Konoha: Tsunade, I am the Hokage

Chapter 74 The Third Kazekage: Sasori, I Can Forgive Him

"Yes."

Minato Namikaze nodded.

Just as they were about to negotiate, several figures suddenly appeared from the surrounding area.

Immediately, a series of wind blades whistled in.

The water barrier isn't very effective against these wind blades, but—

The four figures moved in a flash, immediately retreating.

Jingyan is the fastest.

His figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he was beside someone, his blade swiftly drawn.

when!

The opponent blocked with kunai, and then one kunai after another was manipulated to attack him.

however.

The next second, Kyohiko drew a short sword from his waist with his left hand, channeled chakra into it, and swiftly slashed forward like flowing water.

At that moment, a puppet rose up in front of him.

The blade sliced ​​through.

Whoosh!

With a burst of chakra, a swirling vortex shattered the puppet's core. Taking advantage of the opponent's moment of shock, Kyohiko released the hilt of his right sword and formed a hand seal with one hand.

In an instant, the clone caught the blade and slashed forward.

Sand Village ninja, die!

At the same time, Might Guy and Kakashi worked together to kill one person.

"Walk!"

Watergate threw out several explosive tags.

Immediately—

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

A massive influx of chakra created a howling wind, a fierce hurricane that whipped up sand and dust, swirled leaves, and sent explosive tags hurtling towards the Sand Village ninja.

Immediately.

Iron spikes extended from the ground, quickly transforming into a large wall.

Magnetic Escape·Sand Iron Wall.

boom!

After a deafening roar, the Third Kazekage turned around, his eyes filled with anger: "Who gave you permission to act on your own?"

"Lord Kazekage, that guy is White Fang's son!"

Chiyo's face was grim, her gaze fixed on Kakashi and Andre beside him like a hawk.

So familiar!

If Kakashi were younger, she would have mistakenly thought that White Fang had been resurrected.

but.

This doesn't stop her from wanting to kill them. Besides, these people came here for her grandson, so how could she not fight to the death?

Elder Chiyo.

The Third Kazekage frowned.

"He's White Fang's son! He's got White Fang's weapons, and that damn dog..."

Chiyo's eyes flashed with a fierce light as she quickly gave chase.

The number of Sand Village ninjas around them increased, numbering around a dozen, though it was difficult to determine how many of them were Jonin or Chunin.

They all chased after them.

The Third Kazekage considered for a moment, then continued the pursuit, but whispered, "Remember, we're representing the village, not just you!"

Chiyo remained silent.

Iron sand gathered behind the Third Kazekage, transforming into a pair of wings. The next moment, the Third Kazekage swiftly flew into the air, heading towards the location of Minato Namikaze and the others.

Soon, the Third Kazekage caught up with Minato Namikaze, who was walking at the very back.

"Does Sunagakure want to start a war?"

Minato Namikaze's expression was serious as he retreated step by step.

Regardless of whether the other party has malicious intent, the current situation makes it impossible for both sides to sit down and have a peaceful exchange.

Minato realized that people from Sunagakure Village were also coming.

but.

He hadn't expected so many people to come.

Kazekage, Chiyo, and a dozen or so other ninjas.

If such a large-scale attack were to suddenly strike the border, the few small teams stationed at the Konoha border would be completely unable to handle it.

Minato Namikaze knew that there was no way to escape this way.

Chakra was accumulating within him.

"I will summon Gamabunta through my spiritual power, then you can all run away."

"I can also communicate with a spirit."

Jingyan said in a low voice.

While the Mighty Toad is not as large as Bunta, it is by no means weak and can also be of help in the current battle.

The two exchanged a glance.

Then...

Spiritual communication!

Both of them bit their fingers at the same time.

A short while later.

boom!

Two toads, one large and one small, stood before the battlefield, surrounded by billowing smoke and dust.

Bunta and the Mighty Toad stood in the middle of the two sides.

Bunta took a puff of cigarette.

Minato and the others were hanging on him at that moment, while only Kyohiko was standing on the back of the giant toad.

The mighty toad glanced at it and said, "What a grand display!"

"So, you Sunagakure villagers, do you want to fight?"

Bunta drew the blade from his waist.

He's not afraid of fighting!

The Third Kazekage narrowed his eyes slightly, and finally said calmly, "Step back!"

"Kazekage-sama..."

"Step back!"

The Third Kazekage rebuked him sternly.

The Sand Village ninja had no choice but to retreat.

He flew through the air and looked at Minato Namikaze on Gamabunta's body: "Konoha ninja, we are here to pursue rogue ninjas and have no intention of clashing with you."

"Furthermore, based on our investigation over the past few days, Scorpion has most likely already left this area."

With the Third Kazekage ahead, the Sand Village ninja dared not pursue any further.

Minato Namikaze scanned the area.

"Two of our ninjas went missing after he attacked them. We must find their bodies no matter what, and we can't let the village's heroes be lost."

He was neither humble nor arrogant, and he was not intimidated even though the other party was the Third Kazekage.

The Third Kazekage looked to the left and right, then turned back and fixed his gaze on Chiyo, who was rushing over to him on a tree below.

Then, an iron pillar rose up, lifting Chiyo up.

Chiyo said, "We didn't see any bodies or any remains. When we got there, many traces had been cleaned up. We searched around and found some clues."

"What clue?"

Minato Namikaze immediately inquired.

Chiyo's face was filled with resentment, but she still took out a piece of cloth and a puppet arm.

"These are the things we found at the scene."

The Third Kazekage took a piece of cloth from it.

Then, he slowly walked towards Minato. When he was only a dozen steps away, he conjured an iron spike in his hand and extended it all the way to Minato's front.

"We're not sure if it was left by Scorpion, but we might be able to provide you with some information."

The Third Generation Kazekage.

Minato Namikaze didn't dare to be careless. He wrapped the cloth around the piece of cloth and then handed it to Kakashi.

Andrei sniffed it and confirmed it was non-toxic...

Only then did they accept it.

"Our Sunagakure has no intention of clashing with Konoha. Sasori defected last year, and we have been tracking his whereabouts ever since. His poison and puppetry techniques are very powerful and could cause casualties to you. If you have any leads, please contact us."

The Third Kazekage was quite rational and didn't speak arrogantly.

more.

He still hoped to find Sasori of the Red Sand.

"We understand your request. If we have any information, or if we find the body of your ninja, we will definitely transfer it through compliant means."

"Thank you, Lord Fengying."

Minato Namikaze politely returned the gesture, then watched as the other party and his men left.

He breathed a long sigh of relief.

Next, they thanked Gamabunta and Gamabunta, and Kakashi also thanked Andre.

The three sent all the summoned beasts back.

Minato finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness we had Bunta's help, otherwise we would have been in danger this time."

The atmosphere immediately relaxed.

but.

He then added, "Chiyo is very hostile towards us, so we can't go with them. I plan to meet up with Shikaku-senpai first. What do you all think?"

"I also think we should go back first."

Jingyan strongly agreed with Minato's decision.

With the Third Kazekage around, moving forward felt like sitting on pins and needles, with the constant risk of being stabbed in the back. It was better to play it safe and take a step back.

after all.

Once a person falls into the hands of a scorpion, they are basically dead; all they want is a corpse.

It wouldn't be worth risking your life for this.

……

"Kazekage-sama."

"Chiyo, you're being too impulsive."

The Third Generation Kazekage.

Then, he sighed softly.

He was also aware of the feud between Chiyo and Hatake Sakumo.

Sasori's current predicament is indeed largely due to Sakumo Hatake, but there is currently no war between Konoha and Sunagakure. As the Kazekage, if he were to actually take action, it would mean the start of a war.

but.

Chiyo made great contributions to Sunagakure. Her family died for Sunagakure, so how could he be harsh on her?

The Third Kazekage sighed, then frowned: "Have you taken note of their strength?"

"That blond guy is very strong; he should be Minato Namikaze, the Konoha genius who has gained considerable fame in the last year or two. As for the other three..."

Chiyo didn't pay much attention.

At that moment, her attention was entirely on Kakashi and Minato Namikaze, and she paid no attention to Kyohiko.

"Hmm... let's take a look at the body."

The Third Kazekage walked towards the two corpses.

The two stepped forward.

Judging from the knife marks, the knife paths and styles are quite different.

but.

Even those three children are still very strong.

The Third Kazekage closed his eyes, recalling the scene from that time.

"Have you noticed that guy with black hair who's good with a sword? His speed and swordsmanship are even more terrifying than those of the Hatake clan. He's more like a disciple of Hatake Sakumo. But strangely, he can also summon Jiraiya's toads."

The Third Kazekage couldn't understand it.

Sakumo Hatake's swordsmanship style, and Jiraiya's spirit contract inheritance.

When did the apprenticeship system in Konoha become so arbitrary?

"Regardless of whether he is Hatake Sakumo's successor or not, I will kill him and that Hatake brat!"

Chiyo's eyes turned bloodshot.

That damned thing even took on a disciple and passed on his swordsmanship?

But what about myself!

The family was destroyed, and even the grandson betrayed the village and ran away. They searched for him for a year but could not find him.

She was even more unsettled.

Chiyo was grinding her teeth so hard they were almost crushed. She was just furious that the other side had summoned Gamabunta, forcing them to be cautious. Otherwise, they would have definitely killed all four of them right there!

She was reminiscing when something suddenly came to mind.

"By the way, that kid's Water Release techniques are very fast, somewhat reminiscent of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju!"

"Water Release, swordsmanship, toad..."

The Third Kazekage frowned.

Why are the ingredients getting more and more complicated?

Suddenly, he remembered some intelligence.

"Isn't there a genius in Konoha recently named Yoshimine Kyohiko who performed exceptionally well in the Chunin Exams at Yugakure?"

"It's him!"

Chiyo also remembered.

She met the gaze of the Third Kazekage.

He was proficient in swordsmanship, ninjutsu, and physical combat.

An absolute genius!

If this person can be eliminated, it would be worth risking war.

after all.

Once the war begins, there will be many who target Konoha.

The Third Kazekage had some regrets.

pity.

Thinking about it now is useless.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Scorpion is the most outstanding genius of Sunagakure. Konoha's previous team suffered a great loss, so they won't be so easily killed this time. Let them go look for him; there will be another chance. Besides..."

Giving Sasori the opportunity to kill his enemy's son with his own hands might allow that child to return to the village and become a pillar of Sunagakure's future.

Sunagakure desperately needs talented people!

The Third Kazekage sighed inwardly, but did not tell Chiyo his thoughts.

"yes!"

……

Border of the Land of Fire.

The Kyohiko squad returned to the Land of Fire, where they waited and rested, without rushing to search for Sasori's whereabouts.

"Minato-senpai, should we send a message back to the village first?"

"Yes, I've already sent it."

Minato Namikaze nodded.

Upon hearing this, Jingyan immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Except for slow rescues at critical moments, Shuimen is quite reliable and doesn't need to be worried about at all.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

The mission didn't get off to a good start, and everyone suddenly lost their direction.

Jingyan then thought about the map.

They were in the middle of the Land of Rivers, and judging from the location of Sunagakure, it seemed that they had been sweeping northwards from where Hizashi and the others had fought.

So, which direction did Konoha's previous team search?

We still have to wait for the Ino-Shika-Cho team.

They arrived earlier to provide support and perhaps know more.

A moment later, the toad returned with the message.

Konoha's stance is to wait for Nara Shikaku at the border.

In the evening, the sun sets and the moon rises.

Tweet!

At that moment, a bird's chirp rang out.

Jingyan looked up and saw only a dark black crow circling and hovering in the air.

"They may have arrived."

"Um?"

The others woke up immediately.

Minato Namikaze looked at Kyohiko in surprise.

How did you know?

"The bird is watching us, and I heard three footsteps."

In the quiet of the mountain forest at night, all sounds can travel very far.

Even with the mountains behind him, Kyohiko could still hear clear "swish" sounds.

Soon after, the three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio arrived. Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Choza had met once before, while Kyohiko had only met Yamanaka Inoichi.

At this moment, Yamanaka Inoichi formed a hand seal to dispel the evil spirits.

The crows overhead flew away quickly.

"Shikaku."

"Minato, you've arrived? I saw the marks you left along the way. What happened?"

"We encountered the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure..."

Watergate recounted the situation.

Jingyan, standing to the side, added some details.

After they finished sharing their intelligence, Nara Shikaku also revealed the information they had gathered.

During this time, they searched south along the previous location, but didn't find much along the way. The ninjas there had mostly retreated, and then they saw the signal they left behind on the road.

Sit down on either side.

Around the campfire, everyone discussed their strategy.

"So you mean north?"

Akimichi Choza stuffed a soldier's ration pill into his mouth.

Nara Shikaku pondered for a moment, then looked at Minato and Kyohiko, and said with a smile, "You're probably considering whether or not to continue the mission, right?"

"Yes."

Minato Namikaze took out Jiraiya's handwritten letter. "This is Konoha's reply."

Nara Shikaku glanced at it, his heart heavy.

This is tantamount to handing over the decision-making power to him.

What do you think?

"Sunagakure's attitude is unclear, and we can't be sure if they really came for Sasori of the Red Sand. I don't think we can leave."

Minami Namikaze.

Nara Shikaku nodded.

He agreed, but what about staying?

This is a problem.

After pondering for a moment, Shikaku had some ideas and was about to share them when he caught a glimpse of Kyohiko out of the corner of his eye. A thought immediately struck him, and he asked, "Kyohiko, do you have any ideas?"

"Minato-senpai is right, we can't leave. If we leave, who knows what Sunagakure will do next?"

Jingyan then shared his thoughts: "I think we should send a fast, elite team with reconnaissance capabilities to follow them. If they return to the Land of Wind, we'll politely escort them back. If they find Sunagakure, then we'll wait until we've dealt with that before demanding an explanation."

The search for Sasori of the Red Sand is not just for the corpses of their own people, but also for Sasori himself.

The poisons and puppets that Sasori is researching pose a significant threat to Konoha, and Konoha is not yet certain about his motives for attacking Hizashi.

The answer will be found if you catch the scorpion.

"Follow them..."

Nara Shikaku's eyes gradually brightened after hearing this.

What he was thinking was—

While waiting for an opportunity at the border, they would occasionally send out a reconnaissance squad to investigate the movements of the Sand Village ninja.

Clearly, Kyohiko's method was more effective.

If they protect each other, the other party won't be able to find fault, but the premise is that the "elite team" that Jingyan mentioned can really do reconnaissance and escape quickly.

"Our two teams will move together!"

Water gate.

Nara Shikaku waved his hand: "No! Me, Choza, and... who among you will stay?"

"I."

Matt Kay raised his hand.

He forced a smile and said, "Kyohiko has good hearing, and Kakashi can summon ninja dogs to help track us, so I can't be of much help."

There was a moment of silence, and then—

"it is good."

Before Minato could speak, Kyohiko agreed, "If we encounter any trouble here, we hope you can provide cover and support us as soon as possible."

"must!"

Lu Jiu nodded with a smile.

Kai paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

The four men pursued him under cover of night.

The next day, the Sand Village ninjas quickly discovered that there were two more people on their tails.

The other party didn't hide anything at all.

"This is outrageous!"

Chiyo was so angry she was trembling.

She was too impulsive yesterday, but she has calmed down a lot today and understands that she cannot kill Minato Namikaze and the other three directly.

but.

Two of the group left and then returned, openly following her, which she found somewhat unbearable.

The Third Kazekage controls the Eye of Sand.

A moment later.

"There are more than two, at least two more behind, and maybe even one or two smaller teams."

"What is Konoha trying to do?"

Chiyo frowned.

She was skilled in poisons and medicine, but in these areas she was far inferior to her younger brother, Ebizo.

The Third Kazekage thought for a moment, then frowned.

The opponent is very tough!

This distance is safe for both parties.

The fact that neither side is hiding anything means that there is no intention to launch a surprise attack or assassination. Whoever makes the first move is trying to provoke a war.

Although Konoha has suffered a great war and is not yet fully recovered, Sunagakure is in the same situation. Moreover, the Land of Wind is not as wealthy as the Land of Fire, and the village has fewer commissions and funds than Konoha. Therefore, its current strength is definitely not as good as Konoha's.

Unless he wants to start a war with Konoha right now, otherwise...

The Third Kazekage already had the intention to retire.

"They're waiting for us to find Sasori of the Red Sand, then they'll come up and demand something, or they'll kill Sasori then."

"That's wishful thinking!"

Chiyo snorted coldly.

"Elder, what I mean is, why don't we go back to Sunagakure and stop looking for Sasori for now? Let them do the searching."

The Third Kazekage said, "I believe in Sasori's abilities; Konoha shouldn't be able to do anything to him."

"this……"

Chiyo hesitated.

Having finally obtained a clue about the scorpion, she was unwilling to give up.

After a long silence, she gritted her teeth and said, "Please, Lord Kazekage, give me a small team. I want to follow them. If I can find Scorpion, I will bring him back to the village!"

Chiyo paused for a moment, then said decisively, "When the time comes, you can do whatever you want with me!"

"Scorpion is a genius; his defection didn't cause too much damage. I can promise you that as long as Scorpion returns to the village, the past will be forgiven."

"Thank you, Lord Kazekage!"

(End of this chapter)