"Kakashi, what's this about?" Asuma, who was shopping with Kurenai, asked.
Kakashi pulled down his eye patch: "Oh, it's you two. By the way, I just saw your student ask me where the Aburame clan compound is. I told her."
Kakashi pointed in a direction.
Kurenai understood and left with Asuma. She knew Kakashi was pointing in the wrong direction, to prevent Hualing from knowing Konoha's information.
When Kakashi encountered Yakumo before, he didn't even call out Yakumo's name. If Yakumo hadn't asked where the Aburame clan was, he wouldn't even have said the name Aburame, simply because Hualing was a spy.
This was also why he sent Asuma and Kurenai away; being together would lead to conversation, and too much talk leads to mistakes.
As for the fireworks that blew up the barrier... whoever launched them is responsible. What does it have to do with me?
Kurama Yakumo walked in the direction Kakashi pointed, but she went astray.
The area was very deserted. Such a quiet place was rare near the center of Konoha.
————
This specially made firework was very bright, illuminating almost half of Konoha.
Everyone on Konoha's streets was looking up, except for one white-haired figure who, after leaping a few times across rooftops, scrambled up the Hokage Rock.
Jiraiya had a way of sensing Konoha's barrier. While he was on the street charming civilians, he felt Konoha's barrier tremble the moment the firework exploded.
He didn't know who launched the firework, but he could roughly guess.
These past two days, he had been on edge because of Naruto's "I understand." He had finally found a chance to relax, but then this happened.
Sure enough, as soon as he reached the Hokage Rock, he saw that familiar mop of yellow hair.
"Uzumaki! Naruto!" Jiraiya exclaimed furiously.
This child first blew up the earth, then the sky. If this continued, he would sooner or later blow up Konoha in between.
"Huh... good..."
"Thud!"
"Pffft..." Naruto flew backward into the small woods, breaking several trees.
Jiraiya gave chase; he was going to clean house!
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed and followed.
Getting up and dusting himself off, Naruto shouted, "Old man, what's wrong with you now?"
"You're scolding me? Do you know you almost blew up Konoha's barrier just now?"
"What barrier?" Naruto asked.
Did that cannon shot from my shadow clone hit Konoha's barrier just now?
"The Perception Barrier!!" Jiraiya roared back.
"Just a broken perception barrier, and it wasn't even destroyed, and you kick me like that? Are you crazy?!"
Jiraiya fumed, "Broken barrier?! Do you know how many ill-intentioned people this barrier has blocked for Konoha? And you call it a broken barrier?!"
"It is! A mere perception barrier. If an enemy throws himself in and then unleashes a powerful jutsu that flattens Konoha, what good is it then?"
"Once it's detected, aren't ninjas sent to intercept? Do you think Konoha ninjas are freeloaders?!"
Fine, old man, you said it. When Pain comes later, I won't interfere. I'll see how amazing those ninjas you say aren't freeloaders really are.
Jiraiya, finally having a moment to breathe, looked around. The scene could only be described as shocking. Fireworks boxes of all sizes were neatly stacked together, a large number of them, and there were even shadow clones taking more boxes out of scrolls.
Jiraiya pointed at Naruto, trembling with anger: "What are you doing, blowing up Konoha?!"
"Why would I blow up Konoha when I have nothing better to do?"
If I wanted to blow up Konoha, would I need so many fireworks? I just need a torch, believe it or not.
The two argued fiercely, while Hinata and Hanabi barely dared to breathe nearby.
"If you're not blowing up Konoha, what are you doing with so many fireworks?!"
"Didn't you say you wanted to find something to dispel the darkness after nightfall?"
Naruto pointed a finger at the full moon under the cloudless sky: "Whether it's the moon or the stars."
Then he pointed another finger at the bonfire: "Even a pile of bonfire is fine."
He turned his hand, pointing at the exploded firework launched from that 381 main cannon, and said, "Isn't what I launched bright enough?"
This is what you meant by 'understood'? You didn't understand any of the deeper meaning of my words?
Jiraiya was so furious he almost spat blood. So, this is my fault, then?
No, Jiraiya remembered what he told him at the hospital, and Naruto had also said he understood. He asked, "Didn't I tell you back then to tell me or Tsunade if anything happened? Did you forget?"
"I did," Naruto pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him.
Jiraiya opened it to read.
Firework/Cracker Designated Release Application.
I, the undersigned, shall on September XX, Konoha Year 60, at a certain location, designated release...
——Uzumaki Naruto.
The application, only seventy or eighty characters long, had a large Hokage stamp, indicating Tsunade had reviewed and approved it.
After reading it, Jiraiya didn't know what expression to make towards Naruto.
This child was airtight in his actions; he actually had no way to deal with him.
After thinking for a few seconds, Jiraiya finally thought of a loophole. What he had told him was to illuminate Sasuke's night, but Sasuke wasn't here now: "Back then, what we talked about was..."
Sasuke, who had been training nearby and rushed over upon hearing the commotion, looked at the footprint on Naruto's chest and asked, "What's wrong?"
Behind Sasuke, Sanzhu followed, a little slower than him.
Jiraiya kicked the 381 main cannon flying. He was so furious he was losing his mind. If it weren't for the crowd, he would have cursed.
The 381 main cannon spun in the air as it flew out of the Hokage Rock's boundary. In mid-air, it launched its second shot.
"Boom." "Crash."
One shot blasted the top of the Third Hokage's statue.
Although the Hokage Rock was made of stone and quite sturdy, it was still filled with dust from the explosion, but this couldn't obscure the light of the exploding firework.
So, Konoha's streets were filled with shouts like:
"Lord Third is glowing!"
"Lord Third has manifested!"
And similar exclamations.
A blonde, twin-tailed great... maiden rushed from afar, leaping from the stone wall of the Hokage Building.
In mid-air, she used the 381 main cannon as leverage to leap to Jiraiya's side.
"Thud." Jiraiya was kicked flying.
She didn't use her monstrous strength; this was the Hokage Rock, it couldn't withstand her power.
————
On the other side, Kurama Yakumo was asking for directions: "Excuse me, do you know where the Aburame clan compound is?"
Aburame Torune: "..."
Little girl, you haven't been investigating me, have you?
Kurama Yakumo stumbled her way to Danzo's territory, running into Aburame Torune who was heading out for business.
Aburame Torune knew Kurama Yakumo. Danzo had this girl's information, and he was very interested in her.
However, Danzo couldn't make a move. Before, he had used the excuse that Yakumo was a threat to Konoha to try and get her into his hands, but he was suppressed by the Third Hokage. And by the time the Third Hokage passed away and he had an opportunity to act, Yakumo had recovered.
Moreover, the Kurama clan had publicly issued a statement, so it could be said that every clan in Konoha knew she had recovered and would inherit the Kurama family in the future.
Now Danzo had even less recourse. Such matters required a reason. How could you deal with the next heir of a family who spends every day painting and playing music at home?
If he did, he would push all the clans in Konoha towards Tsunade's side.
Aburame Torune sensed the chakra on the bugs in Yakumo's hand, a familiar feeling, but he couldn't recall whose it was.
Just as he was wondering what to say, a thick object descended from the sky.
Aburame Torune leaped up, drawing the blade from his back. After a flash of the blade, the 381 main cannon split into two sections. With a kick to each side, he sent the two broken pieces of the main cannon flying.
Suddenly, one of the sections trembled and fired its last firework.
"Boom!" "Crash!"
After two loud bangs, Danzo's ANBU exploded, and it also lit up.
The explosion shook a ball of paper from Yakumo's body. Picking up the paper and glancing at it, Yakumo happily walked away.
The paper had the address of the Aburame clan compound, left for her by Kakashi.
Shortly after she left, the old schemer Danzo walked out of the building and asked, "What happened?"
Aburame Torune explained.
Calling a subordinate, Danzo ordered, "Go investigate."
This matter could be big or small. Big would mean an attack on Konoha, small would be an operational error, but it also depended on who did it.
Would such a coincidence happen under Tsunade's control?
Clearly not.
If Jiraiya was so furious he kicked it, then Tsunade was deliberate.
Anyway, this matter was related to Jiraiya, and he was leaving soon anyway, so let him bear the responsibility.
It was a good chance for the old hag to vent her anger.
This showed just how much pressure Danzo was putting on her.
Tsunade, who had sent Jiraiya flying, also saw the pile of fireworks around and couldn't help but ask, "So many, where did you get the money?"
Jiraiya might not know how much money Naruto had, but as the Hokage, she had seen every expenditure record of Naruto, the Jinchuriki.
"I blew up Raiga's gold mine," Naruto explained.
He couldn't tell Tsunade he had gold. If he did, the most money-strapped leader of Konoha would constantly come looking for protection fees, and he couldn't beat her.
"You blew up Raiga's gold mine!" Tsunade exclaimed.
She had just sent people to take over this gold mine, and it had actually been blown up by Naruto!
"Disgraceful disciple, you even blew up a gold mine? Why don't you blow up Konoha too?!"
Why does this child blow up everything? Is there anything you're afraid to blow up?
Naruto pouted. Old man, I didn't want to blow up Konoha, but you almost blew up Konoha just now.
"We'll talk about these later. Hinata, you first check if the Hokage Rock is alright," Tsunade ordered.
Now the statue was covered in smoke and dust; only those from the Hyuga clan could see it.
The Hokage Rock was Konoha's face. If it was damaged by that firework just now, it would be quite amusing.
"Okay, Byakugan!" Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked at the Third Hokage's statue.
Then, Hinata's whole body trembled, and her hand gripping Hanabi's trembled slightly.
"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked. Judging by Hinata's reaction, it didn't seem like a minor issue.
Hinata shook her head and said, "Hanabi, Sanzhu, you two look too."
She feared she had seen wrong.
The two activated their Byakugan, then showed even more shock than Hinata.
"What in the world is going on?" Tsunade asked with a grave expression.
"Hokage-sama... inside the Third Hokage's statue... it's all explosive tags!" Sanzhu could barely speak clearly.
Hanabi: "Not just that... these explosive tags have other wires... connected to other explosive tags..."
Hinata: "There are so many more wires... branching out... also... connected to explosive tags..."
"What's the range..."
"Everywhere the Byakugan can see... there are wires..."
Everyone collectively swallowed. This range... if it exploded, then Konoha...
Naruto looked up at the sky. He knew who did this.
Genno, an Yanoyume Village ninja, was sent to Konoha to set up explosive tags after Yanoyume Village was defeated by Konoha in the Second Great Ninja War.
The quantity was massive; blowing up Konoha would be as easy as playing.
The most terrifying thing was that these explosive tags had been buried in Konoha for 30 years and hadn't been discovered!
"Disgraceful disciple, look at what you've done! You almost blew up Konoha just now!"
Perverted old man, when did you learn to shift blame?
Don't you feel guilty saying that? You're the one who kicked my 381 main cannon flying just now. Why are you blaming me?
And even if you're going to shift blame, you should blame Danzo.
If he hadn't pressured Tsunade, would I have left the village? If I hadn't left the village, would I have bothered making a 381 main cannon for no reason?
After a roundabout journey, the blame for blowing up his own ANBU returned to Danzo.
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