Chapter 323: Konoha Village Reeks of Conspiracy
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
The gray wolf fur covering Red She-Wolf's body grew wildly, entangling the Dark Shunhi and binding him tightly.
"Now you can't move anymore, right...?"
"Super Saiyan Mode!"
As his hair turned golden and stood upright, the Dark Shunhi clenched his fists and struggled fiercely, ultimately bursting apart the fur restraints that had bound him.
"What?!"
"You're surprised too soon."
In an instant, the Dark Shunhi appeared behind Red She-Wolf.
"Mom, watch out!"
"Ice Shield: Frozen Seal!"
Red She-Wolf was instantly encased in a block of ice. The Dark Shunhi turned his head toward Little Gray and said,
"Don't worry. She's not dead. As long as you take me to Orochimaru, I'll let her go."
"You're not lying to me?"
"You think you have a second option?"
"..."
Little Gray walked ahead to lead the way.
"Boss, you're amazing."
Hidan, who had been standing in the back watching the whole time, now walked up beside the Dark Shunhi and said,
"That was Wood Release, you know? The First Hokage's Bloodline Limit! Can't believe you subdued it so easily. Hmph. That guy Kakuzu always brags about how he fought the First Hokage back in the day and even earned his recognition."
"...We're here. This is the place."
"Underground again? Just how much does Orochimaru love hiding underground?"
Grumbling, the Dark Shunhi approached Orochimaru's subterranean lab.
"You are...?"
Orochimaru, who was in the middle of conducting an experiment, looked up and narrowed his eyes at the two brought in by Little Gray.
"Hidan? I never expected to see you again."
"Orochimaru?! So you're not even pretending to be human anymore—what a joke, hahaha!"
Hidan pointed at Gray Wolf and burst out laughing.
Orochimaru merely smiled in response to the taunt. His right arm suddenly stretched out, launching toward Hidan—but was immediately caught and immobilized by Shunhi.
Orochimaru's gaze shifted to the Dark Shunhi.
"And who might you be?"
"Orochimaru, I need your help..."
Shunhi's tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal.
---
Konoha Village
The harsh weather had persisted for nearly a week with no signs of stopping.
All of Konoha's ninja had been deployed across the village to rescue injured civilians. The Konoha Hospital had long since exceeded capacity.
Hokage's Office
As Hokage, Naruto, along with his aide Shikamaru, received officials from the Land of Fire.
"...As you can see, Konoha is currently suffering from a natural disaster. We urgently need the Daimyō's financial support."
Naruto addressed the official.
Although Konoha had developed its own economy, major natural disasters still required assistance from the Land of Fire—especially since Naruto had always shown deep concern for his villagers, providing generous compensation to the families of fallen shinobi.
"I've seen the situation. First and foremost, the Daimyō is very concerned about Konoha's plight. There's no issue at all with providing financial aid."
"That's a relief."
Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged a smile.
"However, the Daimyō has one condition that he hopes the Hokage will agree to."
The official from the Land of Fire continued amiably, which immediately raised Shikamaru's suspicions. He stood behind Naruto and gave the sofa a light tap—a signal Naruto, as a seasoned shinobi, quickly picked up on.
"Please, go ahead."
"It's actually quite simple. The Daimyō would like the Hokage to sign this bill."
"A Ninja Affairs Bill?"
Naruto took the document, glanced at the title on the cover, and handed it to Shikamaru behind him.
"Absolutely not!"
After flipping through a few pages, Shikamaru responded firmly and looked to Naruto.
"Naruto, this bill doesn't just require us to report all ninja information to the Daimyō and place them under his employment—it also allows the Daimyō to interfere in village affairs!"
"It's not interfering in Konoha's internal matters. The bill only appoints an official to act as a liaison between the Daimyō and Konoha, to strengthen ties."
The official clarified.
"Everyone, let's calm down."
Naruto chuckled and said to the official,
"Regarding this matter, I'd like some time to think it over."
"Of course, Lord Hokage."
The official replied respectfully—after all, this was the hero who had saved the entire ninja world.
---
"Huff... huff..."
Sarada rubbed her hands together and blew warm air into them.
"It's freezing. Hard to believe this is still Konoha. But I'm surprised Boruto hasn't complained about Konohamaru-sensei sending us on patrol in this weather."
Most of Konoha's buildings were now partially covered in frost.
"With the severe weather, crime rates have gone up. And with the natural disasters, there just aren't enough ninja to go around..."
Shuyu walked beside Boruto, with Sarada on the other side, sandwiching him between them. Suddenly, Shuyu stopped and looked down at the scientific ninja tool in his hand.
"What's wrong, Shuyu?"
Sarada leaned forward curiously.
"It's a mission—someone's robbing a bank and has taken hostages."
Shuyu replied.
Konoha Bank
Several genin were stationed around the building, ensuring the criminals inside couldn't escape.
"I've confirmed the situation. There are three culprits inside, roughly genin-level. They're civilians from the village. The situation has become a standoff since they have hostages," Shuyu reported. "Here's the plan: I'll use Transformation Jutsu to go in as a negotiator, look for an opportunity, then use the Sharingan to control them..."
"No need to complicate things."
Boruto, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"I'll handle it myself."
With a Tailed Beast cloak draped over him, Boruto charged straight into the Konoha Bank.
"Hey! Boruto!"
Shuyu and Sarada exchanged a glance but couldn't stop him—they had no choice but to follow.
Inside the bank, the three of them each confronted one of the robbers. The bank staff were kneeling in the corner, hands tied behind their backs.
Although the criminals were only genin-level, the three Konoha ninja—whose strength had long surpassed jonin—quickly subdued them.
"What's wrong, Shuyu?"
Sarada looked at Shuyu, who was frowning while restraining one of the criminals.
"It's strange. They had hostages—so why didn't they use them to threaten us?"
Just as Shuyu finished speaking, all three subdued criminals suddenly turned red-hot, their bodies swelling rapidly.
"Susanoo!"
Shuyu reacted immediately, summoning his red Susanoo to shield Boruto and Sarada. But the hostages who were slightly farther away—there wasn't time to protect them.