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...
"Can you ask Lady Tsunade to return to the village?"
"Tsunade?" Gojo was startled. "What's the matter?"
"I'm worried that there might be more masked ninjas like the one we encountered today. Although I've entrusted Kushina with a Flying Thunder God kunai, it's still more reassuring to have someone by her side at all times."
"I see. You want Tsunade to be Kushina's bodyguard?"
"Though it's a bit embarrassing, this is my life's request..."
"Consider it done."
....
The Next Day
Konoha's new and old commercial streets were still bustling, but noticeably less lively than usual. Squads of vigilant ninjas patrolled various parts of the streets, silently casting the shadow of a lockdown.
Hokage Building
Representatives of Konoha's new era and various large and small ninja clans had gathered.
Minato Namikaze sat at the head seat. On his right, Uchiha Fugaku sat upright and serious. The seat to his left, where someone should have been, was empty.
A shadow hung over the hearts of those in the conference room. Could it be that something really happened last night?
After Fugaku, there were Hyuga Hizashi, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Choza... all the notable ninja clan leaders of Konoha were present.
Each major ninja clan had members in the Anbu.
Despite the strict confidentiality regulations of the Anbu, some things couldn't be kept secret.
The assassination incident that occurred yesterday wasn't a secret to the representatives in this conference room. However, the final outcome was not witnessed by anyone.
For example, how was Gojo Kaigetsu, the protagonist of the incident, doing now?
For a moment, everyone was anxious.
Assassination politics wasn't scary; what was scary were the aftershocks following an assassination.
This was an almost universal excuse. Since no one saw the masked man's face or knew his identity, he was like a handy knife.
Internally, it could be used to purge the village's "feudal remnants," pointing the spearhead at families leaning towards the Third Hokage and Danzo. Externally, it could serve as a reason to start a war...
Where would this knife, handed over by the masked man, be used?
The ninja clan representatives tacitly raised their heads, subtly glancing at the man sitting at the head.
Originally, there should have been two people; now, only the Fourth Hokage remained.
Everything depended on his will.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Minato Namikaze, his face stern, spoke first:
"What happened last night, I'm sure all of you have learned through your intelligence channels."
"A mysterious masked man claiming to be Uchiha Madara launched an assassination attempt on our Konoha elder. The enemy has been killed by me, and we've extracted information from him."
"This was an organized and premeditated assassination initiated by external forces..."
Here it comes!
The ninja clan representatives collectively breathed a sigh of relief, understanding that the butcher knife in the Fourth Hokage's hand probably wouldn't fall on them.
After all, starting with 'external forces,' which village was he planning to sanction?
"First, they aimed to assassinate our Konoha elder. Second, by claiming to be Uchiha Madara, they intended to sow discord between the Uchiha clan and Konoha..."
Following the script Gojo Kaigetsu had given him during their last meeting the previous night, Minato slowly set the tone for this meeting.
"Regarding the masked man who attempted to assassinate Advisor Gojo yesterday, we've consolidated and summarized the intelligence as follows-"
"The target possesses medium to long-distance space-warping abilities but can only teleport between pre-set 'nodes.'"
"Through an all-night investigation by the Hyuga clan ninjas, we've eliminated nine of the masked man's nodes within the greater Konoha area and are further searching for any possible remaining nodes."
"The target has the ability to 'become intangible,' making him immune to most ninjutsu, taijutsu, and damage from ninja tools. However, activating intangibility requires time. Theoretically, as long as the attack is fast enough, it can harm him."
Upon hearing this, Nara Shikaku raised his hand:
"How about Shadow Imitation Technique? Can it affect the masked man?"
"Theoretically, shadow techniques and genjutsu-type ninjutsu can affect the target. But theory is just theory; with the limited information we have, I can't make a definitive conclusion."
Konoha was meticulous like this.
Even though the enemy was already a corpse, they still needed to compile detailed records.
As "pre-history" for future generations, learning from history.
Sitting to Minato's right, Uchiha Fugaku crossed his arms, secretly alarmed.
Others might not know, but he understood very well...
These two abilities, different from conventional ninjutsu and touching upon "rules," sounded very much like the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Indeed, perhaps only he in the entire village knew that after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, one would gain two unique ocular abilities.
The left eye and right eye were like two keys; only when installed in oneself could the Mangekyō's abilities be fully utilized.
"Teleportation" and "intangibility"-such exaggerated ocular powers, yet they came from just the masked man's right eye.
He had personally confirmed the masked man's corpse. There was only a right eye; the left eye socket was empty.
Where was his left eye?
Could it be that this was really Uchiha Madara's eye?
A sacred relic of the ninja world?
Fugaku fell into deep thought. Could the dead truly be resurrected? Uchiha Madara, as the lifelong rival of the God of Shinobi, was clearly recorded in the clan history as having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But how long the Mangekyō could be maintained after its owner's death was not recorded.
The abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan were bizarre and varied.
Fugaku couldn't say for sure; what if Uchiha Madara had awakened an ocular power that allowed him to resurrect? But two eyes can only possess two abilities; a human body can't have a third eye...
It's also possible that he sacrificed one eye to forcefully extend his life until now.
But then, the masked man's strength seemed too weak, not fitting the traditional Konoha perception of Uchiha Madara.
So...
'It's highly possible that the other party is a member of our Uchiha clan, impersonating Uchiha Madara to try to divide the clan and the village.'
Fugaku's expression became serious. Both for public and personal reasons, he had to do his utmost to capture that masked man.
Once the identity of the other party as a member of the Uchiha clan was exposed, it was hard to say whether the clan's situation would return to its initial point.
'I'll have Elder Setsuna compile the records of clan members who died or went missing over the years after I return.'
Over the years, having experienced the Second and Third Ninja Wars, the Uchiha clan actively participated in battles, and countless clan members died on the battlefield. But defectors were unheard of.
Now it seemed there were only two possibilities: the personnel responsible for clan statistics concealed information, or someone was presumed dead but unexpectedly "came back to life."
Uchiha Fugaku was determined to initiate an internal investigation to find that Uchiha soul wandering outside the clan.
To retrieve the left Mangekyō Sharingan that should have been on the corpse.
Once he identified this soul, Uchiha Fugaku would enforce clan law with his own eyes!
Regardless of what Fugaku was thinking, Minato Namikaze continued his far-left rhetoric:
"Also, you've all noticed, right?"
"I said this attack was an organized and premeditated terrorist attack against Konoha."
"We must respond firmly to this!"
Minato clenched his right fist and struck the table heavily, speaking emphatically.
Such aggressive remarks immediately sparked enthusiastic discussions among some smaller ninja clans.
Starting from the Mist Village's free action plan, Gojo Kaigetsu had already shown his fangs before these ninja clan forces, pushing for increased military budgets with tough measures.
Now, after Gojo Kaigetsu's assassination and absence from the Konoha meeting, the Fourth Hokage stood up, representing Gojo Kaigetsu's will, wielding the butcher knife aimed at forces outside the village.
Such a figure was unprecedented in Konoha. No previous Hokage or powerful minister had ever tried to initiate external wars during their tenure.
It should be noted that in previous ninja wars, Konoha was always on the defensive, being invaded and forced to fight back.
The Aburame clan, which had unclear ties with Danzo's Root faction, was the first to stand up.
Aburame Shibi raised his hand and slowly asked:
"The masked man's identity hasn't been confirmed. If we issue a strong statement against external forces now... won't that leave the impression of Konoha being domineering and unjust in the ninja world, provoking them to unite against us? I think this is unwise."
With a leader, the flock found its voice.
Although not everyone leaned towards the Third Hokage and Danzo, due to their political demands and clan interests, not everyone desired war.
Nara Shikaku also stood up:
"We can indeed use the assassination attempt as a pretext to issue a strong statement externally. But, Fourth Hokage, don't forget... the Kumogakure has been trying to build a Greater Kumogakure Co-Prosperity Sphere."
"Our toughness now would undoubtedly push potential allies to the opposite side."
Minato, repeatedly dissuaded, did not show anger. Instead, he asked, "In Clan Leader Nara's opinion, whom should we target?"
Whom to target-in other words, who was the enemy Konoha should strike against now?
The Kumogakure?
Just as he was about to speak, Nara Shikaku realized things weren't that simple. The Fourth Hokage's uncharacteristic behavior was likely influenced by Gojo Kaigetsu.
Nara Shikaku answered with a question:
"May I ask about Advisor Gojo's current condition?"
He voiced the doubts in the hearts of the ninja clan representatives. Usually, as long as Gojo Kaigetsu could move, he would never miss such an important occasion to express his political views.
His absence today meant...
Hearing this question, Minato's face was full of sorrow:
"Advisor Gojo was severely injured in the assassination attempt and is hovering between life and death. I've arranged for personnel to make every effort to treat and protect him."
"To prevent a second assassination attempt by the enemy, no one is allowed to contact him without my permission."
Upon hearing this, Nara Shikaku sighed inwardly and remained silent.
He already understood that this matter was probably irreversible. Once Advisor Gojo died... the village would inevitably go to war, at least initiate a special military operation.
An eye for an eye, announcing to the ninja world that Konoha would not tolerate infringement.
Otherwise, if a village elder was assassinated so disgracefully in his own village, it would become a laughingstock if word got out.
Before that, they could only pray for Advisor Gojo's safety and choose a target that could relatively easily demonstrate Konoha's prestige to undertake a special military operation.
Nara Shikaku tentatively asked, "Fourth Hokage, what information did you extract from the enemy?"
After thinking for a moment, he proactively offered a suggestion: "I think this assassination was orchestrated by the Hidden Rain Village!"
The Hidden Rain Village.
Sandwiched between the great villages and becoming the first battleground, under Hanzo the Salamander's leadership, the Hidden Rain had once shown signs of becoming the sixth great ninja village.
But that was only a sign.
With the passage of time, even if Hanzo were still alive now, he would be a frail old man.
Nara Shikaku had reason to believe that the so-called isolationist policy was a helpless decision made when Hanzo's strength declined with no successor.
The Hidden Rain had completely declined.
But because of Hanzo's title, using the declining Hidden Rain and Hanzo to establish authority was more than appropriate.
Moreover, the geographical location of the Hidden Rain Village had strategic significance. Advancing could attack the Hidden Stone, retreating could defend Konoha-a strategic buffer zone.
"Fourth Hokage, what do you think?"
Nara Shikaku's eyes were sharp, believing this was the most advantageous choice for Konoha. The knife obtained at the cost of Advisor Gojo's "critical condition" would be fully utilized.
As long as the Fourth Hokage nodded, he, as a representative of a major ninja clan, would naturally fully support the work and strive for maximum benefits for Konoha.
After all, the corpse wouldn't speak. Regardless of who the extracted information pointed to in the end, or who the mastermind behind the assassination was.
Konoha shouldn't let personal emotions sway the best choice.
In Nara Shikaku's eyes, the Hidden Rain was the best target to establish authority.
However...
Minato shook his head. "No, this assassination was not carried out by people from the Hidden Rain Village. The information I extracted doesn't indicate that."
"Huh?"
"Then...?"
Nara Shikaku hesitated. Surely he wasn't going to say it was the Kumogakure?
Please, Fourth Hokage, be sensible!
Even if we have to deal with the Kumogakure or Hidden Stone sooner or later, now isn't the time to reveal our hand.
Even if the information is true, for the greater good, we can't...
"It's the Hidden Grass Village and the Hidden Hot Water Village!"
Minato spoke calmly, without blushing or gasping. After being Hokage for so long, he could manage appearances.
But this pointing at a deer and calling it a horse... made the usually gentle Minato feel a bit guilty.
But as a ninja who had reached the pinnacle of his profession and bearing the title of Hokage, he could completely disregard feelings of guilt.
"Oh, the Hidden Gr... What?"
An uproar ensued.
The discussions were even louder than when he announced a firm response.
"This is inappropriate, Fourth Hokage," Shikaku blurted out. "The Hidden Grass Village has always been a friendly neighbor to us. The Hidden Hot Water Village is also a peace-loving village and has promised to assist in building and guarding the 'Konoha-Suna Trade Route.'"
"How can we... How could they be the culprits who planned this assassination?"
"Although it's hard to believe, that's the reality."
"This was the last message Advisor Gojo gave me before he fell unconscious. He personally witnessed the masked man delivering information to the employer and is the only one who knows the truth of this attack."
"The masked man was a hired assassin who took a mission from the underground exchange!"
"And the ones who issued the mission... are suspected to be a Hidden Hot Water ninja named 'Hidan' and the Hidden Grass Village's 'Uzumaki Momohime' (Karin's mother)!"
"Konoha will issue a stern statement to both villages, demanding they hand over the two suspects to be brought back to Konoha for investigation. If they refuse..." Minato paused, his expression growing more serious, "We will launch the first true special military operation since the end of the Third Ninja War!"
**Hidan** and **Uzumaki Momohime**-these were the names provided by Gojo Kaigetsu.
Although they were nobodies that no one had heard of, Minato still followed Gojo Kaigetsu's will.
If we want people, we'll seize them! If they won't hand them over, we'll take them by force!
"Hidan? Uzumaki Momohime?"
These two unfamiliar names entered the vision of Konoha's elite. Even someone as smart as Nara Shikaku was momentarily puzzled.
These two... who are they?
Uzumaki Momohime could be understood-a survivor of the Uzumaki clan wandering outside.
But Hidan?
It's as absurd as a ninja academy kid comparing strengths and often bringing up the names of unknown classmates, then answering his own question with, "It's normal not to know; he's my deskmate."
But since it had come to this, Nara Shikaku couldn't refute anything.
He could only quietly return to his seat.
This was the Hokage's authority.
Usually, discussions were just discussions, votes were just votes.
When it came to village-level decisions, the Hokage always had the power of final say. The village's violent institutions would implement the Hokage's will from top to bottom.
Now, the Hokage of Konoha had announced a special military operation.
Then Konoha would have only one voice-launch the special military operation!
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" Nara Shikaku chose to comply with the Will of Fire.
Fugaku also stood up, placing his right fist over his heart: "Shinzō wo sasageyō!!" (Devote your hearts!)
Hyuga Hizashi followed suit: "Shinzō wo sasageyō!!"
"Shinzō wo sasageyō!"
More and more ninja clan representatives stood up, until finally, everyone was standing!
Although some still leaned towards conservatism and embraced peace in their hearts, under the collective will, they had no choice but to offer their hearts together.
Speaking of this 'devoting hearts'... it was a courtesy first proposed by Advisor Gojo.
Aimed at expressing loyalty to Konoha.
Well, what do you know?
Even seasoned Konoha ninjas, accustomed to the ninja world's cruelty and used to witnessing life and death, couldn't help but feel invigorated upon hearing this uniform slogan.
Truly, even though he was not in the Hokage building, hovering between life and death, the political influence he left behind deeply affected Konoha's elite.
Not a single person stood up to speak for the so-called "friendly neighboring villages."
That's how the ninja world is-either become the meal on the plate or sit at the table as one of the diners.
As the number one ninja village in the world, if we still had to worry about the thoughts and dignity of small villages, wouldn't that make being a great ninja village meaningless?
Perhaps initially, Konoha's aversion to war was very high.
But now, with Konoha's booming economy and strong military, a considerable number of leftist ninjas couldn't wait to exercise the dominance of the "superior village."
...
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