"Kyohiko sent Killer B back?" Sarutobi Hiruzen was a little surprised. To send someone directly back from the Land of Snow via the Flying Thunder God... even for Kyohiko, the chakra consumption would be significant!
But this was a Jinchuriki!
"Old man, you always talk about stability and peace, but that's just your way of understanding peace. In my view, compromise can't bring peace," Tsunade said, pounding the table. "Back then, the Cloud Village tried to kidnap Kushina, and you compromised. Did they learn their lesson after that?"
"No!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched, and he picked up his pipe to hide his expression. He had intended to wait for Tsunade to finish before expressing his own opinion, but Tsunade continued.
"After that, they set their sights on Danzō, now it's one of our Konoha squads. In the future, it might involve important Kekkei Genkai like the Uchiha and Hyūga. Sensei, according to your logic, when can we finally fight back?" Tsunade's face was stern.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. "Conflict will only breed more conflict..."
"And forbearance will only delay the problem until it becomes bigger. It's like treating an illness; if it flares up once or twice and you only treat the symptoms but not the root cause, won't the disease still exist?" Tsunade looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Sensei, your way of thinking might have been suitable for the previous wartime state, but it doesn't fit the current situation of the ninja world. Admit it, you've gotten old!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen lit his pipe and took a puff, his thoughts seemingly clearing up a lot. Then, he looked up. "What's the plan next?"
"Kyohiko has already extracted a portion of the Eight-Tails' chakra and created an Eight-Tails clone. We'll first exchange Killer B with the Cloud Village, and then let them come to us to talk about the Tailed Beast," Tsunade's tone was firm, even carrying a trace of anger. "If Kyohiko hadn't been there, and it had been any other squad, the Cloud Village would have succeeded this time. We can't always be the ones to back down. The Cloud Village must pay the price for its actions!"
"But the alliance of the Hidden Stone, Cloud, and Mist is a powerful force. We must make adequate preparations in advance and not solely rely on Kyohiko's strength," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied. He looked at the map. "Hanzō is an important asset. I think we should try to win over smaller villages like the Hidden Rain and the Hidden Waterfall. Although the Hidden Grass is controlled by Mui, under this situation, we should increase contact and strengthen our alliance..."
"That's a given. I've already had Minato contact Jiraiya and have him make a trip to the Hidden Rain Village," Tsunade nodded. With Hanzō there, the Hidden Rain was worth winning over! What's more, the Hidden Rain ninja themselves were a considerable force.
As for smaller villages like the Hidden Grass and Hidden Waterfall, they needed to be courted and allied with, and ties of interest and trade had to be maintained, but they couldn't be allowed to walk all over them. The core was Konoha!
Tsunade thought to herself, then gradually frowned. "Compared to these things you're worried about, I'm thinking about one other matter."
"What is it? Perhaps I can give you some advice and ideas," Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up.
Tsunade said, "The current Hidden Mist is under Madara's control—whether he's really Madara or not, we'll just assume he is. Now that the three villages have allied, what are Madara's hidden forces planning to do now?"
"Madara..." Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his fingers, taking a few puffs of smoke. He scanned various places on the map.
Tsunade said, "The basic idea is to strengthen themselves and weaken us. He definitely won't make a move on those three villages for now. The most likely target is to weaken us or a neutral country..."
"The Hidden Sand Village!" Following Tsunade's line of thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes fixed on the Sand Village. The current Sand Village was at its weakest point since its founding, and it was also an ally of Konoha—at least on the surface. If he were Madara, he would definitely try to win over this force!
"The Sand Village... no, and the Hidden Waterfall Village!" Tsunade said suddenly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned for a moment. "Because of the Tailed Beast?"
"The Tailed Beast is only one aspect. According to our Anbu's intelligence, the Waterfall's rogue-nin, Kakuzu, has been more active recently, appearing in various underground exchange markets. And before, Madara's subordinates tried to form an alliance with Sasori of the Red Sand..." Tsunade's eyes gleamed. "Perhaps Kakuzu has also joined their alliance!"
With that, she handed the intelligence scroll to Sarutobi Hiruzen. After he finished reading, he nodded lightly. Indeed! The intelligence on it was very detailed, with fairly precise records of where Kakuzu had appeared.
"It's a pity we don't know what list of missions he's taken on. Otherwise, we could make targeted arrangements."
"Kakuzu is no ordinary person. Even the Iburi Clan can't get close to him easily. Confirming his location and movements is already the limit," Tsunade shook her head.
Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally understood the reasoning. He sighed in admiration, his heart filled with secret praise. The Iburi Clan... as a relatively famous ninja clan in the Land of Fire, he was of course aware of the power of their abilities. But in the past, their weaknesses were equally fatal. This was why the Iburi Clan had always been a weak clan.
Who could have thought that Kyohiko could actually solve their problem, allowing the Iburi Clan to see the light of day again, and utilize their advantages to turn them into powerful intelligence-gathering ninja. The main core of Konoha's powerful intelligence network today was the Iburi Clan.
Speaking of which, Tsunade suddenly thought of something. "Sensei..."
"Hm?" Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up, surprised and wary.
Tsunade usually called him "old man" with no respect to speak of, and he had gotten used to it. But suddenly calling him "Sensei"... something was definitely up!
He said cautiously, "If you have something to say, just say it. I'll think about it before I answer!"
"Ahem, Sensei, I remember that besides Fire Release, your Sarutobi Clan also has some research in summoning techniques and contracts. I was wondering if you could provide us with some help," Tsunade stated her request.
Sarutobi Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief. "Tsunade, next time you have such a small request, don't be so dramatic!"
"Heh, so you agree?"
"What are you planning to do?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.
Tsunade took out the report and spread it in front of him.
The Ninja Beast Communication Plan. Using ninja beasts and artificial summoning beast clans as a link for transporting and transmitting intelligence, to avoid danger and accidents for intelligence personnel during transportation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and nodded heavily. "Of course! This is a good thing that will benefit the country and its people!"
He had been Hokage and had guided Danzō in establishing the Anbu and the intelligence network, so he was no amateur in this field. The fewer steps in the transportation process, the safer and more accurate the intelligence delivery. Kyohiko's idea was excellent!
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment and immediately slammed his hand on the table. "This matter is very important. I'll go to the clan to find related materials right away. Also, I will help contact other clans in the village that have mastered summoning techniques..."
"Then I'll be counting on you, Sensei," Tsunade said with a broad smile, getting up to see him out. Ever since Shizune went to the hospital for further training, she had to do many things herself. For example, the task of seeing guests out.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was pushed out of the office by Tsunade. Even though he knew Tsunade didn't want him to linger, he was still very serious about this matter. Intelligence was the lifeblood of a ninja village. This matter had to be overcome first!
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke, sighing secretly. Alright then! Time to get to work!
He was full of vigor and immediately headed towards his clan compound.
Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief. She looked carefully at the intelligence scroll in her hand, thought for a long while, then pressed a button to summon an Anbu member to give new instructions regarding Killer B, the Sand Village, and the Waterfall Village.
Gyūki could be leveraged, but Killer B couldn't actually be killed. That was money! As for the latter two... Tsunade narrowed her eyes, the images of the "Tailed Beasts" flashing in her mind. One-Tails Shukaku. Seven-Tails Chōmei. The former was still uncertain, as it depended on which side the Sand Village would lean towards, but the Waterfall Village, besides its Jinchuriki, didn't have many other resources.
The Anbu ninja before her nodded repeatedly. "Lord Hokage, are there any other orders?"
"Have... forget it, I'll go talk to Orochimaru myself," Tsunade waved her hand. If Kyohiko were here, she would just let him go, but with Kyohiko not in Konoha, she had to do these things herself. Otherwise, no one else could get Orochimaru to move.
"Only when Kyohiko is not around do you realize how much work that kid does."
"It's tough!" Tsunade sighed, then ran towards Minato's place—the fastest way to get to Orochimaru wasn't through the Anbu, but by finding Namikaze Minato directly and using the Flying Thunder God marker Kyohiko had left to go straight to Orochimaru's lab.
***
Land of Snow. Gyūki looked around. "So, where are you going now?"
"Just follow," Kyohiko answered lightly.
He didn't trust Gyūki. The other party was on Killer B's side. Even though they were now separated by his Flying Thunder God, Gyūki was still more wary of him. If there was a chance to betray him, it might rebel at any time. Of course, with the current sealing condition, unless someone had a sealing release method on Madara's level, it was basically impossible for anyone else to remove the sealing jutsu on it. But even if it were Madara or Black Zetsu, they would need his permission to unseal the Eight-Tails.
Gyūki slumped, giving up on thinking.
Kyohiko squatted down, pressing his fingers on the ground. His chakra sensing technique had already been raised to the grandmaster level, allowing him to easily sense the surrounding situation.
Soon... one after another, auras entered his perception range.
Finally! In this ghastly weather, if he couldn't find them soon, he was thinking of going to the capital to fish instead.
"Baiting them over is easier than searching myself. Fortunately... I've found them!"
Kyohiko's speed suddenly increased. In an instant, a few footprints were left in the snow, but their owner had vanished in a flash.
A few kilometers away, in a mountain valley, the north wind howled. The cold wind, mixed with a blizzard, swept over everything.
Inside an ice house in the valley, two people stood one behind the other. From their positions and posture, it was clear there was a difference in status between them.
"Asazawa, how is it?"
"Success!" Fuyuki Asazawa shouted excitedly. "Our chakra armor is already very complete, Dotō-sama! This set of yours was the last one made; its workmanship and safety are the strongest!"
"Hahahaha, Asazawa, well done! As expected of my most capable subordinate!" Kazahana Dotō laughed heartily. Then, he walked over, his gaze falling on the armor on Fuyuki Asazawa's table. It was mainly black, with blue stripe decorations. It looked magnificent.
Fuyuki Asazawa immediately stepped forward and explained, "These blue parts are a special material that can be used for..."
"I know, Asazawa, thank you! I will treat this batch of chakra armor well!" Kazahana Dotō laughed heartily. This powerful ninja tool could give an ordinary person some of the abilities of a ninja, and when worn by a ninja, the enhancement was even greater. Especially in the Land of Snow. He could even see a grand scene of unifying the ninja world in the future.
Kazahana Dotō looked to the side and picked up a stack of blueprints. These were the blueprints and data produced during the research process of the chakra armor. As long as there were enough materials, more chakra armor could be produced.
Excellent! A trace of excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Asazawa, how should I thank you! You have turned my vision into reality. I should reward you, reward you well!"
"I only wish to obtain a place for my clansmen and subordinates to live. I hope my lord can grant this!" Fuyuki Asazawa lowered his head.
Kazahana Dotō smiled. "Of course, I will make it happen. But..."
The next second, chakra gathered in his hand.
Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard!
As Fuyuki Asazawa was filled with terror and astonishment, he saw an ice dragon rapidly form in the hands of the chakra-armor-clad Kazahana Dotō and rush towards him. The two were already very close. In an instant, he had no time to react.
"Wh—"
"Boom!"
A loud bang. The ice dragon exploded.
Kazahana Dotō raised an eyebrow. "You still have such power? Indeed! You are not loyal, you hid the truly powerful armor!"
He instinctively suspected... that Fuyuki Asazawa had a powerful armor on him that could automatically block ninjutsu. This kind of life-saving item was what he valued most. Therefore, Kazahana Dotō was furious, almost forgetting that he was the one who wanted to kill the other party.
However, the next second, a voice came from within the dissipating ice mist.
"What do you think you're doing to my researcher?"
"Who are you?" Kazahana Dotō was stunned.
In front of him, a handsome young man had suddenly appeared, with a strange small animal slumped over his shoulder. Was he the one who had just dispersed his ninjutsu?!
He immediately jumped back, rushing out into the gorge through the broken opening, then raised his hands. "Then try my strongest creation!"
Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard!
Two ice dragons emerged from his hands.
Kyohiko looked up, a speechless expression in his eyes. "You call this thing Ice Release?"
The next second, his hands formed a seal. In the blink of an eye, an ice dragon emerged. It was a water dragon, but... in the Land of Snow, it was an ice dragon!
The ice dragon coiled under the drive of chakra, then let out a long roar, instantly blocking the two ice dragon blizzards.
In that instant, Kazahana Dotō was dumbfounded. How is that possible? My ninjutsu was enhanced by chakra armor, why is it still no match for the other party's single dragon?
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ryoho Kyohiko. Sir, are you interested in coming to my Konoha to research chakra armor?"
What? Kazahana Dotō's face stiffened.
Ryo, Ryoho Kyohiko? The genius ninja of Konoha, said to have the ability to succeed the God of Shinobi?
In just a second, his expression changed from shock to disbelief, and finally to panic. An existence like this, even with his chakra armor, was definitely no match for him! But...
He swallowed. "I am the younger brother of the Land of Snow's daimyō. You can't kill me! Otherwise, the daimyō of the Land of Snow will not let you off..."
"You're noisy!" Kyohiko's cold gaze swept over.
The next second, he instantly appeared beside Kazahana Dotō. He stretched out his hand, and resin instantly emerged from his palm, rapidly turning into an amber stone that engulfed Kazahana Dotō.
"Now, let's talk."
Gulp!
Fuyuki Asazawa swallowed, feeling sweat all over his body, which was then quickly turned into frost by the snowstorm... Such a powerful ninjutsu, to be able to instantly freeze Kazahana Dotō who was wearing chakra armor!
Could the powerful ninja before him really be that person from Konoha? But... why was he here! Fuyuki Asazawa's heart was filled with doubt and confusion.
"This chakra armor, he shouldn't have the ability to create it himself. You researched it, right?" Kyohiko picked up the booklet of blueprints that was about to be blown away by the wind. With this booklet, it was theoretically possible to create chakra armor. But for him, simple chakra armor was of no use.
What was important in the new era was talent! Research talent like this was exactly what Konoha was most lacking at the moment.
Fuyuki Asazawa nodded. "Dotō-sama provided the ideas and concepts, and I realized them through research..."
"Very good!" Kyohiko smiled and nodded.
This was a talent! He looked at Kazahana Dotō, then said, "This person has a lot of problems. I will hand him over to Kazahana Sosetsu to deal with. If you are willing to come with me, then your clansmen have two choices..."
Fuyuki Asazawa nodded numbly. It wasn't that he was unwilling, but at this moment, he was still in a state of shock and disbelief. Konoha actually needed a weak ninja like himself?
"First, you, your research team, and your family will come with me to Konoha. The others can stay in the Land of Snow. I will suggest that the daimyō fund the establishment of a ninja village for you."
"Second, all of you will come to our Konoha, but you will need a certain amount of transformation and training."
Kyohiko looked at him. "Choose one."
Fuyuki Asazawa hesitated for a long time, then lowered his head. "My lord, could you give me some time to discuss with my clansmen?"
From his personal perspective, both options were acceptable. In any case, his family could go to Konoha. But he regarded the entire valley of wandering ninja as his "clansmen." Whether these people wanted to stay in the Land of Snow or go to Konoha... was up to them to choose.
"Of course. I don't wish to force them to leave either. After all, there are quite a few of you, and not everyone can endure a long journey. Think it over carefully." Kyohiko said, extending his hand.
Fuyuki Asazawa reached out to shake it. The next second, the other party let go, and he noticed a pattern had appeared in the palm of his hand.
"This is my ninjutsu pattern. In five days, I will come to find you again."
This is... a ninjutsu coordinate?
As a researcher, Fuyuki Asazawa didn't know much, but he vaguely guessed that this might be a "coordinate" to confirm his position or some kind of countermeasure. In other words, in five days, he had to give an answer!
He took a deep breath and immediately nodded.
The next second, the person before him disappeared.
Everything was like a dream.