Pakura countered, "Tsuchikage Onoki is over 60 this year, and the Third Hokage is only a year younger than Grandma. I think Grandma's age is exactly the age to strive."
"Cough, cough... Pakura, how can you be so selfish?!"
Chiyo coughed quickly, pretending to be unable to stand steadily.
Ebizo helplessly supported Chiyo.
His sister loved to act sweet when she was young, and even in her old age, she often faked death to prank him. Now that she had regained her youth, she seemed even more playful than before.
A group of people saw Chiyo's unsteady appearance and began to denounce Pakura.
"Pakura, stop talking nonsense. Right now, only you are qualified to be the Kazekage."
"That's right, Pakura-sama. This is the time when a hero like you needs to step forward."
Members of the Anbu brought a Kazekage robe from somewhere, draped it directly over Pakura, and pushed her to the front.
Everyone knelt on one knee in unison: "Greetings, Kazekage!"
Pakura felt sorrowful in her heart because she was about to be sent to the battlefield to risk her life against Madara.
Chiyo chuckled secretly.
In the 51st year of Konoha, Ryou attacked Sunagakure, massacred the Elder Council, killed the Fourth Kazekage, and took away the One-Tail Shukaku.
Konoha, Hokage's Office.
"What? Uchiha Ryou attacked Sunagakure and is preparing to take the One-Tail Shukaku!"
The Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado were instantly anxious.
The thing they feared most had happened. Their opponents would not just sit by and watch them obediently form an alliance; they were also looking for isolated Shinobi Villages to strike.
Utatane Koharu was somewhat anxious: "Where is Minato? Where did Minato go? Quickly have him go to Sunagakure as soon as possible to stop Uchiha Ryou!"
Minato, save us!
The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe and said, "Minato has gone to Mount Myŀboku to practice Senjutsu with the two Great Sages. We can't rely on Minato for everything."
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses: "Hiruzen, why don't you go to Sunagakure to stop Uchiha Ryou!"
"..."
The Third Hokage put down his pipe and said to the Anbu, "Someone, call Gyokushun, call the Shinobi Eagles! Prepare to head to Sunagakure."
It takes at least three days to travel from Konoha to Sunagakure; only by flying can one reach the Sunagakure as quickly as possible.
The Third Hokage was not one to fear death and immediately prepared to set out for Sunagakure.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado quickly stopped him.
"Hiruzen, don't be in such a hurry!"
"We were just joking, don't take it seriously."
"Yes, Hiruzen, you are currently Konoha's Hokage. If you were killed by that brat Uchiha Ryou, who would be left to support the Village?"
"Minato!"
The Third Hokage was not joking; he had already stood up, taken off his Hokage robe, and revealed his black combat suit.
Homura Mitokado grabbed the Third Hokage's hand: "Hiruzen, Minato lacks sufficient prestige. Only you can become the commander of the Shinobi Allied Forces!"
Minato had indeed made a great name for himself during the Third Great Shinobi War and had performed great feats for Konoha.
But the Shinobi Allied Forces needed the Third Hokage's steady experience even more.
Just as the Third Hokage was about to push Homura Mitokado aside and head to Sunagakure to stop Ryou from capturing Shukaku, an Anbu member came to report again.
"Hokage-sama, this is bad! Kazekage Rasa has been killed, and Shukaku has already been taken away by Uchiha Ryou!"
"Nani—"
After reading the intelligence, the Third Hokage and the two high-ranking officials didn't know what to say.
Rasa was killed, and Shukaku was captured. Madara had already obtained one of the Nine Tailed Beasts.
Now the Third Hokage's biggest concern was the Tailed Beasts of the other Villages. Since Madara sent Ryou to Sunagakure, would he personally set out to capture the Tailed Beasts of other Villages?
"Immediately inquire with the Kage of the remaining three hidden Villages about the status of their Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki."
"Yes!"
Utatane Koharu said worriedly, "Hiruzen, you forgot one Village."
"Which one?"
"Takigakure!"
Land of Waterfalls.
This country is closely surrounded by the four nations of Earth, Fire, Grass, and Frost, located in the gaps between the great nations.
Unlike the Land of Rain, Takigakure in the Land of Waterfall has always been very dutiful, minding its own small plot of land.
It never produced an ambitious person like Hanzo and has always remained neutral, not being specifically targeted by the great nations.
Takigakure is the Shinobi Village of the Land of Waterfall. It is the only non-Five Great Nation Shinobi Village to possess a Tailed Beast. It is completely hidden by a massive waterfall and has never been breached by foreign enemies.
In the original work, Kakuzu and Hidan did not capture the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki Fuu in Takigakure, but rather ambushed her at a bridge when she was returning after participating in the Chunin Exams in Sunagakure.
However, even if Fuu didn't leave the Village, Kakuzu could still catch her.
Kakuzu used to be an elite of Takigakure, so he naturally knew where Takigakure was hidden and how to get through the waterfall to find it.
Takigakure is truly a Shinobi Village hidden deep in the mountains and old forests.
But at this moment, this Village hidden within the waterfall was suffering an invasion from foreign Shinobi.
Takigakure, the sealing altar of the Seven-Tails Chomei.
The Takigakure Leader and the Village's Chunin and Jonin were fighting a group of invaders.
The Shinobi of Takigakure were being driven back step by step. One of the red-haired Shinobi was proficient in all five elements, able to perform Ninjutsu of five different attributes.
Wind Release, Water Release, Fire Release... and an extremely massive amount of chakra.
The Takigakure Leader, along with two Jonin, were no match for him at all.
This person's chakra seemed bottomless, as he performed large-scale, powerful Ninjutsu one after another.
There was also a blue-haired female Shinobi flying in the sky, performing a Paper Release technique that no physical attack could harm.
The Takigakure Leader looked with a grim expression at the strange Shinobi who had invaded Takigakure to seize the Seven-Tails: "Who on earth are you?"
These two were Nagato and Konan, and the rest were elite Shinobi from Kusagakure and Amegakure.
For this capture of the Seven-Tails, Madara had sent out the elites he had kept in Amegakure.
Nagato, Konan, the Kusagakure leader Shirakawa, the representative of the "Grass Fruit" Mui, and the representative of the "Grass Flower" Chizu.
Plus the 12 Zodiac Elders of Kusagakure, every one of whom was a Jonin.
In addition, there were some elites from Amegakure.
Nagato and Konan did not answer, but the Takigakure Leader had already guessed: "I see. You are Uchiha Madara's subordinates, sent on his orders to seize our Takigakure's Seven-Tails."
Although Takigakure is hidden in the deep mountains, they are not disconnected from the world; they have contact with the outside and the Land of Waterfall's Feudal Lords.
It was impossible for them not to know about the commotion Madara was causing.
Furthermore, the Third Hokage had sent a letter warning Takigakure to be on guard against Madara coming to steal the Tailed Beast.
"That's right!"
Konan flew in the air, looking down at the Takigakure Shinobi like an angel on high granting mercy to Takigakure.
"Takigakure Leader, face reality! You are no match for us. Hand over the Seven-Tails obediently!"
The Takigakure Leader's face was grim: "Damn it, how did you break in?"
"..."
Nagato and Konan remained indifferent and did not answer the Takigakure Leader.
Takigakure is hidden among many waterfalls. How did Nagato, Konan, and the others find Takigakure's location and pass through the waterfall?
In fact, it was all thanks to Kusagakure.
In order to open the box of ultimate bliss, Kusagakure would naturally set its sights on Shinobi Villages that possessed Tailed Beasts.
Since Takigakure was not among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, their Tailed Beast, the Seven-Tails, was naturally targeted by the people of Kusagakure.
Takigakure Shinobi had to go out to accept commissions and execute missions, so they would naturally have interactions with the outside world.
The target Kusagakure chose from Takigakure was the rogue Shinobi Mizukage, who in the original work wanted to seize the hero water and attempted to overthrow the Takigakure government.
A bit of bribery from Kusagakure made Mizukage willing to become a pawn for Kusagakure.
With the intelligence sold by Mizukage, the people of Kusagakure naturally knew the location of Takigakure.
However, Nagato, Konan, and the others got lost while passing through the waterfall, and it was White Zetsu who appeared and guided them.
In fact, even without Kusagakure, Nagato and Konan could still have found Takigakure.
White Zetsu considered its reconnaissance ability second to none; no one in the Shinobi World dared to claim to be number one.
Under a powerful invasive Secret Technique like the Mayfly Technique, Takigakure's natural waterfall defense was simply a joke.
After entering Takigakure, Nagato and Konan, guided by White Zetsu, headed straight for the sealing place of the Seven-Tails. When the Takigakure Shinobi discovered them, the two sides began to fight