Chapter 241: Konoha Doesn't Buy
On the other side.
Tsunade, sound asleep and replenishing her energy in the inn, was "squished" awake by a strange creature.
She opened her eyes and saw a Slugs Sage clone diligently squishing her arm.
"Slugs Sage?"
Tsunade immediately became alert and was momentarily stunned.
Seeing Tsunade awake, the Slugs Sage clone slowly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said: "Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya has started harassing Naruto Uzumaki again. This time, he seems to genuinely want to kidnap Naruto Uzumaki directly. Now, over a hundred thousand clones have surrounded him, and he temporarily doesn't dare to act rashly."
Hiss!
Tsunade was shocked. Ten... over a hundred thousand clones... I can't summon that many even with my full strength!
Why are there so many Slugs Sage clones in Konoha?
Could it be a secret arrangement between it and Ikeizumi Uchiha?
And are these hundred thousand clones only a fraction of those hidden in Konoha Village?
Tsunade was dumbfounded for a second, then immediately suppressed her curiosity, and her expression instantly became serious.
"That guy Jiraiya is truly persistent!" Tsunade shook her head, full of disappointment: "He's been completely fooled by those toads; he believes whatever those toads say..."
"Shizune!!!"
Tsunade immediately shouted, waking up Shizune who was dozing off nearby. Startled, Shizune quickly opened her eyes, cleared her drowsiness, and immediately stood up.
Tsunade put on her clothes and said to Shizune: "Take all the ninja tools and come with me to see that idiot!"
Shizune looked bewildered: "Ah? An idiot? Who is that?"
Tsunade put on her clothes, pulled open the door, and said without looking back: "Jiraiya!"
Shizune was instantly shocked.
Tsunade-sama's posture didn't look like she was going to reminisce with Jiraiya-sama; it looked like she was going to fight!
She realized the seriousness of the situation.
She hurriedly grabbed several ninja tool pouches and anxiously followed behind Tsunade.
"Since those toads won't give up, we'll drive them out of Konoha!" Tsunade's face was cold. Guided by the Slugs Sage clone, she rushed toward a certain direction.
"Konoha belongs to the Konoha villagers, not to Mount Myōboku! If those toad claws keep reaching over... I'll chop them off!"
Since she had decided to become the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade naturally couldn't allow those toads to mess around in Konoha.
After all, she had long been displeased with those toads. A bunch of toads that have lived for so many years, instead of diligently cultivating in Mount Myōboku, they constantly stir up trouble in the Shinobi World.
A clueless person might think that the entire Shinobi World is controlled by their Mount Myōboku!
"Tsunade-sama, wait for me..."
Shizune followed, panting heavily.
"Hey, Demon, there's news on the whereabouts of the rogue ninja Jūzō Biwa. That guy actually dared to set foot on the soil of the Land of Water. He dared to return after defecting. Heh heh..."
Inside the Hidden Mist Village, a fully armed Mist Anbu ninja said to the "Mist Demon Zabuza Momochi," who had just put on his Anbu mask: "I heard... you are very interested in Jūzō Biwa's Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife)."
"Now, Mizukage-sama has decided to personally lead the Anbu to hunt the rogue ninja Jūzō Biwa. If you sincerely pledge your loyalty to me, maybe I'll happily give the Kubikiribōchō to you."
A dangerous, cruel glint flashed in Zabuza Momochi's eyes beneath his mask. He slowly and coldly looked up at the other person.
Unbeknownst to the other, Zabuza Momochi had already half-drawn the ninja sword at his waist.
A chilling killing intent radiated from his entire body.
Even though Zabuza Momochi didn't say a word, his action immediately caused the Mist Anbu ninja who spoke to change his expression and then subtly take a step back.
"Hey, Demon, don't mess around!" Another Anbu ninja next to them immediately stepped in to stop the conflict: "If we lose a person due to internal strife before capturing Jūzō Biwa, we'll be laughed at by other ninja villages if word gets out!"
Zabuza Momochi said coldly: "Isn't the Hidden Mist Village famous for internal strife? This kind of trash that only knows how to constantly shout will only hold me back during the mission."
The Anbu ninja mocked by Zabuza Momochi was instantly enraged.
"Bastard... Don't think that just because you're called the Demon, you're truly superior! In terms of seniority, you're my junior! How dare you speak to your senior like that!" The other person also placed his hand on his ninja sword, ready to fight Zabuza Momochi at any moment.
"Stop!"
It wasn't until a relatively young voice suddenly sounded that all the restless Mist Anbu ninja ceased their agitation.
They saw the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, slowly approaching, holding a black hooked staff.
The Fourth Mizukage was the focus of attention in any crowd.
His short height of only 1.43 meters and his overly young-looking, innocent face, similar to that of a minor, seemed particularly incongruous in a place like the Bloody Mist Village.
If someone had a preference for... certain types.
Yagura Karatachi was the type that would be picked up and carried.
"Mizukage-sama!"
The group of Mist Anbu ninja immediately stopped their agitation and bowed their heads, welcoming the arrival of the Fourth Mizukage.
Even someone with a rebellious nature like Zabuza Momochi.
Frowned and reluctantly sheathed his ninja sword.
His ominous gaze lingered on Yagura Karatachi for a moment.
Then he retracted his gaze.
"The rogue ninja hasn't been captured yet, and you're already engaging in internal strife here?" Yagura Karatachi glanced at Zabuza Momochi: "Zabuza, I do not want this to happen again, especially during the mission to hunt the rogue ninja Jūzō Biwa!"
Zabuza Momochi slightly lowered his head and reluctantly and perfunctorily replied: "...Yes."
Yagura Karatachi looked at the assembled Mist Anbu ninja again.
The current Mist Anbu numbered over thirty people in total.
In the past, the number would certainly have been higher, but in recent years, even many Anbu ninja had chosen to defect.
These thirty-plus individuals were already the most elite Anbu of the Hidden Mist Village.
Each one was a known Mist Murderer!
On the battlefields of the Great Ninja Wars, they were all meat grinders, the most feared nightmare in the hearts of enemies.
"Depart!"
Yagura Karatachi commanded expressionlessly.
"YES!!!"
At the same time.
In the distance.
"Mizukage-sama and the Anbu have departed..." Watching the figures in the distance instantly vanish, Mei Terumī withdrew her gaze, rubbed her temples, and murmured: "Is it really necessary for the elite Anbu to be dispatched and for Mizukage-sama to personally lead them, just to deal with one defected member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"
Next to her.
Ao, known as the "Byakugan Killer," interjected: "Don't you find Mizukage-sama very strange these past years? His style of action is completely different from before... Although sometimes he still gives us a familiar feeling, at other times, he seems very unfamiliar, as if he's been completely replaced by someone else."
Mei Terumī turned to look at Ao, frowning: "Don't you have the Byakugan? If it were you, you should be able to see if there's anything wrong with Mizukage-sama by using the Byakugan, right?"
Ao shook his head and said helplessly: "Mizukage-sama is constantly protected by the Mist Anbu. If I rashly remove my eye patch and use the Byakugan in front of Mizukage-sama..."
"I'm afraid those murderous Mist Anbu wouldn't even give me a chance to explain and would tear me to shreds. Unless I can find a suitable opportunity."
Mei Terumī nodded in realization.
Subsequently, she said with some worry: "I don't know why, but right after Mizukage-sama left, I suddenly had a bad feeling. My eyelid keeps twitching."
Ao thought for a moment and said seriously: "Eyelid twitching is usually a sign of eye fatigue. Your eyes need a good rest."
Mei Terumī sighed: "I keep wondering how you managed to find a partner and get married? This is clearly a woman's sixth sense!"
Ao's expression was blank at the moment, but it could be seen from his eyes that he was completely perplexed.
Mei Terumī couldn't be bothered to continue talking with him.
She said: "I'm going to follow them and see what the situation is. If you want to come, you can follow."
Ao was startled.
Before he could react, Mei Terumī leaped down directly. In no time at all, she vanished.
Ao's mouth twitched: "This woman is truly decisive."
"The Land of Water..."
Koharu Utatane, who had just disembarked, coldly looked at the desolate country before her.
Her eyes held deep apprehension: "The power of the Akatsuki far exceeds this old woman's imagination. I didn't expect them to have a relationship with the Hidden Mist Village that is akin to an alliance. The fact that Konoha's Root can openly step onto the Land of Water's territory without any reaction from the Hidden Mist Village is enough to show the intimacy between the Akatsuki and the Hidden Mist Village."
Koharu Utatane suspected that the Hidden Mist Village was actually the mastermind funding the Akatsuki.
Or, that the Akatsuki was the Hidden Mist Village's black hand, and the Hidden Mist Village was constantly provoking conflicts among various smaller countries through the Akatsuki.
And then intervening in the wars of those smaller countries to gain profit.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why the Hidden Mist Village would cooperate so closely with the Akatsuki.
It would also be inexplicable why the Hidden Mist Village, as one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, would secretly form an alliance with a small organization like the Akatsuki.
It was completely illogical!
"Koharu-sama, since we hired the Akatsuki, shouldn't they be the ones to take action? Why do we also have to get involved?" A Root ninja asked, somewhat confused.
If it were a Root ninja under Danzō's control, they clearly wouldn't ask Danzō such a question.
However, the Root ninja under Koharu Utatane were not marked with the Tongue Sealing Curse.
Moreover, most of the old Root ninja were dead, and the remaining ones were newly recruited by Koharu Utatane.
It was understandable that their professionalism was not as good as the old Root.
Koharu Utatane slowly said: "Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit, let alone when the rabbit is Ikeizumi Uchiha, who is essentially a lion. To kill a lion, we need to use two hundred percent of our full strength. Only then can we bring the opponent down."
"We must not leave any opportunities for the opponent!"
Konoha.
As far as Jiraiya's eyes could see, one Slugs Sage clone, large or small, appeared within his field of vision. The look on his face had become extremely grave.
Cold sweat slowly dripped from his forehead.
The Slugs Sage preventing him from contacting the Child of Prophecy was completely unexpected and outside of Jiraiya's intelligence network.
It caught Jiraiya completely off guard.
He had no time to prepare in advance.
"What should I do?" At this moment, Jiraiya couldn't help but seek the opinions of Fukasaku-Sennin and Shima-Sennin.
Fukasaku-Sennin and Shima-Sennin's expressions were no more relaxed than Jiraiya's.
After all, they were facing the Slugs Sage, who stood on the same level as the Great Toad Sage.
Although they were also called the Sages of Mount Myōboku.
They were still far inferior to the Great Toad Sage.
"We cannot give up on the Child of Prophecy. If the Shinobi World does not have a savior, the future Shinobi World will fall into chaos. Is that the Shinobi World you want to see, Little Jiraiya?"
Suddenly, Shima-Sennin's low whisper plunged Jiraiya into silence.
But just then.
Jiraiya seemed to sense something and looked up instinctively. It was this glance that caused Jiraiya's pupils to suddenly contract—because he saw a familiar figure plummeting rapidly from above, accompanied by a strong sense of heart-pounding dread!
"Wait!"
Jiraiya, his expression drastically changed, cried out in a panic while rapidly backing away.
The next second.
The graceful figure descending from the sky crashed down heavily like a meteorite, causing the ground beneath to instantly tremble and shake. The force of the impact caused the ground to crack and spread outwards in circles. Invisible powerful winds violently swept around, kicking up a large number of flying shattered stones.
Amidst the swirling, invisible currents of air, Tsunade slowly stood up expressionlessly from the fractured earth. Her light-blond hair and draped clothes danced with the intense wind currents.
Boom!!!
An extremely massive plume of white smoke also erupted from behind Tsunade.
The ground beneath her feet trembled violently once more, causing Jiraiya to involuntarily leap upwards.
When his clogs landed on the ground, Jiraiya looked ahead in shock.
He saw a gigantic Slugs Sage clone appear behind Tsunade!
The immense Slugs Sage clone was larger than any building in Konoha Village, making it incredibly conspicuous within Konoha.
Following closely, a disheveled figure hurriedly ran over.
Shizune, clutching several ninja tool pouches, ran up to Tsunade, panting heavily.
Tsunade expressionlessly pulled out two specialized bandages from the ninja tool pouch.
She slowly wrapped the bandages around her hands.
"Jiraiya, if I ever see you bringing these two toads, who can't speak a few honest words, to cause trouble in the village again, don't blame me for disregarding our past friendship. Don't think you can mess with the children in the village using the excuse of some so-called Child of Prophecy! I don't buy that Mount Myōboku nonsense either!"
Tsunade's tone was utterly cold.
...