msmithbooks Chapter 186 Finding People
Chapter 186 Finding People
The Land of Wind, one of the five great nations of the ninja world, possesses a vast territory. Unfortunately, most of this expansive land is covered by endless yellow sand, making it arid and barren. Its usable resources and habitable land are far less than those of the other four great nations, making its living environment extremely harsh.
Above the boundless golden sea of sand, in the azure sky, a peculiar "creature" spread its wings and soared steadily. It was a magnificent creature, resembling a dragon from Western legends!
The massive, streamlined dragon body, about ten meters long, is covered in white... scales that seem to be made of some kind of special clay. The ferocious dragon head, claws, and the huge wings that support the massive body for flight... from any angle, it is a dragon!
However, this dragon is only a single, deathly white color, lacking the color and vitality that a living creature should have. Although it can fly like a real dragon, it is more like a giant clay sculpture with exquisite craftsmanship but strange material.
This is Deidara's masterpiece—C2 Dragon.
On the back of the soaring dragon sat several people steadily. Deidara, the blond-haired boy who was flying at the very front and had half his body leaning out, was excitedly looking down at the monotonous yet magnificent desert landscape rushing past below, and shouted loudly.
"Oh! We've entered the airspace of the Land of Wind! What a nostalgic place, I really want to see it again... that ultimate art."
His mind involuntarily replayed the devastating yet perfectly perfect [Great Spiral Wheel] he had witnessed over this desert that day, and his eyes shone with fervor and longing.
Having feasted his eyes on the sights, he turned around and called out to those behind him, "Alright, senior! What exactly are the characteristics of the target we're looking for? This godforsaken place is nothing but sand; finding someone won't be easy."
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Shisui, who was sitting on the back of the dragon's back and dressed in a smart ANBU uniform, calmly answered.
"Based on the organization's existing intelligence analysis and the leader's instructions, our target is a ninja who is extremely skilled in puppetry. It is estimated that he is over thirty years old, but he has been classified as 'missing for many years' by his former faction. His specific facial features are unknown, and it is even impossible to determine whether he still retains his original appearance."
He paused, then added, "Therefore, this confirmation based on scattered intelligence cannot guarantee that the target is the person the leader is looking for. We need to remain vigilant and carefully verify information."
Besides Zhishui, there were two other people on the dragon's back.
"Here, Mr. Zabuza, please put this on." Bai's gentle voice rang out as he handed a prepared sand-proof cloak and mask to Zabuza Momochi beside him. "We have reached the territory of the Land of Wind. The sandstorm below is very strong, and it will be very uncomfortable if it blows directly onto your body."
Carrying a standard-issue longsword, Zabuza, with an air of "keep away," glanced at the item Haku handed him, his voice muffled through the bandages.
"That's unnecessary. Ninjas are used to sandstorms and snowstorms when they're on missions. To need extra protection in this kind of environment is just being delicate. This kind of thing is just a hindrance to us."
The words were as harsh as ever, as if criticizing Bai for his excessive concern.
However, Haku was already used to Zabuza's hypocrisy, so he did not withdraw his hand, and the smile on his face remained gentle and persistent.
"I know ninjas have to endure all kinds of environments. But I don't want Zabuza-san's beautiful body to suffer any unnecessary damage, not even a scratch from a tiny grain of sand. So please wear it."
Hearing Haku's words, Zabuza remained silent for a moment before finally grabbing the sand mask and roughly but quickly putting it on his face, completely covering most of his face except for his eyes. At the same time, he completely concealed the extremely subtle and gentle emotion that flashed through his eyes.
"...Nonsense." He muttered in a low voice, accepting the kindness.
Haku was already used to Zabuza's hypocritical, or rather, arrogant, behavior. He simply maintained his gentle smile and quietly watched Zabuza awkwardly put on his mask, a look of relief in his eyes.
"By the way, Shisui-senpai and Deidara-senpai, please put these on as well." Haku turned around and took out two more brand-new sand masks from his bag, handing them to Shisui and Deidara respectively.
His considerations were very thorough. After all, no one knew how long the search would take in this vast desert, so it was always good to take precautions in advance.
"Thank you, Shiro." Shisui took the mask and thanked him gently. He looked at the boy in front of him, who had a delicate appearance and a gentle personality, but who had also been robbed of his normal life by this cruel world and could only become a rogue ninja in the end.
Okay, Shisui silently corrected himself in his mind. The first time he met Bai at the organization's base, the day Bai joined the [Jin] organization's dark branch, he did almost mistake Bai's gender, causing a little embarrassment.
Deidara, unlike his usual boisterous self, calmly accepted the mask from Haku, even nodding respectfully.
For some reason, perhaps it was Bai's natural and respectful "Deidara-senpai" that made him inexplicably put on the airs of a "senpai" and couldn't help but want to appear more reliable.
Although Bai's actual age may be slightly older than his.
After all four had donned their sand masks, the C2 clay dragon continued to fly steadily over the vast desert. The scorching sun beat down relentlessly on the earth, and below, apart from the rolling sand dunes and the occasional weathered rock pillar, there was no sign of life.
Forget about puppeteers, it's difficult to even find a human figure or a trace of an animal.
Time slipped away quietly during the monotonous flight, and several hours passed.
Just when everyone was beginning to think that today's search might be fruitless—
"Huh? What happened over there?"
Deidara, who had been on lookout duty, was the first to notice the anomaly in the distance. He squinted and pointed in a certain direction on the horizon.
On the distant horizon, a thick plume of black smoke billowed into the sky, creating a stark contrast with the clear blue sky.
Below the black smoke, flickering flames could be faintly seen, and a faint smell of burning could be heard in the air.
"That location... seems to have just experienced a fierce battle, or an attack." Shisui's eyes sharpened instantly, his Sharingan activated, trying to see further and more clearly. "The scale seems quite large."
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(The author hesitated about whether to subdue Scorpion, because Scorpion had killed quite a few innocent people. The game mentioned that Scorpion repeatedly slaughtered villages for the sake of human puppets.)