Chapter 385: Lost Sand Gourd

“Hiruzen, you cheap old man!”

After learning about the true purpose of Hiruzen’s arrival with that group of ninjas, Masahiko couldn’t help but laugh and curse him…

After he heard about the many Daimyos who were attacked yesterday after leaving the Land of Rain, Hiruzen, who was far away in Konoha, immediately seized this “business opportunity.”
Some Daimyos, who were timid or had weak guards, were worried about being attacked again, so they ended up being trapped in Amegakure.

Yesterday, Yahiko’s residence was so lively with those troubled Daimyos. They were hoping that Amegakure’s leader will send guards to escort them back.

This caused a great headache to Yahiko. Each of these Daimyos is wealthy enough to pay for more than one Jonin. However, there are only a dozen of Jonin in Amegakure. Yahiko can’t send all of them and leave the village without protection.

Hiruzen had enough manpower, and after he finishes this mission, not only will he get a lot of funds, but he will also gain the friendship and blood of the Daimyos.

The Residence.

Masahiko smiled as he watched Konoha ninjas take one Daimyo after another.

Yahiko beside him was speechless.

Hiruzen walked out with a smiley face, but when he reached Masahiko and Yahiko, his expression was already serious.

He first nodded his head to greet Masahiko and then turned to Yahiko, “I was informed by Kakashi about everything that was said during the meeting yesterday.”

Masahiko raised his eyebrows and smiled. Hiruzen was using his master’s domineering to suppress the poor kid.

Yahiko bowed his head slightly, “When I came to Konoha, you said that you were gonna consider it before deciding whether to join the Akatsuki. Now that one year has passed, have you made your mind?”

Hiruzen’s expression remained unchanged, “We, Konoha, tend to join, but I can’t guarantee that from the Land of Fire’s Daimyo, it will take some time to negotiate.”

He’s still stalling.

Konoha is too strong now. He doesn’t need to join the Akatsuki. He can handle the double men bun guy personally. If he dares to “make the world feel pain” like the original Pain, the Uchiha’s four Susanoo will tear him to pieces.

Only Masahiko can make the current Konoha feel pain.

After exchanging a few perfunctory words with Yahiko, Hiruzen’s expression was slightly solemn, “Elder Masahiko, the goal of the dark Akatsuki’s leader, is… to catch all the Bijuu?”

Masahiko nodded, “It has always been, but I didn’t expect him to start acting so early.”

“And the reason?”

“To gather the nine Bijuu and summon the dragon… cough, the Juubi. Then become the Juubi’s Jinchuriki and beat me? Destroy the world?” Masahiko said casually, “It should be something like that.”

Hiruzen looked in a daze, but he was able to grasp the point—Kushina and Naruto are among the enemy’s targets.

“Then you…”

Masahiko waved his hand to interrupt, indicating that he had a good idea, and looked up at the sky.

In the distance, Onoki groaned and flew to their side quickly.

“He’s very angry. This is gonna be awesome. He’s hopeful that he will become the third longest-lived ninja after Kakuzu and me. You can’t do it. You’re far away!”

Hiruzen smiled bitterly. He and Onoki are old opponents, and they could fight each other toe to toe when they were young, but now… his body has already been hollowed out.

Yahiko also saw the little old man Onoki flying in the distance and hurriedly led the people to greet him.

In the residence area, Homura and Koharu walked out with more than ten ninjas and nodded to Hiruzen. These ninjas belonged to the “failed to receive a task” pack.

Masahiko glanced at the passing-by Chunin and saw a young man with a green vest and pants…

“Well, they can’t blame him. You can’t trust a weird-looking guy like him with your life. Although they would have been safer with him….”

Speaking of it, Konoha has worked really hard this time in order to show sincerity to the Daimyos and accept the task. Not only did the Hokage arrive, but also the three elders.

They came and went in a hurry; they withdrew just after receiving the task.

Looking at the sky, Masahiko could only feel sorry for Onoki, who was going to receive the news about the loss of the Gobi’s Jinchuriki and his half disciple.

Well, when he returns to the village, his “lovely” granddaughter will make Onoki forget about all the sadness.
………

“The Nanabi… gone wild?”

Masahiko looked surprised. He never expected such news.

Kakuzu continued, “That was before I took over Takigakure. During the First Shinobi World War, Takigakure attacked Iwagakure and snatched the Nanabi. Later Onoki…”

“Oh, I remember that, after he used the Dust Release, he almost wiped out Takigakure. Thus the people asked you to go back to be the leader.”

Kakuzu nodded and explained, “During that battle, the Nanabi’s Jinchuriki died in the dust. Later the Nanabi came back to life, but I couldn’t catch it.”

Masahiko was taken aback. He remembered then that the Nanabi was a big buy who was good at digging in disguise. It was hard to find….”

“And there’s also the Rokubi who betrayed Kirigakure many years ago… in the worst case, that bastard has caught one-third of the Bijuu?” Masahiko frowned slightly.

………

Two days later.

“Karin, this is the desert you have always wanted to see, happy?”

Karin was stretching out her tongue like a dead dog, “It’s so hot, so dirty. Haku! Come over here, and cool me down!”

“Haku, you’re not allowed to use your Ice Release. Coming to the desert is for enjoying the sand and heat.” Masahiko was surprisingly refreshed.

Haku turned to Karin with a helpless expression.

Since there was no way around this, Karin wanted to seize this opportunity, “Kimimaro, you’re feeling hot, right? Why don’t you take your shirt…? Yeah!”

Masahiko, who was walking in front, turned his head feeling a bit irritated, “Kimimaro, put on your shirt, we’re going to reach Sunagakure soon.”

“Yes, God!”

There was a fifth person in the team, “We will be there in about three kilometers. We, the Sunagakure ninjas, have long been used to his environment.”

Masahiko smiled, “Every time I come here, I think you guys are really hard, Chiyo.”

“You might be right. Gaara was also my sin.” Chiyo sighed.

“I thought Sasori was your sin?”

……

Following Chiyo, the four entered Sunagakure unimpeded, and Masahiko also saw his goal of this trip: Gaara.

The word “love” on his forehead, the big gourd on the back, and the thick dark circles around his eyes made him easy to identify.

“Fuinjutsu improved so much, yet you still use these unstable sealing methods.”

Chiyo sighed, “Elder, can you please strengthen the seal for him?”

“Easy.” Masahiko nodded and looked at the pedestrians on the street where Gaara was evading and then at the two Anbu not far behind him. Masahiko raised one eyebrow, then fixed his eyes on the gourd, “I’ll go and say hello to my boy Gaara.

“Elder…”

In the next second, Gaara, who was walking on the street, suddenly felt his shoulder getting lighter, and at the same time, a red-haired uncle “not afraid of him” appeared in his sight.

Masahiko, holding the gourd in one hand, smiled and said, “My boy, is this the sand gourd you lost, or… uh….”

Gaara: “I… Will Kill You!”