"Don't tell me that the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan can evolve just like the Sharingan!"
"Why not?"
Takashi replied, "I've gained some strange abilities, and because of them, the Caged Bird Seal that bound me has disappeared. I can only say that my eyes have evolved."
"Damn it!!"
The moment she heard that, Tsunade felt like hitting someone.
She didn't care whether his eyes had regressed or evolved—the Caged Bird Seal that had bound him was gone, and he hadn't told her sooner? She had been worried all along that the old man might join forces with the Hyuga Main House to target Takashi.
If she had known that his Caged Bird Seal was gone, why would she have been so wary?
"Jerk, stop rubbing it!!"
---
Konoha still hadn't given up on sending people into the Land of Rain to provoke Sunagakure and Iwagakure. The Third Hokage and his advisors unanimously believed that it was a plan with multiple benefits. Even if there were some mishaps along the way, Sunagakure and Iwagakure would still fall for it.
"The information about the village's response to Sunagakure has been leaked by Shimura Danzo. I wonder if it will affect the plan," Nara Shikashin voiced his concern.
"Even if it does, it's not our problem. Nowadays, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio is no longer aligned with them. Sigh..." Akimichi Torifu sighed, suddenly finding the roast meat in his hand less appetizing.
"What do you think Lady Mito was thinking, putting someone like me, a plump guy, in an advisory position to the Hokage? Not only that, but she even entrusted the medical system to me, clearly not intending for me to step down anytime soon."
You think you can step down?
Nara Shikashin retorted in exasperation, "Nowadays, with the Ino-Shika-Cho clans and several other families aligned with Lady Tsunade, do you really think you can step down?"
"..."
Why is it that I, this poor fat man, have such rotten luck?
I just wanted to stay at home, study some good food, and maybe give my clan a little push from behind—was that too much to ask?
"Has the new Jonin Commander been decided?"
Since the village's founding, the position of Jonin Commander had always been held by someone from the Nara Clan, but now that position was gone.
With Hokage's advisory role and control of the medical system in Akimichi Torifu's hands, the elders council group would find ways to diminish the influence of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
The most obvious move was to take away Nara Shikashin's position as Jonin Commander, which held significant power.
"It's already decided—Sarutobi Matsuda," Akimichi Torifu sighed.
Nara Shikashin frowned slightly. "Matsuda? If he's become the Jonin Commander, I doubt any good will come of it."
"Who knows," Akimichi Torifu continued eating his roasted meat.
"He was nominated by Homura, so it's probably the Hokage's idea."
"No, I just can't understand why Lady Mito won't let go of me."
Where's your brain?
Nara Shikashin gave him a look of disdain:
"Most likely, it was Danzo's actions that pushed Lady Mito to do this. She didn't want Tsunade and others to end up in an awkward position after she was gone.
And only if you stepped up would Tsunade have more say in things."
"Forget it, let's drop it," Akimichi Torifu grew more depressed the more he thought about it.
He nearly said they should just put Tsunade in his position directly. But on second thought, that would have been too overt, and they needed someone to stand out in the open who could compete with the Third Hokage and his people.
So, he—Akimichi Torifu—was pushed forward.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had considerable influence, and many clans in the village were aligned with them. Akimichi Torifu had once been classmates, teammates, and fellow disciples of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, alongside the Third Hokage and his allies.
Him standing out openly would bring a greater sense of deterrence.
---
On the borders of the Land of Rain, Hanzo the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, stood in a cave carved into the side of a mountain, gazing out at the gloomy sky.
A small black dot appeared on the horizon, growing larger as it approached.
"Kazekage, you're late."
Hanzo's tone carried displeasure as the other party hadn't arrived at the agreed time, making him wait for an extra two hours.
Waiting two hours wasn't a big deal, but what irked Hanzo was that the Third Kazekage clearly didn't see him as an equal.
"Apologies, there were many matters to attend to in the village," the Third Kazekage said indifferently, stepping off the iron sand that had brought him to the cave.
"Do you really think I'll believe that?"
The Third Kazekage didn't care whether Hanzo believed him or not.
"Hanzo, don't forget that you're the one who approached me, seeking cooperation with Sunagakure."
"I've already shared information with you. Isn't that enough to show Amegakure's sincerity?"
Hanzo tightened his grip on his scythe, his hand clenching around the handle. If it weren't for the fact that he was the one who had come seeking cooperation, he would have liked nothing more than to feed the Third Kazekage some salamander poison.
Konoha wanted to respond to Sunagakure's provocations by dragging Amegakure into the mess. Hanzo had no choice but to take the initiative and seek allies.
Sunagakure was his chosen target.
One could say that Shimura Danzo's dealings with Hanzo, trading village intelligence, had already altered the course of Konoha's plans.
Without the information leak, both Sunagakure and Iwagakure would have walked into Konoha's provocations when they sent people into the Land of Rain, dragging Amegakure into an unnecessary disaster.
With the leak, it was clear that Konoha was determined to involve Amegakure, forcing Hanzo to seek a new way out.
The Third Kazekage acted as though he couldn't see Hanzo's anger, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, staring into the distance.
"The sincerity of the 'Demi-God' has indeed been noted," said the Kazekage. "So, how does Amegakure wish to cooperate?
"If you intend to use this information to prevent Sunagakure from entering the Land of Rain, you'd better forget it."
So what if Amegakure had risen in power? Could they compare to the Five Great Shinobi Villages?
How Sunagakure and Konoha chose to compete was their business, and Hanzo had no right to interfere.
"..."
Damn it!!
Hanzo really wanted to swing his scythe and teach the Third Kazekage a lesson. The other party didn't seem to regard him as a "Demi-God" at all.
The message was simple: either be Sunagakure's dog and work together against Konoha, or just sit back and watch as Konoha and Sunagakure battled it out. As for whether Amegakure got caught in the crossfire, who cared?
"Clink-clink-clink."
The chains on Hanzo's scythe rattled as he shook with rage. "Kazekage, don't push me too far. If I sought you out, I can just as easily turn to others, like Konoha."
Whatever makes you happy.
The Third Kazekage glanced at Hanzo:
"I hope that when Iwagakure decides to step in, the 'Demi-God' will still be able to say the same thing."
Turn to Konoha?
Go ahead and try.