Naruto evolution system

Chapter 223: Roadblock (Part 1)

Half an hour passed in a blur.

In the Land of Fields, near the border of the Land of Iron, the Cloud Ninja squad moved swiftly through the dense forest, nearing the safety of neutral territory.

Suddenly, the Fourth Raikage, A, raised his right fist, signaling the group to halt.

The Cloud Ninja immediately stopped in their tracks, swiftly shifting into a defensive formation, their eyes scanning the surroundings cautiously.

The forest was eerily silent—even the usual rustling of birds and insects had vanished, making the atmosphere unbearably tense.

Cold sweat trickled down their faces.

Everyone instinctively held their breath.

The seconds stretched on.

Then, a mocking voice suddenly broke the silence.

"I told you, your plan was pointless. They were never going to take the bait."

The Cloud Ninja's gazes snapped toward the sound—their eyes narrowing.

Two figures stood perched on a tree branch not far ahead.

One of them wore a black mask, his cold, emotionless face partially hidden beneath the high collar of a black cloak adorned with red clouds.

The other, a young man with slicked-back silver hair, had violet-red eyes brimming with bloodthirsty excitement.

A massive three-bladed scythe, stained with dried blood, rested on his back.

"Kakuzu. Hidan."

The Fourth Raikage instantly recognized the duo.

After all, it was these two who had abducted the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki from Cloud Village.

Killer Bee, too, had fought them before.

Given the intelligence networks of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, recognizing them was no surprise.

"Damn, we got recognized already?"

Hidan feigned mock terror, glancing at Kakuzu.

"What now, Kakuzu? They know who we are. Are we gonna be hunted down? I'm so scared, Kakuzu~"

Kakuzu ignored him completely, his gaze fixed on the Fourth Raikage.

Seeing his partner's indifference, Hidan whined even louder.

"Come on, say something! What should we do?"

After a moment of silence, Kakuzu finally snapped:

"Shut up. One more word, and I'll kill you."

Hidan pouted dramatically.

"Jeez, no need to yell. If you're not gonna decide, then…"

His expression suddenly twisted into a deranged grin.

"Let's just sacrifice them all to Lord Jashin!"

With a manic laugh, he swung his massive scythe—hurling it straight at a Cloud Anbu operative.

Clang!

The Anbu blocked the attack with his short sword, sparks flying on impact.

That single exchange marked the beginning of the battle.

Kakuzu didn't waste a second.

Without even glancing at Hidan, he rapidly formed hand seals—releasing a fireball from his mouth.

"Fire Release: Searing Migraine."

A small ember landed on the ground—then exploded violently, engulfing the entire area in a roaring inferno.

Before the Cloud Ninja could react, a furious voice erupted from within the flames.

"Damn it, Kakuzu! That hurts, you idiot!"

It was Hidan—burned but very much alive.

Kakuzu ignored him again, already preparing another jutsu.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."

A violent gust surged forward, fueling the flames even further.

Fire and wind combined—the inferno intensified, spreading wildly.

But the Cloud Anbu were no amateurs.

Even without the Raikage or Killer Bee's intervention, they quickly countered the attack.

The firestorm was doused by a coordinated Water Release attack, and a separate Anbu team engaged Hidan—temporarily locking him down.

For a moment, it seemed like things were under control.

But Kakuzu and Hidan weren't so easily beaten.

Realizing that direct attacks weren't working, Kakuzu changed tactics.

Without hesitation, he ripped off his cloak, revealing his stitched-up, grotesque body.

Above the Clouds

From his high vantage point, Baishi observed the fight.

His silver-lit eyes glimmered with amusement.

"Ah, the classic 'removing your coat equals death' trope. Kakuzu, you're in for a bad day."

His gaze shifted to the Fourth Raikage.

Unlike his usual hot-headed self, A was remarkably composed, choosing not to engage immediately.

That was… unexpected.

By Baishi's memory, A should have rushed in recklessly, using brute force to overpower Kakuzu and Hidan.

But now?

He stood still, observing the fight—his Cloud Ninja deliberately slowing their movements.

Baishi narrowed his eyes.

"They're stalling?"

To confirm his suspicion, he activated Spirit Transformation Jutsu, separating his spirit from his body.

As his perception expanded, his awareness stretched across hundreds of kilometers.

Every living soul within range glowed brightly in his mind's eye.

And those whose chakra signatures and soul imprints he had previously recorded?

They stood out like beacons in the dark.

Within seconds, he identified several individuals.

"Just as I thought. The other Great Shinobi Villages are involved too."

Their movements all pointed toward one thing—they were closing in on this location.

Baishi smirked.

"So that's why the Raikage is holding back. He doesn't want his men to be Akatsuki's cannon fodder."

His gaze then drifted toward the forest below.

Two new figures were approaching.

"Let's see who else has joined the party."

Activating Super Vision - X-Ray Sight, he peered through the trees.

His enhanced perception range had increased significantly since evolving to Energy Sight—allowing him to see clearly up to 1.5 kilometers away.

And the figures within that range?

"Oh? So it's them."

A knowing smirk played on Baishi's lips.

His gaze returned to the Fourth Raikage, who was finally clashing with Kakuzu.

Baishi chuckled.

"Too bad, Raikage… Your backup isn't going to arrive in time."

---

Read up to 20 chapter ahead of time on patreon.com/Legendryweeb

{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}

*Thank you*