Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

Although he didn't obtain any substantial intelligence, it served as a warning. As for Shen'er, who possessed an absolute advantage in power, as long as he had a prior warning and ruled out the possibility of killing him upon meeting, any conspiracy would be useless in the face of absolute power.

Based on Danzo's consistent style, coupled with his unusual attitude at the meeting just now, I'm even convinced that he's brewing something big...

What could it be?

As he compared the timeline of his succession as the Third Hokage, a memory from the future surfaced in Shen'er's mind.

After Minato Namikaze died sealing the Nine-Tails, Danzo Shimura planned to assassinate Hiruzen Sarutobi on his way to the Daimyo's residence to re-appoint him as Hokage, and assigned Kakashi Hatake to carry out the assassination mission.

Kakashi's assassination of the Third Hokage may seem like a joke, but behind the joke lies Danzo's ruthless and unscrupulous style of doing things.

For the position of Hokage, Danzo was ruthless enough to kill even his closest friend of decades. How much more so would he kill his own enemy, who had been on his opposite side from the very beginning?

"So, the target is to assassinate me?"

A faint smile appeared on Shen'er's face. He was very curious about what methods Danzo intended to use to assassinate him, with just a five-man Root squad made up of Konoha scraps?

Regardless, Danzo has already been added to Jin's kill list.

If the assassin is captured alive, he will be brought back to Konoha for a public trial, and Danzo will be executed openly and justly. If no one is captured alive, Danzo will be sent on a mission to his death in the name of the Hokage to settle personal scores.

In any case, Danzo won't survive this ordeal.

The reason we haven't struck first and killed Danzo is...

Shen Er wanted to be assassinated so that he could use it as an excuse to make Konoha make another left turn!

Chapter 179 Mito Returns Power to the Shadows: The Third Resurrection Technique

That night

Mito Uzumaki knocked on the door of the Shinobu mansion.

A widow with crow's feet at the corners of her eyes knocked on the door of the Hokage's house late at night, when he was in his prime, full of energy and high spirits. Of course, it was for those private matters that she couldn't tell outsiders.

Shen Er and Zhili received her together in the reception room.

Looking at the two people before her who still looked so young, Mito Uzumaki sighed, "You two are still just as young."

“If you wish, you can stay young,” Chiri said. Even after becoming the Third Hokage’s wife, she still showed Mito Uzumaki ample respect and did not become arrogant because of her new status.

"No need. This is the path I've chosen. Growing old slowly and passing away peacefully is enough. Having you by my side, preserving my youth, is a rare blessing."

After a brief moment of sadness, Mito finally steered the conversation to business. She first said to Chisato, "Chisato, I need to speak with the Third Generation alone."

Zhili understood and silently left the reception room.

Mito then untied the sealed book from behind his waist, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Shinji.

Shen Er watched this scene without any emotional fluctuation.

It was both reasonable and expected.

The Scroll of Seals should rightfully be under the Hokage's control. However, because he smeared Tobirama in his early days, inducing him to turn to the dark side, and tirelessly sowed discord between Tobirama and Hashirama, the legitimate transmission of the Scroll of Seals was interrupted for a generation.

If this scene were recorded in the style of the Spring and Autumn Annals, it would probably be described as "Mito Uzumaki returning power to the shadows."

She didn't take advantage of her seniority to secretly deliver the Book of Seals to Uzushiogakure. After carefully guarding it for ten years, she returned it to the Third Kage... adding another story to the biography of this legendary female ninja.

Mito Uzumaki slowly spoke: "Back then, Hashirama entrusted me with keeping the Book of Seals safe to prevent Tobirama from going astray. Now that Tobirama is gone, this book is useless to me, so I'm returning it to you, the Third Hokage, today."

"Work hard, Shen Er. I believe you can lead Konoha back to its former glory."

"We will live up to your expectations."

Before leaving, Mito gazed at Jinji and asked the question that had been on her mind: "Jinji, I asked you to keep an eye on Tobirama's research on the Impure World Reincarnation. Have you made any progress in this process?"

The implication is that he is asking, "What? Have you learned the Impure World Reincarnation technique?"

Shen had already prepared a response to this question, and said calmly, "I tried to learn the Impure World Reincarnation technique, but my talent for this technique is very poor, not as good as Tobirama's. I studied it for a long time but still couldn't learn it."

"However, progress has completely stalled at the moment. Perhaps I'll be able to learn it when I have a sudden flash of inspiration."

He didn't completely rule out the possibility of it, neither admitting to having learned it nor denying that he was completely unprepared, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. This way, whenever he used the Impure World Reincarnation technique in the future, it wouldn't seem abrupt.

"I see..."

Mito nodded, without suspecting anything.

Even if someone is the kind of ninja who is willing to sacrifice for Konoha, it is normal for them to try to learn the Impure World Reincarnation technique against their own will after witnessing its enormous potential.

It is because of ninjas like him who work silently that Konoha is able to live in peace and tranquility, and Mito did not criticize him too harshly for this.

I asked this question suddenly because I saw Momoka looking depressed at home and couldn't help but inquire. If Shinji had already mastered the Impure World Reincarnation technique, he could try to revive Tobirama and reunite the couple.

This is a truly massive display of double standards.

Although both Jin and Tobirama attempted to use the Impure World Reincarnation technique, Mito labeled them with completely opposite marks.

Having completed the handover of the Book of Seals and relieved herself of her worries, Mito quietly departed.

Shen Er turned to Zhili and said, "Let's talk about what just happened."

He seemed completely indifferent to the Book of Seals.

Indeed, that's the case. Of the forbidden techniques sealed inside, aside from the Flying Thunder God Technique which is impossible to learn, only the last forbidden technique could pique Shen'er's interest. However, he couldn't learn it in a short time, so he decided to wait until after meeting the Daimyo before making any plans.

Chiri snapped out of her reverie and said, "I'm planning to have Ayano take over as the principal of the Ninja Academy."

After she was appointed as an elder by Jin, the position of principal of the Ninja Academy became vacant. The hospital and the Ninja Academy were the foundation of their business, and they couldn't hand it over to an outsider. Therefore, Chiri planned to recommend her former disciple and personal bodyguard, Ayano.

"can."

Shen Er nodded in agreement.

Promoting Uchiha clan ninjas to high-ranking positions in the village will inevitably provoke discontent among others, but so what? He was already timid before becoming Hokage, so if he continues to be timid after becoming Hokage, wouldn't he have wasted his time as Hokage?

It was just a small act of arbitrariness by those in power.

It's a pity that no one in the Uchiha clan trains ninja dogs, otherwise they could all be recruited into the police department as police dogs and eat Konoha's village rations.

"Also, do you really not need me to come and protect you tomorrow?"

Shen'er's schedule is very tight; he's leaving for Daimyo Prefecture tomorrow, and the Shadow Guard hasn't had time to complete the selection and reorganization. They've just hastily drawn from various parts of the village to form a guard team, which makes Zhili very worried.

"Don't worry."

“The Daimyo Prefecture is located in the heart of the Land of Fire, my schedule is kept secret, and my guards are strong enough. If, under these circumstances, the enemy can still send enough forces to ambush me, and I happen to be at the center of the pre-arranged trap, there is only one reason…”

"There are bad people in the village's upper echelons who betrayed the village for their own ambitions."

“I would be happy if such a bad person took the initiative to come forward.”

Shen Er laughed and revealed his true thoughts, then added, "Besides, my strength isn't bad at all."

He clapped his hands to activate the Summoning Jutsu, exposing the First Kazekage puppet to the air. Heavenly Compassion Threads connected the puppet's joints: "Don't forget I still have this trump card."

"Most of the time, the roots are used as research material, but they can also be used in combat for short periods of time."

Concern leads to confusion; Zhi Li almost forgot that he was actually a genuine Kage-level "puppet master" with Kage-level puppets.

“You are now an elder of the village and cannot go out to guard without permission. During my absence, the village will need you to stay and oversee things. Our Konoha needs your protection.”

"I know, I'm just worried about you."

Suddenly overcome with emotion, Zhili unbuttoned his clothes and pounced on him.

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Zhili helped Shen'er pack his luggage.

Pushing open the gate of the Zen temple residence, a hastily assembled guard team was already waiting outside.

Zhili was taken aback when he saw the team members clearly.

Uchiha Setsuna, Nara Hiroshi, and... Senju Momoka?

Tobirama Senju and Momoka Senju are an older man and younger woman couple, but even so, Momoka is already 43 years old this year. As a ninja, she has begun to decline.

However, as a veteran Jonin, she has ample combat experience, which is enough to offset the decline in strength caused by aging.

Even Shen Er was somewhat surprised when Tao Hua took the initiative to approach him and apply to join the temporary guard team.

Senju Momoka's attitude was very firm, as if she wanted to make up for the resentment of the previous Hokage's death due to the Kage's poor protection, and projected this emotion onto Zenin Jinji.

Meal replacement literature...

Hiruzen and the others failed to protect Tobirama. As the Second Hokage's wife, she must protect the Third! She doesn't want to see any more mishaps to befall the Hokage of Konoha because of the Kage's Guard.

This is a very complex emotional compensation mechanism, and even Shen Er doesn't quite understand Senju Momoka's thoughts.

But that's okay, it doesn't prevent Shen Er from agreeing.

This meeting with the daimyo is dangerous because of Danzo's interference. It's good that Senju Momoka joined the temporary Shadow Guard. It would be even better if something happened to her during the process... that would truly be an outrage against both gods and men.

Even though he didn't kill Senju Momoka, Senju Momoka died because of him.

There's definitely a lot of potential to make a big deal out of this.

Turn left! Keep turning left!

The other two need no further explanation.

Nara Hiroshi is a veteran tool, and I even habitually bring him along;

After Setsuna Uchiha became Hokage, his initial impetuousness transformed into loyalty, making him a true "young general." So, I decided to keep him around for training.

"Then, let's set off now."

...

Shen Er and his group moved forward quickly.

The journey from Konoha to Daimyo's residence takes about a day and a half.

There were no situations requiring combat along the way, and the team successfully entered the capital of the Land of Fire.

They didn't encounter any enemies on the way there, so the ambush might be planned on the way back... So they didn't let their guard down at all.

The capital of the Land of Fire is very large, and this is Shen'er's first time visiting such a large city.

The city is densely built, and the streets are bustling with pedestrians, making it a vibrant and prosperous place. Judging by its population alone, it is probably the largest city in the ninja world.

However, in terms of infrastructure, technological advancements, and the prosperity of the people, this place is actually inferior to Konoha.