"You son of a b**ch!" shouted the middle-aged rogue ninja, charging at Ye Liang alone.
"I suggest you all attack together. It'll save me the trouble of dealing with you one by one."
"Don't talk nonsense! Experience the sword techniques of Sunagakure Village!" The middle-aged rogue ninja drew his katana and slashed at Ye Liang. His speed was decent, at least by ordinary standards.
Ye Liang shook his head.
He vanished in a blur and dodged the first strike. Another blur, and he evaded a deadly blow!
"You've got nothing on me! At this speed, you can't even touch my toe!"
The middle-aged rogue ninja became furious!
His katana swirled like a phantom gust of wind, resembling the Illusory Sword Dance technique!
"You've lost focus. When your mind wanders, so does your sword." Facing these wild slashes, Ye Liang slowly extended his hand and caught the blade in his grip, then exerted force to snap it.
With a clang, the sturdy little katana was snapped by Ye Liang's [Heavenly Mountain Palm Reverse Pluck]!
"I told you, attack all together. Don't keep me waiting."
The middle-aged rogue took a step back, his face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly waved his hand, and over a dozen rogue ninja rushed forward!
"Kill this guy! For Master Sasori!" the rogue ninjas roared as they drew their weapons.
"Now that's more like it! I've been telling you to attack together all along!"
"Pretentious bastard!"
The middle-aged rogue ninja's expression darkened. He waved his hand again. From the surrounding desert, over a dozen iron mechanical puppets emerged.
"More Puppet Techniques, huh? Unfortunately, they won't be effective." Ye Liang dodged the rogue ninjas' attacks with a few quick movements, then pulled out several shuriken from his pocket and hurled them at the puppets.
KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!
A series of explosions erupted around the puppets. Each shuriken Ye Liang threw triggered an explosion comparable to an Explosive Tag!
He had infused the shuriken with Fire-type chakra.
Fire-type chakra was inherently volatile, and when forced into the shuriken, it naturally triggered a resonance.
Seeing the puppets destroyed, the middle-aged rogue panicked. Just as he turned to flee, he felt a sharp pain in his neck—he had been lifted off the ground.
"Since you've come all this way, you really think you can just leave?" Ye Liang said coldly.
At that moment, Temari finally arrived from a distance.
"Master Ye Liang, please show mercy! This is my uncle Genyu!"
"Genyu?"
Ye Liang dropped the rogue to the ground and studied the older man's face. He didn't recognize him at all—this character must not have appeared in the original canon.
"You're certain he's your uncle?"
"Yes. He's my father's younger brother, but unfortunately he eventually chose the wrong path." A hint of sorrow crossed Temari's face.
Ye Liang tossed Genyu to the ground and left him to Temari's judgment.
At that moment, the middle-aged man suddenly lunged upward, grabbing Temari's throat and turning toward Ye Liang! "Let me go, or this girl's life is forfeit!"
"Seeking death!"
Ye Liang was taken aback.
He was about to strike when suddenly Temari shouted loudly, "Uncle Genyu, what are you doing?! How could you do this!"
"Hmph! You stinking brat, don't think I don't know the truth—you've all secretly chosen Gaara to be the next Kazekage, haven't you!"
"Uncle, my younger brother becoming the Kazekage was the Elder Council's unanimous decision. Besides, you yourself agreed back then."
"Hmph! All because of that old hag Granny Chiyo forced us!"
The middle-aged rogue ninja grabbed Temari by the neck and fled into the distance.
"Don't follow me, or I'll end her little life!"
Ye Liang stood silently watching.
He had plenty of ways to resolve this crisis, but he was waiting!
Waiting for an opportunity.
"Uncle Genyu, give up! You absolutely cannot defeat Lord Ye Liang."
"Hmph! He's just that demon woman's companion! Just wait for Lord Sasori to arrive for reinforcements, and everything will be resolved easily!" The middle-aged rogue ninja continued moving farther away.
Gradually, Ye Liang could no longer see him.
[Ninjutsu - Shadow Clone Technique!]
The opportunity had arrived.
Saving Temari right under Genyu's nose would be tough, but if he caught him off guard, he'd have a shot! Ye Liang quickly caught up to Genyu. At this moment, Genyu couldn't see Ye Liang at all, and simply dragged Temari forward.
"Little girl, you've done me a big favor, but now it's time for you to die!" He tightened his grip on her neck, and Temari's face immediately turned bright red.
Soon, she began to suffocate.
"Uncle... Genyu!"
Suddenly,
Genyu's strength abruptly ceased. An unprecedented pleasant sensation surged in Temari's heart. She tore free from his grip and gasped for air violently.
After she recovered from the shock, she turned her head around.
Genyu was dead!
Eyes bulging, face ashen.
He was choked to death—ironically, just like he had tried to choke Temari—by Ye Liang!
"Feeling better now?" Ye Liang stood beside Temari, expressionless. Temari's face darkened subtly.
After a while, she recovered from the shock.
"Thank you, Lord Ye Liang."
"No problem. I was staying at your place anyway—saving your life is just paying back a debt."
A blush spread across Temari's face.
After settling matters at the scene, the two returned to the house.
The incident with the rogue ninja had already been reported to Sunagakure. Sunagakure seemed to take it seriously, as Granny Chiyo herself had personally come to handle it. However, upon learning that Ye Liang had saved Temari, she did not attempt to arrest Ye Liang. Of course, she wouldn't have succeeded even if she'd tried.
Inside the house, Kaguya Hime was still asleep. Ye Liang pulled the covers over her properly, then squatted by the windowsill.
The day's events had been nothing too out of the ordinary.
Although it involved the usual—fending off enemies and dealing with threats—it had genuinely been a relaxing day compared to Ye Liang's usual ones. Temari, however, seemed slightly off.
Seeing a rogue ninja corpse in her own room, she repeatedly apologized to Ye Liang, swearing to guard Kaguya-sama carefully and ensure such an incident would never happen again.
Ye Liang looked at the sleeping Kaguya, lost in deep thought.
The Kaguya Clan had arrived earlier than he'd expected!
Now Kaguya was injured, and the Naruto world was so chaotic! If the Kaguya Clan truly decided to destroy Earth one day, would this Earth really be able to fight back?
He thought back to Fake Ye Liang.
Back then, Fake Ye Liang had tried to transform the entire world to resist the Kaguya Clan! At the time, it had seemed utterly absurd, but now he was starting to understand.
If the world is destroyed, it can be reborn.
But if he, Ye Liang, were wiped out by the Kaguya Clan, then everything would truly be over.
"Hehe, maybe I'm wrong, and Fake Ye Liang was actually right."
He smiled, neither confirming nor denying, then recalled Temari's words from earlier that day.
Asking if he wanted to take Gaara as a disciple?
"Perhaps... there's another way! When everyone in the world reaches Kage-level strength, we might just stand a chance against the Kaguya Clan!"
Ye Liang's eyes sharpened, suddenly brimming with energy. "It's time the Chosen One stepped up and played his role!"
The next day,
Ye Liang assisted Kaguya with her breakfast, then followed Temari toward the courtyard of Sunagakure.
Gaara was already waiting for him there!
His red hair flowing, with the character 'Ai' tattooed on his forehead, he looked like a melodramatic anime character. Yet, this very boy was destined to become the Leader of a great village.
Looking at Temari, Ye Liang said, "I won't teach him world-shaking Ninjutsu, but I will make him the Kazekage—a worthy, capable Kazekage!"
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