Inside the Hokage Building, in an office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, eyes downcast and silent, puffing out smoke from his pipe.
The air was as stuffy as a clay pot under high pressure, making one want to smash the walls or open the lid to escape.
"Cough cough!"
The unbearable silence was broken only when Xiaochun, who was turning over in her new room, coughed.
"Hiruzen, about this matter..."
Mitokado Homura breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Danzo who was stubbornly refusing to back down, and then looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in front of him, advising, "This time, Danzo did indeed go a bit too far..."
"Conducting Wood Release experiments in secret, hoarding research results and Wood Release ninjas—isn't that going too far enough?"
Before Mitokado Homura could continue to defend Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted expressionlessly, "That's Wood Release! Don't tell me you don't understand what that means!"
Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura's old face flushed slightly, and he looked helplessly at Shimura Danzo.
Yes, that's a Wood Release ninja.
Who would have thought that Danzo had become so audacious as to secretly harbor Wood Release ninjas?
If it weren't for the investigation into Orochimaru's defection, they wouldn't know that Wood Release had reappeared.
Danzo's current control over "Root" has even made Mitokado Homura somewhat uneasy.
"Root is the root of Konoha, the root of the Anbu, and my root. But now, they dare to conceal such crucial information from me, the Hokage. Does that mean..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, squinted at Danzo, and questioned, "Has it become an independent organization for some people to profit from?"
Upon hearing this, Danzo, who had been expressionless, said in a deep voice, "Everything I have done is for Konoha."
Hearing his old buddy's resounding response, Hiruzen Sarutobi silently exhaled a puff of smoke, his face shrouded in a hazy white mist, appearing unpredictable from Danzo's perspective.
"Hiruzen..."
Koharu, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but speak up.
"Enough." Hearing that they were going to plead for Danzo again, Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand impatiently, signaling them to stop talking.
After Tobirama died due to a plot by the Hidden Cloud Village, he was appointed Hokage in a time of crisis.
But the "Hokage" position was different from his youthful fantasies. Upon taking office, he faced the pressure of war and the ninja clan, which shattered his illusions about the Hokage position.
Both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans initially treated him as someone who obeyed orders but not commands.
Fortunately, as Hokage, he had a sense of righteousness when vying for power, and in addition to the Sarutobi clan, he also had the support of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Therefore, he adopted a strategy of attacking one group and then recruiting another. With the assistance of Danzo and others, he used some special methods to put the two powerful ninja clans, Uchiha and Hyuga, into conflict.
Finally, he secured his position as Hokage, grasped the power that belonged to the Hokage, and placed his confidants in important departments.
The "Root" during Tobirama Senju's time was actually just the training department of the Dark Guard.
It wasn't until he gave Danzo control of "Root" that it gradually evolved into an intelligence organization in order to handle some dirty, clandestine matters that couldn't be handled under the guise of the Anbu, such as monitoring the ninja clans.
Danzo's "Root" was essentially equivalent to a secret squad. According to the secret squad's structure, Danzo, as the squad leader, could only lead four squads, totaling seventeen people.
However, with Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentional or unintentional indulgence, "Root" continued to expand and grow stronger. Under Danzo's influence, its style of doing things became increasingly sinister, until now...
If the "Root" is allowed to continue developing in this way, it will become too big to handle and will completely degenerate into Danzo's personal armed organization.
Therefore, it is necessary to impose restrictions.
"Let's not talk about the Wood Release ninja 'A' anymore. I've already put him in the Anbu. Now there's something else."
Ignoring Danzo's resentful expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked intently at the three people in front of him and asked, "Information has come from the border that Kumogakure seems to be mobilizing its forces, and may be planning some kind of underhanded move."
What are your thoughts on this?
Upon hearing this, both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado frowned simultaneously.
"Not again? How disgusting!"
Mitomon Yan frowned and said in a serious tone, "No matter what, we must not act rashly."
"Yan is right." Koharu Utatane nodded. "No matter what they want to do, we just need to be on guard and not give them any reason to start a war!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained noncommittal, flicked his pipe, and looked at Danzo, asking, "What do you think?"
Danzo's gloomy eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment of silence, he said in a low, hoarse voice, "Of course, we should beat them until they feel bad!"
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say anything. He had a pipe in his mouth, took a deep drag, inhaled the smoke, held his breath, and finally exhaled.
Although the Third Shinobi World War has ended, the current situation in the shinobi world is far from stable.
The main reason is that Konoha is currently severely lacking in high-end combat power. First, Konoha's White Fang, who made a name for himself in the Second Shinobi World War, committed suicide. Then, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, died in the Nine-Tails' rampage.
The Third Shinobi World War had been fought on all sides, and the fighting force, which had suffered heavy casualties, had not yet recovered. In addition, many ninjas died in the Nine-Tails' rampage, which was instigated by the masked man. No matter how large and powerful Konoha was, it was beginning to feel the strain.
Anyone could see that Konoha was in a difficult situation of having no successors. Although Kumogakure and Iwagakure had been hurt by Konoha, they were still eager to seize such a rare opportunity.
Therefore, both sides have been probing the border of the Land of Fire. Almost every few months, a border conflict breaks out due to provocations from Kumogakure and Iwagakure, and the number of injured people is increasing.
There was no other way; Konoha had consistently displayed a weak and easily bullied attitude, which greatly emboldened the arrogance of Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
Fortunately, the Third Shinobi World War had not ended for long, and the people of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth were still very war-weary. The Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Stone Village did not dare to defy the world and unilaterally declare war on Konoha without any reason.
However, all that's missing is a legitimate reason to escalate the conflict and start a war.
A "legitimate" reason to incite war among daimyo, nobles, and the common people.
Hiruzen Sarutobi chose to endure provocations time and time again precisely because he didn't want to give them that reason.
He really didn't dare to gamble.
Even Konoha can't afford to gamble anymore.
"call."
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke and looked down at the intelligence report handed over by the Anbu.
The gradually aging face was shrouded in smoke, and even under the sunlight shining through the window, the expression on the face could not be seen for a moment.
"Iwagakure, Kumogakure..." After a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, "Let's be patient for now. Gather a group of ninjas and head to the border to defend against Kumogakure."
Danzo frowned and subconsciously retorted, "You're only making those damn bastards even more arrogant!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at him and said calmly, "In that case, send a group of people from 'my' roots to provide assistance at the border."
"What?" Danzo was stunned.
Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully, "Is there a problem?"
If any further problems arise, he will be removed from his position as the leader of the root.
Realizing this, Danzo's expression shifted between light and dark. He snorted coldly and turned away, saying resentfully, "Hmph, what problem could I possibly have? Anyway, that's your 'root'!"
After saying that, he turned to leave, but then suddenly stopped and said in a resentful tone, "Sarutobi, remember your choice today, you will definitely regret it!"
"Watch your attitude, Danzo." Hiruzen Sarutobi flicked his pipe and said in a deep voice, "Remember, I am the Hokage!"
Danzo's face twitched upon hearing this.
"Then be a good Hokage!" he gritted his teeth and hissed, grabbing the doorknob.
Bang!!
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, and Xiaochun, who was turning around, shuddered.
Seeing this, Mitokado Homura sighed, feeling a pang of regret that Danzo was still in Hiruzen's hands.
Hopefully, Danzo will learn his lesson this time and behave himself...
"Oh right, Hiruzen."
Mitokado Homura seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly frowned as he looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, lowering his voice to ask, "The village's strength is already weak, is it really okay to let Jiraiya go outside?"
Upon hearing this, and thinking of Jiraiya who had left the village under the pretext of "chasing Orochimaru," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed inwardly and said calmly, "He will come back when it's time."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance, realizing that Sarutobi Hiruzen was unwilling to say more, so they could only shake their heads helplessly and get up to take their leave.
Click.
Staring at the closed door, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long time; only his breathing could be heard in the room.
After a while, he stood up stiffly and walked to the office window, his cloudy eyes obscured by the smoke rising from his pipe.
After the rain, the leaves always look very clean. Dewdrops adorn the eaves, and mottled watermarks are like scattered mirrors embedded everywhere. The leaves, streetlights, and wall tiles all reflect the prosperity of the leaves.
Looking at the scenery outside, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought about many things.
Thinking of Konoha's hard-won peace, the internal and external troubles beneath that peace, thinking of Orochimaru and Jiraiya who left the village, thinking of Tsunade who spent her days in casinos to numb herself, thinking of the orphan left behind by Minato and Kushina, thinking of the longing look in the eyes of that Hyuga clan child when he looked at me...
"hiss..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his chest high, inhaling the bittersweet air into his lungs, and finally exhaling slowly. A spark ignited in his pipe, and he suppressed all his emotions deep inside.
"It's alright." After a moment of silence, he murmured in a slightly hoarse voice, as if speaking to himself, "No matter what it takes, we must protect everything that Konoha has achieved so hard."
————————
Meanwhile, at the 44th training ground on the edge of Konoha, in the Forest of Death, sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled golden spots on the shoulders of two figures.
"Senior, strength originates from the ground, power flows from the spine, combining both softness and strength..."
"Ah-da!"
The wooden stakes in front of Hyuga Kumokawa and Might Guy were both broken, but the former's stake clearly showed that it had burst open from the inside, while the latter's stake looked like it had been brutally smashed.
Watching Might Guy's almost completely chaotic and powerful brick-flying attacks, Hinata Kumokawa, who had been teaching him all morning, could no longer maintain his smile.
"Huff." Might Guy, who could run around Konoha all day without getting tired, was now covered in sweat and panting heavily. He couldn't help but touch his head and laugh helplessly, "Yun Chuan, your modified Gentle Fist is really hard to learn."
"After all, you've been studying Steel Fist for over a decade. Adjusting your body's instincts will definitely require some effort." Hinata Yunchuan shook his head. "Let's stop here for today."
During the second Chunin Exams match between Neji and Hinata, Might Guy and Rock Lee discussed the classification of taijutsu (body techniques).
Taijutsu that focuses on surface damage, causing fractures or other external injuries, is called "Gangken" (or "Hard Fist"). Taijutsu that injures the enemy's meridian system and internal organs is called "Gentle Fist" (or "Gentle Fist"). As for those like Tsunade and the Fourth Raikage who combine ninjutsu and taijutsu, they are called "Nintaijutsu" (or "Ninjutsu Taijutsu").
What Hyuga Kumokawa is trying to do now is to combine the advantages of steel fist and soft fist, and in the future, based on the Eight Gates, develop a taijutsu system that is most suitable for him.
"Okay, then..."
As Might Guy was speaking, Hinata Kumokawa suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and a deep chill rose up.
It was incredibly abrupt and terrifying.
Hinata Kumokawa's muscles tensed, and the veins around his Byakugan bulged out.
Sizzle!
Sure enough, almost the instant Hinata Kumokawa reacted, a barely audible whooshing sound entered his ears.
This is an assassination attempt, an assassination targeting him, an extremely deadly attack.
Given the sound and the distance, it's too late to search for it or dodge.
Realizing this, Hinata Kumokawa's originally gloomy eyes suddenly calmed down, and he closed his eyes under the instinct of his body.
The next moment, an invisible wave spread out from his body, and Hyuga Kumokawa seemed to have stepped into another world.
All bodily senses are shut down, leaving only mental "perception".
There was no howling wind, no chirping insects, no breathing, no heartbeat...
The world was as still as if it were dead.
It was as if time had stopped for him.
So, he "saw" it.
Hinata Kumokawa "saw" the kunai behind him, surrounded by a sharp aura.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade is a wind-style ninjutsu that combines shape and nature transformation, infusing wind-attribute chakra into an external object to transform it into an incredibly sharp and swift sword.
The assassin had mastered this technique to its fullest extent, so fast that Might Guy couldn't even react in time.
However, according to Hinata Kumokawa's intuition, the kunai, which should have been too fast to see clearly, seemed to be pulling on an endless line, sliding towards him at an extremely slow speed.
Hinata Kumokawa didn't turn around. He raised his hand and spread his five fingers, like crane wings waiting to be spread. His knuckles gleamed with the pale yellow calluses from years of boxing practice in the sunlight.
He held the handle of the kunai in his hand, and the swirling wind blades pierced his palm, but seemed to have hit an invisible iron wall, suddenly stopping in mid-air.
Hinata Kumokawa opened his eyes, his calm, snow-white pupils reflecting Might Guy's tense face beside him, and the fragmented depths of the forest broken up by fallen leaves.
It is impolite not to reciprocate, no matter who it is.
"Then, I'll give it back to you."
He turned and threw out a kunai, his movements as fast as leaves scattered by the wind. As his clothes fluttered, his lean waist was revealed, and his spine rose and fell like a taut bowstring, unleashing all his strength.
The next moment, the kunai was released from his hand.
Buzz!
A piercing whistle that tore through the air exploded in Matt Kai's ears. Falling leaves were crushed by the strong wind in the blink of an eye, and the yellowed leaves on the ground were swept up and swirled into the air by the airflow.
Almost simultaneously, the sound of a blade piercing flesh came from afar.
Pfft!
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