The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

"What!? That Raikage accused us of massacring an entire squad of Cloud Ninja? He wants us to hand over the Cloud Ninja's corpses, and the murderer!? What kind of joke is this!?"

The Land of Fire, Konoha Village.

In the Hokage's private office.

After hearing Shikaku's report.

Tsunade suddenly stood up from her seat, her expression a mixture of confusion and anger, and asked loudly.

"If you don't hand it over, we'll go to war!? This bastard is threatening us, isn't he!?"

Most importantly, it was the words in the announcement.

Anyone with a sound mind can clearly hear the blatant threat in it.

Especially when combined with the movements of the Cloud Ninja that were just detected at the border.

The intention was more obvious than a louse on a bald man's head.

How could Tsunade not be furious? Did they really think Konoha was made of clay? That they could threaten and bully them however they wanted?!

Just two days ago, I was cornered by Danzo during a high-level meeting, and my anger hasn't even subsided yet. And now he's pulled this stunt!?

"This is also the style of that Fourth Raikage. Fifth Raikage, and judging from the Cloud Ninja's attitude, even if it's just a symbolic action, we can't ignore it. If the talks really break down, there's a high probability that a direct clash will break out in the north."

Shikaku sighed softly.

Logically speaking, a ninja village and a Kage should act in the most rational way at any time. However, it is precisely this Fourth Raikage that Shikaku finds difficult to make a preconceived judgment about, mainly because some of his past experiences are too classic.

Let's not even talk about the current situation.

Even in a different situation, even if Shikaku were 99% certain that the other party wouldn't make a move, there's still that 1% chance that he'd run into such an unlucky guy as the Fourth Raikage. Shikaku would still be hesitant to act rashly.

The attitude they've displayed makes them look like a warmonger, okay?

Even if you are very confident that the other person is pretending on purpose, when it comes to war and the safety of the ninja village, Shikaku, as a strategist, dares not speak lightly about the outcome. Everything still depends on what the leader of the ninja village does.

In the past, it was Hiruzen Sarutobi.

It's Tsunade now.

"Peng!"

"Let them clash then! Do you think I'm afraid of the Hidden Cloud Village?!"

Tsunade slammed her hand on the table and said in a very fierce tone.

She is one of the few female ninjas renowned in the ninja world, and currently the only female Kage among the five great villages.

Tsunade also has a very fiery temper.

threaten!?

Tsunade is the least likely to fall for this kind of thing.

Although Tsunade is quite law-abiding in some ways and generally avoids starting battles, she will force herself to endure risks that can be avoided. However, this does not mean that she will back down or tolerate everything.

At least compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade still has a certain amount of temper.

Her decisiveness and courage are also stronger than Hiruzen Sarutobi's.

This is evidenced by the fact that Tsunade in the original work was willing and at ease to let Jiraiya take Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, away from Konoha for a long time.

Everything should be considered in comparison.

In this respect, Tsunade is at least better than Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This is a threat from the Fourth Raikage, A.

That completely enraged Tsunade.

"Lu Jiu, immediately order the frontline troops to enter a state of first-level combat readiness, and also immediately mobilize follow-up troops to stabilize the border defenses!"

Tsunade snorted coldly and gave the order directly.

"Of course, you should also give instructions that they must not make the first move. Also, let Suzaku lead the team!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 256 The Necessary Determination

Hearing this last sentence.

Shikaku breathed a sigh of relief. His Hokage was still very rational, knowing what to do and what not to do. In Shikaku's opinion, this was the most appropriate response—powerful yet restrained. The control seemed to have been handed over, but in reality, it was still in his own hands.

If Konoha doesn't fire the first shot, can't we at least show our sincerity?

"What about the reply to the Hidden Cloud Village?"

Shika asked, his expression inquiring.

"You handle it, Lu Jiu. The core message is this: we will not admit to anything we didn't do. Also, pass the message on to those three elders... cough cough... advisors. It's necessary for them to know about this."

Tsunade coughed lightly and said.

Although Tsunade had always disliked those three old men, they were still high-ranking members of the village. Moreover, even if she didn't say anything, they would know after a short while. After all, they had served as high-ranking elders in the village for decades. Even though Tsunade had regained a lot of power in the past six months and didn't indulge these three elders like her teacher did, their status and prestige were still there.

not to mention.

Tsunade still needs these three old guys in many situations, and for some necessary procedural matters, it's best to just follow the established rules.

"Yes, Lord Godai."

After bowing his head in response, Shikaku turned and strode away.

"Jingyin, you should also immediately notify the reconnaissance team and the intelligence team. During this period, they need to pay extra attention to the movements of various countries, not just the Cloud Village side. Also, you should personally go to the medical team and arrange for necessary medical personnel to be dispatched to the northern border in advance. Whether it's a probability or not, we still need to make some preliminary preparations in advance."

Tsunade turned to Shizune beside her and said.

"Yes, I understand, Lady Tsunade, please don't worry!"

Jingyin nodded solemnly.

Then he strode away quickly.

After the two left, Tsunade also placed her hands on the table, a slightly irritated expression on her face.

Since she became Hokage, there has never been a truly peaceful moment in the entire ninja world.

Inside the village, outside the village.

The problem is either erupting or on its way to erupt.

Tsunade truly felt mentally exhausted.

The situation of Konoha Village in this life is much more troublesome than in the original story, although the only difference seems to be Menma's defection.

But this one difference was enough to give Tsunade a huge headache and make things very difficult.

"Since you're already here, why stay outside? Come in and talk. Do you think it was Menma and Orochimaru who did this? Has the Six-Tails Jinchuriki really fallen into their hands?"

After a long silence.

Tsunade suddenly looked up at the floor-to-ceiling window on the left and said in a calm tone.

"Hehe, your senses are still as sharp as ever, Tsunade."

The words that followed were somewhat rough.

"whoosh"

A white figure flashed by.

He appeared directly in this office.

None of the secret agents responsible for security around them could have noticed it beforehand. The moment the figure appeared, all of them felt a chill, but only for a second.

Upon seeing the familiar face of the person who had arrived.

The tense nerves of these secret agents were immediately relieved.

Because this is the pride of Konoha.

The renowned Jiraiya-sama, famous throughout the ninja world.

"Whether it's Menma and Orochimaru, we can't be 100% sure yet. According to the intelligence we gathered before, the Cloud Ninja should have fought a big battle with that Six-Tails Jinchuriki first. It's hard to say what the outcome was, but judging from the reaction of the Cloud Village, all the Cloud Ninja they sent out must have met with an accident. Menma arrived at such a delicate time. It's not necessarily that he fell into their hands, but there is a high probability that they are related."

Jiraiya frowned and then sighed softly.

It took less than two days to get back to the village.

Previously, there were information gaps and biases, which made it easy for some intelligence judgments to be wrong.

But back in the village.

Based on my own investigation and the information that Danzo had subtly revealed, I already had a clear picture of the situation. Now, with the added pressure from Kumogakure, some things, even without evidence, are obvious.

However, regarding the issue of the Six-Tails Jinchuriki.

It still needs to be questioned.

After all, this is not a question that can be determined so easily.

Of course, at this time, Jiraiya and Tsunade had no idea that they were not only blamed for the deaths of the Cloud Ninja, but also that the Hidden Mist Ninja were shifting the blame for the loss of the Six-Tails Jinchuriki onto their Hidden Leaf Village.

Who can blame them when Konoha still holds the title of the greatest ninja nation in the world?

"Damn Orochimaru!"

Tsunade's face immediately showed a look of indignation.

Why should Konoha be blamed when it was most likely Orochimaru who did it?!

"And that brat Menma, is he really that strong now?! Is there absolutely no chance of him turning back? Jiraiya?"

Tsunade took a deep breath, forcibly calming herself down, and looked intently at Jiraiya as she spoke.

If other problems, even if they are troublesome, are still within a controllable range.

The problem of dough sticks is a major issue that can never be avoided.

Ever since Menma's identity as the son of the Fourth Hokage was revealed, Konoha has been in a state of partial unrest for a long time. Some things can be kept hidden if they are not exposed, but once they are exposed, there are too many points that can be combined.

Moreover, unlike Naruto, she is actually more like Kushina.

If Menma had inherited Minato's blond hair, she would definitely be a smaller version of Minato. However, compared to Minato, Menma's features are more angular, and her eyes appear colder and more stern. Of course, this is also largely due to their different personalities.