[Sponsored] Chapter 172: Test

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The Whirlpool Country, a town.

As time passed, someone eventually couldn't help but reveal their intentions, or perhaps someone in the shadows wanted to stir up chaos here.

Inside a high-end hotel room.

"Lord Sesshomaru, we know that you have been secretly looking for the weapon of the First Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. We have this information."

A ninja who came to deliver the message was wearing a mask, showing no flaws. Sesshomaru, who sat across from him, looked at him indifferently, as if no news could cause any emotional fluctuation in him.

After the other party threw out this clue, the pair of eyes revealed under the mask stared at him, seemingly waiting for an answer.

"Can the weapon of the God of Shinobi compare to my sword?"

Under a cold and arrogant demeanor, the other party immediately fell silent. Well, this excuse was good and strong. Upon careful thought, it seemed to align well with the mentality of someone descended from a samurai lineage.

The weapon of the First Hokage was indeed tempting for a samurai.

If any samurai were to cut through this legendary weapon with their own ancestral sword, or even just clash without any damage, that samurai would become famous throughout the Ninja World, or perhaps even the world.

The weapon of the First Hokage might not be the strongest and could even be a hot potato, but it is also an opportunity for countless people to make a name for themselves.

With the title of the "God of Shinobi," this weapon indeed carries such honor.

Sesshomaru, looking indifferently at the other party, seemed to read their mind and coldly said, "I will not join any of your forces. I will prove everything with my sword. When the time comes, I will carry this honor and establish my path in a village that satisfies me."

At that moment, the other party understood. The recent appearance of this noble young master, Sesshomaru, had made them all covertly investigate him.

As for his identity, leaving that aside, the fact that he wants to make a name for himself with this—they believed it! After all, since this rumor spread, many samurais have come from the nearby Iron Country.

They all want to make a name for themselves, and those who do? They will likely choose a country that can give them glory, pledge allegiance to a lord, and establish their own family, becoming a noble samurai family.

Down-and-out samurai nobles are naturally included in this list.

As for this weapon in the context of ninjas, although it is a divine weapon, it's clear that it would offend the Hidden Leaf. Many people have come for the rich rewards on offer.

For ordinary ninjas, it's just a divine weapon, but for Konoha, it is practically a symbol of identity and the honor of the village. As for the numerous rogue and renegade ninjas wandering the ninja world, aren't they all doing it for money? How many would refuse such an offer?

As for the allure of a divine weapon? Haha, no one would think that Konoha would be reluctant to give up a decent weapon. Replacing it with a top-tier weapon forged from chakra metal, along with a generous bounty, would hardly be a problem.

It's all about chasing fame and fortune.

"The loyalty and bravery of samurais are well-known. My lord, if you wish to revive the reputation of your family, you will also need a battlefield."

The masked rogue ninja's eyes revealed a touch of sadness as he solemnly said, "This place could serve as the stage for you to rebuild your family's reputation."

As for the information on Sesshomaru, the current situation roughly aligns with their estimates. A samurai originally needs to be loyal and then receive recognition to gain honor.

As for the surname, although it is not yet known who Sesshomaru is a descendant of, it is clear that hiding his surname fits well with the pride of a samurai. The family surname will be used again when the family is revived.

However, Sesshomaru frowned upon hearing this and coldly said, "This place is purely a land of chaos; there is no opportunity to rebuild the family's reputation."

A samurai needs to be loyal to their lord to receive recognition and honor, similar to the concept of mastering both the pen and the sword, which is the same logic as the royal family.

"My lord, this place is the ruins of the Whirlpool Country. Although Whirlpool Country is destroyed, the blood of its revival is still burning."

At this moment, the masked rogue ninja directly threw out the tempting offer, "In times of chaos, if aiding in the revival of the Whirlpool Country is successful, your family's reputation could be rebuilt in an instant."

Goodness, although the identity of the other party is still unclear, at this moment Sesshomaru (Uchiha Yoru) was secretly amazed, actually luring such a big fish. But is the other party real or fake?

"Please."

Sesshomaru calmly refused the other party outright. One reason is that he doesn't have the capability to restore a country, and the other is, is the other party really a descendant of the Whirlpool Clan? And what is their ultimate goal?

"My lord!"

After being coldly rejected by Sesshomaru, the masked ninja was momentarily stunned. Isn't the spirit of a samurai about loyalty and bravery? The great merit of restoring the country has been presented; shouldn't every warrior entertain the idea?

A samurai assisting in restoring a nation—this could be a legendary story that becomes well-known among households as legendary samurais and ninjas.

But he refused?

At this moment, Tsunade, who was on the other side of the room, almost burst into laughter after seeing this scene. Do you really think this kid is a samurai? Moreover, which samurai is so thoughtless to think that restoring a country is as simple as eating?

The Land of Whirlpools has long become a thing of the past, and its remaining citizens have almost forgotten their former country. Restore the nation? With what?

Do they have a powerful army of ninjas? Or is there a major country backing them? If there were indeed remnants of the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha would be the first to help in their restoration.

After all, with the restoration of the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha could benefit from a puppet state, which could also serve as a buffer against the Hidden Mist Village.

Even though she has already subdued the chakra within her body to be undetectable, even to sensory ninjas, her strengthened body over the years allows her to clearly see and hear everything, even the conversation and breathing sounds, through the door gap.

Sesshomaru, sipping his tea, had his indifferent gaze mostly on the tea, causing the ninja who saw this to appear somewhat stiff.

This guy is not taking the bait.

Suddenly, there was a flicker of blood. The masked ninja looked down at his own chest to see an arm sticking out. Behind him, another ninja had appeared, savagely ripping out his still-beating heart.

Looking at the limp body that had already lost its breath, a hoarse laugh came from the suddenly appearing Kakuzu: "Your worth has increased."

Green eyes looked at him as if to say that agreeing to the employment relationship seemed a bit disadvantageous. But looking at Kakuzu's appearance, Sesshomaru's face remained indifferent, although he felt pleased inside. Truly, Kakuzu was all about money.

However, Kakuzu is still reliable. Before this, he had just seen the price on the black market and was a bit tempted to come over and check the situation, not to carry out any specific task—much like the random encounter with Asuma.

Subsequently, a formal employment relationship was confirmed between Sesshomaru and Kakuzu. In the world of ninjas, if you still want to make a living, you can never betray your employer; otherwise, your reputation will suffer, unless you can completely disappear.

Countries and villages would issue specific bounties for such violators.

And although Kakuzu is greedy, he is still quite professional.

"Dirty."

As always, sparing with his words, Sesshoumaru's indifferent sentence immediately brought a smile to Kakuzu's face. With a flick of his hand, black tendrils appeared, absorbing all the bloodstains on the ground. He even carried the corpse out of the door before returning.

After Kakuzu sat down, the two silently stared at each other. Under Kakuzu's bright green eyes, Sesshoumaru was speechless. It was the first time someone had fleeced him like this, but he still took out a thick wad of bills and pushed it over.

Seeing the green bills on the table, Kakuzu's indifferent eyes showed a hint of movement. Greedily placing the money into his pocket, he revealed a satisfied smile and nodded.

"Things have been a bit chaotic around here lately. Rumor has it that Tsunade, one of the three Sannin of the Hidden Leaf Village, came here but then suddenly disappeared. According to information gathered, some say she came for the First Hokage's weapon, while others say she was just passing through. Regardless, someone deliberately leaked the signal about the First Hokage's weapon."

"Although clues about the First Hokage's weapon have been found, it's still unclear if they are true."

It has to be said that when it comes to credibility and handling matters for money, Kakuzu is reliable. Just a few days in and look how professional he is—decades in the underworld means his network is unparalleled.

"Find a trustworthy squad to send the girl next door home."

Kakuzu and Sesshoumaru's conversation was heard clearly by Tsunade next door. When she heard the part about being sent home, her eyes narrowed instantly.

Is this brat suspicious of her identity? Or does he intend to send her home out of kindness?

Kindness! Upon this thought, Tsunade became increasingly cold. She didn't believe in any kindness; any ninja who had made it this far had climbed up from a pile of corpses. She realized she needed to make plans.

"Kakuzu, I also need to secretly investigate whether the First Hokage's weapon really exists."

"Alright, but it will cost extra."

The two continued to converse, with Sesshoumaru secretly feeling somewhat frustrated. Thankfully, he only needed to maintain his stoic expression each day. The waters in the Land of Whirlpools were deep indeed; someone was trying to stir things up.

Meanwhile, with Tsunade around him every day, what was he to do? He wasn't someone who'd be stopped by a young girl, and besides, there were plenty of pitiful people in this chaotic land. Kindness?

If the other party didn't make a move, then he'd have to force them to. Otherwise, how could he go on?

Both sides were locked in a battle of wits and courage.

…

As the night gradually fell, Sesshomaru, lying on the soft bed, suddenly opened his eyes. There seemed to be some movement outside. Just as he was about to gather his chakra on guard, his expression changed dramatically.

Poisoned!

He circulated the chakra within his body and found it incredibly awkward, stumbling like a baby who had just learned to walk.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and took an inconspicuous glance outside. At this moment, Tsunade, the girl lying outside on the sofa, slowly curved the corners of her mouth.

The poison I've developed is colorless and tasteless. Not just you, even if Jiraiya and Orochimaru came, they would be affected.

Inside the room, Sesshomaru's mind began to race quickly. The chakra circulating within his meridians was extremely uncomfortable. He couldn't gather his chakra, and his body was numb. His strength could only be utilized to a fraction of its potential.

And this poison is weird! He had been immunized against most toxins by Orochimaru's serum, but this time he was affected without any notice. Truly deserving of being one of the Three Sannin, Tsunade.

Colorless and tasteless, and this sense of awkward chakra. He immediately thought of the plot in the original story after the Chunin exams, when the Three Sannin met. Jiraiya seemed to have been poisoned like this.

It's probably Tsunade's doing. Is she testing me? Or is there someone else plotting something?

Just as Sesshomaru was thinking, the window slowly opened, and two black-clothed ninjas quietly walked in.

In the dark bedroom, the sound of shurikens cutting through the air came. Sesshomaru suddenly opened his eyes, and his treasured sword was instantly drawn.

Clang, clang~

Sparks flew as the shurikens were either cut or deflected. Seeing that they had been discovered, surprise showed in the eyes of the two ninjas.

"Kill!"

Sesshomaru suddenly rolled up, feeling dizzy, cursing inwardly. The potency of this drug is too strong, no wonder even peak Jiraiya could only summon a small toad with his summoning technique.

Due to the discomfort of the chakra, his body felt awkward, as if it had rusted. His limbs were not as nimble as they normally would be.

Crack~

The wooden door was directly knocked down, and the sound of fighting simultaneously woke up Tsunade, who was sound asleep on the sofa. Seeing this, she immediately put on her nearly flawless acting skills.

Ah~

A sharp, fearful cry from a girl echoed throughout the room. Thanks to living in the most luxurious hotel here, the soundproofing was surprisingly good.

Water Clone Jutsu

In an instant, several figures appeared in the room. Sesshomaru's face changed immediately, holding his long sword in one hand to fend off the attack while making hand signs with the other.

Bang bang~

After the smoke from the Shadow Clone Jutsu cleared, there appeared on the left a Sesshomaru as thin as a stick, and on the right, an exceedingly fat Sesshomaru. What was most unbearable was that both figures were less than a meter tall.

Seeing this, Sesshomaru's face turned green. Damn it! He could finally understand how Jiraiya felt; the drug was too potent.

Meanwhile, Tsunade, who was hiding on the sofa, was yelling in panic. However, seeing this scene, she was secretly delighted, almost bursting into laughter.

Haha, kid, not just you, even if Jiraiya and Orochimaru were poisoned, they wouldn't be able to casually perform jutsu.

She was also secretly amazed by the large amount of chakra this "kid" had. She knew better than anyone how powerful the after-effects of this drug were; any average ninja would become incapacitated, let alone fight.

Yet this kid could still muster the strength to fight, showing the enormity of his chakra.

The larger the chakra, the stronger the resistance to poison, just like someone with deep internal strength.

In the original story, Jiraiya was so poisoned that he said he couldn't even muster chakra, was completely paralyzed, and didn't even have the strength to throw Kunai. Only with Shizune's help did he barely recover 30% of his fighting ability, showing the potency of the poison.