The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

"It's all uncertain right now. We'll just have to wait and see. That Shemu leader is quite interesting, but we'll have to wait and see what happens. Nothing is certain."

Mianma said with a smile.

Because of Shibuki, because of the Hero's Water, and even more so because of the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki Fu, Takigakure is still Menma's first choice. If possible, Menma will definitely do everything in his power to take control of Takigakure in the future, but he is well aware of how difficult that will be.

No matter how difficult it is, he has to do it.

This is one of the most reliable options.

As for the outcome, that's up to fate.

The time left for Mianma is not much, but it's not little either; three years is enough to change everything.

"Oh? What was the purpose of that task you gave them? And who are the people they're looking for?"

Karin nodded as if she understood, then, as if she had thought of something, she widened her eyes and looked at Menma, asking a question.

"Oh, that's just a matter of going with the flow. We can't just go to a ninja village and ask to meet the leader of a ninja village without any reason, can we? Also, this mission can be carried out long-term, which makes it convenient for us to contact Takigakure from time to time to make further arrangements. As for the people we are looking for, one is the descendant of the former daimyo of Kubi no Kami, Kusaki Gosaku, whom I promised to Ushiodo, and the other are the descendants of our Uzumaki clan who have scattered to the ninja world, as well as some other specific candidates."

Mianma paused for a moment, then continued.

"That's it!"

Karin nodded in reply.

"To reiterate, how things unfold from here depends on both our choices and theirs."

Menma turned around, seemingly able to pass through the layers of mountains to see the interior of Takigakure Village. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he spoke softly.

"Let's go, Karin, it's time to go back."

"Ok!"

Then.

Menma and Karin each unleashed a burst of chakra, then flew side by side, rapidly returning to their location in the Land of Fields to the east.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 149 Each Person's Choice

The bustling ninja world.

The situation remains one of confrontation between the various parties.

The uproar over the joint attack on Konoha by Sunagakure and Otogakure has not subsided even after more than ten days. Especially since Konoha has not yet confirmed the Fifth Hokage and has not sent a strong signal to the outside world, the attention of the various ninja villages has never diminished. Every ninja village that was once defeated by Konoha is now watching Konoha with boundless malice.

The Hidden Cloud Village is particularly prominent among these villages.

Several years ago, due to the "Byakugan dispute," Kumogakure almost launched a war against Konoha. However, due to Hiruzen Sarutobi's special response, Kumogakure lost its excuse to start a war. More importantly, it was because of its fear of Konoha's power and the need to consider the attitude of Iwagakure on the side, so it chose to abandon its initial plan.

Now, the wounds of the Third Shinobi World War have long been healed. After more than ten years of silence, Kumogakure, having recovered to its peak, once again feels that it can look down on the entire shinobi world.

The death of the Hokage, the loss of the Nine-Tails, and the deaths of many other ninjas.

In the Hidden Cloud Village, especially for the hot-tempered Fourth Raikage A, this was the perfect opportunity. Of course, hot-tempered as he was, the Fourth Raikage A would never act impulsively. His straightforward style did not mean he was brainless.

If they were to actually take action, they would certainly conduct extensive reconnaissance first.

And most importantly, it is essential to distinguish between the important and the trivial.

According to the Fourth Raikage, A, the most important thing to determine now is the whereabouts of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Menma Uzumaki.

Konoha should actually be placed later.

Because this is a tailed beast that is even more powerful than our own Eight-Tails.

However, nearly ten days have passed, and their own intelligence unit still hasn't received a single useful piece of information.

The Land of Thunder.

In the easternmost area.

Hidden Cloud Village.

In the very center of the top floor of that magnificent building that stands at the very top.

"Peng!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, finally couldn't suppress the restlessness in his heart any longer.

That enormous fist that struck with all its might.

It ended with a dull thud.

"Crack!"

"Splash!"

The desk, which had clearly been recently replaced, seemed to let out a mournful cry.

It shattered directly.

Meanwhile, the other Cloud Ninja in one side seemed unfazed. Their Fourth Raikage's temperament far surpassed that of previous Raikages. He could indeed control his emotions in important matters, but the more he did so, the more likely he was to find other ways to vent his emotions. On average, this table only had a 'lifespan' of three or four months, and the longest one had never exceeded half a year.

"What on earth is going on?! Ten days have already passed?! I don't need the exact location, but at least some general information, right?! What have the reconnaissance squad been doing?! Huh?!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, glared fiercely, and his massive, imposing figure exuded a chilling aura that instilled fear in everyone.

If ordinary Cloud Ninja saw their Raikage like this, they would be terrified. But the Cloud Ninja who were in this room were all their trusted confidants who were used to their Raikage's personality.

For example, the one-eyed man on the far left wearing an eyepatch—Tsuchida—is, in terms of seniority, an absolute strategist during the time of the Third Raikage. Even the Fourth Raikage, A, had to give him basic respect. Then, on the right, there's a dark-skinned young man with white hair and bangs covering his left eye. That's Darui, currently recognized by the village as the strongest contender for the next Raikage.

There was also a dark-skinned beauty and a blonde woman with an incredibly large bust, who were Raikage's trusted confidantes, serving as his secretaries, Mabui and Samui.

These people are the current decision-making team of Kumogakure.

"After all, he left with Orochimaru, so it's indeed difficult to obtain basic information in such a short time, Raikage-sama."

The person on the earthen platform to the side spoke in a very calm tone.

"Hmph, we can't be completely without any information, can we?! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Konoha has finally revealed such a large opening, we absolutely cannot miss this, and that old man from Iwagakure must have a similar attitude!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, was well aware of this, but he just couldn't accept it. He wished he could capture Menma right now.

"We still need to give him some time. Also, Raikage, I think we shouldn't resort to such a brutal approach. Since Uzumaki Menma has chosen to defect from Konoha, it means he can't go back. Don't forget that he is the son of the Fourth Hokage, and this news has spread throughout the entire ninja world. We don't need to worry about anything else. Moreover, this boy is only 12 years old and has great potential for development. We can approach him on an equal footing and may be able to persuade him, rather than choosing a forceful approach."

Tu Tai paused for a moment, then spoke in a very serious tone.

This wasn't the first time the Fourth Raikage, A, had heard such words.

When the news came from Konoha last time, Tsuchikage suggested that his side should make friendly contact with Menma regarding the issue of Uzumaki Menma. However, the Fourth Raikage ultimately felt that it was not so safe, since Menma was not a ninja trained by his own village.

Grasp the dough.

The Fourth Raikage believed that the best course of action was to extract the Nine-Tails and reseal it into another outstanding ninja in his own village. He was even prepared to personally lead a team to capture it once the location was confirmed.

“I also think what Tsuchikage said makes sense, Raikage-sama. A 12-year-old boy is still very malleable, and his identity is destined to have an irreconcilable hatred with Konoha. This is something we can start with. If everything goes smoothly, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble.”

Azabu, representing the rational faction, also spoke seriously.

These people know best just how powerful the Tailed Beasts are.

Our own ninja village has two tailed beasts.

Now we should focus on the strongest Nine-Tails. If we really choose to capture it by force, think about the scene when our Third Raikage fought against the Eight-Tails. Anyone can tell how high the risk was.

Especially from Tsuchikage's perspective, his own Fourth Hokage is still quite lacking in skill compared to the strongest Raikage of all time—the Third Hokage.

"We'll talk about that later. Right now, the priority is to pinpoint the exact location of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Also, is there any further news from Konoha?"

After frowning and thinking for a while, the Fourth Raikage, A, still didn't want to change his mind easily. In most cases, he was able to rationally listen to the reasonable suggestions of his subordinates, but in some aspects, he was still very stubborn.

This is a common problem for all the Raikage.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 150 The Explosive Public Opinion Environment (Third Update)

Regarding the problem of hemp in vortex surfaces.

The Fourth Raikage clearly displayed his stubborn nature; he only trusted 'his own people,' the kind of people who were truly his own.

After exchanging glances with Mabu-i, Tutai could only helplessly put it aside for the time being. Anyway, there would be other opportunities later, so there was no need to rush. Advice also requires tact, occasion, and timing. Besides, they hadn't found Mianma yet.

"At present, Konoha is maintaining the previous situation. Apart from increasing the number of troops in the northern border area, there has been no other movement."

Samui, who was in charge of gathering intelligence on Konoha, answered immediately as the Fourth Raikage finished asking his question.

"Hmph, so they're really keeping everything perfectly under control? Haven't they decided on the Fifth Hokage yet?"

The Fourth Raikage snorted softly.

"Yes, there is still no more information on this matter, but we speculate that the Fifth Hokage will be Jiraiya."

"Jiraiya?"

We can be considered to be of the same generation.

During the Second Shinobi World War and the Third Shinobi World War.

The Fourth Raikage, A, had met Jiraiya several times and had a certain understanding of this hero of Konoha.

Jiraiya becoming the Fifth Hokage is indeed the most likely outcome at present.

"The intelligence and espionage teams need to investigate more thoroughly. No clue, however small, should be missed. Also, Darui, you need to go to the south yourself. If there's an opportunity, don't hesitate; I fully authorize you!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, stared sharply at Darui, who was lounging lazily to his right, and spoke with a menacing tone.

"Yes, Lord Raikage."

"Yes, I understand."

"Hemp clothes" and "Darui" replied one after the other.

"Hmph, Konoha, this time, I definitely won't miss this opportunity!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, nodded in satisfaction, then turned around and looked through the huge floor-to-ceiling window, where he could seemingly see Konoha Village in the far south. His brows furrowed with murderous intent as he spoke.

Kumogakure is taking action, and so is Iwagakure.

However, compared to the urgent situation of the Fourth Raikage, A.

Now that he's in his late 70s, Onoki has become much more composed. He'll certainly pay attention to the major changes in Konoha and search for the whereabouts of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Menma, but he won't devote too much effort to it.