Chapter:25

"And Sasori, I haven't seen him in a long time," the Third Kazekage said, looking at the boy standing before him. "It's only been two years, but you've grown so much already... and you've even joined the puppet army."

The Kazekage's gaze then shifted toward the only unfamiliar young ninja standing among the group.

"Lord Kazekage, his name is Hiriito," Nanaken spoke up, subtly nudging Hiriito's leg with his foot. "He ranked first place in the puppet unit's selection exam this year!"

Caught off guard, Hiriito quickly straightened and stammered,

"Lord-… Lord Kazekage, my name is Hiriito, and I am eleven years old!"

The Third Kazekage chuckled.

"Oh, I remember now."

He reached out, placing his hand on Hiriito's head, just as he had done with Sasori.

To rank first in the puppet corps selection at such a young age—this was a sign of a future elite jonin.

As Kazekage, he made sure to closely monitor and nurture young prodigies.

It was evident that during his reign, Sunagakure was at its peak.

Not only was the Third Kazekage himself one of the strongest Kage in history, but the village also boasted a generation of powerful shinobi.

The older generation had Chiyo and Ebizo.

The middle generation included Sasori's parents.

The younger generation included Rasa, Pakura, and Karura.

Had it not been for a string of tragedies, Sunagakure might have rivaled Konoha.

But fate had other plans.

White Fang's raid had killed Sasori's parents, disrupting the inheritance of puppet techniques.

Sasori's loss had twisted his mind, leading him to assassinate the Third Kazekage.

Rasa's reign saw him betray Pakura, leading to internal strife.

Karura's death left Gaara without guidance, turning him into a living weapon.

And eventually, Rasa himself was assassinated by Orochimaru.

If Sunagakure's leadership had remained stable, it could have been the strongest ninja village.

Instead, by the time of Naruto's era, it was the weakest of the Five Great Nations.

"Lord Kazekage," Sasori suddenly spoke up.

The Kazekage turned to him.

"What is it, Sasori?"

The boy's expression remained emotionless, but his words carried a hint of something deeper.

"Is White Fang dead?"

The Third Kazekage paused, his smile faltering for the first time.

With a sigh, he forced a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry, Sasori," he said. "White Fang is incredibly strong, and I couldn't kill him.

But with the help of Ishido Jonin, I have severely injured him. Even with Tsunade's medical ninjutsu, he won't be returning to the battlefield anytime soon.

If there's a next time, I will end him."

As if unwilling to see Sasori's disappointment, the Kazekage turned back to the group.

Mission Success?

"As Third Kazekage, I officially declare that the original A-rank mission—capturing the Uchiha—has failed," he announced.

However, he raised a hand before anyone could protest.

"But. This mission was subsumed into a higher-level S-rank mission—ambushing White Fang.

Now that Hatake Sakumo is gravely injured, even with Tsunade, he won't be active in this war for a long time.

Therefore… the mission was a success."

A moment of silence passed.

Then realization hit.

This meant that Hiriito and Sasori, two genin, had just participated in a successful S-rank mission.

This was practically unheard of.

And when the rewards were distributed, they would receive at least twice the payout originally expected.

DC World — Gotham

Inside an abandoned factory, a group of gangsters stood uneasily.

At the front, Hiriito—sat in a chair, one hand resting against his chin, his posture calm and authoritative.

Behind him, the two-meter-tall Black Gold puppet loomed ominously.

And at his feet… was a bloody, pulpy mess—Chidi Cole, the former leader of the Cole Gang.

A hush fell over the thirty-odd criminals gathered in the factory.

"From today onward," Hirito declared, his voice steady, "the Cole Gang is under my control.

Do you have any objections?"

The gangsters looked at each other, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

Then, a bald thug—his gold chain glinting under the dim light—stepped forward, raising a pistol.

"Without that iron suit, you're just a man.

And I can kill you right now."

The thug's finger tightened on the trigger.

Hiriito laughed.

"I like your confidence," he said.

"Your name is…?"

The thug hesitated.

"…Never mind," Hiriito finished.

In a flash, a thin steel nail shot from Hiriito's wrist, embedding itself deep into the man's forehead.

He collapsed instantly.

Hiriito stood up, stepping over the cooling corpse.

"I have no interest in learning the names of dead men."

A beat of silence.

Then, one by one—

"Boss Walter!" a thug shouted.

"Long live Boss Walter!" another chimed in.

"Boss Walter is mighty!"

Their fear had shifted—from uncertainty to absolute submission.

A smirk crossed Hiriito's face.

At the corner of his vision, the luck value on his panel ticked upward.

Leading a faction truly increased luck.

Now, he just had to expand.

The Reality of Gotham's Underworld

One of the gangsters—a man with messy green-dyed hair—stepped forward.

"Boss Walter, we have a problem."

Hiriito crossed his arms.

"Speak."

"Chidi Cole had a brother—Kerman Cole. He's with the Two-Face Gang.

Every month, our Cole Gang had to pay tribute to them for 'protection.'"

Hiriito arched a brow.

"Protection?"

"Yeah," the man nodded. "The big gangs are all connected to Gotham PD.

They pay off the police to keep them off their backs.

And when the cops need an easy win, they just offer up some small-time gangsters as scapegoats.

That's how Gotham really works."

Hiriito leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin.

Connections to Gotham PD…

Now that was interesting.

Time to play the game.

(End of Chapter)