Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

"Amaterasu is truly favoring Konoha!"

As Hibiki Juzo pondered, a small mustache figure in a green bodysuit came to mind.

Konoha... truly has a constant stream of "geniuses".

At this moment, Kakuzu began to describe the characteristics of Senju Seigo's abilities, and Biwa Juzo quickly composed himself and listened attentively.

"Sage Arts, Wood Release, Fire Release, Earth Release, Summoning Slug, Horned Steed, Tree Spirit, Dwarf, Ranged Attack Units..."

Upon hearing this, Sasori of the Red Sand, hidden within the Scarlet Amber, pressed further: "The Summoning Beast Legion... mass-produced combat puppets?"

Kakuzu narrowed his beady eyes. "It's similar, but not entirely."

He had fought with Senju Seigo outside the city of Tanzaku, but no one else witnessed it, and he didn't want to admit that he had once lost "a life."

"That's interesting. I wonder what the structure is like when we take it apart." Sasori of the Red Sand showed interest.

"Wow, to be able to go toe-to-toe with a muscle-bound brute like the Raikage and even win, that's quite an impressive kid." Tobi scratched his head and said, "Could we recruit him into the organization?"

Jiao didn't hold back in reprimanding him: "Afei, when the official members are speaking, you, as an outsider, shouldn't interrupt."

"Hi, senior!" the masked man said matter-of-factly.

Xiao Nan said, "We do have a few people, but it's unlikely that person can absorb them. You heard it just now, he has slugs, and his surname is Senju."

Everyone nodded in agreement; this kind of ninja with impeccable lineage would not become a rogue ninja.

Pain said expressionlessly, "And the last one? That Uchiha!"

“Uchiha Shisui,” Kakuzu continued, uttering another name, “a member of the Shadow Guard. There was very little information about him before, but this time he used what appeared to be the Mangekyou Sharingan in battle…”

"What?!" the masked man interrupted. "Isn't it just a rumor? Could it be true?"

"The Mangekyou Sharingan?" This time, even Pain's Rinnegan trembled slightly, and he subconsciously looked at the masked man.

"Is the intelligence confirmed?" Konan asked in a deep voice.

These days, news of the great war in the Land of Frost has spread almost throughout the ninja world, but most people don't believe many of the details.

Take the Mangekyou Sharingan, for example. How long has it been since one appeared in the ninja world?

Legend has it that only one person possesses those eyes—Uchiha Madara!

The masked man waved his hand dismissively at Pain and continued to shout in a shrill voice, "Kakuzu-senpai, is Susanoo real too?"

"Hmph!" Kakuzu did not reprimand him this time, but explained, "I saw it with my own eyes, the emerald green skull arm, there is no mistake."

Although the colors are different, this "old man" who survived from the Warring States period had seen Susanoo back then.

"Uchiha... Mangekyou Sharingan, only a teenager?" Sasori of the Red Sand rasped. "Konoha is indeed not to be underestimated."

Pipa Juzo opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He felt... that if he encountered either of those two boys, he wouldn't be able to defeat them, Konoha...

Damn it, Konoha is producing geniuses one after another, while our own village is cleaning out bloodline limits.

The masked man's eyes flickered, as if he was thinking about something.

Payne turned his head and said, "Absolutely."

"Understood!" came two voices from the pitcher plant with its two faces in unison. "Add them to the observation list."

"Wow, what amazing information!"

White Zetsu imitated Tobi's voice, saying in an exaggerated tone, "Konoha has really struck gold this time, no, they've found two monsters."

Black Zetsu said in a low voice, "The combination of the Senju and Uchiha... brings back bad memories, and we must pay close attention to them."

The masked man lowered his head in silence. Shisui? That child... he's also awakened the Kaleidoscope?

And then there's the Thousand-Handed Green Wu, the immortal arts, the spirit army... there are more and more unplanned factors.

"In addition," Kakuzu concluded, "Orochimaru also appeared on the battlefield and had a brief exchange and standoff with Senju Seigo. Ultimately, it seems that the two sides reached some kind of deal."

"Orochimaru..." Pain murmured the name, seemingly unsurprised.

Xiao Nan said, "That guy's whereabouts are hard to track, otherwise we could recruit him into the organization."

All current members of the Akatsuki organization are rogue ninja!

Sasori of the Red Sand chuckled coldly twice, "If I have any information, I'll go and bring him back."

"So, what is the organization's attitude towards 'natural disaster' Senju Seigo and Mangekyou Sharingan Uchiha Shisui?" Kakuzu asked.

Payne remained silent for a moment, his eyes seemingly rippling with emotion before finally settling into absolute calm and indifference.

"Placed on the key observation list, and no proactive contact or hostile actions will be taken for the time being."

"Our current plan is to observe the Tailed Beasts and recruit members. We should not cause any unforeseen problems before we have sufficient strength."

"but……"

He abruptly changed the subject, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd, "If there's an opportunity, we can cause some 'accidents' to happen to Konoha's geniuses, understand?"

"Understood!" Kakuzu nodded; this was exactly the answer he was looking for.

……

Chapter 217 Still Water's Thoughts

Life at the border outpost was as calm as still water, yet undercurrents were lurking beneath the surface.

Aside from their daily training, the four members of the Shadow Guard were almost inseparable.

Qingwu could sense that ever since Zhishui took the initiative to talk to him last time,

Although Shisui appeared outwardly normal, he carried out his missions meticulously, trained diligently and focused, and interacted with Anko and Tenzo in a gentle and polite manner.

But there was always a subtle sense of detachment surrounding him.

Although the Hokage strictly forbade any discussion of the "Kaleidoscope" and "Susanoo," it was already an open secret among the higher-ups in the ninja world and in certain circles.

Kakuzu's information sales seemed to have grown wings, including the names "Catastrophe" Senju Seigo and "Mangekyou" Uchiha Shisui.

It has become one of the most prominent entries in the intelligence files of various forces.

Shisui, who was at the center of the whirlpool, seemed to be under a lot of pressure.

On this day, after training, Qingwu found Zhishui sitting alone on a boulder at the edge of the camp, gazing into the distance.

Zhi Shui's silhouette appeared somewhat frail in the afterglow of the setting sun, yet he stood ramrod straight.

He seemed to be processing something and bearing something alone.

"Still water".

Qingwu jumped onto the boulder and sat down beside him.

"team leader!"

Shisui turned his head, his face bearing his usual calm smile.

"What are you looking at?"

"It's nothing, it's just that... after watching the sunset at the border for a while, it seems no different from the one in Konoha," Shisui said softly.

"The sunset is the same everywhere. What's different is the people watching the sunset and their feelings while watching it."

Qingwu said something, then suddenly said, "Zhishui, we're teammates, right?"

Zhi Shui knew what Qing Wu referred to.

He paused for a moment, then did not deny it. "I have indeed been in a bad mood and state lately, Captain. You've heard about it, haven't you? About... the Mangekyou Sharingan and Susanoo."

During the great battle that day, Qingwu was clearly a participant, but in the end he didn't ask any questions, which made Zhishui very curious.

"Yes, I heard some of it." Qingwu nodded, speaking casually.

"The information brokers made a fortune this time, but rumors are just rumors. That day... I only saw a green light, and the Raikage seemed to be blocked by something. That was... Susanoo?"

He didn't start the conversation immediately, but instead guided it with a tone that was slightly curious and uncertain.

This can be seen as giving Shisui a way to open up.

Shisui fell silent, the rays of the setting sun moving across his profile.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice deep and clear:

"Yes, Captain! What I used that day... was indeed Susanoo."

He didn't shy away from the question, and Qingwu sighed inwardly, feeling a growing sense of gravity.

Honesty meant that Shisui was willing to open his heart to him, the captain.

But it also means that... the responsibilities and risks brought by that power are real and have been tormenting Shisui ever since.

"While gaining power, one will also be bound by it, and even altered by it."

Qingwu looked at the distant sky, recalling her mindset when she first obtained the system and everything that followed:

"That's normal. The key is how you view this power and what you do with it."

“Captain…” Shisui turned his head, his dark eyes staring directly at Qingwu.

It was no longer a calm, deep pool, but rather a place churning with complex emotions, and Qingwu saw deep weariness within it.

"Regarding the specific abilities of the Mangekyou Sharingan... its eye techniques... it involves the highest secrets of the Uchiha clan, and also... relates to some of my own... choices."

Shisui stammered, "Please forgive me, Captain... I can't tell you right now."

His tone was sincere and apologetic, but his eyes were unusually firm.

This is not distrust, but a form of protection, a responsibility to avoid dragging others into trouble before things are sorted out.

Qingwu looked at him intently, then suddenly smiled, reached out and patted his shoulder hard, so hard that Zhishui swayed.

This guy is a good person, at least he's great to his teammates!

Now that he was here, Qingwu was prepared to intervene and help; he didn't want to see his teammates looking gloomy every day.

But now it seems he underestimated Shisui's determination.

"Idiot, who wants to know the secrets of your eye technique?" Qingwu laughed and scolded. "That's your power, your trump card. I'm asking about you as a person, not your eyes!"

Since Shisui doesn't want to say "Kotoamatsukami" for the time being, let's just go along with him.