Chapter 156

Words : 1299 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

Chapter 156 - 156 However, the Sound Four didn't do much in Konoha, so the village wasn't entirely clear on their combat strength. In the original timeline, once they activated their Stage Two Cursed Seals, they temporarily reached Jōnin-level power and even managed to defeat Genma and Raido, who had just returned from a mission. During the mission to retrieve Sasuke, Choji, Neji, Kiba, and Shikamaru all had to risk their lives and ultimately needed help from the Sand siblings to bring them down. It was evident how powerful the Sound Four were. As for Kimimaro, he was probably still lying in bed, near death. Some people online speculated that Kimimaro's Kaguya clan might be related to the Hyūga clan. No one knows for sure, but maybe Neji should be told? Natsuki shook his head to clear the stray thoughts and put away the Water Mirror to avoid getting discovered. The Sound Four moved quickly and soon entered their base. "Since the Sound Four came here, Orochimaru is probably inside. I can't go in, or he'll sense me. That guy's too sharp. Better to send their intel back to the village," Natsuki thought to himself. Before long, though, he saw the Sound Four hurry out again, heading straight south without hesitation. From the looks of it, they were being sent on a mission. And the only mission urgent enough for the Sound Four at this time... would be retrieving Sasuke. Orochimaru must be nearing the end of his current body's lifespan! That was bad news. Sasuke was currently with Kakashi and Shino near the northeastern border — not far from here. If the Sound Four got wind of that and headed over, it was hard to say if Sasuke's group could truly hold them off. After all, the power of the cursed seals was basically a cheat. Plus, Sasuke and the others knew nothing about the Sound Four, which could lead them to underestimate their enemy. Once the Sound Four were gone, Natsuki didn't waste time either. He withdrew immediately and found a hidden spot to sketch their portraits and write down key intel on each of them. To avoid exposure, he didn't even take photos — just drawings, so Tsunade and Kakashi would treat the information more seriously. After preparing two sets of the report, Natsuki summoned a hawk via Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique) and sent one copy back to Konoha. As for the second copy, he channeled chakra into his hand and used Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) to send it directly to Kakashi. He'd given Kakashi a specially marked battery previously — just for this moment! And Kakashi knew about it too, so he hadn't objected. At that moment, Kakashi's squad was patrolling the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water. They hadn't found any signs of infiltration from the Hidden Cloud Village, which was a relief — but a bit of a letdown for Sasuke. He had been hoping to run into a strong opponent to test his Chidori Nagashi (Chidori Current). To grow stronger, of course he was ready for battle. Everyone had been saying the rain had stopped, the sky was clearing up, and "Second Pillar" was back again — the mocking tone couldn't be more irritating. But the reason Sasuke always got beaten up when he got cocky was that he liked to challenge enemies above his level. It was only through those brutal battles that he could grow quickly. People who only ever bullied the weak rarely improved — isn't that right? Just then, Kakashi's expression changed, and a scroll suddenly appeared in front of him. Sasuke and Shino instantly went on alert. Shino quickly sent out his insects, but they didn't detect anyone nearby. Realizing something, he said, "If the bugs didn't pick up any presence, and yet a scroll just appeared... could it be Natsuki?" Sasuke also figured it out. "The Flying Thunder God?" "That's right. Natsuki used Hiraishin to send intel." Kakashi took the scroll. "If he's using Hiraishin just to send a message, then it must be serious. I wonder if Lady Tsunade has been informed yet." He opened the scroll, and his face instantly darkened. He handed the scroll to Sasuke and Shino. The two of them read it with very different reactions. Shino's voice remained flat as ever: "Orochimaru sent the Sound Four to bring Sasuke back. He intends to take Sasuke's body." Sasuke, however, smirked. "Good. My body's getting rusty after this whole month. Let's see if these so-called Sound Four can handle my Chidori Nagashi." Kakashi sighed and warned, "Natsuki's report says all four of them bear cursed seals and can use their power to temporarily reach Jōnin-level strength. We can't let our guard down. Fortunately, he also gathered some information about their abilities — that gives us an edge." Obviously, Kakashi had no intention of running. Since Orochimaru had already planted a curse mark on Sasuke, he could probably track his location. Running would be useless... So they might as well use this opportunity to defeat the Sound Four and weaken Orochimaru's forces. Also, it had been a month with no signs of movement from the Hidden Cloud Village. It seemed they weren't going to attack after all. Just like Sasuke said — after a whole month, they were practically going rusty. Time to stretch a bit. "I'll monitor enemy movements," Shino stated, never one for unnecessary words. If there was going to be a fight, then it was time to prepare. "Alright. Just in case, let's set some traps..." "Kakashi-sensei, I'll be the bait." Sasuke cut him off. "They're after me anyway. I'm the best choice for bait. You and Shino hide and wait for a chance to strike. Since they can use their cursed seals to boost their strength, the three of us versus four might be rough. A sneak attack gives us better odds." Kakashi opened his mouth but didn't object. Logically, letting a student act as bait was reckless and irresponsible. But he quickly realized that Sasuke was no longer just a Genin. He was a Chūnin — someone who could handle solo missions. Being bait wasn't beyond him. And Sasuke's reasoning made sense. If they were at a disadvantage in a straight-up fight, then use a decoy to turn the tables. Since it was the right move, there was no reason to argue. Besides, Kakashi wasn't overly worried — Natsuki was still in the Land of Fields. Even if Sasuke were captured, Natsuki could show up midway and intercept them. Kakashi even half-joked to himself: Natsuki might just teleport in with Hiraishin and clean house. The Sound Four wouldn't even be a threat. "Alright, we'll go with Sasuke's plan." The three nodded in agreement. Shino immediately released a swarm of insects for scouting. Sasuke stood openly in a clearing, waiting for the Sound Four to arrive. Kakashi picked a good hiding spot. While they were getting into position, Konoha received Natsuki's intel as well. After reading it, Tsunade had a headache. "We've located Orochimaru's hideout, but that damn snake already sent four strong subordinates after Sasuke. Looks like he really wants Sasuke's body." Shizune also glanced at the report. When she read that the Sound Four could use cursed seal powers, her face turned grim too. (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]

Chapter 156

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