Thanks to Shisui volunteering for the mission, The Third (Hiruzen) temporarily abandoned his plan of sending Terumi Mei on assignment. Instead, he left Shisui in charge of village security to prevent Mist from striking back.
Anya naturally had no objection. This gave her the perfect opportunity to fully heal Terumi Mei before sending her back to the Hidden Mist Village as soon as possible.
Back in the laboratory, love seemed to have matured Terumi Mei remarkably. Her already beautiful face now radiated a new kind of charm. She lazily lay beside the bed, casually flipping through books inside the room.
As soon as she saw Anya entering, Terumi Mei immediately put aside her book and complained, "Where did you go? Leaving me here alone made me think you didn't care about me anymore."
Anya replied without enthusiasm, "You think I enjoy running around everywhere? After fighting nonstop during the Third Battle, Master Gen insisted on getting involved. What could I do?"
Terumi Mei immediately realized something and nervously asked, "Was it my village that attacked?"
Anya nodded. "Yes. By the time I got there, the war had already ended."
"Who won?" Terumi Mei reflexively asked.
Anya gave her a weird look, approached, and felt her forehead while saying, "You didn't hit your head, so why would you ask something so silly?"
"Ugh." Terumi Mei blushed slightly, realizing how foolish she'd sounded. If Konoha had really lost to Mist, how could he be back so soon?
"The Mist ninja have already withdrawn," Anya said with a half-smile. "Once the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist were reduced to just three, this battle was destined to be lost."
Thinking about the person who had injured her, Terumi Mei shuddered slightly and asked cautiously, "Who was that person? Was he the Hokage himself? That's terrifying."
"Just a Genin," Anya answered honestly.
"Hmph." Terumi Mei pouted. "Fine then, don't tell me. You're always trying to trick me."
"Silly girl," Anya sighed. "I'm not lying this time. His name is Might Duy. He really has always been just a regular Genin. The reason he became so strong was because he used a forbidden technique, Kinjutsu (a secret and often dangerous jutsu), which involved sacrificing himself to obtain incredible power."
"No wonder." Terumi Mei stuck out her tongue. If even Konoha Genin could be this powerful, other countries wouldn't stand a chance. Curious, she asked, "Can you tell me what that forbidden technique was? If you can't say, it's okay."
"There's nothing stopping me from telling you," Anya wasn't bothered at all and smiled warmly. "It's called [Eight Gates]. It's a form of hand-to-hand combat known as Taijutsu, which temporarily grants tremendous strength by unlocking the chakra pathways within the human body that normally act as restraints."
"So it's actually Taijutsu," Terumi Mei exclaimed in admiration. "Looks like this Taijutsu must be the strongest in the entire Ninja World."
Anya recalled the ultimate battle he had seen in a past life and silently sighed—he suspected this wasn't even the strongest yet.
Hiruzen stood atop the Hokage Platform, gazing deeply at the Konoha ninjas below who were working on rebuilding efforts, remaining silent for a long time.
Danzo approached with heavy steps, speaking in a gloomy tone, "Hiruzen, under your leadership, Konoha has become targeted by the Four Great Countries and now stands at the brink of destruction. As Hokage, you've seriously failed in your duties."
"What?" Hiruzen responded coldly. "So you're eager to replace me already?"
They had known each other for many years, understanding each other too well. The Third wasted no time in exposing Danzō's hidden intentions.
Danzō sneered, "Replace? You should reflect on yourself and step down voluntarily."
The Third (the Third Hokage) calmly smiled, "Since you say Konoha is nearly destroyed, let me analyze the current situation for you. After mediation, Sunagakure—the Village Hidden in the Sand—has signed a ceasefire agreement with us. Therefore, the conflict with Sunagakure has essentially ended, eliminating the scenario of being surrounded on all sides. On the battlefield of Iwagakure, our ninja have already gained absolute superiority. Under Jiraiya's leadership, we can launch a counterattack anytime—victory is just around the corner. With the Raikage's death, the war on Kumo's battlefield is also drawing to an end, and the conflict is calming down. As for the Mist Village ninja that just arrived, you've seen their combat effectiveness yourself. With internal chaos ongoing for so long, they simply cannot match our strength in large-scale warfare. In my opinion, the Third Battle is nearing its end."
After this detailed analysis, Danzō was left speechless. Before he could even think of a rebuttal, the Third continued calmly, "As for the reflection you mentioned, yes, I will, but that's none of your concern."
With nothing left to say, Danzō could only coldly respond, "I'm glad you understand."
After finishing, Danzō returned to Root Headquarters, addressing a Root member in charge of intelligence gathering, "Why was I completely unaware of Sunagakure's ceasefire decision? Collect all related intelligence from there immediately."
"Yes, sir."
Once Root's unique intelligence network was activated, Danzō quickly obtained the needed information. From this intelligence report, his eyes unexpectedly locked onto a striking name: Akatsuki Organization.
This organization had emerged with the declared goal of changing the nation-based system of the Ninja World, building bridges to peace through direct human connection.
Naive—delusional, even—to think they could reshape the very structure of the Ninja World. This organization deserved annihilation.
Danzō, a staunch guardian of the traditional ninja world order, felt a killing intent rise within him. As he looked further into the Akatsuki members, his lone eye suddenly fixated on a blue-haired girl.
"This ninja is called Konan?" Danzō questioned, having a vague impression.
A Root member by his side swiftly replied, "Yes. She was an orphan brought to Konoha, became a Leaf ninja after graduating from the Ninja Academy, and later, for unknown reasons, joined the Akatsuki Organization."
Danzō quickly sensed something suspicious and asked in a hurry: "Who is her teacher in Konoha? And who are the other two members of her team?"
Root member was well prepared and replied truthfully: "She already had a teacher before entering the academy, so she was not assigned to any team. Her teacher was a ninja named Anyo, who was also a disciple of the late White Fang."
"It's actually him," Danzō's eyes flickered with a cold light.
Moreover, the teachers of two other leaders of the Akatsuki organization are also ninja from Konoha.
Danzo reviewed the documents. When he saw Jiraiya's name, a flood of thoughts surged through his mind in an instant. Finally, he sneered under his breath, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, what a great Hokage of Konoha. You've actually laid out such a far-reaching scheme. If I hadn't stumbled upon the truth this time, you'd still have me fooled. No wonder the Akatsuki Organization intervened to broker peace—it was you who set everything in motion from the shadows. However, you're too naive. An organization that seeks to change the structure of the Ninja World isn't something you can control. An organization like that shouldn't even be allowed to exist."
Danzo gave orders to this Root member: "Contact Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure. Tell him I have a business proposition I want to discuss with him."
"Yes." After replying, the Root member quickly disappeared.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>