"Let me help you find it then, Valley of Hypocrisy... things seem to be getting interesting."

Kakuzu said at this moment.

As he spoke, he left on his own.

Insect Man glanced at the remaining three, then took action, beginning to search for the entrance to the Valley of Hypocrisy.

They meticulously searched each area, but found nothing.

Apart from encountering wild beasts, there was no sign of human activity on the way.

Earth Man also lost all contact, and the situation seemed to be developing in a unfavorable direction.

About two hours later, Kakuzu was the first to arrive at the pre-arranged meeting place.

Looking at the empty land, Kakuzu frowned and said nothing.

It wasn't until nightfall, and with Insect Man and the others not returning, that Kakuzu realized something was wrong.

The situation was not simply serious, but extremely serious.

Like Earth Man, Insect Man and the others likely encountered some trouble as well.

Though confident in his ability to surpass any one of the five of Insect Man's group, to silently subdue all five... Kakuzu knew this was not something he could handle.

The enemy might have used some special methods, but if he didn't understand those methods, he might fall for the trap too.

Or perhaps... he was already being watched.

Thinking of this, Kakuzu immediately sprinted towards the forest outside, leaving at top speed.

Despite wondering why the enemy only targeted Insect Man's group and not him, now was not the time for such doubts.

The only goal now is to get away from here.

Without understanding the enemy's abilities and numbers, confronting them in the dark would undoubtedly be a very foolish choice.

Shortly after Kakuzu escaped, shadows began to stir in the dark.

One person watched the direction Kakuzu fled, eyes full of confusion and bewilderment.

"Strange... why didn't that guy fall for the trap?"

Until now, the traps set here had never failed, yet Kakuzu continuously ignored the traps here, leaving him completely perplexed.

"I remember that guy is Undead Kakuzu... forget it, leave him alone, if he's not caught in the trap, we can't deal with him. He's on the same level as the Village Head as a renegade ninja."

Another person said, revealing a sense of helplessness.

Undead Kakuzu, he was well aware of.

One of the top Bounty Hunters in the Underground Black Market, incredibly powerful, originating from Hidden Waterfall Village as an S-Class Renegade Ninja; best left alone.

Being able to evade the traps set here, Undead Kakuzu's uniqueness was evident.

◎

Land of Demons.

In Hakushi's office, a long-lost guest—Kakuzu—was welcomed.

Kakuzu recounted the events that occurred in the Land of Valleys to Hakushi, especially the disappearance of the Nokizaru Group, which was a major issue.

"So, you mean while tracking the Valley of Hypocrisy, all five of Insect Man's group disappeared?"

Hakushi rubbed his temples.

He didn't expect that merely assisting Yagura in exterminating the remnants of the Blood Mist Faction would lead to so many issues.

The Nokizaru Group was undoubtedly a formidable force within the Land of Demons military, and couldn't afford to be lost.

With their disappearance in the Land of Valleys, this matter must be thoroughly investigated.

"Yes, it should be the people inside the Valley of Hypocrisy causing trouble."

Kakuzu said.

"What like the Valley of Hypocrisy?"

Hakushi asked.

In the intelligence system of the Land of Demons, it seemed such a place was not recorded.

Hakushi didn't find it surprising, given the innumerable hidden secrets in the Ninja Realm, he couldn't possibly know them all.

"It's a village claimed to be the Pure Land, with unknown access methods, only known to be inside the great forest of the Land of Valleys, but the exact location is uncertain."

Kakuzu replied.

Though working as a Debt Collector, he also had a background with the Land of Demons military, just with slightly different responsibilities compared to Insect Man and his group.

At least for the next forty years, he would fulfill the obligations in his contract.

"Pure Land?" Hakushi thought, pinching his chin.

He was certain of not being aware of such a place, never having heard of it.

"I understand, in any case, the great forest in the Land of Valleys requires a thorough investigation. The debt collection work can be set aside for now, this matter needs your assistance."

"No problem... what about this month's salary?"

"I'll double it for you."

In light of this, Kakuzu had no objection.

As long as the price was correct, the mysterious Valley of Hypocrisy could be explored once more.

After reporting this matter, Kakuzu left the office.

Soon after, the office door opened again.

Ruri stepped in from outside, looking at Hakushi and asked, "You wanted to see me?"

"My apologies for interrupting your training. However, I actually have a task that requires your action."

Hakushi said helplessly.

The disappearance of the Nokizaru Group was no trivial matter, the importance of this squad was obvious, and if an accident occurred, forming another would take time and effort.

So, the issue regarding the Valley of Hypocrisy must be thoroughly investigated.

But here's the problem, the Nokizaru Group had considerable strength; enabling them to silently make the entire group disappear, the power within Valley of Hypocrisy must be formidable, otherwise, they couldn't possibly make all five vanish without a trace.

Aside from Ruri, while he had other teams capable of undertaking such work, the uncertainty was too great.

This threat needed to be resolved promptly.

Ruri was undoubtedly the best choice.

"A task?"

Ruri frowned.

Ordinary tasks typically wouldn't require her direct involvement, unless it was something particularly troublesome that required Hakushi's intervention.