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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 306
🕑 Added 2025-01-26 14:00:02 +0000 UTCChapter 306: A Kind and Harmonious Family
After three days of travel, Byakuya and his group finally arrived at Sunagakure.
Sunagakure was located in a massive basin oasis, surrounded by towering cliffs dozens of meters high, with only a narrow canyon serving as its entrance and exit.
Patrolling Sunagakure shinobi lined both sides of the canyon, including those with sensory abilities to discern whether incoming individuals were shinobi or civilians.
Just as Orochimaru was about to make a move against the patrolling guards, Sasori stopped him.
"The captain of the patrol is one of my people. We can enter Sunagakure openly."
Hearing this, Orochimaru smirked. "You’ve planted quite a number of spies in Sunagakure. Were you planning to become the Fifth Kazekage all along and kept those spies as insurance?"
Sasori ignored Orochimaru and turned to Byakuya. "Byakuya-sama, defeating Rasa is no difficult task for us, but becoming the Fifth Kazekage without raising suspicion will be extremely challenging. Granny Chiyo won’t agree, and Rasa certainly won’t willingly relinquish his position."
Byakuya did not respond directly to Sasori but instead changed the subject. "Your ascension to Kazekage can wait. Right now, we have a show worth watching."
After a brief pause, Byakuya formed seals with his hands and created a wood clone. He then instructed Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, leave Sunagakure with my clone and proceed as planned. Sasori and I will find some entertainment."
"Entertainment?"
Orochimaru squinted slightly, his curiosity piqued. However, since Byakuya had spoken, he obediently complied, leaving only a few small creatures to gather intelligence for him.
After Orochimaru and the wood clone departed, Sasori turned to Byakuya curiously. "Byakuya-sama, what entertainment could Sunagakure possibly offer that pleases you so much?"
Byakuya glanced toward the location where the Jinchūriki was held and chuckled coldly. "Why, a heartwarming family drama, of course. I never expected Sunagakure to not only neglect their own Jinchūriki but also send shinobi to assassinate him. Rasa really is out of his mind."
"Rasa sent someone to assassinate the One-Tails’ Jinchūriki?"
Sasori’s face turned stiff from confusion. He couldn’t understand why Rasa would do such a thing. Also, wasn’t the Jinchūriki supposed to be the monk Bunpuku? When did that change? He thought Bunpuku was his rival.
Although Bunpuku seemed mild-mannered and willingly confined himself in the Temple of Wind, Sasori knew the monk was actually the strongest shinobi in Sunagakure at the time. Now that Bunpuku was gone, the village’s strength was bound to drop significantly.
---
Ten minutes later, Byakuya and Sasori reached the place where the Jinchūriki was confined. The area was desolate, with only a handful of guards stationed nearby—clearly, an opportunity deliberately left for someone to carry out an assassination attempt.
Sensing the One-Tails’ chakra lingering in the air, Sasori wasn’t shocked by the power of the Tailed Beast but by Byakuya’s incredible sensory abilities.
Even from over ten kilometers away, Byakuya could sense the One-Tails’ chakra. This implied that any shinobi targeted by Byakuya would have no chance of escape.
Noticing Sasori’s emotional fluctuation, Byakuya said nothing.
After performing the Mayfly Technique, Byakuya led Sasori underground, tunneling through solid earth to appear directly in Gaara’s room.
Gaara, with his dark circles and lifeless demeanor, resembled a perpetually overworked corporate employee, devoid of any vitality typical of a child. It wasn’t that Gaara didn’t want to sleep—various reasons made it impossible for him to rest peacefully.
His only relief came from brief naps that never lasted more than an hour. Coupled with Shukaku’s constant interference and his father Rasa’s “loving” assassination attempts, Gaara was perpetually on the brink of collapse, ready to lose control at any moment.
While Byakuya observed Gaara, Sasori silently did the same. From Gaara, Sasori sensed a kindred spirit. He remembered being just as despondent after losing his parents.
Memories of those days stirred in Sasori’s mind, making his emotions increasingly complex.
He had thought transforming himself into a puppet would eliminate these human emotions, but returning to his hometown and seeing familiar streets had reawakened them.
---
A few minutes later, Gaara, who had been in a state of light slumber, noticed the presence of shinobi in his room.
Instinctively, he grabbed a handful of sand and warily observed Byakuya and Sasori. He had been attacked too many times before—were these two the latest assassins?
If they truly bore ill intent, should he deal with them as he had dealt with others?
Seeing that Gaara was awake, Byakuya smiled and greeted him. "Hello, Gaara. Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you in the future."
"Working together?"
Gaara’s face was filled with confusion. He could sense no killing intent from Byakuya, suggesting the man wasn’t an assassin. Perhaps he had come simply to meet him. But Gaara was Sunagakure’s Jinchūriki—the village’s most dangerous individual.
Who would risk approaching him to form a friendship? Was this a new assassination tactic, starting with kind words before striking?
Seeing Gaara’s guarded expression, Byakuya chuckled. "Relax, little pal. Neither of us is here to assassinate you. In fact, Rasa doesn’t have the authority to command us. He’s just a mere Kazekage."
Gaara narrowed his eyes. Rasa was his father and the leader of Sunagakure. Though Gaara had attended the ninja academy for only a few years, he knew the Kazekage held a significant position in the ninja world. For these two to dismiss Rasa as unimportant, they must be shinobi from another village.
"You think the Kazekage is insignificant... Who are you, and why have you come to Sunagakure? What’s your purpose?" Gaara demanded.
Byakuya glanced at Gaara and pointed to Sasori. "I’m not a Sunagakure shinobi, but he certainly is. As for our purpose…"
After a brief pause, Byakuya continued, "I’m here to visit the village. He’s here to become the Kazekage. Rasa has held the position long enough so it’s time for a change."
"You’re here to become the Kazekage?!"
Gaara’s expression shifted, his gaze growing cold as he stared at Byakuya and Sasori. "Although I don’t fully understand who you are, you’re definitely enemies of Sunagakure."
As he spoke, Gaara began to radiate the One-Tails’ violent chakra, distorting the air around him. Seeing this, Byakuya wasted no time. Golden chains emerged from his back, binding Gaara mid-air and completely draining him of chakra.
After lowering Gaara back down, Byakuya smiled and said, "A child shouldn’t let emotions take over when facing problems. What would you do if you encountered an opponent you couldn’t defeat? I’m clearly someone you can’t handle. By the way, you said something about assassin earlier, eh?
Well, little pal, we’re not the assassins, but the real ones are coming soon. I suspect they might be someone familiar to you—perhaps even a relative. Once you deal with the attackers, we can talk again."
Before Gaara could respond, Byakuya and Sasori vanished from the room. Left alone, Gaara looked unsettled, his expression shifting unpredictably. The shinobi who had just appeared were too powerful—so strong that even Shukaku’s chakra was suppressed in an instant.
Who were they to possess such terrifying strength?
Gaara didn’t have time to dwell on the question; he could already hear footsteps approaching from outside.
