Chapter 84

In the midst of the rustling leaves, at the Hokage Building.

With a slap, Tsunade slammed the intelligence in her hand onto the table, glaring angrily at the two people opposite her.

"What's going on with the Uchiha clan?!"

The two, a man and a woman, both elderly, were the two elders of Konoha.

Facing Tsunade's questioning, the two exchanged glances, and Shikamaru Nara slowly spoke.

"The Uchiha clan was plotting a rebellion, so the village decided to act first to quell the rebellion and eliminate this hidden danger."

Tsunade's brows furrowed.

"Did the Third know about this?"

Tōnari Koharu nodded: "This was our joint decision, and the order was given by Sarutobi."

At this point, she paused and continued: "The executor was Uchiha Itachi."

Tsunade's eyebrows shot up.

"Are you telling me that the top-ranked missing-nin of the village—Uchiha Itachi—was actually a loyal servant of Konoha?!"

The two exchanged glances and reluctantly nodded.

Tsunade slammed her fist on the table.

"Why didn't you tell me these things before?"

"We thought the matter was over and there was no longer any threat..."

Slap!

Tsunade slammed the table loudly, rudely interrupting Shikamaru Nara's words.

"Isn't Uchiha Shū a threat?! Isn't Uchiha Sasuke a threat?! You need to understand, I am the Hokage! If I don't even understand my own village, what's the point of me being the Hokage!"

The two remained silent.

Tsunade gradually calmed her anger and began to think of a solution: "What's the assassination plan against Uchiha Shū about?"

Koharu hesitated for a moment and finally spoke: "This is a follow-up plan to the Uchiha rebellion."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade couldn't help but feel her veins bulge. Follow-up?

After several assassination attempts, not only did they fail to complete the plan, but they also created a formidable enemy out of nowhere?!

Suppressing her anger, Tsunade forced herself to calm down and carefully consider the entire situation.

Koharu wisely kept quiet, having already seen Tsunade's impending outburst.

After much thought, Tsunade looked up and stared at Shikamaru Nara and Koharu, sternly saying: "Cancel the assassination mission and increase surveillance. No one should provoke Uchiha Shū until we have enough confidence!"

Before the two could object, Tsunade sternly added: "Especially Danzō, tell him to behave. Don't just start fires without putting them out. In the end, I'll have to clean up his mess!"

The two elders exchanged glances, their eyes sweeping over the intelligence on the table, and they nodded in unison.

"I will tell Danzō. This is our decision," Shikamaru Nara said.

This time, they stood on the side of the Hokage.

Tsunade's expression softened for a moment. Although the elders' behavior often tied her hands, this decision slightly reduced her anger.

No matter what, Konoha as a whole is the foundation. Any power and interests are built on the strength of Konoha.

After the two left, Tsunade stood by the window, looking at the distant Konoha with its faint smoke.

Thinking of Jiraiya's description in the intelligence, she couldn't help but clench her hand, crumpling the intelligence into a ball of waste paper.

"Powerful enough to rival a Tailed Beast Bomb? One person can destroy a ninja village?"

Tsunade's brows were tightly furrowed.

Su Zhong's cold attitude towards Konoha made her uncomfortable, but she secretly felt relieved.

She couldn't help but wonder, if Konoha ever faced such a disaster, what would they do?

...

In the dark and spacious underground, the air slowly circulated. Danzō stood quietly on the platform, as if he had never moved.

"Danzō, cancel all assassination plans against Uchiha Shū and increase surveillance. Do not provoke him unless absolutely necessary," Shikamaru Nara said.

Danzō's eyes moved, and he said calmly: "Is this your decision? Fine, I will follow the order."

Koharu breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that Danzō would defy the Hokage's order and act on his own.

After seeing the intelligence about the Chakra Cannon, the two simultaneously wiped cold sweat from their foreheads.

At the time, the opponent's reliance on taijutsu to kill over thirty Root members had already greatly angered and shocked them.

Now, the opponent had stolen the Tsuchigumo clan's forbidden jutsu and created the Chakra Cannon, a strategic jutsu.

Without enough confidence, they absolutely did not want to provoke the opponent.

"It's good that you understand. Konoha is currently in a low point, and it's not wise to make more enemies," Shikamaru Nara said, his expression relaxing as he saw his old friend comply. He didn't want to conflict with the other party either.

With their goal achieved, the two quickly left the underground.

Although the underground space was dry and cool, it still felt confining after a long stay.

Danzō didn't particularly like staying in this enclosed space.

The two elders didn't fully agree with Danzō's iron-fisted style but respected him greatly.

Just as they respected the Third for being a good Hokage, they also respected Danzō for enduring the darkness underground.

Danzō stood in place, expressionless, silent for a long time.

"Putting your safety in the hands of the enemy? Tsunade, you are as weak as Sarutobi! All threats must be eliminated, and nurturing tigers will only bring endless trouble! Konoha needs reform..."

A faint, almost inaudible voice echoed in the underground space.

As if making a decision, Danzō lightly tapped his cane and turned to enter the passage behind him.

As the two elders said, Konoha is currently in a weak period, not the time for a full-scale attack. But as soon as there's an opportunity, he would eliminate all obstacles!

...

The Rain Village was always rainy, the air filled with moisture.

A faint cough echoed in the room.

This was the tallest tower in the Rain Village. The top floor was empty.

Cold wind blew in from the platform outside, making the skin prickle.

"Did you fail?"

The orange hair was particularly bright, but paired with a deathly pale face, it looked extremely strange.

"I'm old. You are the hope of Akatsuki," Tobi said weakly, coughing again.

Although he had escaped the seal and promptly retreated to the other dimension, he was still injured by the explosion.

Pain didn't comment: "What do you plan to do? Follow his advice and not provoke him?"

Tobi's eyes narrowed: "Of course, we can't let this unstable factor go. Once I recover, I'll bring more people to deal with him."

Pain's Rinnegan, with its black rings, had a unique authority.

"Our goal is the Tailed Beasts. Once the Ten-Tails is awakened, no one will be a threat."

Tobi turned to look at Pain: "Do you plan to let him go?"

"Let him go? Impossible," Pain said, walking to the edge of the platform and looking down at the bustling crowd in the Rain Village.

"Our primary goal is to gather the Tailed Beasts. Apart from the Tailed Beasts, everything else is meaningless! And anyone who dares to defy the gods will receive the appropriate punishment."

Pain turned to look at Tobi.

"Does he have a Tailed Beast?"

Tobi turned his head, avoiding eye contact.

"No."

Pain continued to stare at Tobi: "Will he interfere with our collection of Tailed Beasts?"

Tobi shook his head: "Based on the information we have, he shows no signs of opposing us."

Pain turned back, staring straight at the rain outside: "If so, there's no need to worry about him. Wasting the organization's strength on a temporarily useless person is not worth it. Once the Ten-Tails is awakened, he will be nothing more than a spark, extinguished in an instant!"

Tobi didn't respond, the air vibrated, and he disappeared from the spot.

Konan stepped out of the shadows, asking curiously: "Nagato, didn't you say you wanted to recruit him into the organization?"

"Call me Pain."

Konan's expression didn't change, her eyes fixed on Pain's.

The Rinnegan turned, and Pain avoided Konan's intense gaze.

"We don't know who he is, but if he can cause him harm, Uchiha Shū has a reason to exist. He rushed here, seemingly to find help, but actually to dispel our suspicions. How could the legendary Uchiha Madara be so easily injured? Old? What a nice excuse."

Pain's face was expressionless, but his voice was full of sarcasm.

Konan suddenly understood: "You want to keep him to counter the masked man?"

Pain stood by the window, not answering.

"Is the body I need ready?"

Konan sighed. She knew the masked man was too mysterious. Uchiha Shū was powerful, capable of injuring the masked man. But to control him was unrealistic. At most, he could divert some of the masked man's attention.

"There are still some issues with the sealing technique."

Pain's face was stern and expressionless.

"Then let's lie low for a while."

A cool breeze blew through the high tower, making their robes flutter.

...

Su Zhong's Chakra Cannon created a mushroom cloud, shocking the entire ninja world.

The existence of this jutsu had a very strong strategic significance. Like a Tailed Beast, it was the foundation for a force to stand in the ninja world.

Just like the Rain Village, which could exist safely between the major countries because of Hanzō.

What was Hanzō's greatest strength? It was his ability to cause widespread damage with poison!

If Hanzō went crazy and released poison in a village, the damage would be unimaginable!

This was the reason he could stand in the ninja world. No one would risk provoking someone who could cause such devastating damage to a village.

Now, Su Zhong was such an existence.

Zabuza, who had been in the ninja world for many years and had fought his way out of the Bloody Mist Village, understood this very clearly.

In times of peace, deterrence was the best weapon. The Tailed Beasts and the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist served this purpose.

Because of this, he couldn't help but feel excited.

With Su Zhong, the organization could exist stably in the ninja world, and ordinary people wouldn't provoke them.

This provided an opportunity for growth and expansion.

"Seize this opportunity and develop quickly. Who knows, we might become a major force comparable to the Mist Village!"

Zabuza was full of ambition!

But seeing the tightly closed door, Zabuza's face turned red with anger.

The snoring sound coming from the other side of the door filled him with indignation.

If he had this power, he would immediately gather everyone. Before their shock had faded, he would give an inspiring speech, rousing their spirits and pushing for rapid development.

But the other party was sleeping behind a closed door?!

And for three days!

Zabuza grunted angrily, charging to Su Zhong's door like an angry bull.

Clenching his fist and raising it high, he hesitated and didn't knock. Just as he was about to turn and leave, the door suddenly opened.

Su Zhong ignored the fist raised above his head, pushed Zabuza aside, and instructed White.

"I'm hungry, prepare a meal for me."

Hearing this, Zabuza, who had been uncertain, was suddenly filled with anger.

Eat and sleep, sleep and eat, like a pig!

He had no ambition at all. Zabuza really wanted to ask if he was really an Uchiha.

Uchiha Madara was once a great hero, dominating the ninja world and founding Konoha. This ambition was completely destroyed by his descendants.

Wanting to cut the other party down, but knowing he couldn't, Zabuza could only grumble and stand there with a sour expression.

He still had to wait for Su Zhong's orders.