Starting with Wood Release, he survives in Konoha Hospital and becomes a big shot.

Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the crowd; it was Jingyin.

She rushed anxiously to Yao Xingji's side and eagerly examined his body.

When Tsunade left, she entrusted her junior brother to her care. But not long after, Yao Xingji got into trouble. She is now filled with remorse and regrets not coming out with Yao Xingji.

Shizune saw how important the medicine star was to Tsunade. She knew very well that, in a sense, Tsunade treated this child as her deceased younger brother.

Having already endured the pain of losing a loved one, Shizune fears that Tsunade-sensei might not be able to withstand such a blow again.

"what……"

Just then, Yao Xingji suddenly woke up, screaming and kicking wildly.

"Don't come any closer!"

"Don't come any closer!"

His hysterical state startled all the ninjas present.

In particular, they noticed that Yao Xingji's eyes were glowing with an eerie reddish-pink light, which almost made many ninjas familiar with the Sharingan think that Yao Xingji had awakened the Sharingan.

Danzo's gaze also froze on Yakusei at that moment.

There are many side effects of mind-reading, some go insane, others become lethargic. At this moment, Yao Xingji is behaving very much like the chaotic, insane state that comes after mind-reading.

"Looks like it worked," Danzo thought to himself. "But what's wrong with his eyes...?"

"Starry Night, it's me, Sister Shizune. Don't be afraid, no one will hurt you, be good!"

Jingyin hugged Yao Xingji tightly, gently comforting him while patting his back to soothe his emotions.

However, Yao Xingji still couldn't calm down. He was in a state of extreme panic, constantly struggling and twisting.

Swish!

A gust of cold wind swept by, and Orochimaru appeared beside Yao Xingji, pointing a finger at Yao Xingji's brow, instantly silencing him.

"Given his condition, it would be best if he slept for a while," Orochimaru explained.

His gaze swept over Yao Xingji's slowly closing eyes, settling on those red and pink pupils.

"Has he awakened a special bloodline limit? Interesting!"

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Chapter Sixty-Three: Mysterious and Unpredictable

The group did not linger outside and immediately returned to the village. Yao Xingji and the other injured children were all sent to Konoha Hospital.

It has to be said that Yao Xingji and Konoha Hospital are really destined to be together. No matter how far he runs, he will always be sent back here.

However, the situation was never very optimistic.

"How is Xingji doing?" Kakashi ran out of his hospital room and asked after seeing Jingyin in the corridor.

This incident happened because he invited Yao Xingji to play at his cabin, so he felt guilty and thought he had harmed Yao Xingji and hadn't thought things through.

"We've already checked her out. There are no external injuries, but it seems like her brain has been stimulated and she's experiencing some mental issues," Shizune said, her face pale.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said, taking a breath.

"It's not your fault." Shizune shook her head.

Nobody wanted this to happen, and Kakashi meant well. Shizune still remembers how happy Yao Xingji was when he found out he was going to play outside the village.

"Shizune, things might be a little different from what you think." Kakashi pondered for a moment, then decided to offer his assessment.

"Huh?" Shizune was taken aback, not understanding what Kakashi meant.

Kakashi glanced around and pulled Shizune into an empty hospital room.

"I suspect we've been set up!" Kakashi said gravely.

"You mean Hidden Mist?" Shizune still didn't understand.

Kakashi shook his head: "My father and Lady Tsunade were not in the village at this time. In addition, after the people of Kirigakure made their move, there was another battle taking place besides our battlefield. However, that place was not on the road from Konoha, but on the road far away from Konoha. In other words, someone ambushed the Kirigakure ninja on their way out of Konoha. I later learned that the person who fought the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist there was Lord Orochimaru."

"What? This..."

Shizune's eyes twitched violently, and her expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Even if she were slow to realize it, she would have noticed the problem.

Why did Orochimaru appear on the retreat route of the Hidden Mist Village and the others? Why were Captain Hatake and Tsunade transferred away from the village at this time? Why was Yakushiki the only one among so many people whose mental state was affected?

"Could it be Lord Danzo..." Shizune's breathing suddenly became rapid.

Kakashi looked at Shizune with a deep gaze, offering no further explanation, believing that Shizune had already grasped the situation.

"So Xingji's current situation is very likely a side effect of being mind-read."

Based on Yao Xingji's symptoms, Jingyin almost immediately determined his condition.

"I believe you probably understand the truth of the matter, but I suggest you wait until Lady Tsunade returns before making any plans. I'm going back now." Kakashi said, opening the door and leaving the room.

Being schemed against is a very unacceptable thing.

Everyone thinks they are the protagonist of the world, but once they find out they are just a pawn in someone else's game, that feeling is really unpleasant.

A genius like Kakashi, in particular, is unwilling to be a pawn in someone else's game and be used by others.

Jingyin remained silent in the room for a long time before finally leaving.

In the ward.

Yao Xing lay quietly on the hospital bed, seemingly asleep, but his furrowed brows and slightly pale cheeks still betrayed his previous unease.

"Although the acting was a bit awkward, I guess I can get by with 'cuteness' for now," Yao Xingji thought to himself.

After all, he wasn't a professional actor, so it was really difficult for Yakusei to act in front of big shots like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo.

However, it seems to be working well now. At least everyone's attention has been diverted, and Yakiseki's performance is in line with Danzo's expectations.

In the realm of the mind, Yao Xingji's gaze fell upon the Heart of the Universe.

He gained a lot that night. Besides Bian Que's skills and some ninjutsu, his biggest gain was the Crimson Destruction Power.

Previously at Konoha Hospital, Yao Xingji could easily obtain the Azure Creation Power and had already accumulated quite a bit, but the Crimson Destruction Power, which requires killing to collect, was not so easy to collect.

Last night, the Hidden Mist ninjas provided Yoshinori with a large amount of materials to collect the Crimson Destruction Power, finally enabling him to acquire a large quantity of this strange energy.

Moreover, Yao Xingji discovered that the stronger the person he killed, the more crimson destructive power he obtained.

Yao Xingji had a feeling that if he could merge the Azure Creation Power and the Crimson Destruction Power now, he would be able to discover a greater secret of the Heart of the Universe. At the very least, he could already enter the mysterious space where things could be stored.

At this moment, in Konoha Hospital, Yao Xing was extremely unsure whether someone was watching him.

So, to be on the safe side, he should wait until he's sure it's safe before trying.

Meanwhile, the Konoha ninja's search in the forest has come to a complete standstill.

They found no trace of any Hidden Mist ninja, not even a single ordinary Hidden Mist ninja, let alone the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

If Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, hadn't fought against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, they might have even thought that Kakashi and the others were under a genjutsu.

What's strange isn't just this; when Konoha mobilized some surrounding strongholds to investigate, they found that they also couldn't find any trace of the Hidden Mist ninja's retreat.

These people seemed to have vanished into thin air, completely disappearing from the vicinity of Konoha. However, judging from the large-scale spread of the Hidden Mist Technique before, there were at least thirty or forty Hidden Mist ninja on Konoha's side at that time. How did they manage to leave so quietly?

At the same time, Danzo also discovered that the Yamanaka clan ninja he had sent to read minds, the Starry Sky Powder, had disappeared without a trace, just like the Hidden Mist ninjas, vanishing into thin air without leaving any information.

As the investigation deepens, more and more strange things emerge, and the truth becomes increasingly elusive.

In the Hokage's office, a group of Konoha's high-ranking officials gathered again, including Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and the heads of several major clans in Konoha, such as Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi.

As the saying goes, "where there's smoke, there's fire." The Hidden Mist Village's actions at the village gates were strange and perplexing, leaving the village's leadership puzzled and beginning to question the purpose of the event.

Is it just to disgust Konoha?

surely not.

Considering the current situation in the ninja world, there is only one answer left—war!

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Chapter Sixty-Four: The Prelude to the Third War

What are your thoughts on what happened tonight?

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe, exhaled the smoke, and said.

"The Hidden Mist Village may very well be considering starting a war with the Hidden Leaf Village," Danzo said bluntly.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed slightly.

Everyone had actually expected this, but when Danzo said it outright, everyone's hearts still couldn't help but flutter.

"The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist are the direct subordinate unit of the Third Mizukage and the most unique squad in the Mist Village's Anbu. Their appearance outside Konoha and their attack on our people is no longer a simple skirmish between ninjas; it has escalated into a battle at the national level. I suggest that we immediately declare war on the Land of Water!" Danzo said solemnly.

He originally intended to use Yao Xingji as bait to lure out a few spies and traitors lurking in the shadows, but he didn't expect to catch not traitors, but sharks.

If Orochimaru hadn't been there to stop the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, few of the younger generation of Konoha would have survived by now.

More importantly, Sarutobi Asuma is also inside. If something happens to him, Sarutobi Hiruzen will definitely not let it go. And that doesn't even include Hatake Sakumo's son, or the Uchiha brats.

"Declare war? Isn't that a bit too hasty?" Mitokado Yan frowned and said.

Everyone was angry that the Hidden Mist Ninja had bullied them, but they felt it was inappropriate to declare war on them like this.

Konoha's current situation is indeed quite worrying.

Despite being the strongest village in the ninja world, Konoha is still no match for the combined forces of other ninja villages.

The Hidden Cloud Village is currently pursuing military expansion, and border frictions are becoming increasingly intense. Meanwhile, the Hidden Stone Village is also eager to make moves. If the Hidden Leaf Village were to declare war on the Hidden Mist Village at this time, it is highly likely that all these ninja villages would be drawn into the war, and it would be difficult to say whether the Hidden Leaf Village could win the war.

Moreover, even if they ultimately win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, a price that Konoha simply cannot afford.

"The people from Kirigakure have already come knocking on our door. Are we just going to swallow our anger?" Danzo said.

“Suppressing our anger is certainly not an option, but this matter is suspicious in many ways. I would like to ask, do we currently have any evidence to prove that it was the people of Kirigakure who were behind this?” Uchiha Fugaku interjected.

"Orochimaru directly fought against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, isn't that evidence?" Danzo retorted.

Fugaku Uchiha shook his head: "These kinds of battles are all one-sided stories. We believe Orochimaru, but outsiders won't. After all, we haven't found a single Kirigakure ninja, neither their corpses nor any trace of their departure. If this gets out, most people probably won't believe it, and even Kirigakure won't admit that they attacked Konoha."

Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately taken aback.

They then realized that they had no way of proving that the ninjas from Kirigakure were responsible for what had just happened.