The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

There definitely is.

However, compared to the potential gains, Onoki felt that this risk was not a problem at all. The Nine-Tails on Menma was enough to make Onoki spare no expense, not to mention that Menma herself was truly outstanding.

To put it bluntly, even without the Nine-Tails, Onoki might have taken the gamble on Menma himself, because Menma truly has that value. Although Iwagakure may seem to be in a period of prosperity now, Onoki, as the Tsuchikage, knows very well that the village has reached a point of decline.

He had to consider the future of the village.

Selecting and nurturing more outstanding young people is Onoki's top priority right now.

However, as things stand now, all my plans have been disrupted.

The victory of Menma's forces in this great battle has become the biggest variable in the ninja world.

'Is this really the result? I truly misjudged you, Menma-kun. Your excellence far exceeded my expectations. What a pity... what a real pity...'

Onoki gripped the scroll tightly in his palms, a sharp glint appearing in his slightly cloudy eyes.

The rise of Menma's 'Taki-Kusa Alliance' is an unstoppable trend. Onoki can naturally tell that almost all of his previous preparations have gone to waste. Based on the first impression he made during that meeting, Onoki can confidently conclude that Menma is an extremely proud young man.

therefore.

'Looks like I'll have to give up on my previous plans. It really was just a matter of fate, Menma-kun.'

Onoki quickly changed his mind and redefined his goals in his heart.

"maple!"

The words fell in a deep, resounding voice.

"Lord Tsuchikage! What are your orders?"

Suddenly.

In the shadowy corner on the left side of the Tsuchikage's private office, a gaunt figure dressed in the uniform of the Iwagakure Anbu appeared directly in Onoki's sight, kneeling on one knee and bowing to him in greeting.

"Immediately send my orders to Huang Tu: take over the Yunyin Village stronghold within fifteen days. Have Han and Lao Zi join the effort as well. Remember, at all costs!"

Onoki stared intently at the ANBU member, speaking in a slightly sinister tone.

"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage, I will obey your command."

After bowing his head in response, the Tsuchikage's direct subordinate, codenamed Maple, leaped away from his spot to carry out Onoki's orders.

"Hmph, the game has only just begun, Menma-kun. Let me see just how capable and resourceful you really are!"

Onoki's mind stirred, and he floated up gently, arriving at the window. Gazing at the distant scenery of the village, a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

The situation is already out of control.

Onoki did indeed need to adjust his plans accordingly, but the strategy he had set beforehand could not be changed.

The intense pressure from Kumogakure must yield corresponding results in battle.

I've finally gotten this opportunity.

Onoki wouldn't miss it.

Using the interests of Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning to strengthen their own ninja village and further eliminate the threat from the east.

From now on, our own ninja village can focus more on dealing with the problems in Menma and Konoha.

Onoki had a premonition that, starting today, the alliance between Takigakure and Kusagakure, led by Menma, would become the greatest enemy of his Iwagakure.

Different judgments made by ninja villages in different countries.

The ninja world continues to be in turmoil.

The war continues in the north.

Onoki could continue his own village's strategy and pressure Kumogakure, but Konohagakure was caught in an extremely awkward situation where it couldn't advance or retreat.

Jiraiya was unable to make a reasonable judgment.

The only solution is to shift the blame back to Tsunade.

Faced with this problem, Tsunade was also very troubled. Who could have known that everything seemed to be going so smoothly before the battle, with an infinitely high probability of defeating the enemy, but now this was the result!?

It can be said that at the moment the news from the front lines was received.

Tsunade felt completely unwell.

Is this some kind of joke?

The combined pressure from three ninja villages resulted in this outcome?

Even if Sunagakure was just going through the motions, on the main battlefield, the combined forces of Konoha and Kirigakure constituted a genuine army of over eight thousand ninja. Such a scale would rank among the top in all previous major ninja village wars.

The ninjas deployed by their own village were all elites among elites, and the various ninja clans in the village also sent their best members. Yet, they still suffered a defeat!?

How could Tsunade accept this?

Moreover, along with this terrible news came another piece of bad news: the troops stationed in the rear by their own ninja village to patrol, supervise, and manage logistics were attacked by unidentified enemies.

Dozens of ninjas were killed in battle, and most importantly, the members of the Hyuga clan responsible for rear security, including the most important head of the main branch, are all missing!

This news is just adding fuel to the fire.

What annoyed Tsunade the most was...

The claim of being unidentified is merely a pretext used to cover up the truth.

Despite the thorough search by the secret service, they still found some clues: the 'scent of a snake'.

what does that mean.

It couldn't be more obvious.

Orochimaru!!!

The first person that comes to mind is someone who immediately comes to mind.

The scariest thing is whether this guy is simply interested in the Byakugan or if he's doing this to cooperate with Menma's operation; this is something we don't know at the moment.

The only thing Tsunade is certain of right now is that her own ninja village is in big trouble!!

"Why is everything going so wrong..."

Tsunade sighed softly and said helplessly.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 341 The Strategy of Compromise

Back at the rear, Tsunade received the news and was urgently considering what to do. Meanwhile, Jiraiya, who was at the front line, learned of the problems that had occurred at his unit responsible for logistics even earlier than Tsunade.

Upon receiving the news first, Yamanaka Inoichi immediately dispatched more personnel to investigate and provide support, and also reported the information to Jiraiya at the first opportunity.

"What did you say?! Something happened in Demou at the rear?! Can you be sure?!"

Jiraiya suddenly stood up from his seat, looking at Yamanaka Inoichi with a slightly shocked expression and asked.

"Yes, Lord Jiraiya, it's 100% confirmed. And judging from the initial investigation, it seems that Orochimaru made his move. His target should be the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, or rather, the bloodline of the Hyuga clan. Because apart from Tokumo, all the other members of the Hyuga branch family who were responsible for protecting Tokumo have also disappeared without a trace. There wasn't a single corpse left behind."

Yamanaka Inoichi said with a serious expression.

The main branch of the Hyuga clan does not easily leave the village, but if the village needs them or if they have any personal needs, they will leave Konoha or even the Land of Fire. However, they almost never act alone; they always bring a considerable number of guards. The branch family exists for this purpose.

Whether it was Hyuga Tokuma who followed Jiraiya to the front lines or Hyuga Tokusuke who stayed at the logistics base, they were all protected by more than a dozen members of the branch family, and their individual combat strength was above the Chunin level.

This is also the most direct way for the Hyuga clan to protect their own bloodline limit.

In fact, over the years, this method has protected the main branch of the Hyuga clan many times, and the Byakugan has only been revealed in the one obtained by Kirigakure.

And today, a second unexpected event occurred.

The one who made the move was Orochimaru.

"!?"

Jiraiya's expression changed the moment he heard that name.

"Lord Jiraiya!!"

And that is, at the same time.

Outside the main tent.

A loud and clear voice followed, and the next second a tall, slender man in white stepped in. It was Hyuga Tokuma, who had accompanied Jiraiya in this great battle.

At this moment, this member of the Hyuga clan's main branch also wore an expression of anxiety and anger.

After hastily bowing to Jiraiya, he eagerly asked, "Lord Jiraiya, I heard there's been a problem with Tokumo!? Is that true!?"

The Hyuga clan remains Konoha's largest ninja village.

Furthermore, each clan still has its own unique channels of communication.

If a problem arises at Hyuga Tokuma's place, Hyuga Tokuma will naturally be informed in the shortest possible time.

As members of the same clan, and even closer cousins, the two were not only from the same lineage but also cousins.

Tokuma would naturally be very concerned about the problem with Tokumo.

"Don't worry, Tokuma. I have already sent people to pursue them immediately. We will do our best to rescue Tokuma and all your Hyuga clan members."

Jiraiya spoke in a very calm and steady voice.

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama. And please, Jiraiya-sama, allow me to join the investigation team. I..."

Tokuma first bowed again to express his gratitude, and then was about to continue to express his intention to participate in the search operation.

“Tokuma, although it’s not entirely clear yet, the attackers’ intentions are obviously for the Byakugan of your Hyuga clan. You’re also a member of the main family, so you can’t leave the front lines now. Who knows if these people are eyeing a second pair of Byakugan? You can’t act on your own. I’ve already made arrangements here and sent the relevant information back to the village. You don’t need to worry too much, Tokuma. The village will do everything in its power to rescue you.”

Jiraiya waved his hand to interrupt Tokuma, and said solemnly.

This is not Jiraiya's excuse.

Rather, it is a real and serious problem that needs to be considered.

What if Orochimaru feels that a pair of Byakugan isn't enough? Tokuma's safety is a major concern, and we can't be 100% certain of Orochimaru's intentions yet.

Is he simply trying to obtain the Byakugan bloodline limit, or is he going to coordinate with Menma to launch an attack? With everything unclear, Jiraiya didn't want to see any more uncontrollable factors.

The disappearance of one member of the Hyuga main family, along with more than a dozen members of the branch family, is already quite a disturbance. If another member of the main family were to suffer the same fate, Jiraiya would feel that it was his greatest dereliction of duty.

Another reason is that Tokuma is still needed at the front lines for the time being. The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan is one of the most important weapons in the war.