Konoha Drunkard

"Teacher, after Danzo went to the Uchiha clan last week, there are several more Uchiha squads in Root today." In the Hokage's office, Kakashi was reporting the situation of Root to Minato.

Danzo was discovered by the Anbu as early as when he took his two henchmen to the Uchiha clan. After receiving the news, Hatake Sakumo also notified Minato. Minato's head started to ache when he found out. The village had just calmed down for a short time, and he, as the Hokage, had just had some free time to deal with the trivial complaints in the village. Now Danzo was jumping out to show his presence again, as if he was afraid of being forgotten by the audience if he didn't show it for a day. Moreover, every time Danzo showed his presence, the supporting characters were always from the Uchiha clan. Would it kill him to change to another clan?

The Uchiha clan is the most unique family in the village. First, they are the founding family of the village, giving them a high status. Second, their fighting strength is indeed formidable. The village of Konoha owes much to the Uchiha clan's reputation as the strongest village in the ninja world, and Konoha cannot do without them.

However, this clan was too arrogant, their arrogance ingrained in their very being, resulting in a consistently bad reputation in the village. Minato hadn't paid much attention before becoming Hokage, as it wasn't his concern. But since becoming Hokage, it had become a major headache. His only consolation was that the current Uchiha clan head was a decent person, friendly and not arrogant, so he didn't treat the Uchiha clan with the same strictness as Hiruzen Sarutobi. But this didn't last long; problems arose. Ninety-five percent of the complaints in the village were about the Uchiha. One day, someone's son was inexplicably arrested and never released. The next day, someone's brother accidentally spilled water on a Uchiha's clothes, was brutally beaten, and then arrested and imprisoned in the police station that night. When they went to pick him up, he was thankfully half-dead, spending months in the hospital, and so on…

Minato finally understood why the higher-ups disliked the Uchiha clan. Many members of their clan had been imprisoned by the guards, mostly simply because the Uchiha disliked them. But the Uchiha held high positions, and the higher-ups were powerless against them. Only a handful of people in the village dared to harm the Uchiha, and Danzo was a prime example. Danzo was a village elder with immense seniority; even though he was the Hokage, he was still considered a senior relative. Furthermore, he lacked Tsunade's domineering presence and his teacher Jiraiya's shamelessness. So, the fact that his elders were targeting the Uchiha was a major headache for him. Even painkillers wouldn't help. He could only instruct Kakashi to closely monitor Danzo and Root, observing Danzo's every move before making any decisions.

"Shikaku, what are Danzo and the Uchiha up to now? The Uchiha clan actually sending someone into Root? Aren't they scared yet?" Minato rubbed his temples. He really couldn't understand Danzo and the Uchiha's antics. Danzo, who had recently been shouting that the Uchiha were a black sheep, now had Uchiha members in Root.

"...Perhaps it was Danzo and the three elders of the Uchiha clan who were behind this. Only those three brainless fools would fall for Danzo's tricks." Chongtianpao said helplessly, shrugging his shoulders. He had originally planned to go home on time tonight to spend with his lazybones, but now it seemed impossible. Every time Danzo made his presence felt, Minato and his crew had to play guessing games all night long. They couldn't rest peacefully until they figured out Danzo's tricks.

467. He doesn't just like alcohol.

"Father, I heard the three elders have been sending more people to Root." Inside the Uchiha clan compound, ten-year-old Itachi said to his father sitting opposite him. The boy who had grown from a cute little boy into a young teenager had completely lost his childhood charm, and his appearance was increasingly resembling his father. Shanks often complained that Itachi was getting uglier as he grew older. At just ten years old, Shanks had already used his connections to get him into the Anbu and team up with Shisui. During this time, Minato had instructed them to keep a close eye on the Uchiha clan members in Root, and yesterday, the three old men had sent dozens more to Root, making him and Shisui very uncomfortable. He knew a bit about Danzo, and as for Root, it was a given—they did all sorts of shady things. Although he hadn't been in the Anbu for long, he had dealt with Root members several times. They were all emotionless ninjas—no, more like Danzo's tools than ninjas. Even several of the Uchiha he encountered in Root had become increasingly cold and indifferent; this was not a good sign.

Several years have passed since the three old Uchiha clansmen cooperated with Danzo. Initially, the three old Uchiha gleaned many secrets from the few clansmen they tested the waters with. For example, after retiring, Hiruzen Sarutobi would visit Root daily to chat with a man named Yamanaka Hiro. Although the content of their conversations was unknown, Hiruzen's chrysanthemum-like face never stopped smiling after each chat. This Yamanaka Hiro was very likely Hiruzen's illegitimate child, raised by a friend after a night of drinking. Hiruzen didn't seem to be this close to his own sons, arriving at Root every morning to talk to Yamanaka Hiro and occasionally bringing him gifts. The reason Hiruzen had protected Danzo for so many years was because Danzo had helped him raise his illegitimate son to adulthood...

Take, for example, another major figure in Konoha, the soy sauce guest, Mitokado. Despite his usually serious demeanor and deadpan expression, he's actually quite henpecked at home, often punished by his wife to kneel on a washboard despite his advanced age...

For example, the current Fourth Hokage didn't go home to cook on time because he was working overtime, and his wife chased him down the street with a kitchen knife. If it weren't for the Flying Thunder God Technique being so fast that she couldn't catch him, the village might already be considering a Fifth Hokage.

After obtaining this information, the three old men felt as if they had entered a new world. How could they have obtained such secrets before? Especially the idea that the man in the mountains was a product of Hiruzen Sarutobi's drunkenness—they had never heard of such a thing before. Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed a bit lecherous, and there had often been rumors of mysterious figures suspected to be the Hokage being discovered in the Red Bronze Ward, but they had only listened to them as gossip. Now, thinking about it carefully, it seemed quite possible, at least the timeline matched. No wonder Danzo had tricked his Sarutobi clan so badly, yet Hiruzen Sarutobi acted as if nothing had happened, and the two were still as loving as a family. The main reason was now clear.

Because the clansmen sent to test the waters were not strong enough, they only came into contact with some common information. So, the three old men, having tasted success, increased their bets, continuously sending people to Danzo over the years, starting with those with two tomoe and gradually moving to those with three tomoe. This was exactly what Danzo wanted. No matter how many people the three old men sent, he accepted them all and secretly sealed their tongues with curses. As for those with two tomoe, the now wealthy Danzo no longer cared about them. Even though he was already using three tomoe for research materials, he let the two tomoe play house in Root. He would just give them a little bit of information each time and have them report back to the three old men.

In just a few years, the number of Uchiha clan members in Root had grown to several hundred. It would be difficult for Minato not to take them seriously. However, Minato and Danzo did not make any moves, as if they were genuinely cooperating with the Uchiha. Minato could only keep a close eye on things and have the Anbu continue to keep an eye on them. It just so happened that when Shisui and Itachi were on duty last time, they happened to see Root and the clan members making a handover. After returning, he did not play with the second male lead as usual, but instead reported to his father first.

"...Sigh! I can only hope that Danzo will genuinely cooperate with them for the sake of the village, just as he said back then." The second male lead's father was at his wit's end. He had tried to persuade the three old men over the years, but to little avail. They would agree on the surface, but in private they would still do what they wanted. After all, his influence in the family was not as great as theirs. In recent years, even many of his original supporters had switched sides to the three old men. After all, they were his own people, and he couldn't do anything to them. At most, he could only curse them as opportunists.

"...Are you getting used to life in the Anbu? I know you're somewhat resistant to things in the Anbu, but it's the Hokage's direct department, and you and Shisui will need to maintain the relationship between the clan and the village in the future." The second male lead's father continued to ask. He had expected his eldest son to join the Anbu, after all, he was a disciple of Shanks of Konoha, just like Shisui's god-grandson, Koharu Utatane. Although his eldest son had a high status within the Uchiha clan, the village's higher-ups didn't dare to object. Nowadays, apart from the four unchanging leaders, many clan heads were Shanks' students at the Ninja Academy. Wouldn't they be afraid of getting beaten up if they dared to object?

"Father, don't worry, I'll be fine," Itachi said. Shanks had secretly brought him into the Anbu without informing him, which had angered Itachi, who hadn't sent him sake for a month. However, he eventually forgave him, thinking the old man was doing it all for his own good. Although fighting was inevitable for ninjas, Itachi had always been reluctant, especially since the Anbu often did shady things. But he persisted because he thought joining the Hokage's direct command might ease tensions between the village and his clan. Otherwise, he would have quit long ago and simply returned home to inherit the family business.

"Visit Shanks-sama more often when you have time. Remember to bring more than just sake; bring other things too." The second male lead's father looked at Itachi meaningfully. This eldest son was superior to him in every way, except for being a bit dull and straightforward. He often wondered why Shanks, a man who was always eccentric yet sophisticated, liked his straightforward and dull eldest son. People who didn't know them would find it hard to connect them as master and disciple; they just didn't seem like that at all. He used to remind his eldest son every day to visit Shanks often, and his son would actually go empty-handed. Later, he made it clearer that he should bring things Shanks liked, and his son just brought sake... Shanks doesn't just like sake, you silly son!

468. Itachi still hasn't figured it out.

"Hey! You suddenly got it today, you know it's not just about giving out drinks." Shanks watched as the young boy, who looked more and more like his father as he grew older, accepted two bottles of Uchiha sake and a small gift box.

After officially retiring, Shanks finally lived the life he had imagined. Every day, besides eating, drinking, and chatting with a few drinking buddies, he lived a similar life before retirement. However, his mindset was different. Before retirement, he would at least keep up with some news about the ninja world and Konoha. Now, it was different. Unless it was the end of the world or Konoha was attacked, he ignored all that trivial stuff. Today, Garp demolished the Sarutobi casino, and Hiruzen Sarutobi came to complain. He simply said, "I'm retired. Go find Tsunade." He shut him up. Tomorrow, because a girl from the Shimura clan was too ugly, Garp beat up her husband. Danzo came to argue with him, and he again said, "I'm retired. Go find Koharu." He shut him up again. The day after tomorrow, Garp stripped Mitokado Homura's nephew naked and paraded him through the streets. Again, he said, "I'm retired. Go find... whoever you want." He shut him up again. In short, retirement was the most important thing in the world.

Every day, he would wake up and receive the Uchiha clan's sake from his beloved disciple, and then drift through the day in a daze. Today, seeing that his beloved disciple had something else in his hand besides the sake, he thought that his beloved disciple had finally come to his senses. This beloved disciple had accompanied his father to deliver gifts to their family many times since he was a child, so why was he still so clueless? As a teacher, he couldn't say it outright, so he could only pretend to be very happy every time, so as not to disappoint his disciple. Today, his disciple could be considered to have awakened.

"This is the grilled meat from Akimichi Restaurant that you like. I happened to be passing by this morning, so I packed it up and brought it over for you..." Itachi said.

"...Heh...hehe! Barbecue...it's rare that you still remember that your teacher likes barbecue. But it's not good to eat such greasy food so early in the morning, lest you end up like your fat team leader, who was hospitalized with high blood pressure after only three years as a Jonin." Shanks' lips twitched after hearing Itachi say that there was barbecue in the box, and he forced a smile.

Looks like he still hasn't figured it out. Doesn't he know I'll be living off my retirement savings? What's the point of sending him alcohol every day? He doesn't seem to be thinking of anything more practical... Shanks thinks it's necessary to talk to the second male lead's father. Itachi can't go on like this. The key is, he's not doing well. He's already living beyond his means; that meager retirement pension isn't enough for him.

Although Kadian is straightforward, at least he knows his preferences! This precious disciple isn't as straightforward as Kadian, but he just doesn't get it.

“That’s true. I’ve heard that eating something light in the morning is good for your health. I’ll have my mother make some plain porridge tomorrow and bring it to you,” Itachi said after thinking for a moment.

"...No need to trouble Mikoto, she's been taking care of your little brother quite a bit. Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've tasted Mikoto's cooking! How about this, since I haven't eaten tonight, I'll come over to your house for a free meal... I mean! To try Mikoto's cooking!" Shanks said nostalgically. The free meal was just a side thing; the main purpose was to talk to the second male lead's father about Itachi's upbringing. He's already ten years old, and still so clueless! How is he going to film Infernal Affairs with Orochimaru? How is he going to act opposite that old movie star Orochimaru? How is he going to compete with Orochimaru for the Best Actor award?

Even that simpleton Kisame could see through his disguise; he's so careless. Even young heartthrobs need acting skills to back them up.

.........

"Haha! Long time no see, Uchiha clan leader! You're still as dashing as ever!" True to his word, Shanks, now retired, had plenty of time. Before the sun had even set, Shanks, carrying a cheap fruit basket, came running to Itachi's house, just in time to see the second male lead's father lifting the completely naked second male lead high in the air.

"No, no, I wouldn't dare mention the word 'male prowess' in front of Lord Shanks. It's been a long time since Lord Shanks has come," said the second male lead's father.

"Ah, this morning Itachi not only brought me sake, but also my favorite Akimichi grilled meat. But you know, it's not good for my health to eat such greasy food so early in the morning at my age. Itachi also said that he would ask Mikoto to cook me congee tomorrow. That's when I realized that I haven't tasted Mikoto's cooking in a long time. Anyway, I had nothing better to do, so I came over to try Mikoto's cooking." Shanks deliberately emphasized the grilled meat and congee, which his father, with his level of education, should be able to understand.

"Sogga! Lord Shanks, please come in." As expected of the clan leader, the second male lead's father immediately understood Shanks' meaning and almost wanted to slap himself. He should have known that his eldest son was so clueless. He should have been more direct last night. He didn't know how his eldest son could have mistaken something else for barbecue... It's completely unrelated.

"Huh? Has Itachi not returned yet?"

Shanks glanced around the room but didn't see his beloved disciple.

"He should be back soon. He'll probably be busy with things at the Anbu. Speaking of which, I have to thank Lord Shanks for bringing Itachi into the Anbu," said Shanks' father, as he poured him a cup of tea.

"See, you're being too polite again. Speaking of which, I really have a connection with your family. Your father and I are good friends, alas! It's a pity he wasn't very lucky, otherwise he would be living with three generations under one roof now," Shanks sighed.

"My father was able to sacrifice himself for the village, so he died a worthy death," the second male lead's father said modestly.

"If everyone in your Uchiha clan had the same mindset as you and your father, then the world would truly be at peace. Don't you know how arrogant that bastard Danzo has been lately? Garp just beat up one of his clansmen's husbands, and he dares to come and curse at me over such a trivial matter. If I were ten years younger, I would have beaten him to a pulp. Does he really think he's so great just because his underlings are Uchiha? By the way, I was just about to ask you, what's going on with those three old guys? Haven't they been tricked enough by Danzo? They actually sent people to be his underlings." Shanks asked curiously. He really didn't know about Danzo's cooperation with the Uchiha. It was only when Danzo came to curse him last time that he noticed that besides his two henchmen, many of Danzo's men were actually Uchiha. Even a fool could tell that it was the work of those three old guys. The second male lead's father wasn't that stupid as to offer his head to Danzo. Only those three old guys with IQs hovering around the passing mark would do such a thing.

"Alas! Lord Shanks, I don't know how much longer I can hold on. Ever since Haru passed away, I've been the only one holding on. The power of the three elders is growing stronger and stronger." The second male lead's father didn't know how to answer Shanks, so he could only complain to him. According to seniority, he was Shanks' nephew, so it wasn't shameful to complain to an elder.

469. The protagonist is always someone else.

"...Your family's affairs are rather complicated, and as an outsider, I can't really offer advice. However... there's a saying that goes, 'Hesitation only leads to more trouble.' In matters like this, a swift and decisive action is always better than dragging things out. Times have changed, and those whose thinking can't keep up with the times will ultimately be eliminated, no matter how much they struggle." Shanks picked up his teacup and took a sip, indicating that he had given his opinion. Whether he could fulfill it was up to him. The second male lead's father wasn't as decisive as his eldest son. His eldest son was the kind of person who would exterminate his entire clan for his younger brother, while this father was always indecisive when facing his own clan, just like Uchiha Kagami, who was suspected to be his grandfather. If Uchiha Kagami had been more ruthless back then, taking advantage of the fact that many clansmen hadn't been killed by the three former clansmen... If they had just stolen their heads in the middle of the night when they were fooling around, there wouldn't be so much trouble now. The current three old guys have far more power than their deceased father. There are no neutral factions left in the Uchiha clan. It's either the clan leader's faction or the three old guys' faction. The number of the three old guys' faction is enough to surround the second male lead's father's faction in an impenetrable circle. The second male lead's father is practically the clan leader in name only. Even if they kill the three old guys now, it won't make much difference. Once an ideology is formed, it's very difficult to change. Even if the three old guys die, thousands of other old guys will come out first. So, if you want to completely solve the Uchiha problem now, you have to cut the weeds and wipe them out at the root.

"this........"

The second male lead's father naturally understood Shanks' meaning, but when he thought about how those were all his people, he sighed and shook his head.

"See? You probably already thought of the solution I suggested, so my opinion as an outsider is useless. Ultimately, it's up to you. At most, I can only keep my precious disciple unaffected by this, but he'll eventually have to face the same choice as you." Shanks shrugged. He realized this free meal was turning into a lecture, but lecturing the Uchiha clan leader felt pretty good. It was completely different from lecturing those little brats back then, since their status was different now.

"I am back!"

Just then, Itachi's voice rang out from outside the door.

"You're back. Lord Shanks is here. Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner," the second male lead's mother said to her eldest son.

..........

Although the Uchiha clan is very strict, the family dinner at the head of the clan wasn't as formal as one might expect. Perhaps it was because Shanks was present; even if Shanks' father wanted to be serious, he wouldn't dare. Shanks enjoyed the dinner, mainly because he was impressed by the collection of sake. These centuries-old, even thousand-year-old, wealthy families were indeed extraordinary. The sake alone had aged several decades. Thinking of the Senju clan, whose wealth was comparable to the Uchiha, and how Hashirama Senju had donated it all, Shanks felt a pang of heartache. Only someone who considered money as worthless could possess such extravagance, and this extravagance had been perfectly inherited by Tsunade and Garp...

"Disciple, why do you look so absent-minded tonight? Were you bullied by the Anbu?" Shanks said. After Itachi sat down and finished eating, he was so focused on eating rice that he didn't even pick up a single piece of food. His mother had to serve him. The words "I have something on my mind" were written all over his face.

"Teacher, the Hokage is planning to join forces with other ninja villages to hold a joint Chunin Exam in our village next month, and he hopes that Garp and I will participate as well," Itachi said.

"puff!"

"Ahem! Sending you and Garp to participate in the Chunin Exams? Aren't you already Chunin? I get it! In this generation of the village, only you, Shisui, and that little rascal Garp can be the top stars. Shisui is already famous; most people in the ninja world know him, so he can't pretend otherwise. But you and Garp have only been around for a few years, so not many people know you. So Minato wants you two to show off in front of several villages, right? ...Minato doesn't have that kind of scheming. I guess it's another one of those crazy ideas, isn't it?" Shanks said, stroking his chin.

"Yes, the Hokage has already sent invitations to the four great villages and some other ninja villages. I'm wondering how many villages will come," Itachi said helplessly. He wasn't a big fan of showing off, but sometimes he just had to.

"What's there to think about? Your teacher is an expert in the ninja world. I'll take this opportunity to analyze the situation in the ninja world for you, so you won't be clueless about anything when you go out into the world, like a complete newbie." Shanks put down his hand and was immediately shrugged.

"Let's start with the other four major ninja villages. First, there's Kumogakure. Just looking at their burly figures, you can tell they value strength. In terms of overall strength, Kumogakure is quite powerful. Their Raikage wouldn't miss such an opportunity to flex their muscles. However... we haven't heard of any geniuses emerging from Kumogakure in recent years. But regardless, they'll definitely send someone to participate in this joint exam. Then there's Iwagakure. Given Onoki's personality, it's normal for him to disregard Konoha. After all, he suffered a herniated disc from Minato's kick during the Third Shinobi World War, and then I beat him up. It's understandable that Iwagakure wouldn't come, and we don't even know what will happen to them." "Has Nogi done too many unethical things? Since his generation, Iwagakure hasn't produced any geniuses, so they probably won't come. As for Sunagakure... although Grandma Chiyo is now in seclusion, someone as concerned with appearances as her, if Sunagakure were to participate, there's only one reason: they've produced another genius. If they don't come, it wouldn't be surprising; it means they don't have any talent and are too lazy to come and embarrass themselves. So, Sunagakure is undecided. Kirigakure, on the other hand, might come back. After all, I gave them a very important piece of information for their current Fifth Mizukage. Even if it's just to thank me, Konoha will send someone to make a show of it," Shanks said.

"What about the other villages?"

Itachi, with his model student demeanor, possessed knowledge his father had never taught him, much less what he learned at school. Shanks often complained that teachers these days were just coasting, the quality of teaching declining year after year, failing to teach even the most basic things, and producing students like Obito back in the day—always believing themselves to be the sole protagonist, shouting "My fate is in my own hands!" upon graduation, only to realize after years of hardship that they were merely extras, the protagonists always being others… But no matter how much he complained, it was useless; his position as vice-principal was merely nominal, essentially just the school's "doorman."

470. It's all because of that Shimura Hanzo.

"As for the other smaller villages... Takigakure, despite being called the sixth largest village, is actually quite ordinary in terms of strength. Their forbidden techniques were all taken by my good friend Kakuzu, and that Heroic Water is utterly useless. Back then, they couldn't even handle a Seven-Tails in a rampage; it was me who helped them. So, they've been acting like subservient to Konoha all these years, not daring to refuse to come. Kusagakure is even more out of the question; Shisui alone could take on their entire village, so they also wouldn't dare refuse. Yugakure has a fairly good relationship with Konoha, so they'll also come." "As for Hoshigakure... I'm not very familiar with them, but their ninjutsu is quite unique, like peacocks spreading their tails and monkeys hunting. That village is very mysterious and quite xenophobic, so I don't know if they'll come. And then there are the Moon Village, Snow Village, Merchant Village, and other small villages, so far away. They have no connection with Konoha. Their past battles in the ninja world were none of their business. Why would they come to see you major ninja villages flex your muscles? That would be crushing their ninja dreams," Shanks said.

"Then what about Amegakure? Amegakure is right next to our Land of Fire. Why didn't you mention them, Master?" Itachi asked, puzzled. Shanks had just introduced all the ninja villages near their Leaf Village, except for Amegakure, which was the famous village of demigods.

"The Rain Village has been closed off for many years, so I don't really know what's going on inside. When I went there for a visit, I was treated like an enemy and attacked for no reason. I don't even know if the people from the Anbu who sent the invitations will be able to get in!" Shanks pouted. Given how much Nagato valued Konoha, even if Minato didn't send an invitation, he would still shamelessly send someone to find out who the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was, so as to prepare for future plans.

"So that means there really aren't many villages coming this time," Itachi said. He had thought that with Konoha's reputation, there would be many more villages coming.

"You're thinking too simply. Although Konoha is very strong, not everyone will give Konoha face. Otherwise, what would be the point of a world war? If there are conflicts, can't we just sit down and talk it out?" Shanks said, patting Itachi's head.

........

As Shanks predicted, the villages reacted differently to the invitations from Konoha. Onoki, especially the one with the red nose, reacted most vehemently. If you were to name the person who hates Konoha the most in the world, Onoki would be second to none. Even Obito, who was always talking about destroying the world, would have to step aside. The better Konoha developed, the happier he became. Sure enough, when Onoki looked at the invitation to the Chunin Exams in his hand, he was burning with rage. Even a fool could tell that Konoha was flexing its muscles and letting its geniuses crush the ninja dreams of other villages' children.

If their Iwagakure had a suitable genius, he would also hold such a joint exam. The problem is that their Iwagakure doesn't have one. Speaking of geniuses, he did develop one, and even took him as a disciple last year. However, he is too young. Going there would not only discourage others, but also discourage them. Strangely enough, the kid's name is also Deidara. Isn't that the name that bastard Shanks used when he impersonated an Iwagakure ninja and released the One-Tailed Beast in Sunagakure?

If it weren't for the fact that the child's parents were his former subordinates, he would have suspected that this was the illegitimate child of that bastard Shanks, since the hair was the same yellow that Shanks had impersonated back then.

Thinking this, Deidara and Onoki felt a little better. Although he didn't know if the child could learn his Dust Release, the child's Earth Release talent was exceptionally high, far surpassing even his own son, Iwato. It was hard to say what the child's future potential would be, but he was certain the child would reach the level of a Double-Flower Red Rank warrior. The only problem was his eccentric personality; he constantly proclaimed his desire to be an artist. However, these were minor issues compared to his talent. He was just a child; he could be taught gradually. In a few years, when the child grew up, the village would have two Double-Flower Red Rank warriors, and he wouldn't have to carry the entire village on his shoulders anymore. Onoki's imagination was beautiful, unaware that this genius would later nearly blow up half the village, and like the super genius Sasori of Sunagakure, join the Akatsuki for art, becoming a glorious dark warrior...

On the Cloud Village side, the Fourth Raikage didn't react as strongly as Onoki. Ever since he lost to Minato in one move, the Fourth Raikage had considered Minato his lifelong enemy. Since Minato wanted to flex his muscles, he would naturally oblige. Moreover, the Cloud Ninja warriors were never afraid of fighting. After receiving the invitation, the Fourth Raikage didn't even consult with their strategist, Mabui. He immediately mustered his forces and personally led his troops to attack Konoha. He wanted the ninja world to know that the Cloud Ninja were just as formidable in terms of combat power! This time, he even brought along their Storm Release ninjas to show the ninja world the might of the Cloud Ninja.

........

"Lord Mizukage, could there be some kind of conspiracy behind Konoha's Chunin Exams?" Unlike Kumogakure, Kirigakure, being led by a woman, was much more cautious. After receiving the invitation, Mei Terumi summoned all the remaining high-ranking members of the village for a meeting. A high-ranking member, over fifty years old, asked worriedly. These people had little contact with Konoha; those who had been close to Konoha had all been killed by Obito. Their impression of Konoha was limited to Shanks, and even that was only known to the older generation. The younger generation only knew who Shanks was, what he did, and why people spat on him from books and the statue in schools that was always being spat on...

“Not only were we invited this time, but other villages were also invited. Our intelligence says that even the Fourth Raikage went in person. What kind of conspiracy could Konoha possibly have? It’s nothing more than the Fourth Hokage feeling that the war has been over for too long and missing everyone. He also wants to flex his muscles. Even the Fourth Raikage went in person. If we don’t send someone of importance, wouldn’t that be a disgrace to Kirigakure?” said another high-ranking official next to Mei Terumi.

"So, Advisor Machi, who do you think is the most suitable to lead the team?" This high-ranking official's words clearly struck a chord with Mei Terumi. Although Kirigakure had suffered a great loss due to the Fourth Mizukage incident, they could not afford to lose their reputation as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, especially since she had only recently become Mizukage and needed to build up her prestige.

"...Why don't we let Ao lead the team?" The high-ranking official glanced at everyone present, a group of elderly people over fifty. They were good at talking, but they probably didn't have the courage to lead a team to Konoha. Among them, only Ao, with his Byakugan, stood out... When had Kirigakure ever been in this situation, without even a leader? It was all because of that damned Shimura Hanzo!

471. Are you afraid of pain?

"Sending Ao to Konoha...that's not appropriate! Konoha is the territory of the Hyuga clan."

Another high-ranking member hesitated, saying that if the Hyuga clan found out that one of their Byakugan had fallen into the hands of Kirigakure, they might not just flex their muscles, but could actually start a fight. Those families with eye techniques value their eyes very much, otherwise the Hyuga wouldn't have divided into branch families and main families.

"If Ao doesn't go, who else can go? It may sound harsh, but since the Fourth Hokage incident, almost everyone in our village who was considered important is dead. Only we old folks with one foot in the grave are left. Only the Mizukage and Ao are capable of leading the team. If Ao doesn't go, are we supposed to send the Mizukage? Who will guard our home? What about our base?" This high-ranking official was getting more and more agitated. The main reason was that the village's strength had dropped to its lowest point. Even someone like Ao, who was not considered important in the past, was now the second strongest after the Mizukage. The former Seven Ninja Swordsmen were either dead or had fled, leaving not a single sword behind. It was a truly tragic situation.

“But Qing’s white eyes are too obvious. Won’t going there cause unnecessary trouble?” another executive asked.

"...Just cover up that Byakugan when the time comes. You absolutely cannot expose the Byakugan in Konoha. Anyway, the Chunin Exams are only two or three months long, and they'll be over soon," said the high-ranking official who suggested Ao lead the team.

"Lord Mizukage, what do you think?"

All the high-ranking officials present looked at Mei Terumi, who was sitting in the Mizukage seat.

"Let's do as you say. Ao will lead the team, and we'll bring our elites with us. We can't let anyone underestimate the next generation of Kirigakure." Mei Terumi really wanted to lead the team herself, but considering that no one in the village was capable of defending their home except her, she had to give up. The village had really suffered a lot from being wiped out by Shimura Hanzo.

........

As Kirigakure made its decision, Rasa from Sunagakure crumpled up the invitation in his hand after only glancing at it and tossed it aside. What kind of ridiculous joint exam was this? Wasn't this just taking advantage of Sunagakure's lack of geniuses among their younger generation? But then Rasa thought about how his village hadn't produced any truly outstanding geniuses since his and Sasori's generation. Everyone knew Konoha was a cradle of geniuses, and while Kumogakure didn't have many geniuses, they were all giants, giving them an advantage in terms of sheer presence before any fight even started. Thinking about the physical proportions of Sunagakure and Kumogakure, Rasa couldn't help but shake his head... Shaking his head, he figured it was better to be a bit sneaky until a genius appeared. Actually, his youngest son was very talented, but he was too young, and because the sealing technique was incomplete, he didn't dare let his son run wild. If he went on a rampage in Konoha, wouldn't that be equivalent to giving the One-Tailed Beast to Konoha? ...There was a Tailed Beast's nemesis there, and he would have to shamelessly ask the reclusive Chiyo to come out of the mountains and ask Konoha for the One-Tailed Beast back. Would he still have any face left? So, until a genius appeared, Rasa couldn't be bothered to watch this show of flexing his muscles.

Unlike the attitude of the four great ninja villages, the smaller ninja villages surrounding the Land of Fire had no choice at all. After all, they were really weak, and they were so close to the Land of Fire. If they didn't go, it would be disrespectful to the Land of Fire. If they didn't go, they might get raided in the middle of the night. So even though they knew that Konoha was going to show off its strength to them, they had to bite the bullet and go, and they had to cheer "666" while watching! They couldn't even cheer quietly.

The current Takigakure Kage of Takigakure didn't originally want to go. After all, their village was located in a remote area, protected by a natural waterfall, so even if they didn't give Konoha face, Konoha couldn't do anything to them. However, considering that the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was getting old and they were preparing to replace him, he decided to play the submissive role. Otherwise, how would he ask for favors in a few years?

........

"Orochimaru, Konoha's been making a lot of moves lately. How about visiting your hometown? I've never been to Konoha before!" In Orochimaru's research institute in the Land of Rain, a young man with a silver slicked-back hairstyle and a large scythe beside him spoke with great enthusiasm.

That's right, this is the immortal Hidan who joined the Akatsuki team a couple of years ago and teamed up with Kakuzu. Now Kakuzu is no longer fighting alone; he has an assistant. Although this assistant is a bit weak, his innate skills are powerful, and most importantly, he's incredibly resilient. No matter how much he's beaten, he won't die, which makes Orochimaru extremely envious.

Because Kakuzu would often come to Orochimaru's place for tea after finishing his work, Hidan, as his assistant, also became familiar with Orochimaru. Although Orochimaru was cold and aloof, as a seasoned actor, he knew exactly how to befriend villains, except for Sasori... Although Sasori was his teammate, Sasori never gave him a kind look because of his treatment, especially the day before, for some reason, Sasori became increasingly detached.