Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 286 Yagura’s Fate

One day later, outside a secret bounty exchange stronghold somewhere in the Land of Water.

Sora counted the thick stack of banknotes in his hand, and after confirming they were correct, carefully put them away.

That mission with the Kirigakure rogue ninja had earned him a huge bounty of thirty million ryo. Combined with his previous mission earnings, the funds he carried now had reached a considerable amount.

’Good. Now, those expensive instruments that Sister and Kabuto need are finally taken care of.’

Sora felt slightly relieved in his heart. He turned and hurried towards the direction of a nearby large black market trading point.

While traveling, he couldn’t help but recall the power transition he had witnessed outside Kirigakure village earlier.

’Yagura... truly has guts.’

Sora sighed inwardly.

In order to change the village’s current situation, he did not hesitate to bear the crime of assassinating the previous Mizukage, and even actively became the Three-Tails Jinchūriki to obtain power sufficient to suppress all opposition.

This level of determination and responsibility was not something ordinary people possessed.

But besides sighing, Sora also couldn’t help but feel a trace of pity for this new Fourth Mizukage.

’What a pity. In the original story, you were controlled by Uchiha Obito’s genjutsu for so many years, turning Kirigakure into an isolated hell even worse than the ’Village of the Bloody Mist’.’

’And now...’

Sora shook his head, his expression somewhat complex.

He clearly knew that Uchiha Madara, in order to carry out his plan of making Obito fall into darkness, needed the Three-Tails to complete that crucial node.

He needed the Three-Tails to rampage inside Nohara Rin’s body, forcing Kakashi to personally kill Nohara Rin.

Uchiha Madara could not choose another tailed beast to replace the Three-Tails.

The key to this plan lay in timing and location. This tragedy had to be performed before Kakashi and Obito after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.

The Three-Tails was a tailed beast unique to the Land of Water. Its appearance at the border of the Land of Fire would be abnormal in itself, further creating the false impression of a ’Kirigakure conspiracy’.

Moreover, Uchiha Madara had already set all this up long ago. He could not change the tailed beast at the last minute and disrupt the plan.

Therefore, in Sora’s view, Yagura’s fate was almost sealed.

He probably wouldn’t even get the chance to realize his ambitions and truly reform Kirigakure. He would very soon fall victim to Uchiha Madara and have the Three-Tails taken from him.

’Sigh. Such is fate, such is destiny.’

Sora silently offered a stick of incense in his heart for this Fourth Mizukage, who was destined for tragedy even before his official coronation.

Such was the brutality of the ninja world.

...

Several days later, Ascension Island underground base.

"Brother Sora."

Seeing Sora return, Kabuto excitedly ran up to greet him.

Nonō and the others also showed smiles.

"Mn. I bought the things back."

Sora smiled and nodded, taking out those precision instruments purchased at great cost from a storage scroll.

"Great. With these, our research progress will definitely speed up significantly."

Nonō adjusted her glasses, her face glowing with the brilliance of a researcher seeing top-tier equipment.

Kabuto also nodded vigorously beside her.

Sora handed the equipment to them and inquired about the base’s recent situation and the progress of the cloning project.

After confirming everything was proceeding smoothly, he dispelled the shadow clone he had left here earlier to maintain daily operations and monitoring.

Then, he formed hand seals again and created a new one.

"There are still missions back in Konoha. I’ll head back first. I’ll leave this place to you."

"Don’t worry, Sora (Brother)." Several people replied in unison.

Sora nodded, turned, and left Ascension Island. His figure merged into the vast sea, speeding swiftly towards the direction of Konohagakure in the Land of Fire.

Halfway there, he realized something was missing. He made a turn and picked up Tagitsuhime, who had been waiting for a long time.

This caused Tagitsuhime to feel a wave of resentment.

...

Hokage’s office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Sora, who had returned from his mission, and slowly spoke.

"What is the situation over at Kirigakure now?"

Sora, dressed in his Anbu uniform, selectively reported some of the intelligence that could be gathered.

"The lockdown within the Land of Water remains strict, but large-scale military movements have stopped. It seems there is a power transition happening within the village. Specific details cannot be ascertained."

"Additionally, several powerful tailed beast chakra fluctuations were sensed. It is speculated they are related to the Three-Tails."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and nodded slightly.

"Power transition... It seems Kirigakure is also full of internal contradictions."

"Plus the Three-Tails... They should be unable to launch large-scale wars against other nations for a short time."

He pondered for a moment, lightly tapping his fingers on the desk.

"However, just in case, we cannot relax the defenses along the eastern coast. I will have the Uchiha clan dispatch more personnel there."

Sora understood in his heart. Sending the Uchiha to deal with Kirigakure was both utilizing their combat strength and a form of attrition and wariness.

But he wasn’t interested in such balancing tactics and merely remained silent.

Sarutobi Hiruzen continued.

"Kirigakure is temporarily not a concern, but the Iwagakure front line is under pressure. That old fox Ōnoki is personally commanding, and their offensive is fierce."

"Orochimaru at the front line... was severely injured by Ōnoki’s Dust Release. He cannot fight again for a short time. I need you to prepare immediately and go to the Iwagakure front line to support Jiraiya."

’Orochimaru was severely injured by Ōnoki?’

The corner of Sora’s mouth twitched slightly, his heart full of doubt.

Based on his understanding of Orochimaru, that guy had top-tier survival skills. Even if he couldn’t defeat Ōnoki, it would absolutely not be difficult for him to retreat unscathed.

It was ninety percent likely he was using this as an opportunity to hide and conduct his secret research.

Though inwardly, on the surface, Sora still nodded.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

After finishing his report, Sora turned to leave.

"Wait."

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly called out to him.

Sora stopped and looked back.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at him with a deep gaze, hesitated for a moment, but still asked.

"Sora, that form you displayed on the battlefield before... the half-beast transformation covered in dragon scales, with dragon horns on your head. What exactly is it?"

"It does not seem like an ordinary ninjutsu or Kekkei Genkai."

’Finally asking, huh?’

Sora had long been prepared in his heart and answered.

"I am not clear about the specific reason either. It’s probably due to a special physique. It’s an ability that naturally awakened as my strength grew. You can understand it as a special kind of Kekkei Genkai."

He answered ambiguously, attributing everything to ’special physique’.

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked deeply at Sora and did not press further.

’Did he believe it?’

Probably only partly.

But as Sora expected, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not propose to deeply study this ’Kekkei Genkai’ of his.

It was more of a formulaic inquiry.

Times were different now. The youth before him was no longer the orphan who could be easily controlled, but a top-tier expert capable of facing the Third Raikage head-on and earning the reputation of ’Azure Dragon’ on the battlefield.

Forcing an investigation would only backfire, damaging the currently superficially harmonious relationship.

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand.

"Mn. I understand. Go and prepare. Leave as soon as possible."

"Yes."

Sora did not linger further. He turned and left the Hokage’s office.

Watching Sora’s departing back, Sarutobi Hiruzen was silent for a moment. He bit his thumb and quickly formed hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu."

Poof.

A puff of white smoke appeared, and Enma’s tall figure materialized inside the office.

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