harleyscars Chapter 145 Brother Cheng Has His Eyes on the Dragon Vein
Chapter 145 Brother Cheng Has His Eyes on the Dragon Vein
Chapter 145 Brother Cheng Has His Eyes on the Dragon Vein
Inside the Hidden Mist Village.
Kirigakure, where the Fourth Mizukage Yagura had officially taken office after the New Year, was currently immersed in a rare festive atmosphere.
The buildings in the village are decorated with New Year's decorations, and the streets are bustling with people.
The shouts of vendors, the laughter of children, and the chatter of ninjas returning from patrol intertwined, creating a peaceful scene that was completely different from the name "Village of Blood Mist."
The rise of a new water spirit signifies a new beginning and new hope.
Although Kirigakure suffered significant losses in this war, with the arrival of the new Kage and the great victory over Konoha, the villagers were able to temporarily forget the shadow of war and enjoy the hard-won peace.
"S-rank rogue ninja, Scorching Release user Pakura —"
Water Shadow Building, Water Shadow Assistant Office.
Makoto Koji leaned back in his large office chair, holding the scroll that had just been delivered from the intelligence department, a knowing look on his face.
He casually placed the scroll on the table, picked up the teacup next to him, and took a sip. The tea was slightly bitter, but it made his thoughts clearer.
Yekura was betrayed by Sunagakure, something he had long anticipated.
In the original work, Yekura died in an ambush by Kirigakure; she was used as a sacrifice for peace by her own people; her death was both miserable and pathetic.
Now, although his appearance caused a deviation in the plot and Yekura did not die at the hands of Kirigakure, he did not expect Yekura to be so straightforward and go directly to fight Rasa.
This girl is way too straightforward.
Now, things have gotten worse. Although Yekura didn't die, she's become an S-rank rogue ninja.
If this girl comes to Wuyin, should I take her in, or should I take her in, or should I take her in?
As expected, Cheng Ge still couldn't resist the allure of a beautiful back!
Gouju Cheng chuckled, seemingly anticipating the scene of a beautiful woman offering herself up, and coughed lightly to temporarily suppress these thoughts.
The most important thing right now is to deal with the problems at hand.
Chakra!
Gouju Cheng took a deep breath.
Although he is currently very strong, with two pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan combined with the Rinnegan, he can overwhelm everyone with the Susanoo, and he has all kinds of eye techniques at their maximum level, plus the Rinnegan.
But that fatal problem has always existed.
I don't have enough chakra!
This problem has been troubling Goujucheng for a long time.
Makoto Karatachi doesn't possess a massive amount of chakra like Yagura. His current chakra level is roughly equivalent to that of an ordinary Jonin, or, as he jokingly puts it, just one chakra.
What is the concept of one card?
It's probably enough for him to fight normally for about ten minutes, enough for him to use the Mangekyou Sharingan a few times, or Susanoo.
However, if you want to go big, like using the Super Shinra Tensei to wipe out the Cangnan Supply Station like last time, then you must use the chakra stored in the Yin Seal.
However, the Yin Seal is not unlimited.
Although he had been storing chakra in it all these years, it had been completely depleted in the previous battles. Even when he controlled Kushina in the last wave and absorbed a large amount of chakra into the Yin Seal, that amount was only enough for two or three Super Shinra battles at most.
Once it's used up, it's gone; you have to start saving it up again.
Accumulating chakra is a slow process that requires accumulation over time and a significant amount of time.
"Damn it, no matter how many bloodlines you have, it's all for nothing if you don't have enough chakra."
Gouju Cheng rubbed his temples, somewhat annoyed.
His current situation is like someone who has a mountain of gold but only a small pickaxe in his hand, and can only chisel away little by little.
Research on White Zetsu is still ongoing. In this situation, the best solution is to install a power bank, just like Kazama and Kazuya controlled Kushina before.
Previously in Kazama and Yagaya, with the help of Kushina's power, Makoto Karatachi reached the pinnacle of his life. Once he activated his complete Susanoo, he could use the power of wild beasts and became invincible.
The problem is, Kirigakure doesn't have any extra tailed beasts for him to use right now!
The Six-Tails is already inside the Jinchūriki's bubble body.
The Three-Tails has not yet been resurrected. After the death of its previous Jinchuriki, the Three-Tails entered a long resurrection period and is probably still sleeping deep in some lake.
"Power banks are hard to find!"
Gouju Cheng sighed, his mind racing with various possibilities.
Learning Sage Mode?
Mount Myoboku, Shikkotsu Forest, Ryuji Cave —
The Sage Techniques of the three sacred lands are indeed an excellent way to increase chakra reserves and efficiency. However, the problem is that learning Sage Mode has an extremely high learning threshold, requiring a vast amount of chakra as a foundation, as well as specific aptitude and lineage.
The three holy lands all have their own methods of summoning spirits in Konoha. For a mere Hidden Mist Village member to fight Konoha to this extent and then want the methods of summoning spirits from the three holy lands is nothing short of a pipe dream.
Moreover, even if one obtains the method of communication, it's uncertain whether one can cultivate the immortal mode.
Back on the battlefield, when Jiraiya used Sage Mode, his God Hand slots were already filled with various bloodline limits, including two pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan and the Rinnegan—he couldn't bear to give up any of them, and as a result, he missed the best opportunity to replicate Sage Mode.
So what other options are there?
In fact, Makoto Kujiri had quite a few ideas in his mind.
The first thing to be affected is Grell's Stone!
Not bad.
The Grell Stone that Makoto Karatachi casually mentioned to the higher-ups earlier actually exists. Its essence is, as Makoto Karatachi previously said, a mysterious mineral containing a vast amount of chakra energy.
If Makoto Kokutachi can absorb and utilize it, his chakra shortage problem will be greatly alleviated!
"Greel's Stone —"
Gouju Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
In the original work, the Grell Stone appears in the ruins of an ancient civilization that once possessed a level of technology far surpassing that of the modern ninja world, and was able to use the energy of the Grell Stone to create various miracles.
But later, that civilization perished, and the Grell Stone disappeared into the annals of history, though some veins of the mineral remain.
Based on the movie, the mine should be located near the Land of Wind, but activating it requires a special bloodline.
Without any bloodline connection, Makoto Kuraki wasn't sure if he could break the seal on the mine. Normally, with his Rinnegan, breaking a seal of this level shouldn't be a problem for him.
So what else is there besides Grell's Stone?
Star?
Dragon vein?
The former is similar in nature to Grell's Stone; both are chakra ore.
And the latter—
"This seems to have some potential."
Goji Makoto's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, and the memories of the dragon vein in his mind gradually became clearer, like a turbulent pool of water.
Dragon veins.
Loulan.
Time travel!
These words, strung together, outline a long-forgotten legend.
That was Loulan, an ancient kingdom located within the Land of Wind.
Legend has it that a vast energy, called the "Dragon Vein," is sealed there, powerful enough to alter space and time. This energy is so immense that it can even distort the boundaries of time and space, causing the past, present, and future to overlap.
In the original story, the guy named Centipede went so far as to travel back in time to obtain the power of the Dragon Vein, which ultimately led to the classic scene where Naruto and the Fourth Hokage fought side by side.
"A dragon vein—"
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Gouju Cheng's eyes.
If we can absorb the energy of the dragon vein, the problem of chakra shortage will definitely be solved.
No, it's not just about solving it.
If he could control the Dragon Vein, his chakra level would skyrocket to a level comparable to that of a Tailed Beast, or even higher!
At that time, you can freely activate Susanoo, unleash Shinra Tensei, and completely disregard the cost of basic attacks like Kamui.
The true unlimited firepower!
Just thinking about it is exciting.
But then, Makoto Koji calmed down.
Dragon veins are not so easy to obtain.
Like the Grell Stone, the seal on the Dragon Vein can only be activated by descendants of the Relics, and activating the Dragon Vein also requires a special price.
In the original story, only the Loulan Queen's clan could control the dragon vein. The centipede in the story went to great lengths to obtain the power of the dragon vein, as rashly breaking the seal could lead to unpredictable consequences.
Although Makoto Kuraki possesses the Rinnegan, which allows him to easily break most sealing techniques, he wouldn't dare to guarantee anything against an existence of the Dragon Vein level.
As Gouju was deep in thought, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Minazuki Yuki walked in.
Since Makoto Karatachi became the Mizukage's assistant, this aloof girl from the Snow Clan has taken on the role of his secretary, handling daily paperwork and communications.
This even made Terumi Mei wary, and she wanted to personally become Makoto Karatachi's secretary, but fortunately, the head of the Terumi clan persuaded her not to.
"Lord Cheng, here's the latest summary from the intelligence department." Minazuki Yuki placed a scroll on the table, her voice cool, but her eyes held a hint of concern: "You've been working for three hours straight. Do you need a rest?"
"It's nothing, I was just thinking about something."
Gouju Cheng took the scroll, flipped through it casually, and found that most of them were routine reports with nothing particularly important.
"By the way, Xue, do you know about dragon veins?"
"Dragon vein?"
Yuan Wuyue was slightly taken aback, a hint of ugliness flashing in his clear, cold eyes.
"I once saw a record of it in an ancient book. It is said to be a huge energy sealed beneath the ruins of the ancient Loulan Kingdom within the Land of Wind, and its power is strong enough to affect space and time."
She paused, then looked at Makoto Koji with some confusion: "Why did you suddenly ask Makoto about this, Master Makoto?"
"Just asking," Gouju Cheng smiled. "How much do you know about Loulan Liu?"
"Not many." Yuan Wuyueshi shook his head. "Loulan perished several years ago, and now only ruins remain. It is said that internal turmoil and foreign invasion led to the complete disappearance of this kingdom from the annals of history."
"More or less."
Gouju firmly nodded, having already made up his mind.
The Land of Wind is a place I must visit.
Regardless of whether the absorption is successful, we should at least check the situation first. If we can find Fang Fei, who controls the dragon vein, then the chakra shortage problem will be completely solved.
If not —
Then we'll have to find another way to scrap it.
Grell's Stone and the Star Village are both alternative options.
But now, the dragon vein is the highest priority.
"Xue, prepare a detailed map of the Land of Wind, especially the terrain and climate data around the Loulan ruins."
"The Land of Wind?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Yuan Wuyue's cold eyes.
She was quite familiar with Makoto's style of doing things, but the sudden decision for him to go to the Land of Wind still surprised her.
"Captain, although the war between Kirigakure and Konoha has temporarily eased, the situation has become complicated. As the assistant to the Madoka, leaving the village at this time—"
"It's not leaving, it's a secret operation."
Gouju Cheng waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to worry.
"Kang's current status is special, so leaving openly is indeed inappropriate. But if he sneaks in secretly, with Kang's abilities, no one will notice. Besides, Yagura's cousin has just taken office and needs time to stabilize the situation. If Kang, as his assistant, stays in the village, he will only be an eyesore to some people."
"Besides, things are really lively in the Land of Wind right now. Pakura has been forced to become a rogue ninja, Rasa is busy purging the aliens, and the Sand Village must be in complete chaos. Going there now would be perfect timing for Hunyuan to catch fish."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Wuyue Shi remained silent.
"Understood. Kang will prepare the map and data as soon as possible. But—"
"Captain, please make sure your subordinates are on the sand!"
"Um?"
Gouju raised an eyebrow: "You on the sand?"
"Yes!"
Yuan Wuyue Shi said confidently, "Although the Shi clan's Ice Release is limited in the desert environment, my subordinates' medical ninjutsu should be able to help. Moreover—"
"I don't want to see you take any more risks, Captain!"
Looking at the aloof girl in front of him, Makoto Koji suddenly smiled.
"Alright, alright, I appreciate your kind intentions, but this is a secret operation, so it will be more convenient for me to go alone."
Yuan Wuyueshi's eyes dimmed slightly, but he quickly regained his cool and calm demeanor.
"Understood."
"Shi, it's not that I don't want to kill you. It's just that the danger of this trip to the Wind Kingdom is far beyond your imagination."
"The ruins of Loulan are located in the heart of the Land of Wind, which is the territory of Sunagakure. Although Sunagakure is currently in disarray, with its main forces concentrated in Kikyoyama Castle, its vigilance against external threats is only heightened. Kang, being alone, can sometimes use space-time ninjutsu to hide in case of danger."
But you on the sand—”
He turned around and looked directly at Yuan Wuyue Shi.
"Kang cannot guarantee that he can protect you completely."
Yuan Wuyue raised his head, a hint of stubbornness flashing in his clear, cold eyes.
"I am not afraid to die."
"I know you're not afraid," Makoto Koji smiled, "but I don't want you to die."
A simple sentence made Yuan Wuyue's heart skip a beat.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that her throat felt like it was blocked by something.
"Shi, you are a member of the Kangwu Blade Squad, a trusted partner of Kang." Gouju Cheng's voice softened: "Not sending you this time is not because I don't trust you, nor because I think you're a burden. On the contrary, it's because you are very important, so Kang can't let you take this risk."
"The village needs someone to keep an eye on things, intelligence needs someone to gather, and if anything happens to Kang, someone needs to provide backup. Kang won't be able to handle these things if we leave them to others."
He paused, walked up to Yuan Wuyue Shi, reached out, and gently ruffled her long, icy blue hair.
"Wait for Kang to come back. After he returns, we might need your help to study the good things he brought back from the Land of Wind."
Yuan Wuyue's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed.
She lowered her head and replied in a low voice, "Yes, Captain."
Her voice was already cold and clear, but the slight redness at the base of her ears betrayed the turmoil in her heart.
"Alright, go prepare the necessary maps and information. We're leaving in three days, so make sure you get everything in order during these three days."
"yes!"
Minazuki Shi turned to leave, but stopped abruptly at the door.
"team leader."
"Um?
'
"You must come back safely."
Gouju Cheng grinned.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Kazama has already returned from that place, the Land of Wind. How could we possibly be a match for them?"
Meanwhile, Kikyoyama Castle.
The fourth-generation Kazekage Rasa stood by the window, looking at the yellow sky outside, his brows furrowed.
Still no news from Yekura?
"Yes, Lord Kazekage." The man behind him, Jora, bowed his head, his voice trembling slightly. "The Rain Ninja who rescued her seems to possess some kind of flying ability. Our people tracked her to the border of the Land of Rain but lost track of her. The Land of Rain is Hanzo's territory, and we dare not venture too far in—"
"Hanzo————"
Luo Sha pondered the name, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
That man known as a demigod, that terrifying being who single-handedly confronted the three great ninja villages during the Second Shinobi World War.
If Hanzo really gets involved in this matter, then things will become complicated.
"How's the Akatsuki investigation going?"
"We only found out the basics," Cheng Liang reported. "It's a mercenary organization that operates around the Land of Rain. The leader is a young man named Yahiko. They don't have many members, but each one is quite strong. They seem to be promoting some kind of 'peace' ideology and have a certain influence among the lower classes of the Land of Rain."
"The concept of helping others achieve equality?"
Luo Sha sneered.
"A bunch of naive brats. It's quite strange that Hanzo can tolerate them acting up right under his nose."
"Lord Kazekage, would you like to—"
"No need." Rasa waved his hand. "Since Yekura has fled to the Land of Rain and has Hanzo's men behind her, we can't touch her for now. The priority now is to stabilize the front line against Konoha. We can deal with her slowly after the war ends."
"yes!"
Cheng Liang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly withdrew.
Luo Sha turned around, his gaze passing through Huang, looking into the distance.
"Yakura—you're lucky to be alive."
"But if Kang seizes the opportunity, you will never be so lucky next time."
In the Land of Rain, a hidden stronghold lies somewhere.
Ye Cang sat cross-legged on the simple bed, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.
Her injuries had mostly healed, thanks to the medical ninjas and herbs from Xiaonansha. But while physical wounds are easy to heal, emotional wounds are not so easily mended.
A rogue ninja from Sunagakure, an S-rank wanted criminal, and being hunted by someone he once saved.
Each of these labels is like a knife, piercing her heart.
"Are you still thinking about those things?"
A cool, clear voice drifted in from the doorway.
Yecang opened his eyes and saw Konan carrying food into the room.
"Thanks."
Yecang took the food, but didn't eat it immediately. Instead, he looked at Xiaonan.
"Konan, does your Akatsuki leader—Yahiko—truly believe that he can change the world through ideology alone?"
Xiao Nan remained silent for a moment, then Wan Qingjian nodded.
"That's what Yahiko believed. And Kakeru believed it too."
"Innocent."
Yekura offered her assessment without mincing words.
Xiao Nan wasn't angry; she just watched her quietly.
"Perhaps. But without this naiveté, they would have perished in the war in the Land of Rain long ago."
Ye Cang was taken aback.
"Yahiko has saved many people. In those most desperate times, he told them that understanding brings hope and change is possible."
"Aren't you going to eat it?"
Ye Cang suddenly asked, "Do you hate this world, hate those who hurt you, hate those who betrayed you?"
Xiao Nan shook her head.
"It's no use. Yahiko said that it will only bring more sand, and only Li Yanagi can help Ping."
"Liu Li?" Ye Cang scoffed. "Those who betrayed Kang, those who betrayed Kang, they don't deserve Liu Li at all."
"Maybe."
Xiao Nan did not refute: "But at least, we can choose not to be swallowed up by Si Yi."
Yekura fell silent.
Looking at the aloof woman before her, and at the determined light in her eyes, she suddenly felt a little dazed.
Perhaps that's why she saved herself.
It wasn't because of any interests or calculations.
It was simply because—she wanted to save them.
"Xiao Nan".
"Um?"
"Thanks."
Xiao Nan paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"You're welcome."