12dz Chapter 772 reveals in the letter
Chapter 772 reveals in the letter
The letter revealed that the ancient ruins of Loulan actually contain the legendary dragon vein! It is the lifeblood of the earth, containing extraordinary chakra, and if used carelessly, it could even destroy the earth.
In his letter, Scorpion described in detail how he hid in the shadows and, after learning about the power of the dragon vein, he had the desire to seize it, even at the cost of violating Zhang Hai's prohibition against taking action.
In the end, the Konoha ninja successfully completed their mission, not taking the Dragon Vein, but sealing it away once more. Sasori remained hidden, patiently waiting for the Konoha ninja to leave.
After the Konoha ninja left, Sasori spent his time researching how to break the Dragon Vein seal through various ancient books. Mabui naturally contributed to this effort, as her intelligence and knowledge provided Sasori with tremendous assistance.
After a long period of research, the seal on the dragon vein was finally broken, and the power of the dragon vein was successfully obtained by Scorpion!
However, the power of the dragon vein was too immense, and the absorption time was too long. Therefore, Sasori infused a portion of the dragon vein's power into the Third Kazekage puppet.
Having absorbed the power of the Dragon Vein, the Third Kazekage's physical body gradually became fuller, and his chakra even surpassed that of his lifetime. Combined with his bloodline limit—Magnet Release—his strength was simply unbelievable.
Having received such a huge benefit, Scorpion did not forget Zhang Hai. He used Mabuyi's Heavenly Delivery Technique to send over this powerful Third Generation Kazekage puppet, and wrote in the letter with a hint of pride: Once he fully masters the power of the Dragon Vein, this puppet will be of no use.
After reading the letter, Zhang Hai's eyes flashed with a complex light. He casually burned the letter with flames, marveling at the sheer amount of information contained within, especially the blatant sarcasm Sasori showed towards the Konoha ninja.
Zhang Hai analyzed that if Minato had intended to take the Dragon Vein, Sasori would have inevitably confronted him. Given Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique's ability to counter puppeteers, the two would have engaged in a fierce battle. The possibility of Minato being killed would likely be very high. After all, Sasori had not yet fully mastered the Dragon Vein's power at that time, and the Third Kazekage's puppets had not yet been modified by the Dragon Vein.
In short, the outcome is good. Judging from Scorpion's tone, his strength will become extremely powerful after he emerges from seclusion, to the point that even Zhang Hai cannot determine his exact strength.
Zhang Hai took out another scroll, formed hand seals, and successfully summoned the Third Kazekage puppet!
Zhang Hai carefully observed the Third Kazekage puppet summoned before him. He discovered that this puppet was no longer an ordinary puppet; its appearance was almost identical to that of the Third Kazekage in life. If it weren't for the emptiness and lifelessness in its eyes, Zhang Hai would have even thought that the Third Kazekage before him had truly been resurrected.
He reached out and gently touched the puppet's arms and face. The touch was warm and supple, almost indistinguishable from real flesh. Zhang Hai marveled at the wonder of the dragon vein's power; this was practically a living human body.
Zhang Hai activated his Sharingan, the three tomoe in his eyes spinning rapidly, clearly discerning the flow of chakra within the Kazekage's body. He discovered that at the center of the puppet was a massive chakra entity, precisely the Dragon Vein power that Sasori had mentioned in his letter.
Zhang Hai judged that the amount of chakra in this dragon vein even surpassed that of the Raikage, comparable to a tailed beast! Therefore, possessing such a top-tier puppet, he was already capable of going toe-to-toe with the Raikage, and could even wear him down to death. After all, puppets don't feel fatigued, nor do they die from exhaustion.
After observing the Third Kazekage's puppet again, Zhang Hai smiled with satisfaction. He believed that bringing Sasori out of Sunagakure was undoubtedly the best decision he had ever made. A seemingly casual move had yielded such tremendous results.
Zhang Hai's gaze was fixed on the Third Kazekage. A crazy idea grew wildly in his heart like weeds: Sunagakure only knew that the Third Kazekage was missing, but did not know whether he was alive or dead. This meant that, if handled properly, this puppet could completely return to Sunagakure as the "Third Kazekage" through the Spirit Transformation Technique!
Zhang Hai's heart began to pound. He realized that if he could successfully control the Third Kazekage, it would be equivalent to controlling the entire Sunagakure! He could use Sunagakure to "work" for him, Sasori could openly return to Sunagakure, and he could even make Sunagakure the third base of his Zero organization!
Once the idea took hold, it couldn't be stopped. After pondering it repeatedly, Zhang Hai was convinced that the plan was entirely feasible. The sudden disappearance of the Third Kazekage could easily be attributed to the Loulan ruins—a perfect excuse.
The only remaining obstacle is the Third Kazekage's usual tone of voice, demeanor, behavior, hobbies, and so on. Sasori will need to spend some time practicing and imitating these to ensure that he is absolutely right.
Zhang Hai decided to find Scorpion as soon as possible. He believed this matter couldn't be delayed; the sooner the Third Kazekage returned to the village, the less suspicion would arise. The subsequent arrangements for the Loulan ruins also required time, and everything had to be done flawlessly.
Zhang Hai pondered how to leave the battlefield. He needed a good reason; he couldn't be a deserter.
The next day, a familiar figure appeared on the battlefield—Minato Namikaze. It turned out that after completing his mission at the Loulan Ruins, he couldn't wait to return to Konoha. He refused the new mission assigned by the Third Hokage, emphasizing that he had to come to the Cloud Village battlefield because the peace of Konoha was of utmost importance to him. Ultimately, he successfully persuaded the Third Hokage to come to this smoke-filled battlefield.
The two friends were delighted to see each other. Minato smiled and said to Zhang Hai, "See? I came as fast as I could."
Zhang Hai smiled and nodded, replying, "I know, you're the fastest."
After exchanging pleasantries, Minato immediately stopped smiling, turned to Zhang Hai, and asked with a serious expression, "What is the situation on the battlefield?"
Zhang Hai also dropped his relaxed expression and replied cautiously, "The battlefield is at a stalemate. The Hidden Cloud Village is very strong, especially the Raikage, who is extremely powerful. In the entire Hidden Leaf Village, I'm afraid only the Third Hokage can fight him."
Upon hearing this, Minato immediately understood. He asked, "You... fought the Raikage?"
Zhang Hai admitted, "That's right." He then recounted the details of their fight to Minato, including the Raikage's "Lightning Release Armor" and the terrifying "One-Shot Hand," as well as his almost abnormal ability to revitalize his body.
After listening to Zhang Hai's account, Minato's expression darkened. He believed that the Raikage was indeed a formidable opponent, as even Zhang Hai's terrifying swordsmanship couldn't kill him. Although Minato was a Wind Release ninja, he also thought it would be difficult to kill him in one blow; he could only stall and look for an opening.
A blue Rasengan appeared in Minato's hand. He sighed, "The Rasengan is still under development. If it can be infused with chakra nature transformation, it might be able to kill the Raikage."