"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Shimura Danzo took a deep breath and exhaled a high-pressure wind bullet from his mouth aimed at Black Zetsu's limbs, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He started with his signature ninjutsu. There's no doubt that if it hit, it would leave some serious bruises.
"Well, well, it seems we have nothing to discuss..." Black Zetsu shook his head in disappointment. Clapping his hands together, two thick vines sprouted from under his feet, blocking the unstoppable Vacuum Great Sphere.
The wind kept cutting into the Wood Release vines but couldn't break through.
The force of the Vacuum Great Sphere diminished over time, eventually dissipating as if swallowed by the Wood Release.
Seeing the androgynous figure before him use the Wood Release he had long coveted, Danzo's pupils shrank in shock. "Wood Release?! How... how is this possible? Who are you?"
"Isn't it a bit late to ask such questions, Lord Danzo? Also, aren't you curious why your subordinates haven't come out to protect you yet?"
"Kakuzu, Sasori, Jūzō, it's about time~"
Swish, swish, swish—
Three ninjas in black cloaks with red clouds appeared on the surrounding branches, forming a triangular formation that trapped Danzo in the center.
No exaggeration to say, all escape routes were blocked.
Danzo looked straight ahead and saw a ninja wearing a Takigakure headband with a scratch, wrapped in black threads, playing with Aburame Ryoma's head.
On the side, a red-haired ninja with a Sunagakure headband scratched out had five of Danzo's subordinates, including Yamanaka Fū, hanging from chakra puppet strings extending from his fingers, swaying in the air.
The last one was a Kirigakure rogue ninja carrying the Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade), with the heads of the remaining Root members placed steadily on the blade.
Seeing this, Danzo's heart sank to the bottom.
This was an organized, premeditated ambush targeting Root.
And his subordinates... though not absolute elites, were at least selected Jōnin. Yet in such a short time, they had been wiped out?!
His most trusted and powerful subordinates, Aburame Ryoma and Yamanaka Fū, hadn't even sent out a distress or warning signal.
This group of rogue ninjas from various villages, wearing this uniform... what are they?
Danzo quickly searched his mind for related information, eliminating all impossibilities, finally locking onto—
"You are from Amegakure, the Akatsuki organization."
"Is it that Hanzo?"
"Heh, I should have led Root to turn Amegakure upside down back then."
Danzo's expression was grim, speaking with resentment.
He had many regrets in his life. Not having the resolve to eliminate the Uchiha clan was one; but now it seemed... not destroying Hanzo and the Akatsuki was the biggest mistake.
Not only was he going to die here today, but Konoha might also become targeted by this group.
If he could be ambushed despite having ten Root ninjas guarding him, who in Konoha could truly be safe?
'I must get this information back to the village.'
'Otherwise... Konoha will be in danger.'
Danzo couldn't utter any more words. He tightened his grip on his kunai, adjusted his collar, and his eyes revealed extreme ruthlessness and determination:
"If you want to kill me, go ahead and try."
"Sigh... why did it have to come to this? We could have been great partners," Black Zetsu sighed in disappointment. "Well then, let's do it~ Sasori, Kakuzu, Jūzō, attack together, don't hold back."
"After all, he's the Darkness of the Shinobi World, not an opponent to be taken lightly."
As his words fell, the three figures instantly disappeared from the branches, each using their unique skills to attack the surrounded Shimura Danzo.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
"Ninja Art: Flame Prison Formation!"
"Ninja Art: Tentacle Fist!"
"Kubikiribōchō—!!"
The battle of encirclement erupted instantly!
Soon, Danzo despairingly realized he was no match for this group.
Even in a one-on-one situation, only the rogue ninja from Kirigakure wielding the Kubikiribōchō was someone he could handle.
As for the other two...
Danzo felt a sense of powerlessness reminiscent of sparring with Hiruzen Sarutobi in his youth, being firmly suppressed by not just one level, but perhaps two.
Undoubtedly, these two possessed Kage-level strength.
Even in his younger days, he might not have been a match, let alone now when his skills had declined from years of office work.
'If only... I had eliminated the Uchiha clan earlier and seized the power of the Sharingan.'
'If only Hiruzen were here, back-to-back with me against these damned assassins...'
In a moment of distraction, Danzo failed to notice the enemy attacking from behind.
Black threads shot out from Kakuzu's body like spears, piercing through Danzo's back.
"Urgh—"
Already struggling like a candle in the wind, Danzo coughed up blood, his body swaying, and his vision began to blur.
Struggling, he staggered to raise his hands, seemingly wanting to use ninjutsu to leave some mark on his enemies.
Seeing that the target had lost mobility, Sasori stopped his attack and silently retreated to the side.
Kakuzu showed no mercy. Having succeeded in one strike, he pressed the advantage, shooting out five more black-threaded spears, turning Danzo into a human pincushion.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish—
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud—
Danzo collapsed face-first onto the ground, his body twitching slightly, unable to rise again, his gaze growing increasingly dim.
Shimura Danzo's consciousness began to blur, and past memories flashed before him like a revolving lantern.
Was the tale of the Darkness of the Shinobi World coming to an end like this?
Danzo couldn't help but reflect on his life...
'What a failure.'
A ninja's value is determined by their death; they should die as a great ninja. But what was this?
He couldn't save his most respected teacher, lost the Hokage position to his lifelong friend, his disciples died meaninglessly in the ninja wars, his clan fought till only he remained, his attempt to suppress the Uchiha clan failed, and his plan to gather political power outside the village for a future Konoha also failed...
Even at the moment of death, he was all alone, unable to see any of his three dear friends from Konoha.
Failure seemed to permeate his entire life.
'What a meaningless life.'
"Well, well, is it over?"
Black Zetsu, who had been hiding in the shadows, emerged from behind a tree trunk. "Jūzō, go and take Shimura Danzo's head."
"The client specified that we need the head to settle the payment. We'll have to clean up afterward; if Konoha ninjas find out, things could get troublesome."
"Don't damage the body; we still have use for it."
"Tch—" Jūzō clicked his tongue. Such dirty work always fell to his Kubikiribōchō.
Jūzō hefted his blade and walked toward the fallen, barely alive Shimura Danzo, holding the sword horizontally and aiming it at Danzo's neck.
"Hehe... ha ha ha ha..."
Unexpectedly, Danzo, with black threads piercing his back, suddenly struggled to stand up as if experiencing a final burst of energy.
He laughed maniacally, chakra light flashing in his hands.
Kakuzu and Sasori, who were observing, were somewhat surprised. They didn't understand... logically, Danzo's heart should have stopped beating by now. What was sustaining him?
"Not good!"
Kakuzu, the manipulator of the black threads, seemed to sense something through the chakra transmission in the threads, and his expression changed dramatically.
He immediately retreated while shouting a warning: "Get away from Shimura Danzo!"
Snap—
Using all his strength, Danzo slammed his chakra-infused hand onto the ground—
[Beware of Amegakure]
The message, carrying all of Danzo's will, transformed into countless seals flowing from his palm into the ground, penetrating deep beneath the earth.
"Even in death, you won't get any information from me that could harm Konoha."
"For Konoha, you all... will die here!"
Danzo tore open his shirt, revealing the terrifying Reverse Four Symbols Sealing formula on his chest.
"Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, activate—!!!"
Danzo shouted fiercely, and in the next second, a terrifying black energy wave spread out, engulfing everything around.
Jūzō, unable to dodge in time, was instantly enveloped by the black energy. He didn't even have time to scream before his flesh, bones, and even the Kubikiribōchō were completely consumed.
The ground, dust, trees—everything that came into contact with the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing vanished in an instant.
As if... they had never existed in the ninja world.
After expanding to a certain limit, the black spherical wave began to retract, flowing back toward Danzo.
Danzo turned his head toward Konoha, quietly feeling his body being consumed.
'In this way... perhaps my life isn't a complete failure.'
'This time, I finally went ahead of you... Hiruzen.'
Whoosh—
A gentle breeze passed by, bringing a touch of life to the silent air.
The surviving Kakuzu, Sasori, and Black Zetsu stood on distant tree trunks, staring blankly at the massive crater on the ground, and at the sealing script etched into it that even the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing couldn't erase.
"Beware of Kirigakure..."
"What a terrifying madman, planting a Reverse Four Symbols Sealing in his own body, ready to take the enemy down with him at any time."
Black Zetsu wiped nonexistent sweat (sap) from his forehead, still shaken.
Despite living for thousands of years, he had no means against sealing techniques. If Kakuzu hadn't warned him in time, he might have been caught. If touched by the black chakra wave of the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing... he would die all the same.
Sealing techniques are just too unreasonable!
Black Zetsu felt indignant.
There are many ways in the ninja world for the weak to defeat the strong, but sealing techniques are among the most disgusting.
Ignoring centuries of cultivation, ignoring the abilities of Kekkei Genkai, regardless of how much chakra you have, or how strong it is, or how glorious you were in life—if you get touched by a sealing technique, it's over.
His mother was sealed away by the strongest sealing technique, and he had almost followed in her footsteps just now.
"Tch... that Jūzō guy."
Kakuzu jumped down from the tree. The spot where Jūzō and Danzo had been was now nothing but a large crater with sealing script.
"The Kubikiribōchō was a nice weapon; it could've fetched a good price. What a pity."
Kakuzu showed no emotional fluctuation over the loss of his comrade. To him, only money was a loyal partner.
The three gathered around the crater. Sasori spoke first: "What about the script in the crater? Should we destroy it? It could be troublesome if Konoha sees it."
Hearing this, Black Zetsu crouched down and clapped his hands.
The script in the crater began to distort until it transformed into—[Beware of Kirigakure]
Though he wanted to lead Konoha ninjas directly to Amegakure so that Nagato could eliminate them, he realized that could make the situation uncontrollable, possibly leading to the Five Great Nations uniting against them. So he gave up on that idea.
Looking at the message Danzo had left with his life but which he had altered, Black Zetsu clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Well, with Shimura Danzo dead, our payment might be halved."
Indeed, attacking Shimura Danzo was one of his own desires, hoping to recruit more useful ninjas into the Akatsuki. But the direct factor motivating them to risk infiltrating Konoha was the bounty from the underground exchange.
The underground exchange doesn't ask for the client's name, only about the mission.
It was clear that the client who issued the bounty on Shimura Danzo was quite angry~ Konoha had just completed a military operation against Kusagakure, and immediately such a bounty was posted, specifying that they wanted the head.
In these turbulent times, carrying out assassination missions would undoubtedly increase the intensity of conflict between ninja villages.
Great! The more chaotic, the better! Not only would it make the ninja world more unstable, but it would also bring revenue to the Akatsuki. Black Zetsu admired the client's sense of the bigger picture.
"I can probably guess who the client issuing this bounty is."
"Not interested; as long as they pay."
"Kakuzu, with the reward halved, don't you feel it's a pity?"
"Pity?"
Black threads extended from Kakuzu's body, twisting and revealing Shimura Danzo's head, lifelike.
"When I pierced Danzo with my threads, I took a piece of his flesh. Though it's fake, it looks pretty real."
Soon, the fake head of Danzo appeared in Kakuzu's hand. "Also, I don't understand; what do they want his flesh for?"
"Heh, as expected of you, Kakuzu."
"As for why they want his flesh... it's for our organization's new member."
Black Zetsu took the flesh handed over by Kakuzu and casually explained, "In short, the new member has been ordered by the leader to research and develop new types of ninjutsu. Our organization will need it in the future."
As they conversed, Sasori used his puppet strings to lift the bodies of the Root ninjas, except for Danzo. "For the mission, only the heads are needed, right?"
"That's correct. Why?"
"Then... I'll use these bodies to make puppets. They were all fairly strong ninjas."
"Feel free."
Sasori nodded and left without looking back, carrying the bodies.
One of the best things about the Akatsuki is that it allows rogue ninjas, who have violated taboos and are unwelcome in their villages, to fully utilize their talents.
Getting ten Jōnin corpses at once, including Kekkei Genkai users... that's impossible in a normal ninja village.
But in the Akatsuki, they just did it!
For rogue ninjas like Sasori, they might lack loyalty but not interest.
Unlike Kakuzu, Sasori wasn't interested in money. He wouldn't have bothered with this bounty if the targets weren't high-level ninjas; he preferred to stay in his base improving his puppets.
After Sasori left, Kakuzu strung together the heads of the ten Root ninjas with black threads and curiously asked, "Zetsu, which village is the new member from?"
"Konoha Village... you'll meet him soon when we return to the base."
"What's his ability?"
"An excellent grasp of ninja science and... some astounding forbidden techniques."
"Tch—so secretive. Fine, I'm off to cash in."
Seeing Black Zetsu being mysterious, Kakuzu lost interest and turned to head for the nearest exchange to collect the bounty.
Behind him, Black Zetsu reminded, "Don't forget, after cashing in, we still need to utilize the heads."
"Got it."
Black Zetsu remained alone, surveying the surroundings. After confirming that no one was secretly observing, his body slowly sank into the ground.
The members of the Akatsuki were driven by interests and hatred toward its predetermined goal; he couldn't fall behind~
To achieve his objective as soon as possible, the Akatsuki needed ample funds and members starting at the elite Jōnin level... Currently, the Akatsuki's membership was too low.
Nagato, Konan, Sasori, Kakuzu, Jūzō, and the newly joined member.
Now that Jūzō was dead, they barely had Sasori and Kakuzu left... Not even enough for an organization; in a ninja village, they couldn't even form a three-man genin team—what a joke!
The planned member candidates had either fled or disappeared.
Obito Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Orochimaru... one after another, they deviated from his plans, which was extremely rare in Black Zetsu's long life.
Especially Obito Uchiha; the final implementation of the plan would have to be reconsidered.
"I need more manpower..."
"Where to go first?"
"Blood Prison? Land of Snow? Or... Sky Country."
Finally, Black Zetsu's body completely sank into the ground, disappearing into the vast night.
Leaving behind only traces of blood, telling the tale of tonight's fierce battle.
Far away, in the Sarutobi clan residence in Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt a pang of unease. He sat up from his bed, looked at the bright moon outside the window, took out his pipe, and began to smoke heavily.
"What's happened now? Why do I feel so restless?"
In the Hokage Building.
"Next, we'll discuss the resettlement of the Uzumaki clan."
In the conference hall, Nara Shikaku, who was still acting as Advisor secretary-general, stood up to report.
Until Danzo returned to the village to complete the handover, he still had to work in the Hokage Building, enduring Gojo Kaigetsu's exploitation.
The resettlement of the Uzumaki clan.
This sensitive issue, a legacy of the times, was finally back on Konoha's agenda.
Topics that were once untouchable were now being freely addressed one by one by Gojo Kaigetsu; freedom of speech was increasing.
"Iki" never deceives.
Having started the topic, Nara Shikaku continued: Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Momohime, Uzumaki Karin.
These are the three Uzumaki currently living in Konoha.
No need to mention Kushina—she's the Hokage's wife and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, famous throughout the land.
As for the other two, one is an ordinary person, and the other is an infant... How to promote and attract the wandering Uzumaki survivors back to the village has become Konoha's top priority.
Gojo Kaigetsu spoke first: "We'll allocate a portion of the Senju clan's land to the Uzumaki clan as their new residence."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The political stance was clear. Except for not changing his surname to Senju, Gojo Kaigetsu was essentially managing all matters related to the Senju clan.
From initially using the Senju clan's property deeds to develop new commercial streets to now allocating clan land.
Now that the territory was set, it was time to consider the issue of expanding the clan.
Gojo Kaigetsu looked at the names written on Shikaku's whiteboard: Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Momohime, Uzumaki Karin...
No need to mention Kushina; in two or three months, she'll probably give birth to the future "prince."
Given Minato's personality, he might still name him Uzumaki Naruto... As for having a second or third child in response to the "More Children, More Happiness" policy, that's their family matter; Gojo Kaigetsu wouldn't comment.
'As for the clan leader, it's best if a male ninja takes the role. Uzumaki Momohime is just an ordinary person; better not involve her in the ninja world's conflicts.'
'We can first confirm the clan land; this has political significance. As for the clan leader, we'll wait for other Uzumaki survivors to come.'
From the perspective of the Hokage's lineage theory and respecting individual wishes, Gojo Kaigetsu hoped that Uzumaki Momohime could remarry.
The target families are just two—the Uchiha and the Hyuga.
The combination of Senju and Uzumaki didn't produce an exceptional bloodline. After two generations, by the time of Tsunade, aside from extraordinary physical strength and vitality, none of the advantages were passed down. It was a waste of two powerful Senju bloodlines.
Moreover, the Senju clan no longer had any male heirs. So, the Senju bloodline route is a pass!
As for the other Senju bloodline, the Kaguya clan... The only male heir, Kimimaro, is still in the orphanage receiving education. In the future, perhaps he could be paired with the grown-up Karin.
So, after considering, only the Uchiha and Hyuga remain.
Combining the Senju body and the Sage's eyes formula, from the later performance of the "prince," it seems that combining Uzumaki and Hyuga bloodlines can produce the Tenseigan. As for the abilities of the Tenseigan... Gojo Kaigetsu felt they were somewhat underwhelming compared to other overpowered eye techniques.
As for the Uchiha...
There are no known instances of the Uchiha marrying outside the clan, partly to prevent bloodline leakage and partly to keep the Sharingan's power pure.
For this reason, the Uchiha mostly married within the clan or with civilian ninjas, never considering merging bloodlines to create more powerful abilities.
But... owing to the debt of gratitude that can never be repaid, as long as Gojo Kaigetsu asks, the Uchiha will agree to a marriage alliance with the Uzumaki clan.
This trivial request, Gojo Kaigetsu believes the Uchiha will give him face.
As distant relatives of the Senju, the Uzumaki naturally possess immense vitality and chakra... Combining with the Uchiha can't be bad.
However... Mikoto Uchiha is about to give birth soon. If he tries to pair up Brother Fugaku with Uzumaki Momohime now, wouldn't that be a bit too inconsiderate?
'As a Advisor, I'm in a difficult position~'
Gojo Kaigetsu tapped his fingers on the conference table:
"The Uzumaki clan has always been an inseparable part of Konoha. Even after establishing Uzushiogakure, the brotherhood remains."
"We need to build a new era of Konoha-Uzushiogakure friendship, calling back the wandering Uzumaki survivors to the village, properly resettling them. We must do both and do both well..."
Gojo Kaigetsu spouted some bureaucratic rhetoric, then waved his hand: "Adjourned. Fugaku Uchiha, please stay. We'll reconvene in ten minutes."
In the empty conference room, only Gojo Kaigetsu and Fugaku Uchiha remained.
Gojo Kaigetsu rubbed his hands together, grinning slyly: "Fugaku~ What do you think of Lady Momohime?"
Unaware that he was being targeted, Fugaku replied truthfully: "She's quite pitiful. Perhaps her experiences in Kusagakure left her in despair."
"Last night, I arranged for her to stay in the Uchiha compound. I tested the waters; she's not very interested in rebuilding the Uzumaki clan, just wants to live peacefully."
"Understandable, since she's not a ninja."
If she doesn't want to rebuild, so be it. But the Uzumaki clan's name must still be promoted.
Given the Uzumaki clan's natural advantages as ninjas and their historical ties with Konoha... If they can gather the Uzumaki survivors and earn their loyalty, Konoha will gain a source of "good family" recruits.
[One Konoha, One Government, One Hokage]
Power comes from the barrel of a gun; Konoha needs a force absolutely loyal to the Hokage and the Advisor to ensure stability and unite all ninja clans.
Civilian ninjas are the best, but without inherited ninjutsu or Kekkei Genkai, it's hard for them to stand out, and their strength might be lacking.
The Uchiha clan could be used, but since they owe a debt of gratitude that can't be repaid. But Konoha already has the Police Force, and it's not good to make them the bad guys again after working hard to improve their reputation.
Otherwise, followers of the Second and Third Hokage or Danzo might attempt a "Root Restoration."
Therefore, Gojo Kaigetsu's ideal direct unit is a completely clean ninja clan with no ties to Konoha's existing clans. Trained from scratch, bound to the Gojo family's interests through gratitude...
Alternatively, individual ninjas like Mei Terumi, Pakura, and Yugito Nii, who have been captivated by Gojo Kaigetsu's masculine charm and driven by personal will.
Besides the above purposes, there's another reason Gojo Kaigetsu wants to promote the Uzumaki clan...
Though the chances are slim, what if? What if Nagato Uzumaki lets go of his anger and doesn't become a "rice mover"?
Ninjas value bonds the most. The friendship between Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko is a bond, his teacher-student relationship with Jiraiya is a bond, and his familial ties with the Uzumaki clan, though distant, are also bonds... right?
They're all red-haired Uzumaki with Sage bodies; Nagato, are you going to be the odd one out?
That's what Gojo Kaigetsu thought. By gathering more Uzumaki clan members, perhaps when Nagato flies over Konoha preparing to unleash Chibaku Tensei, he'll hesitate.
So, promoting the Uzumaki clan is imperative!
As for how to maximize the visibility of "Konoha's Uzumaki clan"?
Writing stories in "Iki" is one way, and another is to pair them quickly with high-profile ninja clans! Hmm... The Uchiha are quite suitable.
Gojo Kaigetsu had even thought of the headlines:
"Love in the Ninja World: The Century-Long Union of Uchiha and Uzumaki!", "Sky-High Dowry: The Uzumaki Clan's Dowry is an Entire Village", and other attention-grabbing phrases.
Gojo Kaigetsu said: "So~ Fugaku, what's Lady Mikoto's attitude toward Lady Momohime?"
"Mikoto? She probably feels sorry for her." Fugaku recalled, a happy smile appearing: "Mikoto even helped take care of little Karin for a while."
"Oh, so she doesn't object?"
"She doesn't object. Why?"
Fugaku was a bit puzzled, feeling that the Advisor was acting strangely today.
A familiar feeling, as if he was about to be shielded again.
Snap—
Gojo Kaigetsu placed his hands on Fugaku's shoulders, his unseen eyes full of sincerity: "Fugaku~ Would you like a Mistress?"
"Huh?"
"Cough—"
"Regarding the resettlement of the Uzumaki clan, I've discussed it with Police Chief Fugaku... He's gone to handle it. Let's continue the meeting," Gojo Kaigetsu cleared his throat and announced, moving to the next agenda item: "What's the situation with the Daimyō?"
Upon hearing this, Nara Shikaku smiled wryly and began to explain the situation.
Someone from the Nara clan works in the Daimyō's palace. Although the Daimyō's envoys were still on their way to Konoha, the Nara clan had already relayed the message.
The message was simple and clear, only eight words: [The Daimyō is furious, may strip the Kage of power]
Such a special military operation, carried out without the Daimyō's approval or even notification, had indeed incurred his wrath.
Moreover, the target wasn't a longtime enemy but the Land of Grass, which annually paid tribute to the Daimyō with rare treasures!
Konoha's actions were tantamount to giving the Daimyō a loud slap in front of the entire ninja world. How dare the military bypass the civil administration to mobilize ninja forces?
If he didn't severely reprimand them this time, tomorrow the Land of Fire might change its name to Namikaze!
That's why the Daimyō was so angry, even sending envoys intending to strip Minato Namikaze of his Hokage title.
Even more extremely, he might abolish the Hokage position and have the Daimyō's bureaucratic institutions govern directly.
If they couldn't give the Daimyō a satisfactory answer, Konoha might lose its political legitimacy.
This matter is both big and small.
After all, it's not an external invasion; the Daimyō and his envoys are political leaders in name. At most, they could strip some legitimacy, but they couldn't threaten the lives of Konoha's ninjas.
If it were during the Third Hokage or Danzo's time, they might have paid more attention to the Daimyō, but now...
Nara Shikaku glanced at Gojo Kaigetsu, who yawned boredly: "There's nothing to worry about. Konoha's stance remains unchanged. Let the Daimyō scold us all he wants, but we won't accept even a penny less in funding."
"Otherwise, hmph hmph~"
To deal with the Daimyō's envoys, Gojo Kaigetsu had already reached an "Agreement on Non-Aggression Between Ninja Villages and Specifics on National Aggression" with Ōnoki.
"Also, the military factories we started building during Kirigakure's period of free action are almost complete. Let's take this opportunity to leak some information."
"Tell the ninja world and the Daimyō that Konoha's military budget has increased!"
Strike first to avoid a hundred strikes later. Gojo Kaigetsu decided to take this opportunity to lay his cards on the table with the Daimyō, letting him restrain himself and stop trying to extend his influence into Konoha.
To prevent him from acting up later and sending envoys to Konoha to complain repeatedly. If he behaves, Gojo Kaigetsu has no intention regarding the Daimyō's position. But if he doesn't, in the future, the Land of Fire will be named Gojoland, and Konoha Village will be Namikaze!
Advisor Gojo's patience has its limits~
Nara Shikaku smiled awkwardly. After all, someone from his clan worked for the Daimyō, and seeing Advisor Gojo's attitude, he felt a bit conflicted.
He decided to skip this segment:
"What's strange is that there's no reaction from Kumogakure... The grandson of their Elder Council died during the special operation, and their Jinchūriki publicly announced her defection, yet Kumogakure acts as if nothing happened."
"It's unusually calm."
"Our intelligence department hasn't relaxed, but indeed hasn't detected any military movements."
"Hmm..."
Gojo Kaigetsu nodded; the situation was roughly so. He had subtly hinted to Samui, and intercepted information late at night; Kumogakure indeed hadn't taken action.
However, "no action" refers to no official action. After all, Samui was in contact with the Raikage.
Gojo Kaigetsu was worried that Kumogakure wasn't monolithic, and that the militaristic faction within, possibly led by the Raikage A, might be secretly mobilizing troops against Konoha.
Ha, the ninja world is truly crazy when even Raikage A can be considered a moderate conservative.
Gojo Kaigetsu spoke, defining the matter: "This doesn't align with Kumogakure's usual behavior. I'm afraid their militaristic faction has started preparing against Konoha, possibly planning military actions."
"It could be a special military operation or an assassination attempt, but a full-scale ninja war is unlikely. In any case, strengthen defenses around Konoha these days; better safe than sorry."
At this point, the Konoha meeting was about to conclude.
But at that moment, messenger ninja Kakashi Hatake hurriedly burst into the conference room—
"Gojo-sama, something terrible has happened!"
"Elder Danzo, he..."
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