Chapter 241: The Shinobi World Trembles, War is Imminent
"Has the authenticity of the intelligence been confirmed?"
A, wearing the Raikage's hat, had a resolute expression. As he spoke, sparks of lightning danced in his hair. He was obsessed with training, constantly pursuing the realm his father had once reached.
But now, the importance of this intelligence forced him to stop his training.
Killer B, who was never serious, also appeared by A's side, wearing his sunglasses. The two of them were the absolute core of Kumogakure's current combat strength.
The scout in charge of intelligence was brought in. He nodded, his expression grave, and confirmed:
"It's absolutely true. The Uchiha clan's Uchiha Shisui, along with another member of his clan, engaged in battle with an unidentified shinobi in a small town not far from the border. In the end... he went missing."
Uchiha Shisui's name had resounded since the Third Great Shinobi War. As the Uchiha clan's newest top-tier powerhouse, even a ninja like Killer B, who spent all day in the village working on his rap, had heard of him.
After the death of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, he had long become a high-priority target for other villages, especially because of his Sharingan...
A was still frowning, not showing the happiness the scout had expected.
"A, just before this battle, news came out that Konoha had lost a piece of top-secret intelligence. The contents of that intel were intentionally leaked."
"The Uchiha seem to be on extremely bad terms with the Konoha leadership. This incident... is likely another one of Konoha's internal conflicts."
This was the conclusion Kumogakure's think tank had reached after synthesizing all the intel, deeming it the most likely answer.
A man of Uchiha Shisui's caliber couldn't just be defeated by a mysterious shinobi who appeared out of nowhere. Besides, Konoha had always had a tendency for this kind of "internal friction."
Years ago, the death of Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, had already brought barely-concealed joy to the other villages. They never expected that now [Shisui of the Body Flicker] would also meet a disastrous fate.
A heaven-sent opportunity!
"Would Konoha's leadership really commit such a foolish act, cutting off their own arm?"
Others were skeptical. The whole thing sounded too absurd.
They were the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, yet they were constantly losing top-tier assets outside of a war. It was unbelievable.
After all, Kumogakure's previous top-tier asset, the Third Raikage, had died on the battlefield fighting ten thousand men all by himself. A top-tier ninja of that level was a national treasure.
And Konoha just got rid of one?!
A thought for a moment and then shot to his feet. While he was skeptical of the analysis, an event this big meant Kumogakure could not sit by.
As the village with the deepest blood feud with Konoha, and the closest in strength, Kumogakure could not pass up this chance.
The Land of Lightning had coveted the Land of Fire's vast, fertile territory for a long time.
"Immediately dispatch all personnel on the Land of Fire's border, as well as our infiltrators. We must confirm the authenticity of this intel within one day."
"And find a way to probe Konoha's internal situation. If Konoha falls into civil war, we declare war immediately!"
"Begin war mobilization!"
A's style had always been swift and decisive. Even without full confirmation, he issued the order to mobilize.
"Sir!"
The shinobi all responded in unison and quickly left to prepare.
They were all faintly excited. The Fourth Great Shinobi War... perhaps it was about to begin. And this time... Konoha would surely fall!
In Iwagakure, the elite Jounin Kitsuchi reported this same intelligence to his father, the Third Tsuchikage, [Onoki].
Onoki was short, floating in the air, his body almost completely hidden by his long robes. As one of the very few shinobi to have mastered a [Kekkei Tota]—a power beyond a Kekkei Genkai—he could fly freely.
"You're saying Uchiha Shisui... has likely been defeated by that mysterious shinobi?!"
Kitsuchi nodded. Iwagakure had one advantage over Kumogakure: the team they had sent to snatch the intel had not been completely wiped out. The survivors were in the Tsuchikage's office right now.
Faced with Onoki's question, the men glanced at each other and nodded.
"We received news that a piece of top-secret intel had been leaked from inside Konoha. Jounin Koseki led the team to retrieve it and eventually confronted the Kumogakure intelligence team led by Ayai."
"At that time, several mysterious shinobi suddenly appeared in the town's inn. One of them unleashed a terrifying Wind Style jutsu, killing Captain Koseki. Another, very tall man, defeated the Kumogakure squad and took the woman holding the intel. The Kumogakure Jounin Ayai was most likely killed as well."
"Combining all the intelligence, we deduce that the top-secret intel was about the discord between the Uchiha and the Konoha leadership, and their rebellious intent. This is what caused the Uchiha to dispatch Uchiha Shisui in pursuit, leading to his eventual defeat and disappearance."
Onoki slowly descended. His feelings for the Uchiha clan were complex. In his youth, he and his master, the [Second Tsuchikage, Mu], had both been severely wounded by Uchiha Madara. He was extremely wary of the clan.
He thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Kitsuchi, arrange for some intermediaries to go to the Uchiha clan in Konoha. Pass them a message. Say that we in Iwagakure... would be happy to have the Uchiha clan join us!"
Kitsuchi was stunned. He'd never expected his stubborn, hardline father to make such a clever, divisive play.
"Father, you..."
Onoki waved his hand, harrumphing.
"My words are not false. If the Uchiha are truly willing to join Iwagakure, I will naturally receive them with courtesy."
He was telling the truth. Even if the Uchiha clan brought a mountain of trouble, he was willing to deal with it for that kind of power.
However, everyone knew Konoha would never sit by and let that happen. The signal he was sending would only escalate the discord between Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha. As long as Konoha fell into internal strife, the Land of Earth's opportunity would arrive.
He watched as the village began to mobilize for war, the large formations of shinobi gathering. He sighed. War was always cruel. But if he didn't seize this moment, when Konoha grew strong again, what would become of his own country and people?
Hatred would never end. All he could do was ensure that his country was not the one to be eliminated.
Inside Konoha's Hokage Tower, the situation was incredibly grim.
Uchiha Fugaku sat opposite Sarutobi Hiruzen, his arms crossed. The Uchiha elites, like Uchiha Inabi and Uchiha Yashiro, stood behind their clan head, their expressions cold. Their crimson Sharingan stared indifferently at the village leadership, as if looking at insects.
Koharu Utatane frowned. She didn't like this clan either. They were a group of people who could go mad with power at any moment, too emotional, which led them to produce deviants. They were difficult to integrate into the village.
"Fugaku, the Uchiha..." Sarutobi Hiruzen began, but hesitated. He didn't bring up the event that would leave them no room to maneuver. Instead, he asked, "Are Shisui and Itachi... truly missing?"
Uchiha Fugaku opened his eyes, his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning slowly. He, too, showed a rare flicker of emotion.
"Shouldn't the village know more about that than us? Weren't your ANBU supposed to be watching them?!"
Uchiha Fugaku didn't believe that some mysterious shinobi could actually defeat ShisuiandItachi. They were young, but their strength was immense. To do such a thing, it would have to be a top-tier powerhouse from one of the other great villages.
"Lord Hokage, I believe I know the identity of the person who attacked Uchiha Shisui."
Just then, Providence, wearing her ANBU mask, walked in from outside, breaking the tense atmosphere.
She calmly met the gazes of several pairs of Sharingan-filled eyes.
"He is likely... a madman named [Mercenary Tao]."
In a swamp in the Land of Rain, Uchiha Shisui regained consciousness. His entire body was in agony. He couldn't move; it felt as if every bone was broken. Something was wrapped around his eyes, and he couldn't open them.
A familiar laugh sounded in his ear.
"Heh. Look, Uchiha Shisui. Because you've gone missing, the whole world is in chaos. The war... it's probably about to start."
Uchiha Shisui's body shook. Amidst the intense pain, he tried to release his Chakra, but his wounds tore open, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
"Whoa, whoa, don't get excited. I had a hard time bringing you back."
"If you want to stop all of this... if you want to save the life of that boy named Itachi... then become my servant. And bring me... everything I desire..."
(End of Chapter)
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