Naruto: Starting with the Two Kamui

These past few days have also been a major turning point for Asuma... He had never thought of being Kakashi's enemy before, let alone vying for power with him or even taking his life.

Asuma clenched his fists tightly: Kakashi, don't blame me... It was because you were bewitched by the Shadow that you ended up like this. When I become Hokage, I will definitely build a brand new Konoha. One day, I will raze this rebellious group of the Dark Ninja Country to the ground, and I will behead the Shadow Uchiha Yuro and grind his bones to dust!

Immediately, he dusted off his pants and stood up: "Shikaku, I am also deeply saddened by Kakashi's unfortunate accident, but the village cannot be without a leader for a day. From now on... I will have to trouble you to guide me!"

But then Nara Shikaku said, "No, Asuma, quite the opposite... Kakashi didn't die, he's back! He killed everyone who attacked him!"

Sarutobi Asuma froze on the spot: "This is impossible!! I've witnessed their strength with my own eyes. Even the Hokage couldn't possibly be unharmed!!!"

Shikaku asked with a deep gaze, "Oh? You've personally witnessed their strength. Who were they?"

boom!!

Asuma was struck dumb...

Shikaku cleverly set a trap for Asuma when he was most relaxed, successfully getting Asuma to confess to his treason. Now, Asuma couldn't deny it at all!

Boom!

Asuma, realizing what was happening, clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, veins bulging on his forehead, teeth clenched so hard he finally couldn't hold back and roared uncontrollably, "You bunch of bastards!!!"

Shikaku's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he formed a hand seal.

—The art of shadow imitation!

The shadow stretched across Asma's feet.

To prevent Asuma from using the power of Dark Release to absorb the technique, Yamanaka Inoichi immediately took action.

—The Art of Mind Turning!

hum! !

Asma's eyes glazed over.

"Partial Multiplication Technique!"

Choza Akimichi's right arm grew to a gigantic size, and he lunged forward, throwing a heavy punch at Asuma.

The instant the giant fist struck...

Haiyi dispelled the Mind Transfer Technique to prevent the damage from spreading...

boom!!!

Dingza's giant fist landed on Asuma.

Thud! Asuma streaked through the air, leaving a trail of blood, and crashed heavily to the ground, badly injured...

"..." The Jonin who supported Asuma were now hesitant, unsure of how to react...

Lu Jiu said solemnly, "It's not too late to turn back now, but if we take another step forward, it will truly be the gates of hell..."

Ultimately, those people lacked the courage to truly stay with Asma...

With the charge of assassinating the Hokage confirmed, Asuma will never be able to recover. He's finished...

call out!

The barrier sealing off the mansion has been lifted.

Kakashi walked up to him, gazing at his former friend, now his mortal enemy, with a complex expression. After a long pause, he closed his eyes and said heavily, "Take him away. Indefinite confinement. No one is allowed to visit him..."

Asuma was shackled, placed on a stretcher, and carried to the Konoha dungeon.

"Damn it... Uchiha Yu, even if I go to hell, I will curse you to death!!!" Asuma glared at the sky and shouted venomously.

Chapter 413 The First Light of Dawn!

With the imprisonment of Konoha's two chief advisors and Asuma, a major obstacle within Konoha has been removed.

Kakashi convened a second special meeting overnight!

This time, the discussion is no longer about whether or not to let Konoha join the Dark Ninja Kingdom, but about when and how to do so!

Konoha has been rooted in the Land of Fire for decades, and it's not as simple as just leaving. There are too many connections and entanglements between them!

They face three very real problems.

First, many ninjas in Konoha have relatives and family members in the Land of Fire!

If they leave like this, it will be seen as a betrayal. If the two countries were to go to war in the future, could they accept it emotionally?

Should we take them with us? This trip... is fraught with uncertainty. Even if I'm willing to take the risks, who would want their family to go through the same ordeal?

Secondly, the common people living in Konoha Village mostly come to the village to make a living. This major change will inevitably have an unprecedented impact on their livelihoods. Are they willing to follow along?

Third, and the biggest problem, is that the Land of Fire is far from the Land of Dark Ninjas. With large-scale migrations involving tens of thousands of people, the Land of Fire has many ways to ambush and intercept them along the way. Once a conflict breaks out, there will be heavy casualties, or even the annihilation of the entire army!

This is a very realistic situation: ten thousand ninjas are no match for a million-strong army!

Imagine a massive rain of arrows; how many people would die? If you manage to withstand one wave, what about the second, the third… and the Nth wave?

Without solving these three major problems, Konoha's attempt to break away from the Land of Fire will remain a pipe dream!

The Jonin, led by Shikaku, discussed these three major problems one by one.

"Those with family in the Land of Fire, let them choose voluntarily. If they do not wish to come with us, the village will not punish them in any way, nor will they be regarded as rogue ninja. In fact, once things have settled down in the future, the gates of Konoha will be open to them again."

"Can they come back again...? Isn't that a bit much? What if some people decide to stay and try to avoid trouble, and things fall apart?"

At this moment, Lu Jiu said, "Then let's verify the situation strictly. If they do have family members and relatives they can't sever ties with, we will preserve our feelings and welcome them back in the future."

"If you don't have family members living elsewhere, you can leave beforehand, but we will record it, and these people will not be allowed to return for any reason in the future..."

"Furthermore, it must be stated that those who did not choose to leave beforehand will be considered to have followed Konoha to the end. If anyone leaves halfway through, they will be attacked by the entire army! Although it is somewhat cruel, without this, we cannot stabilize morale!"

"I agree, let's do as Lu Jiu says, no objections!"

"By the way, checking such a huge number of household registrations one by one must put a lot of pressure on the ninjas in charge of this work, right?"

Shikaku said, "Let's draw people from my Nara clan. I'm not bragging, but our clan members are quite intelligent and should be able to simplify the work."

Haiyi said, "Let's send someone from our mountain clan. Our clan's spiritual power has been greatly developed, we have strong resilience, and we are meticulous in our work. They should be able to help."

Dingza said, "If there's any physical work to be done, then let the men of our Akimichi clan take the lead!"

"That will put a lot of pressure on the kitchen!"

"Hahaha……"

Someone made a joke, and the hall erupted in cheers, easing the somewhat oppressive atmosphere considerably.

"Everyone, let's work hard, stay up all night, and try to get it done within three days!" Lu Jiu said seriously, "Let's leave the first problem at that for now... Let's discuss the people's issues."

The meeting fell silent again... because the people who depended on Konoha Village had long been a troublesome group, and if they were not properly settled, something bad would happen.

"Let's just disperse the people..." After a long silence, Kakashi suddenly spoke up.

"Dismissal?! Hey Kakashi, are you serious?!" Everyone was startled: "You wouldn't happen to... still have something to do with the Minato family..."

"I am the Hokage. I will not let personal grudges affect my judgment on official business. This decision is the result of careful consideration." Kakashi said solemnly, "Imagine, we have traveled a long way, facing numerous dangers, and we are also responsible for protecting civilians whose numbers are several times greater than the number of ninjas. This is a burden and a liability!"

Everyone realized with a start that this was indeed a problem that could not be ignored, no, it was a problem that could determine success or failure!

"The people who rely on the ninja village are mostly there for a living. If we directly disperse them, they will lose their livelihoods. Then, they will bring up the Fourth Hokage's family again, saying that we are discarding them after they have served their purpose. Can we really just drive them away?"

"Let them go then, I've been annoyed with them for a long time!"

"No way!" Kakashi immediately objected. "The common people think of us ninjas as barbarians who only know how to use force. If we really did something like that, wouldn't that confirm that view and make them look down on us from the bottom of their hearts? It would also tarnish the reputation of the Dark Ninja Kingdom that we are about to join!"

Kakashi had another thought hidden in his heart: that would only further tarnish Obito's reputation.

So, what should we do in the end?

"Sigh." Kakashi sighed softly, supporting himself on the table as he stood up. *Thump!* Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, Kakashi's head slammed hard against the table…

"Hey... Kakashi, what are you doing?!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I really can't express my apology and remorse in any other way!!"

"Let's talk this out! We've weathered all kinds of storms, we can handle it, so feel free to speak your mind!"

"I hope everyone... will pool their money once again. This time, let's donate all our savings and distribute this money to the people as resettlement funds!!!"

The reconstruction of Konoha a year ago blew the entire village of ninjas dry. It was only by Minato swallowing his pride and borrowing money from the Hidden Shadows that Konoha was able to recover...

After the reconstruction, due to reputational and public pressure, the number of missions assigned by the Land of Fire was drastically reduced, and the finances were severely depleted. Throughout the year, the village had hardly accumulated any wealth. Even prestigious families like the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and the Hyuga clan were tightening their belts to make ends meet!

Gen Shiranui asked, "What? Is that all? I thought something was wrong..."

Yamanaka Inoichi said, "Oh dear, it seems the dowry I was preparing for my daughter is going to be lost."

"Luckily, I managed to save some money on the side without my wife knowing," said Choji Akimichi.

Shikaku also said, "This operation is a matter of life and death for us. If we fail... we won't be able to take the money to the Pure Land of Bliss. We might as well distribute it to the people and travel light. Reaching the Ninja Country of Darkness is the dawn of hope!"

Aburame Shiki said, "Kakashi, you are our Hokage, representing the face of Konoha. Speak with your head held high..."

Kakashi buried his head in the table, clenching his fists: "Everyone... I'm extremely grateful!"

Feathered Emperor City.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the scene unfolding at the Konoha meeting had been witnessed by the powerful figures using their crystal ball technique.

It was a crystal ball so large it filled half the room; only Lin Yu had the means to view images from thousands of miles away…

Minato: "Kakashi, I'm so proud of you..."

Tobirama: "This scene... it seems so familiar..."

Hashirama: "Yes, it reminds me of my past self... It seems the village's hope has not been lost!"

"Hmm?" Lin Yu, who had been watching silently, suddenly felt a summons: "Everyone, excuse me for a moment..."

Whoosh! Lin Yu disappeared into the vortex of spacetime.

The scene shifts, and Jiraiya appears before us. The dynamic Kamui mark on his palm has faded; it was left by Lin Yu when they parted ways at Mount Myōboku.

Jiraiya was not someone who would casually bother others.

"Shadow, the Great Toad Sage, has a new prophecy to reveal. Let us go there immediately..."

Chapter 414 A New Prophecy!