Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

Chapter 122 Splitting Konoha with Uchiha Izuna's Sword

Hokage Building.

meeting room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the main seat, with Danzo beside him.

Four Konoha committee members, namely Isshin, Fugaku, Hizashi, and Tenzo, attended the event.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't intentionally call out to Isshin and Fugaku; rather, the other Konoha committee members were all busy with their own duties or were not in the village.

These four people, along with their duties as guards, members of the main family, and internal secret agents, kept them mostly confined to the village.

Attending the meeting won't affect my work too much.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries...

Master Yuan spoke first: "Hokage, the Third Mizukage wishes to establish a closer relationship with you and with Konoha."

"He asked me to tell you that he has always admired your character. In the entire ninja world, only you speak out for justice and have inherited the spirit of the First Hokage."

This refers to the strange and unsavory story of the Third Mizukage's illegitimate ascension to the throne in the three hidden villages.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't actually kick someone when they were down; he just subtly started it.

"Of course, of course—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile, "I also admire the Third Mizukage for his determination to reform Kirigakure. Every reformer needs great perseverance and courage."

The Hyuga clan now regularly delivers information from the Kaguya clan to the Anbu.

As the Hokage, he naturally knew the situation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't be more excited about the chaos in the Village of Blood and Mist—

With Kaguya and the Hyuga clan acting as matchmakers, it won't be difficult to bring over a few bloodline descendants.

If conditions permit, one could even unleash the Will of Fire on the Hidden Mist.

However, this would require the strong cooperation of the Third Mizukage.

"I'm so glad you agreed."

"Kaguya of our Hidden Village and Hyuga of Konoha are cousins, so Kirigakure and Konoha should also share information and communicate in real time, just like cousins."

"The Mizukage's idea is to use the communication between Kaguya and Hyuga as a medium to share information about other hidden villages and to assess the situation in the ninja world."

"As you know, Konoha owes a relatively large debt in this regard."

"Therefore, we can send some Kirigakure ninja to help Konoha on missions, or provide some ninja sword manufacturing services."

A fixed quota of chakra metal.

Master Yuan said with a smile, appearing very sincere.

What Kirigakure needs is to use Konoha as an external interface to gather information on the activities of other hidden villages during the period of national isolation and the Blood Mist Village.

In the past, the Third Mizukage would have gritted his teeth and ignored the other hidden villages—

However, the unanimous opinion of the other great hidden villages regarding his illegitimate accession to the throne made the Third Mizukage feel uneasy.

If a consensus is reached with Kirigakure without his knowledge, then things will be in big trouble.

Therefore, the Third Mizukage had to bring in the "peace-loving" Konoha to at least have a nominal strategic ally and intelligence interface to deal with this situation.

The idea that the Hidden Mist Ninja would help Konoha with their missions was based on this concept.

Furthermore, it can also exile the difficult-to-manage Hidden Mist ninjas to Konoha.

When these ninjas return to Kirigakure, they can be accused of having too close ties with Konoha, giving the Third Mizukage another handle to use against them.

It's much easier to clean then.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered, "There's no need for the Hidden Mist ninja to help Konoha with missions—"

Danzo understood immediately and coldly said, "If you want to send spies, just say so—it's simply because you don't trust Konoha and are worried we'll give you false information!"

"If you don't trust me, then we'll terminate the cooperation. It's Kirigakure who's begging Konoha, not Konoha."

Danzo stared at Genji, a forced smile on his face, and said, "Let me tell you, Iwagakure has already begun investigating Kirigakure's lockdown—"

"Their two Jinchūriki have begun to master the power of the Tailed Beasts."

Suigetsu Hozuki couldn't contain himself and asked, "Really?"

"Who are you? Do you have any right to speak here? Shut your mouth!"

Danzo glanced at Samehada and reprimanded him without any politeness, "Master, keep an eye on your Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"

"Pufferfish Demon, be quiet." Yuan Shi adjusted his mindset. Even though he was a ninja who had seen many storms, Danzo's words touched his heartstrings.

The intelligence capabilities of the Dark Ninja are renowned throughout the ninja world.

Even though Master Yuan knew that Danzo might be spreading rumors, the tense relationship between Iwagakure and Kirigakure has continued to this day and is only getting worse.

When the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, was still alive, he loved to mock the current Third Mizukage as a piece of trash, saying that as the bodyguard of the First Mizukage, Byakuren, he couldn't compete with Hozuki Gengetsu.

The Third Mizukage held an unusual grudge against this.

He harbored a desire for revenge against Onoki, his disciple, and against Iwagakure.

Once a person reaches a high position, they will always think about making amends to their past self.

Washing away the shame is naturally part of making up for the regrets of youth.

"The Hidden Mist Village has no such intention. We believe that the Third Hokage is the one who inherited the First Hokage's will and would not give false information to his allies. The Hidden Mist Village firmly believes this."

"But Kirigakure is also a benevolent village and doesn't want its allies to suffer losses, especially since our intelligence is limited," Master Yuan said calmly, his tone and expression extremely sincere.

It has a sense of 'to let spit on one's face and dry it'.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I've heard that Kirigakure has a very effective system for training ninjas. Our Konoha Ninja Academy students lack practical experience. Could we allow some of Kirigakure's elite talents to exchange ideas with Konoha for a year?"

"Cultivating a bond between young ninjas from both villages from a young age will help deepen the connection between Konoha and Kirigakure, and we will also ensure that they maintain real-time communication with Kirigakure."

"When the time comes, we will send someone to take them back to Kirigakure."

Master Yuan hesitated.

Although there is some truth to what Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

However, it does mean sending the village's best students to Konoha for a year—

Master Yuan wasn't worried that the geniuses of Kirigakure would be corrupted by Konoha.

If they can be corrupted, it means they are inherently not firm enough and should have been dealt with long ago.

Moreover, in Master Yuan's view—

Although Konoha is very prosperous now, it is only on the surface.

As long as Danzo Shimura is alive, the darkness will never lessen.

The root is black.

It was even more brutal than the Blood Mist Village.

"Judging from Danzo's and the others' behavior, my judgment was correct—"

Since entering the room, Master Yuan had been observing Danzo's posture and expression.

Danzo is now able to speak on behalf of Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he does so naturally and in a relaxed manner.

It seemed as if he had already sidelined Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The Uchiha and Hyuga members who attended the meeting were not surprised at all, and took it quite for granted.

"A year is fine, but please, Hokage, return them all safe and sound—"

"We in Kirigakure place great importance on the next generation of ninjas!" Master Genji said solemnly.

He thought about it for a moment.

Of the four—"Snow", "Kaguya Nakamaro", "Mei Terumi", and "Kisame"—

Only Kisame has the potential to be greatly nurtured.

The remaining three all possess bloodline limits.

Their ninja clan was also someone the Third Mizukage would eventually have to eliminate.

It's just that Kisame, this excellent promising talent from Kirigakure, is going to be a spy in Konoha for a year. Thinking about it that way, it's not so unacceptable.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

Danzo suddenly spoke up sharply, "It's not worth it!"

His natural demeanor and loud voice clearly showed that he was extremely skilled.

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's face showed a hint of anger.

Master Yuan watched this scene silently, confirming his opinion once again.

Although Konoha is developing relatively rapidly, its various forces are being integrated—

However, the relationship between the highest-ranking Hokage and his assistants is already strained, and their conflicts are openly apparent.

Furthermore, considering that the Konoha committee is clearly a product of the separation of powers—

"I see!!"

"It turns out that Konoha's prosperity was just a facade—"

"Power struggles are constantly occurring at the top, and these so-called high-level committee members are a product of this phenomenon."

"Konoha's development appears to be merely a vanity project, part of a power struggle—"

"No wonder it's so flashy and impractical! What's the point of opening a flower shop? It's just laughable—"

Master Yuan sneered inwardly, recalling how Kirigakure had probably acted similarly during Hozuki Gengetsu's time.

Every ninja clan, vying for fame and fortune, contributed money and ninjutsu to Kirigakure, seemingly making their fortunes better and better.

However, when conflicts become irreconcilable, they are as unstoppable as a landslide.

This is an objective law.

"Lord Hokage, thank you for taking care of our ninjas for so long—"

Genji glanced at the expressions of Isshin and Fugaku, the two Uchiha, and felt a surge of joy.

He was still thinking about how to get Hiruzen Sarutobi to invite a few Uchiha to the meeting, so that the Third Mizukage's extremely wise plan could be fully effective—

I never expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to do this on his own initiative!

"This is an apology from the Third Mizukage to you." With that, Master Genji waved his hand.

Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon stood up and took out an old-fashioned rectangular wooden box.

It was placed respectfully in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi and gently opened.

One of them was a long sword with an ancient design, the blade showing a faint blood-red hue.

"Lord Hokage, this sword is called 'Hitomi-maru'."

"These are the mother and daughter swords, commissioned by the Uchiha clan from the craftsmen of my Land of Water, forged for one person."

"But after that person died, no one came to retrieve it, and it remained in our Hidden Mist Village until the Third Mizukage discovered it in the hands of a rogue ninja while he was reorganizing the village affairs."

"As the student of the Second Hokage, this sword is most fitting for you!"

Master Yuan said vaguely.

"This sword represents Kirigakure's apology and is also proof of the Second Hokage's martial prowess. It is a meaningful way to pay tribute to the previous Hokage."

Uchiha Isshin's expression turned ugly.

Fugaku was completely baffled; he didn't recognize him.

This sword looks exactly like the one that Uchiha Izuna used to carry—

The so-called "mother and child swords" was a dual-sword style developed by Izuna Uchiha to further suppress Tobirama Senju.

With just one Flying Thunder God Slash, Uchiha Izuna's Dual Blade Style was stillborn—

Most of the time, Uchiha was thinking about...

If Izuna, the young clan leader, had mastered dual swords beforehand, would he have been able to block that despicable attack?

Yuan Shi's words also carried a strong sense of provocation, yet they were wrapped in a veneer of political correctness.

The entire ninja world knows—

Tobirama Senju's mortal enemy was Izuna Uchiha, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was Tobirama Senju's apprentice.

Using Izuna Uchiha's sword as a tribute to Tobirama Senju is indeed the proper way to do so.

However, this is on the premise of ignoring the feelings of the Uchiha clan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, though he didn't know the origins of the sword either.

But seeing Yixin's expression, and hearing Yuan Shi's hesitant, half-concealed words—

You can guess pretty much by now.

"It's a wonderful gift. I'm sure Tobirama-sensei will like it—"

"Then let's draft a treaty—"

A moment later, the terms of the peace treaty between Kirigakure and Konoha were officially drafted.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Genji, representing the Third Mizukage, signed their names on it.

Even though it's still worthless when you break it, you should still have the proper sense of ritual.

"Lord Hokage, let's select the four talented young people from Kirigakure for this exchange."

"The Hidden Mist Village needs to undergo internal reorganization for some time, so it may not have time to select new candidates."

"Rest assured, although these four children are all extremely talented, and three of them possess bloodline limits, Kirigakure will send even more outstanding ninjas to Konoha next time to exchange ideas with them."

The master looked arrogant and conceited, as if Mei Terumi and the others were merely ordinary people from Kirigakure, and even worried that Hiruzen Sarutobi might think he wasn't sincere enough.

This is also part of exaggerating the military strength of Kirigakure, and like Danzo, it's a feint.

"Very good, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you—" Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up with a smile and extended his hand to Genji.

"It's a pleasure to work with you, Lord Hokage!" Master Yuan smiled as well.

"Lord Hokage, please allow me to give some instructions to those children. After watching the exchange match, I won't bother you any longer—"

Master Genji said slowly, "The Third Mizukage still has an important mission."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "That's how it should be. Hizashi, take Elder Genji to the Ninja Academy—"

After the master left.

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the "Tōenmaru" sword and twirled it beautifully.

After some chakra was poured into it, the blade of the sword burst into flames, emitting unsettling gray flames.

"Danzo was right—"

"Hehe—" Danzo chuckled. His argument with Hiruzen Sarutobi was a spur-of-the-moment performance.

Danzo saw through Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions and wanted to make the master believe that Konoha was currently facing a threat, so that he would agree to some slightly risky conditions.

This is the tacit understanding between old brothers.

"This sword, is it related to Uchiha Izuna?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile, "Isshin, don't look so miserable. You've fallen for the enemy's divisive tactics—"

"With the mindset of Kirigakure, they naturally wouldn't understand that under the influence of the Will of Fire, the various clans of Konoha have abandoned the mess of the Warring States period and entered a new era of unity."

"This knife is a fine knife, and it also has historical significance."

"However, there's no need to use it to pay respects to Tobirama-sensei; let's keep it in the Uchiha clan instead—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi extinguished the flames on his blade and handed the "Tōenmaru" to Isshin.

"Lord Hokage, what should we do?!" Uchiha Isshin was taken aback.

He never expected that Hiruzen Sarutobi would give this sword, which represented Izuna, to the Uchiha.

"Of course it's not free."

"This is also considered a public asset of the village. The sword isn't a gift to me, the Hokage, but to Konoha—"

"Recently, Konoha is going to establish a subordinate structure, namely the Konoha Orphanage."

"To take in some war orphans."

"I think the Uchiha clan should contribute some money for the construction of the orphanage; you can decide the amount yourselves."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand grandly: "The sword that was once used for fighting has now become the Uchiha's love for the village."

"I think this is great, don't you think?"

Uchiha Isshin nodded heavily.

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