Naruto: The Information Broker from the Uchiha Clan.

Chapter 160 Fear (It's 2 AM, I can't hold on any longer.)

"Near the border with the Land of Hot Water, three villages were suddenly attacked. One of them, judging from the remains at the scene, was a Lightning Release ninjutsu, and it burned the entire village to ashes in one strike."

As Shikaku gave a general overview of the information, the Jonin in the entire conference room looked at each other in bewilderment.

The fact that it was located near the border with the Land of Hot Water was enough to point the finger at Kumogakure, and the fact that it could destroy a village in one blow made everyone think of Kumogakure.

after all……

Some of the Jonin turned their gazes toward the person standing in the corner, Uchiha Yun.

As a high-level combatant who killed the Fourth Raikage on the battlefield, he should be very familiar with the Lightning Release ninjutsu of Kumogakure.

At this moment, Minato spoke up: "The newly formed Jonin Team 20, proceed to the border immediately for standby."

The order was given, and without hesitation, all the Jonin in the ranks, including Itachi, accepted the command and left in an instant.

A moment later, as Minato issued one task after another, only Yun remained in the conference room, and even Kakashi had gone to the front line on a mission.

As Yun was serving as a Jonin instructor, he did not participate in the newly formed Jonin squad.

Furthermore, given Yun's combat strength, he is no longer capable of serving as a regular Jonin, which would be a waste of his combat power.

Minato then looked at Kumo and asked, "Kumo, do you have any guesses about the Lightning Release ninjutsu capable of destroying a village in one strike?"

Yun shook his head, then asked, "There's one thing I'd like to know: how did these guys get past the border checkpoint? I remember there's a sensing barrier there; surely some information should have gotten back, right?"

Minato frowned and shook his head slightly: "Precisely because the sentry post is intact and the barrier has not shown any movement, we are only suspicious of Kumogakure at the moment."

Minato then looked at Shikaku beside him and asked, "What are the chances of us bypassing the Land of Fire, coordinating with them from within to seize outposts, and breaking through the border?"

After a moment's thought, Shikaku shook his head: "In this situation, the enemy should conceal their movements and quietly destroy the entire sentry system until they are discovered. If it's Kumogakure, there's no need to destroy the village, because such a commotion would inevitably attract our attention..."

Lu Jiu paused at this point, as if he had thought of something.

He then opened the map, glanced at it, and said, "The border village of the Land of Fire was destroyed by Lightning Release ninjutsu. The Daimyo suspects this is a prelude to the Hidden Cloud Village's revenge, therefore he has ordered Konoha to immediately dispatch a large number of ninjas to the border for defense..."

"Considering these consequences... it seems the enemy's objective isn't the border, but rather..."

Having said that, Minato understood Shikaku's guess.

The enemy's target should be Konoha!

By attracting a large number of ninjas from the village to the border, Konoha's defenses will naturally become weak.

This situation also presents the best opportunity to launch a direct attack on Konoha.

but……

"laugh!"

Uchiha Yun scoffed, then looked at Minato and Shikaku and said, "What idiot came up with this plan? Leaving aside the Hokage who was once famous as the Yellow Flash during the Third Shinobi World War, even with Shisui, Itachi, and me here, would we dare to attack Konoha at this time? Are we courting death?"

These words startled Minato, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

Just as Yun said, with the current strength of Konoha, even if the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails Jinchuriki from Kumogakure were to come together, they would probably be defeated before they could even unleash their Tailed Beast Balls.

There are many records in the literature of the First Hokage defeating the Nine-Tails, and Yun's current power is probably not much different from that of Madara Uchiha, who was comparable to the First Hokage.

"The disparity in combat strength is enormous."

Shikaku's voice rang out, and he said, "Even we know that the difference in strength between Konoha and Kumogakure is huge. Kumogakure also knows the power of the Cloud Village from the previous war. They're not fools..."

These words made Yun ponder deeply.

As Shikaku said, the Hidden Cloud Village must have already understood Konoha's fighting strength because of the death of the Fourth Raikage in the previous war.

In such a situation, even deep-seated hatred must be suppressed, otherwise, taking the initiative to provoke will inevitably lead to destruction.

The two remaining Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts are now a joke to Konoha.

If it's not Kumogakure... then which side is it?

Kirigakure has been isolated from the world for so many years, Sunagakure has been even more cautious lately, and Ōnoki from Iwagakure...

It's even less likely that this old man would do that. Putting aside the fact that he could destroy a village with a single strike, Onoki's personality alone wouldn't allow him to be so reckless as to lead the charge.

However, according to the original story I remember, nothing major happened during this period.

Of all the places outside Konoha Village, the one that has seen the most change due to my appearance is probably Kumogakure.

Is there anything else I haven't noticed? The butterfly effect?

Minato then spoke up, saying, "Shikaku's words do indeed have a very high probability that the enemy's target is Konoha, and they are acting recklessly despite knowing this..."

"Then they must have something to rely on. In any case, the safety of the village is the top priority!"

At this point, Minato looked at Yun and said, "Itachi is on the border. Whether it's the Eight-Tails or the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, they can hold out for a while. Besides, Kakashi has my Flying Thunder God Kunai with him."

"If the situation becomes urgent, Konoha will need Kumo and Shisui to look after it."

Yun nodded and replied, "Don't worry, although I don't know which fool has set his sights on Konoha again, with me here, there won't be any problems."

The conversation in the conference room seemed a little strange at this moment, but neither Minato nor Shikaku doubted what was said.

Minato smiled and said, "Then I'll leave it to Yun."

……

After leaving the Hokage Building, Yun headed towards the hospital.

Despite the urgency of the situation, he had no reason to worry.

The Nine-Tails is still inside Kushina in Konoha, and there are no reports of the Jinchuriki from other villages suddenly disappearing.

Nagato is still lying low over the clone Ku's side, and the plan to capture the tailed beasts has not yet been implemented.

Unless Black Zetsu, that devoted son, suddenly releases Kaguya, even those below the Six Paths level, like Edo Tensei Madara, are not insurmountable.

In my memory, there were indeed many forces and individuals who wanted to destroy Konoha, but quite a few of them were just complete idiots.

So, along the way, Yun bought some tricolor dumplings and takoyaki, and headed towards Konoha Hospital.

After completing her tasks in the morning, Hana went to the hospital to receive Kabuto's initial instruction. Although she had become a hands-off manager, she still wanted to care about her students.

……

The unexpected situation at Konoha Hospital had no impact on the hospital.

When Yun saw the flower, she was still working hard on a small fish.

"Want to take a break? I bought some tricolor takoyaki and takoyaki."

The sudden sound from behind startled Hua, and even the fish, who had been showing some improvement, rolled its eyes.

This made Yun a little embarrassed.

Dou, who was standing to the side, looked at the fish and said with a smile, "It's only the second day, and it's already amazing."

Inuzuka Hana paused for a moment, then asked, "How long did it take Kabuto-sensei to succeed in these initial exercises?"

Dou didn't answer the question; he just adjusted his glasses and smiled.

Yun, who was standing nearby, said, "Tell her, so she doesn't think I just found some random teacher to fool her."

Then Inuzuka Hana's gaze fell on Kabuto, making him slightly embarrassed.

He reached up and adjusted his glasses before replying, "Four hours."

???

These words stunned Hana Inuzuka. Having already begun her initial studies, she was well aware of the difficulty involved; the precise control of chakra was not something everyone could master.

Four hours?!

Even though it's only a preliminary stage, how is that possible?!

Even the most talented person couldn't possibly reach this level, right?

"Oh, right."

At that moment, Yun's voice drew Inuzuka Hana's attention, and she then heard even more outrageous words.

"Back then, Dou must have been only six or seven years old, right? And the orphanage was short of funds, so there weren't any fish for him to practice with."

These words left Inuzuka Hana even more bewildered.

Yun waved for him to come and rest for a while, then took out his wallet, took out a wad of cash and handed it to Dou.

Dou hesitated for a moment and took a step back: "Lord Yun, if it's the cost of the lessons, we've already paid for it."

Yun shook his head: "The orphanage is taking a lot of money. As a Konoha ninja, I'm just doing my part. Anyway, it's not for you, and you wouldn't keep it for yourself."

When the orphanage was mentioned, Dou hesitated for a moment but still accepted it.

As Kabuto's talent was recognized by Minato, and the two advisors gradually regained their power after the Cloud Village War, a series of financial problems at the orphanage were resolved.

However, given Yakushi Nonou's personality, she will inevitably take in more children, and the previous war with Kumogakure will also have some impact on her.

Money... is never enough.

Hana Inuzuka, who was standing nearby, noticed this and asked, "Is Kabuto-sensei short of money?"

Kabuto nodded and then smiled, "The Hokage is taking good care of the orphanage now, and the children's lives are much better than when I was there."

Yun glanced at Hana and then teased, "The Inuzuka clan is quite wealthy. Hana's goal is to open her own veterinary hospital in the village. Come to think of it, that's making money off the Inuzuka clan themselves. Perhaps you two could start setting up the framework now?"

???

These words startled Kabuto. After a moment's thought, he shook his head slightly and said, "I also have a lot of things to do in the research department. The Hokage has been a great help to me, so..."

Yun scratched his head, seemingly agreeing.

Although Kabuto has a strong talent in medicine, he also has unparalleled talent in ninjutsu and research.

From this perspective, it's true that he shouldn't be kept in a place like a veterinary hospital, otherwise it would be a waste of his talent.

After a while, Yun finished eating the meatballs and takoyaki. She smiled and said, "Alright, I won't bother you anymore. I still need to buy some food for those guys to take over; their training must be quite tiring."

Hana Inuzuka nodded: "Let's all work hard together, I'll do my best too!"

Dou bowed and said, "I will definitely give you my best guidance. Thank you, Lord Yun."

……

Meanwhile, at the Hokage Building.

Minato's brows furrowed as he looked at the intelligence documents in front of him.

At that moment, the door to the Hokage's office was knocked on again.

"A message from Daming Prefecture."

The communications ninja handed over the document and then turned and left.

Shikaku, who was standing to the side, also frowned and said, "This is the twelfth letter of urging. The daimyo is being a bit too hasty."

Minato didn't answer, but instead took out the document, looked at it, and handed it to Shikaku.

After a moment, Minato said in a deep voice, "The Daimyo's intention is that the responsibility for the previous war with Kumogakure lies with Konoha, and this time their actions are clearly aimed at revenge. Therefore, Konoha must take responsibility!"

"Furthermore, it is required that Uchiha Kumo, who previously killed the Fourth Raikage, must personally go to the border to ensure that Kumogakure's target will not be the Daimyo's residence."

Lu Jiu paused, then asked疑惑地, "Such a clear request for Yun to go to the border... no matter how you look at it, it seems a bit strange..."

Minato nodded, glanced out the window, and said, "Given the current situation, the concerns of the Daimyo Prefecture are not without merit. It's only human nature that they can't see what we're seeing."

Then Minato asked, "If we directly question Kumogakure..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shikaku shook his head: "Questions will only worry Kumogakure. In our estimation, Kumogakure is not behind this incident."

"Based on this, once this questioning reaches the higher-ups of Kumogakure, they will begin to worry that this might be an excuse for Konoha to annex them. But at that time, Kumogakure will inevitably also prepare for war with the Land of Hot Springs."

Minato nodded: "In that case, once the ninjas of Kumogakure become soldiers in the Land of Hot Springs, the Daimyo's fear will deepen even further. At that time, there will probably be even more of these urgent messages."

After he finished speaking, the two people in the conference room fell silent for a moment.

Both of them knew that this was weakening Konoha's defensive capabilities, specifically targeting... Uchiha Kumo.

The mastermind behind this situation is clearly also worried about Uchiha Kumo's power.

They dared not move until the clouds left!

Shikaku, who was standing to the side, suddenly smiled and then looked at Minato, saying, "The other side actually underestimated Yun's strength like that. You know, Yun is only thirteen years old now. I don't know if this situation is good or bad."

Minato smiled and said, "Just like the First Hokage, being able to make all enemies hesitate to act against him with just his own strength proves that it must be a good thing."

"However, the other side is now insisting that Yun leave Konoha. In that case... if Yun doesn't go, then obviously the other side won't show up."

Shikaku nodded: "It's impossible to keep a large number of Jonin on guard along the border. To end this situation, we must force the enemy to show themselves."

"But there's one thing I find strange."

As he spoke, Shikaku looked at Minato: "While the power of the Cloud Realm is undeniable, the Hokage's name was already renowned during the Third Shinobi World War. Under these circumstances, where do they get their confidence in Konoha with the Hokage in charge?"

Minato shook his head slightly: "Although it's a bit embarrassing to say this, compared to Yun, I don't have an advantage except for the Flying Thunder God Technique. And if the battlefield were in Konoha, the advantage of the Flying Thunder God Technique would be further weakened."

Shikaku thought for a moment and nodded.

If the battlefield were in Konoha, when a large-scale ninjutsu is unleashed, the Hokage would not be able to leave in an instant just to protect himself.

However, this would completely negate the advantage of the Flying Thunder God technique.

"Perhaps, the other side has laid out a strategy to counter the Flying Thunder God based on this point."

Then, Shikaku asked, "Should we call Yun over?"

Minato shook his head slightly: "No, things have only just begun. Once the village's Jonin go to the border, the enemies there will naturally back down."

"Let's not inform Yun yet. Perhaps this is the time to test their patience. If they can't hold back anymore, then we've won."

Shikaku paused, then looked at the urgent documents on the table and asked, "What about the daimyo...?"

Minato casually tossed the documents into a drawer: "Aside from protecting the Daimyo, I, as the Hokage, have the final say on matters concerning the Konoha ninja. The current situation is far from peaceful, and the Daimyo can understand that."

Sometimes, the strength of a Hokage is necessary.

The relationship between Konoha and the Land of Fire is interdependent. Ninjas are a nation's military force, and during peacetime, the Land of Fire will reduce Konoha's military spending.

However, after the war with Kumogakure, the situation became tense, and the Hokage of Konoha's influence increased significantly.

Having already consolidated all power in Konoha, Minato now naturally had the power to ignore the Daimyo's messages.

Who knows, we might be able to get even more military funding after this incident.

……

Under the cover of night, a figure stumbled out of the woods in the darkness.

His body was covered in burns from lightning ninjutsu, his entire body was tattered and mangled, with only his eyes remaining, yet he still possessed a resolute will.

We absolutely must bring the intelligence back.

We must stop them from doing this!

"Bang!"

After being tripped by a tree branch and falling to the ground, the woods gradually returned to calm.

After a long while, his body, which had been lying down, moved slightly. He struggled to roll over, and with trembling hands, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.

Exhaling smoke...

Can't hold on any longer?

With injuries like these, just getting here must have taken a lot of effort.

If it weren't for good luck, I might be dead by now.

but……

If we can't return, the Land of Fire will descend into utter chaos...

Perhaps the smoke gave him a little strength, and he tried to stand up by supporting himself with his hands, but eventually collapsed back to the ground.

has it ended?

This is not the time to sleep!

Despite her unwavering will, she could not withstand the injuries; the cigarette butt fell, and her body collapsed.

……

(Regarding the relationship between the Daimyo and Konoha, there are two memorable scenes.)

(The first one was at the border of Sunagakure's army, where Tsunade was threatened by the daimyo. At that time, Tsunade, who was usually so strong, was so scared that she collapsed to the ground, which was simply outrageous.)

(The second instance is when Kakashi became Hokage, the Daimyo covered his face with a fan and said Danzo was a terrible guy. This seems to suggest that Danzo, being a hawk, didn't really care much for the Daimyo.)

Combining these two points, the overall conclusion is that daimyo bullies the weak and fears the strong. Alternatively, it could be that a righteous character wouldn't kill a daimyo, unlike Danzo.

I apologize for failing miserably; this is the only chapter left.

I got home at midnight, sorry everyone.

(End of this chapter)