Chapter 98: New skills

Kael sat on the edge of the bed long after Temari’s footsteps faded down the corridor. The room still smelled of sweat and sex. He ignored it and opened the system window he had left untouched.

[Quest 11/100 : Have threesome with Sakura and Ino ✓]

[Quest 12/100 : Fuck Temari ✓]

[Reward: Power up, Unbreakable Mind]

He tapped the description.

[Unbreakable Mind : Any kind of hypnosis or mind tricks won’t work on you. Your mind will not surrender to any influence.]

Kael read it twice. The system never handed out rewards without reason. Every skill so far had arrived just before he needed it. Shadow clones before a fight. Mind manipulation when a girl learned too much. Now an Unbreakable Mind, right before a mission that already smelled like something strange was happening in the desert. He closed the window and lay back, staring at the ceiling. Whatever waited out on those dunes, the system clearly expected someone to try climbing inside his head. At least this time he would be ready.

Morning came early. The desert light was already harsh when the Leaf team gathered outside the Kazekage’s mansion. Sand shinobi escorted them through quiet halls until they reached a wide office with open windows and maps covering one wall. Gaara stood behind a low desk, arms folded, the same calm expression he had worn since childhood—only older now, heavier with responsibility. Kankurō leaned against a pillar nearby. Temari stood near the window, fan closed at her side. Her eyes found Naruto the moment he entered and stayed there a second too long. He looked past her as if she were part of the furniture.

Gaara’s face lit with rare openness when he saw Naruto.

"Naruto. It’s good to see you again." His voice carried the same quiet weight as always. "You’ve grown quieter since the last time. Is something wrong?"

Kael offered a small shrug and the old familiar grin, though it sat a little thinner than usual. "Just tired from the road, Gaara. Long trip. Sand gets everywhere."

Gaara studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Rest while you can. The mission may not allow much of it."

He gestured for them to sit. Shikamaru dropped into a chair with his usual boneless sprawl. Choji took the seat beside him. Sasuke remained standing near the wall, arms crossed. Sakura and Ino sat together. Kael took the remaining place, deliberately far from Temari’s line of sight.

Gaara’s expression shifted. The brief warmth vanished, replaced by the Kazekage’s seriousness.

"A few days ago the weather changed without warning. It was a clear morning. Then black clouds gathered over the northern dunes in less than an hour. Several of our patrol units reported seeing something in the sky—some kind of flying object, too large for any bird and moving against the wind."

Shikamaru’s eyes sharpened. "Flying object? Not a summon?"

"We don’t know," Gaara answered. "Every team we sent to investigate returned before nightfall. None of them could remember what they found. They spoke of walking into a strange mist, then waking up hours later with no memory of the time in between. One of them—only one—recalled a single detail before the blank space. He said he saw a forehead protector. Leaf village symbol."

Silence settled over the room. Kael felt the team’s attention shift. Sakura frowned. Ino glanced at him. Sasuke’s gaze stayed fixed on Gaara, unreadable.

Kankurō spoke from the pillar. "That’s why we contacted Konoha. If someone from the Leaf is involved, we need answers before anyone starts drawing the wrong conclusions. The last thing either village needs is another border incident."

Gaara nodded. "Tsunade agreed. Your team was chosen because you already have experience working together."

Shikamaru leaned forward, fingers steepled. "So the official story is we’re here to clear up a possible misunderstanding. Unofficially, we’re hunting whatever’s scrambling your shinobi’s heads."

"Correct," Gaara said. "No one has died. That is the only good news. Whatever jutsu is being used leaves the victims unharmed but empty of memory. Even experienced jōnin returned with the same blank look. Be careful. Mind-altering jutsu of this strength is rare and dangerous."

Temari’s voice cut in, controlled but edged. "The northern dunes are already under restricted travel. We’ll provide a guide as far as the last safe outpost. After that you’re on your own until you find the source or the clouds clear."

Her eyes flicked to Kael again. He kept his attention on Gaara and gave no sign he noticed.

Kael spoke for the first time since sitting down. "Any pattern to who got hit? Age, rank, chakra type?"

Gaara shook his head. "None that we could find. The only common factor is that they entered the area under the black clouds. Once inside, memory fails."

Shikamaru exhaled through his nose. "Hypnosis strong enough to wipe hours from trained shinobi. And a possible Leaf connection. What a drag."

Gaara’s gaze moved across each of them in turn. "I trust you will handle this carefully. If the technique can be broken or the source destroyed, do so. If it cannot, return with whatever information you can safely gather. We will not risk more of our people until we understand what we face."

The meeting ended with the usual formalities. Maps were handed over. Supply packs were already waiting at the gate. As the team filed out, Temari stepped slightly into Kael’s path. Her voice was low, meant only for him.

"Naruto—"

He walked past without slowing, eyes forward, expression blank. Whatever had happened in the inn the night before was finished. The quest was complete. She had served her purpose. The next problem waited out on the dunes under black clouds that should not exist.

Behind him he heard Shikamaru mutter, "Something about this feels off already."

Kael agreed silently. The system had given him an unbreakable mind for a reason. He intended to find out exactly why before the day was over.

---

Give me power!!!