430 Learning Ninjutsu in a Glance

Kokuri froze when he heard that.

"Y-you, y-you, I-I…"

After a long pause, he finally more or less guessed Shinju's identity. He fumbled around on himself and pulled out a small notebook.

"This contains all the information I've gathered on the Mujina Bandits' members, as well as their abilities. I hope it can help you…"

Shinju nodded and took the notebook.

Although he had already seen all of this information in Kokuri's memories, the notebook was still a sincere gesture.

After letting Kokuri go, Shinju lifted his gaze toward Tsukiyo not far away.

Yesterday, after receiving Kokuri's message, he had rushed to the Land of Grass at once, infiltrating Hōzuki Castle under Sasuke's identity.

After sleeping one night, he cleaned up the prison tyrant and the dishonorable warden of Hōzuki Castle, then brought back Kokuri and Tsukiyo of the Mujina Bandits…

"Let me take a look at your memories."

As Shinju spoke, he slowly reached his hand toward the unconscious Tsukiyo.

Just as his hand was about to touch Tsukiyo's body, Tsukiyo suddenly opened his eyes and prepared to resist!

A few seconds later!

Tsukiyo lay on the ground, barely clinging to life! (´ཀ`」 ∠)_

Shinju said with interest,

"You're pretty clever, pretending to be unconscious… ( ˝ᗢ̈˝ )"

With a bruised and swollen face, Tsukiyo cried,

"I just wanted to protect myself. I didn't recognize Shinju-sama. (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)"

Shinju smiled and extended his hand.

"It's fine. Let me look at your memories. If you really are a good person, I'll let you go…"

A few seconds later, Shinju's expression turned strange.

"Corpse Clone Technique… devouring the opponent's brain and acquiring their memories and abilities…"

Shinju had seen this technique before in Kokuri's memories. It was the ability of the Mujina Bandits' leader, Shojoji!

So the current Tsukiyo wasn't Tsukiyo at all—he was the leader of the Mujina Bandits!!

After that, Shinju continued reading the memories and learned the full truth from Shojoji's mind.

It turned out that this guy had been hunted by ninjas from the Land of Lightning. Left with no choice, he disguised himself as Tsukiyo, the Mujina Bandits' second-in-command, bribed the Hōzuki Castle warden Benga, and snuck into Hōzuki Castle to lie low.

Afterward, Kokuri mistakenly thought Tsukiyo had been sent by the bandits to silence him, so he sought out channels to ask Konoha for help…

"Accidental success—my luck is insane!"

Shinju grinned so hard his mouth wouldn't close.

After all, Shojoji's head didn't just contain these memories—it also held the locations of all kinds of treasures he had stolen!

All of it would be confiscated!!

However, Shinju also saw something else interesting in Shojoji's memories…

"The Kara Organization…"

Shinju muttered to himself as he looked down at the diamond-shaped mark Momoshiki had left on his palm.

As soon as he finished speaking, the interrogation room door was shoved open by an enraged Sasuke!

"Shinju, did you go around doing bad things again under my name?! (╯＞д＜)╯" Sasuke demanded angrily.

...

Hokage's Office.

Shinju gathered everyone for a meeting.

Shinju said,

"In Shojoji's memories, during one of his break-ins, he once encountered a group of mysterious people dressed in black. They called themselves 'Kara,' and what they were researching was something similar to this."

As he spoke, Shinju revealed the diamond-shaped mark left by Momoshiki on his palm.

"They called this thing a 'Kama.'"

Koharu Utatane said,

"That mark of yours was left by Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki back then… If that's the case, then there are others in the shinobi world who have come into contact with the Ōtsutsuki as well! (๑ʘ̅ д ʘ̅๑)!!!"

Tsunade nodded.

"Very possible! The Ōtsutsuki's desire to destroy us has never died!"

Sasuke said resentfully,

"So what does all of this have to do with you impersonating me and going to Hōzuki Castle to do bad things?!"

Shinju replied a little guiltily,

"Wasn't it… more convenient for gathering information!"

Sasuke snapped back,

"Nonsense. With your current status in the shinobi world, asking Hōzuki Castle to hand someone over would be effortless! Ծ‸ Ծ"

Shinju wiped sweat from his face.

"It's not that simple either…"

Tsunade continued questioning,

"And why did you beat up their warden at Hōzuki Castle? If something like that isn't handled properly, it becomes a diplomatic incident! ヽ('⌒´メ)ノ"

Shinju spread his hands.

"That warden arbitrarily extended prisoners' sentences, accepted bribes in private, used torture, and even drugged the castle lord… He deserved it!"

"Don't worry. I'll personally negotiate with the Land of Grass afterward."

"The top priority right now is the Kara Organization."

Naruto nodded.

"Based on what we know so far, this organization is extremely secretive. If Shinju hadn't read Shojoji's memories today, we wouldn't even know such an organization existed in the shinobi world."

Shinju nodded.

"Naruto's right."

Tsunade raised her hand.

"I still have one question. Why didn't the 'Heavenly Prison' seal of Hōzuki Castle restrain you? (￢‸￢)"

Shinju smiled confidently.

"A little seal like that restraining me would be the strange part. v--0027ᴗ--0027 i"

...

Two days later.

The ANBU Shinju had sent out gathered a bit of information about the Kara Organization, and Shinju went to investigate immediately.

Inside the Hokage's Office, Shikamaru said helplessly,

"He just had to go himself… That guy really can't sit still."

...

Land of Rain.

Former site of Amegakure.

Back then, a single use of Deep Forest Emergence by Shinju had turned the entire village into a sea of trees, leaving it uninhabited ever since…

Sasuke, who had come here with Shinju, asked curiously,

"I heard the Kara Organization once appeared here… Amegakure really breeds troublemakers. First Akatsuki, and now another Kara pops up."

Naruto looked at the desolate forest sea before them and asked in confusion,

"How could people even live in a place like this?"

Shinju replied,

"Amegakure had a lot of pipeline structures. My forest didn't completely occupy every gap…"

"But if they really are hiding in Amegakure, they've made a wrong move. This forest was created with my Wood Release—I can sense every single tree… (•̀⌄•́)"

As he spoke, Shinju slowly placed his hand against the trunk of a nearby tree.

Invisible chakra ripples echoed through the entire forest sea!

Soon, Shinju opened his eyes and looked toward a certain spot.

"There's human activity over there. Let's check it out!"

Before long, the three of them arrived at the sensed location and saw a person moving about there.

This person was dressed in rags like a beggar, yet had a head of red hair…

"You are…?"

The man asked curiously when he saw the three of them.

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed the Konoha forehead protectors on their heads, and his expression instantly changed!

"You're from Konoha Village! (ꐦ ಠ 皿 ಠ)"

"What are you doing here? Are you trying to destroy Amegakure all over again?!"

Hearing this, Shinju recalled how he had once stormed into Amegakure alone and reduced it to ruins in a single day…

Back then, quite a few innocent people were probably caught up in it… But if he had to choose again, he would most likely still do the same.

"Back then, Pain intended to make the entire world feel pain. Amegakure's destruction was inevitable."

"And when Shinju destroyed Amegakure, he gave you time to escape…" Naruto said, acting as Shinju's mouthpiece.

Although Naruto's words made sense, the red-haired man was clearly stubborn.

"I don't care. Either way, Amegakure doesn't welcome people from Konoha!!"

Naruto: ╰_╯╬

Naruto opened his mouth, about to continue arguing!

The next moment, Sasuke chopped the red-haired young man with a hand strike, knocking him out cold!

Naruto looked at Sasuke in shock.

"You…"

Sasuke spread his hands.

"I didn't like what he was saying. ┐(´-｀)┌"

"Then now that you've knocked him out, how are we supposed to get information about the Kara Organization? ◝₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎◞" Naruto asked.

Sasuke lightly tapped Shinju.

"Use the Mind Body Switch Technique."