Fire Temple. A young woman slowly descended the long staircase of the main gate.
Reaching a secluded spot, the woman waved her hand. Soon, a Ninja Hawk carried away a finger-sized intelligence scroll.
After reporting to the village, Yakushi Nonō took out the Left Scroll and informed Fox about the Fire Temple's preparations for the First Prince's ordination ceremony.
Yōkō took out the Right Scroll and saw Yakushi Nonō's message.
Yakushi Nonō was very efficient, already putting pressure on Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
In the intelligence she gave to Sarutobi Enosuke, the Fire Temple was rushing to complete the First Prince's ordination quickly.
Once the First Prince was nominally practicing asceticism at the Fire Temple, it would be too late.
The Ninja Hawk, carrying the intelligence scroll, swiftly flew towards the Land of Hot Water and finally landed on Sarutobi Enosuke's arm.
Sarutobi Enosuke glanced at the intelligence and hurried to find Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
This was terrible. The Land of Fire Daimyō was obstinately determined to have the Fire Temple provide ninja monks to serve as the Daimyō's Guardian Ninja.
Yōkō summoned Hippo and said to him, "Hippo, you've done such an excellent job."
The rumors spread quickly. The shinobi world now knew Sarutobi Shinnosuke was the next Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"I learned it all from you," Hippo quickly said, hearing the sarcastic tone in Fox-sama's voice.
"After following you for so long, even I, as dull as I am, have picked up a little.
I didn't need orders from Advisor Shinnosuke or Fox-sama; I had already arranged for people to spread the rumors.
Advisor Shinnosuke led just over a hundred Konoha ninja to defeat over five hundred Kumo-nin, annihilating more than 200 of them – and these were Kumo-nin led by the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
With this strength, these achievements, all I had to do was promote it a little, and soon Advisor Shinnosuke's name will spread throughout the shinobi world.
I also know it was you, Fox-sama, who held back the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
But rumors need to mix truth and falsehood.
In some rumors, Fox-sama descends like a god; in others, Fox-sama seems to vanish entirely.
I assume Fox-sama doesn't mind if in some rumors, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki was defeated by Advisor Shinnosuke?"
"I don't mind, of course I don't mind." Yōkō looked at him with a pleased expression. "Hippo, you've graduated."
You've done excellently. Advisor Shinnosuke has just become the Foreign Affairs Advisor and needs prestige to deter enemy villages.
I certainly don't mind if some rumors omit me entirely. It's all for Advisor Shinnosuke, for Konoha."
Hippo nodded repeatedly.
As the two were whispering, Nara Kyoi approached them.
"Fox-sama, Advisor Shinnosuke requests your presence."
Sarutobi Kōhi was leading the effort to rebuild the frontline camp. Yōkō entered Sarutobi Shinnosuke's tent.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke handed Yōkō a mission scroll and said:
"Fox, if the Fire Temple's head priest Kaikyō were to die 'accidentally' while I'm negotiating with the Land of Fire Daimyō, it would seem too deliberate.
I've thought it over carefully. You should depart now for the Fire Temple to assassinate Kaikyō.
Konoha Village absolutely cannot allow the Fire Temple to take a share of the Daimyō's Guardian Ninja positions.
The Land of Fire Daimyō can only be protected by Konoha Village. He has no other choice.
For the Fire Temple's ninja monks to even think of becoming Guardian Ninja... they are Courting death.
However, the Fire Temple's head priest has practiced Buddhist ninja arts arduously for fifty years. His strength is formidable. Only you have the confidence to assassinate him.
And you must assassinate him.
The trouble here in the Land of Hot Water is merely a Minor skin ailment for Konoha. The Land of Fire is Konoha Village's foundation."
The Land of Fire Daimyō's Guardian Ninja positions were the Sarutobi clan's Exclusive domain, something ordinary Konoha ninja wouldn't even dare aspire to. For the Fire Temple to interfere...
Yōkō took the scroll and said, "Sir, what about your safety after I leave?"
"It's fine. Reinforcements have already arrived in the Land of Hot Water. Led by my uncle, Sarutobi Hinotama, the village has sent 500 ninja in total, sufficient to handle the Kumo-nin's provocations."
Yōkō said, "Then I'll go and return quickly."
Hippo watched Fox-sama leave the frontline camp, feeling somewhat panicked.
He had grown accustomed to following Fox-sama's orders. Without Fox-sama, he felt the temperature in the Land of Hot Water had dropped a few degrees.
Simultaneously, from Iwagakure and Kumogakure, two ultra-elite units departed their villages, heading for the Land of Hot Water.
Both villages had obtained intelligence about Konoha through different channels: Sarutobi Shinnosuke's strength was extremely formidable, not inferior to Sarutobi Hiruzen in his youth.
One Sarutobi Hiruzen had suppressed them for over twenty years. If another one appeared, how could they ever defeat Konoha?
Therefore, both villages attached extreme importance to this operation, designing it with the determination to shatter Konoha's future.
Uchiha Madara had gone to Konoha and broken its leg, killing three of its leaders. Now, Sarutobi Shinnosuke had emerged, like a crutch for Konoha.
They must break Konoha's crutch, then viciously kick its broken leg.
Killing Sarutobi Shinnosuke was breaking Konoha's crutch.
Making Sarutobi Hiruzen lose his son was viciously kicking Konoha's broken leg.
Somewhere in the Land of Iron.
Dodai looked at the group from Iwagakure and frowned.
"Kituchi, Sarutobi Shinnosuke is strong, but the force you've dispatched is too powerful.
If you were to break our alliance midway and attack us Kumo-nin, even our Kumogakure couldn't stand it."
Kitsuchi smiled and said, "Rest assured. Our common enemy right now is Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
We've brought so many people just to ensure a certain kill.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke killed three Kekkei Genkai clan heads from Kirigakure in one battle, and just recently led a team to defeat your Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
Even a Konoha ANBU powerhouse like Fox has been his loyal subordinate for years.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's strength is unfathomable. Our two villages must go all out. We cannot be too cautious, isn't that right?"
Dodai looked at the three powerful individuals from Iwagakure, thinking to himself, Has Sarutobi Shinnosuke put this much pressure on you too?
The Third Tsuchikage's son, Kitsuchi.
The Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Han.
The Clan Head of the Explosion Release clan, Pakura.
Dodai looked behind the three Iwa-nin powerhouses. They had only brought over ten subordinates.
If they had brought a hundred Iwa-nin, Dodai would suspect they were here to assassinate the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
The Eight-Tails had just been sealed into a child named Killer B. The Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Ryūjin, could not afford to have any problems.
Kitsuchi said to Dodai, "Your side isn't lacking either. You also take Sarutobi Shinnosuke very seriously."
Standing beside Dodai were the Two-Tails Jinchūriki Ryūjin, and the Raikage's advisor, Omoi.
The two villages had each dispatched three powerhouses, vowing to kill Sarutobi Shinnosuke in the Land of Hot Water.
Omoi said, "Konoha has sent 500 ninja as reinforcements. For This battle, we Kumo-nin have also assembled 500 ninja.
Let's study the tactics carefully.
Kumogakure's 500 ninja will tie down Konoha's forces, while we," he gestured to the elite group, "will be responsible for the final strike, launching a surprise attack to kill Sarutobi Shinnosuke."
Kitsuchi nodded. "We do need to study the careful tactics."
The full moon was like a silver platter.
By the time Yōkō entered the Land of Fire, the moon in the night sky had become full.
This mission was somewhat tricky.
If he were to defeat the Fire Temple's head priest head-on, he had many methods.
However, Sarutobi Shinnosuke's order was to assassinate Head Priest Kaikyō. He could not expose his identity as a Konoha ninja.
He couldn't use Wood Release. The difficulty wasn't killing Kaikyō, but doing so without exposing his identity.
While Yōkō was traveling, he suddenly felt an anomaly in the chakra on the Right Scroll.
Opening the scroll, Yakushi Nonō said her subordinate had sent intelligence: Kitsuchi had left Iwagakure!
Kitsuchi was Ōnoki's son, and his strength was formidable, having become famous earlier than Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
What major event recently required Kitsuchi to leave the village personally?
So hard to guess...
Land of Hot Water. Sarutobi Hinotama, leading 500 Konoha ninja, was arranging defenses at the border.
"Shinnosuke, your father places great importance on this operation. If we successfully repel the Kumo-nin, you will firmly secure your position as Advisor. For this reason..." Sarutobi Hinotama lowered his voice:
"For this reason, your father has secretly hidden a certain person among the 500 ninja to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded. For his father to have invited him was not easy.
If everything went smoothly, that person would not reveal himself, and all the credit would be Sarutobi Shinnosuke's.
If things went poorly, he would step in to Provide a safety net.
"However..." Sarutobi Hinotama said, "Wasn't it a bit rash to send Fox on a mission?
With Fox here, even if the Third Raikage came, he could block him for you, at least for a while."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke explained:
"The Daimyō and the Fire Temple are Making eyes at each other; the First Prince is about to go to the Fire Temple for ordination.
The situation is urgent. I cannot wait until I enter the Land of Fire to assassinate the Fire Temple's head priest; he must be eliminated beforehand.
Right now, I'm in the Land of Hot Water fighting Kumo-nin. No one can connect me to the Fire Temple head priest's death.
The Fire Temple head priest is very strong. Only Fox can successfully assassinate him.
Uncle, the Kumo-nin trouble is an immediate concern. The Land of Fire Daimyō's attempt to introduce ninja monks into the Guardian Ninja is a much larger problem."
Sarutobi Hinotama said nothing more.
Shinnosuke had his own considerations. What they, the elders, needed to do was find ways to pave the road for juniors like Shinnosuke.
If Shinnosuke became an Advisor, or even Hokage, then in time, his own son, Enosuke, would also have a promising future.
The Sarutobi clan would ultimately be handed over to the brothers Shinnosuke and Enosuke.
The headache was Sarutobi Kanenosuke.
That rogue ninja Sarutobi Kanenosuke was very strong. If not handled properly, he could become a stain on Shinnosuke's record.
If Sarutobi Kanenosuke were to attack Konoha like Uchiha Madara did, that would be troublesome.
Lately, because they produced a rogue ninja like Uchiha Madara, the Uchiha clan couldn't hold their heads high in the village, being cursed and pointed at by the villagers.
Cursed openly, cursed secretly – and the Uchiha clan could do nothing about it.
Many villagers died or were injured in the Susano'o Catastrophe, houses were destroyed, and with the village's guidance, they all hated the Uchiha clan.
Sarutobi Enosuke suddenly appeared. "Advisor Shinnosuke! The Kumo-nin main force is on the move!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke said, "Good! The Kumo-nin just lost over two hundred people half a month ago, and they still haven't learned their lesson. This time, we'll make sure these 500-plus Kumo-nin Come but not return!"
His Five Elements Unrivalled Attack was very proficient. He was confident he could heavily damage the Kumo-nin.
Having witnessed the Two-Tails Jinchūriki's strength, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was confident he could trade blows with Tailed Beast Balls for a short time, buying time.
As long as Uncle Hinotama and the others efficiently eliminated the other Kumo-nin, this battle was a certain victory for them.
Soon, Sarutobi Shinnosuke saw the Kumo-nin.
The Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Ryūjin, stood at the very front of the Kumo-nin.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke felt displeased. Facing him, she wasn't even entering a Partial Tailed Beast Transformation?
She looked down on him too much, and on the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack.
Just then, a figure Body Flickered to appear behind Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Hinotama.
Sarutobi Hinotama turned and saw those vertical pupils. "What is it, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru looked up at the sky and said, "Retreat. Hehe, you're surrounded."
Just as Sarutobi Shinnosuke was about to question Orochimaru, he saw three large white birds diving from the sky.
Explosive Clay birds?
The secret technique clan of Iwagakure, the Explosion Release clan?
Sarutobi Hinotama exclaimed, "Not good! Iwagakure and Kumogakure have allied!"
The claws of the explosive white birds opened, dropping several large clay bombs that whistled as they fell towards the Konoha forces.
Even more terrifying were the individuals leaping down from the birds' backs!
The Five-Tails Jinchūriki from Iwagakure, Han!
The Third Tsuchikage's son, Kitsuchi!
The Raikage's advisor, Omoi!
The Raikage's assistant, Dodai!
Plus the fully transformed Two-Tails charging towards them!
And the Clan Head of the Explosion Release clan, Pakura, manufactures bombs atop the large white bird!
This...
This was the level of force used to assassinate a Kage of a village!
What were they trying to do?
Dodai shouted from the air:
"Sarutobi Shinnosuke is extremely powerful! We must not be careless!
Face him with the resolve for Mutual destruction! Kill him!"
***
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(End of Chapter)