"Go and check on Fujuro's side. I hope the team he's leading can intercept Tsunade."
Ebizo let out a long sigh. Ever since the conclusion of the Second Great Shinobi War, Tsunade had rarely been active on the front lines. Even in the field of medical ninjutsu, she was no longer as proactive as she once was. However, it was predictable that the Sannin of the Second Great Shinobi War were still young then; now that years had passed, their strength had undoubtedly grown.
"We can only head over there first."
Chiyo nodded, her brow furrowed. If they couldn't contain the news of the Third Kazekage's disappearance, then it could only be said that it was heaven's will.
"Is there any news of Sasori?" Ebizo looked at the headscarf-clad Chiyo.
Chiyo was over fifty; her son and daughter-in-law had died young, leaving her only with her most beloved grandson. Normally, she would fulfill any of Sasori's requests, even teaching him highly secret puppet techniques that required significant merit without holding anything back.
Since these were his sister's family matters, Ebizo had never said much. Having been primarily responsible for intelligence and espionage in his youth, he was a keen judge of character. He could feel that after losing his parents, Sasori had already shown signs of something being wrong. Sasori choosing to leave the village at the critical juncture of the Third Kazekage's disappearance, combined with the reactions of the Leaf ninjas, made the outcome quite clear.
Sasori had likely betrayed... the village.
"After this matter, I will no longer involve myself in the affairs of the Hidden Sand."
Chiyo spoke after a long silence. This was her taking responsibility for Sasori. If Sasori had truly used the poisoning techniques and puppet arts she taught him against the Third Kazekage, she would resign from her current position.
"..."
A hint of sorrow flashed in Ebizo's cloudy eyes as he turned to catch up with the team heading to rendezvous with Fujuro. Chiyo looked at the top of the hill, where two deep pits remained from where Kiyoshi had leaped into the air. The eternal wind continued to blow, and the rising dust soon covered all traces.
...
"The rate of chakra consumption is much higher than I thought."
Kiyoshi thought to himself. Currently, he was high in the sky; the pursuing Sand ninjas below had shrunk to the size of ants. The power of a ninjutsu decreases with physical distance; at such a great height, those Wind Style techniques were no different from a gentle breeze against the face.
Kiyoshi carefully manipulated the air currents around his body, trying to keep his chakra consumption balanced with his physical stamina.
[Trait unlocked: Soaring Bird (Green)]
[Requirement: Remain at an altitude of 300 meters or higher for no less than five minutes.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: You have detached from the earth to soar in the sky. The 'Natural Energy' drifting in the atmosphere passes rapidly through your body. Your 'Natural Energy' affinity is increased by 20% on the original basis.]
[Note: Can be upgraded further.]
"Natural Energy?"
Kiyoshi's heart skipped a beat, causing the stable, streamlined vortex to flicker. He quickly stabilized his chakra output, continuing to maintain precise control. Kiyoshi had never expected to gain a Trait that increased Natural Energy affinity.
His current action was a bit of a stretch to be called true flight; it was more accurately described as gliding. However, with [Wind] chakra, Kiyoshi could reduce his rate of descent and glide over long distances.
Sasuke's daughter's three-tomoe Sharingan could directly see "viruses" in the air. Although Kiyoshi had a two-tomoe Sharingan, it was essentially no different from a three-tomoe. Thus, the insight of the Sharingan allowed him to observe the traces of rising thermal currents, letting him continuously borrow force. With these aids, he was able to complete an operation that would seem like a fantasy to others.
"To learn Sage Mode, there have historically been only three paths. Orochimaru later created a shortcut called the [Cursed Bold]."
Kiyoshi analyzed calmly. A 20% increase in Natural Energy affinity would undoubtedly lower the difficulty of learning [Sage Mode] significantly. Sage Mode would be useful even in the later stages of the story; to keep up with the power creep, one had to use physical attacks or Senjutsu. No matter the ninjutsu, once mixed with Senjutsu chakra, its power would increase several times over.
With Kiyoshi's current strength, even if war broke out, he wouldn't be easily killed. Therefore, he had to consider the future. Beyond the Nine-Tails' Rampage and the Uchiha Massacre, there was an even greater crisis before him: the Otsutsuki invasion.
The reason Kaguya was so terrified, constantly having the God Tree drain Natural Energy from the earth and creating White Zetsu, was because she feared those from the heavens. When the Otsutsuki invade a planet, they must come in pairs; the primary reason is for one to serve as a living sacrifice. The Guardian serves as the sacrifice to feed the Ten-Tails seedling, while the Superior is responsible for guarding the God Tree until it bears fruit.
Unfortunately, Kaguya was the Guardian, and Isshiki was the Superior. Kaguya, not wanting to be eaten by the Ten-Tails, chose to ambush Otsutsuki Isshiki. But an ambush wasn't a long-term solution. Once the Otsutsuki clan discovered this, they would come to deal with Kaguya the traitor, recapture the Tailed Beasts, reform the Ten-Tails, plant the God Tree, and drain the planet's chakra and Natural Energy.
Kiyoshi naturally couldn't avoid these Otsutsuki from the heavens. With his presence, it was hard to say if Boruto would even be born. When the time came, only those with the most height could hold up the sky.
"I need to continue making contact with Orochimaru."
Kiyoshi suppressed his stray thoughts. With his Trait panel and Bloodline, through constant effort, he might not necessarily be weaker than these Otsutsuki. Sooner or later, he would turn even Kaguya Otsutsuki into a tool to enhance his ocular power!
"The direction is... that way."
After taking out a compass to identify the direction, Kiyoshi glided rapidly toward the border of the Land of Fire. This was one of the essential items ninjas carried when entering the desert to ensure they didn't lose their way. From afar, it looked as if he truly were flying. At this speed, he was much faster than traveling on foot.
...
Several days later.
Land of Fire Border.
The ninjas responsible for guarding the border noticed a strange cloud of dust rising in the distance.
"Nobuhiko Hyuga, it's up to you."
A Leaf scout said to Nobuhiko Hyuga. The Hyuga clan, possessing the Byakugan, didn't need to learn sensory or scouting ninjutsu; they only needed to train their innate ability. The Byakugan could freely choose between 'X-ray vision' and 'Telescopic vision.'
"Alright."
Veins bulged at the corners of Nobuhiko Hyuga's eyes as he used the Byakugan to see what was happening two kilometers away.
"It's Lady Tsunade! She's fighting Sand ninjas!"
The sight ahead gave Nobuhiko Hyuga a massive fright. Was the Hidden Sand going to declare war on the Leaf? That was Princess Tsunade of the Sannin! Moreover, she was a titan in the Leaf's medical field—an absolutely rare talent. If anything happened to Tsunade, the village could not stand idly by.
"We must go support her immediately!"
The intelligence Nobuhiko provided caused everyone to exchange glances, and they immediately chose to cross into the Land of Wind border to provide support.
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666