Chapter 104: Shippuden Starts Soon...

Although full of motivation to work, the goal before Hayate came back, he was to become a model worker of Konoha.

However, upon Sato's return, he went straight to Tsunade to receive a new mission.

To fully embrace the benefits of being equal to others, Sato needed to maintain a level demeanor and not neglect any interactions with the opposite gender.

While traveling, Sato also selected gifts for Ino–Shika–Chō, Kurenai, Tsunade, Shizune, and Hanabi.

After parting ways with Hinata and Karin on the road, Sato arrived at the Hokage's office alone. Following the submission of the task report to Tsunade, Sato took out a gift and presented it to them in passing.

Upon seeing her beloved younger brother, who did not forget her even during a long trip, Tsunade was overjoyed to receive the gift. She immediately stood up, embraced Sato, gifted with a facial cleanser set, she planted a kiss on his forehead.

Shizune, who also considered Sato as family, was equally delighted to receive the gift.

After indulging in the world's top five facial cleanser packages, Sato spent some time in the Hokage office with Tsunade and Shizune.

During the conversation, Sato revealed that he had captured Samuel and concealed the ability of Kotoamatsukami, leaving her with a seal similar to the Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique. This turned her into a spy he placed in Cloud Shinobi Village.

"Good job," Tsunade commended Sato's approach.

"Turning someone into an ally is far more valuable than eliminating them. Even if the enemy manages to crack your spell and read your memory, it cannot be used as evidence or a reason to attack. You can leave spells on the enemy, but ensure you destroy all physical evidence about yourself. It's even better if you can conceal your identity."

"...I see, sister," Sato nodded obediently.

After a brief chat with Tsunade and Shizune, Sato left the Hokage's office.

Once outside the Hokage building, Sato aimed to locate Ino–Shika–Chō and Kurenai's new team ten. However, he soon discovered that the new team had already left the village for a mission.

Unlike the traditional "getting to know each other" period, Ino–Shika–Chō's exceptional teamwork, rooted in their family secrets, allowed them to function seamlessly. With the ability to complement each other and mitigate weaknesses, they formed a formidable trio that exceeded the sum of its parts.

Kurenai, having taught them all she could, focused on providing mission experience to prepare them for the ranks of Chūnin or even special Jōnin. Satisfied with their progress, Kurenai could now semi-retire.

Learning of the new team ten's absence, Sato headed to the Hyuga clan and took Hanabi out to enjoy some leisure time.

Within the strict rules of the Hyuga clan, only Sato had the privilege to take them out. If not for Sato, neither Hinata nor Hanabi could venture outside alone, and even if they did, they would be accompanied by guards.

Hanabi, appreciative of the freedom Sato offered, developed a close relationship with him. She called Sato "big brother", a smoother interaction compared to addressing Neji as big brother.

After receiving a specially chosen gift from Sato, Hanabi happily expressed her gratitude with a kiss on Sato's cheek.

A few days later, the new team ten returned to the village, and under Sato's organization, both the special team and team ten gathered for a meal.

As Sato handed out gifts to Ino–Shika–Chō, he conversed, learning about recent events. Rock Lee had fully recovered, Neji had become a Chūnin through the Chūnin exam, and team seven, missing Sasuke, had temporarily disbanded.

Naruto embarked on a training journey with Jiraiya, while Sakura, with the guidance of Jiraiya and Kakashi, became one of Tsunade's direct disciples. The new generation of Sannin had begun their own intensive training.

Realizing that time had swiftly passed, Sato understood that Shippuden was on the horizon. With two and a half years remaining, he decided to accelerate his plans.

In response, Sato communicated his thoughts to Kei.

Upon receiving the information, Kei, drawing from Senju Tobirama's memory, immediately took action. Without delay, a split body, created using the Split Technique, emerged from Kei. It swiftly entered an invisible state using the Dustless Bewildering Cover and then disappeared using the Flying Thunder God technique.

As the split body embarked on its mission, Kei continued his experiments in a dim laboratory filled with white light. On the operating table lay a well-embossed corpse, beside which was a clone of White Zetsu, now unconscious.

Kei's current experiment involved transplanting the flesh and blood of White Zetsu's clone onto the corpse. The goal was to determine if this corpse could acquire power similar to that of a living being after undergoing Impure World Reincarnation—a power comparable to Yakushi Kabuto's. If successful, Kei could perfect the Impure World Reincarnation and use the White Zetsu clone from Obito to create a batch of Impure World Reincarnation soldiers.

Meanwhile, the split body's task was to find materials for Kei's Impure World Reincarnation. Essentially, Kei had returned to his previous occupation—tomb robbery.

Once the Impure World Reincarnation army was complete, he could initiate the plan to fill the gap in the immortal body. The first stop for the split body's tomb robbery was the sea outside the Ninja Continent, specifically the only one of the five major countries not on the Ninja Continent—the Land of Water!