In the Hidden Sand Village, Rasa was furious as he looked at Baki and the others, who were covered in injuries.
Not only did Konoha refuse to pay compensation, but they even dared to attack their Village's Ninja!
That's right. After Baki finished recounting his experience in Konoha, Rasa immediately concluded that Konoha was staging an act to withhold their compensation.
"You may leave! Konoha will soon face retribution!" Rasa said sinisterly to the group, as if suddenly realizing something.
Baki and the others were startled. Was Kazekage-sama planning to retaliate against Konoha? They dared not ask further and quickly left.
Rasa sat in his office, looking out at the swirling sand outside the window, lost in thought.
Just then, a set of slow and heavy footsteps approached.
Rasa looked up slightly and saw Chiyo push the door open and enter.
She was wearing the Hidden Sand Village's iconic windproof straw hat and traditional clothing, leaning on a cane. Although her movements were slightly slow, she possessed an imposing aura that could not be underestimated.
"Grandma Chiyo."
"Kazekage-sama, is the news you sent true?" Chiyo's voice carried a hint of emotion.
"Of course. This information was relayed by our spy in Konoha; there is absolutely no mistake," Rasa assured confidently.
"So, the Uchiha really broke ties with Konoha?" A faint smile flashed across Chiyo's face.
"Exactly! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Uchiha and Konoha are currently in a standoff, and neither dares to make a move easily. Konoha definitely won't seek help from the other Four Great Shinobi Villages, but the Uchiha might. At that time..." Rasa quickly laid out his entire plan.
"If we attack Konoha now, what is the probability that the Uchiha will step in to help them?" Chiyo asked gravely.
"Practically zero! As far as we know, the Uchiha were recently targeted by the Hokage for extermination, though our spies couldn't get the full details. They broke ties precisely because of this. Given the Uchiha's nature, if we attack Konoha, they might even help us wipe out Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"Good!" Chiyo finally nodded in satisfaction, then continued, "However, we don't need to rush. We certainly aren't the only ones planning something like this."
"But what if someone else beats us to it?!" Rasa sounded anxious.
"Do you really think we, the Sunagakure Ninja, can monopolize this matter?" Chiyo said impatiently. This man seemed constantly unaware of his own strength.
Rasa froze for a few seconds, then nodded helplessly.
Similar scenes were playing out in Kumogakure and among the Iwa Ninja. They had also received news from their spies that the Uchiha had withdrawn from the Konoha Ninja system.
They all quickly guessed that the Uchiha and Konoha had broken ties. Not only was Konoha weakened once more, but the Uchiha might even stab them in the back. A great opportunity was right before them.
At this moment, the eyes of the entire Ninja world were focused on the Hokage Building in Konoha Village.
Inside this magnificent structure, the atmosphere was extremely tense and solemn. Even the usually composed and calm Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't help but fall into deep anxiety once again.
It must be noted that Konoha Village had always held a pivotal position among the major Shinobi Villages, and naturally, they had spies planted in the other Villages.
Spies secretly placed in the other Four Great Shinobi Villages had all sent back disturbing news. Various signs of unusual activity indicated that a storm targeting Konoha Village was imminent.
"Has Danzo successfully contacted that mysterious organization yet!?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, pondering inwardly.
At this moment, he had placed all his hopes on the intelligence gathered by Danzo's faction. If they couldn't grasp the enemy's movements and formulate countermeasures in time, the consequences would be unimaginable.
After all, given Konoha Village's current situation, if the other Shinobi Villages truly launched an attack, they would likely face the most severe and dangerous situation since the Village's founding.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi dared not delay any longer and immediately ordered loudly: "Someone! Immediately organize an elite squad and quickly go find Jiraiya and Tsunade! Make sure they return to the Village for support as soon as possible!"
Before his voice faded, an ANBU Member dressed in black tactical gear shot out of the Hokage Building like lightning.
Immediately after, he used the Body Flicker Technique, instantly vanishing without a trace, leaving only a faint afterimage slowly dissipating in the air.
However, on a towering tree not far from the Hokage Building, a raven, completely black and glossy, stood silently on a thick branch.
Its sharp eyes stared intently at the Hokage Building below, as if it could penetrate all the secrets within.
Its pitch-black feathers perfectly blended with the deep shadows cast by the surrounding leaves; unless one looked closely, it was almost impossible to notice its presence.
In its eyes, the blood-red Three-Tomoe Sharingan flickered with captivating light, taking in all the surrounding scenery without omission.
Meanwhile, inside the Uchiha Clan Compound, Kaede sat comfortably on his antique wooden table.
He was slightly tilting his head, one hand lightly supporting his defined chin, while the other rested casually on the tabletop.
In his deep, sea-like eyes, Three-Tomoe were also constantly spinning, revealing an air of profound mystery.
Kaede focused slightly, having received all the information.
His originally calm eyes suddenly underwent an astonishing transformation. The Three-Tomoe quickly merged and intertwined, instantly transforming into the complex and magnificent Mangekyo pattern.
Immediately following, a dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly shot out from Kaede's pupil—Takemikazuchi!
On Konoha's back mountain, an Anbu looked at Uchiha Kaede before him with a horrified expression.
He had just received a mission from Hokage-sama to ask Danzo about the progress of contacting the organization, but as soon as he arrived at the back mountain, a bolt of lightning suddenly appeared and knocked him into a tree.
Kaede stared at his eyes indifferently. "What is your mission?"
The Anbu's eyes glazed over, his own eyes also transforming into the Three-Tomoe, and he replied blankly, "To ask Lord Danzo about contacting the organization."
"Oh, where is Danzo's base located now?" Kaede smiled. His luck was good; he found out Danzo's location right away.
After he had destroyed most of Danzo's base previously, the guy had moved to a different location, and Kaede hadn't been able to find it for a while.
After getting the address, Kaede casually dealt with the Anbu, burying him underground using Wood Release. He then rushed non-stop toward Danzo's location.
At the Root base, Danzo looked at the Akatsuki Organization's reply with a mixture of shock and anger. Money! These bastards wanted money! They demanded an absolutely staggering sum!
This was going to bleed Konoha dry, but fortunately, they only wanted money. Danzo calmed down, noting that at least they hadn't demanded anything else.
If it was just money, they could ask the Daimyo for it, and then have the various shinobi clans contribute a portion.
Danzo calculated the amount, including everyone he could think of—except himself.
"Shadow Clone Technique!" At this moment, Kaede had arrived outside the base.
However, this time he didn't rush straight in like last time. Instead, he first created a Shadow Clone and tossed it a mask.
"Go, let Danzo know his old friend has returned."
The Shadow Clone nodded, put on the mask, and charged toward the Root base.
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