Chapter 130: Aftermath of the Great Battle
"A letter from the Fourth Kazekage?"
The Third Hokage took the letter, somewhat surprised.
He didn't understand why the Fourth Kazekage would send him a letter at this time.
This was the first time in ten years.
Due to the Third Great Ninja War, although Konoha and the Sand Village were currently at peace, their relationship wasn't particularly good, and there had been no communication between the Hokage and the Kazekage for ten years.
Ripping open the letter, he took out the photos inside.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at the photo of the giant summon beast and was stunned.
"This is too big!"
"This creature is almost twice the size of a tailed beast..."
Due to the armored appearance and altered form of the Dream Tapir, Hiruzen did not recognize it as the same creature that once belonged to Danzo.
Putting the photos aside, the Third Hokage quickly read through the letter from the Fourth Kazekage.
The more he read, the more shocked he became.
When he read about the masked man, the world-destroying fire jutsu, and the Deep Forest Emergence, his face turned grim.
Masked man, powerful fire jutsu, Deep Forest Emergence.
These three terms made the Third Hokage, like the Fourth Kazekage, believe that one of the combatants was indeed the masked man from the Akatsuki who had previously attacked Konoha.
Initially, the Fourth Kazekage was not sure who used the fire jutsu, but the Third Hokage knew the mysterious masked man from the Akatsuki possessed Uchiha bloodline, and historically, only the Uchiha clan could perform such large-scale fire jutsu.
The Third Hokage grew increasingly concerned. "If this masked man's power continues to grow unchecked, he could become an existential threat to Konoha," he thought, troubled by the potential danger. "But who could the other combatant be? Who else in the ninja world possesses such formidable power?"
He pondered the photographs showing the remains of a mini-moon formed by a jutsu, a technique he didn't recognize. "Summon Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura," he instructed the intelligence officer. "And call Tsunade as well."
Minutes later, Danzo Shimura entered the office, finding Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu already in deep discussion. "Hiruzen, what's this urgent matter about?" he asked, taking a seat.
Hiruzen wasted no time. "The masked man from the Akatsuki has made another move," he explained, handing over the photos and letter. "This time, he was seen near the Sand Village, using Deep Forest Emergence and an enormous fire jutsu. His power has grown significantly."
Danzo's eyes narrowed as he examined the photos and letter. He remembered his previous encounter with the Akatsuki in the Rain Village but kept it secret from everyone. Looking at the photos, he couldn't shake the familiarity of the armored summon beast. "This resembles my stolen Dream Tapir," he thought, but dismissed it due to the creature's altered appearance.
Reading further, Danzo's expression grew increasingly grave. The letter mentioned the Deep Forest Emergence being uprooted by a powerful jutsu from the sky, a technique that left him in awe.
"A jutsu that can uproot Deep Forest Emergence... How powerful must it be!"
Danzo instantly made up his mind to find and control these two powerful individuals, seeing them as essential assets for his ambitions.
"Who do you think the person fighting the Akatsuki's masked man might be?" Hiruzen asked, looking around at the other three high-ranking members of Konoha.
"I have no clue," Homura and Koharu said, shaking their heads. "But it could be the user of the Flying Thunder God technique from the Mist Village."
With limited information, they could only make educated guesses.
"What do you think of the Fourth Kazekage's proposal?" Hiruzen asked again.
The Fourth Kazekage suggested that the five great ninja villages should start taking the Akatsuki's existence seriously and prevent the organization from growing. He proposed a joint investigation to locate and eliminate the Akatsuki's hideouts.
"I agree," Danzo said first. His desire to locate the masked man aligned with this proposal, so he had no reason to oppose it.
"Yes, we should understand more about these suddenly powerful individuals," Homura agreed.
"Indeed, with the Akatsuki targeting the tailed beasts and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in our village, we must be proactive," Koharu added.
"Very well, we have a consensus," Hiruzen concluded. "I will write to the other villages and seek their cooperation."
The Akatsuki's masked man had become too significant a threat to ignore. Any sacrifices made during the investigation would be justified to prevent him from growing more powerful.
"By the way, has Mr. Lurigan sent any new information about the Akatsuki recently?" Homura suddenly asked.
"He recently sent pictures of Akatsuki members, but nothing more. We'll have to wait for his next report," Hiruzen replied, shaking his head.
Suddenly, the door to the Hokage's office was thrown open, and Tsunade strode in, glancing at Danzo and the others before directly addressing Hiruzen.
"Old man, what's so urgent that you called me here?" she asked boldly.