As for Kumogakure, Black Zetsu had no intention of concerning himself with its affairs.
Right now, his attention was focused entirely on Iwagakure.
Due to the chaos caused by White Zetsu, the research on the Rinnegan had been temporarily halted.
But once things settled, the research would undoubtedly resume.
Ōnoki was not the type to give up so easily.
Just like the Third Raikage, he wasn't about to relinquish his pursuit of the Rinnegan's power.
And that was exactly what Black Zetsu wanted.
After confirming that the Rinnegan wasn't in Iwagakure, he ordered White Zetsu to continue searching within the Land of Earth while keeping a close watch on the village.
He was certain that once things calmed down, Ōnoki would send someone to retrieve the Rinnegan from its hidden location.
All Black Zetsu had to do was monitor anyone leaving Iwagakure and follow the clues.
Ōnoki remained oblivious to the fact that he was giving Black Zetsu the perfect opportunity to get closer to the Rinnegan.
But that was Iwagakure's problem, not Takuya's.
At that moment, Takuya, along with Pakura and Kushina, was traveling to Kumogakure alongside the Third Raikage.
Surprisingly, the Raikage had come alone—without any guards or escorts.
"Raikage-ossan, you don't bring bodyguards when traveling?"
The Third Raikage maintained a warm and approachable demeanor, even casually chatting with Kushina.
Slowly but surely, her initial embarrassment faded, and she became more comfortable around him.
And just like that, she started calling him Raikage-ossan.
The Third Raikage's charisma was undeniable. His strong yet amicable personality, along with his deliberate efforts to show goodwill, allowed Kushina to completely relax around him.
From what she knew, leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—and even smaller villages—always traveled with a team of bodyguards.
But the Third Raikage had arrived in Iwagakure all on his own, which seemed strange.
Hearing her question, the Third Raikage chuckled.
"It's faster when I travel alone. I can't afford to waste too much time outside the village."
Yeah, right. Like hell I believe that.
Why do all these old guys love to bluff so much?
Noticing that Kushina was nodding along, Takuya's forehead twitched. He decided to correct her.
"Don't believe this old man's nonsense. He's known throughout the shinobi world as both the strongest shield and the strongest spear. Traveling alone is actually more convenient for him. If he brought bodyguards, they'd probably slow him down—and if a fight broke out, they'd just be dead weight."
"For real?"
Kushina's bright red eyes widened in shock.
She had heard stories about the Third Raikage, but this was her first time seeing him in person.
Yet, he didn't give off the vibe of a powerhouse at all.
Instead, he just felt like a friendly neighbor.
It was hard to imagine someone like that being one of the strongest shinobi in the world.
But what really convinced her was the fact that Takuya had acknowledged his strength.
Takuya was a proud person.
Even though he was lazy, he rarely praised others—especially when it came to strength.
The fact that he recognized the Third Raikage as strong meant a lot.
"Yeah, he's really strong. The Raikage is probably the strongest shinobi in the world—at least, on the surface," Pakura added seriously.
The strongest in the world?
"Stronger than you?"
Kushina immediately turned to Takuya.
To her, the strongest shinobi should be him, not anyone else.
Unsurprisingly, she had completely ignored the key phrase in Pakura's words—on the surface.
The Third Raikage was pleased to hear their assessment.
He knew that Takuya rarely acknowledged others' strength.
Even his longtime rival, Ōnoki, had never received such praise.
"Strongest? Not quite," the Raikage said humbly.
However, his eyes gleamed with battle intent as he looked at Takuya.
"If I had the chance, I would love to fight you. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a good opportunity."
"Beat Kushina first, then we'll talk."
Takuya smirked.
Giving a little praise was one thing, but when it came to actual strength, he wasn't about to just concede.
He represented Konoha, after all.
Takuya fully acknowledged the Third Raikage's strength.
But if the Raikage thought he could challenge him just like that? Yeah, not happening.
He'd have to get past Kushina first.
What? Is this a joke?
The Third Raikage studied Takuya for a moment before arriving at a conclusion.
Takuya wasn't just saying this to be arrogant—he genuinely believed what he said.
Which meant that Kushina's strength had likely been underestimated.
Wait… am I really that strong?
Kushina was stunned.
This was the first time she had heard such an assessment of herself.
She had no idea just how powerful she actually was.
Takuya, however, was simply stating the facts.
"Your advantage lies in the Nine-Tails, though you lack experience in real combat. But with the Nine-Tails supporting you, that weakness is covered. If the Raikage fought you, he'd get worn down before he could win."
The Third Raikage was famous for his battle against the Eight-Tails—he had fought the beast to a standstill.
That feat alone was enough to make him one of the strongest shinobi in history.
But in the end, the Eight-Tails wasn't as strong as the Nine-Tails.
And with a perfect jinchūriki like Kushina, the outcome of such a fight was already predictable.
The Raikage's defense was too high, meaning the only way to defeat him was through attrition.
And Takuya had no doubt that Kushina and the Nine-Tails could outlast him.
Sure, the Tailed Beast Bomb could inflict serious damage, but hitting the Raikage with it was another story.
The strongest shield and the strongest spear aside, the Third Raikage had another terrifying trait—his raw speed.
It was an ability that many people overlooked.
Just like how people focused too much on Takuya's Sharingan and forgot about his other abilities.
"Hahaha! Sounds like a fun challenge!"
The Third Raikage wasn't offended.
On the contrary, he was excited.
The idea of fighting Kushina intrigued him. He wanted to test just how strong she really was.
In his eyes, reputation wasn't earned through words—it was earned through battle.
"Whoa!!!"
As they traveled through the Land of Lightning, Kushina couldn't stop exclaiming in awe.
The region's unique landscape, particularly the towering mountains and frequent lightning storms, was unlike anything she had ever seen in Konoha.
Even Pakura was visibly impressed.
She had been to the Land of Lightning before, but only for missions.
She had never taken the time to appreciate the scenery.
Takuya, however, remained completely unfazed—like he had seen it all before.
Noticing this, the Third Raikage raised an eyebrow.
"You've been here before, Takuya?"
"A few times," Takuya admitted casually.
"For some missions. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I always kept a low profile. I even snuck into Kumogakure once."
"..."
What the hell?!
The Third Raikage's smile froze.
This was not something he wanted to hear.
A shinobi from another village had infiltrated Kumogakure… and they had never even noticed?
This meant there were probably still Konoha spies hiding within his village.
Clearly, once the current threats were dealt with, it was time for a thorough investigation.
He needed to weed out any infiltrators.
The last thing he wanted was for Kumogakure to become a sieve full of holes.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING