Chapter 85

After eating his fill, Su Zhong propped his chin in his hand and began to think.

His battle with Jiraiya had made him understand his own level. The power of the Genki Cannon was enough to deter the petty thieves for now, and he could rest assured and go into seclusion for a while.

Thinking of the sudden appearance of Obito, Su Zhong's brows furrowed again.

As Uchiha Qiu, his identity destined him to be unable to completely extricate himself from the Akatsuki. But he was not afraid; the battle three days ago was just a warning. If Uchiha Obito really dared to provoke him, Su Zhong would give him a big surprise.

Sometimes, knowing more means having an advantage!

Zabuza stood beside him, his eyes fixed on Su Zhong, the enthusiasm in his eyes almost melting Su Zhong.

The Mist Ninja had too many regrets. He had been in the ninja world for many years, wanting to make a name for himself. He wanted to show the Mist Ninja that their actions were wrong. Was there anything more convincing than leading a force comparable to the Mist Ninja?

Su Zhong propped his chin in his hand, his finger tapping the table as he thought quietly.

He naturally saw Zabuza's enthusiasm, but this was not what Su Zhong wanted. Since he had already intimidated the surrounding covetous eyes, Su Zhong's initial goal had been achieved.

He had no intention of dominating the ninja world. Since that was the case, why bother to develop and expand? More people did not necessarily mean it was a good thing.

"Order it: except for teenagers of the right age, stop absorbing wandering ninjas. Conduct a thorough review and cleansing of the current ninjas, and drive out all the spies."

Zabuza's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded in agreement. But Su Zhong's next words instantly made him furious.

"Reduce the scope of activities and focus on development around the Land of Waves. Also, send people into various parts of the Land of Waves to start our own business projects, promoting the economic development of the entire Land of Waves. Try to issue missions within the range of the Land of Waves and no longer accept commissions outside the Land of Waves."

"Why?!" Zabuza couldn't help but ask.

Su Zhong looked at Zabuza coldly, saying nothing. He only withdrew his gaze when he saw Zabuza sweating profusely.

"Zabuza, I put you in charge of the entire organization not to question my decisions, but to execute my orders! Do I need to explain to you what I want to do?!"

Zabuza's neck turned red, and the veins on his forehead bulged, but he ultimately restrained his impulse.

"Increase the intensity of training, raise the reward ceiling, and get the organization's members to improve their personal strength as soon as possible!"

After Su Zhong finished speaking, he waved his hand to dismiss Zabuza and Haku.

They would not know that soon, a battle that would sweep the entire ninja world was about to come.

He did not want to be involved, but it was impossible. To outsiders, he was Uchiha Qiu. Whether it was Uchiha Obito or Sasuke, they were all closely related to him, and he could not escape.

Su Zhong was not a person who avoided reality. Since he could not avoid it, he would face it positively. Moreover, Su Zhong was very interested in Uchiha Madara, a giant in the ninja world.

"If I can fight such a person, I will surely benefit a lot," Su Zhong's eyes sparkled.

Under Su Zhong's orders, the entire organization quickly got to work.

After several rounds of investigation, the people who had infiltrated the organization a while ago were quickly cleared out. Su Zhong did not kill them; he just made them leave the base. This was a signal to the outside world, indicating that Su Zhong did not want to be an enemy of the existing forces.

After that, the organization focused on the development of the Land of Waves and did not get involved in the affairs of the ninja world, which immediately eased the attention of various parties.

Su Zhong's restraint made the surrounding forces breathe a sigh of relief. While remaining vigilant, they did not take extreme measures.

This was exactly what Su Zhong wanted. No one had the courage to break the balance of the situation; they could only watch Su Zhong's rise with disgust. Fortunately, Su Zhong's actions were not significant enough to truly touch their nerves.

The organization infiltrated the Land of Waves and launched various business projects, effectively taking control of the Land of Waves.

This was mainly because the Land of Waves was too weak.

The five great ninja villages were so powerful, why didn't they replace the daimyo? Because the daimyo also had their own power, which could not be replaced at will. Moreover, the ninja villages relied on the daimyo for funding and could not oppose them.

But the Land of Waves was different; it was too small to support ninjas.

Su Zhong was self-sufficient and completely free from the constraints of the Land of Waves.

Kakuzu had already controlled most of the Land of Waves. After Zabuza took over Kakuzu's business, he continued to work hard. By the time Su Zhong formed the organization, they had effectively become the rulers of the Land of Waves.

At this point, Su Zhong entered seclusion again.

After setting the direction for the organization's development, he no longer managed it, leaving everything to Zabuza.

He was still thinking about one question: how to make the Break World Pearl move.

The Genki Cannon was powerful, but Su Zhong did not take it too seriously. Its main principle was borrowed from the Tsuchigumo clan's forbidden technique. Using his own genki as a catalyst, it absorbed natural energy and then exploded in one go.

This was the principle of the Genki Cannon.

The original forbidden technique did not have this power and was slow to activate. But genki was very versatile, with a strong affinity for natural energy. The runes had also been improved by Su Zhong, resulting in the powerful Genki Cannon.

However, it was essentially just a technique, a method of mobilizing and using external forces. It did not significantly improve Su Zhong's fundamental strength.

Therefore, during his seclusion, Su Zhong only spent a small part of his time improving the Genki Cannon and Black Moon. Most of his time was spent on training to increase his genki concentration.

This was the only thing he could do now.

After Su Zhong entered seclusion, the Akatsuki, due to internal issues, also became quiet, entering a period of self-adjustment.

The major ninja villages also maintained restraint, preserving the fragile balance of the ninja world.

...

Two years passed quickly.

Su Zhong was still training in the dense forest, which had changed significantly.

In the center, a large artificial lake had appeared. This place was a crater created by the Genki Cannon during his battle with Jiraiya, which gradually formed as rainwater accumulated.

Su Zhong, needing it for his training, expanded and reinforced it, guiding streams and rivers to flow in, accelerating its formation. By now, it had developed a preliminary ecosystem, with many creatures living in the water.

On the lakeside, ten young men and women stood in an arc. Each was forming hand seals, their foreheads sweating, and their bodies trembling, clearly struggling to maintain the seals.

Haku stood in front of the ten, his hands clasped together. Compared to the others, he was in much better shape, though his face was slightly red and he was a bit out of breath. He stared intently at the lake, not daring to be careless.

The lake water near the shore was crystal clear and snow white, all frozen by his Ice Release.

Over the past two years, his strength had improved dramatically. If he used his full power, he could freeze the entire artificial lake! But to ensure the power was concentrated enough, he only froze the lake water within ten meters in front of him. The force trying to break free from the ice still made it difficult for him to maintain the seals.

"The master's strength has improved again!" Haku marveled.

On the ice surface, spider-web-like rune lines were spread, which were the seals created by the ten young men and women behind him.

If it weren't for these seals reinforcing the ice, the ice layer would have already exploded!

"Hold on, pay attention to the chakra flow rate, and maintain stability!" Haku reminded the ten behind him loudly.

"Lord Haku, it's too much, the force is too strong..."

"I can't hold on..."

Before they could finish speaking, there was a loud bang, and a crack appeared on the slightly rippling ice surface.

A figure emerged from the hole, leaped a few times, and landed on the shore.

Dressed in black, wearing black gloves, with hair standing up like steel needles, and a cold, ordinary face.

Haku knelt on one knee: "Master!"

The ten behind him tried to bow, but due to exhaustion, they all fell to the ground.

Su Zhong gestured for Haku to stand up, turned to look at the ice surface behind him, and walked towards the base.

"That's enough for today."

Haku nodded in agreement.

After Su Zhong left, Haku looked at the half-meter-wide hole in the ice, his face full of shock.

"Two years ago, the master needed to use his full strength to break the ice barrier. Now, he can create a passage just wide enough for one person in the large ice block! The master's strength is not only greater, but his control over it has reached an unimaginable level!"

Haku suppressed his shock, turned to look at the ten young men and women sprawled on the ground, and smiled gently.

"You all always boast about how strong you are, but now you're exhausted after just a little effort. Don't talk big in front of me in the future."

Haku smiled and teased the young men and women, who were not angry but blushed in embarrassment.

"It's not that our seals are weak, it's that the master is too strong!"

A chubby boy said boldly, and the others nodded in agreement.

Haku shook his head, not overly scolding them. These young men and women were talented, and although they were young, their seal techniques were highly skilled. As the chubby boy said, it was not that they were weak, but that Su Zhong's strength had improved too quickly.

"Alright, don't make excuses. Double your training load when you return."

The dense forest immediately echoed with the cries of the young men and women.

Su Zhong's face was solemn as he walked into the base.

Two years had passed, and the base's appearance had not changed much. It had lost some novelty but gained more security personnel.

People along the way bowed to Su Zhong. Over the past two years, he had encountered multiple crises and resolved them with his formidable strength, solidifying his already high status.

Everyone knew that it was because of such a powerful person that they had stability and could get what they wanted.

But Su Zhong did not have what he wanted.

Two years of continuous training, the Break World Pearl remained unmoved. Su Zhong's frown had never eased, and his face had become increasingly stern.

As he approached the door, he saw Zabuza waiting.

Su Zhong's expression changed slightly. He was focused on training, and Zabuza would not dare to disturb him unless something major had happened.

Did something happen?