Chapter 171: Stability
"Master Hokage, everything
has settled down. It has been confirmed that the enemy has all left the
village. Now the village is in a safe state, and this matter has been
completely kept secret from the villagers." After ordering the wounded
Anbu to go for treatment, another Anbu appeared in the Hokage's office.
Hearing this, the Third Hokage
nodded and said, "Make sure to follow the retreating intruders
closely."
"Yes!" This Anbu ninja
looked much better than the previous one, not appearing to have suffered any
injuries.
"You were part of the team
led by Minato to rescue Kushina. What happened that made you return so
suddenly?" the Third Hokage asked.
This Anbu ninja belonged to the
team led by Namikaze Minato to rescue Kushina after she was taken by Kumo
ninjas.
It was really because of the
sudden return of Kushina's rescue team that the large wave of invading ninjas
withdrew. Otherwise, the battle would probably have been prolonged, and the
losses would have been even greater. By dawn, the villagers would have discovered
the battle, causing chaos.
The team was dedicated to rescuing
Kushina, and the Third Hokage, who had received all the news, already knew that
Kushina hadn't left the village. The group of Kumo ninjas who kidnapped her had
turned back. The "capture plan" was false, and the "three safest
escape routes" after "capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki" were
also false. The Kumo ninja killed by Yukina and Hirohiko was a deliberate act
by Kumo. The Third Hokage suspected that the sudden increase in mission commissions
during this period was also planned by Kumo.
The purpose was to weaken Konoha's
defense force and take advantage of the situation to invade.
Therefore, the Kushina rescue team
should have been following the three escape routes to know where the border
was, and might have even crossed the Land of Frost and entered the Land of
Lightning for a secret rescue. It was impossible to return before dawn.
Something must have happened.
"Hokage-sama, all of this was
on the order of Commander Minato Namikaze. After searching for a while,
Commander Namikaze noticed something was wrong and discovered that the
'Nine-Tails Capture Plan' was a fake. He then ordered everyone to return to the
village. After returning, he learned that Kushina-sama had been found and,
together with Huoma and Zhenshu, rushed to rescue her," the Anbu ninja
reported truthfully.
Following Namikaze Minato closely,
he saw every move the commander made. He marveled at Namikaze Minato's judgment
and decisiveness.
In that situation, the Nine-Tails
Jinchuriki being taken by Kumo ninjas was an international issue and an S-rank
mission. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was a deterrent force for the country and
the village, making the situation extremely serious. The pressure on Namikaze
Minato was immense.
If he failed, he might be considered a traitor to
the village!
Even if he noticed something
wrong, he might not have boldly ordered everyone to return. At most, he would
have sent a small team to report back.
However, Namikaze Minato
confidently ordered everyone to return.
They had been tricked!
Namikaze Minato's bold decision
was the greatest contribution. Their return caused immense pressure on the
invading ninjas, leading their leader to order a retreat, significantly
reducing losses.
The strength of the invading
ninjas should not be underestimated. The news of the village attack caused
impatience among the defenders, but the returning force provided significant
relief.
After hearing the Anbu's
narration, the Third Hokage nodded silently, acknowledging Namikaze Minato's
judgment and determination.
Minato is getting better and better. Jiraiya has
taught him well! Perhaps...
The Third Hokage closed his eyes
slightly, then nodded. "Alright, the village will enter a second-level
alert state. Everyone who comes and goes will be checked and confirmed. Your
rescue team will now act as spies. I suspect there are still enemies in the
village."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
After responding, the Anbu
disappeared in a flash.
The Third Hokage sighed, a worried
look on his face.
I wonder what happened to Kushina and Kiba? Why
haven't they reported back yet?
He had ordered another Anbu to
investigate the situation of Kiba and Kushina. He knew about Tsunade's
hemophobia. In the urgency, he had thought of her medical skills but forgot
about her phobia.
"Alas..." The Third
Hokage walked a few steps, intending to go to the hospital to check the
situation, but he couldn't.
The village had just been
attacked, and everything had just ended. As Hokage, he had to command from the
center. He needed to stabilize the situation and rule out all possibilities of
further attacks.
He had to press his anxious and
worried mood to deal with affairs. When free for a moment, he became restless
and worried about Kiba and Kushina.
"Hokage-sama! Kushina-sama
has recovered from her injuries. Kiba is also undergoing surgery, and
everything is going smoothly!"
At that moment, an Anbu ninja
flashed in to report.
"Kushina has recovered?"
The Third Hokage said happily. "Kiba is also undergoing surgery?"
"Yes, Kiba's operation is
being directed by Tsunade-sama, and Yuriko is performing the surgery," the
Anbu reported.
The Third Hokage let out a long
sigh of relief. Yuriko was an excellent medical ninja, and with Tsunade by her
side, there should be no problem. It was fortunate that he had come up with
such a compromise.
"Very well, you may step
back. Inform me immediately if there is any situation."
"Yes!" The Anbu left in
response.
At that moment, the door to the
Hokage's office was pushed open, and a ninja about the same age as the Third
Hokage walked in.
"Hiruzen, this incident
proves that you can't let Kushina be free like this. You are too naive,"
the ninja said casually.
The Third Hokage glanced at him
and said, "Danzo..."
This ninja was Danzo!
"Kushina, as the Nine-Tails
Jinchuriki, should be placed under our management and strict protection. This
must never happen again," Danzo said, his words firm.
"Danzo... the matter has just
ended. We should settle this now." The Third Hokage said, "We can
discuss Kushina later."
"Hiruzen... don't be so
naive." Danzo stared at the Third Hokage without any expression.
At that moment, two more people
entered the room, about the same age as the Third Hokage.
"Koharu, Homura? You..."
The Third Hokage's eyes widened in surprise.
The two ninjas, a man and a woman,
were Konoha's advisers and disciples of the Second Hokage, like himself.
Koharu Utatane and Homura
Mitokado!
"Nichizane, a serious matter
occurred. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was almost taken. We should carefully
listen to Danzo's plan," Koharu said.
The Third Hokage looked at the
three of them and frowned