and focus on leveling up his strength. If all else failed, he would kidnap a big fat sheep from Konoha... So, for the past four years, he had been training day and night. His madman-like behavior even frightened Chiyo. She didn't know what kind of trauma this child had suffered that turned him into a training fanatic. If he weren't still somewhat sane and able to communicate normally, Chiyo would have given him two Half-Step Madness Pills to save him from suffering in this world.

Four years of relentless training not only enabled him to break through steel and become a swordsman, but also sculpted his body to the point where he could awaken Armament Haki. However, he had no clue about Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki. Observation Haki was relatively easy to understand, as there was at least a source to trace, but Conqueror's Haki was truly a challenge for him. As far as he knew, it was something he was born with, and there wasn't even a record of how it could be awakened. He really couldn't learn the way that idiot Wang Luffy awakened it, so he could only leave it to fate. What was meant to happen would happen eventually, and besides, he didn't rely on Conqueror's Haki for a living.

Just by mastering Armament Haki and swordsmanship to an exceptional level, he could roam freely for decades until the grand finale!

"There's this too!!! (⊙_⊙)"

Unlike the good-for-nothing Sasori's father, who was a top student since childhood, Sasori's father was a top student from a young age. After all, every puppet master was a top student from childhood. Although there were many strange abilities and forbidden techniques in the ninja world, he really didn't know that his older brother had such an ability.

"Alright, stop worrying about it. I'm one of a kind in the ninja world, so don't even think about skipping school. With my strength, I have to be careful and cautious even in the ninja world. What else can you do if you don't go to school? You're only seven years old. Going to school and playing house with your classmates is your right and your obligation. Besides... your little sweetheart, Saori, is still at school. What if someone beats you to it if you don't go? You know, proximity makes it easier to get what you want..."

Seeing that Sasori's father was about to go to the study to look up information again, Masato quickly changed the subject. Sasori's father, who was already seven years old, had officially started school last year. At first, he was quite happy. After all, his childhood sweetheart, who was also a princess from a wealthy family, Yusa, had also started school. This way, he could spend all day with his sweetheart and cultivate their relationship. When their relationship was deeper, he would ask his father to propose to his sweetheart's family and get married. When they were old enough, they could have a child... Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

But after a year of being inseparable from his young lover, he grew tired of it. Of course, he wasn't tired of his lover—after all, this ill-fated relationship... ugh!—was predestined, just like his parents'. He was tired of the daily routine at school. His mother had taught him things years ago, and she knew them better than the teachers. He felt that school was a waste of time, especially since his older brother was a student who only attended school for two months without actually attending classes. This made him even less willing to waste his time at school.

Because of some unknown event that has happened recently, Chiyo and Kaizo have been very busy, spending all their time at the Kazekage Building and sometimes even working overtime there at night. So he could only tell Masato about this idea. When Masato heard his idea, he was shocked and quickly extinguished his suicidal thought.

Damn it! Although he didn't know when that old idiot Hashirama Senju would pass away or when the war would start, judging from how busy Chiyo and Kaizo had been in the past six months, and the tense atmosphere in the village, he guessed that old idiot Hashirama Senju was not far from his death.

After this meeting, this kid doesn't want to go to school. Does that mean he'll have to go to the battlefield when World War I starts? In the face of war, even a super genius like this first generation's son doesn't have any special privileges. The first generation's girlfriends all have to bring people along. When the war starts, this kid will also be on the battlefield. He only has some strength now, and he can't protect this kid in a large-scale war. What if this kid goes to sign in and clock in with his dead father before he even has a son? Where will that handsome little guy, Sasori, come from in the future? He really likes handsome Sasori!

However, this child's personality is hereditary; his whole family is stubborn and won't listen to reason. So, the only option is to use loving education to teach him how deep the waters of the ninja world are, and that with his mediocre skills, it's better for him to stay in school and develop his abilities quietly.

Although Sasori's father was trained by Chiyo from a young age, he was quite strong, already approaching Chunin level at the age of seven—truly a genius. However, those of moderate strength and young age are the quickest to die on the battlefield; they're prime targets, especially the son of the First Kazekage, whom cunning old foxes like Tobirama Senju adored...

19. That idiot who planted trees and caused afforestation is dead.

"Masato...Masato, Lady Chiyo wants you to go to the Kazekage Tower..."

Yesterday, I finally managed to coax handsome Scorpion's dad into going to school. The next morning, before I even got out of bed, I was woken up by Dark Guard, who was wrapped up tightly except for his eyes, who suddenly appeared in my room.

"Holy crap! Dude! You can scare people to death! Who's your boss? What kind of training did you receive? Don't you know how to knock before coming in?! (▼へ▼メ)"

Masato jumped up and said in an annoyed tone.

As I slept, the first thing I saw was a strange figure completely covered up in clothes, standing so close that anyone would be terrified.

Almost there, almost there, and he was scared out of his wits by Conqueror's Haki.

Thankfully, he's not old enough to do manual labor yet, otherwise, it would be incredibly embarrassing if there was any unpleasant smell in the room...

"Ahem... Lady Chiyo has urgent business with you at the Wind Shadow Pavilion..."

Whether it was because he felt ashamed after what Shinto said, or because he realized that not knocking before entering the room was indeed impolite and he was too embarrassed to stay any longer, the ANBU member coughed awkwardly twice, delivered the message, and then quickly disappeared from the room, just as he had come, without leaving a trace...

"...Damn! Is this how third-generation sissies teach their underlings? (⊙_⊙)?"

After the ANBU guy left, Shinto stared blankly at the seat where the guy had been sitting. No wonder he got killed by his nephew. Like father, like son. The underlings he trained were all so rude, and the boss wasn't any better. I bet that sissy from the third generation will eventually discover some little secret about Sasori, like whether he used his left or right hand during puberty... and then Sasori will find out and kill him.

Pah! Serves you right...!

That's right, in four years, Sunagakure... no! It should be said that all the major ninja villages in the ninja world plagiarized Tobirama Senju. After Tobirama established the Anbu in Konoha, they all shamelessly copied him, even going so far as to copy and paste the names without bothering to change them... no! They changed two words. Tobirama's Anbu was called the Konoha Assassination Tactics Special Forces, and then, to avoid being sued for royalties by Tobirama, the Kage of each village slightly changed two words: Sunagakure called it the Sunagakure Assassination Tactics Special Forces, Kumogakure called it the Kumogakure Assassination Tactics Special Forces, and Iwagakure called it the Iwagakure Assassination Tactics Special Forces...

Although there was a strong suspicion of bandwagoning, the fact that their full name was different from Konoha's made Tobirama Senju feel utterly disgusted, like he'd eaten shit. They were all a bunch of shameless copycats...

This special assassination tactical unit, known as the Anbu, has been directly under the command of the Village Kage since its inception. Currently, as Shamon's "close" little brother and a role model for the younger generation of Sunagakure, the future Third Hokage naturally became the head of the Anbu, making him second only to the Kage. The future Third Hokage's path to promotion is nothing short of a legend in the Sunagakure workplace. In just a few years, he was able to climb from an outside errand boy to the position of Anbu head. For an ordinary person, this would take at least ten or twenty years, but the future Third Hokage accomplished it in just a few years.

.....

"boom!"

"Brother Sunagawa, your Anbu really needs to clean up its act. The world is going to the dogs! Members of the Anbu under the Kazekage's command don't even know the most basic etiquette—knocking on the door before entering. This time it's alright, I'm just a minor, but if they don't knock next time they enter Aunt Chiyo's room, it'll be a big problem... Huh? Everyone's here... Are we having a year-end party today? (⊙_⊙)?"

After slowly brushing my teeth and washing my face, I ate breakfast and then went to Fengying Tower. I punched the door of Fengying's office to pieces. Before I even entered the room, the sound had already reached inside. When I walked into the office, wow, almost everyone in the village at the Red Stick level or above was there. Luckily, Fengying's office was big enough, otherwise it really wouldn't have been able to accommodate so many people.

.....

Everyone in the room was exasperated when they saw Masato walk in. He was already almost ten years old, and his mouth was still so foul... Lord Retsujin should have shot this brat against the wall back then... ヽ(ー_ー11)

Holding an annual party? Seriously, how did you even come up with that idea?

Snapped!

"You brat, what nonsense are you spouting? I called you here because it's important. Be serious, stop joking around..."

Chiyo slapped his head in an annoyed tone and said.

"What big event could be so significant that it warrants such a large-scale mobilization? Have aliens attacked?"

Masato rubbed his head and complained.

In the shadows outside the window of the Wind Shadow Pavilion, the ANBU member who had bravely stormed into the True Fighting Room nearly fell off the roof.

Damn it, all I did was wake you up, did you have to tattle on me in front of so many people...ヽ(′ー`)?

The surrounding ANBU members looked at the young ANBU member with sympathy.

My condolences.

"...It's even more remarkable than an alien invasion. We received accurate information that Hashirama Senju passed away yesterday evening. Isn't that amazing?"

Hai Zang rolled his eyes and said.

Originally, Shinto shouldn't have been allowed to attend this meeting. Although his strength had increased rapidly in recent years, and although they had never fought, he had observed him at times. Just his chaotic swordsmanship was very powerful, at least at the level of a Jonin, a Jonin who was over nine or ten years old.

My goodness!

If this news gets out, it'll shock the entire ninja world! Even Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha weren't this powerful...

Even though this kid's talent is extraordinary, he's not a ninja yet according to the proper procedures, so it's not his turn to participate in the grand meeting. However, after Shamon and the others confirmed the extent of his growth, they decided to let him participate in the meeting as well.

As a result, everyone arrived, and the ANBU who went to call this kid had returned more than half an hour ago, before this guy finally came over slowly. The saliva he spat out still had a slight onion smell, so Haizang was sure that this brat must have eaten breakfast before coming.

"Holy crap! That old idiot who did tree planting is finally dead. What are we waiting for? Let's gather the team and get to work! What are we still doing here? What are we waiting for?! σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

When Shinto heard Kaizo say that Hashirama Senju, that old clown, was dead, he immediately perked up, rolled up his sleeves, and looked at everyone with great enthusiasm.

20. Started as a Chunin right after joining the company.

"Sigh... Shinto, starting a war isn't as simple as you think. Konoha isn't some Tom, Dick, or Harry. Konoha has grown incredibly powerful over the years. Even with Hashirama Senju dead, it's not something a single village like Sunagakure can shake..."

Shamon sighed and explained that he was happy to see Masato making such a breakthrough, but he was still a bit impulsive. However, he couldn't be blamed; anyone in the village would probably have the same thought. Even though the gap between their wealth and that of Konoha was so huge, the insurmountable mountain that used to weigh on them was gone, and Konoha was no longer invincible. They were willing to gamble on even the slightest chance, either to achieve great wealth or to start all over again. In any case, things couldn't get any worse.

“Shamon is right. Even if we are to go to war with Konoha, this war cannot be started so easily. We need to plan carefully when and how to fight. Currently, it's not just us who have received the news; Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure have also received it. Moreover, for some reason, Iwagakure's reaction is even more intense than ours. If possible, it would be best to let them enter the fray first, test Konoha's strength, and see how powerful Konoha has become over the years…”

After Shamon finished speaking, Chiyo also gave her explanation.

After Chiyo finished speaking, a group of people above the rank of Red Stick nodded in agreement, whether they understood or not. After all, if they pretended not to understand, it would be a loss of face. Even the heads of several major clans wanted to attack Konoha immediately to gain benefits, but since Chiyo said to wait, they would wait. They might be unhappy with Chiyo in private, but they didn't dare to contradict her in front of so many people. Chiyo's Ten Ninja Puppet Masters were the pinnacle of puppetry, and they couldn't compete with them.

"...Hmm! Aunt Chiyo, your analysis makes a lot of sense! But...why did you call me here? You're not going to appoint me as Grand Marshal when the war starts, are you? Although I believe I have the ability, isn't it a bit too early? Everyone here is still alive and well. (⊙_⊙)?"

Shinto, with a serious expression, agreed with Chiyo's statement. Even though Hashirama Senju, that old clown, was dead, Konoha's strength was still the strongest in the entire ninja world. At this time, Danzo, the ally of villains, had not yet turned evil, the Senju clan had not yet declined, and the Uchiha clan still had the confidence to be called the number one clan in the ninja world. In addition, there were also the Hyuga, Sarutobi, Shimura, and other messy Sengoku clans below them. At this time, whoever was the first to start a war with Konoha would definitely be the one to be attacked.

However, he did know the inside story of the commotion in Iwagakure. It was because the Second Tsuchikage and his bulbous-nosed disciple had been thoroughly beaten up by Madara back then. When Madara was alive, they dared not vent their anger and could only swallow their pride. Now that those two god-like men were dead, they were taking out their pent-up anger on Konoha.

The higher a person's position and power, the more they care about their reputation. Being brutally beaten by Madara back then was a lifelong disgrace for both master and disciple. It's said that Onoki's lack of growth in recent years might be due to the fact that he stopped growing after being brutally beaten by Madara...

Whether it's letting Iwagakure draw Konoha's initial aggro, that first shot is often when the firepower is strongest.

But... he was curious. None of this seemed to concern him. He hadn't even officially started working yet, and even if he had, he'd just be a rookie genin with no experience. He couldn't understand why these guys had called him here...

"Ahem, I called you here because I learned about your strength from Lady Chiyo. Since war is approaching, we should avoid any unnecessary procedures. This is your ninja headband. From today onwards, you are a Chunin belonging to the Anbu. I have a mission to assign to you later. Everyone else, go back and start preparing, according to Lady Chiyo's plan. We'll enter after the Iwa ninjas make their move."

After Shamon finished speaking to Shinto and tossed him a ninja headband, he addressed the others present.

"...Brother Sunakawa, is your Anbu out of talent? What kind of mission requires a minor like me to carry out..."

After the high-ranking officials above the Red Stick level left, Shinto looked at the Sand Ninja headband on his hand and muttered something to himself next to the future Third Hokage.

He never expected that getting a job would be so easy, especially starting as a Chunin. It was too casual. Almost everyone in his class who enrolled with him back then was already a Genin. But because he hadn't been to the school for years, it seemed like both the teachers and Principal Shamon had forgotten about him. They didn't even notify him about the assessment. He thought that to get a job, he would have to go to the school to take an exam and then start from the bottom, working his way up step by step.

But now... the Sand Village is much more casual than Konoha; you can easily become a Chunin...

"Don't talk nonsense. The mission we've assigned you this time is difficult for others to complete, but because of your young age, you're the most likely to succeed. We're about to go to war with Konoha. Since Tobirama Senju established the Konoha Anbu, the head of the Anbu has been Ito Hatake, the head of the Hatake clan. It has to be said that the Hatake clan seems to be born for this. Since that day, the people we sent to infiltrate Konoha have been eliminated one after another. So far, only two or three are still alive, making it very difficult to gather information about Konoha. We plan to use your young age and the advantage of being able to conceal yourself to go to Konoha and gather information about their situation. It would be best if you could find out about their Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and their military strength... If possible, while ensuring your own safety, we hope you can obtain a complete Tailed Beast Sealing Technique from Konoha and bring it back."

"Sigh! War preparations are underway, but the One-Tailed Beast has started to stir things up lately..."

After Chiyo finished speaking with Shinto, she sighed softly. In fact, the sealing technique had ended up like this because of her. When Hashirama Senju founded Konoha, he didn't have enough money and wanted to sell the other tailed beasts, except for the Nine-Tails, to other villages as strategic resources to raise money. However, Sunagakure already had the One-Tail, and in their view, the tailed beasts were only different in terms of tails, and their strength should be similar, even if they were weaker, they wouldn't be much weaker. Therefore, Sunagakure did not participate in that tailed beast auction.

All they lacked was the sealing technique for the Tailed Beasts. The sealing technique passed down in their village was incomplete. So, Retsuto suggested that when Konoha needed money, they could take the golden sand to Konoha to trade for complete Tailed Beast sealing techniques. The only thing their Sand Village had in abundance was money. Although sealing techniques were precious, Konoha at that time could negotiate as long as the price was right.

21. Hai Zang: How is this SSS-level mission calculated?

However, at the time, it was all because she was young and impetuous. In addition, the complete Tailed Beast Sealing Technique was in the possession of Mito Uzumaki, the first flower of the ninja world and Hashirama Senju's wife. Mito Uzumaki was not only the flower of the ninja world, but also a famous sealing technique master. As a fellow flower of the ninja world, she naturally had a competitive mentality. Therefore, she rejected Retsuto's suggestion and even patted her chest to guarantee that she could also perfect the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique.

However, it turns out that while she excels in poison making and puppetry, she is no match for Mito Uzumaki, who has a long and distinguished family tradition in sealing techniques. She has been researching the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique for several years, but has made no progress whatsoever. With the war about to begin and the One-Tailed Beast being rather restless at this time, she no longer has the leisure to slowly study the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique. If the One-Tailed Beast were to cause trouble at this time, it would give Tobirama Senju, that old schemer, an opportunity.

So when Shamon discussed sending Masato to Konoha to gather information, she also gave Masato this task. Of course, the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique was a secret of Konoha, and she knew the chances were slim. Although it was very dangerous, she still hoped that Masato could bring back the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique while ensuring his own safety. Over the years, their village had paid too high a price for this Tailed Beast.

"...You really think highly of me. Gathering information on their forces is manageable; I'm fairly confident in that. But the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique... Aunt Chiyo, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was your previous 'Flower of the Shinobi World'! Aren't you afraid I'll die young because of those strange and unusual sealing techniques..."

After suffering in Sunagakure for so long, it wouldn't be bad to be able to go to Konoha and enjoy himself for a while. So Shinto accepted the mission without hesitation. Moreover, their analysis made sense. Even that cunning old fox Tobirama Senju wouldn't have thought that their village would send a kid who wasn't even ten years old to Konoha as a spy, right? So his chances of infiltrating during this sensitive period were very high.

However... thinking about the two hellish tasks Chiyo gave him, he was speechless. Don't underestimate Mito Uzumaki just because she's not as famous as Hashirama Senju or Madara. Her Reaper Death Seal is so powerful that even Hashirama would have to call her "Mom." Trying to get the Tailed Beast Sealing Technique from her is like facing a top-tier player right after leaving the beginner's village.