RWWOKS Chapter 120

By the time Fang Bo finished absorbing his newfound knowledge, Chiyo had already reclined back into her rocking chair.

It seemed that the side quest storyline had reached its conclusion here.

What would happen next, including whether the Konoha Crush Plan would succeed or fail, was of no concern to Chiyo, who was now just a retired elder.

Instead of worrying about such matters, she’d rather spend her time fishing or pretending to be dead to frighten her silly younger brother.

“Oh, right, I could pretend to be killed by a shuriken later. Ebizō would definitely fall for it.”

Before she could put her plan into action, an eerie sensation suddenly caught her attention.

Slowly lifting her head, she saw the young man standing opposite her, holding a coin that emanated a mysterious aura.

The coin floated quietly above his palm, radiating an enigmatic energy that flowed like water. Just one glance made Chiyo feel as if she was trapped in the cage of fate.

She saw flashes of her life: the vigor of her youth, the grief of losing her son, and the powerlessness of her grandson’s disappearance. It was as if her past failures were laid bare before her.

In that fleeting moment, Chiyo felt something—something she had always longed to find. It seemed to be hidden within that coin.

Before she could examine it further, Fang Bo closed his hand, concealing the light of the Coin of Fate within his palm.

“From the moment I was born, I’ve been able to gaze directly at destiny. No one can deceive the eyes of fate,” he lied with an utterly straight face.

At that moment, Fang Bo resembled a health supplement salesman trying to convince an elderly woman to buy his product.

And Chiyo was falling for it. That mysterious sensation wasn’t something that could be faked, but she still didn’t understand what this young man was trying to convey.

Just as she was about to inquire further, his next words caused her expression to completely unravel.

“Not long ago, I observed that the Kazekage’s fate had reached its end,” Fang Bo continued his deception.

“Fate… reaching its end?!” Chiyo was struggling to comprehend.

Seeing this, Fang Bo decided to be straightforward.

“The Kazekage is dead. The trajectory of fate never lies.”

Hearing this absurd statement, Chiyo thought she would scoff, but somehow, it didn’t feel so absurd after all.

Despite how outlandish it sounded, she could read the seriousness in his eyes.

This young man was dead serious.

Recalling her last encounter with the Kazekage, Chiyo’s eyes narrowed, and she tentatively asked, “Then tell me, who is the Kazekage now?”

In response, Fang Bo shook his head and said softly, “Lady Chiyo, that’s something you need to verify yourself.”

She knew he was right. Calm and composed, Chiyo understood that a mere genin had no authority to question the Kazekage.

If anyone needed to investigate, it had to be her, but this was no small matter. She’d need to wait for Ebizō to return before making any decisions.

As for whether this boy was lying…

Chiyo wasn’t senile. She knew that without absolute certainty, he wouldn’t dare fabricate such an accusation against the leader of Sunagakure.

In fact, proving the Kazekage’s identity was relatively simple—an in-depth examination would only take a few minutes, and surely Rasa wouldn’t refuse.

If it turned out to be a lie, this boy wouldn’t be able to escape the consequences.

But if what he said was true…

The thought made Chiyo’s scalp tingle with anxiety, fearing the situation might take the worst possible turn.

“This matter is of utmost importance. I need to wait for Ebizō to return before I can make a decision,” she said gravely.

“Of course, that’s the right thing to do.”

They exchanged glances, and then each found a seat. The carefree Chiyo from earlier was gone, and even her beloved rocking chair seemed uncomfortable now.

As for Fang Bo, he wasn’t the least bit worried.

As long as someone believed him, Orochimaru’s true identity would undoubtedly be exposed.

There would be no need for a thorough examination; just using Magnet Release would reveal the truth.

A Kazekage who couldn’t use Magnet Release? Even a fool would know something was wrong.

Exposing Orochimaru would be easy; the real challenge was ensuring that Sunagakure and Otogakure would continue to cooperate.

No matter how one looked at it, Orochimaru and Otogakure were indispensable allies for Sunagakure.

It would be impossible to cause chaos in Konoha without the assistance of such powerful figures.

The main problem was finding a way to convince these two advisors to abandon any thoughts of revenge.

The interests of the village alone might not be enough; he’d need to offer something more substantial.

Gazing at the Coin of Fate in his hand, an idea began to take shape in Fang Bo’s mind.

“Looks like I’ll have to rely on the name of fate once more.”

Truthfully, he was eager to test this little trinket and see if it was as miraculous as described.

But since the coin was so rare, Fang Bo couldn’t bear to use it on mere experiments.

After some time, Ebizō finally arrived, shuffling into the room.

The moment he saw his sister’s grave expression, he knew something serious had happened.

A while later…

“I see,” Sunagakure’s strategist nodded and turned to the silent young puppet master. “I’m curious, how do you suggest we verify the Kazekage’s identity?”

Raising his head, Fang Bo locked eyes with the man’s wise gaze, knowing full well that the shrewd elder didn’t trust him yet.

As a symbol of Sunagakure’s wisdom, Ebizō certainly knew how to confirm the Kazekage’s identity.

His question was simply a test, an attempt to discern Fang Bo’s true intentions.

But Fang Bo had no intention of dancing to their tune.

“Verifying it would be easy. What you should be more concerned about is another matter.”

“And what is that?” Chiyo asked, puzzled.

“Anyone capable of silently assassinating the Kazekage and then boldly taking his place must possess terrifying strength,” Fang Bo replied.

In other words, unmasking the imposter would be the easy part; capturing him would be the real challenge.

They needed to be cautious, or they could end up sacrificing their lives if they pushed Orochimaru too far.

If Orochimaru decided to use his Impure World Reincarnation technique, Fang Bo doubted anyone in Sunagakure could handle the revived Senju brothers.

Seeing the advisors deep in thought, Fang Bo knew he had successfully convinced them, but he wasn’t done yet. He needed to continue playing the role of a mysterious seer.

“I understand you both harbor doubts about my claims, but my ability to see through fate is genuine.”

Turning to Chiyo, he added, “For example, I can clearly sense that your loved one is still alive.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Chiyo kicked her rocking chair aside and grabbed Fang Bo’s shoulders. “You mean… Sasori is still alive?!”

“Yes, I’m certain of it.”

Gesturing for her to let go, Fang Bo waited until the old woman calmed down before continuing, “I can help you find Sasori, but I will need another person’s assistance.”

“Who?”

After hearing Fang Bo’s explanation, both elderly advisors were left in stunned silence.

They had received one shocking revelation after another tonight, so there was little left that could surprise them anymore.

Whether it would work or not, the answer would soon be revealed.

“Alright, I’ll believe you for now. We’ll head to the Kazekage’s residence immediately,” Chiyo declared decisively and took the lead, striding out swiftly.

Seeing this, Fang Bo followed at a leisurely pace, maintaining his mysterious, half-smiling, half-serious expression.

Ebizō had a lot he wanted to say, but after hearing about Sasori, his sister was no longer her calm self.

Helpless, he could only observe the situation unfold.

Like Chiyo, Ebizō was also inclined to believe Fang Bo. After all, he couldn’t see any motive for the young man to lie.

However, his trust was limited. Until he could ascertain Fang Bo’s true intentions, Ebizō would remain cautious.

Fang Bo understood this well, but he wasn’t concerned about the old man’s thoughts at the moment.

Right after he made his earlier claim, the Space had given him a familiar notification: he had triggered his first hidden mission in this world.

[ID 14552 has triggered a Hidden Mission: Sasori of the Red Sand]

[Mission Overview: Chiyo has learned that her grandson is still alive. As the source of this information, you need to prove that you’re not a fraud.]

[Mission Objective: Capture Sasori of the Red Sand]

[Hint: You might start by investigating the custom-made puppets circulating in the black market.]

For an artist, aside from eternal life, what’s the most important thing?

The answer was simple: money. Without money, Sasori wouldn’t be able to continue crafting human puppets, let alone maintain them properly.

Thus, investigating the underground black market was bound to yield some clues.

However, Fang Bo didn’t plan to go through that much trouble—he had a better way to find Sasori.

He had done everything he could for now; what happened next depended on how Orochimaru chose to act.

Inside the luxurious mansion, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, warmly welcomed his guests.

Fang Bo had to admit, Orochimaru’s disguise technique was truly exceptional. He had scrutinized him for quite a while and couldn’t spot even a hint of deception.

“Perhaps it’s because he’s changed bodies so many times,” Fang Bo mused.

“If he can switch between genders, playing the role of someone of the same gender must be a piece of cake.”

He couldn’t help but wonder: would Orochimaru, when using a female body, experience a menstrual cycle?

If that were the case…

An array of bizarre images flashed through his mind, and Fang Bo’s expression grew horrified.

Meanwhile, Chiyo got straight to the point.

“We’ve come here at this young man’s request. Kazekage, we’d like you to demonstrate your ability to refine gold on the spot. You don’t need to produce much.”

“Oh?” The Kazekage turned his gaze toward Fang Bo, examining him thoroughly before saying, “This must be a student preparing to participate in the Chūnin Exams. I see you haven’t even received a village forehead protector yet.”

The Kazekage’s attitude was warm, with no hint of pretense, causing Chiyo and Ebizō to feel uncertain.

Seeing this, Fang Bo decided it was time to cut to the chase.

He took out the Coin of Fate once more and, looking through its shimmering light, stared at the man before him. “Fate has shown me that Lord Rasa was brutally murdered by you. Judging by your threads of destiny, you’re most likely a shinobi from Konoha.”

His subjective statement wasn’t enough to fully convince the two advisors, but seeing that the Kazekage was reluctant to demonstrate his ability, Chiyo’s hand moved to the scroll at her waist.

If anything went wrong, she would immediately deploy her puppets to fight.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, whose identity had just been laid bare, could no longer maintain his facade of a smile.

He really couldn’t use Magnet Release, and there was no way he could bluff his way through this.

Being unmasked wasn’t the issue; he just couldn’t fathom why a brat who claimed to see through fate would suddenly emerge.

“Hehehe, Sunagakure truly has some remarkable talents,” Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, peeling off the human skin mask from his face.

As someone who had fought him before, Chiyo instantly recognized the imposter’s true identity.

“Orochimaru, it really is you.” The old woman unrolled her scroll, her eyes brimming with murderous intent. “Tell me, is this part of Konoha’s scheme?”

“Konoha?”

Orochimaru let out a laugh that no outsider could comprehend.

“I ceased to be a part of Konoha a long time ago.”

(End of Chapter)

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