Chapter 164: Tsunade’s Tough Stance! Akatsuki’s Hunting
Meanwhile
Outside Konoha Village.
A black ninja cat hurriedly ran out of Konoha, sprinting madly in one direction without stopping even when exhausted and panting.
It felt like its four legs were about to break, but it gritted its teeth and kept going until the entire cat was dizzy, ears ringing, and vision starting to go black…
It finally saw a familiar figure not far ahead.
“——Meow!!!”
The black ninja cat no longer had the strength to speak human words and could only shout a shrill meow with all its might, startling the fur of an orange ninja cat not far ahead.
This also made the several figures in front of the orange ninja cat stop involuntarily.
“Lord Ikeizumi, it’s one of my cat grandchildren!” Kijiro turned around and immediately recognized the black ninja cat that was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion.
At this moment, a Police Force Jonin quickly turned back.
Gently picking up the ninja cat.
“Ike…… Lord Ikeizumi…… Lord Kijiro……” The black ninja cat didn’t know how long it took to catch its breath; it panted heavily, parched and hoarse as it spoke: “Those Root Ninjas in the village…… they……”
“Phew! They captured Uchiha Sasuke and Neji Hyuga. They tried to attack Uchiha Izumi and Mitarashi Anko. Root took action against the followers of Absolute Justice while Lord Ikeizumi and Lord Kijiro were away!”
“And…”
“And us ninja cats…… have also been targeted by Root Ninjas. Eight or nine ninja cats have already been captured by Root; the rest are either hiding or, like me, trying to run and inform you.”
The black ninja cat’s words were shocking.
Kijiro’s cat face was left dumbfounded.
“How dare she?!” Kijiro’s incredulous words clearly referred to Koharu Utatane.
It knew that old woman didn’t look favorably on Lord Ikeizumi.
But in the past, even when angered by Lord Ikeizumi, she would swallow her anger and stew with a dark face. At most, she would make some snide remarks. How did she suddenly get tough this time?
“Meow! Lord Ikeizumi, let me go back!”
Taking a deep breath, Kijiro turned its serious cat face to Uchiha Ikeizumi and said: “That old woman laying hands on so many of my cat children and grandchildren— I now have irreconcilable hatred with her. If any of my cat children and grandchildren are harmed, she must pay the price!”
Kijiro knew that Uchiha Ikeizumi was going out of the village to hunt Orochimaru.
In this situation, nothing else could distract Lord Ikeizumi.
At that moment, Kijiro suddenly noticed Lord Ikeizumi tossing an item over.
It hurriedly leaped up and caught it in its mouth.
“Meow? A scroll?!” Kijiro mumbled unclearly.
“Summoning Scroll.” Uchiha Ikeizumi said expressionlessly: “It can summon a raven.”
“Raven?”
Kijiro didn’t react at first, but a second later, it suddenly snapped awake. It immediately realized that the so-called “raven” was actually Uchiha Shisui’s Mangekyo Sharingan, which possessed the power of Kotoamatsukami!
Lord Ikeizumi had actually handed over Uchiha Shisui’s eye to it.
That meant Lord Ikeizumi had tacitly allowed it to use this eye to cause a big commotion in Konoha.
Of course, Kijiro hoped to never have to use it.
Because it remembered Lord Ikeizumi telling it that after using Uchiha Shisui’s Kotoamatsukami once, the next use might take years, even a decade or two, or even decades.
“I understand, meow!”
Kijiro opened its mouth and used its chubby limbs to paw at the scroll repeatedly, trying to carry it on its back.
“Do the three of us need to go back with it?” A Police Force Jonin couldn’t help but ask.
He always felt that with such a big incident in the village, Uchiha Ikeizumi only sending one ninja cat back seemed unreliable.
Especially in their eyes, Kijiro was like a fat old cat that relied on its age and liked lecturing juniors.
“No need.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi watched Kijiro turn around without hesitation and sprint toward Konoha’s direction.
He said: “It is more reliable than anyone.”
“Never underestimate it.”
……
Land of Rain.
Akatsuki.
“Heh…… Another one of those very special ninjutsu. It must be that eye of his to use this ninjutsu.” Orochimaru glanced around, looking at the illusory figures on either side.
He rubbed the ring on his finger and spoke first: “What is this meeting about? If there’s nothing urgent, can I leave first?”
“It’s related to Konoha’s Uchiha Ikeizumi.” Pain’s projection spoke slowly, the name making Orochimaru raise an eyebrow.
He clearly remembered that the new spy he had painstakingly placed in Konoha had been caught by Uchiha Ikeizumi again.
That kid really didn’t get along with him at all.
“Oh?” Orochimaru gave a sinister smile: “He wouldn’t have realized Akatsuki’s existence, would he? After all, he believes in Absolute Justice; in his eyes, we’re all heinous villains he wants to tear apart.”
Konan’s projection spoke coldly, interrupting Orochimaru: “Not only does he know of our existence, he has come to the Land of Rain and even gotten involved with one of Akatsuki’s rookies.”
At this point, Konan’s gaze subtly glanced at Uchiha Obito not far away.
But since the projection wasn’t clear, Obito didn’t know she was looking at him.
Uchiha Obito was grinding his teeth at the intelligence Konan revealed.
‘Juzo Biwa! It must be him!!!’
That bastard, after being attacked by him once, didn’t back down but stubbornly returned to the Land of Rain. That meant he nearly exposed his identity!
However……
Uchiha Obito furrowed his brow, as he hadn’t expected Uchiha Ikeizumi to come to the Land of Rain too.
Wait……
No!
Several White Zetsu Clones still near Konoha had sent him intelligence the day before yesterday— Uchiha Ikeizumi was still in Konoha.
So what was this Uchiha Ikeizumi that Konan was talking about?
Clone?
Then the question was, was the Uchiha Ikeizumi in the Land of Rain a Shadow Clone? Or was the one in the Land of Fire a Shadow Clone?
Obito suddenly felt an urge to temporarily leave the Land of Rain.
Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Mangekyo Sharingan had given him quite a few psychological shadows.
Its weird ability had Black Zetsu still not recovered.
At this moment, Pain spoke: “He is a very dangerous ninja, and the Ninja Way he believes in is also an extremely dangerous ideology for us. Absolute Justice and Akatsuki’s ultimate goal are inherently in conflict.”
“This kind of potential threat needs to be eliminated first. Anyone, no matter where in the Ninja World, if they encounter Uchiha Ikeizumi, can assassinate him directly. If not confident, contact me via the ring.”
Uchiha Obito suddenly interjected, still using a raspy voice to impersonate Uchiha Madara.
“That rookie who contacted the Uchiha kid— doesn’t he know where that kid is? Through him, we can easily find the exact location, right?”
This tone would have made Konan quite wary in the past.
After all, it was the legendary ninja.
But now, Konan only felt a cold smile tug at her lips.
She didn’t interrupt Uchiha Obito, letting him continue posturing.
“The rookie is most likely being coerced by Uchiha Ikeizumi.” Pain said: “Without Uchiha Ikeizumi’s permission, even meeting other members is a luxury for him.”
“Heh heh, so this is a kill order on Uchiha Ikeizumi…”
Orochimaru licked his lips and interjected: “How about a different approach— can we capture him alive?”
Everyone’s gazes turned to him.
Orochimaru continued sinisterly: “If any of you can capture Uchiha Ikeizumi alive, bring him to me. I can pay a price in exchange for the live capture. His body— I’ve coveted it for a long time.”
The ambiguous last sentence made Uchiha Obito shiver.
“……Fine.”
Pain was silent for two seconds before speaking.
……
“Heh heh, things are getting interesting.” Orochimaru unilaterally ended the “Illusionary Lantern Body Technique”; he couldn’t help narrowing his eyes: “How did that justice kid end up in the Land of Rain?”
Orochimaru suspected the other had learned he joined Akatsuki and came to hunt him at the organization.
Thinking about it, that did match his style of action. Even when he was still weak, he was always decisive.
That meant…… Uchiha Ikeizumi had stolen some secret intelligence about him from that new spy.
But he didn’t know much, or he wouldn’t have come straight to the Land of Rain— he’d come directly to this Human Experimentation Research Base.
With that thought, Orochimaru was no longer in a hurry.
“I wonder how the Uchiha Clan’s legendary Mangekyo Sharingan compares to that eye only a Sage can possess…”
“Which is stronger?”
The greed and covetousness in Orochimaru’s eyes couldn’t be hidden.
Whether it was Akatsuki’s leader’s Rinnegan or Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Mangekyo, he wanted them both.
Unfortunately……
The Rinnegan was probably hopeless. The power of that eye was beyond what he could handle now.
Uchiha Ikeizumi’s Mangekyo, on the other hand, was worth anticipating.
Especially since that kid was now under Akatsuki’s kill order.
“Don’t get killed!”
“Heh heh…”
……
Konoha.
As the billowing smoke slowly dissipated, Tsunade’s frosty expression was directly in front of Koharu Utatane.
Koharu Utatane hadn’t expected Tsunade to one day show her such a cold attitude.
Moreover, she was forcing her to release them with a threatening tone!
It was clear from Tsunade’s aggressive stance.
If she didn’t release them……
Tsunade would take action!
This made Koharu Utatane, who suddenly realized Sarutobi Fujiko’s death wasn’t that simple, feel even more uncomfortable on her old face. She had the sense that everyone in Konoha was saying she was wrong.
As if no one believed Uchiha Ikeizumi was the culprit, and no one thought Uchiha Ikeizumi would make a mistake.
Was she the only sane one in all of Konoha?
Taking a deep breath, Koharu Utatane said to Tsunade: “Root will not release them, because it is Hiruzen’s order. Moreover…”
Koharu Utatane added: “My Root is not Danzo’s Root; my subordinates are not that extreme.”
She knew saying this showed some softening, meaning no harsh torture for the followers of Absolute Justice.
After all, the pressure from one of the Sannin, Tsunade, was considerable.
Moreover, Jiraiya seemed to think Root’s actions were improper too.
The pressure from two Sannin forced Koharu Utatane to yield.
“You’re old; if you’re hard of hearing, I can treat you.”
But Tsunade said: “I said, release them.”
As Tsunade took a few steps forward, several Root Ninjas instinctively moved closer to Koharu Utatane’s position.
With a dark face, Koharu Utatane unwillingly said: “Tsunade, you’re clearly over forty. Logically, you should despise Uchiha Ikeizumi’s black-and-white justice.”
“Why do you choose to stand on his side? Your grandfather is the First Hokage; the Will of Fire is what your grandfather left behind. Are you going to abandon the Will of Fire and believe in Absolute Justice?”
Tsunade said expressionlessly: “The Will of Fire has limitations. When realizing its limitations but not improving it, instead stubbornly clinging to old rules and old ideas.”
“Only you old stubborns would do that.”
Her words, seen as extremely rebellious by others, left Koharu Utatane and Jiraiya dumbfounded.
This……
If Tsunade said it any harsher, she was practically overturning the First Hokage’s Will of Fire!
“Elder Koharu?”
Seeing this Konoha Sannin getting closer, a Root Ninja had already retreated to Koharu Utatane’s side.
“…”
Koharu Utatane gritted her teeth, feeling the hostility from Tsunade.
She glanced at Jiraiya not far away, who wouldn’t act aggressively with Tsunade but definitely wouldn’t side with Root.
“……Release them!”
Koharu Utatane could only swallow her frustration and say these two words.
In the past, she at most yielded under Uchiha Ikeizumi’s coercion.
Now.
She even had to yield to the coercion from other followers of Absolute Justice besides Uchiha Ikeizumi!
The frustration and anger in her chest nearly made her unable to breathe.
The Root Ninjas exchanged glances and could only obey Koharu Utatane’s order, releasing Uchiha Sasuke and Neji Hyuga.
Sasuke, falling to the ground, immediately ran over to support Neji.
“Cough cough…”
Neji had been startled awake when Tsunade landed heavily; enduring the pain in his abdomen, he coughed heavily a few times, then looked up at Tsunade: “Lady Tsunade…”
“Root Ninjas deliberately harming others is a sin too, right?”
Tsunade’s gaze fell on Neji.
Then she glanced at Koharu Utatane, whose face had suddenly darkened even more.
“Hyuga Clan kid, stirring up trouble, huh?”
Tsunade’s lips curved up.
“Of course it is!”
……
……
PS: Starting tomorrow, daily updates of 7k-10k. These past few days busy moving; today moved a bunch of packages, got heatstroke, nearly died, finally honestly spent 200 to hire a runner.
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