Chapter 251: Reunion
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
On this particular afternoon—
At a magma convergence site, Baishi had just completed his routine advancement of Absolute Adaptation when he suddenly received an emergency signal from Moonlight Hayate.
Yes—Moonlight Hayate.
Although Baishi had previously sent him out to draw the attention of Konoha and other interested parties, Hayate survived thanks to his strong abilities.
Afterward, Baishi reassigned him—this time to search for other high-temperature environments suitable for his training.
Ever since Absolute Adaptation had formed by merging High-Temperature Resistance with other abilities, ordinary magma environments could no longer accelerate its growth.
To address this, Baishi initially relied on Ice Release, creating low-temperature zones to stimulate advancement.
But compared to cold, heat was far easier to generate.
So, he developed Lava Release and worked tirelessly to upgrade it.
By the time Ice Release reached its limit, Lava Release seamlessly took over.
However, maximizing efficiency posed another challenge.
While Baishi's advanced Lava Release could indeed create extreme heat, the chakra cost was unsustainable.
After careful consideration, he once again turned to natural magma sources.
The benefits were undeniable:
1. Magma is naturally underground, making modified sites well-hidden.
2. Pre-existing heat reduces chakra consumption, freeing energy for evolution.
This strategy boosted his growth rate while maintaining secrecy.
The only downside?
Altering magma flow disrupted natural cycles, causing each training site to eventually collapse.
Though Baishi always left before disaster struck, proactive preparation was essential.
Thus—Hayate and the elite Iwa-nin he had captured were tasked with scouting new locations.
Now, with Hayate's emergency alert, Baishi immediately sensed trouble.
"Someone else is searching for active magma zones?"
Baishi's brows furrowed.
He never believed in coincidences, especially when it came to seemingly trivial matters like this.
And clearly—neither did Hayate, or he wouldn't have sent an urgent signal.
"Looks like I need to investigate…"
After brief contemplation, Baishi made his decision.
But he didn't rush out immediately.
After hours of training, his chakra had dipped into the warning zone.
While still far superior to ordinary shinobi, he refused to take risks.
"Best to restore my chakra first."
With that thought, Baishi activated Energy Absorption, drawing on the massive reserves of his five tailed beasts.
Within moments, their chakra transformed into his own, filling his core to the brim.
Satisfied, he raised his right hand, pouring chakra into his Space Ring, activating its Flying Thunder God: Guiding Bolt seal.
This created a tiny spatial rift close to his body.
Immediately—dense natural energy surged forth, like birds returning to their nests.
But before it could spread, Baishi's body became a vortex, sucking in the energy at incredible speed.
This continued for over ten seconds.
As the silver Sage mask appeared on his face, Baishi closed the rift.
Stretching his limbs, he felt power surging through his body.
"Perfect."
Without further delay—
He locked onto Hayate's location and teleported away using Flying Thunder God.
---
Three Jumps Later…
Baishi reappeared, now less than 100 kilometers from Hayate.
"One more jump."
Muttering to himself, he teleported again.
In an instant—
He emerged directly behind Hayate.
Clang!
The sharp ring of metal echoed as Baishi calmly caught a kunai—
Pinched between his index and middle fingers.
The kunai tip pointed directly at his carotid artery—
While the handle rested in Hayate's grip.
"Relax—it's me."
Recognizing Baishi's voice, Hayate froze, his follow-up strike halted mid-motion.
"Baishi-sama!"
He immediately turned, bowing respectfully.
"Hmm."
Baishi nodded slightly.
Without wasting time, he asked bluntly:
"Explain everything. What exactly happened?"
"Yes, sir. Yesterday…**"
Over the next fifteen minutes, Hayate detailed everything he had observed.
His task? Scouting volcanic zones.
Everything had gone smoothly—until yesterday.
"I encountered… a strange individual."
"Strange?"
"Yes, Baishi-sama."
After a moment's hesitation, Hayate continued—
"The man's entire body was white—almost like an Albino. He wore no clothing. And his techniques…"
"What about his techniques?"
Baishi's expression sharpened.
Though surprised by Baishi's urgency, Hayate answered truthfully:
"They resembled… Wood Release."
---
Baishi's Eyes Narrowed.
Wood Release? White body?
There was only one explanation.
"Zetsu…"
The Akatsuki's enigmatic scout, a creation of Madara Uchiha, infused with Hashirama's cells.
Zetsu's presence meant one thing—
Someone powerful was closing in.
"Akatsuki… or Orochimaru?"
Baishi's mind raced.
Orochimaru had always been obsessed with secrets and bloodlines.
Zetsu, on the other hand, operated under Tobi's orders.
And Tobi was nothing if not patient and calculating.
If Zetsu was scouting magma zones, it meant they had connected the dots.
Baishi's sanctuary had been compromised.
"It seems my time here is up."
Looking at Hayate, Baishi calmly issued new orders.
"Hayate, your mission changes. Abandon all current tasks."
"Find and track this 'white man.' Do not engage. Report back immediately."
"Understood, Baishi-sama!"
With a swift bow, Hayate vanished into the forest.
Alone, Baishi pondered his next move.
Zetsu's appearance changed everything.
It was time to move his operations deeper underground—both literally and figuratively.
"I'll need a new base… somewhere they'd never expect."
With that thought, Baishi activated Flying Thunder God once more—
And disappeared into the shadows.