Chapter 139: The Intruder—Is It Him?
Everyone thought that such a ridiculous request was something Uchiha Dali would definitely not consider.
Even Yagura Karatachi, the one who made the request, felt a bit uneasy.
He had already mentally prepared himself for the worst.
Prepared to be rejected.
Yet to everyone's surprise, Uchiha Dali agreed to it without hesitation.
"F-Fourth Hokage-sama, this is practically an impossible task!"
"Please think it over carefully!"
Akimichi Chōza couldn't help but speak up in protest.
Following him, the other jōnin also chimed in, trying to dissuade him.
Everyone assumed that Uchiha Dali planned to devote Konoha's manpower and resources to help out.
Though the Land of Water was now their ally—
A vassal of the Land of Fire—
The distance was simply too great, and separated by the sea no less.
How could one possibly reclaim land from the sea?
The sea between them might be hundreds of meters deep—or even deeper.
Reclaiming land in such deep waters?
Impossible!
How much manpower, materials, and money would that take?
At this moment, everyone was thinking about only one thing.
And that was the only possibility they could imagine.
But Uchiha Dali made the decision on the spot.
"You don't need to persuade me, and you don't have to worry about that issue."
"I'll handle it myself when the time comes."
"For now, let's discuss other matters. Is there anything else you want to bring up?"
Uchiha Dali already had a plan in mind.
He intended to reuse a previous strategy—similar to how he had transformed the environment of the Land of Wind.
However, this time, he wouldn't be using the Wood Release Bloodline Limit, but another type of ninjutsu—Earth Release.
If Wood Release was the most convenient ninjutsu for building "three-bedroom apartments," then Earth Release was undoubtedly the next best option for infrastructure work.
The only issue was that Uchiha Dali hadn't yet mastered advanced Earth Release techniques.
He'd need to find some time to study them a bit.
Yagura was overjoyed by Dali's acceptance and kept expressing his gratitude.
Seeing that Dali had made up his mind, the other shinobi stopped trying to dissuade him and accepted it.
The group then discussed several other matters.
Afterward came the true purpose of Rasa and Yagura's visit: to report in to Uchiha Dali.
There wasn't much worth mentioning about that process.
Once the meeting concluded, Uchiha Dali told Rasa to return to the Land of Wind first. After all, he was currently governing it and couldn't be away for long.
As for Yagura, Uchiha Dali instructed him to head back to the Land of Water as well.
He would personally go over later to assist with the environmental transformation.
With everything arranged, Uchiha Dali departed, vanishing without a trace using his advanced Flying Thunder God Technique.
——
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
In the Tsuchikage's office, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was reading intelligence reports delivered by the Anbu.
"What the hell is Konoha up to?"
"They show no signs of wanting to attack us at all??"
Staring at the report, Ōnoki fell into deep thought.
The advisors in the room were also visibly puzzled. No one could figure out what their enemy was really planning.
"Maybe this is Uchiha Dali's ploy to lower our guard."
"They're trying to deceive us."
"If we let our guard down because of this, they'll seize the opportunity to invade our country when we least expect it!"
An elderly, white-haired advisor offered his opinion.
Ōnoki nodded—he found the reasoning plausible.
But another advisor shook his head and disagreed. "I think it's simply because they don't see us as a target. After all, there are plenty of smaller nations surrounding Konoha."
"Those countries have already started approaching us for alliances. There's no way Konoha doesn't know what they're up to. I believe Konoha is secretly preparing to deal with them instead."
That theory also seemed to make some sense.
For a moment, no one could say for certain.
Ōnoki decided not to dwell on it further. "In any case, we must remain on high alert."
"Have the two Jinchūriki been found?"
He asked.
The shinobi present exchanged uneasy glances.
One subordinate quickly responded, "Rōshi and Han are both unwilling to return."
It was a simple reply, but it made Ōnoki furrow his brow.
He knew his subordinates well—
And he also understood the power of Iwagakure's Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchūriki.
Both of them could freely control their Tailed Beasts' power.
If they refused to return, forcing them back would inevitably lead to violent conflict.
And at a time like this, it was best to avoid unnecessary complications.
But if they didn't bring the Jinchūriki back, it could cause serious problems later.
"Whether it was Kirigakure of the Land of Water or Sunagakure of the Land of Wind, when they were attacked by the Land of Fire, they both submitted and made concessions."
"And not only that—they obediently handed over their Tailed Beasts."
"According to the intelligence we've gathered, one of Uchiha Dali's objectives in attacking those villages was precisely the Tailed Beasts."
"So no matter what, we must bring back the Four-Tails and Five-Tails!"
"If they refuse—I'll go myself!"
Ōnoki declared, firm and resolute.
No one else in the office spoke.
And just then, a man who had been sitting quietly in the corner—one who looked like a mystic—suddenly had a dramatic change of expression.
"Hm?"
"Third Tsuchikage-sama, something's happened!!"
He abruptly opened his eyes and called out to Ōnoki.
Everyone's attention instantly snapped to him.
"Someone has just breached our village's barrier!"
This man was Iwagakure's barrier specialist.
With a barrier system set up around the village, they could detect enemy intrusions with great precision.
If unfamiliar chakra entered the barrier, it would be identified immediately.
Upon hearing this, Ōnoki and the others' faces changed slightly.
"Is it Uchiha Dali?"
He narrowed his eyes.
Then loudly asked the barrier specialist, "Have you locked onto the intruder's location?"
"Yes, the target entered from the village's main gate!"
"They're currently on Iwagakure Boulevard!!"
The barrier specialist responded immediately.
"Iwagakure Boulevard?"
Ōnoki was visibly surprised.
That was one of the most bustling streets in the village.
It was not only lively but also served as the main thoroughfare from the village center to the main gate.
If someone were planning to invade Iwagakure, wouldn't they choose a weaker spot with less security?
Why would they just march straight in, bold as can be?