Starting from the roots of Konoha, they were the masterminds behind the scenes.

Chapter 25 Kakuzu Arrives! (Please read on, vote, and give monthly tickets!)

An imperfect Wind Release: Rasenshuriken created a huge crater, causing both the pursuers and those blocking the way to be knocked down simultaneously.

After the storm passed, Hoshinobi Hide's true form appeared, and then he leisurely left Takigakure.

When the leader of Takigakure arrived with his men, he was shocked to see the mess at the village entrance.

……

In the darkness, Hoshinobi Hide glanced back at Takigakure, then looked down at the scroll in his hand and smiled, "It wasn't a wasted trip."

He was holding the scroll when he was last discovered, so he just took it with him.

Earth Release-Earth Spear!

This is a B-rank Earth Release ninjutsu, combining offense and defense.

After use, it can harden the skin, turning the user into a humanoid weapon. The hardening is so strong that it can even withstand the explosion of explosive tags.

Shigehisa remembers that Kakuzu used this move exceptionally well, but unfortunately it was broken by Kakashi's Lightning Blade.

After putting away the scroll, Xingxia Xiu created another wooden clone to lure the pursuers, while his main body merged into a large tree to hide.

However, his caution was clearly unnecessary.

Taki Shinobu didn't chase after them.

After waiting for half an hour, Hoshino Shigehisa walked out of the big tree speechlessly and then set off for the daimyo's mansion in Taki no Kyu.

As dawn broke, Hoshinoshita arrived outside the daimyo's residence in Taki no Kuni.

After finding a place to cultivate his clone, Xingxia Xiu began to rest until noon when he got up and entered the rather prosperous Daming Mansion.

Although they already had intelligence about the assassination target, Hoshino Hideyuki still personally investigated and confirmed it.

However, this assassination was much simpler than the last one.

The target's defenses were very weak, and Hoshino Shu's Wood Release techniques had become even more proficient.

Under the cover of darkness, Xingxia Xiu did not disturb anyone before slitting his target's throat and calmly leaving.

Back at the temporary camp outside the Daimyo Prefecture, after continuing his cultivation with a clone, Hoshino Hide couldn't help but ponder, "Should I continue trying to find Kakuzu and then take him down?"

Although he had mastered the incomplete version of the Wind Release: Rasengan, Hoshino still wasn't confident of winning.

Even though he had information about Kakuzu.

With all five elemental jutsu and rich combat experience, Kakuzu cannot be defeated by a single Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.

"Let nature take its course!"

Xingxia Xiu sighed, then relaxed completely.

rest!

I slept until noon.

Leaving behind six clones to continue their training, Hoshino Hide departed from the Land of Waterfalls and arrived at a small town in the Land of Rivers at noon the next day.

There is a gold exchange here.

Of course, Hoshino Hideyuki didn't come here for Kakuzu, but just happened to have a specific goal.

A minor nobleman from a river kingdom.

Under the cover of darkness, after dealing with the minor nobleman's Xingxiaxiu, they found a secret door in the restroom and entered the gold exchange.

It serves as both a gold exchange and a bounty location.

Even Konoha regularly posts bounties here.

For example, Kakuzu.

Xingxiaxiu didn't come here to wait passively; he came here to issue a mission.

A reward of 100,000 taels of silver is offered for information on Kakuzu's whereabouts.

The money came from the minor nobleman he had just assassinated.

The person in charge calmly registered Xingxia Xiu and then said, "We will inform every gold exchange as quickly as possible about this mission, and also inform many bounty hunters."

Xingxia Xiu nodded slightly: "We'll wait and see."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Watching Xingxia Xiu leave, the person in charge looked at the registered bounty information, then formed a hand seal to summon an eagle, wrote the information on a piece of paper, and tied it to the eagle's leg.

Outside the toilet.

Xingxia Xiu glanced back, but what came to mind was the micro-expression on the face of the person in charge when he saw the bounty information he had registered.

Although it was very subtle and almost imperceptible, he still managed to detect it because he had two souls.

Or rather, intuition.

Is there something tricky?

The Star Show is uncertain.

After thinking it over, he decided to find a place nearby to cultivate.

Make the most of the remaining few days.

As for Kakuzu, it depends on luck whether we can get information about him in a short time.

In a valley outside the town.

Xingxiaxiu has settled down for the time being.

However, this time he created an additional clone to practice the Earth Release ninjutsu, Earth Spear, which he had just acquired.

The monotonous days didn't pass by too quickly.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

There is only one day left until the seven-day deadline.

Xingxiaxiu visited the gold exchange again.

To his surprise, the bounty actually received a response.

The latest novel is first published here!

"The customer is very lucky. The information just arrived, and if we act quickly, it should arrive in time."

The person in charge of the gold exchange smiled.

Xingxia Xiu neither agreed nor disagreed, but noted down the information and paid the remaining balance.

After leaving the gold exchange, Hoshino immediately headed to the location indicated by the intelligence.

It's located in the Land of Rivers, in another small town. At a ninja's speed, it would take about half an hour to get there.

However, after arriving in the town, Xingxia Xiu hid his true form and sent his wooden clone into the town.

"Tianhe Hotel, this is it..."

After glancing at the sign, Xingxia Xiu stepped into the hotel.

"Um?"

As soon as Xingxia Xiu stepped into the hotel, he saw a person wearing a straw hat looking over.

This guy... Kakuzu!

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Xingxia Xiu immediately leaped backward.

"Looks like it was you looking for me!"

The person wearing a straw hat also left the inn, then took off the hat, revealing their true face.

Kakuzu wearing a mask!

Hoshino Hideyoshi said, "So, you provided your own information?"

"They're really confident!"

Kakuzu said calmly, "Likewise!"

"You should know I'm an S-rank, yet you still dared to come alone."

At this moment, Hoshino Shu appeared in his true form, without the disguise of a member of Konoha Root. At only sixteen years old, he was naturally incredibly naive in Kakuzu's eyes.

"Now that we've met, you can tell me who you are."

Kakuzu stared at Hoshinobu.

Xingxia Xiu smiled and said, "I will tell you when you die."

"Oh?"

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow slightly: "You're so stubborn, I hope your skills are just as good."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kakuzu lunged forward to kill him.

Xingxia Xiu raised her hand to greet him.

Bang bang bang!

The two fought bare-handed, and screams erupted all around, causing pedestrians on the street to scatter in all directions.

Several rounds passed in the blink of an eye, and Hoshino Shu was caught off guard by Kakuzu, who kicked him away, sending him crashing into a house with a thud.

But then Xingxia Xiu's figure tore through the billowing dust, heading out of the town at an extremely fast speed.

Kakuzu gave a soft snort and leaped onto the rooftop to give chase.

The two walked one after the other and soon left the town and entered the forest.

Suddenly, Hoshinoshita Hide turned around and shot three shuriken at Kakuzu.

Branches snapped, and a thick tree trunk was pierced. Kakuzu narrowly avoided three shuriken, his expression becoming more serious: "This level of wind-style technique... hmm?"

Kakuzu looked up and saw a figure descending from the sky with a sword in hand.

Just as he was about to leap backward, vines burst forth from the ground and began to rapidly coil upwards around his legs.

"This is... a Wood Release technique!"

Kakuzu was shocked, but he managed to form hand seals before his hands were bound by the vines.

(End of this chapter)