Chapter 195: White Snake Sage And Yakushi Kabuto, Anbu’s Estrangement
Yakushi Kabuto stared blankly at the White Snake Sage in front of him. Before he could snap out of his daze, an indescribable sense of exhaustion made his face instantly pale.
The chakra in his body felt as if it had been almost completely drained, and even that young face showed signs of aging. His entire consciousness was blurred.
Faced with a single sentence from the White Snake Sage, he didn’t even have time to respond before he toppled straight over.
“Forcing a response to this young man’s summoning jutsu has indeed overwhelmed his frail body…”
The White Snake Sage looked down at Yakushi Kabuto, who had passed out.
It wasn’t that Yakushi Kabuto had forcibly or accidentally summoned the White Snake Sage; rather, the White Snake Sage had actively allowed itself to be summoned by him.
As a result, Yakushi Kabuto suffered unprecedented chakra consumption.
Not dying on the spot was probably due to Yakushi Kabuto’s good fortune.
The White Snake Sage did not leave immediately but waited a long time until Yakushi Kabuto groggily woke up.
When Yakushi Kabuto opened his eyes, it was already dark.
He felt completely limp and powerless, every inch of his nerves as if being gnawed by ten thousand ants, with a faint stinging pain that made Yakushi Kabuto involuntarily gasp.
Realizing he was lying on the ground, he tried to push himself up with his hands, but halfway through, his arms gave out.
His face slammed heavily onto the ground, and blood sprayed from his nose.
In the end, it was the White Snake Sage who used its tail to flip Yakushi Kabuto over.
“Huff… huff…”
Yakushi Kabuto gasped heavily with a deathly pale face, then struggled to turn his head, casting an incredulous gaze on the White Snake Sage. His voice hoarse and weak, he asked, “You are… the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave? I… why am I qualified to summon you?”
Hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in the White Snake Sage’s eyes.
Then it spoke earth-shatteringly: “Because in Ryuchi Cave, all other beings willing to respond to you… are already dead. They perished in a sea of lava some time ago.”
“The ones remaining are some milder snake species. And they are unwilling to cause trouble, let alone respond to anyone’s summoning, for fear of suffering the same fate at that human’s hands.”
The massive amount of information in those few short sentences made Yakushi Kabuto’s pupils contract sharply.
It seemed his initial guess had been correct once again…
And the situation appeared even more serious than he had guessed! The snake sages of the entire Ryuchi Cave were probably on the verge of extinction now.
The one who caused this tragedy was none other than Uchiha Ikeizumi, who had chased Lord Orochimaru all the way to Ryuchi Cave!
Was that Uchiha ninja really that strong?
“Could it be… even you, White Snake Sage…” Yakushi Kabuto could hardly imagine the level of power involved.
“I cannot kill him.” The White Snake Sage pulled out a pipe from somewhere and coiled its tail around it, placing it in its snake mouth.
The White Snake Sage’s tone also cooled slightly: “That human’s power has nearly reached the level of the First Konoha Hokage.”
He wasn’t sure if it was Yakushi Kabuto’s imagination.
But that sentence from the White Snake Sage sounded like it was spoken through gritted teeth in Yakushi Kabuto’s ears.
“Then… White Snake Sage, did you respond to my summoning because you want me to do something for you?”
Yakushi Kabuto couldn’t help but ask again.
The White Snake Sage stared at the disheveled, weak Yakushi Kabuto who couldn’t even stand. It slowly said, “I see unprecedented potential in you, and I hear voices from the future in you.”
“And the special qualities you possess are no less than any human in the ninja world. Little one, I will give you the power to rival Uchiha Ikeizumi.”
Yakushi Kabuto: “!!!”
Why did he feel like the White Snake Sage wanted to train him into a tool for hunting Uchiha Ikeizumi?
Anyway, since it wasn’t the White Snake Sage doing it personally, it wouldn’t lose out no matter what, right?
Lord Orochimaru was right after all—be wary of the snake sages in Ryuchi Cave.
Not a single one of these snake sages is harmless!
But…
Looking at the White Snake Sage before him, Yakushi Kabuto also realized that he currently had no right to refuse!
……
Sarutobi Hiruzen stayed in the Hokage’s Office Building tonight instead of going home.
He found that fewer and fewer people in the village were still willing to support him. Even Homura Mitokado was showing an ambiguous attitude on this matter, and that guy Homura had even met with Tsunade.
If Homura Mitokado sided with Tsunade as a Konoha senior advisor, he probably wouldn’t have much chance of winning.
If Tsunade, who believed in absolute justice, became the Fifth Konoha Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn’t dare imagine what Konoha would turn into by then.
It would probably become a ninja village ruled by one person alone, with no fairness or justice, and certainly no human rights or equality!
The First Hokage founded Konoha Village with the Will of Fire.
Less than a century since Konoha’s founding, if the Will of Fire were replaced by absolute justice…
All the ninja villages in the entire ninja world would laugh at Konoha!
This was the situation Sarutobi Hiruzen could least accept.
In the end…
It was because Tsunade had chosen the wrong side in his eyes. If Tsunade still believed in the Will of Fire and wanted to become the Fifth Hokage, he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, could simply step down and yield the position.
“Huff…”
“The key is that Koharu hasn’t returned yet, and I don’t know what she’s doing or what method she plans to use against Ikeizumi.”
Usually, Sarutobi Hiruzen always felt that Koharu Utatane’s abilities were inadequate. Handing Root over to her, yet she couldn’t manage it.
Now he realized that Koharu Utatane might be the only person he could trust right now.
Because Koharu Utatane was 100% on his side.
Some time ago, when Koharu kept clashing with Uchiha Ikeizumi, he hadn’t stood by her side, leading to her repeated setbacks, even ending up in prison… Thinking of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly felt guilty toward Koharu Utatane.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also realized that sometimes loyalty is more reliable than ability.
At least loyal people wouldn’t stab him in the back like Tsunade or Homura Mitokado might when he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was down—ruthlessly, without mercy.
After much thought.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt he couldn’t just sit idly by.
Even someone as free-spirited and careless as Tsunade now showed such initiative.
If he sat idly by, the few remaining supporters would truly be thoroughly disappointed.
“Someone!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen called over several Anbu ninjas. Just as he was about to give some orders, one Anbu ninja suddenly interrupted what the Hokage wanted to say.
The Anbu ninja said in a low voice: “Hokage, our Anbu squad’s shift has ended. If the Hokage has orders, please give them tomorrow during the day. It’s time for us to go back at this hour.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “???”
For a moment, he was almost stupefied.
The next second, he realized—most Anbu ninjas didn’t work twenty-four hours a day; after all, ninjas were human. Even puppet mechanisms needed downtime for maintenance to continue functioning after prolonged use.
Normally, Sarutobi Hiruzen would habitually make the Anbu ninjas work overtime.
Having Anbu ninjas work nonstop for days on missions was something he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had done.
The Anbu ninjas had once done so without complaint because they were utterly loyal to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And held absolute respect for him.
But now…
Times had changed.
Looking at the Anbu ninjas before him, Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth as if to say some reprimanding words. But the words stuck in his throat, and he could only wave his hand helplessly, signaling that the Anbu ninjas could leave.
Soon, the Hokage’s Office was empty again, leaving only Sarutobi Hiruzen alone.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat limply in the chair, his body sinking deeply into the backrest.
“Sigh…”
A sigh echoed.
He didn’t call in other Anbu ninjas still willing to serve him loyally.
Now it wasn’t just the Anbu ninjas who were disappointed in him; Sarutobi Hiruzen was also deeply disappointed in the Anbu’s loyalty and had even begun to distrust the Anbu ninjas.
If they didn’t fully obey his orders as Hokage, then if one day the Hokage was attacked by an enemy village…
Would the Anbu ninjas risk their lives to save him?
Sarutobi Hiruzen was highly doubtful.
……
The next day.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen woke up, the first shocking news he received was that Uchiha Ikeizumi had left the village!
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s brows furrowed tightly.
“What’s going on…”
In his view, since Uchiha Ikeizumi had decided to support Tsunade and replace him as the Third Hokage, he would surely make all sorts of moves within Konoha Village, often needing to handle things personally, as it was a contest with a Third Hokage who had served for many years.
He definitely had to take it seriously!
And yet…
At this peculiar juncture, Uchiha Ikeizumi had vanished, directly leaving Konoha.
Fleeing?
Impossible—Uchiha Ikeizumi absolutely wasn’t the type to choose flight; that wasn’t his personality.
“The only explanation is that the so-called Hokage position isn’t worth his attention at all in Ikeizumi’s eyes. Handing all of Konoha’s affairs to Tsunade means that in his view, Tsunade alone can oust this old man.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s expression became extremely colorful as he racked his brains thinking how to contend with the powerfully strong Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Yet the other party didn’t even take him, the Third Hokage, seriously.
This gave Sarutobi Hiruzen an inexplicable sense of humiliation from being belittled.
He took a deep breath and calmed down after several seconds. Only then did Sarutobi Hiruzen recover.
He lifted his eyelids and looked at Kakashi who had delivered the message, asking Kakashi, “Do you know where Ikeizumi went?”
Every time Uchiha Ikeizumi left the village, he caused earth-shattering events outside.
Either killing many nobles of the Land of Fire.
Or directly killing the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
He was a bit worried that Uchiha Ikeizumi’s departure this time would stir up something that would give him a heart attack. He was already old and couldn’t handle that kind of shock.
Another shock like that… he might really lose a decade or two of life.
Kakashi lowered his head and replied, “The confirmed information so far is—Uchiha Ikeizumi left the village with Juzo Biwa, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Uchiha Izumi from the Police Force, and the ninja cat Kijiro. The direction they headed seems to be toward the Land of Water.”
“Juzo Biwa?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned: “That Hidden Mist rogue ninja and envoy of the Land of Rain? Didn’t he leave Konoha long ago?”
Kakashi shook his head and said, “We haven’t found out yet why he’s in Konoha. But we’ve confirmed that Juzo Biwa has joined Konoha’s Police Force.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “???”
Wait a minute…
Sarutobi Hiruzen almost couldn’t process it.
Doesn’t this mean Juzo Biwa betrayed Hidden Mist Village, then betrayed Village of Rain, and finally made Konoha Village his refuge?
But the problem was, how did he, the Hokage, not know that such an excellent ninja had joined Konoha Village?
Could it be that Ikeizumi let him in on his own?
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face darkened.
“What are they going to the Land of Water for?” Sarutobi Hiruzen didn’t believe Uchiha Ikeizumi would defect—that man would probably kill him, the Third Hokage, before defecting from Konoha.
Kakashi shook his head: “Unclear.”
……
Meanwhile.
A merchant ship had already sailed far from one of Konoha’s seaports. Juzo Biwa stared at the sea ahead, its surface reflecting sunlight in rippling scales, and the unease and worry in his heart intensified.
He glanced imperceptibly at Uchiha Ikeizumi not far beside him.
Just as he hesitated to speak.
A strangely toned voice came from behind Juzo Biwa: “Relax, meow! Lord Ikeizumi isn’t some murderous demon. As long as your Hidden Mist Village can still be saved, even if there’s only a sliver of hope, Lord Ikeizumi won’t exterminate them all.”
Juzo Biwa turned around to look.
Nothing there.
“Look below, meow!”
He shifted his gaze downward and saw that the speaker was a very fat ninja cat.
Juzo Biwa remembered this orange ninja cat. Back then, this cat had fought the weird whirlpool-faced creature from Akatsuki—not quite evenly matched, but at least it had stalled that whirlpool-faced creature.
Hmm.
A very formidable one.
“I’m not worried.” Juzo Biwa naturally couldn’t admit what he was thinking, or he’d reveal his weak side and be completely at Uchiha Ikeizumi’s mercy.
Looking at this stubborn one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kijiro rolled its eyes.
It said bluntly: “Meow, I suggest you stay vigilant. Don’t get assassinated before reaching the Land of Water, before you can even guide Lord Ikeizumi to Hidden Mist Village.”
Juzo Biwa frowned—how was this cat cursing him?
Kijiro slowly said: “Haven’t you noticed you’ve already been targeted by Hidden Mist Village spies hidden on the merchant ship? Staying by Lord Ikeizumi’s side, his overwhelming strength has made you too complacent, lowering your vigilance?”
Juzo Biwa: “!!!”
……
……
