Chapter 379

Why should I only be able to throw a Rasengan at people, while that bastard Sasuke can just slash with a sword?

I look like some dumb, savage brute!

As Naruto complained, an ANBU ninja appeared.

"The Hokage asks you to come to his office."

"Huh? Did the Hokage say why? Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute!"

Naruto instinctively asked, but the ANBU ninja left after speaking.

Only Naruto remained standing there dumbly.

"Let's go see what's up."

Sasuke patted Naruto on the shoulder, then walked ahead.

Soon, the two arrived at the Hokage's office.

Inside the office, not only was Tsunade present, but Kakashi was too.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're here too?"

At that moment, Kakashi was flipping through a document, his brow furrowed as if facing some serious trouble.

"Oh, Naruto and Sasuke, you're here."

Kakashi looked up and greeted them, then returned to his document.

At that moment, Tsunade lifted her head from among the piles of documents.

"You two and Kakashi, go handle that mission."

"The mission's current difficulty is A-rank; if anything unusual happens, it may escalate to S-rank!"

Tsunade spoke with grave seriousness, leaving Naruto stunned; he turned his gaze to Kakashi.

"Don't look at me like that—I don't know the details either."

"I only know a village in the Land of Fire was wiped out, and someone there could use Zanpakutō."

"Huh? If someone can use Zanpakutō, then there shouldn't be any ghosts, right?"

Naruto asked curiously, but Sasuke spoke up directly:

"Even someone who can use Zanpakutō got killed?"

"Impossible! They're just a bunch of ghosts—how could they possibly..."

Naruto stared at Sasuke in disbelief; he felt Sasuke's thoughts were dangerous.

Yet who would have thought Kakashi actually nodded!

"Sasuke is right—the ninja who could use Zanpakutō is dead too."

"And his death was horrific—as if all his life force had been violently drained."

He was a middle-aged man, yet his corpse looked like an old man's."

"And his Zanpakutō has not been found."

Kakashi stated the known facts with grave seriousness.

This mission was extremely dangerous, which is why all three of them were assigned.

The three of you are the strongest in Konoha at killing ghosts!

"Based on available information, the enemy is likely ghosts—and not just one!"

"Enough talk. Go now."

"The enemy appeared in the Land of Fire; if you don't resolve this quickly, it could become a disaster."

"If you can't handle it later, it'll be a mess."

Tsunade issued a dismissal order; Kakashi then led Naruto and Sasuke out.

Tsunade stared out the window, thinking of Jiraiya.

Where the hell did that bastard go? When will he return to Konoha?

Everyone desperately needs him—he can use Sage Mode too.

If he were here, he could make a big difference and help ease the village's burden?

Rain Village...

"For now, don't use the Zanpakutō. Even though inputting chakra greatly boosts our strength,"

"each time, they absorb even more chakra from us."

"And even without chakra, you can still use them."

"But after every 180 ghost kills, the Zanpakutō grows slightly stronger."

"It's as if it's absorbing the ghosts' power."

Uchiha Itachi announced this to everyone in the organization.

Don't use the Zanpakutō!

He hadn't fully studied the blade, but he sensed it was far more complex than it appeared.

Especially since it originated from the Hidden Mist Village!

This matter gained agreement from other members of the Akatsuki.

They all knew ninjutsu, and Rain Village was small enough.

They cleared ghosts effortlessly, and they had no interest in hunting more ghosts outside—it was too much effort for too little reward.

On the other side, Obito kicked the floor in fury.

"Damn it! Black Zetsu is unreachable—he betrayed me!"

"And Uchiha Madara's corpse is gone too."

"Damn it!"

For a moment, Obito became a lone figure, stripped of all support, from the shadowy master of the Akatsuki organization...