Chapter 594: The Six Paths Sage Exists
Chapter 594: The Six Paths Sage Exists
Laozi was heading south.
Although he was unfamiliar with the Land of Rain, his initial motivation was to meet Souyuuki, and there was no way he wouldn't investigate the location of the Ninja Sect.
However, due to his encounter in Shirakawa Village, Laozi slowed down.
Instead of rushing to the Six Paths City in the south of the Land of Rain with the super-fast marching speed of a ninja, he walked slowly towards his destination like a traveler on a leisurely holiday.
This was a novel experience for Laozi.
In the past, he was either cultivating or on a mission; when would he have had time to travel?
More importantly, the people here didn't give him strange looks. In the villages, he was sincerely thanked for driving out rogue ninjas, and in the towns, he could eat at restaurants without anyone paying him any mind.
Such a life might be ordinary for regular people, but for Laozi, these were goals he had not achieved even when he left Iwagakure.
Laozi truly felt that his current life could be called happy.
Even though he slept outdoors to avoid affecting the villagers and townspeople, and even though he couldn't reveal his true appearance to hide from Iwagakure's pursuit.
"Identity is a wonderful thing," Laozi sighed inwardly as he put down his chopsticks after finishing lunch.
He was a thoughtful person, and after some contemplation, he figured out the reason.
In the eyes of the people of the Land of Rain, he was just an unknown ninja and had no other special identity, so he could be genuinely appreciated and enjoy the life of a commoner.
But in the Land of Earth's Iwagakure, he was a jinchuriki, a symbol of evil and destruction, as the tailed beast was sealed within his body.
If the people of Shirakawa Village knew he was a jinchuriki, would they still thank him so sincerely and invite him to their homes? Laozi didn't know, he dared not be sure.
"Don't think too much, it's good to be happy now," the Four-Tails said with a hearty laugh.
"Becoming a jinchuriki wasn't your choice. Blame those who treat us tailed beasts as weapons."
At this point, even the Four-Tails felt a bit dejected.
The tailed beasts were peaceful and kept to themselves in remote corners of the ninja world, never provoking ninjas. Yet, for no reason, they were captured and sealed into jinchuriki.
Not only was being a jinchuriki involuntary, but the same was true for the tailed beasts as well.
Laozi nodded and got up to pay the bill.
He was just feeling a bit sentimental, but his current life was undoubtedly much better than in Iwagakure.
The freedom he felt here alone was a hundred times better than what he had there.
After leaving the restaurant, Laozi casually scanned the street and noticed a few Iwagakure ninjas, but he didn't pay them any mind and continued south with a calm expression.
Ordinary Iwagakure ninjas couldn't see through his transformation technique, and as for sensory ninjas, there were too few of them. Unless he was extremely unlucky, he shouldn't encounter any.
Ohnoki could guess that Laozi wouldn't expose his jinchuriki identity, and Laozi knew that Ohnoki wouldn't dare to send a large number of Iwagakure ninjas to search for him.
After all, if Iwagakure made any big moves during the war, the other great ninja villages would definitely investigate. If they found out that a jinchuriki had gone rogue, the consequences would be something Ohnoki did not want to face.
Three Iwagakure ninjas walked slowly down the street, scrutinizing every passerby.
Some people felt uneasy but eventually let it go when they saw the Iwagakure forehead protectors.
Ordinary people couldn't afford to offend ninjas, especially those from the Five Great Ninja Villages.
They also spotted Laozi, who was using a transformation technique, but since he was acting no different from the other pedestrians, they didn't pay him any mind.
Only when they saw someone acting suspiciously would they find a reason to question them.
However, Laozi noticed something strange. The further south he went, the more Iwagakure ninjas he encountered, which he found peculiar.
"Could they have used some secret technique to lock onto my whereabouts?" Laozi wondered.
There were too many strange and mysterious secret techniques and ninjutsu in the ninja world, and Laozi wasn't sure if Iwagakure possessed such a technique.
In the afternoon, as it was mealtime and he didn't have any dry food on him, Laozi found a villager who was willing to share a meal and paid to eat at their home.
As he prepared to continue on his way, he suddenly spotted a group of Iwagakure ninjas confronting two red-haired youths in the distance, one of whom wore the forehead protector of the Land of Rain.
Laozi would not hesitate to help villagers who were being robbed by rogue ninjas.
However, he usually didn't get involved in internal conflicts among ninjas.
In his eyes, ninjas who could mercilessly kill and rob innocent villagers were beyond salvation. There was no wrong way to deal with them.
The reasons for conflicts among ninjas were too numerous and complex—they could be due to differences between villages, conflicts during missions, or personal grudges.
In such situations, it was easy for him to do more harm than good.
Moreover, ninjas were equals, and Laozi wasn't some true messenger of justice who had to mediate every dispute.
Laozi wanted to take a different route to avoid the conflict, but at that moment, he remembered his experiences in the Land of Rain over the past few days.
Because of his decisive actions and refusal to accept rewards, he had helped two villages, both of which mistook him for a Ninja Sect ninja.
This piqued Laozi's interest in the Ninja Sect even more. Seeing that the red-haired ninja didn't seem to be from Amegakure, he guessed that he might be from the Ninja Sect.
"Let's go take a listen to what they're talking about first," Laozi thought.
To avoid being discovered, Laozi found an uninhabited corner and used Earth Release to burrow underground, quietly making his way towards where Nagato and the others were.
"Nagato, we have nothing to say. You're a ninja yourself; you should understand our predicament. Revealing mission details is tantamount to betraying our village," the leading Iwagakure jonin replied in a low voice, his tone conveying his dilemma.
These ninjas weren't specifically sent by Onoki to search for Laozi in the Land of Rain; they were part of a group that had been entrusted to the Ninja Sect for training.
Having spent some time training with the Ninja Sect, they were acquainted with Nagato, so they didn't use a threatening tone. Instead, they simply conveyed their difficult position.
The main issue was that they knew they didn't stand a chance against Nagato, who was no pushover but a formidable ninja renowned as a genius across the ninja world.
"I'm not asking for an immediate answer. You can convey the Ninja Sect's message to Iwagakure. As you know, the Ninja Sect values our cooperative relationship in training ninjas, and we don't want this matter to affect our partnership," Nagato continued.
The higher-ups of the Ninja Sect had discussed the situation, and if Iwagakure failed to provide a reasonable explanation and continued to disrupt the peace in the Land of Rain, they would terminate their collaboration.
Nagato strongly agreed with this decision. The Ninja Sect had worked tirelessly for so long to bring peace to the Land of Rain, and if they cowered now just because Iwagakure was one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, all their previous efforts would be in vain.
The smaller ninja villages were already hesitant to provoke the Land of Rain, and the current state of the Land of Rain was a result of the power struggles between the Five Great Nations.
If they acquiesced to Iwagakure's actions now, they might have to yield to Konoha in the future, and then to Sunagakure. By then, the dream of a peaceful Land of Rain would be nothing but a distant memory.
"So, the village has a cooperative arrangement with the Ninja Sect," Laozi, who was eavesdropping underground, thought to himself, feeling a bit surprised.
No wonder he kept encountering more and more Iwagakure ninjas as he traveled south.
Laozi surmised that Onoki must have tasked these ninjas, who were undergoing training with the Ninja Sect, with finding him.
If Laozi were in Onoki's position, he wouldn't have let his guards down on training at this critical juncture either. The setback in training for a month would undoubtedly pale in comparison to losing a jinchuriki.
"I will report this to our village," the leading Iwagakure jonin replied.
With the Ninja Sect now involved, he had no choice but to report back.
On one hand, there was the existing cooperation between Iwagakure and the Ninja Sect. On the other hand, the Ninja Sect possessed formidable high-level combatants, and their small group of Iwagakure ninjas couldn't possibly pose a threat in the Land of Rain.
In fact, the Iwagakure jonin personally held favorable views toward the Ninja Sect, hoping that their village could continue the collaboration.
He genuinely felt that the quality of training at the Ninja Sect was exceptional and believed that it could effectively enhance his abilities.
However, the current situation involved matters of great importance, and he didn't have the authority to make any decisions.
After delivering his response, the Iwagakure jonin led the other ninjas away.
Laozi had originally intended to wait for Nagato and the others to leave before emerging from the ground, but for some reason, Nagato stood still for a full ten minutes without moving an inch.
"Come out, there's no need to hide anymore," Nagato said calmly, addressing the ground.
Nagato possessed powerful sensory abilities, and he had long sensed a powerful chakra nearby that he had never encountered before.
When Laozi approached using Earth Release, Nagato's alertness peaked, and he was poised to take action at any moment.
If it weren't for the presence of the Iwagakure ninjas, Nagato would have made his move already, given his concern about potential unforeseen circumstances.
Laozi, who had been preparing to use Earth Release to escape to another location, was taken aback, "He discovered me. Is he a sensory ninja?"
Laozi pondered briefly before bursting out of the ground and standing five meters away from Nagato.
The Iwagakure ninjas had left ten minutes ago, and with the speed of ninjas, they would have traveled a considerable distance by now, so there was no need to worry about being spotted.
Moreover, his primary purpose in coming to the Land of Rain was to meet Souyuuki, and encountering ninjas from the Ninja Sect was inevitable if he wanted to meet Souyuuki.
Laozi appraised Nagato and Sasori, and Nagato, in turn, fixed his Rinnegan on Laozi.
Under the influence of the Rinnegan, Laozi's transformation technique was rendered useless, and Nagato instantly saw through his disguise, perceiving his true appearance.
"What powerful chakra! No, it seems different from ordinary chakra. Is this his chakra?" Nagato was astonished by the chakra he sensed within Laozi, even though he didn't recognize him.
He had never encountered such an abundance of powerful chakra before.
Nagato took half a step forward, positioning himself in front of Sasori protectively.
Sasori was still in a sealed state and couldn't use his chakra, so he needed Nagato's protection.
Sasori was quick to realize the situation and promptly took two steps back.
From initially pulling him back to this current protective gesture, it was clear that their opponent was not to be underestimated.
"Those eyes!" The Four-Tails within Laozi exclaimed in shock.
He couldn't believe that he had seen the same eyes as Hagoromo's on this ninja named Nagato.
"What's so special about his eyes? They just look different from ordinary eyes," Laozi asked, perplexed.
Regarding unique eyes, he was only aware of the Byakugan and Sharingan of Konoha.
"His eyes are identical to the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths," the Four-Tails replied.
"The Sage of the Six Paths? Have you seen the Sage of the Six Paths? I thought he was just a mythical figure in legends," Laozi said, taken aback.
There were many legends surrounding the Sage of the Six Paths, including the well-known creation myth, which claimed that the Sage of the Six Paths had created the entire ninja world.
Compared to ordinary people, ninjas could be considered superhuman, but their power had its limits. For instance, the devastating might of a Tailed Beast Bomb could, at most, destroy a large mountain.
However, creation was far more challenging than destruction, so he had always believed that the Sage of the Six Paths was merely a fictional character in myths.
To him, the importance of those memories surpassed even the hundreds or thousands of years he had lived alone.
Seeing the uncharacteristic expression on the Four-Tails, Laozi realized a problem—while the Four-Tails knew him well, he didn't know much about the Four-Tails.
This was only natural because before that fateful battle, he hadn't even been willing to call the Four-Tails by his name.
"Who are you, and what is your purpose in the Land of Rain? Why were you eavesdropping on my conversation with the Iwagakure ninja?" Nagato, seeing that Laozi wasn't speaking, stared at him intently and asked.
Although they hadn't fought yet, just from Laozi's powerful chakra, Nagato knew that he wouldn't be an ordinary foe.
Furthermore, with the ongoing war, Nagato instinctively associated Laozi with Iwagakure's activities in the Land of Rain.
"Could he be a strong shinobi from one of the Great Ninja Villages, and are those villages planning to turn the Land of Rain into a battlefield again?" Nagato's expression grew stern.
If the situation had indeed developed to this extent, it would be terrible news for both the Ninja Sect and the Land of Rain.
Nagato's words interrupted Laozi's thoughts about the Four-Tails, and he said after some contemplation:
"Are you Nagato? The disciple of Souyuuki?"
Laozi only knew of three Ninja Sect shinobi. The first one was, of course, the Ninja Master Souyuuki, whom he wanted to meet.
The second was Kakuzu, and the third was Nagato.
The Youth Ninja Competition had made Nagato famous throughout the ninja world, and even though Laozi wasn't interested in such information, he had heard some news about it.
"I am."
Nagato silently adjusted his breathing technique, bringing his body to peak condition.
"You don't need to know my name. Just know that I have no ill intentions, and I've come to the Land of Rain solely to meet your teacher, Souyuuki, once," Laozi chose to conceal his identity.
Based on what he had witnessed on his journey, the Ninja Sect was a pretty decent ninja force.
However, this wasn't enough for Laozi to completely let down his guard, especially since he had just learned that the Ninja Sect and Iwagakure had a cooperative relationship.
If Iwagakure and the Ninja Sect were working together to set a trap, it would be disastrous for him.
"You want to meet Teacher Souyuuki?" Nagato looked at Laozi with suspicion.
He felt that this could be a plot by one of the Great Ninja Villages to assassinate Souyuuki and thereby cripple the Ninja Sect.
"That's right. If Teacher Souyuuki is willing to meet, then a single meeting will suffice. If he isn't willing, then let me know early, and I'll leave for another place," Laozi continued.
He knew that his request was a bit excessive, asking for a meeting without revealing his identity.
However, Laozi had no choice. The risk was too great if he exposed his identity.
"Since you're not willing to reveal your name, you should at least tell us which ninja village or power you're from," Nagato tried to extract more information.
"I don't belong to any ninja power," Laozi replied.
Nagato looked at Laozi, trying to guess from his expression if he was telling the truth.
"Can't judge..." Nagato sighed inwardly.
As expected, he had failed. This wasn't his forte.
"Whether you agree or refuse, just let me know once you've decided. You can find me in this village," Laozi said.
He planned to leave a shadow clone in this village for communication purposes.
Nagato nodded and eventually left with Sasori.
Laozi had no intention of fighting, and Nagato couldn't possibly attack him based solely on his suspicions.
"Sasori, do you think he's lying?" Nagato asked, looking at Sasori.
"What answer scores higher?" Sasori didn't answer directly.
"The correct answer."
"Then I don't know."
At least Nagato had experienced wandering with Yahiko, but Sasori, having been alone for a long time after his parents left, had no way of reading expressions.
"Your teacher is so strong. Why don't you just let him go and meet this person? Maybe this person is an admirer of your teacher and will join our Ninja Sect after seeing him," Sasori said casually.
Sasori hoped that something would happen to Souyuuki. Many sealing techniques would lose their effect after the caster's death.
If Souyuuki were assassinated, Sasori wouldn't even have to wait a year. He could take the opportunity to retrieve his puppets and continue his quest for revenge.
"Teacher is indeed powerful, but the enemy may not choose a one-on-one fight. They might send an elite team to surround and kill him," Nagato shook his head. In the ninja world, too many strong shinobi had perished in ambushes.
A ninja's strength was built upon their chakra, and even if Souyuuki were exceptionally powerful, if he ran out of chakra before eliminating all his enemies, he would be in grave danger.
In the end, Nagato didn't offer any opinions. He simply returned to the Ninja Sect and reported everything to Souyuuki, leaving the decision to him.
Souyuuki always encouraged him to think more and take the initiative, but Nagato knew that he wasn't capable enough at this moment. Such important matters could influence Souyuuki's judgment, and he didn't want that.
"Wants to meet me, possesses vast chakra, Iwagakure's unknown activities..."
After connecting all the clues, Souyuuki had a vague idea of who this person might be.
"Describe his appearance," Souyuuki said to Nagato.
"His hair is reddish, tied into a high ponytail. He has a thick beard and looks to be around thirty years old," Nagato recalled and replied.
Now, Souyuuki was a hundred percent certain of the identity of the person Nagato had encountered.
"Teacher Souyuuki, do you want to meet him?"
PS:
My sleep schedule is messed up again, and with the weekend, I stayed up till 4 am to write a thousand words. This chapter is 5k.
I should be able to write a bit more tomorrow, but how much more is hard to say since I have to work the day after tomorrow and can't stay up too late.
Also, please vote for monthly tickets. It's the last day!
(End of Chapter)
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