Chapter 166: Madara Uchiha's Conspiracy, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Regret
Madara Uchiha gazed at these Kirigakure exchange students from Konoha.
As the great hidden mastermind of the shinobi world possessing world-shaking wisdom, Madara considered problems from a very comprehensive perspective.
To provoke a war, the key was to create an information gap.
One side had to misjudge the other as weak; given the nature of the hidden villages to attack one another, only then would they view starting a war as a valuable option.
But if these Kirigakure exchange students reported Konoha's intelligence truthfully, their very existence would erase the information gap between the two sides.
In Madara Uchiha's view, although the Third Mizukage's village management skills were abysmally poor...
He was, after all, a shinobi capable of sitting in that position with some degree of strength. His brain wasn't so addled that he couldn't even analyze basic intelligence.
Even if he wanted to use war as an internal pressure release valve, he couldn't possibly choose Konoha as a target; he would change targets.
Therefore, Madara had to stop these Kirigakure exchange students from bringing back firsthand intelligence.
Not only that, he had to make them vigorously proclaim that Konoha was weak and powerless.
This wasn't contradictory.
A single event, without sufficient intelligence, could be entirely logically analyzed to reach diametrically opposite conclusions.
For example, the matter of Konoha breaking the Shinobi Code of Conduct.
Those who understood, those who knew Konoha's internal intelligence, naturally understood that this was a manifestation of the Will of Fire.
The village's cohesion and organizational capability had been elevated to an unprecedented level.
But it could also be interpreted as the Hokage losing control over the grassroots shinobi!
That Konoha was suffering a backlash from the Will of Fire, and the shinobi at the bottom were no longer listening to the higher-ups!
So they had no choice but to take out massive amounts of money to compromise for the sake of the greater good, forced to abandon the highly effective Shinobi Code of Conduct...
Therefore, this was also the reason why Madara hadn't chosen to kill Kisame and the others.
Madara was counting on them for reverse PR!
"You—who are you?"
Mei Terumi swallowed hard and said trembling, "But this is different from the Konoha we know. Won't this make the village misjudge?"
Kisame also frowned and retorted, "My lord, I believe it's better to seek truth from facts. The Mizukage is not the type of person who refuses to listen to others' advice..."
"The Mizukage surely wants us to speak the truth. If he knows earlier, he can end the Village of the Bloody Mist earlier. The Mizukage should have wanted to stop it long ago."
Kisame also held this thought, a defense mechanism triggered by his brain during long periods of cognitive dissonance.
He defaulted to assuming the Mizukage possessed the same level and cognitive awareness as Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Otherwise, it would be too painful.
Simply put, he was deceiving himself.
Kimimaro and Yuki looked at Kisame in astonishment, and even Mei cast a sideways glance.
How did this guy arrive at that conclusion?
Was the Third Mizukage open to taking advice?
Even Madara Uchiha couldn't help but laugh, the corners of his mouth curving up behind his mask.
Where did this pure boy come from? He was too honest!
"If all shinobi were this pure and foolish, world peace might actually be possible." Madara Uchiha took a few extra pointed looks at Kisame.
This kid was so stupid it was endearing.
"Since I can appear here, it proves the village already understands the situation in Konoha."
Madara Uchiha crossed his arms. "You think Konoha is strong? That's merely an illusion of outward strength but inner weakness, liable to collapse at any moment."
"What you saw is only what Konoha wanted you to see!"
"By confusing you, they make the village misjudge Konoha's combat power, causing us to lose the opportunity for war."
Madara Uchiha pointed his finger at them one by one. "The scenes you witnessed during your morning exercises—are you certain they were real?"
First, Kisame.
"When you strolled through Konoha's markets and commerce chambers, did you never consider that the people you encountered were spies?"
Next, Mei Terumi.
"And you two, always going to the Hyuga clan to gather intelligence—it's a good thing, to be sure, but with your level, how could you possibly outplay an old fox like Tenzo?"
Finally, Kimimaro and Yuki.
Madara Uchiha naturally wouldn't come without doing his homework. Energized to teach Hiruzen Sarutobi a lesson, he wasn't about to lose to his 'younger self.'
So he came to do the work personally!
In a sense, he could be considered a model worker—an elderly senior citizen still fighting on the front lines doing espionage work.
After all, with the brains of the White Zetsu, asking them to impersonate Kirigakure high-ups making speeches was asking too much of them.
At most, they could play a supporting role opposite him.
The four Kirigakure shinobi suddenly felt a chill run down their necks!
Their whereabouts in Konoha—did the village know everything?
Madara Uchiha watched Kisame and the others' reactions with satisfaction.
This was more like it!
Possessing an army of White Zetsu spies, it stood to reason that no organization in the shinobi world should have any secrets from him.
But the current Konoha was different.
Mito, Uzumaki Shio, and Kushina would occasionally open the Mind's Eye of the Kagura for random scans.
There was also the large influx of Hyuga branch family members who had joined the Anbu. It was fine if the White Zetsu hid underground and didn't move, but the moment they used the Mayfly Jutsu to travel quickly, they would expose themselves.
Therefore, Konoha's internal intelligence was gradually being isolated from Madara.
Madara could only occasionally tune into the 'Uchiha Channel' in the remote areas of the village; he couldn't broadcast on demand anymore.
Thinking of this, Madara's feelings became somewhat complicated.
Konoha was, after all, the village he had founded. So it should be different from other hidden villages, but it shouldn't be this different.
How did they even manage to guard against the White Zetsu?
"My lord, how did you know we..." Mei tested the waters, "Has the village completely infiltrated Konoha?"
Madara's words were evidently persuasive.
During their year in Konoha, they hadn't exchanged intelligence with their home village; they were in a state of complete isolation.
Yet he knew their daily routines so clearly!
"Could it be that the village is truly much stronger than I imagined?" Mei couldn't help but start questioning her worldview.
Kisame's face filled with joy.
Ah!
He guessed right!
The Mizukage's Village of the Bloody Mist policy was indeed for the good of Kirigakure. The methods just seemed a bit harsh, but weren't the results obvious?
Despite being in a state of closed-door isolation, they could still bypass Konoha's layers of security and grasp firsthand information!
Kisame became even more eager to return to Kirigakure.
He wanted to see if the village today had become like Konoha, or perhaps even surpassed it.
"No, no, I'm being too impatient. As long as there is a momentum toward improvement, that's enough!" Kisame told himself inwardly.
But Kimimaro and Yuki, after their initial shock, felt their disgust for Kirigakure deepen.
Especially Kimimaro, after half a year of in-depth study with Tenzo Hyuga.
He was now intimately familiar with the tactics used by some shinobi clans and village higher-ups.
"Pretending to have everything under control, but it's nothing more than using psychological suggestion to scare people!"
Kimimaro thought disdainfully, "Kisame has always had a diligent training personality, Mei likes shopping, and the Kaguya have history with the Hyuga. With a little analysis, anyone could guess we were doing similar things."
Kimimaro clung to a rigid piece of logic.
If Kirigakure was truly that strong, it wouldn't have needed to use the roundabout 'Internal Affairs Department' method to plant landmines against the Kaguya clan, nor use the Village of the Bloody Mist to dismantle the shinobi clans.
Even without brilliant negotiation or division tactics, just smashing down with the iron fist of intelligence would have rendered most shinobi clans obedient long ago.
Why go through all that trouble?
"Seeing the essence through the phenomenon, Great-Uncle Tenzo was truly right! These decaying higher-ups just love playing god and pretending to be ghosts to scare people." Kimimaro sighed inwardly.
However, on the surface, Kimimaro put on an expression of heartfelt conviction.
There was no need to clash head-on.
On the contrary, Kimimaro was very happy to see Kirigakure's higher-ups conceal the truth about Konoha.
Because Kimimaro had never intended to bring the entire Kaguya clan intact to Konoha.
He understood the mental state of this clan best.
A portion of the clan members were congenitally hyper-aggressive. You couldn't reason with them, and they were exceptionally arrogant despite having little actual strength.
People like that...
Bringing them to Konoha would only cause trouble for himself and the other clan members.
A shinobi clan was an identity label.
As long as there was one excessively unhinged individual, it would drag down the overall impression other shinobi had of the Kaguya clan as a whole.
"The Macabre Bone Pulse is nearly about to be defiled into extinction by these intellectual cripples. Let Kirigakure and the Third Mizukage help me filter them out..."
Kimimaro exhaled a long breath and put on a respectful expression. "The Third Mizukage is truly a divine strategist! Thank goodness you gave us pointers, or we young people really would have been deceived by the cunning Konoha."
"Rest assured, we will absolutely not pass on erroneous intelligence to the village shinobi."
Kimimaro said in a deep voice, "Konoha is a weak village! The fact that they don't even follow the Shinobi Code of Conduct only proves their shinobi dare not fight and don't know how to fight!"
"When the time comes, just watch our Kaguya clan! We'll be the first to charge in and cleave those cowards alive!"
Kimimaro's tone was cruel and impassioned, perfectly resembling a battle-crazed maniac.
But internally, he felt a bit unaccustomed.
Having been in Konoha for a year, it had been a long time since he'd spoken such brainless words. It was rather shameful...
Madara Uchiha smiled faintly.
"The Kaguya clan, still as brainless as ever. A minor trick from me, and they bow their heads in submission."
"However, I can't be blamed for drawing the flames of war to Konoha. With a shinobi clan like this in Kirigakure, attacking Konoha was only a matter of time. I merely gave it a push. The essence is still to make Hiruzen Sarutobi recognize reality early."
Thinking this, Madara Uchiha paused. Why did it feel like he was trying to convince himself?
How strange.
Kisame raised his hand and said earnestly, "My lord, we still must be wary of Konoha's combat power. The average quality of their Ninja Academy students is very high, and their shinobi welfare is well executed."
"Moreover, I have observed many of their shinobi, and I haven't detected any signs of unsustainability."
Kisame thought of Might Guy.
During their last few months in Konoha, as morning training partners, they had grown quite familiar with each other.
Kisame also knew Guy's story.
In the past, he could only be said to have barely enough food and warmth, his nutrition only just managing to sustain his physical exertion.
But after Konoha's welfare and guarantees poured in, Might Guy ate well, ate his fill, and had light in his eyes. The transformation was tangible.
Madara Uchiha smiled faintly; he had already prepared his rhetoric.
"Kisame, I do not deny Konoha's so-called shinobi welfare."
"But by doing so, they are digging up their own foundations! Hiruzen Sarutobi is forcefully stabilizing Konoha's political situation by liquidating the legacy left behind by Hashirama Senju. This will not last!"
"It is the act of drinking poisoned wine to quench thirst."
"If the Mizukage wanted to, he could do it too! But what the Mizukage wants is the long-term stability and peace of Kirigakure, maintaining internal unity and stability for a considerably long period into the future."
"Not short-sightedly handing out massive welfare, dragging things out day by day!"
Madara Uchiha said slowly, "Kisame, you must learn to see the essence through the phenomenon. A village boiling like oil over a raging fire can also collapse with a crash in an instant. A great situation is merely an illusion; this has happened more than once in Konoha's history."
"Back then, Konoha possessed the God of Shinobi and the Ghost of the Uchiha. What kind of glory was that? It seemed as if the next moment, they would march their armies across the shinobi world."
"But after that? The two pillars supporting the heavens both collapsed one after another, leaving only that mediocre Tobirama Senju, who couldn't even manage peace talks with Kumogakure properly, dying in the First Great Ninja War."
Madara Uchiha subtly slipped in a bit of his own personal bias.
Kisame nodded thoughtfully, his gaze unconsciously carrying a touch of reverence.
This was the higher-ups of our village.
Truly educated and strategically brilliant!
Even Kimimaro looked at Madara Uchiha with considerable surprise.
At first listen, these words were extremely deceptive.
"If it were the old me, I probably would have believed it, right?"
"Thank goodness Great-Uncle Tenzo explained the operational logic of this great village of Konoha to me." Kimimaro unconsciously generated a sense of superiority.
Tenzo Hyuga had broken it down and explained it to him in exhaustive detail.
The underlying governance logic of all the hidden villages in the shinobi world was highly homogenized.
Shinobi were tools. The villages maintained operations through high-pressure rules and plunder via war. Sacrificing the individual and exploiting the grassroots was the unalterable iron rule of survival.
Otherwise, there was simply no way to cope with the volatile environment of frequent warfare.
Madara Uchiha's argument perfectly aligned with the survival cognition the shinobi world had held for nearly a millennium.
It was like a boss who kept his factory alive by docking his employees' pay every day, hearing that the factory next door had abolished forced ranking quotas, provided safety nets for worker casualties, and raised base salaries.
The first reaction definitely wouldn't be "What great vision, they're upgrading their industry," but rather "Operating like that, they'll go bankrupt sooner or later."
Everyone produces the same tools. There's no reason why you were getting beaten up a few years ago, and now you're suddenly performing miracles!
This was the natural reaction of the vast majority of shinobi.
But Kimimaro was different.
Under Tenzo Hyuga's intensive tutoring, Kimimaro understood that Konoha had achieved "industrial upgrading," and furthermore, was walking a highly refined, "small but beautiful" path.
While producing premium-priced goods, they hadn't mobilized excessive manpower that would affect their military capabilities, and they had formed a tight, integrated unit with the nobility, leaving other hidden villages far behind.
"This guy is definitely a Kirigakure higher-up."
"This deceptive tactic is astonishing, but it still fell within Great-Uncle Tenzo's expectations. That old man guessed long ago how people like Elder Genji would try to deconstruct Konoha's advantages if they learned of them, considering every angle."
Kimimaro sincerely sighed at how correct the phrase "the Hyuga are the brains of the Kaguya" truly was!
Tenzo Hyuga was worried Kimimaro would relapse after returning to Kirigakure's environment.
So he pre-emptively reverse-engineered how people like Elder Genji would react if they learned of Konoha's advantages, covering every possible aspect.
As the Konoha Commissioner specifically in charge of "Kirigakure Affairs," Tenzo Hyuga's work was undeniably thorough.
However, Tenzo himself certainly wouldn't have guessed that the first "enemy" his preventative tactics would counter wouldn't be Kirigakure, but the world-renowned Ghost of the Uchiha!
Yuki echoed Kimimaro's words, but inwardly, he was utterly dismissive.
As a member who had long ago discussed defecting with Kimimaro, Yuki had heard Tenzo's warnings from him.
And even setting aside all these principles...
Just the Third Mizukage's persecution of the Ice Release shinobi clans was enough to make Yuki burn with immense hatred.
His family members were dead or imprisoned. Whether it was unjust or not, didn't he, as someone involved, know best!
"May I ask who you are?"
Kisame asked respectfully, "I'd like to learn more from you in the future. You are truly incredible."
Evidently, Kisame, having too strong of an obsession with Kirigakure, had now been successfully brainwashed by Madara.
Mei's gaze sharpened.
She was also very concerned about who exactly this Kirigakure shinobi played by Madara Uchiha was.
Although judging by his chakra signature, there was a high probability he really was a Kirigakure shinobi, it still wasn't guaranteed.
Madara Uchiha smiled coldly.
"Elder Genji" revealed himself from a distance and slowly walked over, sweeping his gaze across Kisame and the others.
Kisame and the group immediately dropped to one knee and greeted him, "Elder Genji!"
"Mm." This naturally wasn't Elder Genji, but a fake body disguised by White Zetsu A-Huo.
He slightly displayed his chakra to prove his identity.
This was exactly where the White Zetsu's terror lay.
Not only could they blend into the earth, but they could also flawlessly mimic the chakra of any shinobi they had contacted, making them as difficult to distinguish as a Wood Clone.
"Confirmation verified. This is Lord Genji." Kisame felt a great sense of relief; now his final doubts were erased.
"The words spoken to you today, you must keep them hidden in your hearts at all times."
"You are all good seedlings of Kirigakure, but you are young, after all. It is inevitable that you would be confused by Konoha's bizarre current state. Therefore, afraid you might stray down the wrong path, I came by to remind you."
In order to act out today's scene well, White Zetsu A-Huo had excitedly rehearsed for a long time.
He sighed and tapped his cane on the ground. "But this goes against the rules. As a Kirigakure shinobi, you should be unconditionally loyal to Kirigakure. Any wavering is an act that violates the Shinobi Code of Conduct."
"So, not only for your own sakes but also to save me some trouble, pretend today's conversation never happened. Focus entirely on working for Kirigakure, and do not waste my painstaking efforts."
White Zetsu A-Huo perfectly played the image of a highly respected elder who made an exception because he cherished talent, and even added Genji's trait of self-preservation.
Madara Uchiha couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised inwardly.
"This A-Huo..."
"After being enhanced by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and reading books, always staying by my side... he's actually quite useful."
"He's not much worse than Black Zetsu and Tobi!"
Kisame and Mei had no more doubts, their tones filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Genji! We will never forget this kindness."
Kimimaro and Yuki sneered inwardly.
"It really is this old bastard's scheme. No wonder the PR rhetoric was so convincing!"
"Alright, you wait for the people coming to pick you up. I have important matters to attend to." White Zetsu A-Huo waved his hand and left alongside the Anbu White Zetsu controlled by Madara.
After they left.
Kisame looked back at the direction of Konoha, sighing in his heart.
"Such a wonderful village, is it really just a false terminal lucidity? It truly makes one feel a bit of regret."
"But after all, it's not my village. Having enjoyed a year of peaceful days, it can be considered very good."
Kisame couldn't help but wonder, how exactly would such far-sighted Kirigakure higher-ups govern the village?
Obviously.
When Kisame witnessed the increasingly conflicting reality of Kirigakure, Madara's PR rhetoric would collapse on its own.
After all, the status quo was too bloody and brutal to be hidden by mere words.
Reality speaks for itself.
But this wasn't crucial.
Madara only needed Kisame and the others to pass erroneous intelligence to Kirigakure, allowing it to rapidly spread among the higher-ups and form an intense greed toward Konoha.
Once the fire was lit, it couldn't be contained.
As for Kisame himself, he was just an unknown, slightly talented lackey.
Whatever thoughts or changes he underwent...
The Ghost of the Uchiha didn't care in the slightest.
"A-Huo, good performance today."
In the Mountains' Graveyard, Madara communicated remotely with White Zetsu A-Huo. "How is the situation over in Soragakure?"
"Lord Madara, we have completely obtained their intelligence. All that's left is for you to go and control their leader! However, even if they work overtime to restore their armed forces, it will still take some time."
White Zetsu A-Huo's cheerful voice rang out.
Receiving Madara's praise made White Zetsu A-Huo very happy.
Also, because this was the first time it had executed a mission that required "using its brain," this fundamentally distinguished it from the other White Zetsu.
White Zetsu A-Huo had a dream.
As it became smarter, it would be able to understand the ultimate question: why Lord Madara and the Hokage, who clearly should be compatible, had to oppose each other so awkwardly.
In its heart, this was already a life proposition more important than "what does poop feel like."
It was just that A-Huo didn't dare ask Madara directly, so it held it in, planning to study it slowly.
"Soragakure's leader can be controlled at will."
Madara Uchiha nodded slightly. "There's no need for this village to exist anymore. The only meaning of Soragakure's existence is to remind Hiruzen Sarutobi that the chains of hatred in the shinobi world cannot be severed."
"I will make Soragakure empty all their reserves and produce all categories of combat shinobi tools at any cost. Otherwise, even with my command, sending them over will only make Hiruzen Sarutobi laugh!"
In truth, Madara Uchiha could also go and control the real Elder Genji.
The reason he didn't do so was that Madara felt it was too crude and lacked elegance.
Even though his genjutsu was strong enough, controlling a person's thoughts always required constant adjustment.
A mere Genji wasn't worth him doing so, wasting his energy meant for studying Hiruzen Sarutobi and recovering his body.
Moreover, as long as it was a "jutsu," it would always leave traces.
But the traceless nature of an open conspiracy was something genjutsu couldn't compare to; everything was just pushing the boat along with the current.
White Zetsu A-Huo blinked.
It detected a different flavor in Madara's words.
What did he mean by "there's no need for this village to exist"?
White Zetsu A-Huo really wanted to ask, is it because they once attacked Konoha outside of your control?
"Lord Madara has such bizarre logic," A-Huo secretly criticized.
"How are things with Black Zetsu and Tobi?" Madara Uchiha asked again.
"Well," A-Huo scratched its head. "Black Zetsu has been following them around. You said that if any unexpected situations arise, he should use your power to reclaim Nagato's Rinnegan."
"According to the last report, the situation seems to have changed a bit. Hanzo has recently been actively consolidating the various organizations within Amegakure, and Nagato and his group have also been noticed."
"Furthermore, they are heavily promoting friendship with Konoha in Amegakure, saying that the Second Great Ninja War was provoked by Sunagakure and Iwagakure. It feels like they want to cooperate deeply with Konoha."
"It seems the Rinnegan won't be kept hidden for much longer. Should we..."
Madara Uchiha waved his hand. "Look, you're rushing again. A-Huo, you are a different White Zetsu. I hope you make becoming an existence like Tobi your goal."
A-Huo nodded solemnly, focusing entirely on listening to Lord Madara's brilliant discourse.
"With Black Zetsu and White Zetsu there, even if the Rinnegan is exposed in front of Hanzo, it doesn't matter."
"I actually prefer that Hanzo's faction makes a move against Nagato! Have them kill all the companions beside him, so that this cowardly but talented brat can understand the cruelty of the shinobi world."
Madara Uchiha remembered the days he spent watching Frog TV for three years, and his mouth twitched.
Could he only say, as expected of Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple?
That brat named Jiraiya was truly an anomaly among shinobi.
He discovered the Rinnegan, yet he was only shocked for a moment, and then acted as if he hadn't seen it at all. Not a shred of greed arose in him, and he solidly taught Nagato and the others ninjutsu for three years.
And after returning, he didn't even inform Konoha, as if the Rinnegan were just cabbages by the roadside!
Madara Uchiha thought for a long time but still couldn't understand what Jiraiya's behavioral logic was.
What was the meaning of it?
He could only say that in terms of paranoia, the former orthodox successor of Mount Myoboku was not in the least bit inferior to an Uchiha.
Madara Uchiha sighed slightly, and continued analyzing for A-Huo, "That brat Hanzo, to be honest, he was actually a somewhat passable shinobi in the past. But after growing old, his spirit disappeared, and he could only gradually become someone who clings desperately to life."
"People like this have already abandoned their ninja way and their dreams. They only think about consolidating their laughable power."
"Will Hanzo truly negotiate peace with Konoha sincerely? At most, he will only think about using Konoha."
A sharp glint flashed through Madara Uchiha's eyes. "If Hanzo doesn't have the guts to take the Rinnegan, then I'll let Danzo know! He only has a mutually exploitative relationship with Amegakure. Judging by his style of clumsily imitating Tobirama, he will definitely try every means to seize it."
"If that happens, Nagato will be thoroughly usable by me."
In Madara Uchiha's spokesperson plan, the initial candidate for the very first version was Nagato.
Although he had now decided to step in personally, if he could bring Nagato under his command, it would actually have a higher ROI than Obito.
After all, once Nagato grew up, his body, having been transformed by the Rinnegan for years, would be the most suitable for resurrecting him!
Choosing another spokesperson was only because Madara Uchiha was out of ideas regarding Jiraiya.
A-Huo nodded in sudden realization.
But then it blinked, discovering a blind spot.
Why was Lord Madara so certain that after Hanzo's spirit disappeared, it wouldn't be revived again?
"Actually, didn't Lord Madara himself regain his vigor from a state of decadence after being influenced by Hiruzen Sarutobi? He looks so energetic every day now, looking ten years younger than before..."
Thinking of this, A-Huo quickly slapped itself in the mouth, terminating this presumptuous thought.
How could it think of Lord Madara like that?
Lord Madara never lost his spirit or clung desperately to life. As long as he breathed for a single day, he would always be invincible, the unstoppable Ghost of the Uchiha!
...
Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt the Fire Sealing Method within his body, a wondrous sensation flowing through his physical form.
A raging flame ignited on the index finger of his right hand, the high temperature scorching his left arm.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi only felt slightly hot; it didn't feel unbearable.
"Has my fire resistance increased again? This might be related to my exceptional mastery over Fire Release nature transformation. After all, the Sarutobi clan excels in Fire Release, and I have been proficient in it since childhood."
"When it comes to other natures, the speed will likely slow down."
"Once I achieve minor mastery in fire resistance, I'll choose Water Release for the next resistance." Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flashed; he thought of the Kirigakure exchange students who had left Konoha.
The Hokage lit his pipe, blew out a puff of smoke, and shook his head rather regretfully.
In his view, with the Kirigakure exchange students leaving like this, a war between Konoha and Kirigakure wouldn't break out.
No matter how crazy the Third Mizukage was, he couldn't possibly ignore the intelligence Kisame and the others brought back and wage war against a Konoha with such terrifying organization and cohesion.
Therefore, they could only wait until Kimimaro, Yuki, and the others defected for there to possibly be a turning point.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no other way.
After all, he couldn't just warn Mei and Kisame's group not to pass on Konoha's current situation to the Third Mizukage, right?
Doing that was no different from covering his ears while stealing a bell.
"Although I really want Kirigakure and the Land of Water, there's nothing I can do."
"Not going to war is ultimately a good thing. How can events always develop exactly as I wish?" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.
In his view, the nobility of the Land of Water was simply a massive gold mine.
After the Third Mizukage wreaked such havoc, the Village of the Bloody Mist would definitely cause indelible panic among the Land of Water's nobility. This naturally made it perfect for Konoha to enter the market and do business.
Not using violence, just doing business, following the rules, and providing good products.
It was essentially a difference of heaven and earth.
And the Land of Water's isolated island terrain made it exceptionally suitable as a warehouse-style mega-factory, turning it into Konoha's logistics sector.
"What a pity, ah, what a pity!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi smacked his lips.
And at this moment, Danzo walked in like a gust of wind. Seeing Hiruzen's actions, he froze.
Why was Hiruzen roasting himself with fire?
Did he smoke his pipe too hard and get dizzy?
"What are you doing, Hiruzen?" Danzo stared at the Fire Release chakra on Hiruzen's hand. He had an eye for these things; he could immediately tell it was an incredibly profound Fire Release nature transformation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly and didn't answer Danzo.
Danzo just kept staring, and after a moment, he finally realized what was wrong.
Hiruzen actually wasn't afraid of the fire? After burning for so long, his fingers looked as if they were placed in light rather than fire; there was no change at all!
"No..." Danzo felt a tightness in his chest. Could Hiruzen please stop training!
"What kind of forbidden jutsu is this again? Why haven't I heard of it!"
Danzo said, somewhat flustered and exasperated, "The First Hokage clearly stated that even the Hokage cannot casually practice forbidden jutsu. That's exactly why he established the Scroll of Seals to ban so many of Tobirama-sensei's jutsu!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed.
He was in such a rush he was even trying to pin Hashirama on him now?
"If Tobirama-sensei heard you say that, he would be very unhappy, you know," Hiruzen Sarutobi said softly.
Danzo looked resentful, but still stubbornly argued, "Just tell me, did the First Hokage say it or not!"
He naturally knew it was unreasonable to restrict Hiruzen's training, but he just couldn't resist making a couple of remarks.
"He said it, naturally he said it."
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly. "I am practicing a forbidden jutsu, but it wasn't invented by Tobirama-sensei. It's the achievement of Lady Mito and her father. I was specifically approved to practice it."
"If the First Hokage knew, I'm afraid he wouldn't say anything either. Don't you think?"
Danzo felt he had suffered internal injuries.
He decided that in the future, he would never engage in a war of words with Hiruzen regarding name-dropping.
Danzo felt he was truly foolish.
He forgot again—who could outplay Hiruzen in this regard?
Mito, the First Hokage, Tobirama-sensei, he could even drag out Madara Uchiha!
He was too good at dropping names.
"Hmph."
"My Wind Release Chakra Mode will also be completed soon!" Thinking of Seisui perfecting the ninjutsu for him, Danzo's mood grudgingly improved a little.
He would also become a shinobi with "distinctive characteristics," as Hiruzen called it!
"Then congratulations, Danzo." Hiruzen Sarutobi said smilingly, understanding in his heart that Tobirama was likely exerting his efforts.
This was also one of the major purposes of resurrecting Tobirama.
With his ninjutsu R&D capabilities, having shed the heavy burden of being Hokage, Tobirama had the spare capacity to help Konoha's strongmen expand their own limits.
It wasn't that Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't do it, but he was busy consolidating the foundation of those limits, so he didn't have much time.
"Sign this request form!"
"It's about my disciple, Seisui! He applied to collaborate with a shinobi from the Aburame clan." Danzo handed a document to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
That damn Orochimaru, trying to block him at every turn!
But Danzo wasn't afraid. At worst, he would just go to Hiruzen. Could he really be disgusted by such a thing?
Although Danzo's tone was stiff, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't annoyed.
For Danzo, the tone didn't matter. What mattered was that he finally understood he had to follow standard bureaucratic procedures.
This was growth.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt like an old father.
"Hmm?"
"To treat a female shinobi of the Uchiha clan, Tomie, and needs to research special medical-use Parasitic Destruction Insects?"
"Who is this Tomie?" Hiruzen Sarutobi originally wanted to just sign it off. After all, it was a request from Tobirama-sensei; as long as it wasn't too outrageous, he should just approve it all.
But the reason for establishing this project was too strange, so Hiruzen Sarutobi asked anyway.
"It's a woman I found for Seisui. She has some minor problems. Anyway, don't worry about it!" Danzo said, looking fierce but feeling weak inside.
He absolutely didn't want Hiruzen Sarutobi to know he had found a sickly invalid for Tobirama-sensei's descendant.
It was too embarrassing.
"Finding an Uchiha woman for Tobirama-sensei?"
"Danzo is quite something."
"Tobirama-sensei is so strange. If he wanted to experience romance, wasn't that girl Uzumaki Shio perfectly fine? Hashirama also found an Uzumaki woman; why not continue the fine tradition?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi complained internally, thought about it, and signed it anyway.
Respect Tobirama-sensei's freedom of romance!
Besides, since it was a matter of treating illnesses and saving lives, what problems could there be?
This was a good thing.
"Alright, Hiruzen!"
"I'm leaving. You better think carefully about how to deal with Hanzo yourself. That old bastard is visiting the village in a week. Knowing him, his intentions are absolutely not good."
"He couldn't possibly cooperate honestly with Konoha!"
Danzo left like a gust of wind, anxious to take this request form and claim credit with "Seisui," proving that his master's connections were still rock solid.
Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled as he watched Danzo's back, saying to himself, "He's getting along very happily with Tobirama-sensei! He's even so happy playing errand boy..."
"Hanzo."
Thinking of this name, Hiruzen Sarutobi also fell into deep thought.
Could Hanzo truly be sincere?
...
Amegakure.
The Leader's Office.
Hanzo stretched his limbs, pacing back and forth irritably.
After a moment, he sighed, sat back down, and stared at the paper in front of him.
On it, written with strokes that pierced through the back of the paper, was a name he had written unconsciously.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi"!
☆☆☆
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