Naruto evolution system

Chapter 246: Casting a Wide Net

"Useless!"

Ōnoki slammed his hand on the table, rising to his feet as he roared, "A bunch of useless fools!"

Below him, a trembling Iwa Jōnin stood, enduring the scolding without daring to utter a single word in defense.

After all, they had messed up badly this time.

Hundreds of people had mysteriously vanished, and as their overseers, they bore undeniable responsibility.

Though the ANBU unit was equally to blame, Ōnoki was furious, and he needed an outlet for his anger.

What made things worse was that even the ANBU members had vanished without a trace, further fueling Ōnoki's rage.

After a long silence, Ōnoki slumped back into his chair, closed his eyes slightly, and muttered, "Have we found anything at the rock forest?"

Hearing this, the Iwa-nin hesitated for a moment before replying, "Reporting, Lord Tsuchikage, nothing has been found so far."

Ōnoki sighed in frustration, waved his hand, and dismissed the Jōnin.

After the shinobi left, Ōnoki leaned against the backrest of his chair, eyes tightly shut, seemingly deep in thought.

Suddenly—

Knock, knock, knock—

A series of knocks echoed from the door.

Ōnoki's eyes flickered open slightly, and after sensing the presence outside, his brows furrowed deeply.

It was the same Iwa Jōnin who had just left.

"Come in!"

The door creaked open, and the shinobi stepped inside.

Ōnoki didn't even look up. "What is it now?" he asked, his tone laced with impatience.

"Heh heh—"

A low chuckle echoed through the room, and the visitor smirked before responding, "Yes, Tsuchikage-sama, I do have something to report."

Before the words could fully leave his mouth—

Ōnoki's eyes snapped open, his expression turning ice-cold.

"You're not Ishiki! Who are you?!"

As soon as he spoke, two ANBU guards leaped into action, blades drawn, standing protectively in front of Ōnoki.

Their sharp gazes fixated on the intruder, ready to strike at the first sign of movement.

Yet, despite the intimidating display, the intruder remained completely unfazed.

Instead, he raised his hands and began clapping slowly.

Clap… Clap… Clap…

As the rhythmic applause filled the air, his form suddenly writhed, as if his flesh was alive.

Within moments, his skin transformed into numerous tiny vines, which then morphed into another figure entirely.

It was none other than—

"Wood Release?! Are you… Baishi?!"

Ōnoki's pupils shrank as he instinctively uttered the name.

But a split second later, he shook his head and rejected the idea.

"No, you're not Baishi. Reveal your true identity—now!"

As he spoke, he raised his hands, clearly preparing to attack.

Seeing this, the figure smirked.

"As expected of the Third Tsuchikage—your insight is as sharp as ever!"

His body rippled again, shifting into a completely different form.

A sinister figure with snake-like features now stood before them.

"Orochimaru?!"

Ōnoki's face darkened instantly.

And who could blame him?

First Baishi, now Orochimaru—if notorious criminals could wander into Iwagakure at will, what did that say about the village's security?

Had Iwagakure become a public thoroughfare for rogues?

For a moment, Ōnoki's fury nearly exploded.

Seeing his rising anger, Orochimaru calmly pulled out a talisman.

"This will help you locate Baishi," he said.

Before anyone could react, his body dissolved into a log, revealing that it had been a wood clone all along.

Looking at the now-lifeless log and the floating talisman, Ōnoki gritted his teeth.

"Damn it!"

After a moment, he turned to the two ANBU. "Immediately notify the Barrier Team—we need to reinforce the village's security!"

"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama!"

"And one more thing..."

"Orders, sir?"

"Summon the research team. I want to know exactly what this talisman does."

Ōnoki pointed at the mysterious paper talisman.

"Understood!"

With that, the two ANBU vanished, leaving Ōnoki alone in his office, his expression grim and unreadable.

---

Elsewhere…

Not far from Iwagakure, deep within a dense forest, Orochimaru casually strolled forward.

Suddenly, he paused, tilting his head slightly—

As if receiving information from afar.

Then, a sinister smile crept onto his face.

Clearly, the events in the Tsuchikage's office had been relayed to him the moment his wood clone dispelled.

Slowly, he turned his gaze northeast, toward the Land of Lightning—where Kumogakure lay.

Sticking out his serpentine tongue, Orochimaru licked his lips and whispered—

"Hehehe… Fourth Raikage, I hope you enjoy my gift..."

With that, he merged into the ground, vanishing into the shadows of the forest.

---

Days Later…

The Five Great Shinobi Villages—Konoha, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure—

Along with smaller shinobi villages, bounty hunters, and rogue mercenaries—

All received talismans capable of tracking the Eight-Tails' chakra.

These talismans were spread by Orochimaru himself.

His intent?

To overwhelm Baishi with sheer numbers, forcing him into the open.

And it worked.

---

That Afternoon…

Deep beneath a lava-filled cavern, Baishi was in the middle of his training.

Then—

He felt multiple presences above him.

They wore different uniforms, their weapons varied—

Some carried kunai and shuriken, others katana and longswords, and some even wielded exotic chain hammers.

At first glance, they looked like an unorganized rabble.

But upon closer inspection, their chakra levels rivaled that of elite Jōnin from the Five Great Villages.

Even more interestingly, their leader emitted a strange, distinct aura—

As if he possessed a unique bloodline limit.

"Boss, we've circled this area three times," a gaunt, monkey-like man muttered.

"The talisman keeps pointing underground—he must be hiding down there. Should we continue?"

His words sparked hesitation among the group.

Given Baishi's infamous reputation, their chances of winning were slim.

Was it wiser to sell the intel and take a smaller profit, or risk their lives for a bigger reward?

Under normal circumstances, bounty hunters wouldn't hesitate to take a gamble.

But facing Baishi was a different story altogether.

Seeing their wavering resolve, the leader suddenly spoke passionately:

"Brothers, this is our golden opportunity! Do you want to settle for a measly five million ryo, or do you want to take down Baishi and live in luxury forever?"

His speech immediately fired up the group.

"Hell yeah, let's take him down!"

"Boss, we'll follow your lead!"

One by one, voices of agreement echoed—

Except for the monkey-like man, who stood paralyzed with fear.

He knew something the others didn't—

That challenging Baishi was a death sentence.

---

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