They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 240 Surprise Attack! Ninja Arena!

After Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to Homura Uchiha's request at the Naka Shrine, in front of many Jonin Uchiha, to make Fugaku Uchiha his assistant to the Hokage, Konoha entered into a turbulent and unpredictable struggle.

Putting aside the fact that the Uchiha clan was putting pressure on Hiruzen Sarutobi, it was impossible to keep the secret completely in front of so many people.

Shimura Danzo naturally heard this news through various channels.

When he heard that Hiruzen Sarutobi, that old guy, had been forced to apologize to the Uchiha clan and beg for forgiveness under his scheme, and that he was cleaning up his mess as the current Hokage, he couldn't have been happier.

But soon, his informant told him more about that night.

When Shimura Danzo heard that Hiruzen Sarutobi had promised the Hokage's assistant, a position that was so important to the Hokage, to Fugaku Uchiha, he could no longer laugh.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi understood him, he also deeply understood his old rival and was very clear about his thoughts. He understood that Hiruzen's decision to make Fugaku Uchiha his assistant was to take advantage of the rift between him and the Uchiha clan and create a system of checks and balances.

Danzo Shimura doesn't want to be constrained by his old teammates and advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, so how could he possibly allow the Uchiha, a ninja clan he has always disliked, to become the Hokage's assistant?

Therefore, faced with this situation, Shimura Danzo naturally had to start exerting his efforts to obstruct this matter.

He immediately refused to return the Mangekyou Sharingan, claiming that it belonged to the son of Madara Uchiha, a traitor to the village, and had nothing to do with the Uchiha clan who had stood on the same side as the village.

After all, even disregarding the suppression of the Uchiha clan, this Mangekyou Sharingan is related to his imagined combination of "Senju power + Uchiha power," so there's no way he could return it to the Uchiha.

On the other hand, he also strengthened his ties with various ninja clans, exaggerating the threat posed by the Uchiha clan in an attempt to win their support and oppose the Uchiha clan succeeding him as Hokage's assistant.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi was no pushover in the face of this situation.

He had been Hokage for so many years, and although he himself was not upright, his image among the various ninja clans was still better than that of Shimura Danzo.

Furthermore, after Hiruzen Sarutobi deliberately pointed out the conflict between the Uchiha clan and Danzo Shimura, and after Danzo Shimura's statement that he planned to increase the number of bloodline limit ninjas drawn from various ninja clans, the attitudes of the various ninja clans naturally wavered significantly.

To facilitate this, Hiruzen Sarutobi even used the slogan "The village is in dire straits, let's unite as one" to exaggerate the dangerous situation Konoha was in at the time, suggesting that if the Uchiha were not given an explanation, Konoha might be in danger of collapse.

Thus, at this very moment when the Anti-Konoha Alliance had just been established, Konoha was completely engulfed in turmoil because of the Uchiha clan incident.

However, it is foreseeable that this turmoil will not last long.

With the support of many ninja clans, it seems that Fugaku Uchiha's position as Hokage's assistant is now within reach.

Naturally, it's impossible for Konoha to go to the Land of Iron to participate in the "Uchiha International Arbitration Case" now.

Even the resident Konoha ninjas stationed in the Land of Iron acted as if nothing was happening, staying in their rooms all day and never appearing.

The Third Raikage and others' desire to humiliate Konoha in the Land of Iron was ultimately impossible to realize.

-

Mizukage Village, Mizukage's Office.

"Konoha's been really lively lately!"

Hozuki Shingetsu looked at the intelligence report sent back by the Konoha spy in his hand, smiled slightly, and placed it on the table.

"Hmm... to be honest, Shimura Danzo's move was really dirty! The Hokage acted like the leader of Root, without showing even a shred of the demeanor of the leader of the number one ninja village in the ninja world. He really has no class at all!"

Shingetsu Hozuki was fully aware of Danzo Shimura's actions and knew his thoughts in great detail.

Danzo Shimura is practically using the Hokage position to act as the leader of Root, or rather, his long-term life underground has made him forget how to act in the sunlight.

Every move they made was full of scheming and intrigue, showing no trace of any magnanimity.

The position of a leader requires scheming, but it cannot be all about scheming; doing so for too long will only lead to the loss of popular support.

After all, no one is stupid. Even a scoundrel with oozing pus would still secretly wish to be friends with upright and honest people.

Hiruzen Sarutobi actually did a pretty good job in this position before. He acted all righteous and noble, and assigned all the dirty and hard work to Danzo Shimura, while he himself was completely untouchable.

"But isn't this the very reason why I went to such lengths to promote Shimura Danzo to power?"

When Hozuki Shingetsu thought of this, he chuckled to himself and brought his wandering thoughts back to the present.

"You agree with my assessment of Shimura Danzo, right? Nonou?"

Hozuki Shingetsu patted Yakushi Nonou on the head and asked this question.

"Waaah..."

Yakushi Nonou shook her head, unable to answer.

"Oh, I forgot you still have that 'Tongue Trouble' mark on your tongue... Holy crap!"

As Hozuki Shingetsu was speaking, he was suddenly startled by what he had just said and quickly stood up and moved away from Yakushi Nonou.

?

Kneeling there blankly, Yakushi Nonou had no idea what was happening, and tilted her head, revealing a puzzled expression.

Why is today's time so short?

Hozuki Shingetsu looked at Yakushi Nonou kneeling there, at her unconsciously open cherry lips, those pink lips glossy and shiny, as if they had just been painted with something.

However, Hozuki Shingetsu's attention was not on Yakushi Nonou's lips at all, but on the tiny, dark seal at the base of her pink tongue.

The seal of the annihilation of the root of calamity through the tongue.

"Damn, I have no idea what the mechanism for triggering this seal is... If Nono had revealed her opinion of Danzo just now and triggered the seal, that would have been a real mess..."

Although Hozuki Shingetsu is not afraid of the harm brought by the Tongue Disaster Seal with his current strength, he is still a man after all.

If the seal of the Root of Tongue Disaster had been triggered in that situation, even if its power was not great, the psychological trauma it would have caused him would have been immense.

"Go find the Uzumaki clan leader later and have him remove the 'Tongue Calamity Eradication Mark' from your tongue!"

Shingetsu Hozuki, who was sweating profusely, calmed himself down and said this to Nono Yakushi.

Although Yakushi Nonou didn't know why Hozuki Shingetsu was behaving so strangely, she still obediently agreed.

"Okay... but wasn't Uzumaki Muneto already out on a mission? Should I go to class now and find him when he gets back?"

Yakushi Nonou's current official identity in Kirigakure is the training instructor for Kirigakure's intelligence agents. Unfortunately, Hozuki Shingetsu, the teacher who was brought in from afar, has hardly taught any professional skills classes. Instead, he is often summoned by Hozuki Shingetsu to the Mizukage's office for one-on-one tutoring.

Because of his frequent rescheduling of classes and tardiness, he had already angered the unsuspecting intelligence agents in Kirigakure.

"A mission?... Oh, right, then let's wait for him to return before going to find him!"

Hozuki Shingetsu then remembered what the Uzumaki clan members had gone to do. He turned his head and looked towards the southeastern sea, and a thought flashed through his mind.

"Judging by the time, it should be time to go to the island, right?"

-

In the eastern ocean of the Ninja World Continent, near an unnamed island hundreds of nautical miles from the main island of the Land of Water, Uzumaki Muneto, along with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and several elite Kirigakure warriors, stood calmly on several small boats, gazing at the island that was faintly visible in the mist not far away.

"Hmm... is this the island?"

Suigetsu Hozuki leaned Samehada upside down on the boat, gazing at the small island with a bloodthirsty smile on his face.

"That's right. If the information is correct, then the legendary ninja arena is on that small island ahead."

Uzumaki Muneto put down his binoculars and turned to instruct the others to steer the ship toward the small island.

Given Hozuki Shingetsu's tendency to think three steps ahead before acting, he naturally wants to maximize the benefits of everything.

While he wanted to give the newly formed anti-Konoha alliance a good start and perhaps even sow discord between the Uchiha and Konoha by initiating the "Uchiha International Arbitration Case," he also had another important intention.

That is to feign an attack on one front while secretly advancing another, using the "Uchiha International Arbitration Case" as a cover to conceal their intention to launch a surprise attack on the Ninja Arena and seize all the bloodline limit ninjas on the island.

After all, this place is a frequent gathering place for nobles and wealthy people from various countries. Even though places like "Loli Island" are hidden underwater and cannot see the light of day, if Kirigakure were to openly attack this place, it would eventually bring some trouble upon themselves.

So, while everyone in the ninja world was focused on the anti-Konoha alliance and Konoha, Hozuki Shingetsu ordered Uzumaki Muneto to lead a raid and take away all the bloodline limit ninjas.

When the air fortress returns from the Eastern Continent the next time, all of them will be sent to the Eastern Continent to be used as ruthless breeding machines. They will be provided with nutritious supplements every day, and all they need to do is eat, sleep, and mate. This will prevent information leaks while increasing the number of bloodline ninjas for Kirigakure.

"I never expected to find a ninja arena in the depths of the ocean where ninjas are gladiators. How interesting! If I didn't have a mission, I would really like to go up and experience what it's like to be a gladiator."

Despite how obsequious Suigetsu Hozuki appears in front of Shingetsu Hozuki, his outward image is that of a bloodthirsty and violent serial killer.

Upon learning that his mission was to come to this island and take away all the ninjas there, his bloodlust began to stir.

"Don't forget Lord Crescent Moon's mission!"

Upon hearing this, Uzumaki Muneto immediately turned around and looked at Suigetsu Hobutsuki with a serious expression.

"Lord Crescent Moon's mission is to capture all the ninjas alive. I hope you don't forget that, otherwise... hmph!"

In Kirigakure today, there are quite a few ninjas whose strength surpasses that of Suigetsu Hozuki.

For example, his own father Hozuki Zangetsu, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki Yagura, and the heads of various ninja clans.

But when it comes to people I can truly trust, given that Yagura is far away in the Eastern Continent, there aren't many suitable candidates.

Coincidentally, Uzumaki Munen was on that list.

As the young leader chosen by the Uzumaki clan, Muneto Uzumaki has mastered the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques to an extraordinary degree at a young age. Although he is not as good as the "Sannin" or "Sakumo Hatake", dealing with a Kisame Hoshigaki is no problem for him.

The overwhelming power, coupled with Hozuki Shingetsu's orders, naturally prevented Suigetsu Hobuki from acting recklessly.

Seeing this, the other ninjas naturally didn't dare to say anything and quietly watched the island getting closer and closer.

Before long, several small sampans approached the island.

After exchanging glances, the group tacitly removed the Mist Village headbands from their heads and put on the Konoha headbands and the iconic Konoha green Jonin vests that they had prepared in advance.

Then he leaped up, chakra coalescing under his feet, and sprinted toward the island in a standard ninja running style, typical of a rare species.

Ignoring the several magnificent ships on one side of the island, the group silently arrived on the island under the cover of the fog. Based on various traces on the island, they came to a building that resembled a Roman Colosseum.

Standing on a tree branch, through the dense forest, Uzumaki clan member saw the magnificent building and, hearing the faint but loud commotion, raised his arm to signal everyone to stop.

Then he turned his head and looked at a black-haired young ninja following behind him.

"orchid!"

The ninja named Ran nodded upon hearing this, then focused his gaze intently on the giant building.

hum!

Suddenly, an invisible ripple emanated from his eyes, turning his normally normal eyes bloodshot as he stared straight toward the giant building.

It was after Kirigakure issued its "recruitment order" some time ago that the Red-Eyed Clan ninjas came to Kirigakure!

Red eyes are similar to Byakugan in that they can see through objects. However, unlike Byakugan, red eyes can create virtual chakra images to confuse Byakugan, making them the natural enemy of Byakugan!

In addition, the red-eyed clan also has the ability to sense danger. If they weren't so few in number and had no room for advancement, the Hyuga clan might not have been able to make such a great name for themselves!

"One, two, three... Lord Uzumaki, there are thirty-six people inside who can generate chakra. In terms of threat level, four of them make me feel danger."

A moment later, Lan's eyes returned to black, and she turned to speak to the Uzumaki sect member.

"The locations of these thirty-six people are as follows..."

"There are four people who make you feel dangerous, which means there are four Jonin..."

Ran himself only had the strength of a Chunin. He was brought along not because of his combat ability, but because of the characteristics of his red eyes.

Uzumaki Muneto nodded in understanding.

After ascertaining the location of these thirty-six individuals, Uzumaki Muneto pondered for a moment before issuing combat orders.

"...That concludes the plan for this operation. Finally, I want to emphasize again that Lord Crescent Moon's intention is to capture him alive, so everyone must be careful when you move. Understand?"

After explaining the battle plan, Uzumaki Muneto looked around at the ninjas with a serious expression, his gaze lingering on several members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

To be honest, given the strength of the people present, even the five great ninja villages would be thrown into chaos by such a surprise attack. Using them to deal with this small island is like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

However, Hozuki Shingetsu's requirement was to capture them alive so that they could be abducted and used as breeding boars, so naturally, he had to strive to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Faced with the gaze of the Uzumaki sect members, the others present nodded in agreement.

Then, with Uzumaki Munen waving his hand, the plan officially began.

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen exchanged glances and immediately began forming hand seals.

With the mobilization of chakra, the mist that already existed on the island seemed to be attracted by something, gathering from all directions and seeping into the magnificent arena through various vents.

At this moment, a fierce battle is underway inside the arena.

The two combatants happen to be rare bloodline limit holders: one is a Lava Release ninja, and the other is a Steel Release ninja.

This rare battle of bloodline limits thrilled all the nobles present, who couldn't help but roar wildly to cheer on the ninjas on stage.

"Come on, kid! I've staked ten million taels on you, you absolutely can't lose to that stuff!"

"Yes, that's how you do it!"

"Ambush from behind! Doggy style, do you even know what doggy style is?!... Huh? What's that?!"

A wealthy businessman from the Land of Fire was excitedly cheering on the Lava Release ninja he supported when suddenly a thin mist appeared on the field, obstructing his view of the battle.

As he wondered, the thin mist thickened, obscuring not only the battle on the stage but also the figures in the seats in front of him.

"What is that?!"

"Why is there such a thick fog?"

"Guards? Where are the guards?"

Everyone present was annoyed by the sudden thick fog and began shouting loudly.

brush!

Before the guards could emerge, a red light suddenly appeared in the thick fog, and everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the red light.

boom!

It was as if they hadn't looked at it at all. Everyone who turned their gaze toward it felt a jolt in their brains, and involuntarily, a crimson eye with blood and tears appeared in their minds.

"Immerse yourself in the illusion of the Blood Dragon Eye!"

Looking at the many figures in the audience, their eyes glazed over and slumped in their seats, Blood Pond En, or rather, Miyajo En, gently pushed up his square sunglasses with his index finger and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Who are you people... uh..."

Faced with such a drastic change, the battle on the stage naturally could not continue.

The two ninjas initially tried to put up a fight, but they were quickly knocked unconscious by several ninja swordsmen.

"Too weak, too weak!"

Kushimaru Kurihara fiddled with the steel-hard scimitar in his hand, a bored expression on his face.

"It's really boring that we came all this way to deal with these guys!"

"There's nothing I can do; it's Lord Hozuki's mission."

Tongcao Yeren echoed with the same expression.

"Ha, I really want to see Suigetsu Hozuki's expression right now! He's come so far, and his opponent is so weak, yet he can't go on a killing spree, hahaha..."

A mocking expression appeared on Kushimaru's thin, monkey-like face, causing the others present to burst into laughter.

boom!

Just then, a violent explosion rang out, and a burly figure flew out of the smoke and crashed heavily in front of the two.

"Watermelon Hill?!"

Upon seeing the figure that had fallen in front of them, the two couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"So, it's you guys who came to cause trouble?"

From within the smoke, a slender figure gradually emerged and came before the two.

"Konoha ninja?"

Upon noticing the headbands on the two people's heads, the man's expression clearly froze for a moment.

"But it doesn't matter. Since they dare to come here and cause trouble, they're the enemy. And since they're the enemy, there's nothing more to say!"

Having said that, the man clasped his hands together and shouted:

"Typhoon Retreat - Sudden Typhoon Strikes!"

Ugh~

In an instant, a strong wind arose, and the thick fog that had gathered the chakra of the seven ninja swords was blown away by the wind!

Accompanied by howling winds, the winds from all directions converged and merged in this spacious room, creating a typhoon with a diameter of nearly 20 meters out of nowhere!

(End of this chapter)