While Shiro Akira and Kakashi were traveling at full speed toward the eastern battlefield against Kirigakure, the news that he had wiped out two elite Jonin, eight Jonin, and ten Chunin from Sunagakure in two moves was obtained by the Third Hokage at the first possible moment.
"Hiss! How is this possible?"
The Third Hokage's first reaction after seeing the news was to suck in a cold breath and call it impossible.
Shiro Akira had grown up under his watch the entire time. Now Orochimaru's battle report was telling him that Shiro Akira had hidden the vast majority of his strength, and his current combat power was comparable to a Kage-level expert?
It was simply a fantasy.
But Orochimaru should not joke about this kind of thing.
Even so, the Third Hokage only truly confirmed and believed that all of this was real after the news from the Anbu ninja on the front line came back.
His brows immediately furrowed. "I didn't expect this brat to have been hiding his strength all along. So, has he been acting in front of me this entire time, or is it something else?"
He suddenly discovered that the Shiro Akira he had originally thought was innocent and simple was actually a deeply scheming little brat?
"Heh!"
Then the Third Hokage smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I should have thought of it long ago. The White Fang incident back then was his handiwork. What made me think he would be a simple person?"
He was not even eight years old yet, but he already possessed Kage-level combat power.
"Fortunately, it was because he borrowed the power of the weather. His true combat power should still be quite lacking, and his realm is even more so."
"However, I also need to reassess his existence."
He vaguely felt that the situation was gradually slipping out of his control.
This was definitely not a good sign.
"His battle merits have already been made known to thousands of ninja on the front line. With Tsunade's and Orochimaru's influence as well, I'll promote him to Chunin this time!"
As for how to deal with Shiro Akira afterward, the Third Hokage still couldn't make up his mind.
He prepared to handle it coldly for the time being.
At any rate, with Tsunade's relationship in the mix, it was not suitable to act rashly.
Right now, Konoha was holding off the attacks of the four great ninja villages. The pressure was too great.
Having one more top-level combatant could be considered good news.
In any case, Shiro Akira was too young. In the short term, no matter how high his merits were, he could not threaten the Third Hokage's power and position.
"Perhaps I should increase the rewards and directly pull him completely to my side?"
Thinking of this, the Third Hokage began stroking his chin and pondering.
He felt that although Shiro Akira appeared very clever, he was still ultimately only a child of seven or eight. With more contact and indoctrination, it was not impossible to bring him completely under control.
People were like this. They always thought, "I can do it," and were unwilling to let go of enormous benefits.
The Third Hokage was now the same.
"In that case, I'll directly promote him to special Jonin. In addition, I'll reward him with a ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals!"
"However, which one should I choose?"
There were many forbidden techniques that the Third Hokage did not want to give to Shiro Akira.
They were too dangerous.
At that moment, one ninjutsu entered his sight: Flying Thunder God Technique.
"This one, then! I'll give him the item. Whether he can learn it or not will be his own business! I'll accept this favor. Heh!"
The Third Hokage stroked his beard cheerfully and copied down a copy of the Flying Thunder God Technique, then sealed it properly.
He called over an Anbu ninja and ordered him to send it to the eastern battlefield. Once Shiro Akira and Kakashi arrived, it would be handed to him.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was not that easy to learn. Its talent requirements were far too high.
Of course, even if Shiro Akira did learn it, for the current Third Hokage, it would still be a good thing.
It would mean that another expert had appeared under him.
Danzo was the second person to receive the news.
After all, he also had hidden hands on the Sand Ninja battlefield and had deployed Root ninja to infiltrate there.
"What did you say? That brat Shiro Akira killed ten Sand Jonin and ten Sand Chunin in two moves? Since when did that brat become so powerful?"
Danzo's first reaction after receiving this news was also disbelief, but immediately after that came horror.
"How could this brat grow so quickly? There's a secret on him."
Thinking of this, Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly.
Suddenly, he remembered that he seemed to have sent Xiao, Jiu, and the others to intercept and kill Shiro Akira and Kakashi. His expression changed wildly. "Not good! Jiu and the others are in danger! And…"
That brat Shiro Akira would probably know that he had made a move.
"Damn it! How could such a big mistake happen? That brat hid himself too deeply! He deceived everyone!"
Danzo was furious.
Because of the White Fang incident before, the number of ninja under Root had already shrunk greatly. If Xiao and the others died, he would also feel extremely distressed.
"No! I must find a way to eliminate that brat in advance. I can't let him continue growing."
Shiro Akira's strength did not dispel Danzo's killing intent toward him. Instead, it strengthened Danzo's determination to kill him.
He immediately instructed the Root ninja in front of him, "Go to the underground black market immediately and put a bounty on Shiro Akira. Set the amount at one hundred million ryō. In addition, send people to spread Shiro Akira's information. I want everyone in the entire ninja world to know of his monstrous talent."
"Yes!"
That Root ninja immediately accepted the order and left.
"Heh! This time, let's see how you die!"
Danzo wore a sinister smile.
He believed that once the other ninja villages learned of Shiro Akira's monstrous talent, their killing intent toward him would be even greater than his.
Not only would they put a bounty on Shiro Akira's head, they would also send people to assassinate him.
A monster like this, if left to grow, would become the next Hashirama Senju, the next God of Shinobi.
Once Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and even Sunagakure received the news, there was no way they could sit still.
The hero of one side was the enemy of another.
The genius of one side was the threat of another.
Shiro Akira was dead for sure. Danzo said so.
With Danzo pushing things from behind, in just two days, Shiro Akira's information was placed before the Third Raikage, the Third Tsuchikage, the Third Mizukage, and Chiyo.
"Konoha truly produces geniuses one after another! Now another monster has appeared? Kage-level combat power at the age of seven? This brat absolutely cannot be allowed to live!"
After Onoki finished reading the information, he slammed his palm heavily on the table and said with jealousy.
Why couldn't Iwagakure produce a genius like this?
"Pass down my order at once. Send someone to the underground black market and place a bounty on Shiro Akira's head. The bounty will be one hundred million ryō!"
"In addition, send people to collect more intelligence on him and confirm whether this information is true or false."
Onoki immediately issued the order.
It was not that he did not believe the information.
On the contrary, he felt that the information was extremely credible.
However, confirming it was still necessary.
"Is this probably Danzo's handiwork? Even at a time like this, he still has the mood and effort to engage in infighting. Heh…"
Onoki sneered inwardly.
However, this kind of Konoha suited the interests of both him and the Land of Earth even more.
If Konoha's internal factions truly became united, that would be the real terror.
At Sunagakure's front-line camp, after receiving the intelligence leaked by Danzo and combining it with the information collected by Sunagakure's Anbu over the past two days, Chiyo completely confirmed the authenticity of the news.
Chiyo slammed her palm onto the table in front of her and said angrily, "Kurosha and the others really did die at the hands of a Konoha ninja. That sky-piercing lightning pillar that day was probably the ninjutsu that buried them!"
"I just didn't expect the one who acted to be only a seven- or eight-year-old brat. This is simply a great humiliation!"
"The heavens favor Konoha far too much."
"First there were the Konoha Sannin, Hatake Sakumo, Minato Namikaze, and other geniuses who have already matured. Now, behind them, there's another monster like this brat Shiro Akira."
"If he's really allowed to grow, he may become another Hashirama Senju—or even surpass him. When that time comes, will Sunagakure still have a path to survival?"
"This brat must die!"
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