Chapter 705: Refusal

Land of Rain, Six Paths City.

“The Shinobi Sect is developing better and better. Iwagakure and Sunagakure are actually holding their exchange meeting in Six Paths City. Are they trying to express their support for the Shinobi Sect?”

“But didn’t Iwagakure and Sunagakure sign a peace treaty with Konoha a few months ago? Is another war about to break out?”

“Who knows? When have the Five Great Ninja Villages ever truly settled down?”

After Iwagakure and Sunagakure announced the news and sent Ninja into Six Paths City, various discussions arose within Six Paths City.

Most people believed that Iwagakure and Sunagakure were supporting the Shinobi Sect, thinking that the two Ninja Villages wanted to unite with the Shinobi Sect to counter Konoha and Hidden Mist.

At first, some people thought the Shinobi Sect was lacking, but upon closer inspection, they found that the Shinobi Sect was not simple.

On the surface, besides its powerful leader, the Shinobi Sect didn’t have much else that stood out.

However, upon careful consideration, the deceased Hanzo, the Amegakure’s increasingly deep cooperation with the Shinobi Sect, plus the newly established Shinobi Sect branch in Bird Country…

Perhaps the actual number of Ninja the Shinobi Sect could mobilize was even greater than that of a relatively strong small Ninja Village like Grass Ninja Village.

Moreover, the Shinobi Sect’s powerful leader added too much value. He even defeated the Third Hokage, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the strongest battle record in the Ninja World currently.

Of course, speculation is just speculation.

In reality, neither the Shinobi Sect nor Iwagakure and Sunagakure had any intention of deep cooperation.

On the Shinobi Sect’s side, it was very simple: in Muzuki’s plan, unless all Five Great Ninja Villages were convinced and willing to live in peace together, there would be nothing to discuss.

Before that, the Shinobi Sect would remain neutral.

The situation on Iwagakure and Sunagakure’s side was a bit more complex. They set the exchange meeting’s location in Six Paths City to attract attention.

In fact, Iwagakure and Sunagakure had already secretly dispatched Ninja to the Land of Lightning.

It was indeed a three-party alliance, but it wasn’t Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and the Shinobi Sect, but rather the three Ninja Villages of Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure.

Compared to the Shinobi Sect, which would compete for their share, Iwagakure and Sunagakure leaned more towards Kumogakure.

During the Third Shinobi World War, they had attacked each other, but even the strongest Konoha was strengthening its ties with allies, so the three Ninja Villages had no choice but to temporarily put aside their previous grudges.

To avoid alerting Konoha, Iwagakure and Sunagakure deliberately arranged this show.

However, Iwagakure and Sunagakure put on a thorough act, indeed sending many talented Ninja from their villages, and the leaders of the exchange team were all relatively well-known Ninja from their villages.

After Chiyo arrived in Six Paths City with her team, she handed all the work to her deputy. She was only there to see Sasori, not really to work.

On Chiyo’s first day at the Shinobi Sect, she inquired about Sasori from a Shinobi Sect Ninja.

To her surprise, the Ninja she asked didn’t know Sasori.

Chiyo found this strange; with Sasori’s ability, how could he be unknown in the Shinobi Sect?

However, Chiyo didn’t pay too much attention to it. She thought it might be because Sasori was worried about Sunagakure pursuing the Shinobi Sect, as, strictly speaking, Sasori was a rogue Ninja from Sunagakure.

So, Chiyo used her identity to express her desire to meet Sasori to the Shinobi Sect’s higher-ups, and this time, there were no surprises.

After the Shinobi Sect confirmed Sasori’s wishes, they quickly gave a reply and arranged a specific time.

On the day of the meeting.

Chiyo specially chose the casual clothes she wore most often when Sasori was in Hidden Sand Village, tidied herself up thoroughly in advance, and then went to the Shinobi Sect’s reception room.

For Chiyo, this meeting was very important. If it failed, she would lose her last bloodline.

She even considered whether to just knock Sasori out and take him away, but quickly gave up on the idea.

Because, knowing Sasori, she knew this wouldn’t solve the problem. Unless she imprisoned Sasori forever, doing so would only make the situation worse.

Upon entering the reception room, Chiyo looked at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar red-haired young man, feeling a moment of trance.

What was familiar was that Sasori’s appearance hadn’t changed much; he was still her familiar grandson.

What was unfamiliar was that the usually aloof Sasori was chatting like a friend with someone she didn’t know.

“Sasori, did you learn your Puppet Technique from your grandmother?”

“Yes, why? Are you going to say, ‘Oh, you’re the grandson of a legendary puppeteer, no wonder your Puppet Technique is so amazing’?”

“No, but your grandmother is indeed very famous. Even someone like me, who doesn’t understand Puppet Technique, has heard of her.”

“What good is being famous? Will the enemy spare your life because of your teacher’s reputation?”

Hearing this, the light in Chiyo’s eyes dimmed a few shades.

As soon as Sasori said this, Chiyo knew that the chances of success today were slim.

“Sasori, how have you been recently? Is there anything you’re not used to in the Land of Rain?” Chiyo composed herself and asked Sasori with an extremely kind smile.

“It’s alright, nothing I’m not used to,” Sasori turned to Chiyo and replied.

With his strength, how could he not have noticed Chiyo’s arrival? The words he just spoke were intentionally for Chiyo to hear.

Sasori wasn’t surprised that Chiyo knew he was in the Shinobi Sect. Firstly, he hadn’t concealed his identity in the Shinobi Sect and Six Paths City, and secondly, there was the matter of the puppet prosthetic limbs.

However, Chiyo suddenly seeking him out was worth pondering.

After thinking carefully, Sasori felt that Chiyo might want him to return to Hidden Sand Village.

But Sasori couldn’t go back with Chiyo. Sasori didn’t blame Chiyo for his parents’ deaths; it had little to do with Chiyo.

It was because of the Third Kazekage. Sasori had already killed the Third Kazekage and transformed him into a human puppet.

It’s just that Hidden Sand Village doesn’t know this yet. If they did, Sasori wouldn’t just be unable to return to Hidden Sand Village; he would immediately become Hidden Sand Village’s number one most wanted criminal.

Without this matter, Sasori might not have gone back. With this matter, Sasori would definitely not go back.

If the matter came to light, Chiyo would also be implicated because of him.

“Could you please step out for a moment? I have some private matters I’d like to discuss with Sasori,” Chiyo said to Nagato.

Although she was Sasori’s grandmother, openly poaching him was still too much.

“Hmm,” Nagato nodded, walked out of the reception room, and left the space to the grandmother and grandson.

Twenty seconds after Nagato left, Chiyo quickly formed hand seals to condense Chakra, swiftly set up a simple small barrier, and then looked at Sasori and said:

“Sasori, come back to Hidden Sand Village with me. Staying in the Shinobi Sect will be very dangerous.”

“Even if you don’t want to return to Hidden Sand Village, that’s fine. Just don’t continue staying in the Shinobi Sect. The Shinobi Sect is heading towards an abyss; this is a path that cannot be traversed.”

Chiyo truly didn’t have high hopes for the Shinobi Sect. The Second Shinobi World War had already proven how difficult it was to become the sixth major Ninja power.

The Shinobi Sect wouldn’t be facing just one great Ninja Village, but all the great Ninja Villages surrounding it.

It’s just that the Shinobi Sect hasn’t reached that critical point yet. If it truly did, Chiyo had no doubt that Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure, the three great Ninja Villages, would act together.

They might not form an allied army, but they would certainly all send Ninja troops.

“Is there any Ninja Village that is completely safe?” Sasori retorted.

The profession of a Ninja itself is one that lives on the edge of a blade.

“You know, it’s not the same,” Chiyo shook her head.

How could the danger of Ninja missions be equated with such a major war?

“In my opinion, it’s the same, and staying in the Shinobi Sect is even more meaningful,” Sasori replied indifferently.

“You know, the Shinobi Sect’s goal is actually peace in the Ninja World, not to become the strongest Ninja power, or to dominate the Ninja World.”

“Many Ninja Organizations in the Ninja World have that goal,” Chiyo said.

“But the Shinobi Sect actually did it,” Sasori said with a serious expression.

“Under the Shinobi Sect’s governance, the Land of Rain truly became peaceful, and its domestic security is even better than that of the Land of Wind.”

Sasori listed the changes the Shinobi Sect had brought to the Land of Rain since its establishment.

“Because this is their own country,” Chiyo retorted.

She didn’t believe there were so many true pacifists in this world. If there were, why would the Ninja World be constantly plagued by war?

“They are doing the same thing in Bird Country.”

“This is expanding influence.”

It was precisely the Shinobi Sect’s actions in Bird Country that aroused Sunagakure’s vigilance. If left unchecked, allowing the Shinobi Sect to do this in every small country, then the Shinobi Sect’s strength would rapidly expand.

“Since you’ve said that, there’s no need to talk any further. You can’t persuade me to return to Hidden Sand Village, and I can’t persuade you to understand the Shinobi Sect’s uniqueness,” Sasori replied calmly.

During his days in the Shinobi Sect, Sasori, as an observer, clearly saw what the Shinobi Sect was truly doing.

Let alone Chiyo, even some ordinary Shinobi Sect Ninja might not understand the Shinobi Sect as well as he did.

Chiyo was speechless.

She had originally thought Sasori joined the Shinobi Sect for some special reason, but she didn’t expect Sasori had simply acknowledged the Shinobi Sect.

“Can we talk again in a couple of days?” Chiyo felt that no results would come from today’s conversation.

“I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Just for the sake of accompanying me, a lonely old woman, okay?”

“I might not have time.”

Hearing Sasori’s last words, Chiyo temporarily breathed a sigh of relief, said goodbye to Sasori, and left.

Twenty seconds after Chiyo left, Nagato returned to the reception room.

“What’s wrong?” Nagato asked with concern.

He saw that Chiyo’s expression wasn’t very good, not like she had had a pleasant conversation with a long-lost relative.

“What else? If your relatives were captured by a certain Ninja power, would you be happy?” Sasori said.

“According to the conditions given by Sensei, Sasori, your sentence is almost up,” Nagato said after thinking for a moment.

Muzuki’s condition was that if Sasori could help the Shinobi Sect get the puppet prosthetic limbs technology, his sentence would be reduced by five years, and Nagato had the right to reduce Sasori’s sentence by up to four years.

Nagato was very satisfied with Sasori’s performance and had already maximized the sentence reduction he could offer.

Sasori only needed to successfully enable one Shinobi Sect Ninja to master the puppet prosthetic limbs technology, and his sentence would immediately end.

“Do you think teaching those idiots Puppet Technique is easy?” Sasori said displeased, then stood up and walked towards the laboratory alone.

Nagato showed a puzzled expression, not understanding how he had just annoyed Sasori… Land of Lightning, Western Port Town.

While the attention of the entire Ninja World was on Six Paths City, Sunagakure and Iwagakure dispatched Ninja to the Land of Lightning.

To reduce the risk of exposure, they didn’t even choose any of the great Ninja Villages as their meeting place, but rather a western port in the Land of Lightning.

“The Shinobi Sect has wolfish ambitions, and Konoha and Hidden Mist have great designs. I’m afraid a new great war will soon be upon us,” Yashamaru said first.

As he spoke, Yashamaru carefully observed the expressions of the Iwagakure representative and the Kumogakure representative out of the corner of his eye, focusing on the Kumogakure representative.

The Land of Lightning was not like the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, which bordered the Land of Rain. Even if the Amegakure became the sixth great Ninja power, the impact on Kumogakure would not be as great as on Iwagakure and Sunagakure.

Most importantly, the Shinobi Sect would definitely not be able to become a true sixth great Ninja power in the short term, so Yashamaru also brought up Konoha and Hidden Mist.

The Shinobi Sect wouldn’t be able to affect Kumogakure for a long time, but Konoha could. Yashamaru didn’t believe Kumogakure wouldn’t worry about Konoha becoming too dominant and evolving into a super Ninja Village.

As Yashamaru expected, the Kumogakure representative’s expression became somewhat displeased.

“That’s right, at such a critical moment, our three great Ninja Villages must work together and not let Konoha succeed,” Dodai said.

Kumogakure’s internal leadership actually understood the Shinobi Sect’s potential, but they generally believed that the Shinobi Sect’s potential couldn’t be realized.

However, if Konoha received full assistance from Hidden Mist, the final outcome of their three great Ninja Villages uniting would be unpredictable.

“Recently, our Tsuchikage-sama personally ventured into danger and obtained a very important piece of intelligence,” Retsuishi said, and the conference room instantly fell silent.

Yashamaru and Dodai both looked at Retsuishi with surprise and curiosity.

If what Retsuishi said was true, the mere fact that the Tsuchikage personally risked danger was an important piece of intelligence.

And what level of intelligence would require the Tsuchikage to risk his life to obtain?

“Sōsuke is actually underestimated.”

Yashamaru and Dodai looked puzzled. People were already saying Sōsuke was the strongest Ninja in the Ninja World; how could he still be underestimated?

“Sōsuke possesses strength far beyond a Kage. If one were to describe his strength, it would be another God of Shinobi,” Retsuishi said solemnly.

Originally, Iwagakure wanted to hide the intelligence to trick Sunagakure, but Sunagakure wasn’t falling for it anytime soon, coupled with the changing situation in the Ninja World.

After carefully weighing the pros and cons, Iwagakure still decided to reveal the intelligence they had gathered on the Shinobi Sect.

Anyway, Sunagakure hadn’t been tricked yet, and Sunagakure couldn’t abandon Iwagakure, a powerful ally, just because Iwagakure might try to trick them.

“God of Shinobi!” Dodai’s expression showed shock.

Defeating Hiruzen Sarutobi and being the God of Shinobi were two different concepts.

For example, the Third Raikage; some Cloud Ninja might think their Raikage was stronger than the Third Hokage, but no one would ever think the Third Raikage’s strength could rival the God of Shinobi.

Even Muzuki, who shone brightly during the Ninja War, was only considered to have the potential of a God of Shinobi, not to be equal to the God of Shinobi.

Yashamaru’s expression was even more dramatic, with surprise mixed with a hint of relief.

Sunagakure had been discussing how to deal with the Shinobi Sect recently.

If a real fight broke out, Sunagakure would certainly have no problem destroying the Shinobi Sect, but under Sōsuke’s full retaliation, Sunagakure would definitely decline.

This was retaliation from the God of Shinobi.

As for the authenticity of the intelligence, Yashamaru couldn’t think of a reason why Iwagakure would provide false intelligence for the time being.

To make Sunagakure and Kumogakure temporarily put aside Konoha to deal with the Shinobi Sect?

Sunagakure already had a conflict of interest with the Shinobi Sect. As for Kumogakure, if this was false intelligence, Sunagakure and Iwagakure alone, without Kumogakure, could steadily get rid of the Shinobi Sect, without any unexpected complications.