Chapter 136: Even Eating Barbecue Can Lead to Unexpected Gains
Kenichi was not sure whether he had left even the slightest impression on Itachi, but he hoped he had. If Itachi thought things through before taking action later, then Kenichi's goal would be met.
"The Uchiha clan, huh. Arrogant and conceited," Kenichi said as he walked beside Sasori. "But there are also some among them who carry the Will of Fire."
They kept moving. The Land of Fire was not as vast as the Land of Wind, but it was still enormous. Crossing it would take time, and to avoid drawing attention, Kenichi did not use a hot air balloon this time. He chose to travel on foot instead.
"The Will of Fire?" Sasori turned his head slightly, studying him. "I've heard you mention it, but the way you describe it sounds strange. Like it encourages shinobi to throw themselves away for the village."
"Strictly speaking, it's closer to brainwashing," Kenichi replied with a yawn. "But it does have a few redeeming qualities."
Without a large scale war, it would be almost impossible for the villages and nations to unite. The Fourth Shinobi World War had essentially created a common enemy, forcing the villages to stand together.
If the Allied Shinobi Forces had been able to continue afterward, maybe a completely new shinobi world would have taken shape, and the core problems of the shinobi world could have been solved.
Even though the Third Hokage had many flaws, Kenichi had to admit one thing. The Will of Fire was effective. At the very least, it gave many Konoha shinobi a clear goal to live by.
"Sasori, I actually have an idea," Kenichi said, stepping out of the forest and looking toward a small town ahead. As long as there was no war in the Land of Fire, places like this could be considered peaceful and prosperous.
Sasori's gaze sharpened. "Hmm?"
Kenichi smiled. "I'll pass. Not the right time yet."
He had not fully decided what to do. He wanted to wait and watch. Besides, even if he formed a plan, he would still need to ask whether Sasori was willing to work with him to make it happen.
Sasori shrugged. He had never truly understood his friend anyway. Kenichi was a strange man.
For example, they were already deep in the Land of Fire, within Konoha's sphere of influence, and Kenichi still wanted to walk into town and eat barbecue like he was on vacation.
"Sasori, you just don't understand," Kenichi said solemnly as he stared at the sizzling pork belly. "Barbecue is the soul of life. A life without barbecue is incomplete."
Soldier pills could fill your stomach, and some merchants even sold different flavors. But unless you were on a mission, what kind of shinobi ate soldier pills as a real meal?
Barbecue, and things like it, were proof you were actually living in this world.
"So," Sasori said, tilting his chin toward the entrance, "was this unexpected situation within your expectations?"
Kenichi sighed. He had already seen the newcomers too.
A group of Konoha shinobi filed into the barbecue shop. They looked like a standard squad. None of them were familiar to Kenichi.
"No," Kenichi admitted. "But we're just ordinary people right now. Eating barbecue won't hurt."
He touched his face lightly. His face changing technique was extremely solid. He would not expose any flaws just because he was chewing meat.
The Konoha squad scanned the room, then found a table and sat down to eat. They did not pay Kenichi or Sasori any attention.
Kenichi smirked to himself. Unless they were Hyuga, it was basically impossible to see through a face changing technique. Even if they were Hyuga, whether they could see through it was still another matter.
Kenichi felt it was risky, but he could not be sure without testing it personally.
"Speaking of which, wasn't the Land of the Sky already destroyed by us?" one of the Konoha shinobi whispered. "Why are we being assigned this mission again?"
Kenichi glanced at them, expression strange. If these people were not acting completely normal, he would have suspected they were delivering intelligence on purpose.
"That woman is way too arrogant," another shinobi muttered. "She actually dared to say in public that the Land of the Sky will definitely take revenge on us."
Kenichi raised an eyebrow. Hearing something like that while eating barbecue was not what he expected.
After finishing their meal beside the Konoha squad, Kenichi left the shop with Sasori, rubbing his stomach.
"Sasori, did you hear that?" Kenichi nudged Sasori with his elbow.
Sasori's face stayed blank.
Kenichi immediately understood. Sasori had not heard a thing.
That confused him for a moment, until he realized the real reason.
It was his own problem.
He was still in Sage Mode.
When he faced Shisui earlier, Kenichi had entered Sage Mode instantly. He knew it was unlikely, but if Shisui used Kotoamatsukami on him, that would be a disaster. Better to be cautious.
Kenichi clicked his tongue. "I never imagined Sage Mode could enhance hearing like this."
Then a ridiculous thought slipped into his mind.
"Does Jiraiya use that Sage Mode helmet in the women's bathhouse every day?" Kenichi muttered. "That would be beyond abnormal."
He had stumbled across one more strange use for Sage Mode.
Maybe next time he met Jiraiya, he could tell him about that bizarre saying from his previous life, and then mention using Shadow Clone Jutsu combined with Transformation Jutsu to…
Kenichi cleared his throat.
Well, the chances were low, but what if Jiraiya actually developed it?
"I heard those Konoha shinobi say they came out this time because of a woman who publicly declared the Land of the Sky would take revenge," Kenichi said, keeping it simple.
No wonder the Land of the Sky's revenge failed. If their allies were this incompetent, success would be terrifyingly unlikely.
"Could it be a trap?" Sasori asked. He genuinely had not heard anything, so he was being cautious.
"No," Kenichi said, waving a hand. "They don't know I can hear them. If it were a trap, they would need to see through my face changing technique first, then know what we're planning. Unless the other side is the Sage of Six Paths."
"Then we can find that woman first," Sasori said at once.
Kenichi nodded. That was exactly what he was thinking.
So the two of them chatted briefly, then quietly followed behind the Konoha squad after they finished eating.
The squad's formation was standard: one jonin leading three chunin. A common Konoha team structure.
Before long, Kenichi watched them enter a house.
He exchanged a glance with Sasori.
Then Sasori sent Unit 01 in.
Through Unit 01's eyes, Sasori saw the interior clearly.
There were only the four shinobi. No woman in sight. And the leader, the jonin, had already noticed them.
Kenichi was about to step in, but he saw Sasori raise a hand calmly.
The next moment, a swarm of puppets leapt into the courtyard.
A violent clash erupted inside, loud and chaotic.
Then, just as quickly, it ended.
Sasori spoke with the same serious tone he used to discuss art. "The opponent was quite strong, but still a little weaker than me."
Kenichi stared at him with a strange expression.
Sasori did not flinch. He meant it.
"Next time, Sasori, you should do this gesture," Kenichi said, raising his hand in a pose that looked like the universe was resting in his palm, followed by a second motion that somehow resembled the collapse of the kimchi market. "It'll be more convincing."
"Is that so?" Sasori considered it seriously. After hearing Kenichi's reasoning, it did feel more humble.
Kenichi tugged Sasori forward. The fight had already drawn attention. They needed to pull information fast, or finding that woman later would become annoying.
The jonin inside was breathing hard, eyes tense.
Kenichi strode over and kicked him in the face.
The impact was brutal. The jonin's head snapped sideways, and he dropped unconscious instantly.
The three chunin trembled. They lowered their heads and did not dare speak.
"Tell me," Kenichi said, grabbing one chunin by the collar and staring into his eyes. "Where is your mission target, that woman from the Land of the Sky?"
At the same time, Kenichi activated Sharingan genjutsu.
The chunin's eyes turned blank.
"She's at the onsen on this street," the chunin replied in a dull voice.
Kenichi nodded in satisfaction.
He used the same method on the other two chunin. After confirming their answers matched, he released them.
Looking at the shinobi lying on the ground, Kenichi scratched his head. What a pity. Such decent experimental materials, but bringing them along would be far too troublesome.
"Aren't you going to ask that jonin?" Sasori asked, sounding genuinely disappointed. He had torture tools he had not used yet, and since learning interrogation techniques, he had been waiting for a chance.
"Jonin don't give information easily," Kenichi said, shaking his head. "And they're more likely to feed you false details."
Konoha's jonin were always a headache. Anyone who reached that rank was an elite among shinobi.
Of course, it would be completely absurd if genin started beating jonin or even Kage level opponents later, but that kind of nonsense was not Kenichi's problem right now.
"Do you want these people?" Sasori asked suddenly.
"No," Kenichi replied without hesitation.
Then he paused, and his eyes flicked to the bodies.
"Ah. Right," Kenichi added. "You can turn them into human puppets."
It was Sasori's old profession, after all. And there was a jonin here. Barely qualified, but still usable.
Not long after, the house became empty.
It looked as if no shinobi had ever been there at all.
Kenichi and Sasori left and walked down the street until they found the hot spring inn.
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