Naruto Online: Hyuga Branch Family? Let's go all out!

Chapter 169 Akatsuki Organization and Militia

Danzo pushed open the door to the Hokage's office without saying hello.

When he came in, his face clearly showed to everyone that he was unhappy!

Who has offended him this time?

"What happened? Have you received the battle report from the front?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

"The support troops only set off today, how come we've already run into them?" Danzo was somewhat surprised.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that Danzo had not yet received the battle report, which meant that there were no Danzo's men in the vanguard.

I need to write down these people's names later, so I can reuse them later.

"The battle report isn't urgent, it's a minor matter!" Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the table. "Sit down, and then tell me about your situation!"

"What could possibly be wrong with me?" Danzo answered instinctively.

"Danzo, I suggest you explain things to me clearly now, instead of waiting until things get messed up and I find out!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly, "After all, I am the Hokage!"

"Bastard!" Danzo gritted his teeth. You son of a bitch, how many years have you held me back with just one sentence?

"Hmph, what big deal could it be? It's just that another power has risen in the Land of Rain!" Danzo said indifferently.

"The Land of Rain?" Hiruzen Sarutobi subconsciously lit a cigarette. "What's the situation in the Land of Rain now? Has Hanzo stopped managing things? Or is he dead?"

"Hanzo is still alive, but he's no longer involved," Danzo said. "The newly emerging force is called Akatsuki. It was founded two years ago. Two months ago, it was a small organization with only 1,500 members, but now its core members number nearly 20,000, and it has even taken over six towns."

"Twenty thousand!" Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes.

Although this number is large, it is not enough to scare Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Because each village has a different definition of a ninja.

For example, in Konoha Village, the current standard is that one must know the Three Body Techniques to become a registered ninja, so the number of registered ninjas is only five or six thousand.

If we relax the standards, for example, if someone only knows one of the Three Body Techniques, they can be considered a ninja, then the number of registered ninjas could increase to tens of thousands.

If the restrictions were relaxed further, for example, anyone with chakra in their body could be considered a ninja, the number of officially registered ninjas could surge to as many as 20,000 to 30,000.

That's how the 100,000-strong ninja army during the Fourth Shinobi World War came about. They simply lowered the standards for ninjas, recruited a large number of people with chakra, gave them a short training period, and then issued them a headband, and that was considered being a ninja.

What are the standards in the Land of Rain?

There are no standards, and there are no requirements even for chakra.

If you can pick up a sword and fight, you are a ninja.

Since ninjutsu can kill people and swords can kill people, what's the difference?

The reason this policy was initially formulated was that the Land of Rain had conquered the Land of Iron.

With so many samurai in the Land of Iron, they couldn't be left without proper treatment, so this rule came about.

As a result, not long after the Land of Iron was acquired, other countries attacked, and the connection between the Land of Rain and the Land of Iron was severed.

This policy did not affect the Land of Iron, but rather the Land of Rain itself.

Of the 20,000 members of the Akatsuki, it would be good if 10,000 had chakra, and probably less than 1,000 knew the Three Body Technique.

As for quantity over quality, there's no need to worry about that.

What Hiruzen Sarutobi was concerned about was that if his power could expand tenfold in two months, what about another two months, a year, or even two years? Would he be able to unify the Land of Rain?

"What's your idea?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "To unite with the Land of Rain to suppress the Akatsuki?"

After all, Danzo knew that Hanzo was no longer in charge, so they must have made contact.

"That's exactly what I think!" Danzo nodded. "A Hanzo who has witnessed the power of a great nation and lost his fighting spirit is more advantageous to us!"

"If this expansionist Akatsuki organization were to come to power, they might unify the Land of Rain on the first day and launch the Third Shinobi World War on the second!"

Danzo was unaware that the Third Shinobi World War had already begun.

No one considered the war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind to be the prelude to the Third Shinobi World War; many people thought it was just a conflict between two villages.

"Then you can just advise Hanzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

Even if they lose their fighting spirit, the majority of the power of the Land of Rain is still in the hands of Amegakure. If Hanzo wanted to, he could wipe out all organizations.

"That's the problem!" Danzo said. "Hanzo didn't want to take action against Akatsuki because the organization was founded by a few teenagers, and Hanzo believed these young people were the future of Amegakure!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless. What future? Aren't you afraid that these people will grow up and take your position as village chief?

People who grow up as orphans are like this; they have absolutely no sense of crisis.

"Let's maintain contact and persuade them slowly!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Our forces aren't ready to be deployed there for the time being!"

"What happened?" Danzo asked.

The Land of Wind is nothing to Konoha, it's not worth them consolidating their strength.

"You'll see when you take a look!" Hiruzen Sarutobi handed over the second half of the battle report.

The scene of Minato easily defeating his opponent was omitted, so if Danzo obtains the vague information, he might misjudge Minato's strength and then attack him.

Winning would be ideal, but losing wouldn't matter; it would be a good opportunity to test Minato's strength.

If Minato comes knocking, Danzo can be thrown out and made a scapegoat.

A triple win, perfect!

"Xitang Town formed a militia and repelled the Sunagakure puppet army's attack with bows and arrows?" Danzo's eyes widened as he read the battle report. "The militia has over five thousand men? They even hunt wild boars and fight bandits themselves?"

Wild boars are a species that will proliferate if left unchecked. Both China and the United States are deeply troubled by the problem of wild boar infestation, and even military phased-array radar has been used to control wild boars.

The key issue is that wild boars have thick skin and meat, and they travel in large groups. Without a gun, ordinary farmers really have no way to deal with them.

The Land of Fire also faces the problem of wild boar infestation, and driving away wild boars has become a mainstream mission for Konoha ninja.

The key is that this mission is lucrative, safe, and you can even bring back wild boar meat afterward, so ninjas all love this kind of mission.

Now, the villagers have figured out how to deal with the wild boars themselves. How can this be allowed?

Like Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, as a traditional ninja, immediately thought that doing so might affect the interests of the ninjas.

The money that should have been mine is now not being earned. Isn't that a loss?

If all towns in the world did what you did, how would our ninja village survive?

"Danzo, obey my command!"

"yes!"

Although he often argues with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he still has to obey orders in formal situations.

After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage.

"Send your Root forces to investigate throughout the country and find out exactly how many towns have established their own militia!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "After the investigation, do not act rashly. Wait for the results to be compiled and sent to me, then I will discuss with the Daimyo and take unified action!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't know if this was an individual act by Nishitou Town, or if it was happening in other towns as well.

If there's only one Xitang Town, then there's no problem; just send a ninja in to disarm them.

However, if other towns also have this problem, then it may not be a problem with those towns; it is very likely that the mastermind behind it is actually the daimyo himself.

If that's the case, Hiruzen Sarutobi will have to consider changing his daimyō (king's name).

After seeing Danzo off, Hiruzen Sarutobi lit a cigarette again.

For a moment, the Hokage's office was filled with smoke.

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of a question: every year, every month, even every day, so many ninjas go out on missions, traveling between various towns, how come they never noticed that these towns were training militias?

Or did they discover it but fail to report it?

"These ninjas have such poor political awareness!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. But you can't really blame these ninjas; they didn't receive any education in this area from a young age, so they probably wouldn't think much of it if they saw militiamen.

It has to be Jiraiya, he was a huge help!

How can we get him to graduate early from the militia, the Akatsuki, and Obito Uchiha?

Unfortunately, the war was not urgent at the time, and there was no reason to allow a group of students to graduate early.

Let's take another look, no rush.

(End of this chapter)