Chapter 82: Be Honored! You Will Witness the Power of Science!
"Kenichi, you would not…" It was obvious Sasori had completely misunderstood him.
Kenichi froze for a beat, then waved both hands in a rare flash of embarrassment.
"Relax. I am only into cute girls," Kenichi said quickly, making himself painfully clear.
He had no interest in letting Sasori get the wrong idea and start looking at him like some kind of walking problem. Sasori was normal, and Kenichi was also very normal. He was a straight guy who liked cute, adorable girls.
Of course, cute was a broad category. If he started listing details, they would be here until the next war ended.
Unfortunately, getting into Kumogakure was not going smoothly.
The merchants ahead of them were subjected to an inspection so rude it barely qualified as a search. They were ordered to strip, then the border ninja rubbed water over their faces to check for makeup, disguise residue, or anything suspicious.
It was only happening because the situation was abnormal. With a war underway, Kumogakure was paranoid about outsiders, and the merchants looked like they had long since learned to swallow their pride and endure it.
Kenichi's expression darkened.
He had sealing scrolls and other items on him. If he went through that kind of inspection, hiding them would become a real problem. Worse, he noticed the border ninja were not taking bribes. Every merchant stayed obedient, even the kind that usually solved everything by slipping money into a palm.
Sasori looked just as displeased. Even if it was for a mission, he could not stomach being handled like that by strangers.
It was an insult.
"Let's pull back first," Kenichi said, eyes narrowing as he studied the Hidden Cloud Village ahead.
From a distance, Kumogakure looked peaceful, almost serene, but Kenichi was certain there was a sealing barrier in place, maintained by a dedicated team.
He had originally planned to infiltrate Kumogakure and plant thermobaric bombs, but now it was clear that getting in would be difficult and getting out cleanly would be even worse. If he forced it, he would be handing the ANBU a reason to chase him to the ends of the Land of Lightning.
So he adjusted.
The ninja world had never truly faced an air raid. Most sealing barriers were hemispherical and extended high into the sky. Anything thrown from above was easy to detect and counter, which meant aerial tactics had never developed here.
It did not help that very few ninja could actually fly. The Tsuchikage could, and Deidara could as well, but Deidara was probably still playing in the mud somewhere, so that was not an immediate concern.
Kenichi's first idea was simple. Find a high enough place, use a paraglider to glide over Kumogakure, then open a sealing scroll midair and let the thermobaric bomb drop. The fall would trigger the fuse, and the explosion would do the rest.
He quickly realized it would not work.
Kumogakure itself was built high in the mountains. Where they were now was still at the foot of the slope. To reach the main headquarters, they would have to go up farther, and that meant passing through the strictest layer of security.
Staying near the gate any longer would be suicide.
Kenichi and Sasori exchanged a glance. In the next instant, Kenichi used the Temple of Nirvana Technique to create an opening, then grabbed Sasori and slipped away from the main gate.
Kumogakure reacted fast. Several figures flashed past the entrance almost immediately, likely ANBU responding to the disturbance.
But Kenichi and Sasori had plenty of ways to erase their trail. For now, they did not need to worry about being found.
"Kenichi, what is your plan to get in?" Sasori asked once they were safely away.
Now that they were here, Sasori understood the target. It was Kumogakure itself. But making an enemy of a major village was not a casual decision.
Sasori had killed the Third Kazekage, but that success had relied on timing, identity, and poison. A direct confrontation was never guaranteed.
"There is no need to go in," Kenichi said, shaking his head.
He had come to the Land of Lightning to look for clues about Kinkaku and Ginkaku, but with security this tight, sneaking into Kumogakure was basically impossible. Forcing their way in would only trigger pursuit.
So the solution was the sky, just not the way he originally imagined.
Kenichi wet a finger and held it up, feeling the wind, judging the flow and speed. Within moments, he had a backup plan.
Kumogakure's location made it difficult to strike from above, but he could build a simple hot air balloon, climb into the clouds and mist, then use Wind Release chakra to guide it over the village and complete the bombing run.
With chakra involved, the ascent could be fast. If the balloon rose unnoticed, the plan would already be halfway done.
"What is that?" Sasori's attention was caught by the strange thing Kenichi began assembling. If Sasori did not know better, he would have thought Kenichi was sewing clothing in the forest.
"You have never seen a hot air balloon?" Kenichi asked, staring at him.
A hot air balloon was not advanced. It barely required skill. Kenichi had assumed something like this would exist in the ninja world already.
But Sasori's expression said everything.
"A hot air balloon?" Sasori repeated, clearly unfamiliar with the concept.
Kenichi's lips twitched. If even Sasori, someone who had lived through war, had never seen one, then the ninja world probably truly did not use them.
Kenichi thought back. He had not seen one in Konoha either, but he had never cared enough to notice. In his previous life, a prototype had flown around 1783. The technology was absurdly low.
"It can take us into the sky," Kenichi explained. "But to be safe, we will make two parachutes."
Sasori was interested. With his help, the balloon and parachutes came together quickly. Soon, aided by Wind Release, the hot air balloon rose into the clouds.
Kenichi looked down at the shrinking forest and the distant Hidden Cloud Village far below. Excitement flashed across his face.
"Fear it," he said, smiling as he pulled out a scroll sealed with a thermobaric bomb. "Be honored. You will be the first to witness the power of science."
<><><><><>
[P@treon Christmas Discount: 20% OFF]
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]