Narration system starting from Konoha

Living a long life is perhaps Kakuzu's only source of pride, since he can still refer to himself as "this old man" even when encountering Onoki.

"You old bastard, how dare you call me a lunatic and insult my art? Go to hell!"

Deidara casually tossed out a few exploding insects, which hopped and skipped toward surrounding Kakuzu.

"You're making a fool of yourself with such trivial skills."

The black threads extended, piercing through the surrounding exploding insects in the blink of an eye.

The Earth Grudge in Kakuzu's mouth instantly solidified and extended, like a sharp thorn, shooting into the sky.

The Fire Release Mask and Wind Release Mask unleashed their power simultaneously, unleashing a powerful ninjutsu that formed a fire tornado that blotted out the sky. The clay bird was sucked in by the powerful storm and instantly pierced by the Earth Grudge Threads.

Deidara and Sasori simultaneously launched themselves towards the large tree below.

Its powerful metal tail suddenly shot out, embedding itself in the tree and securing its body, allowing it to easily leap onto a branch.

Deidara used the large tree for leverage, glaring angrily at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu sneered inwardly. It was his carelessness to let Kakashi and the Uchiha escape. Now that he was the Trinity, those two clueless lunatics dared to provoke him; they were courting death.

"You old codger, let me show you my art."

Clay insects were thrown out like a shower of flowers.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness".

"Fire Release: Head Carving".

Towering flames mixed with lightning shot forward, and clay insects that hadn't even gotten close were either detonated or completely extinguished.

"Deidara, I am proficient in the five major esoteric techniques. How could I not know that lightning release counters earth release? Your explosive clay is also an earth release technique."

It may be unsolvable for the enemy, but it's beneath my dignity."

Age is a burden for many ninjas, but it's an asset for Kakuzu. It seems Kakuzu hasn't lived in vain even in his eighties; although his strength hasn't increased much over the decades, his knowledge has certainly grown considerably.

"Hmph, the narrator talks too much nonsense."

"Deidara, your so-called explosive art can only go so far," Hiruko said with a faint sneer.

Although Sasori of the Red Sand teamed up with Deidara, he never felt that Deidara was worthy of discussing art with him; Deidara's explosive art was more like child's play.

The narrator's words made Deidara's face turn red and then pale, and flames of anger burned fiercely in his eyes.

"That old bastard Kakuzu thinks he can counter me with his Lightning Release? Brother Sasori, this time I'll show you what true art is."

Deidara ripped open his coat, revealing two teeth in his chest.

"This is the technique I originally prepared for Itachi Uchiha to take him down with me. The explosion will have a diameter of ten kilometers. You two will witness the final art with me."

"Deidara, you madman, stop right now! We're all comrades in the same organization. If the three of us die together here, it'll only make us a laughingstock."

"Do you want to live forever in the shadow of Itachi Uchiha's mocking words?" Kakuzu was somewhat exasperated.

Although Kakuzu is not afraid of death, he does not want to die so inexplicably, being blown up by Deidara. It would be a joke if word got out.

Sasori snorted coldly and didn't continue to mock him. He had figured out that Deidara's mind was not fully developed and he was a bit stubborn. It would be a disgrace to Sasori's reputation to argue with such an idiot.

Deidara glanced at Sasori, who remained silent, and Kakuzu, who had yielded, and gave a haughty snort before ceasing his actions.

Deidara's so-called mutual destruction was just for show. If he weren't truly stupid, why would he risk his life to take down his enemy after only three sentences?

However, Kakuzu and Sasori have already put him on a pedestal. He must defend his art of explosives, otherwise who in the Akatsuki organization will respect him in the future?

Half a thick pitcher plant emerged from the ground, revealing the figure of the white Zetsu.

"Kakuzu, one of your White Zetsu companions has gone missing. What happened?"

Kakuzu glared at White Zetsu: "Let Uchiha Sora kill him, and that good-for-nothing Hidan too. Uchiha Sora said he buried him underground. Go look for him on the distant battlefield."

"Maybe we can still save Hidan. This piece of trash can't even beat Uchiha Sora. He should just be kicked out of the organization."

This ridiculous mission has already made Kakuzu a little impatient. Not only do they have to find Orochimaru, who likes to hide, but they also have to deal with Jiraiya and capture the Nine-Tails. For the first time, Kakuzu feels that Hidan is a piece of trash.

Bai Zetsu said, "It seems that Hidan's secret has been exposed by the narrator, but his curse technique can be very powerful at times."

I'll go look for him later. If I'm careful, Hidan is still quite strong.

Deidara snorted coldly: "What a shameless attempt to glorify Hidan. A ninja who is easily captured once his secrets are exposed will have limited strength even if he is rescued."

Kakuzu and Sasori were somewhat disdainful, saying it was as if Deidara's secrets had been exposed by the narrator, making him seem incredibly strong. Aside from his suicide attacks, he wasn't very capable, and he was just bragging all the time.

"Narrator, you're asking for it."

Deidara was angered and embarrassed after his sore spot was hit.

Bai Jue said, "The mission to capture the Nine-Tails will be postponed. We need to find Orochimaru first. According to intelligence, Jiraiya and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki appeared in the Land of Rice Fields to find Sasuke."

"As long as we find Orochimaru, even if we can't kill him, snatching Sasuke from him will attract the Nine-Tails."

Kakuzu sneered: "Bonds, what a laughable thing. Only the ninjas from these great ninja villages would be so naive."

Kakuzu, at over eighty years old, has lived a life of wasted potential. Two out of the four ninjas present are from adult villages.

Half of the Akatsuki members were rogue ninja from major ninja villages; their age likely caused brain degeneration, leading to dementia.

Kakuzu snorted dismissively, too lazy to explain.

"White Zetsu, lead the way to Orochimaru. I've disliked that guy for a long time, so this is a good opportunity to take care of him," Sasori said.

Following the White Zetsu's directions, the three of them quickly traversed the forest.

On the other side, Kakashi and Uchiha Sora were resting against a large tree.

He jumped onto a tall tree and looked into the distance, saying, "It seems Kakuzu didn't follow us. The Hokage has given us a difficult problem."

The situation in the Land of Rice Fields is complex. Not only do they have to deal with the Akatsuki, but they also have to contend with Orochimaru. Finding Sasuke won't be easy.

Kakashi nodded. How could he not know that since Sasuke had made preparations to leave, he wouldn't easily return to the village until he had finished taking revenge. It would be troublesome if they actually found him.

Konoha has always shown no mercy to rogue ninja; even if they aren't executed, they are imprisoned for life.

Kakashi glanced at Uchiha Sora, realizing that Sora probably already knew, which explained his lack of concern about finding Sasuke—after all, they were brothers. He figured it was better for Sora to train diligently outside the village than to keep him imprisoned.

Only with strength can one have the leverage to negotiate with the village.

As a veteran ninja of Konoha, Kakashi knew all too well the dark side of the village.

When faced with a powerful figure like Orochimaru, all they can do is issue a symbolic arrest warrant; the so-called pursuit ninjas are no different from suicide missions.

After resting for a while, the two got up and continued on their way.

Following the map, we arrived at a slightly bustling town in the Land of Fields.

Various shops are located on both sides of the town.

Sora laughed and said, "Jiraiya-senpai, this doesn't seem like you're on a mission. It's more like you're taking Naruto and Sakura on a trip."

"Could it be that the senior has fallen into a trap of pleasure and doesn't want to return to Konoha? After all, Lady Tsunade isn't as gentle as a fallen woman."

"Ku, do you mean Lady Tsunade is very strict?" Kakashi asked softly.

Sora glanced at Kakashi and said, "Kakashi-sensei, don't try to trick me. Are you planning to go back and tattle on me?"

It's unbelievable that the mighty Copy Ninja Kakashi has developed such childish habits as tattling. It's truly a sign of the world going to the dogs and people losing their morals.

However, I didn't say anything bad about Tsunade-senpai. Once I get back, I'll report on Jiraiya-senpai's actions in the Land of Rice Fields as soon as possible.

Kakashi was speechless and said, "How do you know what Jiraiya-senpai was doing in the Land of Rice Fields? If you dare to make things up, I will expose you immediately."

Sora smiled and said, "We'll know once we find Jiraiya-senpai, Naruto, and Sakura."

Uchiha Sora knew all too well that a lecherous old man couldn't change his ways, and how could he not seek out prostitutes to discuss life without any restraint?

Kakashi didn't know what to say. Knowing Jiraiya as he did, if Jiraiya didn't frequent brothels, pigs would fly.

Sora approached Kakashi and whispered, "I see that Kakashi-sensei works very hard every day. Why don't you indulge yourself and experience the beauty of a woman?"

Don't follow Jiraiya's example. He was a scoundrel who would rather frequent brothels than actually date someone.

Kakashi-sensei probably hasn't experienced its wonder yet; once he does, he'll be bursting with boundless energy.

I see that many eligible female ninjas in the village have a good impression of Kakashi-sensei. If all else fails, we can choose from the younger ones.

Given Kakashi's seniority in Konoha, he could easily date a much younger woman without anyone gossiping.

[Uchiha Sora suddenly felt incredibly important. Not only did he have to take care of the emotional problems of the kids in Team 7, but he also had to worry about his teacher's marriage. Kakashi-sensei was definitely a handful.]

Kakashi's lips twitched, and he punched Sora on the head: "Stop talking nonsense all day long. I don't want to get married right now."

What does a little kid know? He's always pretending to have experienced everything.

Sora pursed her lips: "So I'll let you experience the wonder of it first. Judging from how engrossed Jiraiya-senpai is, you can probably tell the gist of it without even experiencing it."

And Kakashi-sensei, you don't want the Hatake family to die out in your generation, do you? This is a family with a long and distinguished lineage.

If the ancestors of the Hatake family knew you were childless, they'd probably be so angry they'd rise from the dead.

Kakashi really wanted to pin Ku to the ground and beat him up. What did he mean by "extinct lineage"? That was such a nasty thing to say. Besides, the Hatake clan still had a few families in Konoha, though they were small, insignificant households and didn't have close ties.

Sora said, "The narrator is right. It is indeed a small and insignificant family. So small that I have never heard of any other members of the Hatake clan except for Kakashi-sensei."

"you shut up."

Kakashi was starting to regret going on the mission with Sora; he was such a chatterbox.

Sora smiled but didn't say anything more. If he angered Kakashi and he got beaten up, he wouldn't even have a chance to reason with him.

The two looked at the map; the exact address was in a hotel.

Uchiha Sora laughed and said, "Kakashi-sensei, how about we make a bet? Jiraiya-senpai definitely isn't in the inn. He's probably out having a good time at some brothel in town under the guise of gathering intelligence."

Kakashi said seriously, "Finding Naruto and Sakura is the most important thing. I'm afraid Naruto and Sakura aren't in good condition right now, and the Land of Rice Fields is in crisis everywhere."

If they act impulsively, they will only needlessly lose their lives.

Kakashi isn't stupid; he knows Jiraiya's character perfectly well. He wouldn't take a bet he's destined to lose.

Kong nodded: "A very high-sounding reason, one that is impossible to refute."

The two walked along the street, their empty system space constantly searching for information about the shops on both sides.

Along the way, many unfamiliar faces were watching them.

These people were impossible to tell; perhaps they were local gangsters looking for robbery targets, or perhaps they were spies planted by Orochimaru.

More likely, it's the locals' instinctive wariness of suddenly appearing outsiders.