Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 334 Turmoil in the Ninja World

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight pierced the sky like a golden sword, scattering light across the cultivation area. This area seemed shrouded in a golden veil, filling the tranquil cultivation space with vitality. However, the brilliant sunlight did not disturb those immersed in their cultivation. They sat quietly in their respective positions like statues, eyes closed, completely absorbed in their practice. Each person exuded an aura of focused determination, seemingly detached from the surrounding world. Their breathing was steady and deep; with the circulation of their techniques, the energy within their bodies flowed continuously, merging with the natural energy of heaven and earth. In this serene environment, time seemed to stand still; only the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves and the slight coolness of the breeze allowed one to feel the passage of time. The cultivators forgot the noise and disturbances of the outside world, wholeheartedly pursuing the pinnacle of Taoism. Their minds were nourished in their cultivation, gradually becoming stronger and more resilient.

With a loud bang, the door was violently pushed open, shattering the tranquility of the training area. Immediately afterward, a figure appeared before everyone—Orochimaru's subordinate in charge of intelligence gathering. His expression was panicked, his steps hurried, and he headed straight for Orochimaru's secluded training area. He clutched the intelligence scroll tightly in his hand, as if it were his lifeline. His anxious expression revealed that this intelligence must be of paramount importance; otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed to interrupt Orochimaru's training so urgently.

Orochimaru was startled awake by the noise, pulling himself from his cultivation and looking at his subordinate responsible for gathering intelligence. He knew perfectly well that the subordinate wouldn't disturb his cultivation unless it was crucial information. Seeing the subordinate's expression only confirmed this. Moreover, the intelligence relayed back was likely not good news; it was very likely information about the Sage of Six Paths that he had arranged to gather over the years. After all, the Sage would be his most important enemy in the future, so naturally, he needed to do everything in his power to collect even the smallest clues.

Meanwhile, in the main hall, Hyuga Hiashi, also holding an information scroll, sat quietly, surrounded by a group of Hyuga clan elders. These elders rarely participated in clan affairs, spending most of their time in seclusion in the living quarters, enjoying a leisurely retirement. However, this morning, they had been urgently summoned to the council hall by Hyuga Hiashi, the clan head. Gazing at Hyuga Hiashi's solemn face, they couldn't help but wonder: Was another major upheaval about to erupt in the ninja world? And summoning these old fogies must mean there was something important to announce!

The intelligence they obtained was exactly the same. It was a mysterious organization composed of rogue ninja called "Akatsuki," who had always undertaken various war missions. However, just yesterday, this organization did something that shocked the entire ninja world—Akatsuki members openly attacked Sunagakure! Even more astonishingly, Akatsuki successfully defeated the Fifth Kazekage and captured him. Sunagakure urgently sent intelligence to Konoha, requesting Konoha's assistance in rescuing the Fifth Kazekage.

The strength displayed by the Akatsuki members was truly astonishing. With only one member involved, they managed to defeat the Kazekage in Sunagakure and successfully capture him. Keep in mind, Sunagakure is one of the Five Great Nations of the ninja world! Even though its development has been very poor in recent years, it remains one of the five most powerful ninja villages in the world, firmly at the top of the pyramid of power. Yet, faced with such a powerful enemy, Sunagakure seemed powerless to protect their leader—the Kazekage. This inevitably raises questions about whether other ninja villages truly possess the strength to ensure their own safety. After all, if even a behemoth like Sunagakure couldn't withstand the Akatsuki's attack, how could the other villages possibly resist? Perhaps the entire ninja world is facing an unprecedented crisis.

Orochimaru frowned slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes, as he looked at the intelligence scroll in his hand. He was naturally familiar with the Akatsuki organization; it was a mysterious and powerful force. Years ago, shortly after fleeing Konoha, he received an invitation from Akatsuki. However, at that time, he was engrossed in studying the information he had obtained from Hyuga Kanan, and he refused the organization's offer without hesitation. This decision sparked a fierce conflict, culminating in a breathtaking battle. Had he not already learned some powerful techniques from Hyuga Kanan, he would likely have been defeated long ago.

Judging from the strength displayed by the opposing force, the Akatsuki was definitely not to be underestimated. However, Orochimaru was completely focused on his research and didn't pay much attention to them. He did manage to gather some information about the Akatsuki, knowing that they were composed of rogue ninja from various villages, each holding an S-rank rogue ninja title. But he never imagined that an organization made up of rogue ninja would dare to attack the Sand Village, especially with only one member engaging in direct combat. Most importantly, they successfully captured the Fifth Kazekage of the Sand Village, making Orochimaru realize he might have underestimated the Akatsuki's strength.

Furthermore, after hearing Hyuga Kanan's account of the ninja world's secrets, Orochimaru suspected that the Akatsuki might be one of the Sage of Six Paths' contingency plans. After all, an organization entirely composed of lawless S-rank rogue ninjas—how could these rogue ninjas obediently follow orders without sufficiently powerful forces to suppress them? And looking across the entire ninja world, very few could do that. Adding to this, the person who recruited him had mentioned that their leader was called a god, so Orochimaru speculated that this mysterious mastermind was very likely the Sage of Six Paths!

If that's the case, then what exactly does the Sage of Six Paths want to do? Is it really as Hyuga Kanan said, that he intends to completely control the ninja world and then harvest all the ninjas? But why is he doing this at this time? Did he discover Hyuga Kanan's existence and realize that continuing Hyuga Kanan's training would threaten his plans?

Thinking of this, Orochimaru frowned. He knew the Sage of Six Paths wouldn't do something so pointless, but he couldn't fathom the reason. Regardless, he had to be careful. After all, even Hyuga Kanan, who displayed invincibility, wouldn't dare provoke the Sage of Six Paths easily, let alone Orochimaru, a novice cultivator.

"However, this information should be shared with Hyuga Kanan as soon as possible. After all, the Sage of Six Paths is someone who can be called a sage, and he is definitely not someone I can handle. I wonder if Hyuga Kanan's current strength is enough to deal with him. If he can't, then the trouble will be much greater." Orochimaru thought to himself.

During this period, Orochimaru's progress has been incredibly rapid, and he is now at the peak of the Innate Realm, faintly sensing a sense of oppression from the heavens and earth. This feeling is completely different from before, and Orochimaru knows that this is very likely the tribulation that Hyuga Kanan described as him approaching his own. Although Orochimaru is confident in his strength, he dares not be careless in the face of such an unknown challenge as the tribulation.

Orochimaru knew very well that with his current strength, he had no confidence in dealing with the coming Heavenly Tribulation. Although he was considered a top-tier ninja in the ninja world, for the Heavenly Tribulation, this might only be the beginning. He needed more time to prepare, to train, and to become stronger in order to have any chance of overcoming it. During this time, he had to remain vigilant and continuously improve his strength to cope with any challenges that might arise in the future.

Upon receiving the distress call from Sunagakure, Tsunade of Konoha's expression instantly turned grave, filled with apprehension towards the Akatsuki. As an experienced ninja and Hokage, she knew all too well how difficult it was to capture a Kage-level figure from a ninja village. Even though Sunagakure's strength had declined somewhat in recent years, it was still a powerful ninja village and would not be easily conquered by other forces. Each major ninja village possessed profound foundations and unique advantages, allowing them to stand firm in turbulent times. Moreover, the Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure was a Jinchūriki possessing the power of the One-Tailed Beast, ranking among the top Kage-level ninjas of the Five Great Nations, yet he had been successfully captured by the Akatsuki, proving that the Akatsuki members were likely extremely powerful.

Tsunade was deep in thought, facing a difficult decision: who should she send to aid Sunagakure? Based on the intelligence she had gathered, the Akatsuki members had already demonstrated formidable strength. Within Konoha, only she and Jiraiya seemed capable and confident of successfully rescuing the Fifth Kazekage. However, both of them bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the village and could not easily leave.

Just as Tsunade was fretting over this matter, she suddenly thought of Kakashi Hatake. Over the years, Kakashi's strength had significantly improved; he had long since entered the Kage-level ranks. Although he might not yet be the strongest among the Kage, he was undoubtedly an exceptionally skilled ninja. If he were given some powerful assistants, perhaps he could handle this rescue mission.

Tsunade pondered silently, various possibilities swirling in her mind. She needed to carefully consider every detail to ensure the safety and success of this operation. After all, facing such a powerful enemy, any decision could potentially influence the entire course of the battle.