Chapter 201: Konoha Won’t Buy Mount Myōboku’s Ways
Meanwhile.
Tsunade, who was sleeping soundly in the inn to replenish her energy, was woken up by a strange creature “gurgling.”
She pried open her eyelids and saw a Slug Sage Clone diligently gurgling on her arm.
“Katsuyu?”
Tsunade immediately sobered up and couldn’t help but be stunned.
Seeing Tsunade awake, the Slug Sage Clone slowly let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly said: “Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya has started harassing Uzumaki Naruto again. This time he seems to really want to just tie Uzumaki Naruto up and take him away. Now there are over a hundred thousand clones surrounding him, and he doesn’t dare to act rashly for the time being.”
Hiss!
Ten… over a hundred thousand clones… Even if she used all her strength to summon, she couldn’t summon that many!
How could there be so many Slug Sage Clones in Konoha?
Could it be that she and Uchiha Ikeizumi had made some secret plan?
These over a hundred thousand clones probably weren’t just a portion lurking in Konoha Village, were they?
Tsunade was dumbfounded for a second, then she restrained her curiosity, and her pretty face immediately turned serious.
“Jiraiya is truly incorrigible!” Tsunade was full of disappointment and shook her head: “He’s completely been fooled lame by that group of toads; whatever that group of toads says, he believes it…”
“Shizune!!!”
Tsunade directly shouted awake Shizune, who was dozing off nearby, startling Shizune into quickly opening her eyes. After shaking off her sleepiness, she immediately stood up.
Tsunade put on her clothes and said to Shizune: “Bring all the ninja tools and come with me to meet that idiot!”
Shizune was bewildered: “Huh? Idiot? Who’s that?”
Tsunade finished putting on her clothes, yanked open the door, and said without looking back: “Jiraiya!”
Shizune was immediately startled.
Lady Tsunade’s demeanor didn’t seem like she was going to catch up with Lord Jiraiya; it looked more like she was going to fight.
She realized the seriousness of the situation.
She hurriedly grabbed several ninja tool bags and panickedly followed behind Tsunade.
“Since those toads are so persistent, then drive them out of Konoha!” Tsunade said coldly with a stern pretty face, rushing toward a direction under the guidance of the Slug Sage Clone.
“Konoha is the Konoha of Konoha Village’s people, not Mount Myōboku’s Konoha! If that group of toads keeps extending their claws… then chop off their claws!”
Since she had decided to become the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade naturally couldn’t let that group of toads run wild in Konoha.
After all, she had long disliked that group of toads—a group of toads that had lived for so many years, not staying obediently in Mount Myōboku to cultivate, but causing trouble in the Ninja World all day.
Those who didn’t know might think the entire Ninja World was under Mount Myōboku’s control!
“Lady Tsunade, wait for me…”
Shizune panted as she caught up.
……
“Hey, Ghost Man, there’s already news of Rogue Ninja Juzo Biwa’s whereabouts. That guy actually dared to set foot on the Land of Water’s soil after defecting. Heh…”
Inside Hidden Mist Village, a fully armed Kirigakure Anbu Ninja said to “Hidden Mist Ghost Man Momochi Zabuza,” who had just put on his Anbu mask: “I heard… you’re very interested in that guy Juzo Biwa’s Executioner’s Blade.”
“Now, Mizukage has decided to lead Anbu personally to hunt down Rogue Ninja Juzo Biwa. If you’re sincerely willing to pledge loyalty to me, maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll let you have the Executioner’s Blade.”
A dangerous, cruel glint flashed in Momochi Zabuza’s eyes under the mask. He slowly, coldly raised his head and glanced at the other.
At some point, Momochi Zabuza’s ninja sword at his waist had been drawn halfway.
His entire body emanated a chilling killing intent.
Even though Momochi Zabuza hadn’t said a word, this action alone made the speaking Kirigakure Anbu Ninja’s expression change instantly, and he subtly retreated a step.
“Hey, Ghost Man, don’t mess around!” Nearby, another Anbu Ninja immediately stepped in to stop the conflict between the two: “If we haven’t captured Juzo Biwa yet and lose someone to infighting, it’ll be laughed at by other ninja villages if word gets out!”
Momochi Zabuza said coldly: “Isn’t Hidden Mist Village famous for infighting? This kind of trash who only knows how to yap will just drag me down during missions.”
The Anbu Ninja mocked by Momochi Zabuza was instantly enraged too.
“Bastard… Don’t think that just because you’re called Ghost Man, you’re superior! In terms of seniority, you’re my junior! How do you talk to your senior!” The other also placed his hand on his ninja sword, ready to clash with Momochi Zabuza at any moment.
“Stop!”
Only when a relatively young-sounding voice suddenly rang out did all the restless Kirigakure Anbu Ninjas stop.
Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, holding a black hooked staff, walked over slowly.
This Fourth Mizukage was a focal point in any crowd.
Because of his height of only one meter forty-three and his childlike face that resembled a minor too closely, he stood out awkwardly in the Hidden Blood Mist Village.
If someone had awakened some fetish for dark-skinned Raikage types regardless of gender.
Yagura Karatachi was the type that would be picked up.
“Mizukage!”
The group of Kirigakure Anbu Ninjas immediately stopped their agitation, bowed their heads one after another, and welcomed the Fourth Mizukage’s arrival.
Even someone with Momochi Zabuza’s unruly temperament.
Also frowned and sheathed his ninja sword.
His malicious gaze lingered on Yagura Karatachi for a moment.
Then he withdrew his gaze.
“The rogue ninja hasn’t been captured yet, and you’re infighting here?” Yagura Karatachi glanced at Momochi Zabuza: “Zabuza, I don’t want to see this happen again, especially during the mission to hunt Rogue Ninja Juzo Biwa!”
Momochi Zabuza slightly lowered his head and perfunctorily replied unwillingly: “…Yes.”
Yagura Karatachi glanced again at the assembled Kirigakure Anbu Ninjas.
The current Kirigakure Anbu numbered over thirty people.
In the past, there would definitely have been more than this, but in recent years, even many Kirigakure Anbu Ninjas had chosen to defect.
These thirty-plus were now Hidden Mist Village’s most elite Anbu.
Every one could be called a Hidden Mist killer demon!
In the Ninja Wars, they were all meat grinders on the battlefield, the nightmares enemies feared most in their hearts.
“Move out!”
Yagura Karatachi ordered expressionlessly.
“Yes!!!”
……
At the same time.
In the distance.
“Mizukage and Anbu have already set off…” Watching the distant figures vanish instantly, Mei Terumī withdrew her gaze, rubbed her brow, and murmured: “It’s just dealing with one defector from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Is it necessary to send out all the Anbu elites? Is it necessary for Mizukage to personally lead?”
Nearby.
Ao, called the “Byakugan Killer,” interjected: “Don’t you think Mizukage has been very strange these years? His style of action is completely different from back then… Although sometimes it still feels familiar, other times it feels very unfamiliar, like he’s been completely replaced.”
Mei Terumī turned to look at Ao and frowned: “Don’t you have the Byakugan? If it were you, just using the Byakugan to look at Mizukage should reveal anything off, right?”
Ao shook his head helplessly: “Mizukage always has Kirigakure Anbu protecting him. If I rashly remove my eyepatch and use the Byakugan in front of Mizukage…”
“Those killing-intent-filled Kirigakure Anbu probably wouldn’t even give me a chance to explain before tearing me to shreds. Unless I can find a suitable opportunity.”
Mei Terumī nodded in realization.
Then, she said with some worry: “I don’t know why, but after Mizukage left, I suddenly have a bad premonition; my eyelid keeps twitching.”
Ao thought for a moment and said seriously: “Eyelid twitching is usually eye fatigue; your eyes need a good rest.”
Mei Terumī sighed: “I keep wondering how you found a partner and got married. This is clearly a woman’s sixth sense!”
Ao’s face was expressionless at the moment, but his eyes showed he completely didn’t understand.
Mei Terumī didn’t bother continuing with him.
She said: “I’m going to follow and see what’s going on. If you want to come, you can follow too.”
Ao was stunned.
Before he could react, Mei Terumī leaped down directly and vanished in no time.
Ao’s mouth twitched: “This woman is really decisive.”
……
“Land of Water…”
Koharu Utatane, who had just gotten off the ship, coldly eyed this lifeless country.
Her eyes held deep wariness: “Akatsuki’s power far exceeds my imagination. I didn’t expect them to have a relationship akin to an alliance with Hidden Mist Village. Konoha Root openly stepping onto the Land of Water’s territory without any reaction from Hidden Mist Village is enough to show the closeness between Akatsuki and Hidden Mist Village.”
Koharu Utatane suspected Hidden Mist Village was actually Akatsuki’s backer.
Or rather, Akatsuki was Hidden Mist Village’s black glove, with Hidden Mist Village constantly stirring conflicts between small countries through Akatsuki.
Then intervening in those small countries’ wars to reap benefits.
Otherwise, it was hard to explain why Hidden Mist Village was so cooperative with Akatsuki.
It also couldn’t explain why one of the five great ninja villages would secretly ally with a small Akatsuki organization.
This didn’t make sense at all!
“Elder Koharu, since we hired Akatsuki, shouldn’t they handle it? Why are we getting involved too?” A Root Ninja asked puzzledly.
If it were a Root Ninja under Danzo’s control, he obviously wouldn’t ask Danzo such a question.
But the Root Ninjas under Koharu Utatane hadn’t been branded with the Tongue Root Seal.
Moreover, most of Root’s veteran ninjas were dead; the rest were newly recruited by Koharu Utatane.
Their professionalism being inferior to the old Root was understandable.
Koharu Utatane said slowly: “Even a lion uses full strength against a rabbit, let alone when that lion is Uchiha Ikeizumi. To kill a lion, you need 200% effort. Only then can you bring the opponent down.”
“Absolutely no opportunities can be left for the opponent!”
……
Konoha.
Wherever Jiraiya looked, Slug Sage Clones of various sizes appeared in his field of vision one after another. His face had become extremely grave.
Cold sweat slowly dripped from his forehead.
The Slug Sage blocking him from contacting the Child of Prophecy was truly beyond Jiraiya’s expectations, outside his intelligence scope.
Catching Jiraiya off guard.
No time to prepare in advance.
“What to do?” At this moment, Jiraiya couldn’t help seeking Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima’s opinions.
Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima’s expressions weren’t much more relaxed than Jiraiya’s.
After all, they were facing the Slug Sage, who stood on the same level as the Great Toad Sage.
Though they two were also called Mount Myōboku Sages.
But compared to the Great Toad Sage, they were far inferior.
“We can’t give up on the Child of Prophecy. If the Ninja World has no savior, the future Ninja World will fall into chaos. Is that the Ninja World you want to see, little Jiraiya?”
Suddenly, Sage Shima’s murmur made Jiraiya fall silent.
But at that moment.
Jiraiya seemed to sense something and looked upward thoughtfully. Just this glance made Jiraiya’s pupils contract sharply—because he saw a familiar figure plummeting rapidly from above, accompanied by a strong sense of heart palpitation!
“Wait!”
Jiraiya’s expression changed drastically as he hurriedly shouted while rapidly retreating backward.
The next second.
The graceful figure descending from the sky crashed down like a meteor, causing the ground underfoot to tremble and shake instantly. The shockwave spread outward in cracking circles. Invisible gales whipped wildly in all directions, sending debris flying.
Amid the swirling invisible airflow, Tsunade slowly straightened up expressionlessly from the shattered ground, her pale golden hair strands and draped clothes dancing in the gale.
Bang!!!
A massive cloud of white smoke also erupted from behind Tsunade.
The ground underfoot trembled violently again, jolting Jiraiya so much that he involuntarily jumped up.
When his wooden clogs landed back on the ground, Jiraiya looked ahead in shock.
A gigantic Slug Sage Clone appeared behind Tsunade!
The enormous Slug Sage Clone was larger than any building in Konoha Village, standing out strikingly within it.
Immediately after, a disheveled figure hurriedly ran over.
Shizune, hugging several ninja tool bags, panted as she ran to Tsunade’s side.
Tsunade expressionlessly pulled out two special bandages from the ninja tool bag.
She slowly wrapped the bandages around her hands.
“Jiraiya, if I see you messing around in the village again with these two toads who can’t spit out a few truthful words, don’t blame me for not considering our old friendship. Don’t think you can mess with the village’s kids under the excuse of some so-called Child of Prophecy! I don’t buy Mount Myōboku’s nonsense either!”
Tsunade’s tone had become utterly cold.
……
……
