Konoha Village, Land of Fire.
The mood in the village was especially heavy today.
The three Legendary Sannin had all returned. Ninjas who had been away on missions were rushing back one after another. Even the delegation from the Daimyo's residence had arrived in Konoha late last night or early this morning.
At ten in the morning, the funeral for the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the many ninjas who had died during the Nine Tails disaster officially began.
Their names had been carved into Konoha's memorial stone, to be honored and remembered by the village for generations to come.
But word of the invasions from the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning had already spread throughout Konoha, casting an even darker shadow over the ceremony.
The resurrected Minato Namikaze was personally presiding over the funeral and reading the eulogy.
Clan heads like Nara Shikaku had already noticed that Minato seemed a little different today. He had become much gentler, almost like his old self again.
Jiraiya and Tsunade also sensed a clear change in him, but with Kushina's death still fresh, neither of them looked too deeply into it.
After all, no one would suspect Minato Namikaze's ability to preserve his own life. He was, after all, the man who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Among the mourners, Sarutobi Asuma, who had suddenly lost both parents, shed tears openly despite his usual rebellious attitude. At this moment, he seemed to mature all at once.
Beside him, his elder brother and sister in law were suppressing their own grief as they quietly comforted him.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son, Yuma Sarutobi would now become the new head of the Sarutobi clan and lead it into the future.
He and his wife, Sarutobi Akira, were both elite Jonin in the Anbu and had long served as Hiruzen's right hands within Konoha's internal structure.
But now Minato Namikaze was beginning to train his own direct faction, forcing the Sarutobi clan to reconsider its place in Konoha. They would either have to draw closer to the Fourth Hokage, like the Ino Shika Cho trio, or risk being pushed aside together with the Shimura faction.
Not far away, Yuhi Kurenai and Iruka were crying as well. Their parents had also died in the Nine Tails attack, and Iruka's hatred for the Nine Tails had only deepened.
Akimichi Torifu, the pillar of the Akimichi clan and once a bodyguard of the Second Hokage, had died trying to divert the Nine Tails' attention. With his death, the Akimichi clan had lost one of its strongest pillars.
The three Legendary Sannin all wore solemn expressions, but beyond grief, they were even more worried about the war that was coming.
Konoha had already lost three Kage level figures in one stroke: Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine Tails jinchuriki, the Third Hokage, and Danzo.
Even if Danzo had been a hated and scheming old fox, no one could deny his strength or his value in dirty, practical warfare.
He was good at dealing with his own people, and even better at dealing with enemy villages. Root had infiltrated multiple great nations and brought back a great deal of valuable intelligence.
The loss of Danzo, a Kage level operative skilled in operating on multiple fronts, was not a small blow to Konoha.
As the funeral neared its end, unrest suddenly spread through the crowd.
The clansmen of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had actually gathered together with the delegation from the Fire Daimyo's residence and begun openly condemning the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. They demanded that the two senior advisors be released immediately.
They had chosen to launch their attack in the middle of this solemn funeral, clearly hoping to use the villagers' grief as leverage. Their argument was simple: if Konoha wanted to reduce casualties in the upcoming war, then every available talent had to be used.
They demanded that Koharu and Homura be restored as senior advisors so Minato Namikaze could no longer rule as a dictator and make reckless decisions that endangered Konoha.
This sudden move from the Daimyo's delegation caused the three Sannin and the clan heads to frown deeply.
They had already planned to hold a Hokage meeting after the funeral to address all these issues properly.
If this had been the old, gentle Minato Namikaze, he might have compromised.
But this was no longer that Minato.
Or rather, Brook, who stood behind him, did not care in the slightest about the shrieking of these ants.
Brook even had time to visit Hiruzen Sarutobi's grave in advance, already thinking about digging up the old man's corpse later and turning it into one of the Six Paths of Pain.
Among the crowd, some of the more radical Uchiha quietly watched with interest, eager to see how the Fourth Hokage would handle this.
At that moment, a figure slowly floated over through the air and landed beside Minato Namikaze.
The sight immediately put many ninjas on guard.
After all, there were not many ninjas who could fly, and every one of them was formidable.
When the clan heads saw the young man whose eyes were covered by a strip of black silk, many of them immediately thought of the same possibility.
Could this be the Senju elder the Fourth Hokage had spoken of?
But he looked far too young.
He looked even better preserved than Tsunade herself.
Kurenai, standing in the crowd, widened her eyes in disbelief.
Wasn't this the mysterious man she had met last night?
"Lord Brook, I apologize. I disturbed your peace."
To everyone's astonishment, Minato Namikaze immediately bowed respectfully and apologized.
What was going on?
Even Jiraiya and Tsunade frowned at the sight.
"When are we going to the front lines to start killing? Do you have any idea how tight my schedule is? After I take down Onoki, I still have plenty of other things to do."
Brook spoke with an utterly arrogant tone, instantly shocking everyone.
Not only was he scolding the Fourth Hokage like a child, he was speaking as though killing the Third Tsuchikage were a trivial matter.
"Lord Brook, please calm down. Once we finish dealing with these matters, we can head to the battlefield tomorrow."
Minato Namikaze answered with complete respect.
The surrounding ninjas instantly began whispering among themselves.
"Who is that blindfolded man? Why is the Fourth Hokage treating him like that?"
"No idea."
"I heard he's some elder from the Senju clan. Supposedly over a hundred years old."
"What? Over a hundred?"
"Quiet. Look at Princess Tsunade. Maybe the Senju clan really does have some kind of secret technique for staying young."
Hearing the murmurs around them, Tsunade immediately turned to Jiraiya and Nara Shikaku and demanded an explanation.
There was still an elder in the Senju clan, yet she, the so called Princess of the Senju, knew nothing about it?
"According to the Fourth Hokage, that man should be a senior elder of the Senju clan. I think his name is Senju Brook."
Shikaku answered stiffly, because the truth was that he did not know whether any of it was real.
"Anyone who can make Minato act like that has to be monstrously strong, right?"
Jiraiya stared at the stranger with a grave expression.
"Even I, Minato's teacher, have never been treated with that much respect."
"Hmph. I'll go test him myself."
Tsunade was already growing irritated. She wanted to see for herself what kind of little brat dared to act so outrageously.
But before she could move any closer,
Brook's expression turned cold.
"Tomorrow? Do you think my time is cheap? We move this afternoon. As for these pests, throw them all into prison."
A terrifying burst of soul pressure and chakra pressure exploded outward.
The oppressive force was so overwhelming that even Tsunade, who had just stepped forward, froze in place. Her eyes filled with shock.
The delegation from the Daimyo's residence, along with the clansmen of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were crushed to the ground on the spot. Their eyes rolled back, foam spilled from their mouths, and they passed out instantly.
All the Genin, Chunin, and Special Jonin around them were forced down onto one knee.
Only the Jonin and clan heads managed to stay standing, gritting their teeth and resisting with all their strength as they looked at this so called Senju elder with horror.
------------
Only now did the clan heads and Jonin truly understand just how terrifying the so called Senju elder at Minato Namikaze's side really was.
"Lord Brook, please calm yourself. We'll immediately declare war on both the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth, and we'll have the troops marching this afternoon!"
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, hurriedly spoke up, and only then did Brook withdraw his overwhelming pressure.
As the aura faded, most of the people present were drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. That pressure had been more than ten times heavier than the Nine Tails' presence. Was that really something a human could release?
"Even more terrifying than Grandpa..."
Tsunade muttered in shock. She had never felt such crushing pressure before. It had felt like facing a true god.
"Possibly even stronger than the Great Toad Sage."
Jiraiya, who had mastered the Sage Arts of Mount Myoboku, spoke with grave seriousness. He had the distinct feeling that even if he entered Sage Mode, he still would not be this mysterious man's match.
"So this is the Kage level senior the Hokage was talking about? No wonder he could say something like 'I'll take down Onoki' so casually."
Nara Shikaku's eyes lit up. In his calculations, once a monster like this entered the war, victory was practically guaranteed.
After all, with a powerhouse on the level of the God of Shinobi, what was there to fear from two great nations? They could simply crush their way through.
"How could you knock out the Daimyo's delegation? This will anger the Daimyo and bring sanctions on Konoha!"
At that moment, Sarutobi Asuma, having finally recovered from the fear, forced himself back to his feet. He hurried over to check on the delegation and even dared to challenge this terrifying existence.
"Shut up, Asuma!"
Sarutobi Yuma and his wife immediately rushed to his side and stopped him before he could say anything more reckless. This was not someone the Sarutobi clan could afford to offend.
"But..."
"No buts! Apologize to this senior right now!"
Sarutobi Yuma spoke with a solemn face. Minato Namikaze alone had already been enough to keep the clan heads in line. Now an even more monstrous figure had appeared, and for the first time, he found himself questioning the circumstances of Hiruzen Sarutobi's death.
Minato Namikaze had claimed that he later improved the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, but doubt still lingered.
If this senior had truly been in Konoha at the time, what could a mere Nine Tails possibly have done?
Still, under absolute power, Yuma did not dare think too deeply about it. He could only bury the doubt in his heart.
Elsewhere, Yuhi Kurenai stared wide eyed at the mysterious man. So what he had said last night had all been true. He really could command the Fourth Hokage.
Now she regretted running away last night more than anything. If she had stayed, she might have become a reserve bodyguard for the Hokage by now.
Brook did not even glance at Asuma's accusation.
"The Daimyo of the Land of Fire? If he knows his place, fine. If he doesn't, I'll just make all the Daimyo of every nation go report to the Sage of Six Paths."
Brook chuckled softly, utterly unconcerned. He had come to this world for power, not politics. Whether he changed this world or broke it apart along the way made no real difference to him.
His words sent a chill through both Jiraiya and Tsunade.
This man was far too arrogant.
The Daimyo's palace still controlled Konoha's finances. Even war supplies ultimately came from the Land of Fire's treasury. Konoha was still a militarized shinobi village, not a self sufficient state.
"Everyone, disperse and await further orders. All clan heads and Jonin, come to the Hokage Building for a meeting."
Minato Namikaze stepped in once more to smooth things over. At the same time, he ordered the Anbu to detain both the Daimyo's delegation and the troublemakers who had stirred up the funeral.
As the crowd began to disperse, Tsunade and Kurenai both quickly moved toward Brook.
"Hey! Are you really from the Senju clan?"
Tsunade still found it impossible to believe. She called out loudly, showing not even a shred of respect, acting every bit like a spoiled princess.
Hearing Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, speak first, Kurenai instinctively slowed down. She also wanted to know the truth about this strange man.
"However you slice it, I'm your ancestor. But since you clearly need it, I can teach you some manners first."
Brook gave a faint laugh. With a clench of his right hand, dozens of sturdy wooden roots erupted from the ground and wrapped around Tsunade in an elegant but unbreakable prison.
Wood Release: Flourishing Bind.
"Damn it! It really is Wood Release!"
Tsunade exploded with monstrous strength, but no matter how she struggled, she could not break free. The roots were simply too tough.
Her struggling form, especially the rather dramatic motion of her chest, left even Jiraiya speechless for a second. He nearly got a nosebleed on the spot.
But in the next instant, he was blasted backward by a burst of repulsive force and smashed straight into a wall.
"Hey, little toad brat. Bring me to Mount Myoboku sometime."
Jiraiya had just climbed out in a fury when a powerful attraction yanked him back and slammed him to the ground again. Hearing Brook's amused voice, he could only grit his teeth.
Tsunade, meanwhile, had already been released by the wooden roots.
Tsunade's expression changed.
Wood Release alone explained many things.
"Lord Brook, didn't you say time was tight? Once the meeting is over, we'll dispatch the army immediately."
Under Brook's gaze, Minato Namikaze once again stepped forward and prevented Tsunade and Jiraiya from losing control.
"Hey! Is your name really Senju Brook?"
Once she was free, Tsunade shouted angrily again. She was furious beyond words. This blindfolded man had actually dared to choke her.
"The Senju name means very little to me. Don't feel pressured just because I happen to be your ancestor. I quite enjoy watching a beautiful and capable woman like you get worked up."
Brook smiled and then suddenly pulled Tsunade by the throat with a burst of suction, bringing her face to face with his own.
"But remember one thing. Be polite."
If not for the fact that his Rinnegan could not be hidden and had to remain beneath the black ribbon, Brook might have wanted to test that infamous monstrous strength of hers a little more thoroughly.
"Bastard!"
Tsunade threw a punch straight at his face, but several wooden vines instantly burst forth and bound her limbs again before she could land the hit.
"Let go of Tsunade!"
Jiraiya roared in anger. There was no way he could stand by while the woman he adored was being toyed with like this.
Kurenai and the clan heads who had not yet gone far were all left speechless.
In front of Lord Brook, the Legendary Sannin of Konoha looked like children. They had no power to resist at all.
"Remember it. Be polite."
Brook released Tsunade once more, then slowly floated up into the air.
He had no interest in attending any Hokage meeting. Once he reached the battlefield, he would be free to devour the bloodlines of the major clans however he pleased.
The Akimichi clan's ability to expand and reshape the body was quite useful. The Nara clan's Yin Release bloodline that controlled shadows was interesting as well.
He had to admit, the chakra generated from a single God Tree truly had evolved into a remarkable variety of bloodline powers.
"Hmph! What do you mean, 'beautiful and capable'? I'm a stunning beauty with real ability!"
Tsunade shouted furiously at Brook's retreating back.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. This blindfolded bastard had actually dared to strangle her. Unforgivable.
.....
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