Starting with Wood Release, he survives in Konoha Hospital and becomes a big shot.

Just then, the floodwaters spread, and Hatake Sakumo immediately ordered the Anbu ninjas to use Earth Release.

He himself had already formed hand seals and used Earth Escape Technique.

With everyone working together, they temporarily stopped the flood.

"retreat!"

Without hesitation, Hatake Sakumo immediately led his men to retreat.

On the other side, Yagura Karatachi did not linger either. After concealing himself and meeting up with the members of the Kirigakure Anbu, he immediately left the spot.

The lake in the distance returned to calm, as if nothing had happened, except that the trees around it, which had been swept away by the flood, still bore witness to the terrifying power of the giant waves that had just appeared.

On the road.

"Hoshiki, please don't tell anyone what you just heard, okay?" Hatake Sakumo instructed.

Although his conversation with Yagura Karatachi didn't involve anything secretive, it would be difficult to explain if others found out he was looking for a child, especially since Yagura Karatachi kept saying that the child was Sakumo Hatake's illegitimate son.

“Okay.” Yao Xingji nodded readily.

"Thank you." Hatake Sakumo didn't offer any further explanation.

Not long after, Hatake Sakumo returned to the Fire Country camp with the medicine Star Extreme on his back.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi and the others immediately surrounded them and asked.

"It's nothing, just ran into an old rival," Hatake Sakumo said with a light laugh, glancing at Yakusei Kiku.

Yao Xingji pretended not to know anything and didn't say a word.

"You can rest at the camp today. We'll talk about other things tomorrow." Hatake Sakumo gave a brief instruction and then had the group leave.

In a small tent, Yakushiki, Uchiha Shisui, and Yamato lived together.

"Starry Sky, are those Hidden Mist ninjas powerful?" Yamato asked with some curiosity.

"It's alright. Being able to exchange a few blows with Captain Hatake means he's definitely not weak," Yao Xingji said casually.

He was thinking about his date with Sakumo Hatake and Yagura Karatachi that evening... cough cough, a date.

"I wonder what they agreed on, but judging from the looks of it, it's probably related to that child. Given how much Hatake Sakumo cares about this matter, he'll definitely go tonight," Yao Xingji thought to himself.

After thinking for a moment, Yao Xingji decided that he should also go and find out.

The only problem now is how to get rid of Uchiha Shisui and Yamato, who are living together.

Yamato is relatively easy to deal with, as he is friends with Yakusei, and it's highly likely that Sakumo Hatake arranged for him to protect him. However, Shisui is different; he is Hiruzen Sarutobi's spy, so he must be avoided.

"It seems that the Soul Divination Technique is about to reappear in the ninja world!" Yao Xingji made a decision after thinking for a moment.

Night fell quickly. After dinner, Yao Xingji went to the toilet, and then, using the excuse that he hadn't slept well the night before, he went to bed early.

On a mountain peak more than ten kilometers away from the Konoha camp, Ming Shiyin, dressed in a dark purple astrological robe, slowly removed his hood, glanced at the starry sky, and then used his fingers to rotate the armillary sphere.

"The Li hexagram, line 9 at the top, is auspicious for military campaigns."

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Chapter 159 That Child

Time ticked by, and midnight drew ever closer.

Yao Xingji manipulated Ming Shiyin's clone to arrive at the agreed location with Gouju Yagura first, and carefully hid himself.

Just before midnight, a dark figure appeared first, with white hair tied in a ponytail and a short knife slung over his back.

It was Hatake Sakumo.

Upon arriving, Hatake Sakumo first checked the surroundings to make sure no one was lying in ambush or following him, and then began to wait for Yagura Karatachi to arrive.

Almost exactly at midnight, Yagura Karatachi also appeared.

"You really are punctual," Hatake Sakumo said, looking at Yagura Kajitachi.

At the same time, he glanced around to make sure no one was following him.

“Being punctual is a gentleman’s behavior,” Yagura said with a light laugh.

"Tell me where the child is." Hatake Sakumo didn't want to waste time and went straight to the point.

"Then you have to tell me first why you keep chasing after that child?" Yagura asked.

Sakumo Hatake frowned. "Isn't this something you shouldn't know?"

"Hehe." Yagura chuckled.

He originally wanted to make a deal with Sakumo Hatake, exchanging the child's whereabouts for Sakumo Hatake's silence on their capture of the Three-Tails.

However, after returning home, Yagura suddenly realized that since Sakumo Hatake cared so much about the child's whereabouts, could he use this to gain even greater benefits?

Anyway, giving it a try isn't a bad idea.

“It’s not just you. Yakushi Nonou has also been tracking me, trying to find out where that child is. To be honest, I still think that child is your illegitimate child. Otherwise, why would you keep chasing after him like this?”

"Unless, there is a bigger secret about that child."

Yagura looked intently at Sakumo Hatake.

"Yakushi Nonou?"

Ming Shiyin, who was hiding in the shadows, had a change of expression. How did this matter get involved with Yakushi Nono?

In an instant, Yao Xingji, who was controlling Ming Shiyin, was almost scorched to a crisp by lightning.

His first thought was about the origin of his body, after all, he was the adopted son of Yakushi Nonou.

But then I thought about it again and realized that wasn't right.

He is from the Land of Water, and if he is the child that Yakushi Nonou and Hatake Sakumo were talking about, why would Yakushi Nonou go looking for that child after adopting him?

This explanation doesn't make sense.

"You took advantage of our inattention and forcibly snatched that baby away. How dare you bring it up now? To lay a hand on such a small child, are all the ninjas of your Land of Water so inhuman?" Hatake Sakumo said angrily.

Yagura frowned, but did not utter a word in rebuttal.

“The Land of Fire is our enemy. There’s nothing wrong with me attacking you and your children,” Yagura Karatachi said after a moment.

"Where is the child now?" Sakumo Hatake asked again.

He reached out with his right hand and grasped the white teeth on his back.

If they can't reach an agreement, he'll have no choice but to resort to violence.

"Fine, I'll tell you."

After a moment of contemplation, Yagura Karatachi spoke.

“I don’t know where that child is. After I took him back, I didn’t harm him. I gave him to a woman to adopt.”

"Later I went to the woman's village to look for him, but unfortunately the village had been abandoned for some reason, and I didn't find anyone there, so I don't know whether the child is dead or alive."

As Yagura finished speaking, a hint of guilt appeared on his face.

Actually, he didn't want to hurt such a young child, but they were hostile countries, so he had no choice but to act.

But when he snatched the child away and saw his innocent smile, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Ultimately, he chose to give the child up for adoption, but judging from what he saw when he returned to the village, the child most likely perished along with the village.

Sakumo Hatake's face was somewhat pale, and he took a deep breath.

"Where is that village located? And what does that woman look like? I need to know every detail," Hatake Sakumo said.

He'd been chasing after the child for so long, and whether the child was alive or dead, he would continue.

Yagura seemed to have been prepared, and simply took out a scroll and tossed it to Sakumo Hatake.

"They're all inside."

Sakumo Hatake untied the scroll, opened it, and glanced at it.

It records the exact location of a village in a water country, as well as a portrait of a woman. However, the quality of the painting is really not good; you can only tell that it is a woman, and nothing else.

“This portrait of yours…” Sakumo Hatake’s face darkened.

Yagura Koji gave an awkward twitch of his lips and said, "It's been a long time, so I don't remember very clearly. Besides, I've never studied drawing, so this is the best I can do."

Looking at the portrait, Sakumo Hatake ultimately had no choice but to accept it.

"Oh, right, remember to tell your pharmacist, Nonou, not to bother me anymore. I've already given you the things," Yagura reminded her.

Sakumo Hatake's body stiffened slightly.

“I’ve said it before, I have no connection with Yakushi Nonou,” Hatake Sakumo said coldly. “Besides, I haven’t seen her in a long time, and I don’t know what mission she’s on.”

Yagura pouted, somewhat helplessly.

“Alright, then I’ll just have her come to you next time I see her,” Yagura Karatachi said. “Also, that village is in the Land of Water. If you want to go and see it, don’t let the Land of Water ninjas catch you. Even if they do catch you, don’t mention our direct transaction. Otherwise, I’ll let the whole ninja world know that you and your Konoha spy, Yakushi Nonou, have an illegitimate child!”

Sakumo Hatake tightened his grip on Shiroga's hand; he really wanted to chop Yagura in front of him down with one stroke.

But reason told him that this person was difficult to deal with and difficult to kill, otherwise Yagura Karatachi wouldn't have escaped from him time and time again.

"Looking at you, who would believe that child isn't your illegitimate son?"

Yagura, seeing Sakumo Hatake's reaction, snorted coldly.

Although Sakumo Hatake has always denied that the child was his illegitimate son, all of his actions indicate that the child was extremely important to him; if not his child, then whose was it?

Sakumo Hatake offered no further explanation.

"Regarding the Three-Tails, you Konoha..." Yagura Karatachi gave Sakumo Hatake what he wanted, and now it was time to make his request.

"Wait a minute." Sakumo Hatake glanced around. "Did you bring people with you?"

"Hmm?" Yagura's expression changed. "No."

“I have a feeling that I’m being watched, and it’s always been like this.” Hatake Sakumo’s sharp gaze swept around his surroundings.

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Chapter 160 Discovered