Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

Chapter 79 The Death of the Raikage, the Rebirth of the Senju Clan

Hashirama Senju extended a friendly invitation: "Ai, why don't you stay in Konoha for a few days?"

"No need. I don't have time to spend the rest of my life on Konoha. The village still needs me."

A declined Hashirama's offer and left the Evangelismos Hospital alone.

After Shen'er's treatment, he could clearly feel that his physical condition had improved a lot. Before coming to Konoha, he only had one month to live, but now he had been given three more months to live.

The Raikage was not a cowardly ninja; he wanted to use his remaining four months to do more for Kumogakure. For example, taming the Eight-Tails and assisting the Jinchuriki in controlling its power.

"Jinji from Konoha is indeed an extremely dangerous medical ninja."

Ai gave Shen Er this evaluation in her heart.

While his strength is far inferior to Hashirama's and even less than Tobirama's, his medical ninjutsu is what should be most feared.

Hashirama Senju was a naive guy; even with world-destroying power, he would never resort to force against the nations of the ninja world.

Tobirama was cunning and treacherous, and possessed considerable strength, but the sense of oppression he exerted on the nations was far less than that of Hashirama.

Even if he is stronger than the second-generation Kage of each family, the difference is limited, and they are evenly matched at the top level of combat power.

Therefore, the Cloud Hidden Strategist had already analyzed this:

After Hashirama's death, Tobirama will inevitably succeed him as Hokage.

In the era after the deaths of Hashirama Senju and the Uchiha clan, without any ninjas of comparable strength, the Shinobi World War will evolve into a contest of the foundations and overall power of each village.

Whoever has more core ninjas, more ninja equipment and supplies, and a more complete medical system, and can preserve their fighting force to the greatest extent, will have the upper hand in a protracted war.

A fatal wound for a fatal wound; someone that other ninja villages couldn't save, they might be able to save.

If this tactic is employed, and Konoha's defenses cannot be quickly destroyed, the balance of the war will tip in Shen'er's favor.

This gap becomes even more pronounced at the film-level.

Every extra day a Kage lives means dozens or even hundreds more ninjas can be killed on the front lines.

Small advantages, when accumulated, will eventually become an insurmountable wall of lamentation in war.

You can't help it.

Ai's gaze subtly drifted towards the direction of the Death Forest.

According to reports from spies planted in Konoha by the Hidden Cloud Village, the Zenin clan, to which Zenin Shinji belongs, lives near the Forest of Death, and he is the only person living in the clan's territory year-round.

This is an opportunity.

When the second generation of filmmakers arrives, the flames of war will surely reignite.

At that time, the first thing the Hidden Cloud Village will do is to send an elite ninja squad across the Forest of Death to carry out a decapitation operation against Zen-in Shinji.

If we could kidnap him and bring him to Kumogakure, it would be best if he could be used by them. If that's not possible, at least we should kill him. Once he's dead, regardless of the strength of the lower-level medical ninjas, at least at the top combat level, Konoha will no longer have a medical advantage.

The Hidden Cloud Village never imagined that the peace under Hashirama's leadership could last.

Ai also believed that other ninja villages thought the same way.

Raikage A did not leave through the main gate of Konoha. Instead, he suggested leaving through the exit of the Forest of Death, citing its proximity to the Land of Lightning.

Hashirama did not accompany him, but instead entrusted the task to Kenji Uchiha's ANBU First Division to "escort" him away, in order to prevent him from doing anything detrimental to Konoha on his way out of the village.

Ai was unconcerned about the surveillance by Konoha's Anbu.

Instead, this opportunity led them to notice the Sharingan and Byakugan exposed beneath the masks of the Konoha Anbu...

This is an enviable bloodline reserve.

Especially the whites of the eyes.

When passing through the Forest of Death, he used his own senses to accurately determine the distance between the Zen Temple clan's territory and this forest.

Not too far, not too close; the location is quite delicate.

In peacetime, if one were to forcibly infiltrate and raid the Zenin clan's territory from the Forest of Death, the operation would most likely be exposed given the Konoha Anbu's tight defenses.

Once war breaks out, Konoha will not have enough manpower to maintain such a high level of vigilance.

The vast Forest of Death will inevitably have a gap. Once most of the Konoha ninja have been deployed to the front lines, leaving the village vulnerable, we can infiltrate the Forest of Death and launch a decapitation strike. Then, our great plan can be accomplished!

With this in mind.

A left Konoha, traveling entirely using Lightning Release chakra.

In less than two days, they successfully returned to Kumogakure.

Upon his return, the first thing he did was to summon the village's leaders and begin making arrangements for his final days.

In the Cloud Hidden Conference Room, a long table was placed in the center.

The Second Hokage, Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and other elite ninjas from Kumogakure were among them.

"Lord Raikage, how are your injuries?"

"It will allow me to live for three more months."

"I personally confirmed this during my trip to Konoha," A said, his tone grave. "The Zen master of Konoha not only possesses top-tier medical ninjutsu, but also enjoys extremely high prestige within the village..."

"Raikage, what do you mean?"

"If war breaks out with Konoha in the future, the first thing you must do is try to capture Zenin Jinji and bring him to Kumogakure to serve them. If that's not possible, you must find a way to kill him, and it would be best to frame Iwagakure for it to divert Konoha's anger."

"The intelligence department should focus on gathering information about Konoha's defenses."

The Second Raikage looked troubled: "Lord Raikage, since Konoha established the Anbu, it has become very difficult for spies from the Intelligence Department to infiltrate."

"Then send more people!"

Ai's tone was firm: "Someone will always manage to sneak in!"

News of the First Raikage receiving treatment at Konoha's Gospel Hospital and having his lifespan extended spread quickly.

Konoha hoped to use the Raikage's incident to enhance the reputation of Gospel Hospital in the ninja world; the Raikage, on the other hand, intended to use himself as an example to reveal Konoha's top-notch medical capabilities to other major powers.

In this way, many far-sighted individuals in the four great nations will be able to perceive the immense threat that he poses. Once war breaks out, the various ninja villages will tacitly agree to join forces and make him their primary target for assassination.

Even so, he personally entered into the game.

In order to obtain the coordinates of the bodies of the First and Second Kage of the Four Great Nations, they deliberately exposed Konoha's medical capabilities to the intelligence networks of these great powers.

The impact on the ninja level will take time to manifest, but its effect on the elite class is immediate.

After the news spread.

The powerful and wealthy from the other four countries came from far and wide to seek medical treatment at the Gospel Hospital, hoping to obtain the best medical resources.

Konoha's fiscal revenue has thus increased significantly. Currently, excluding commission fees from missions, Evangelismos Hospital's revenue accounts for the second largest share of fiscal revenue, making it one of Konoha's most important external industries.

Not only in the hearts of ordinary people, but also in the eyes of the ninja community, Shen'er's importance continues to rise.

Without his prestigious reputation, Konoha's overall revenue will inevitably shrink.

The reduced income is a huge burden for each ninja.

...

Two months passed quickly.

On this very day, a bombshell announcement swept through the entire ninja world:

At the end of Konoha Year 12, the First Raikage passed away at his residence at the age of 44.

Kumogakure became the first of the five great ninja villages to have a second Kage in power.

Hashirama Senju received this information while inside the Hokage Building.

His expression was somewhat complicated. He sighed and then asked Nara Taro to draft a formal condolence letter to send to Kumogakure.

Hashirama's philosophy was very simple: no matter what conflicts they had in the past, the dead are the greatest.

"Ban is dead, Ai is dead... Among the people I know, whether friends or enemies, they are all leaving this era one by one."

Hashirama took a sip of tea and sighed.

Even though the Raikage's lifespan was estimated at three months, A died after only two months, presumably because he frequently used chakra without following medical advice.

What about himself?

Hashirama silently sensed his own physical condition.

Since he suppressed the nine tailed beasts by himself, he has not used his chakra again, and the rate at which his life force is fading has slowed down. It seems that he can live for another three or four years at most.

"not bad."

Hashirama was optimistic: "Maybe I can be the last of the first generation to leave."

His gaze then fell upon the mountain of unprocessed documents on the table, and he immediately felt a chill run down his spine. After being abdicated as Hokage for so long, when he picked up these tedious official duties again, he belatedly realized that he used to be a superman.

"How exactly did I manage to do that before?"

Hashirama scratched his head, looking completely confused.

He probably lost his initial enthusiasm, and now he's driven to work entirely by his sense of responsibility as Hokage.

The reason he returned to the Hokage's office is actually quite simple:

Tobirama Senju has taken a long leave of absence.

Logically speaking, given Tobirama's workaholic nature, it would be impossible for him to ask for leave. However, Tobirama is currently at a crucial stage in his life and has important matters to attend to.

Thousand Hands Peach Blossom is about to give birth.

Just in the last few days.

It was for this reason that Tobirama unusually took leave and stayed by his wife's side without leaving her side.

I never imagined Tobirama had such a family-oriented side...

Hashirama was about to begin his work.

Suddenly, Sarutobi Sasuke, wearing an Anbu mask, rushed into the Hokage's office in a panic.

"Oh, it's Sasuke. What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Lord Hokage, you should now call me by my code name 'Monkey'," Sarutobi Sasuke corrected, then quickly reported, "Lady Momoka has given birth, it's a boy! Lady Mito requests your presence now."

"What?! She gave birth?!"