A few hours later, as soon as Shisui came out, he was surrounded by clan members who chirped with questions.
"How did it go?"
"What did Hiromi say?"
"Hiromi isn't angry, is he?"
Shisui comforted them and said coldly, "In seven days, I will provide you all with a solution."
Although the clan members were curious about what the solution was, it was only seven days, they could still endure it. However, some people were starting to lose their patience.
—
Allied Shinobi Forces.
Mabui stared solemnly at the Sunagakure camp. Baki had recently become elusive, no longer approaching her. He had been privately inviting the leaders of various small villages, and even the people from Kirigakure were invited by him. Only Kumogakure was not invited.
Given this attitude, combined with the rumors of Hiromi being seriously injured, the poor performance of the Uchiha clan, and the soaring morale of the Allied Shinobi Forces, Mabui was almost certain that Sunagakure had betrayed the Uchiha. This also meant that Sunagakure would sooner or later expose the rumors of Kumogakure siding with the Uchiha.
Among the many Kumogakure ninjas, she was the only one who had explicitly sided with the Uchiha clan, the other high-ranking officials merely turned a blind eye. In other words, once exposed by Sunagakure, in the worst-case scenario, Kumogakure could only choose to sacrifice her to gain the trust of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
But the problem was, she felt that Hiromi was planning something and deliberately delaying the war. Therefore, to protect Kumogakure, she did not want Kumogakure to become an enemy of the Uchiha clan.
But even if she announced now that Kumogakure had joined the Uchiha, given Kumogakure's hatred for the Uchiha clan and the unified spirit of the Allied Shinobi Forces, she feared few Kumogakure ninjas would follow her. When that time came, Kumogakure would still face destruction.
Currently, she stood between the Allied Shinobi Forces and the Uchiha. The Kumogakure she wanted to protect was on the side of the Allied Shinobi Forces, which she believed was destined to lose. Meanwhile, the Uchiha's attitude toward her choice was indifferent, as if they were calmly watching her decide without any concern for her.
Mabui looked at the sky, feeling somewhat lost.
"I..."
"What on earth should I do?"
"What can I do to ensure Kumogakure survives?"
—
Land of Birds.
A small country located between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind. Its climate is warm, with lush vegetation and the fragrance of birds and flowers.
Within it, six figures swept past, their movements agile. Soon, they stopped before a high mountain.
"Right here." An Uchiha said.
Raichi nodded, lightning manifesting in her hand and erupting in an instant.
Boom!
The three-meter-high rock in front of them collapsed, revealing a massive cave. It was silent inside, with only two corpses lying within.
An Uchiha clan Member immediately stepped forward to investigate.
"It's Utakata, the Kirigakure ninja suspected of being the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, and Fū, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki from Takigakure."
Sasuke clenched his fist and smashed it against the rock in frustration. "Damn it! Late again!"
Previously, they had tracked down the corpses of Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki. Now it was the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. The next ones were obvious: Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails.
If they didn't catch up soon, it would be Naruto's turn.
Sasuke was incredibly unwilling to give up.
"The opponent is deliberately leaving traces for us. If we keep chasing, I'm afraid it will be very dangerous." An Uchiha said calmly.
"To dare to lead my Uchiha clan on a chase for sport—how arrogant!" Raichi was getting irritated.
Facing this hiding enemy, she could almost feel that person snickering behind their back, yet she couldn't catch them.
Dammit!
The other four Uchiha Clan Members looked at each other, opened their mouths, looked at Sasuke, and finally spoke up, "The situation of the Fifth Great Ninja War is currently not good. I don't think now is the time to be chasing Naruto."
The clan members wanted to return to join the war.
Sasuke lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly. "You guys go back, I'll chase him myself."
He turned to continue the pursuit. But in the next second, he was shocked by Raichi's Lightning Release. Goosebumps rose all over his body as he turned around, emitting black smoke, and glared at her.
"What are you doing! Do you want to drag me back!" The Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in Sasuke's eyes.
"How could that be?" Raichi shrugged and spread her hands.
Sasuke was stunned and stared at her with a frown. "Then what do you mean!"
Raichi looked at Sasuke, then scanned the four Uchiha Clan Members, and said helplessly, "If there were really a situation in the clan, they would call us back. Since they haven't, it naturally means they want us to carry out our mission with peace of mind."
They were half-believing and half-doubting.
Was Raichi really this smart?
Of course not, but Raichi knew very well that the news of Hiromi being seriously injured was definitely fake. If it were true, the Uchiha clan would have gone berserk long ago, especially Shisui. Don't be fooled by his usual smiling and easy-going appearance. If something really happened to Hiromi, he would definitely be the craziest one in the clan.
Based on this knowledge, Raichi believed she didn't need to go back.
"Let's go, continue the chase." Raichi walked forward.
The four Uchiha Clan Members followed closely behind without hesitation.
Sasuke glanced at them, feeling a bit guilty, but more than that, he was worried. He followed with a dark expression.
"Naruto..."
—
Uchiha Imperial City.
"Shisui, Acting Raikage Mabui is here." An Uchiha came to the hall and announced.
"Let her in." Shisui said casually while reading a book.
Soon, the clan member brought Mabui over and then left, leaving only Shisui and Mabui.
Shisui put down his book, looked at her, and revealed a slight smile. "It seems you can't wait any longer, to the point of doing something so risky."
If anyone discovered that Mabui had appeared in the Imperial City, she would be as good as dead.
Mabui had a dark expression and knelt on the ground without saying a word.
Shisui watched quietly and smiled calmly. "Even if you kneel to me, you won't gain any benefits."
"I only want to know if the Uchiha can spare Kumogakure." Mabui remained kneeling.
Shisui's eyes flickered a few times before he looked at her quietly.
After a few seconds, he narrowed his eyes and said, "I know you are testing whether my Uchiha clan is truly in a bad situation, whether we can really win in the end, and our level of hatred toward Kumogakure."
Mabui's heart went cold. Shisui seemed to know everything, a terrifying insight that saw through all.
Shisui stood up and said, "The former is easy to solve, the latter depends on your choice."
"What do you mean?" Mabui looked at him uneasily.
Shisui stood up and walked toward the outside of the hall. "Follow me."
Mabui grit her teeth and followed behind
Shisui without a word.
Soon, they arrived at a building named the Ministry of Trial, and she felt the gloomy and ominous aura within.
Mabui saw Shisui calmly stepping inside and gritted her teeth, following him.
Upon entering, she saw dozens of coffins inside.
Shisui walked past numerous coffins, finally stopping before one with "Lightning" carved on top and "Three" carved on the bottom. At that moment, the coffin lid fell to the ground, revealing a figure inside. Mabui saw the person's appearance clearly, and her pupils constricted sharply.
A moment later, she looked at the adjacent coffin, which had "Lightning" carved on top and "Four" on the bottom. Her expression changed drastically, her eyes a mix of terror and ferocity, as she stared at Shisui as if she wanted to kill him.
Shisui gave a faint smile and said, "You're right. Do you want to take a look?"
Mabui's pupils constricted. A chill ran through her heart, and she was gripped by terror. Her stomach tightened with nerves, making her feel nauseous, and she backed away repeatedly.
"No..."
But the coffins were densely packed, leaving her no room to retreat. Soon, she bumped into another coffin. On it was written "Water" at the top and "Two" at the bottom.
She was utterly terrified and looked at the other coffins. Except for Earth and Fire, they had everything else. Even small villages, like Nadeshiko Village and Hoshigakure, were represented. It was as if they had been specifically selected to counter their lineup.
"Your probe, my answer. Are you satisfied?" Shisui said with a smile.
Cold sweat poured down, sliding from Mabui's forehead past the corner of her eye, down her cheek, and into her collar, making her skin crawl with goosebumps.
"Wh... why delay the war?" Her voice trembled uncontrollably.
Clearly, the Uchiha had the power to end the war immediately, yet they kept dragging it out. Like a cat playing with a mouse, letting it go over and over, only to catch it again.
Was it just for fun? Or was there another purpose?
"I can't tell you that, but..."
Shisui smiled. "As a reward for your courage in entering the Imperial City, I'll tell you one thing."
Shisui leaned closer to Mabui's ear and whispered, "Do you know why Sunagakure sent Chiyo and Kankuro to participate in that suppression mission?"
Mabui's heart skipped a beat, her body stiff and soaked in cold sweat. Amidst her racing thoughts, she shook her head tremulously. "I... I... don't know..."
"Because Gaara is the One-Tail Jinchuriki. His Tailed Beast was once extracted, and after he died, Temari brought his corpse here on her back."