https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-827-Interception-and-the-Elephant-Transformation-Technique-/12943822/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-829-No-Woman-in-His-Heart-Drawing-the-Sword-is-Divine-/12943835/
Chapter 828: The Ultimate Scapegoat: Nagato!
Chapter 828: The Ultimate Scapegoat: Nagato!
"Sand Ninjas have already felt the goodwill of the Leaf Village!"
Chiyade, as an experienced elder advisor, was well-versed in Asuma's official jargon and naturally understood his intentions.
This meant that the Sand Ninjas had received the sincerity of the Leaf Village.
With this, the Leaf Village side finally had a two-way commitment instead of being the only one making efforts.
"Rest assured, I will definitely rescue Gaara!"
Naruto clenched his fist, making a firm promise.
However, his words caused various thoughts among the people present.
Chiyade and Maki, having experienced countless situations, naturally wouldn't pay much attention to a young kid like Naruto, especially since they knew through the information from "My Struggle" that he was the 'Prince' of the Leaf Village.
But Temari and Kan Kyuuro felt differently.
Even though Naruto had a good relationship with Gaara, it didn't mean they had a good relationship with him. Naruto's statement made it seem like they were all useless and needed his help to rescue Gaara.
"You..."
Kan Kyuuro was about to speak up, but Temari stopped him.
There were too many issues with this mission, and Temari wouldn't allow Kan Kyuuro to cause any trouble.
What reassured her was that before the mission began, Tang Ping had assured her that Gaara wouldn't come to any harm.
Even if something happened, they had prepared a way to revive him, ensuring that Temari could remain calm and even suppress Kan Kyuuro.
It wasn't surprising for Naruto to react this way, as he was unaware of the true nature of the mission.
This was intentional.
If Kan Kyuuro hadn't put on this 'realistic performance,' the Leaf Village side might have discovered their intentions.
One must never underestimate a ninja's perceptiveness; they were more observant than detectives.
"Naruto, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all!"
Sakura felt a bit of a headache. She felt her role in the team was turning into 'Naruto's babysitter.'
That's right!
She had also grown a little.
As a member of Team 7, she could access some resources.
For example, many of her medical ninja resources were provided by Jiraiya.
A basic medical ninja training notebook written by Tsunade was especially valuable, considered a 'divine skill' in the medical ninja field.
With her intelligence and chakra control abilities, Sakura had also become an excellent medical ninja.
Even though she might not compare to her counterpart in the original plot who was taken as a disciple by Tsunade, she was still quite capable among her peers.
Naruto sensed Sakura's warning and decided not to speak further.
It was a relief for both Asuma and Taka when Naruto calmed down.
They couldn't control him, so it was fortunate to have Sakura in the team to keep him in check.
After the team regrouped, they quickly moved forward.
Leading the way was a puppet bird released by Chiyade.
With this guide, they could follow Gaara's trail and eventually find him.
Although the team wasn't large, they could even retrieve Gaara if they encountered members of the Akatsuki Alliance, not to mention that both sides had backup support ready.
If they encountered any difficulties, they could always call for additional support.
For instance, Asuma could summon his summoning beast and have it summon Jiraiya, instantly adding a powerful ally to their side.
Of course, this method was too costly and had too many uncontrollable factors. Unless it was a life-threatening situation, he wouldn't reveal this trump card.
Not far from this team, two figures slowly followed.
"Tsukuyuki, use your Akatsuki identity to stop Asura!"
Tang Ping decided to 'weaken' the pursuing force.
After all, this team's strength was somewhat overwhelming.
On the Akatsuki side, only Sasori and Deidara could intercept with their full strength, while the remaining two members had only a fraction of their power. This lineup couldn't withstand the rescue team.
Especially Asuma!
His strength was the most surprising to Tang Ping.
Extremely powerful!
Not just to himself, but compared to the original plot,
In the original plot, Asuma was just an ordinary elite Jonin until his death. He was only notable because of his father, the Hokage, Sarutobi. Otherwise, he wouldn't be worth mentioning, let alone being an elite Jonin.
(End of Chapter)In the original storyline, Konoha's renowned elite Jonin included Kakashi, Gai, and Yamato. What merits did Asuma have to be listed alongside these powerhouses, who were almost Kage-level in combat?
However, in this Shinobi World where Tang Ping caused chaos, Asuma's growth became incredibly bizarre.
Now, his strength had reached Kage-level, and from the intelligence gathered, he had also formed a summoning contract with the Toad Clan, further enhancing his capabilities.
Compared to his original storyline self, who was full of water, this Asuma was undeniably stronger.
Tang Ping would not allow him to participate in this mission to retrieve Gaara.
If it were the Great Filial Son himself, he would have been delighted to see the two clash.
The problem was that with only a fraction of his power and the inability to use his Mangekyo Sharingan, the Great Filial Son would genuinely get trounced by Asuma.
Therefore, Hyuga Tsukuyuki had to take action.
"Yes!"
Hyuga Tsukuyuki, who had been monitoring Gaara and confirmed everything as expected, nodded and took the Akatsuki uniform from Tang Ping, changing into it.
Why did they have such uniforms?
It was a coincidence... or so it seemed. It was definitely not something Tang Ping had prepared to let Akatsuki take the blame.
Just like the time he used Akatsuki's identity to intercept the father of the Otsutsuki clan, using Akatsuki's identity was merely an accident. He didn't intend to let them take the blame... or so he claimed.
Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to pass up such a perfect scapegoat.
Having Akatsuki take the blame was always preferable.
His shell organization was one of 'love and justice' and would never do anything wrong.
The most challenging aspect to handle might be their signature ninjutsu.
Take Deidara, for example.
Once he used his Explosive Clay, it would be easy to identify him no matter how he disguised himself, and the same went for Scorpion's puppet techniques.
Akatsuki members generally had their signature abilities, and using them would reveal their identities.
Therefore, when disguising oneself, one must consider this aspect and avoid using their signature abilities.
The good news was that Hyuga Tsukuyuki's control over repulsive and attractive forces was something that Lord Pain could also do, so disguising as him while suppressing her abilities would not risk exposure.
As for her appearance?
Transformation techniques were easily detectable, but with a mask and disguise, how could they be recognized?
Indeed, Hyuga Tsukuyuki not only donned the Akatsuki uniform but also wore a mask and headgear, revealing her distinctive 'Byakugan.'
Moreover, as the leader of Akatsuki, it was only fitting for 'Lord Pain' to take action against the Akatsuki who had captured Gaara.
Tang Ping had considered everything.
Unless Nagato caught on and directly controlled Tendo to confront him, this blame was his to bear.
Wait!
Nagato didn't care about blame; a god wouldn't bother with such trivialities.
Hence, Akatsuki never explained to outsiders that they weren't responsible for certain actions.
Consequently, Akatsuki was the perfect scapegoat, as long as one wasn't afraid of their retaliation.
The uniforms and masks prepared by Tang Ping were all authentic Akatsuki gear, manufactured in the same place.
With her disguise complete, Hyuga Tsukuyuki vanished from the spot.
Next, it was her turn to take the stage.
After mastering the Giant Reincarnation Eye and significantly improving her Bloodline Limit, 'Shared Killing Ash Bone,' she was no longer as affected as she had been before ascending to the moon.
Her strength was undoubtedly much stronger than before.
The Giant Reincarnation Eye contained countless eye powers, and these eye powers shared the same origin as the Reincarnation Eye, allowing her Reincarnation Eye to reach its peak.
The growth of the Reincarnation Eye, in turn, promoted 'Shared Killing Ash Bone.'
In this chain reaction, 'Shared Killing Ash Bone' had now entered a 'mature' state.
With both the Reincarnation Eye and 'Shared Killing Ash Bone' at their peak, her strength had reached unprecedented levels. She didn't even need a second move to interfere with Asuma, let alone defeat him.
If not for such a significant advantage, she wouldn't have stayed on the moon for so long.
At this moment, the support team was unaware that a 'gift' was about to arrive.
They were heading towards the target's location.
Soon, the team entered Hyuga Tsukuyuki's ambush site.
(Chapter End)
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