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

Chapter 60 Black Zetsu's Assistance

Similar to the judgment made by Sunagakure, Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure also reached similar conclusions.

Even in Konoha, to celebrate the success of this public opinion campaign, Hiruzen Sarutobi held a special celebration banquet for Danzo Shimura, to celebrate that the brat Shingetsu Hozuki was finally going to be in big trouble.

Incidentally, this led to a reconciliation between Shimura Danzo and Shimura Danzo.

After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already blatantly humiliated Danzo Shimura last time, practically pointing his finger at him and accusing him of disregarding the big picture, implying that the Hokage didn't know how to think strategically.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi regretted it afterward, he wouldn't apologize, neither out of respect for his position as Hokage nor from a purely ethical standpoint. However, this wasn't a long-term solution, as Danzo, as the "Dark Ninja" who controlled the underworld of Konoha, was indeed an indispensable and important assistant to him.

Therefore, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, he had already made a huge concession by holding a victory celebration for Danzo on the occasion of the Hidden Mist Village incident. Danzo should be able to feel his sincerity, right?

As expected, Shimura Danzo was extremely flattered by this, abandoning his previous cold war stance and becoming very accommodating to Hiruzen Sarutobi's every request.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi overlooked the ambition hidden beneath Danzo Shimura's compliant exterior. The resolute look in his lowered head foreshadowed the change in the relationship between these once-cooperative old partners.

-

"New Moon, what exactly happened with Lian's comments? Didn't his words completely tear away the veil of pretense between us?"

At first, Hozuki Shingetsu was confused by Ren's comments about that movie, but after thinking about it carefully, he understood Ren's actions.

In Ren's view, since the Uzumaki clan has formed a marriage alliance with Hozuki Shingetsu, it undoubtedly reveals that the Uzumaki clan is on the side of the Hozuki clan.

Judging from the current situation, the alliance between Ren and Kaguya is undoubtedly weaker than the alliance of Hozuki, Yuki, and Uzumaki clans in terms of power. Ren can only rely on his status as the Mizukage.

Therefore, after Ren removes this fig leaf and exposes the conflict with the Hozuki clan, he will force the previously neutral ninja clans to choose their own positions.

Previously, they could pretend to be confused and blur their stance, but when Lian completely turned the issue into a binary choice, most neutral forces would still choose Lian's side, including even Yuan Shi.

There's no other reason than that I have a sense of righteousness in my hands.

As long as Ren had not committed any obvious wrongdoing, he remained the Mizukage of Kirigakure, the highest-ranking leader of Kirigakure in name only.

To deny the Mizukage is to deny the Hidden Mist Village as a whole, and to deny the various ninja clans that previously recognized him.

Although he had conflicts with the Hozuki clan and others, he had done nothing wrong to the village, and the methods he used to suppress the Hozuki did not cross any lines; they were within the scope of the rules.

Therefore, before a complete bloodshed occurs, most neutral forces still lean towards Ren—these small and medium-sized families are unaware of the cause of the Uzushio Village incident.

This led to an awkward situation: when Ren took the initiative to remove this fig leaf, Hozuki Shingetsu found himself now the villain.

The reputation he had painstakingly cultivated had ironically become his limitation. After all, how could a "timely rain" from Kirigakure attack someone who had done nothing wrong?

"So, the only option is to find an opportunity to provoke Ren into making the first move?" Hozuki Shingetsu pondered the changes that had occurred since the Uzumaki clan joined Kirigakure.

With the help of the Uzumaki clan, Hozuki Shingetsu now has the confidence to challenge Ren.

After all, there is nothing in the current ninja world that the Uzumaki clan's "Reaper Death Seal" cannot solve.

If one doesn't work, then try another.

Even Madara Uchiha in his current state probably couldn't withstand two "Reaper Death Seal," let alone White Zetsu.

Therefore, Hozuki Shingetsu is now qualified to change dynasties.

However, what he's thinking about now is how to make this matter look good; to put it bluntly, he's thinking about how to maintain a virtuous image.

"New Moon, important news has arrived!"

Just then, Qingxing rushed in from outside, holding a letter of intelligence, and excitedly handed it to Hozuki Shingetsu.

"This is a message sent back by a spy planted within the Kaguya clan, claiming it contains the reasons for the alliance between the Kaguya clan and Ren!"

Hozuki Shingetsu opened the intelligence report with great interest. It concisely recorded that the Kaguya clan had acquired a method to cure the Shikotsumyaku blood disease, and that this secret technique required the blood of other blood-stained ninja clans to be used.

"...This method...it feels so familiar?"

The moment Hozuki Shingetsu saw this method, he sensed something was wrong.

Regardless of whether this method has any chance of success, this kind of secret information is something that his Hozuki clan's spies could find out.

"Where is that spy? Bring him to me immediately!"

Realizing something was wrong, Qing hurriedly went to search for it, and after a while, she returned to her room with a look of shame on her face.

"That person has already run away... Damn it, I thought I had found the reason why the Kaguya clan and Ren formed an alliance, but it turned out to be false information... Luckily, Shingetsu found out."

"No, this information might not be false. On the contrary, if it really is the person I suspect, this information is very likely to be true."

Hozuki Shingetsu looked down at the intelligence report in his hand, and a possibility suddenly occurred to him.

This intelligence may have been sent by someone from Black Zetsu.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this possibility was true.

For Black Zetsu, a chaotic ninja world is actually in his best interest.

Furthermore, Hozuki Shingetsu is a well-known troublemaker in the ninja world, and he also proposed the diplomatic strategy of "balance of the continent." Under these circumstances, Hozuki Shingetsu becoming the Mizukage is surprisingly in line with Black Zetsu's interests.

As for Madara Uchiha manipulating the lotus, it was merely a backup base to make the "Rinne Rebirth" plan more secure. If Kirigakure was abandoned, there was still Takigakure or other ninja villages; there was no need to put all one's eggs in one basket.

As long as Black Zetsu wanted to, as Madara Uchiha's eyes and ears, it would definitely have its own way of fooling Madara Uchiha.

At this moment, Hozuki Shingetsu recalled the incident after the Uchiha human rights incident subsided, when the Uchiha approached Root and asked Danzo why he had sent Root ninjas to humiliate the Uchiha clan. Danzo denied it, which caused a great uproar.

If that was White Zetsu in disguise, then everything makes sense; Black Zetsu had already noticed him!

However, if that's the case, Black Zetsu should know that the Five-Tails is currently inside the Shinigami's stomach! How could he possibly show kindness to the son-in-law of the Uzumaki clan at this time?

"Heh, although it's a bit unpleasant to be used as a pawn to disrupt the ninja world, it's actually good news for the moment."

Hozuki Shingetsu held the intelligence report in his hand, pondering it carefully.

With this intelligence in hand, he was able to devise a plan to make the Kaguya clan make the first move.

As long as one has the moral high ground and designates the Kaguya clan and Ren as the enemies, the purge can be launched in a logical and justifiable manner.

Moreover... it's still unknown who the pawns are!

(End of this chapter)