Chapter 158: Saving Kakashi!
By a small creek, two huskies and the ninja hound Pakkun were sprawled on the ground. Their fur was matted in clumps, and they sat paralyzed to the side, panting heavily with their tongues lolling out. Their eyes were filled with exhaustion and terror, clear evidence of having endured a harrowing long-distance escape.
Hatake Kakashi lay stiffly on the ground, his face as pale as paper. His lips were chapped and peeling, completely drained of color.
The scorpion's potent venom was spreading rampantly through his body. It had already reached his waist, the healthy color of his skin encroached upon and shrouded by a patch of bruised black, a shocking sight to behold.
His eyes were shut tight, his brow furrowed, as he sank into a deep state of hazy consciousness.
In a daze, Kakashi seemed to see several familiar figures moving beside him. He mustered all his strength to pry open his leaden eyelids and vaguely made out his student, Uchiha Ren, standing beside him, along with the other members of Team 7.
Kurama Yakumo's pretty face was filled with worry, the rims of her eyes red. Her body trembled slightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
Hyuga Neji was just as worried. Through his unique Byakugan, one could clearly perceive his inner tension and unease. His eyes were filled with anxiety.
Meanwhile, Kurama Unkai was frantically rummaging through his bag, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. After a moment, he hastily pulled out a crumpled map.
Seeing this, Uchiha Ren dashed forward in a single bound and snatched the map. His long fingers moved swiftly across it, his brow knitted as he carefully considered every detail, murmuring to himself, "Our position is on the border of the Land of Rain, adjacent to the Land of Grass, the Land of Birds, and the Land of Wind..."
Rainwater streamed down his hair, dripping onto the map and soaking a small area. He stared intently at it, his mind racing.
"There's no time to return to the Leaf Village. It's too far, and Kakashi-sensei can't wait." Uchiha Ren looked up at the others, his gaze firm yet tinged with helplessness. "We have to find a medical-nin nearby, and they must be highly skilled. Only then is there a chance of neutralizing the scorpion's poison." After speaking, he lowered his head again, his finger tapping lightly on several marked locations.
The Kurama clan elder, Kurama Unkai, asked with a worried frown, "Even if we travel at full speed, we can't make it back to the Leaf Village for treatment in time?"
Uchiha Ren's finger quickly drew two lines on the map as he explained anxiously, "We're roughly here. If we want to return to the Village, it would take several days of travel at least, and we still need to leave time for the medical-nin to prepare the Antidote. By then, Kakashi-sensei will have surely succumbed to the poison. Even a god wouldn't be able to save him!"
Uchiha Ren glanced back at the unconscious Hatake Kakashi. Looking at his teacher's colorless face, he felt a sharp pang in his heart. "It's impossible!"
This sigh seemed to carry an immense weight, echoing in the air by the creek for a long time. Everyone understood that Kakashi-sensei's life was hanging by a thread.
Kurama Unkai's expression was grave. After a moment of thought, he said, "Our relationship with the Land of Rain is delicate, but we aren't exactly enemies. If we conceal the matter with the Hidden Rain ninja and are willing to pay a price... we should be able to find medical assistance, right?"
"Absolutely not! Listen to me, do not go anywhere near the Land of Rain's borders!" Uchiha Ren replied decisively.
If the team didn't have him, someone with Knowledge of the original plot, they might have really started blindly searching the vicinity for a medical-nin to treat Kakashi.
But Uchiha Ren knew full well the dangers of the Land of Rain; he couldn't let his team walk into a trap.
That endless rain wasn't normal weather; it was Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Technique!
It was a super-wide-range sensory ninjutsu, with a coverage that could even rival Enel's Mantra.
The moment Jiraiya stepped into the rain of the Hidden Rain Village, he was detected by Nagato. The sheer absurdity of this technique far surpassed the Leaf Village's sensory barriers.
At this thought, Uchiha Ren raised a hand to wipe the rain from his face. Although the rain right now might just be a normal seasonal phenomenon, he still gazed worriedly at the sky, his heart filled with vigilance.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He hurriedly shouted to Kurama Yakumo, "Yakumo, quick, take out your drawing board and paint a picture of the sky clearing up!"
Hearing this, Kurama Yakumo immediately did as he said. She quickly took out her drawing board, the brush in her hand moving as if by magic, flowing like clouds and water.
Under the miraculous effect of the Kurama clan's Kekkei Genkai, the gloomy sky seemed to have its dark clouds parted by a giant, invisible hand. In an instant, the sun was shining brightly in a cloudless sky!
Hyuga Neji's eyes widened. He stared in utter astonishment at the sudden change, momentarily frozen in place.
Seeing the sky clear, a sliver of hope ignited in Uchiha Ren's heart. He decided to make one last attempt and said to Kurama Yakumo, "Yakumo, try again. Use your genjutsu to restore Kakashi-sensei's body."
Kurama Yakumo took a deep breath and, once again, waved her brush with intense concentration, painting meticulously on the board.
As the brush painted a healthy, rosy color onto Kakashi's face on the canvas, the real Kakashi sharply inhaled!
But not even two seconds later, he passed out again.
Kurama Yakumo suddenly clutched her throbbing forehead, her face full of exhaustion. "My genjutsu power can't alter this kind of reality right now," she said weakly.
Uchiha Ren comforted her softly, "It's alright, you've already done great."
Helpless, he could only refocus his gaze on the map, a look of grim determination in his eyes.
After deep consideration, he made a bold decision.
"Let's go! To the Land of Grass—to the Tenchi Bridge!"
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In the interrogation room, the atmosphere was oppressive.
Cang of the East Sea Team cowered in a corner, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes were filled with panic, like a frightened kitten, helpless and pitiful.
The unemployed Guo Shuang looked at this big star from the East Sea Team with mixed feelings, finding the situation both surreal and fantastic.
They were both in indecent lines of work, yet their incomes were worlds apart. This couldn't help but make Guo Shuang feel a tinge of jealousy.
"So... how much do you get paid per film?" Guo Shuang finally couldn't hold back her curiosity. Her voice sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet interrogation room.
Cang's mouth had been roughly stuffed with a wad of rags and then wrapped with dozens of layers of tape. She could only squeeze out muffled whimpers from her throat.
Guo Shuang held up one finger in a gesture and asked tentatively, "A million per film?" Seeing Cang shake her head vigorously, she raised her voice and guessed again, "Two million?"
"Was that too high... a hundred thousand?"
Still, she shook her head.
After a round of questioning, Guo Shuang clicked her tongue and came to a conclusion. "Huh? Only fifty thousand?" She furrowed her brow and chided with a look of disdain:
"Exposing yourself to so many people for fifty thousand... How are you ever going to go back home and get married?"
Cang lowered her head, her heart filled with bitterness. Not knowing how to respond, she could only nod awkwardly, like a child who had done something wrong.
In another corner of the room, the fat, beer-bellied Hu Yong had remained silent.
At this moment, his gaze was glued to Cang, sizing her up greedily.
The corners of his mouth turned up unconsciously, the greed and desire in his eyes on full display.
In his mind, Cang was a famous figure in the entertainment industry!
Now that she was within reach, the evil thoughts in Hu Yong's heart surged wildly, like a flood about to break its dam.
"Hey, Guo Shuang, why don't you go stand guard downstairs? I'll watch this woman here. Let me tell you, this Japanese girl is cunning! Don't let her fool you! She's a veteran who's been enhanced, don't you ever trust her!"
How could Guo Shuang not understand his hidden meaning? She pursed her lips and replied disdainfully, "Whatever. Do what you want. It's not like I know her."
This blunt response left Hu Yong speechless for a moment, his face flushing red and pale by turns.
He stammered, "W-well, can you leave then? With you here, how am I supposed to..."
Guo Shuang spread her hands and rolled her eyes. "That's not my problem! What? Too shy to do it with someone watching? If you've got the guts for it, why pretend to be decent?"
Provoked by her words, Hu Yong's shame turned to anger. Looking at Cang's pitiful appearance, her winks and gestures seemingly begging for mercy, he couldn't hold back for another second.
He strode impatiently towards Cang, like a puppet driven by desire.
Just then, Guo Shuang reminded him, "I'm telling you this beforehand! That Chu-something said not to get near this woman. If he finds out you did, you'll have to bear the consequences! You'd better think this through!"
Hu Yong was completely worked up now and couldn't care less about this or that. "We're all Newcomers, we should help each other out! Just don't report me later, and we'll be fine! Who's going to find out!"
Guo Shuang shrugged and said no more, but a flicker of excitement passed through her eyes, as if she was looking forward to a good show.
With no one to stop him, Hu Yong strode forward.
He had just walked to about a meter away from Cang when a soft *click* suddenly echoed in the quiet room. It was faint but clear, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, shattering the momentary peace.
Immediately after, Cang seemed to jolt awake from a stupor, realizing the impending doom. Her eyes flew open, and she shook her head desperately!
However, this look of despair only excited Hu Yong further. A twisted, lewd grin spread across his face as he quickened his pace, taking another large step forward!
*BOOM!* A deafening explosion instantly shattered the silence, fire and smoke filling the entire room in a flash!
The force of the blast violently threw Hu Yong's mountain-like body through the air. He slammed hard against the wall before crashing heavily to the floor with a loud *thud*!
Cang suffered as well. Countless pieces of grenade shrapnel shot towards her like raindrops!
In the blink of an eye, they embedded themselves in her flesh. Blood gushed out, quickly soaking her clothes and pooling beneath her feet. It was a gruesome sight.
Guo Shuang had already cleverly hidden under a table.
Now, she peeked her head out. Seeing the half-maimed Hu Yong, her face was filled with smug satisfaction.
She knew exactly what this explosion was about!
When Chu Xuan was setting up the grenades, she had been standing right there watching him