Chapter 250: Eloping for Love
Three hours later, Black Zetsu sped into a town, picked the most crowded market, emerged from the ground, and transformed into a lone woman shopping.
However, not long after, a figure descended from the sky amidst the screams of the crowd, stomping on Black Zetsu's neck and crushing it. The black viscous liquid lost its form and retreated back underground.
Black Zetsu was forced to change direction again. Dana continued the pursuit on the surface, creating a spectacular scene of sparks and lightning.
Black Zetsu constantly sought out populated towns, running wherever it was lively, trying to blend in. But against Kayo, who had already marked him, it was useless.
However, this also meant countless people witnessed Dana's grand entrance.
They might not have noticed Black Zetsu underground, but they certainly noticed the high-profile Yotsuki Dana.
The three of them played cat and mouse, eventually leaving the Land of Lightning entirely.
Meanwhile, various factions received intel through their own channels.
Land of Fire.
A frantic intelligence officer rushed into the Hokage's office, interrupting a meeting.
The officer swallowed hard and stammered, "Hokage-sama! Urgent report from the Land of Lightning direction! Yotsuki Dana is suspected to have crossed the border into the Land of Fire! He's heading towards Konoha!"
"NANI?!"
Everyone in the office lost their composure. Homura Mitokado stood up abruptly.
Sakumo Hatake asked gravely, "Troop strength? How many forces did he bring? Is there a declaration of war?"
The officer shook his head. "Unknown. It was only detected from a distance. There were traces in the Land of Hot Water too. His objective is unclear, and no notice was received! Based on his current speed, he could reach Konoha in two hours at the latest!"
Koharu Utatane hissed, "Damn Cloud! Damn Purple Moon Demon! Fourth, we must defend ourselves. Konoha cannot withstand another Night of the Purple Moon. That guy definitely has no good intentions! He might be spearheading a Heavenly Transfer Technique assault!"
Sakumo ordered sternly, "Sound the alarm! Level 1 Alert for the entire village! Evacuate civilians to the shelters. All ninja Chunin and above enter combat readiness. Sensory squads, deploy along the route. Ascertain his movements and situation before he arrives! Hurry!"
"YES SIR!"
With the Hokage's order, the entire Leaf Village entered a state of war. Countless ninja prepared themselves—some worried, some terrified, some eager for revenge. Even Sakumo himself had drawn his White Light Chakra Saber.
He gathered numerous elites and set up an ambush on the inevitable path outside Konoha. This time, he would intercept the enemy outside the village! He wouldn't let Yotsuki Dana wreak havoc inside Konoha again.
However, an hour passed with no movement.
Just as Sakumo and the Konoha elites were waiting anxiously, the latest news finally arrived from the front.
"Hokage-sama! Yotsuki Dana has left the Land of Fire again. This time we got close enough to see clearly. He was carrying a woman in his arms when he left. Suspected to have abducted a woman from our country!"
Sakumo said blankly, "You're saying... Yotsuki Dana made a huge scene, came all the way from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Fire, snatched a woman, and then ran back?"
Land of Rain.
Hanzo the Salamander received a report from his subordinate.
"Amekage-sama, border scouts witnessed the Cloud's Yotsuki Dana entering the Land of Rain from the direction of the Land of Fire. He seemed very anxious."
Hanzo looked up. Yotsuki Dana wasn't an ordinary person; this had to be taken seriously. "Did he state a reason?"
The subordinate shook his head. "No, he was moving too fast. We couldn't speak to him. However, sharp-eyed brothers said Yotsuki Dana was carrying a kunoichi and looked very worried."
Hanzo frowned in confusion. Given the relationship between Rain and Cloud, he naturally didn't think Dana was here to attack.
Wait. Hanzo had a sudden flash of inspiration.
Carrying a woman... running anxiously to the Land of Rain...
Could it be poisoning?!
The more Hanzo thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Maybe during a mission, his teammate was hit with some strange poison that Healing Talismans couldn't cure, so he ran here to find this old man for an antidote.
Hanzo considered himself quite skilled in the way of poisons. This young lad must be desperate and pressed for time, forced to rush to the Rain seeking his help.
A small smile appeared on Hanzo's lips.
"Ah, to be young. Running a thousand miles for the woman he loves, seeking a cure."
"Kayo! Breathe! Control your emotions!"
Kayo's face was flushed red. Being held in Dana's broad embrace wasn't uncomfortable at all. Her legs unconsciously intertwined, her calf brushing against the brachioradialis muscle on Dana's arm, sending a numbing tingle through her body.
She was about to faint from happiness.
And this state had lasted for several hours.
I'm going to faint, I'm going to faint... Kayo, you can do this! You can't faint!
If I faint, this wonderful time will be wasted!
"Dana-Nii-san! He turned! Three o'clock direction!"
"Got it!"
Dana bit onto the trail relentlessly.
This pursuit lasted far longer than Black Zetsu expected. He hadn't anticipated Yotsuki Dana would chase him from day into night.
Even though he passed through countless towns—probably alerting the entire ninja world to his movements—it didn't shake this guy's determination to chase him.
Black Zetsu found it absurd! If he wasn't afraid of being discovered by the sensory barriers of the Great Ninja Villages, he would have run straight into another village to hide.
And that little girl he was carrying... She looked ordinary, but she must possess some terrifying sensory ability. Abilities capable of locking onto him were rare in the ninja world.
"No... in the end, this guy is just a human. His stamina has limits. As long as I outlast him, I can shake him off!"
Unable to shake him with depth or speed, Black Zetsu could only hope to exhaust him into giving up.
A direct confrontation was impossible. Impossible in this lifetime.
An accidental pursuit that stirred the entire ninja world continued for nearly a day and night. Finally, as dawn broke, Yotsuki Dana seemed to reach his limit, his speed slowing down.
Black Zetsu saw hope. Holding onto his last breath of energy, he finally shook off the pursuer near noon.
"Finally... that guy really has endurance!"
Black Zetsu was also mentally exhausted. Although his body structure wasn't human, his energy wasn't infinite.
Still not reassured, he chose to change direction several times, wandering randomly for another day before finally relaxing.
"It seems I truly shook him off. Damn it! My intel must have leaked somewhere, but that's almost impossible."
"I need to go back and ask Madara... see what the hell is going on!"