Naruto: Hiding in the Anbu Until I Became a Super Kage

Chapter 483: A Chill Down the Spine

One week after Rasa's funeral, six jōnin, including Maki, entered the Kazekage's office.

They saw six scrolls laid out on the Fifth Kazekage's desk.

Maki's expression was solemn. This was the first out-of-village mission issued by the Fifth Kazekage.

All six jōnin were elites of Sunagakure.

This was an assessment—a test of both their abilities and their loyalty.

The Fifth Kazekage had shallow roots within the village and no trusted confidants. Now was the best time to pledge allegiance to her.

Not only Maki knew this, but the other five did as well. Each was filled with ambition, wanting to become the Fifth's trusted aide.

Pakura said, "Ōkura, a former subordinate of the Fourth Kazekage, Lord Rasa, dissatisfied with my policies and unable to comprehend my efforts to extricate Sunagakure from war, has defected from the village.

"As I understand it, Ōkura is conspiring to gain the support of the nobles to prevent the Daimyō and the aristocracy from appointing me as the Fifth Kazekage.

"While not having the Daimyō's appointment doesn't prevent me from being Kazekage, it ultimately leaves a formal procedure incomplete.

"Each of you six will lead a squadron to hunt down the rogue ninja Ōkura."

Some of the jōnin's eyes gleamed, already envisioning themselves as the first to complete the Kazekage's mission, earning her trust, and securing a boundless future.

Maki was the first to think of the difficulties in this mission. He said, "Lord Kazekage, the Daimyō's appointment conference is about to convene, perhaps in one week, perhaps two.

"It's possible Ōkura will assault the conference site to prevent your appointment as Fifth Kazekage.

"The Daimyō's opinion of Sunagakure is not favorable. If given an excuse—such as the appearance of a rogue ninja from our village—he might seize the opportunity to withhold the appointment.

"The Land of Wind is vast. How to locate Ōkura as quickly as possible is a problem.

"Lord Kazekage, please rest assured. I will race tirelessly across the desert and do everything in my power to find the rogue ninja Ōkura!"

"Maki, the problems you raise are indeed thorny," Pakura said. "You six, take the scrolls and follow me."

Puzzled, the six picked up their scrolls and followed Pakura to the rooftop of the Kazekage building.

Following behind the Kazekage, they Body flickered to a remote courtyard within the village.

In the courtyard stood a large hall. Looking inside from a distance, they could see three statues carved from sand.

The statues had no faces, appearing quite mysterious.

The central statue had three heads and six arms. The statue on the right wore a cloak. on the left had a short sword hanging from its waist.

Before the three statues was a stone altar resembling a stele.

The stele bore three small, intricately carved statues, very blurry, with only arms and cloaks faintly discernible.

Pakura unrolled a scroll and said, "I have not only completed peace talks with Konoha's Namikaze Minato but have also established contact with the Three Gods Religion."

Maki was stunned. What was the Three Gods Religion?

As the son of Advisor Matsu, he had never even heard of it.

Pakura said, "Memorize the hand seals and the chakra flow through the meridians. This is the Three Gods Religion's Flying Altar Technique.

"Using the altar, one can instantly move to the location of another altar."

After forming the hand seals, Pakura pressed her palm onto the scroll.

The sealing formula on the scroll instantly lit up. Simultaneously, the altar also glowed with a sealing formula.

The formula on the altar expanded outward, and a circular pattern appeared on the ground.

Pakura led the six into the pattern.

In the next instant, Maki felt his body tense up and then be pulled. His field of vision changed.

He quickly turned his head to survey his surroundings and was horrified to find he was not in front of the shrine in Sunagakure, but... but beneath the city wall of a metropolis.

At the edge of his vision stood the magnificent Tenshu Castle of the Daimyō!

Had they instantly arrived at the capital of the Land of Wind?

Pakura said, "Within all twenty-one cities of the Land of Wind, there are altars of the Three Gods Religion.

"You can use the Flying Altar Technique to travel among these twenty-one cities, traversing distances instantly to find Ōkura as quickly as possible.

"Now, use the Flying Altar scrolls before me, one by one. I want to see if you have grasped this technique."

While the Flying Thunder God Technique was a forbidden jutsu, extremely difficult to master, the Flying Altar Technique was based on the altars and Yōkō's Flying Thunder God formula. For other ninja, using the Flying Altar scroll was like using a summoning scroll—the difficulty was not great.

Maki was the last to leave. He cast a strange look toward the direction of the Daimyō's Tenshu Castle.

A chilling thought arose in his mind... If the village wanted to assassinate the Daimyō, wouldn't it be incredibly simple?

They could silently deploy a large number of ninja into the capital and launch a surprise attack on the Tenshu Castle.

The Daimyō's samurai, the hired rogue ninja, the covertly employed Iwa-nin—all would be utterly defenseless against such a surprise assault.

The Daimyō would have no capacity to resist.

He felt a chill down the spine just thinking about it on the Daimyō's behalf.

Sunagakure's ability to control the Land of Wind was frighteningly strong.

If Sunagakure wished, the nobles' last safe haven would be nothing but a vain hope.

However... all of this was built upon that mysterious Three Gods Religion and its mysterious altars.

Three days later, Maki found Ōkura.

Ōkura looked coldly at Maki:

"Maki, Lord Rasa treated you and your father well. Who would have thought you'd be the first to pledge allegiance to that weak woman."

"A weak woman?" Maki raised his kunai. "Do you not have the slightest bit of respect for Lord Kazekage?"

"Hmph!" Ōkura said. "Back then, that woman Pakura was handed over to Kirigakure to secure a peace treaty with them. Advisor Matsu knew about it too.

"I wonder if Pakura will still trust you and your father once she learns the truth!"

"You talk too much!"

In just half a minute, Ōkura lay on the ground.

With his dying breath, Ōkura, blood frothing at his mouth, mumbled, "Traitor... who is the traitor? How... could you find me so quickly?"

"There is no traitor," Maki said, a Wind Blade forming on his finger.

"Lord Kazekage has found a way for us to instantly travel between different towns. There was no escape for you.

"Lord Kazekage's power far exceeds your imagination."

The Wind Blade descended, severing Ōkura's head.

Returning to Sunagakure with Ōkura'sbody, Maki went to the Kazekage building.

After receiving the Kazekage's commendation, Maki hesitated to speak.

"What do you wish to say?" Pakura thought for a moment and said,

"Don't be afraid, Maki. Look forward. I won't dwell on the past."

Maki quickly said, "Lord Kazekage, I will prove my loyalty through every mission. I wasn't referring to the past."

"Then what is it?"

Maki said, "Lord Kazekage, I had never heard of the Three Gods Religion before.

"There are altars within Sunagakure. What if the Three Gods Religion uses the altars to attack our village?

Sunagakure's walls, sentry squads, and barrier are all useless against the altars.

"Lord Kazekage, I wonder what the altar's weakness is. In an emergency, can the altar be destroyed?"

If the altar is attacked, that Fox will instantly appear, Pakura thought.

She said, "Maki, there's no need to worry about the Three Gods Religion. I can assure you that for as long as I am Kazekage, the Three Gods Religion will continue to aid us."

After seeing Maki out, Pakura began handling mission scrolls.

A faint disturbance in the air appeared behind her. Pakura swiftly turned her head.

"Pakura, your sensory abilities have improved considerably. You noticed me quite early. It seems your mastery of the Lozenge Seal has deepened."

Hearing Fox's voice, Pakura said, "I've already begun using the Lozenge Seal for chakra capacity stimulation training. My power has grown somewhat.

"Fox, hasn't Konoha already clashed with Kirigakure in the Land of Whirlpools? Do you have time to be here?"

"No matter," Yōkō said. "Nara Rokaku is an experienced battlefield commander. The front in the Land of Whirlpools is as solid as a rock.

"Right now, I'm more concerned with the Deterrence and Peace Plan."

Yōkō took the mission reports from Maki and the other five squadrons, read them carefully, and said,

"It's feasible. The Flying Altar Technique can completely change a village's power projection capabilities.

"After this Great Shinobi War ends, there will be no more dead zones in the shinobi world.

"The old days of traveling for half a month will be gone. We will possess terrifying control."

In a good mood, Yōkō reached out to stroke Pakura's back.

"Really now, couldn't they make the Kazekage's ceremonial robe backless? Such an inconvenience."

(End of Chapter)