Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

Sand Village.

The desolate landscape of the Sand Village was now shrouded in an additional layer of sorrow and despair.

When the surrounding Sand Shinobi noticed someone approaching, they instinctively gripped their weapons in anger. But upon seeing the visitor's Konoha forehead protector, their aggression turned into hesitation, and eventually, they sank back into their somber mood.

The sight puzzled Natsuro. Why are they wallowing in sadness here instead of focusing on rescuing Gaara?

"It's you?!" Baki exclaimed in surprise as he spotted Natsuro standing at the village entrance.

"Yeah, it's me. Is there a problem?" Natsuro replied casually.

"N-no…" Baki quickly composed himself, scanning behind Natsuro. After confirming that Natsuro was alone, he asked hesitantly, "Are you the only one? The enemy this time is extremely formidable."

"Yes, it's just me for now," Natsuro replied. "As you probably know, the recent Mōryō incident has occupied most of Konoha's forces. We don't have many people to spare at the moment."

"I see…" Baki said, nodding. He was indeed aware of the situation. The Sand Village had also sent a token force to assist with the Mōryō crisis, but since the location was far from the Sand Village, they hadn't mobilized as extensively as Konoha had.

In truth, few nations truly believed that Mōryō had the power to destroy the world.

"What's the current situation?" Natsuro asked as he followed Baki into the village.

Baki didn't hold back, given that the matter involved their Kazekage. He began to explain.

After Jiraiya had informed the villages about Akatsuki's activities, the Sand Village had started bolstering its defenses. They even held a strategic meeting to discuss preventive measures.

However, none of that preparation proved effective.

In the early hours of the morning, just a day after Natsuro emerged from his training, two individuals wearing black cloaks adorned with red clouds infiltrated the Sand Village.

One of them used a white, explosive clay that could be molded into various shapes, including small spiders and large birds. While Baki hadn't seen it himself, he speculated that the clay could form even larger creations.

During their attack, the user's clay bird was spotted by Gaara, who engaged the intruders in an aerial battle over the village.

Unfortunately, Gaara had to prioritize protecting the villagers below from the explosions, which severely restricted his movements. Eventually, the enemy seized an opportunity to defeat him.

"I see," Natsuro said, nodding. The events aligned closely with his memories. Gaara, without the constraint of protecting others, likely wouldn't have lost, let alone been captured.

Based on his recollection, the two Akatsuki members involved should be Deidara and Sasori, Chiyo's grandson.

"Did you send anyone to track them and locate their whereabouts?" Natsuro asked.

Baki's expression darkened, and after a moment of hesitation, he confessed, "Kankuro pursued the enemy in an attempt to rescue the Kazekage, but when we found him later, he was critically injured and unconscious. The medical team says he's been poisoned by a toxin they can't counteract."

"So, you've lost the enemy's trail?" Natsuro frowned. He couldn't recall exactly how they tracked the Akatsuki in the original story.

Without any leads, finding them would be difficult, as he didn't know the exact location of their hideout, it was just "a cave" in his mind.

Baki, clearly ashamed, nodded in silence. It was a testament to their failure: not only had they allowed their Kazekage to be captured, but they had also lost track of the culprits.

Natsuro sighed, casting a sidelong glance at Baki. "Wouldn't it have been better if I'd been allowed to leave a Flying Thunder God mark on Gaara back then?"

Baki could only nod sheepishly. He had been one of those opposed to the idea at the time. Even now, the notion of marking the Kazekage felt like surrendering control of his life to an outsider, it was something they could never agree to.

"Let's focus on the present. Take me to Kankuro. If he's the only one who pursued them, he might know something," Natsuro said, changing the subject.

"Right away! This way!" Baki quickly led Natsuro to the medical center.

As they walked, many Sand Shinobi stopped to watch them pass. Those who had participated in the battle against Orochimaru's hideout in the Land of Rice Fields recognized Natsuro.

They had witnessed his overwhelming strength before.

Seeing him now, a glimmer of hope sparked in their eyes. Perhaps this time, he could descend like a deity once again and rescue their Kazekage.

Sand Village Medical Center.

Upon entering, Natsuro glanced around, noting the outdated equipment and facilities. It was a stark contrast to Konoha's advanced medical center.

But that wasn't surprising. The Sand Village's limited resources simply couldn't support such infrastructure.

Soon, one of the medical ninja handed Natsuro Kankuro's examination report. Skimming through it, Natsuro noted that the analysis was thorough.

Still, no matter how detailed their findings were, Natsuro knew he had to conduct his own assessment.

...

Upon completing his own examination of Kankuro, Natsuro noticed several discrepancies between his findings and the earlier reports. While the differences weren't drastic, they highlighted the Sand Village's medical shortcomings compared to his own skills.

"The toxin hasn't spread too deeply and can still be treated," Natsuro concluded.

Baki, visibly relieved, bowed slightly in gratitude. "Thank you very much for your help."

"Clear the room of unnecessary personnel. Leave one medical ninja to assist me," Natsuro instructed curtly.

"Understood." Baki quickly issued the orders without protest.

As the room emptied, Natsuro began the treatment. The remaining Sand medical ninja watched in awe, surprised by Natsuro's expertise.

It dawned on Natsuro that his standards for medical ninjutsu had been skewed by his environment. Surrounded by figures like Tsunade, her protégé Shizune, and the elite staff at Konoha's medical center, he had always considered his skills mediocre.

In reality, his proficiency had long reached a respectable level, with his primary weakness being a lack of hands-on experience.

Even so, treating Kankuro's poison took time. Fortunately, the process went smoothly, and Natsuro successfully extracted all traces of the toxin.

During the treatment, Kankuro gradually regained consciousness. The moment he opened his eyes, he shouted hoarsely, "Gaara!"

"You'd better not move. Even though the toxin has been removed, your body still needs rest," Natsuro warned calmly as Kankuro attempted to sit up.

"It's you… Konoha's reinforcements have arrived. That's a relief," Kankuro said, his tension easing slightly. With assistance from the medical ninja, he propped himself up against the bed and continued, "I can't rest yet. Please bring Captain Baki in. I have some critical information about the Akatsuki's whereabouts."

Natsuro nodded. This was the Sand Village's territory; Kankuro's request for his opinion was merely a courtesy.

Soon, Baki entered the room, and Kankuro recounted his experience during the pursuit.

After Gaara's capture, Kankuro had followed the Akatsuki members. The one using explosive clay, Deidara, had paid him no attention, creating a large clay bird to carry Gaara away through the sky.

Left behind to confront Kankuro was the other Akatsuki member, a highly skilled puppet master. Despite Kankuro's own expertise with puppets, he was completely outclassed.

At the end of their battle, the enemy, either out of arrogance or nostalgia, revealed his identity as the creator of Kankuro's puppet, Salamander.

Kankuro suspected the individual was none other than the Sand Village's infamous missing-nin, Sasori of the Red Sand.

Despite being overpowered, Kankuro had managed to retrieve a piece of cloth tightly attached to Sasori's body. The fabric carried traces of Sasori's chakra.

Baki's face darkened at the mention of Sasori, not only because of his formidable reputation but also because he was the grandson of a respected elder of the village, Chiyo.

Had Natsuro not arrived in time, Baki might have sought Chiyo's help to treat Kankuro despite their strained relationship.

After Kankuro's account, the ninja around them quickly retrieved the black cloth from Kankuro's puppet and handed it to Natsuro.

Baki found this somewhat awkward. Despite being the highest-ranking Sand ninja present, the others instinctively deferred to Natsuro, a Konoha shinobi.

The reason was clear. Many of them had accompanied Natsuro during the mission in the Land of Rice Fields to destroy Orochimaru's base. They had witnessed his overwhelming power firsthand.

Since that mission, their respect for Konoha, especially Natsuro, had grown immensely.

If anyone suggested opposing Konoha now, these individuals would likely be the first to voice dissent, unless Natsuro was no longer in the picture.

Baki, reflecting on the situation, understood Konoha's strategic approach. Though it frustrated him, he had no choice but to accept it.

He also consoled himself with the fact that Natsuro was only a year older than Gaara and that Konoha still had numerous young talents on par with him.

In contrast, the Sand Village's younger generation was painfully limited to Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.

As the younger generation continued to grow, Baki couldn't help but swallow nervously, thinking it was probably best not to provoke Konoha.

In the end, perhaps that incident with Konoha wasn't entirely a bad thing for the Sand Village.

At this moment, Natsuro took the black cloth handed to him and immediately thought of Kakashi's summon, Pakkun. However, he quickly realized that Kakashi might not be available right now.

Besides, he had his own summons with an excellent sense of smell.

The next moment, Natsuro performed the Summoning Jutsu, and several small dark-green snakes appeared in the room.

"Lord Natsuro, is there something you require of us?" The lead snake addressed him with utmost respect.

Natsuro placed the black cloth in front of the lead snake and explained his need.

"Leave it to us, Lord Natsuro," the snake responded confidently.

Natsuro remembered that a snake's sense of smell was even sharper than that of a dog.

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Currently on Chapter 251 - Dark Chakra