136-140

Chapter 136: Not a Single Sane Person in the Cult of the Evil God

As Sasori unleashed his full power, determined to prove himself, the elite squad of six Jonin pursuing him instantly found themselves on the brink of collapse.

Standing against them was none other than the Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest Kazekage in history, wielding his signature Magnet Release—the ultimate symbol of Sunagakure’s strength—to bombard them relentlessly.

This time, Sasori didn't bother with probing attacks. Right from the start, he launched a barrage of devastating Magnet Release techniques aimed directly at his enemies.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Surge!"

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Cube!"

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!"

Black iron sand continuously morphed into various forms, assaulting the Sand Ninja with unrelenting fury.

One moment, it surged like a monstrous tidal wave; the next, it transformed into a massive, crushing cube; and then, it shifted into countless sharp needles. The attacks were unpredictable and overwhelming.

Under such a terrifying onslaught, even a squad of six Jonin-level ninjas had no chance.

Their own attacks were utterly futile against the impenetrable iron sand. Meanwhile, a single hit from the iron sand would end their lives, as Sasori had laced every strike with a potent toxin capable of paralyzing their entire bodies.

The elite squad of Sunagakure lasted only seven minutes against Sasori's full strength before being completely defeated.

The once golden desert was now covered in black iron sand, resembling a strange stain on the landscape when viewed from above.

Sasori didn’t kill all of them, however. He spared the six Jonin who were still somewhat intact.

After all, they were perfect raw materials for making human puppets.

But Hidan was far from pleased.

"You dared to offer those worthless fish to Lord Jashin and kept these beautiful sacrifices for yourself? Blasphemer!"

Hidan screamed at Sasori, hurling insults.

In the end, it was Kaneki who had to intervene.

"Alright, Hidan. Sasori’s actions are to strengthen the Cult of the Evil God. Only by growing stronger as a whole can we offer even better sacrifices to Lord Jashin in the future, right?"

Hearing Kaneki's reasoning, Hidan remained dissatisfied—and even more enraged.

"Curse you, Kaneki! You’re siding with this red-haired rookie over me? I’ll kill you!"

With that, Hidan hefted his triple-bladed scythe and charged at Kaneki. But before he could land a blow, Kaneki casually decapitated him.

Without missing a beat, Kaneki plugged Hidan's severed head to stop his ranting and lifted it off the ground as if it were routine.

Noticing Sasori’s surprised expression, Kaneki offered a brief explanation:

"This is just how we get along. You'll get used to it."

Sasori's lips twitched. Forcing a smile, he replied, "You two sure have a… unique way of interacting."

Truthfully, Sasori had anticipated that life in the Cult of the Evil God would be anything but normal—but he hadn’t expected it to be this abnormal.

Still, he found the chaos oddly appealing. After all, he’d grown tired of living a normal life long ago. Experiencing decapitation and beheadings as part of daily life might actually be refreshing.

Seeing that Sasori had accepted the situation quickly, Kaneki adjusted his glasses slightly.

"Sasori, I’ll leave Gaara in your hands."

"Understood."

Sasori extended threads of chakra from his fingers, connecting them to Gaara and his six new puppet materials lying on the ground.

Kaneki then pressed a palm to the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu."

With a burst of smoke, a massive black raven appeared, summoned through a specialized space-time technique.

This was no ordinary summoning beast—it was a genetically modified creature engineered by Kaneki himself.

"Impressive work, as always, Kaneki-senpai."

Sasori could sense that the giant raven before him wasn’t just a summon. It was both physically and spiritually under Kaneki’s control—essentially, a puppet.

What a magnificent piece of art.

"You're too kind."

Kaneki offered a modest response as he climbed onto the raven, one hand holding Hidan's head and the other gripping his body.

Sasori quickly followed, carrying Gaara and the six "materials" with him.

By the time reinforcements from Sunagakure arrived, all that remained at the scene were corpses and remnants of black iron sand that Sasori hadn’t had time to clean up.

"Report this to the Kazekage immediately!"

Meanwhile, Kaneki and his companions flew through the desert for an entire day, eventually reaching one of Kaneki's most important strongholds—his research facility for studying Tailed Beast chakra.

The facility housed a blood pool.

The reason Kaneki didn’t take Gaara directly to the Land of Rain was simple: he wasn’t ready to hand over his first captured Tailed Beast so easily.

He was deeply interested in the Tailed Beasts as energy-based entities and wanted to study them thoroughly before giving them up.

As for Sasori, he was captivated by the biological weapons displayed throughout the facility.

Kneeling in front of a recently created broodmother, a massive, wriggling organism, Sasori asked excitedly:

"Kaneki-senpai, could you tell me what this marvelous creature does?"

Instead of answering, Kaneki gave the broodmother a command to demonstrate.

The grotesque creature began to writhe, extruding countless white eggs from its rear. These eggs hatched rapidly, and out came ghost-faced Sasoris. The Sasoris crawled toward the blood pool, prostrating themselves in submission to Kaneki.

"This is one of my biological weapons," Kaneki explained. "It produces ghost-faced Sasoris, venom-bladed centipedes, and desert dragonflies."

"The ghost-faced scorpions are my soldiers, the venom-bladed centipedes are my assassins, and the desert dragonflies serve as my eyes."

Kaneki’s lips curled into a mysterious smile.

"Of course, they will soon become a vital part of Sunagakure's forces as well."

Hearing this, Sasori was reminded of the recent buzz among the Sand Ninja about Kagune and the immensely popular Higanbana Trading Company—both secretly connected to the Cult of the Evil God.

So this was the extent of Kaneki-senpai’s control over Sunagakure.

Understanding this, Sasori's face flushed with excitement. Though he tried to hide it, his expression betrayed a sense of admiration and obsession.

"Kaneki-senpai, this is true art!"

Kaneki glanced at the red-haired youth, whose calm facade had crumbled into madness, and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He had hoped to recruit a more composed member this time, but it seemed that beneath Sasori's cold exterior lay a heart consumed by fervor.

Then again, no sane person would willingly join the Cult of the Evil God.

(End of Chapter)  

*Chapter 137: Madmen and Geniuses*

Although Sasori's methods were unexpectedly extreme, there was no denying that he was an exceptional researcher.

The knowledge he possessed was crucial to Kaneki.

"So, you're saying you can use Yin-Yang Release to preserve the chakra network activity in 'materials' and then modify other parts of their bodies to create human puppets?"

After reviewing the information Sasori provided, Kaneki asked calmly.

Sasori smiled faintly. Communicating with someone intelligent was always easier.

"Your understanding is truly remarkable, Kaneki-senpai. Unlike those puppet masters in the village, who can't even grasp my ideas."

Kaneki responded with a soft chuckle, adjusted his glasses, and handed the scroll detailing the human puppet technique back to Sasori.

In just a few minutes, Kaneki hadn't fully comprehended Sasori's application of Yin-Yang Release, but it was enough for him to record all the information.

Later, he would allocate sufficient computational power to analyze and integrate it into his own Yin-Yang Release project.

However, Sasori interpreted Kaneki's calm demeanor differently. After seeing Kaneki's indifferent reaction to the human puppet technique, he felt slightly disappointed.

Was his application of Yin-Yang Release too superficial in Kaneki-senpai's eyes?

It seemed he still had a long way to go in this area...

Noticing Sasori's slightly dejected expression, Kaneki lightly pushed up his glasses and said warmly, "Sasori, is something bothering you? Feel free to ask; if I can answer, I will."

Kaneki had always relied on himself for research. After all, given Hidan's limited intelligence, serving as a test subject was already his limit.

Expecting him to assist in research was out of the question.

The only person Kaneki had ever truly exchanged ideas with was the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru—though that was mostly Kaneki "borrowing" Orochimaru's expertise.

Now that Sasori, the creator of the human puppet technique, had joined the Cult of Jashin, Kaneki naturally hoped for intellectual collaboration.

Besides, Sasori had shared his human puppet technique without hesitation, so Kaneki couldn't hold back either.

Encouraged by Kaneki's words, Sasori, never one to hesitate, expressed his dilemma.

"I’ve been pondering how I can control more puppets at once..."

He raised his hands and stared at his ten fingers, regretting, "With only ten fingers, the limit is ten puppets. But that’s far from my potential."

Though Sasori's statement was somewhat awkwardly phrased, Kaneki understood it perfectly.

Essentially, Sasori’s mind was capable of controlling more puppets, but the limitation of his fingers held him back. He needed a way to break past that barrier.

Kaneki had already researched this issue.

"Sasori, humans have limits."

Kaneki spread his hands, and countless tendrils appeared behind him, each emitting faint blue chakra threads from their tips.

Tens of thousands of chakra threads blossomed like a radiant blue firework in the night sky!

With a foundational understanding of puppet techniques, controlling chakra threads through tendrils was child’s play for Kaneki.

It was just that his "fingers" were a tad excessive, so his chakra threads were, naturally, equally numerous.

This scene sparked awe in Sasori’s heart.

"If humans have limits, then we simply stop being human, don’t we?"

"Stop being human..."

Kaneki’s smile deepened, and Sasori’s pupils contracted as he gradually mirrored Kaneki's grin.

"Yes, we just need to stop being human!"

At that moment, Sasori seemed to discover a new world, gaining newfound clarity about himself.

The ultimate art he had been pursuing all along shouldn’t be confined to the limits of humanity!

As long as he remained bound to his human shell, he would never reach the pinnacle of true art.

Human bodies were inherently frail. Only by transcending this fragile vessel could one become stronger and pursue genuine art.

"As expected of Kaneki-senpai. Your words have truly opened my eyes!"

With a newfound excitement, Sasori's face lit up with a smile.

Seeing this, Kaneki smiled back and gently pulled out a scroll from the loose sleeve of his coat.

"This is a suggestion I came up with based on your question. You might find it useful."

Indeed, after observing Sasori’s battle using the Ten Puppets, Kaneki had already noticed this issue.

Sasori’s talent extended far beyond this.

After several days of effort, Kaneki had designed a solution for Sasori:

He proposed that Sasori evolve a "core" organ in his chest.

This organ would integrate numerous chakra circuits and produce countless tiny tendrils.

Using these tendrils, Sasori could emit chakra threads to control his puppets.

This approach presented two major challenges:

1. Kaneki needed to use biotechnology to perfectly connect this organ to Sasori’s nervous system while ensuring it could handle the chakra flow required to control so many puppets.

2. Sasori himself needed the skill to operate the "core," release large numbers of chakra threads, and manipulate the puppets with precision.

The second challenge was negligible. Based on Kaneki’s observations, Sasori’s abilities would allow him to control seventy to eighty puppets Kanekiltaneously without issue.

With sufficient training, Sasori could potentially exceed one hundred puppets.

Of course, as the number of puppets approached an individual’s limit, control precision would inevitably suffer. There was no perfect solution in this world.

The moment Sasori saw the design in Kaneki’s hands, his eyes sparkled with inspiration.

"Excuse me, Kaneki-senpai. I must leave now."

Without so much as an apology, Sasori hurried off to his research room, grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen, and began furiously sketching while referencing Kaneki’s scroll.

Far from being annoyed by Sasori’s "rude" behavior, Kaneki’s eyes shone with admiration.

He deeply appreciated Sasori, a genius with extraordinary talent and ability.

After all, the line between madness and genius was razor-thin.

Madmen and geniuses were two sides of the same coin. At the right moment, a gentle push could send a once-brilliant genius spiraling into the abyss of darkness.

And the brighter the genius, the heavier the darkness they bore once they fell.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 138: Shukaku, You're My Good Partner

Sasori was researching ways to transcend his human form, while Hidan soaked in the blood pool, awaiting his next evolution.

Seizing this opportunity, Kaneki finally had time to start studying Shukaku, the first Tailed Beast he had encountered.

Of course, claiming it as his own wasn’t an option—not yet.

At this stage, Kaneki still needed the Akatsuki organization to provide intel and assist in capturing other Tailed Beasts. Moreover, he was deeply intrigued by Nagato's Rinnegan and the Gedo Statue.

The legendary Sage of Six Paths’ eyes...

Based on his research, Kaneki suspected that the Gedo Statue's genes contained multiple gene locks, potentially hiding a monumental secret.

However, Kaneki's access to Gedo Statue materials was limited, preventing him from making much progress for now.

His plan was to hand Shukaku over to Nagato and see if he could "borrow" more Gedo Statue samples afterward.

Before delivering Shukaku to Nagato, Kaneki’s immediate priority was to put Shukaku under the microscope for thorough research.

Kaneki’s gaze shifted to Gaara, lying on the operating table.

Ever since they had escaped from Sunagakure's pursuit, Gaara had remained in this comatose state.

It wasn’t as if Kaneki had intentionally kept him unconscious—Gaara’s own consciousness seemed unwilling to awaken.

To ensure Gaara's survival, Kaneki continuously supplied him with nutrients through his tentacles.

"If you don’t want to wake up yet, let me thoroughly examine the Tailed Beast inside your body," Kaneki murmured.

Adjusting his glasses, Kaneki used a tentacle to lift Gaara from the operating table and lower him into the blood pool.

Through his studies in Sunagakure, Kaneki had learned that Tailed Beasts, sealed as chakra entities, could be accessed externally.

Shukaku was sealed within Gaara’s body in chakra form.

To ensure he could unleash enough power, Kaneki submerged Gaara into the blood pool, amplifying the energy of his clone body.

Once preparations were complete, Kaneki paused all other experiments to focus on his blood pool clone, located in the desert.

As Gaara sank into the blood pool, the warm crimson liquid enveloped him.

Kaneki could feel Gaara merging with his body.

Admittedly, the phrasing felt odd, but it was a literal merger.

Every drop of blood in the pool released massive amounts of chakra, surging through Gaara's pores and flowing along his chakra network toward the seal.

And so, Shukaku—recently sealed and battered in Sunagakure—came face-to-face with that man once again.

“Brat, let me out of here!”

At first sight, Shukaku struggled furiously against the seal.

Kaneki, however, calmly adjusted his glasses and spoke in an indifferent tone. “Shukaku, it’s not me who wants to seal you. Our leader specifically ordered it.”

Spreading his hands, Kaneki sighed. “On one side is you, my dear partner, and on the other is my superior. It’s really a tough position for me…”

Hearing this, a wave of murderous intent surged from Shukaku.

While it knew Kaneki’s words were insincere, the existence of his "superior" seemed genuine.

“Who’s this leader of yours?” Shukaku demanded in a sharp tone.

“Nagato. Ever heard of him?”

Without hesitation, Kaneki betrayed his boss.

After all, he was also curious about Nagato's true identity and why he possessed the legendary Sage of Six Paths’ eyes.

Shukaku frowned, shaking his head. “I’ve never heard of that name.”

“How about the Rinnegan?” Kaneki asked, dropping a bombshell.

As expected, Shukaku's demeanor changed instantly. “Rinnegan? Are you saying your leader has the Rinnegan?”

“Indeed, the legendary Sage of Six Paths’ eyes,” Kaneki confirmed with a slight nod.

At first, Shukaku didn’t believe it.

“Impossible! Other than the Sage of Six Paths himself, no one else can have the Rinnegan!”

Kaneki raised an eyebrow. The "Sage of Six Paths" Shukaku referred to clearly indicated some connection between the two.

“What’s your relationship with the Sage of Six Paths?” Kaneki asked directly, abandoning speculation.

Shukaku didn’t answer but instead posed a question of its own: “Even if your leader does have the Rinnegan, what’s he collecting the Tailed Beasts for?”

“Well…”

Kaneki scratched his nose and grinned. “That’s classified information. Shukaku, perhaps you should answer my question first before I answer yours.”

The implication was clear: a trade of intel.

After some deliberation, Shukaku decided it might be worth sharing.

“Fine. All nine of us Tailed Beasts were separated from the God Tree by the Sage of Six Paths.”

“The God Tree?”

Kaneki latched onto the key term, but Shukaku refused to elaborate further, instead pressing him for answers. “Your turn, brat. What’s your leader’s goal?”

“He wants us to collect the nine Tailed Beasts and seal them together to create a stronger, ultimate power. A force so overwhelming it can bring peace to the entire world.”

Kaneki smiled. Despite speaking of peace and ultimate strength, his expression betrayed no reverence.

Shukaku’s face darkened upon hearing this.

From Kaneki’s words, it deduced the leader's intention—a prospect it found intolerable.

After all, who would willingly forfeit their freedom and be forced to coexist with beings they despised for eternity?

“Brat, if you help break my seal, I’ll agree to any condition!”

Desperation tinged Shukaku’s voice.

Kaneki noted this urgency but maintained a conflicted expression. “Shukaku, you know our leader’s strength is…”

Before Kaneki could finish, Shukaku interrupted, “Brat, I’ll help you take down your so-called leader!”

Kaneki raised an eyebrow. Shukaku seemed genuinely afraid of being sealed by Nagato.

“Shukaku, do you really think the two of us can take on our leader, someone with the Sage’s eyes?”

Images of the Sage of Six Paths disciplining them like children flashed through Shukaku’s mind. The memory of those powerful eyes still haunted it.

So, Shukaku fell silent.

Kaneki narrowed his eyes. If Shukaku was this intimidated, the Rinnegan’s power might exceed even his wildest expectations.

(End of Chapter)  

*Chapter 139: The Deal with Shukaku*

Seeing Shukaku remain silent, Kaneki adjusted his glasses with a slight smile and said, “If Mr. Shukaku cannot guarantee his own safety, I’ll have no choice but to hand you over to the leader. While I value you as a great companion, the leader’s authority is not something I can defy.”

Kaneki’s tone was regretful.

Although Shukaku knew Kaneki’s words were insincere, it couldn’t help but feel anxious.

It had no desire to squeeze back into that cramped shell with that idiot, Nine-Tails!

Watching Shukaku’s expressions shift, Kaneki remained calm and unhurried.

If Shukaku could figure out a way to deal with Nagato while ensuring its own safety, that would naturally be ideal.

If not, Kaneki would simply carve off a piece for research and hand over the rest of its body to Nagato.

No matter what, Kaneki wasn’t going to fall out with Nagato—his sworn brother—for the sake of Shukaku, his “good friend.”

“Kid, how can you prove you’re telling the truth?”

Shukaku finally spoke, its tone revealing the mental struggle it had endured. Its expression was particularly grim.

Kaneki scratched his head and pulled a grayish-white fragment from his pocket.

“The only thing that can prove my identity is this. If you still don’t believe me, then there’s nothing more I can do.”

As the fragment made contact with Gaara’s body via the blood pool, a familiar aura quickly transmitted itself to Shukaku, rendering it momentarily stunned.

This aura—it was far too familiar...

The kid wasn’t lying!

“Kid, why do you have a fragment of the God Tree?”

Shukaku fixed its gaze on Kaneki, genuinely fearful.

As a being made entirely of chakra, Shukaku wasn’t worried about being killed.

After all, even if it died, as long as chakra existed in the ninja world, it—and other tailed beasts—would eventually resurrect.

However, being re-sealed within the God Tree was a different matter entirely.

If that happened, it would lose its consciousness, merge with the other tailed beasts, and transform into a new... beast.

That wouldn’t even count as being itself anymore!

Besides, Shukaku doubted that the new “Sage of Six Paths” would be kind enough to divide the Ten-Tails back into nine parts after experiencing its immense power.

In other words, if it got sealed this time, it would likely lose its freedom forever.

Shukaku panicked.

Kaneki, however, picked up on a key term from Shukaku’s words for the second time:

“God Tree.”

The fragment in his hand was clearly part of the Gedo Statue’s body, yet Shukaku referred to it as the God Tree.

This meant that, in Shukaku’s view, the Gedo Statue and the God Tree were essentially the same thing.

Considering his research on the Gedo Statue’s plant-like genetic structures and the genetic locks hidden within, Kaneki formed a bold hypothesis.

The Gedo Statue and the God Tree were likely different forms of the same entity!

Though he now had a theory, Kaneki kept his face expressionless.

“Mr. Shukaku, I trust this fragment of the God Tree is sufficient proof of my claims. If you’d like, feel free to share your thoughts.”

Kaneki followed Shukaku’s lead in calling it the “God Tree.”

His intentions were clear—if Shukaku could come up with a way to deceive Nagato, Kaneki, as a “good friend,” wouldn’t mind helping out.

If not, he would have no choice but to watch as Shukaku was sealed away.

This time, Shukaku pondered for a long while.

“I do have a method…”

It raised its head and stared at Kaneki intently. “But only if you guarantee my safety!”

A faint smile appeared on Kaneki’s face as he nodded without hesitation. “Of course, I’d be happy to guarantee your safety, Mr. Shukaku.”

If Shukaku could successfully deceive Nagato, Kaneki wouldn’t mind keeping it as a test subject.

After all, who else could use a tailed beast as their personal lab rat?

Maybe Shukaku could even play the role of a sacred beast for his organization in the future!

After careful deliberation, Shukaku decided to reluctantly trust Kaneki. It didn’t have any better options anyway.

“The only way to deceive the Rinnegan is to use a sealing technique to separate my body and soul!”

Shukaku gritted its teeth as it spoke. Clearly, such a method was deeply humiliating for a tailed beast.

Hearing this, Kaneki’s interest was immediately piqued.

“Tell me more.”

Shukaku’s explanation only deepened its sense of shame, but it had no choice. To avoid being re-sealed into the God Tree, it suppressed its discomfort and explained, “You should be familiar with Yin-Yang Release, right?”

Kaneki nodded without hesitation.

“Tailed beasts like us are essentially composed of Yin-Yang Release chakra and the will—or soul—contained within that chakra.”

Kaneki listened intently. After all, few had the chance to hear a tailed beast analyze its own nature.

Even so-called perfect jinchuriki rarely cared about the composition of tailed beasts.

Shukaku straightened its expression.

“What I mean by separation is using a sealing technique to divide the Yin-Yang Release chakra of my body from the will contained within it. You can hand over a part of my body while keeping the rest…”

At this point, Shukaku glanced at Kaneki, clearly worried about whether he would honor his promise.

Kaneki adjusted his glasses and reassured it, “Don’t worry. Once I finish analyzing your chakra, you’ll have no further value to me, and I’ll naturally let you go.”

This wasn’t a lie.

While tailed beasts were incredibly enticing to others due to their destructive power and vast chakra reserves, Kaneki didn’t lack either of those.

For him, tailed beasts were more a source of curiosity than desire.

Once Shukaku fulfilled his research needs, Kaneki had no intention of keeping it around.

Who knows—maybe he’d even figure out how to create a tailed beast from scratch using the blood pool!

With the agreement in place, the next step was execution.

“Techniques capable of separating and sealing souls are extremely rare, but I happen to know one…”

“Additionally, using such a technique is incredibly difficult. The caster must have exceptional mastery of both Yin-Yang Release and sealing techniques.”

There was one detail Shukaku intentionally omitted—the sealing technique had a risk of failure.

If it failed, Shukaku could die.

But for a tailed beast, death wasn’t the end—it was a rebirth.

If Kaneki failed, Shukaku would simply escape through death and roam free again in a few decades.

To Shukaku, this wasn’t a bad backup plan.

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 140: Carrying the Future of Sunagakure

"Lord Kazekage, the search team found no trace of those people in the desert..."

The ninja reporting this result spoke with a voice full of helplessness and frustration.

Hearing this, Rasa slowly closed his eyes.

He understood all too well what this result meant. In a sense, he was angrier and more frustrated than any other ninja in Sunagakure.

But he was the Kazekage. At the very least, he couldn't show his weakness or disappointment in front of others.

Opening his eyes again, he gave the order:

"The mission to retrieve the Tailed Beast is officially over. All participating ninjas are to return to their posts immediately. Provide condolences and compensation to the families of the injured and deceased without delay."

Though reluctant, Rasa quickly issued Sunagakure's highest order.

After all, the search for Shukaku had lasted an entire month.

Over the past month, Sunagakure had made a staggering investment.

Devoting so much manpower to the search meant a significant number of mission requests went unfulfilled, causing a severe blow to the village's reputation and potentially affecting the number of missions they would receive for a long time to come.

This, in turn, would harm the village's income and the training of its ninjas...

Thus, Rasa decided to cut his losses. He chose to abandon the pursuit of Shukaku to end the mission.

The main reason, however, was that Sunagakure simply could not locate the mysterious individuals.

The enemy was too cunning. The only clue they had was that one of them used Iron Sand as a weapon.

As for their abilities or appearances, there was no information at all.

Any Sunagakure ninja who had encountered these mysterious figures had, without exception, been killed.

This even included over a dozen elite Jonin, which dealt a significant blow to Sunagakure, despite its strength.

Upon hearing Rasa's command, the reporting ninja felt a mix of disappointment and relief.

Rasa could sense the emotions in the other ninja but, as Kazekage, there was nothing he could say.

Soon, the order spread throughout Sunagakure.

Everyone understood what it meant.

Sunagakure, one of the strongest villages in the ninja world, had suffered a massive defeat.

In this failure, nearly a tenth of the village's area was damaged, the financial losses were immense, and over a hundred ninjas had either died or been permanently incapacitated.

The cancellation of numerous missions during the pursuit caused further losses.

To top it off, Sunagakure had lost its only strategic weapon—Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast!

Most importantly, this event reshaped how other powers in the ninja world viewed Sunagakure. The village faced unprecedented doubt and criticism.

"If even a group of rogue cultists can steal your Tailed Beast, and you can't do anything about it, what does that say about Sunagakure?"  

Unfortunately, such rumors were beyond Sunagakure's control.

The commotion that night was too great, and the village's subsequent large-scale personnel adjustments only added fuel to the fire.

These developments were immediately reported to other villages by spies within Sunagakure.

The other villages, far from sympathizing, exaggerated the news before spreading it publicly.

For example, they deliberately downplayed the strength of the cultists to highlight Sunagakure's incompetence—even though they had never encountered the cultists themselves.

Such actions were not only normal but expected.

After all, Sunagakure and the other villages were essentially competitors in the ninja world's "market."

The stronger a village's reputation, the more missions it would receive, and missions were directly tied to revenue. Revenue determined how much a village could invest in training its ninjas and equipping them with quality gear, indirectly determining its overall power.

Thus, the other villages' efforts to amplify Sunagakure's failure and tarnish its reputation were inevitable.

Rasa had anticipated this, but when Sunagakure's international standing plummeted, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Lord Kazekage, our top priority now is to restore market confidence in Sunagakure," Baki suggested.

Rasa looked at Baki intently. "Have you made progress with the task I assigned you?"

Restoring Sunagakure's reputation required a breakthrough, and that breakthrough lay with Baki, one of the village's elite Jonin.

Prepared for the question, Baki nodded. His visit today was primarily to report on this matter.

"With the village's support, we've successfully dealt with the Wind Scorpion swarms and captured a significant number of them."

"Most importantly, we've captured their leader—"

"The Hive Queen!"

Baki emphasized the last part.

"According to records found at the Wind Scorpion ruins, the Hive Queen is an ancient organism sealed for over a thousand years due to its ability to endlessly produce Wind Scorpions and its immense destructive power."

"We also discovered remnants of an ancient sealing formation at the ruins, confirming its authenticity as a historical technique."

"The Hive Queen has been transported to the biological research lab, where Special Jonin Kawanishi is conducting an analysis."

Rasa's mood lifted instantly. Baki's report suggested that the Wind Scorpions were not the work of some enemy but rather a natural gift to the Land of Wind.

Through the Hive Queen, they might gain control over the Wind Scorpion swarms!

"Let's go take a look," Rasa said eagerly.

After the report, Rasa accompanied Baki to the biological research lab.

"Lord Kazekage."

Kawanishi, dressed in a white lab coat and wearing glasses, looked every bit the part of a scientist.

Having survived an earlier attack by self-destructing enemies that claimed the lives of several senior researchers, Kawanishi had emerged as the leading authority in this specialized field.

Smiling faintly, Rasa asked, "Kawanishi, how is the research on the Hive Queen progressing?"

Adjusting his glasses, Kawanishi replied, "We've confirmed that the Hive Queen is the producer and commander of the Wind Scorpions. It possesses a level of intelligence comparable to a five- or six-year-old human, making it trainable."

Hearing this, Rasa's face lit up with joy.

If the Hive Queen could be tamed, Sunagakure could potentially command an army of Wind Scorpions and harvest valuable materials from them!

Rasa immediately decided:

"Kawanishi, you'll lead the research on the Hive Queen. Expedite progress and ensure that Scorpion Pearls are made available to every ninja as soon as possible."

"If you encounter any obstacles—financial or material—report them directly to me."

"Kawanishi, Kagune Project is critical to Sunagakure's future. I hope you give it your all."

Kawanishi, determined to impress, declared loudly, "I won't let you down, Lord Kazekage!"

(Chapter Ends)