Chapter 301: Getting Excited for Nothing

"The Sunagakure Village's sealing techniques really are weak..."

Lian Ye looked at the village in the distance, now battered and ruined by Shou He, and felt a bit emotional.

It was precisely because they lacked a powerful sealing technique that Shou He could easily break free from its seal. Even decades later, this phenomenon still hadn't improved.

For example, after Wo Ai Luo became a jinchuriki, he didn't dare sleep at all. If he accidentally dozed off, Shou He could take the chance to seize his body, causing massive damage to Sunagakure Village.

In short, it was because Sunagakure Village's seal was too trashy. Naruto Uzumaki didn't have such troubles; at most, the chakra leaking from the Nine-Tails would affect his ability to use ninjutsu.

With a powerful sealing technique, a jinchuriki would hardly have any problems.

Perhaps it was because of this that the nations of the Ninja World coveted the Uzumaki Clan's powerful sealing techniques, ultimately leading to the Uzumaki Clan's extermination, with only a few members surviving.

"Lian Ye, are we still going in?"

Fat Cat's words pulled Lian Ye's thoughts back. He looked at the destroyed gate at the village entrance and twitched his mouth slightly.

He had originally wanted to come and see if Sunagakure Village had developed over the years, but because of Shou He's sudden appearance—

Sunagakure Village's economy hadn't risen at all; instead, it would regress by decades. Rebuilding the village would require a huge amount of funds, making an already poor village even worse off.

"Forget it, I'm not going." Lian Ye took out a map and marked an X on Sunagakure Village's location. "What's there to see in a pile of ruins..."

If he went to Sunagakure Village now and his identity was carelessly discovered, wouldn't the Second Kazekage just pin the blame on him and blow things up?

He'd say Shou He's appearance was related to Konoha's "Deadly Poison Master," and then it'd be like mud in your pants—even if it's not shit, it looks like shit.

After all, Shou He had just appeared and saw him; there was no way to explain it.

He couldn't exactly say he came to Sunagakure Village for tourism, could he?

Even though that was the truth, no one would believe it! What normal person would travel to a poor village like Sunagakure Village?

If this got out, that old bastard Qianshou Feijian would definitely tear him apart alive.

"Then where are we going?" Dao Ba asked.

Before coming here, it had already told Lord Ban about Lian Ye's plan to go to Sunagakure Village. Now that the plan had changed, it naturally needed to inform Lord Ban in time.

"We're going to the Wind Country Capital." Lian Ye looked at the map and said.

Never mind that Wind Country was the poorest of the Five Great Nations; it was still one of the Five Great Nations.

Besides, what did Wind Country's poverty have to do with the Wind Country Daimyo?

The Daimyo controlled the entire economy of a country. How bad could the capital he lived in be?

Anyway, he had money now, so there was no reason to travel on a budget. Since he couldn't go to Sunagakure Village, he'd go to the capital and spend some cash, while experiencing a life of luxury and indulgence.

After fighting for decades in the Ninja World and finally becoming a strong man, of course he should enjoy himself.

He couldn't just sit in an office all day processing documents like some Hokage, could he?

That poor Hokage—what could he eat in his office every day? Nothing but hard-to-swallow Soldier's Ration Pills.

Not like him, who had once spent the reward for an S-rank Mission on a single meal...

Indeed, only an idiot would want to be Hokage.

Let that old geezer keep miserably processing documents in the office. He was going to a big city to experience the life of the rich.

The man and the cat changed direction and headed for the Wind Country Capital.

Not long after they left, Senju Hashirama and Madara Uchiha arrived at the spot where they had been.

"Madara, what happened to Sunagakure Village?" Hashirama swallowed subconsciously, looking at the devastated village in the distance, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

After all, according to Dao Ba's intelligence, Lian Ye had planned to visit Sunagakure Village. Now the village had turned out like this—could it be Lian Ye's doing?!

"This kid..." A flash of shock passed through Madara's eyes. He shared the same thought as Hashirama; both believed Lian Ye had attacked Sunagakure Village.

He stared at the distant Sunagakure Village, which was emitting black smoke, lost in thought.

When had that kid become so strong? He could actually destroy Sunagakure Village like this—had he already awakened the Kaleidoscope Sharingan?!

If Lian Ye had awakened the Kaleidoscope, it would be a good thing for him. That way, the "Moon's Eye" plan would be more certain to succeed.

"Let's go in and take a look." Madara Uchiha was somewhat expectant. He couldn't wait to see Lian Ye with the Kaleidoscope activated.

That kid Lian Ye was really promising! He could awaken the Kaleidoscope without his help—truly a worthy junior!

Unlike Madara's anticipation, Hashirama's expression was grave, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

He couldn't understand why the kind Lian Ye would do such a thing. With Sunagakure Village destroyed like that, the number of dead was certainly not small...

Hashirama knew that for Uchiha Clan's Members to awaken the Kaleidoscope, they had to experience immense pain. Gaining such powerful power under those conditions could easily lead to a change in mentality.

Pain could drive people to extremes and radicalism; Madara was a perfect example.

If Lian Ye really had awakened the Kaleidoscope Sharingan, he would definitely be fooled by Madara into joining the "Moon's Eye" plan.

By then, no one in the Ninja World would be able to stop them!

With different thoughts, the two infiltrated Sunagakure Village.

Actually, it wasn't really an infiltration. The gate had long been destroyed by Shou He, so the two entered Sunagakure Village openly.

The Sunagakure Village ninjas were busy with post-war rescue operations, and no one had time to pay attention to the two entering the village.

Hashirama's eyes reddened as he looked at the civilians crushed under the buildings. He hadn't thought Lian Ye could do something so inhumane.

Without greeting Madara, he immediately joined the rescue efforts.

Madara watched his friend's actions without comment; Hashirama had always been a goody-two-shoes.

"Wait..."

He silently observed the environment of Sunagakure Village and suddenly realized that the scene of destruction didn't look like Lian Ye's doing. Instead, it seemed more like the work of a Tailed Beast!

After all, he had once controlled the Nine-Tails and knew very well the destructive power of a Tailed Beast.

Even if that kid had awakened the Kaleidoscope Sharingan, he couldn't have caused this level of destruction in such a short time, unless he used the Third Power 【Susanoo】...

Case solved now. Lian Ye hadn't awakened his eyes; Sunagakure Village had been destroyed by a Tailed Beast.

Madara Uchiha's mouth twitched slightly. That kid hadn't awakened the Kaleidoscope Sharingan after all—he had just gotten excited for nothing.

Forget it. Matters of awakening the eyes were still best left to him, the elder, to help out!

Master Ban, who has several decades of experience with the Kaleidoscope Sharingan, can be said to be extremely proficient at helping clan members open their eyes…

Witnessing a relative's death—open eyes? Witnessing a friend's death—open eyes? Facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy—open eyes?

These are just a few of the most commonly used plans among the countless ways to open eyes.

Senju Hashirama, who was assisting, learned from the villagers that a Tailed Beast had destroyed the Village and couldn't help but sigh, "Phew, what a false alarm!"

He said that Lian Ye, that kid, could not possibly have done such a cruel and inhumane thing!

……

At that moment, Lian Ye, who was hurrying along the road, shivered for no reason, a bad premonition suddenly arising in his heart. It felt as if someone were watching him, but the feeling quickly vanished.

"What's wrong, meow?"

"Nothing, probably just an illusion."