Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

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"Do you have a test tube?"

"I do. Why?"

"Grab one. Yes, just hold it like that for a moment."

Jinghang pulled out a handkerchief and began squeezing it forcefully into the test tube. After a while, the tube was filled halfway with a white liquid.

"What is this?" Tsunade asked curiously, glancing at the liquid in the test tube. She then casually added half a tube of sealing fluid to it.

"It's my friend's blood!"

"Blood?" Tsunade paused for a moment, then used a pipette to take a sample and placed it under a microscope for observation.

"Is your friend… a plant? I'm seeing cells with plant-like characteristics mixed with animal-like cells, and they're all incredibly active. Where is this friend of yours?" Tsunade grew increasingly intrigued as she observed.

"Do you want to meet him?"

"Of course! Wait… did you bring him here?" Tsunade's face lit up with excitement, like a child discovering a new toy. With the war temporarily at a standstill and no pressing matters to attend to, she was eager to dive into some research.

"I didn't bring him, but if I'm not mistaken, he's probably on me right now."

"On you? What do you mean? Explain yourself."

"Well, it's a bit complicated to explain right now. Do you know where Jiraiya is?"

"I think I do," Tsunade replied.

"Great. Let's go find Jiraiya. Once we find him, everything will become clear."

"So, you're saying the Third Kazekage has also gotten involved in this war?" Madara Uchiha seemed slightly surprised by this revelation.

"That's correct," Black Zetsu confirmed.

Madara fell into deep thought.

"Like his predecessor, Reto, he's a cunning… cough cough... fox. It seems that even without our interference, events would still unfold as they are meant to." After a long pause, Madara finally spoke.

"Heh, indeed," White Zetsu chimed in.

"As long as humans exist, there will always be disputes and conflicts… cough cough... It's in their nature. It cannot be eradicated through mere compromise. That fool Hashirama never understood this. Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can bring about true peace! Cough! Cough!" Madara's voice grew more impassioned, and his coughing worsened.

Zetsu quickly moved closer to pat Madara on the back.

"Do you think it was the right decision to recruit him into our organization?"

Madara's coughing gradually subsided.

"Don't think that a few grand speeches will sway him. Every Kazekage throughout history has been the type to never act without guaranteed benefit."

"I wasn't expecting him to fully accept our ideology right away. But leaving a seed of opportunity is always beneficial. After all, he's a Kage, and I believe he could contribute to your cause in the future," Black Zetsu explained.

"Exactly! We even swore brotherhood!" White Zetsu added enthusiastically.

Madara shot White Zetsu a glare and sighed helplessly.

"So, you didn't tell me the real reason, did you?"

"Heh, nothing escapes your eyes. The truth is, I wasn't confident I could take him down in that situation. In fact, there was a high chance he could have defeated me."

Madara considered this for a moment. "You made the right call. With your current strength, you might not be his match. You're too important to our plans, and everything is still in its early stages. You can't afford to get into trouble."

"As for this 'seed of opportunity' you mentioned, let it be for now. It might prove useful in the future. Did you plant spores on him?"

"Of course I did!" White Zetsu said proudly.

"Then we'll leave him alone for now. Sunagakure is not a concern at the moment. We'll deal with it later when the time comes. What's the situation with the war between Kumogakure and Iwagakure?"

"It's heating up!"

"Oh? Be more specific."

"The two sides are locked in a tug-of-war at Gray Crow Crossing. The Third Raikage, A, sought a breakthrough and ventured out alone, only to be surrounded by nearly ten thousand Iwagakure ninja. He fought for three days and three nights before succumbing to exhaustion. Iwagakure suffered heavy losses as well. Their next-in-line Tsuchikage, White Earth, was killed in action, along with over a thousand other ninja."

"Three days and three nights? And he took down a thousand enemies? It's been a long time since I've seen such an exceptional young man. What a pity he's dead," Madara sighed.

"Exactly, exactly! Even someone as powerful as Lord Madara can't escape death," White Zetsu quipped, while Black Zetsu quietly detached himself from White Zetsu.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The cave was soon filled with White Zetsu's wails of anguish.

"Alright, let's eat!"

Faced with a perfectly roasted fish, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan eagerly reached for their chopsticks.

"Delicious!"

"So good!"

The three children exclaimed in delight.

"Hahaha, of course! This is my exclusive recipe, crafted by none other than the great Jiraiya. Naturally, it's extraordinary," Jiraiya said smugly.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Anyone home?"

"Hm?" Jiraiya was clearly surprised by the unexpected visitor.

"Don't mind us. Go ahead and eat. We've already had dinner," Jinghang said with a big smile.

"Tsunade? Jinghang? What brings you here? I'm impressed you managed to find this place," Jiraiya said, recognizing the pair and sensing no ill intent.

"I didn't want to disturb you, but he insisted on coming," Tsunade said, raising her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

"Oh? What can I do for the esteemed Kazekage?" Jiraiya asked, looking at Jinghang with curiosity.

"Jiraiya, brother, can you help me catch some lice?"

"Lice?" Jiraiya looked even more puzzled.

"Does this blue-haired uncle have lice? Ew, gross!" Konan said, scooting further away from the table in disgust.

"Yep, lots of them!" Jinghang teased, making a silly face at Konan before continuing.

"Actually, I came to ask for your help, Jiraiya. You've signed a contract with Mount Myōboku, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. Why?"

"Could you summon Fukasaku and Shima, the Toad Sages, for me?"

"Of course, but can I ask why?"

"I can't explain just yet, but I promise you'll get a perfect explanation soon," Jinghang said, gripping Jiraiya's hand firmly.

"Well… alright. Kids, keep eating. I'm going out with my friends for a bit," Jiraiya said, catching on quickly.

The three of them headed to an abandoned building.

"Summoning Technique!"

In no time, the two Toad Sages appeared before them.

"Hello, Jiraiya-boy. What's the matter, calling us so late?" Shima asked.

"It's not me who needs you; it's my friend here," Jiraiya replied, gesturing to Jinghang.

Jinghang quickly greeted the two sages.

"Hmm, I smell iron and sand on you. You must be from Sunagakure. But wait… there's something else…" Fukasaku suddenly furrowed his brow.

"How many?" Jinghang asked.

"Four, I believe."

"Good. I'll leave it to you, then."

"Consider it done."

"Both of you, create a shadow clone. No matter what comes out of me, subdue it immediately," Jinghang instructed Jiraiya and Tsunade.

The two nodded and complied.

"Let's begin," Jinghang said, nodding at Fukasaku. He sat cross-legged with his back to the sage.

Fukasaku placed a hand on Jinghang's back, channeling natural energy into him.

Soon, Jinghang's body was filled with natural energy. His face began to round out, and visible warts started appearing on his skin.

Just as Jinghang was about to transform into a toad, four ghostly white figures rapidly expanded and took human form. They immediately darted in different directions.

"Now!" Fukasaku shouted.

Shima swung her staff, striking Jinghang on the back of the head and instantly returning him to normal. Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Tsunade restrained the four fleeing White Zetsu clones.

"See? They're huge! You can dissect them for research later," Jinghang said, rubbing the back of his head where he'd been hit, while addressing Tsunade.