Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 239 Trading Pillars

Morale was low on the southwestern front, but many on the northwestern front were overjoyed because that damned Shimura Danzo was dead.

The removal of an important member from the Hokage faction is beneficial to their faction.

Not to mention that the four-village alliance will definitely have new moves to further cripple the Hokage faction guarding that area, which will also be beneficial to them.

However, compared to this, Senju Chengshui and the others were more concerned about Tsunade, who had been captured.

After confirming that Tsunade had only been captured and not killed on the spot, they roughly guessed what the Hidden Cloud Village was thinking, and they had obviously also set their sights on the Senju clan.

They were well aware of the Cloud Village's operations and gains over the past few years, and they were eager to recruit members of the ninja clans. They had successively recruited Uzumaki, Kaguya, Hozuki, Minazuki, and some members of the Hyuga clan.

It's normal for the Senju to be targeting them now, or rather, they've been targeting them for a long time. Fortunately, the Hidden Cloud Village has some principles in this regard and won't actively come to persecute them.

"Send Tsunade's things to Kumogakure."

After some discussion, Senju Orange Water finally decided to establish a connection with the Hidden Cloud Village, just as the Hidden Cloud Village and the Uchiha clan had secretly established a connection in the past.

Look at how well the Uchiha and Kumogakure cooperated on the front lines back then. Three years into the war, not a single Uchiha ninja had died at the hands of Kumogakure.

It was only when that fool Uchiha Myōkyō lost his mind that he chose to launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure for a decisive battle, thus angering Kumogakure. In addition, he was tricked by those people, which led to the complete annihilation of the Uchiha clan's elite forces.

"Orange Water, have you thought this through? The Hidden Cloud Village doesn't want the Senju to regain control of Konoha. In fact, you could say that the Hidden Cloud Village is the one that most wants our Senju elite to be wiped out here."

An elder spoke solemnly, saying that it was very dangerous to make contact with the Hidden Cloud Village in this way.

Everyone else looked at Senju Shionui, the clan leader. After Shionui demonstrated his Wood Release power, they honored him as their clan leader, and his decision concerned the future of the Senju clan.

"Our current situation isn't really important. Taking the initiative to secretly befriend Kumogakure can actually bring us some advantages and divert some of Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention to guarding against Kumogakure, which will reduce our pressure..."

With her fingers tracing patterns on the table, Thousand Hands Orange Water calmly expressed her thoughts.

This decision was the result of his calm consideration, and it was not simply to prepare a way out for his family.

However, this escape route was indeed necessary. He was well aware that this was a gamble for the family, and there was no guarantee of victory.

They can risk everything for the family's honor and future, but the children still in the family territory cannot gamble with them.

As the clan leader, he must be responsible for the clan to the very end.

This calm analysis was met with nods of agreement from the crowd, but some still had concerns.

"Tsunade said last time that Hiruzen Sarutobi may have mastered the Impure World Reincarnation technique and resurrected my uncles. If he controls my uncles to deal with us, we'll be in trouble."

Another elder spoke up, expressing great concern about this.

They knew about the research on the forbidden technique of Impure World Reincarnation, and some had even participated in it back then, but it was stopped by the First Hokage in the end. They were well aware of how terrifying that forbidden technique was.

"There's no need to worry. Impure World Reincarnation has many limitations. The key is control. The stronger the sacrifice you choose, the closer your strength will be to your former self, and the more difficult it will be to control."

They were beyond the control of powerful beings like my great-grandfather and my second great-grandfather, especially my great-grandfather who was beyond the limits of his abilities, and my second great-grandfather who was the originator of the Impure World Reincarnation technique. Given the opportunity, they could break free from control.

"If Hiruzen Sarutobi dares to send those two Edo Tensei out to fight, it will be their death."

Senju Orange Water was very confident about this, and that was why he didn't take the Impure World Reincarnation seriously.

Especially after acquiring Wood Release and the Slug Sage Technique, Kage-level powerhouses are nothing to him.

Not to mention that he had secretly passed on information about the forbidden technique of Impure World Reincarnation to the four great ninja villages. The four great ninja villages will definitely pay more attention to Hiruzen Sarutobi and others, that is, the southwestern front.

There will inevitably be a bloody battle there, which will deplete the strength of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others.

They just need to wait here quietly for the results, and then make a decision based on the final outcome.

With this explanation, the group suddenly understood and breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they didn't have to face the First Generation Leader, there wouldn't be any problems.

Not to mention that under Tsunade's leadership, their research on Wood Release transplantation has been further improved, and they are now able to mass-produce Wood Release ninjas.

Although it's a weakened version, it still greatly enhances their strength, which is their greatest source of confidence.

At the same time, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two companions in Konoha were also troubled by the situation on the southwestern front.

"Is Danzo really dead?"

Koharu Utatane still doesn't believe Danzo is dead, and if Danzo dies, they will be in a very passive position.

"At least on the surface, he's dead."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a irritated drag on his cigarette. He didn't believe his old friend was dead; it was more likely he was faking it, setting a trap for him.

"Openly?"

Xiaochun, who was turning over to her room, was taken aback, then realized what was happening, and then became annoyed.

"How could Danzo do this? What kind of time is this to still be harboring such ulterior motives?"

This is too much! They've been pushed to the brink, and they could be wiped out in a heartbeat.

If we die, can you manage this huge Konoha all by yourself?

"Hiruzen, we'll talk about Danzo later. We definitely can't find him right now. The key point is the southwestern front. The four-village coalition will definitely attack again, and Jiraiya and the others can't stop them."

Mitokado is relatively calm and focuses more on solving the immediate problem.

Based on their experience on the southeastern front, the Four Villages Alliance will definitely use the same tactics on the southwestern front to force them to go there for a decisive battle.

"The Three Thousand Rocks Hidden Ninja Army has also stopped there, probably to completely reshape the river channels of the Land of Rivers and divert all the river water to the Land of Wind."

Hiruzen Sarutobi could guess that the other side's actions would inevitably lead to changes in the Land of Rivers.

The daimyo and nobles of the Land of Wind will certainly be happy to see this happen, and will definitely increase their investment in the samurai legion.

While they might not take a single samurai seriously, a gathering of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of samurai would be troublesome.

Not to mention the samurai legions dispatched and gathered by the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Water. We must defeat the four-village coalition as the spearhead as soon as possible, so that the daimyo of the four great nations will have something to worry about, otherwise we will be finished.

However, it is difficult to achieve this. At this stage, I only have the Impure World Reincarnation as my trump card. Once I use it, it will be difficult to target the Senju clan, which is also a problem.

Furthermore, the identities of the Edo Tensei targets he currently possesses are all very special, including the Kage of the Four Great Ninja Villages. If he were to use it, Onoki and the others would definitely come to kill him without hesitation, and the consequences would be even more troublesome.

Originally, they thought they could force Danzo to reveal his trump card, but that guy faked his death and escaped, which is equivalent to putting themselves on the hot seat.

"I can help you defeat the four-village coalition."

Just then, a figure appeared in the office, causing Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two to immediately become alert.

It was an ANBU ninja, but his eyes were flashing with a purple light, indicating that he was not an official ANBU ninja, or perhaps he was being controlled by some kind of illusion.

Who are you?

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared intently into those eyes.

"My name is Otsutsuki Shari. I've come to make a deal with you. Give me the Edo Tensei of Hashirama Senju, and I'll help you defeat the Four Villages Alliance."

Otsutsuki Shari remotely controlled an Anbu ninja to speak using his eye technique, and announced the deal.

He needs Hashirama Senju's Impure World Reincarnation to absorb Hashirama Senju's chakra to perfect the incomplete Ten-Tails.

During this time, he was not idle; he had been collecting information on various aspects of the ninja world, thus learning about the special nature of Hashirama Senju.

Hashirama Senju possessed a chakra reserves even greater than those of the Tailed Beasts, and also had the unique bloodline limit of Wood Release. He suspected that Wood Release was related to the Divine Tree mentioned in the records, and that absorbing it would greatly enhance the power of the incomplete Ten-Tails.

Although Hashirama Senju is dead, he recently learned about a forbidden technique called Impure World Reincarnation, and it seems that Hashirama's soul is in the hands of this Third Hokage. Furthermore, Impure World Reincarnation grants unlimited chakra, making it the perfect remedy.

After obtaining Hashirama Senju's chakra and further perfecting the incomplete Ten-Tails, he went to kill Hiashi Hyuga and take back Lady Miyu.

How can I believe your words and your claims about your abilities?

After a moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke.

"You can only believe that although you may not have heard of my name, I fought in your so-called Valley of the End before, and the changes there are enough to prove my strength."

Otsutsuki Shari believed that the Third Hokage would definitely agree, because the other party had no other choice.

Upon hearing this, the three men's expressions changed drastically, realizing who this person was.

They had been investigating who was fighting in the Valley of the End, but they had no concrete clues. Who would have thought it was this person?

"After you have killed all the allied forces of the four villages, I will resurrect the First Hokage to you using Edo Tensei."

After another moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to the deal, but only on the condition that the four-village coalition be destroyed first.

"I'm going to get Hashirama Senju right now, but as a token of my sincerity, I can tell you that the other person who fought me in the Valley of the End was the head of the Hyuga clan of your Konoha."

Otsutsuki Shari revealed the existence of Hyuga Hiashi. During this time, he learned a lot and realized that he didn't necessarily have to take action himself to deal with Hyuga Hiashi; he could make use of these people.

"Hitashi Hyuga?"

All three were shocked, even horrified.

The other person was actually Hiashi Hyuga, who possessed power at the level of the First Hokage.

Although I really don't want to believe it, this explains the strange things that have happened to the Hyuga clan in recent years.

Most importantly, Hiashi Hyuga, despite possessing such power, remained so patient, making his goal quite obvious.

This kind of person is too dangerous!

"Hyuga stole my power, and I will take it back. This will be to your advantage, and I will also keep the battlefield away from your Konoha."

Otsutsuki Shari spoke again, revealing his hostile stance towards Hyuga Hiashi, and even made a threat at the end.

If you do not agree to the deal, the next battle with Hyuga Hiashi will take place in your Konoha Village.

As expected, the threat made the three of them look grim; they were filled with anger, but unable to unleash it.

Moreover, they had already sensed a terrifying sense of oppression emanating from those eyes, a power far exceeding that of the Mangekyou Sharingan, even more terrifying than Kagami's eyes back then.

This also proves the other party's strength.

"A month from now, I will lead all the village's ninjas to the southwest front under the pretext of participating in the war. Among them will be Hyuga Hiashi. You must take care of him."

Hiruzen Sarutobi ultimately compromised; he had no other choice.

Otherwise, if the two were to start a war in the village, the entire Hidden Leaf Village would be wiped out, and then everything would be over.

"A wise choice."

Otsutsuki Shari was very satisfied. He had understood and grasped the Third Hokage's thoughts, which was why he came to make the deal.

Seeing that the other party agreed, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand and formed a hand seal to summon a coffin containing the reanimated body of the First Hokage.

Actually, he was quite helpless about the First Hokage's Edo Tensei. Although he could resurrect the impure, he couldn't control it. Every time he tried to awaken it, he felt a sense of unease. Clearly, the spell couldn't control it.

An uncontrollable First Generation would become a threat, not to mention helping him to exterminate the Senju clan.

Furthermore, he needed to continuously consume chakra and eye power to suppress the First Hokage's ritual, maintaining the state of Edo Tensei to prevent others from resurrecting him.

It's a good thing to trade the First Hokage's Edo Tensei to this person now, as it frees up my hands to control more Kage-level shinobi using Edo Tensei.

Sensing the vast, silent chakra within the coffin, Otsutsuki Shari's eyes shone even brighter.

That's the power!

Green chakra surged out and enveloped the coffin, then a spatial gate opened and sucked the coffin inside.

See you in a month!

After leaving behind a single sentence, the purple light in the eyes of the ANBU ninja dissipated, and he fell straight down, clearly a vessel controlled by someone.

The three men looked at the fallen ANBU ninja with grim expressions; trouble was brewing.

"Hiruzen!"

The two looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. This matter had exceeded their capabilities, and they knew too little about the Otsutsuki Relic to make a judgment.

"The Byakugan has always been known as one of the three great dojutsu, alongside the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan and the legendary Rinnegan."

However, the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan is not very powerful. Even when developed to its limit, it is only comparable to the Sharingan with three tomoe, far inferior to the Mangekyou Sharingan.

It now seems that the Byakugan has a path to further advancement, and Hiashi Hyuga has seized this path.

Hiruzen Sarutobi guessed the secret. Clearly, the Byakugan's potential was no less than that of the Sharingan. The oppressive feeling from that person's eye power was no less than that of Madara Uchiha and the First Hokage back then.

Clearly, both the opponent and Hiashi Hyuga's eyes have reached the level of Madara Uchiha.

He wasn't too worried about the Otsutsuki relic. According to the current intelligence, the other party should be a member of the clan that attacked Kumogakure back then.

That clan has existed for a long time, but since they have never appeared in the ninja world, they are obviously not interested in the ninja world, or there are some kind of restrictions on them, so there is no need to worry too much about their future.

What truly terrified and frightened him was the ever-patient Hiashi Hyuga, a being who could truly be deadly.

The fact that the other party is so patient clearly shows that they also have their eyes on the Hokage position. Once Hiashi Hyuga takes over, they will inevitably be ostracized, suppressed, or even destroyed.

Just as they targeted the Senju clan, they were targeted in return.

Hiashi Hyuga must die!

"That should be the case."

Mitokado nodded; only this explanation made sense.

"Is he really not going to target Konoha?"

Koharu Utatane was still very worried. The name of that Otsutsuki Rei was the same as the name that Kurenai and the others knew in that mysterious place. It should be the person that the mysterious woman mentioned.

The people there are all dead, which must have caused a major upheaval. It's hard to say whether the other party will continue to live in seclusion and not bother the ninja world.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was also worried and helpless about this, mainly because his own strength was insufficient. He was already powerless against the Senju clan in the past, let alone against such a strong opponent.

"According to intelligence, they have a conflict and hatred with Kumogakure. The fact that they took the initiative to offer to help us destroy the four-village alliance suggests that they also have the idea of ​​revenge against Kumogakure, and may even want to use this opportunity to lure the Third Raikage out of Kumogakure and kill him."

After some thought, he offered a relatively optimistic analysis. Although he didn't want to admit it, Kumogakure was indeed much stronger than Konoha at this stage, especially since the Third Raikage was probably already close to the level of the First Hokage back then, and at least no weaker than Mito-sama back then.

It would be perfect if the Hidden Cloud Village and the Great Tsutsuki Relic could fight to the death.

After hearing this analysis, their expressions softened somewhat.

Although it was just an uncertain guess, they could start to plan to greatly increase the chances of it happening, for example, by actively diverting more of the Cloud Village's forces to the southwestern battlefield, especially the Third Raikage.

The younger generation of Kumogakure are all there, including his only son. If those people are threatened with their lives, I don't believe the Third Raikage wouldn't go.

If the two of them were to meet, it would inevitably be a life-or-death battle. Whether they were both severely injured or one died and the other was wounded, they would find a way to clean up the mess and reap the benefits.

After discussing things with his two old friends for a long time, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally returned home and went to the basement again.

"How's the adjustment going?"

Approaching his son, Hiruzen Sarutobi inquired with concern.

After his son returned, he sealed the Four-Tails' chakra into his body using a sealing technique that could suppress and control the Four-Tails' chakra.

Having mastered the Uzumaki Ashina, he naturally also mastered all the Uzumaki sealing techniques, so finding a sealing technique specifically designed to counter the Four-Tails' chakra wouldn't be difficult.

"It cannot be fused yet."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke replied gloomily, emphasizing the importance of the Four-Tails' chakra. He was already skilled in Fire Release and Earth Release, especially Fire Release, which he had inherited from his clan's Great Flame Technique.

The fusion of fire and earth attributes, Lava Release, is the most suitable bloodline limit for him. If he could obtain Lava Release, his strength would definitely increase significantly.

The Four-Tails' chakra, possessing Lava Release, was a perfect opportunity, but unfortunately, the quality of the tailed beast's chakra was too high, making it difficult to fuse even with targeted sealing techniques.

"Don't be impatient. Your fire and earth attribute transformations are not yet fully developed. Once you've reached their limits, you should be able to fuse them. For now, just slowly work them out."

Hiruzen Sarutobi offered a word of comfort, saying that bloodline fusion wasn't so easy, even though he himself hadn't successfully fused with Dust Release yet.

"Shimura Danzo faked his death and escaped by taking advantage of the four-village coalition's surprise attack at the front line. His whereabouts are currently unknown. From now on, you should not appear outside to avoid being targeted by him."

Speaking of Shimura Danzo, he didn't want his eldest son to be killed by Shimura Danzo.

"He faked his death to escape? He's plotting against you, Dad!"

His face instantly darkened, and Sarutobi Shinnosuke could guess that Shimura Danzo was definitely plotting against his father.

"When my teacher passed the Hokage position to me, Danzo was very dissatisfied, and over the years it has become an obsession for him."

I initially included him in the list of candidates for the fourth generation, hoping to inspire him to give his all in the war, but it backfired.

Speaking of that old buddy, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on.

(End of this chapter)