Escape From Konoha

The funeral is scheduled for mid-late July.

Many people came to worship. In the attack, not only the two consultants who had devoted most of their lives to Konoha Village died, but also hundreds of Konoha ninjas died.

The mausoleum park, which originally had many graves, has once again added hundreds of new graves. At a glance, it seems that there is no end in sight, thus giving this originally secluded place an atmosphere of tranquility and sadness.

The living wore dark clothes and held bouquets of flowers to bid farewell to the deceased.

Standing in the crowd, Naruto could vaguely hear someone cursing someone.

When the living bid farewell to the deceased, it is more than just a simple memorial service. The sadness will also be accompanied by hatred as their loved ones are killed.

All their words, their eyes, and the aura that enveloped their bodies were filled with a strong hatred that wanted to eat people.

And with such hatred, even the children who followed the adults were exaggerated by this emotion. They stared at the graves of their loved ones in front of them, gnashing their teeth. The innocence in their bright pupils was no longer there, but filled with a frightening light. Like an enraged cub.

Whether one is the avenger or the one being avenged, the pain of having a loved one killed is the same.

This seems to be an inescapable cycle.

Naruto hesitated several times, but finally forced himself to calm down.

At this time, he thought of Sasuke again.

A terrifying gesture of doing whatever it takes to achieve revenge. The people of Konoha were also infected by the same thing.

This kind of hatred is still chaining, and as the number of victims increases, the hatred will become more profound and unforgettable.

——There is no need to dwell on these things, Naruto.

Minato, who could feel Naruto's emotions, naturally knew why Naruto was distressed.

——Dad, is there really no way to resolve hatred?

Minato's comfort did not make Naruto feel better, but made him feel more complicated.

——Hatred is only a part of strife. If human strife does not stop, then hatred will continue to breed. As human beings, we are very small and powerless in the face of many things. The only way to resolve the hatred of the villagers is to let Sasuke die. vice versa.

Minato's voice was extremely firm and cruel.

Having experienced the Great Ninja War, he has long understood that the best way to respect your enemy is to let him die.

The name Yellow Flash is also a title obtained by walking on a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

While enjoying the honor, you must also be prepared to be hated by countless people.

——Naruto, you are a Konoha ninja, and you must destroy all enemies that are enemies of the village for the sake of Konoha. Mercy and mercy are things that only the victors are entitled to. In the world of ninjas, the "compassion" that is generally accepted by people is the ninjutsu and fists of ninjas.

From Minato's point of view, there is no need for any hesitation when it comes to the choice between one's own death or the death of the enemy. The only option available is to kill the enemy.

But he could also understand Naruto's hesitation and intolerance.

On the battlefields of the past Ninja World War, there were many novice ninjas with Naruto's innocent mentality and good intentions. Therefore, when they set foot on the battlefield, they were often the first to die.

Is it sad? It can only be said that it is unfortunate to live in such a war-torn era.

Born in a time like this, mercy and mercy are also a sin.

And such sins are closely related to one's own weakness, so that any excess weakness will attract malicious peeps.

Naruto looked at the tombstones in front of him. The depression in his heart made it almost impossible for him to breathe smoothly.

Therefore, in the crowd, he is also a silent one.

——Listen up, Naruto, whether it’s Sasuke or these villagers, you don’t need to have any burden or guilt. Even if failure is an inevitable result, you have tried your best. Next time, fight with the determination to kill Sasuke.

Naruto, who wants to take care of both Konoha and his friends, may not get a good result in the end.

Compared with preaching in words, personal experience in action can make a person clearly understand the contradictions and complexities of this era.

This is by no means as difficult as words can describe.

Naruto didn't speak, he just looked at the countless tombstones. There was an atmosphere of silence surrounding his whole body, separating himself from the people around him.

Minato was not in a hurry. Changing a person's inherent concepts was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

What's more, this is a confrontation with a friend from the past. For any ninja, it is a painful choice that is difficult to make up his mind.

But only by choosing to continue can the road ahead continue, otherwise it can only stop here.

Choosing what to pick up and what to give up are all options that a ninja must experience as he grows up.

If you want to pick it all up and don't learn to give up, sooner or later you will be overwhelmed by the too heavy burden.

The child named Shikamaru made his choice very simply. With a little training, he will become an outstanding jounin like Shikaku in the future. Minato suddenly remembered the same student as Naruto - Nara Shikamaru.

Although strength is a key factor in evaluating whether a ninja is excellent or not, ideological growth is also an indispensable and important part.

With the former, one can only become a general who charges on the battlefield, but cannot be the controller of the overall situation. Only by doing both can you get the ticket to the door of Hokage.

In terms of strength, Naruto has undoubtedly reached this level. But an overly naive personality, if not corrected properly, is likely to be taken advantage of at critical moments.

Then, a figure of a man in a fog suddenly appeared in Minato's mind.

…

The crowd gradually dispersed, which relieved the sad atmosphere a lot. It was not as oppressive as before, making people dare not breathe loudly.

The weather at this time was neither sunny nor gloomy, just rather muggy.

In front of the two consultants' tombs, only a few people remained here without leaving.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shikaku, and Danzo were specially allowed to come out of prison and attend the funeral of their old friend.

Compared to the other three, Danzo's eyes seemed to have lost all emotion regarding his two dead old friends. He could not feel sadness, joy, or other emotions, and there was just nothingness in them.

From the beginning to the end, he never set his eyes on the tombstones of his two old friends.

To him, this so-called funeral seemed to be just a very ordinary outing outside prison.

His purpose was never to mourn the death of his two old friends... After all, the dead have no need to remember their roots.

"The funeral is over, now it's my turn to take care of things."

Danzo held a cane in his right hand, using it as a foothold to support his body in standing.

His face looked very poor and his breath was very weak, which everyone present could easily see.

Tsunade and Shikaku were also slightly surprised. They and Danzo had only seen each other for a few days, but the other's physical temperament had undergone such a huge change. It seemed that the other's physical condition was worse than they imagined.

Subconsciously, they began to worry about Danzo's physical condition at this time.

If the opponent suddenly makes a mistake, the martial arts faction that starts to lose control will definitely bring huge trouble to Konoha.

Konoha at this time cannot withstand such a big turmoil.

Therefore, they who had hoped for Danzo's downfall the most wanted to support him as much as possible, at least until they had made proper arrangements and made precautionary preparations.

"Then, as promised that day, Shikaku and I will observe to ensure that your methods are legal."

Tsunade's expression also became serious.

To be honest, she didn't want to have anything to do with people like Danzo.

But if the main goal is to stabilize the situation within Konoha, then dealing with the roots is inevitable.

In the short term, it is almost impossible to unravel the roots.

Especially after the Root absorbs a large number of members of the Fighting Faction, the difficulty of disbanding the Root will skyrocket.

"It's already this time. Naturally, I won't play any more tricks. Everything I do now is for the future of Konoha."

Danzo said.

The subtext is that at this point, he no longer needs to fight for the position of Hokage, causing Konoha's power to become fragmented.

However, regarding Danzo's statement, the word 'disbelief' was clearly written on the faces of the three Tsunade men.

But whether they believed it or doubted it, they had to act according to Danzo's will at this time.

"I'll forget it here. I just need you two to witness it. If I want to go out and get some information, I'll leave it to you about things in the village."

Jiraiya smiled very simply, not wanting to get involved in Danzo's affairs.

So, after saying these words, Jiraiya used the instant body technique to disappear from the place.

"He is still so impetuous in his work. Although he is very good as an intelligence officer, neither the Kingdom of Demons nor that organization are simple things. Godaiime, if you let him go out, he'd better be careful, don't hit the enemy. trap, especially at such a critical moment."

Danzo looked in the direction where Jiraiya was leaving and reminded him.

Not sure if this was Danzo's goodwill or ulterior motives, Tsunade just nodded.

"Don't worry, I will tell him."

Danzo stopped talking, turned and walked towards the outside of the mausoleum park, followed immediately by Tsunade and Shikaku.

◎

"Please come in."

Hearing the knock on the door, Shikamaru, who was wearing a hospital gown and standing by the window of the single room, turned slightly and shouted towards the door.

The door handle turned, and an old man with a gloomy and unsmiling face walked in from the door. It was Danzo who came from the direction of the mausoleum park.

Shikamaru seemed to be very surprised by Danzo's arrival, and the originally dull expression on his face immediately showed obvious fluctuations.

He thought that he was blocked by his father and the Hokage that day, and that the other party would no longer contact him... But at this time, the other party came again, and Shikamaru smelled an unusual smell.

However, he has made up his mind that no matter what words Danzo uses to provoke him next, he will not pay attention to it, and he will never have anything to do with the root organization.

Although he used the power of the roots to kill Sasuke, the essence was cooperation sought by both parties. After cooperation, the contact was naturally interrupted without any involvement.

As for joining the roots, to be honest, he never had such a dangerous and stupid idea from the beginning.

Just using the curse seal to control the ninjas in his village, treating the ninjas as pure tools and killing machines, and erasing their personalities. With these actions, he could not agree with the root concept and believed that such actions were too cruel and cold-blooded.

Danzo, who caused all this, naturally became the dark existence in Konoha that he least wanted to come into contact with.

"Nara Shikamaru, I'm here to invite you into my roots."

Without hiding his intention, Danzo directly extended the invitation.

Shikamaru's answer was even more straightforward. The moment Danzo finished speaking, he had already given his own response:

"I'm sorry, Elder Danzo. I don't think I'm capable enough to abandon everything in my past and devote myself to the great cause of contributing to the village like those seniors. Therefore, you should ask someone else to help you with the matter of entering the root."

His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, his dark pupils connected with Danzo's eyes, and his expression was calm.

After all, this was the Hokage's territory for the time being, and he didn't think Danzo would take direct action here.

As if he had already expected such an answer from Shikamaru, Danzo's expression remained unchanged and he asked: "I have a question for you. Do you think that with Naruto Uzumaki's potential, you have the ability to become the backbone of the village?"

"certainly."

Shikamaru answered without any hesitation.

He never doubted Naruto's potential.

Maybe the other party's thoughts at this time are still very naive, but after this incident, the other party will recognize some reality and abandon some unrealistic fantasies. As long as this trend continues, Shikamaru has no doubt that Naruto will become the pillar of Konoha.

"So, do you want to go a step further and help him better as a friend or colleague, and do your due diligence for the future of this village?"

Danzo's words seemed a bit baffling to Shikamaru, so he asked with a puzzled look on his face:

"What's the meaning?"

These words sounded like an invitation, but they seemed to have other intentions in them.

However, Danzo's completely stiff and gloomy face made it impossible for him to see clearly what Danzo was thinking.

"I have less than half a year left in my life, and I will come to an end. The Roots is in urgent need of a next leader to continue leading the Roots forward, and you are the person I have chosen."

As soon as Danzo said this, Shikamaru's face was completely dull.

"After I die, the Roots will act around your will. You can change the rules of operation of the Roots according to your own wishes, and you can even merge them into the Anbu of Hokage. At the same time, the martial arts faction that has attached itself will With your adjustment, it can also be subtly transformed into the power of the Hokage's rule, becoming a powerful assist for you to help Uzumaki Naruto."

Shikamaru's face was further dull. The conditions given by Danzo were so shocking that Shikamaru was immersed in shock and could not recover for a long time.

Danzo picked up his crutches, turned around, and walked towards the door of the ward.

When he walked out of the door, Danzo stopped, and the crutch he was leaning on quietly touched the ground, making a crisp sound on the floor.

"That's all I've said. It's up to you to decide what to do next. In addition, this decision must be made within a week. Once this period is exceeded, I will treat you as a waiver."

After that, Danzo walked out of the door and disappeared at the door in an instant.

…

Outside the ward, Tsunade and Shikaku, who had heard the whole process in the ward, were full of contemplation and doubt.

"Shikaku, how true do you think what Danzo said just now is?"

Whether it is to merge the roots into the Anbu or to hand over the power of the martial arts faction to others, it does not look like the behavior of the roots.

After all, it was Danzo, and Tsunade did not dare to have absolute trust in such a ninja.

Shikaku groped his chin and answered:

"Although judging from a conventional point of view, these words of Elder Danzo are not worthy of belief. However, the weakness shown by the other party is not a pretense, and the lack of successors at the root is indeed a big hidden danger. I think this is what Elder Danzo originally wanted to express."

Although this is far from being a "good word when a man is about to die", if Danzo really intends to delegate power, then their process of concentrating the power within Konoha will undoubtedly be much smoother.

In this way, before the Kingdom of Demons attacks Konoha next time, the forces can be integrated and they can counterattack normally instead of holding each other back, leaving no room for them to even fight back against the Kingdom of Demons.

"Is that so? But I always feel that Danzo is secretly planning something else behind our backs."

Tsunade frowned. After Shikaku's relief, her mood did not completely let go, but continued to tighten.

"You may have become nervous recently. In any case, it is also a good thing to be able to quickly integrate internal forces."

Shikaku said.

Of course, the premise is that Shikamaru allows Danzo to enter the root.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to talk about unifying the roots and the martial arts faction.

Hearing this, Tsunade nodded slightly. No matter what Danzo planned, the first priority was to integrate the forces within Konoha.

◎

The first thing I did when I returned to the Kingdom of Ghosts was to go to the office where my father Shiraishi was, and make the necessary mission report on my visit to the Daming Mansion of the Kingdom of Fire.

However, this so-called visit to the Fire Country Daimyo Prefecture was originally intended to divert part of Konoha's strength, and the bait was deliberately thrown out to make Konoha bite the hook. The original intention was not to truly achieve any cooperation with the Fire Country Daimyo Prefecture.

Therefore, the summary of the task content is very concise and clear.

Judging from the results, the envoys headed by Ichihime did successfully divert a considerable part of Konoha's power and restrained them in the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Fire, which provided an opportunity for Uchiha Sasuke to launch a surprise attack on Konoha. platform.

"Thank you for your hard work. For the next period of time, you will stay in the Kingdom of Ghosts temporarily and there is no need to run around outside again."

Shiraishi read the mission report document made by Yi Ji, put it aside casually, and said slowly to Yi Ji.

"In other words, there is no need to keep an eye on Konoha?"

Yiji raised an eyebrow.

"Of course you need to keep an eye on it, but there is no need to focus all your attention on Konoha. Since Akatsuki kidnapped the first one half a year ago, the tailed beast operation has not officially started, which makes me a little concerned. Although according to the line People report, because the internal strength is empty, so the actions will be low-key...but the preparation time this time is too long."

Shiraishi took a deep breath, with a heavy tone, as if he was squeezing the words out of his abdomen.

Compared to villages under the rule of big powers like Konoha, the pressure Akatsuki brought to him was equally considerable.

Although the Kingdom of Ghosts is obviously the most powerful, it cannot be taken too lightly.

"so……"

Hearing this, Yiji seemed to understand what Shiraishi meant, and her dark eyes narrowed.

"So, if Akatsuki wants to target the tailed beasts next, he will most likely use the trend of thunder to sweep away the caves and eat all the remaining Chuuriki in one go."

Shiraishi took the pen and tapped the table gently, making this assumption.

Such an assumption is bold, but not impossible.

Similar deployment arrangements have been made by Shiraishi before.

That is to stay hidden, attack at the most appropriate time, reverse all the unfavorable situations in front of you, and achieve the strategic goals you have set.

This is how Akatsuki feels to him now. Pull back all the minions and compress the outward momentum, but this is not fear, but there is no need to continue meaningless fighting and sacrifice.

Once the timing is determined, the current balance will be completely broken.

"Take away all the remaining Jinchuuriki in one go. With Akatsuki's remaining strength, can this really be accomplished?"

Yiji's brows relaxed slightly.

To deal with the remaining Jinchuuriki at once, that is to say, to attack Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha at the same time. With the troops divided into three groups, it would be very difficult even for the Kingdom of Demons to accomplish such a feat.

If it was Akatsuki in its heyday, it would be possible to accomplish this, but Akatsuki, which had lost more than half of its members at this time, expressed doubts about this.

"Who knows about this kind of thing? In short, I will keep an eye on Xiao. As for you, you should find a way to use this period of time to improve your strength as much as possible."

Shiraishi said this.

He, Liuli, and Ayane have basically reached the peak of their strength in life. If they want to continue to grow, they will have to work hard for a long time. If they want to achieve results in a short time, it will be difficult to break through the existing strength through exercise alone. limit.

As for Kazuhime, she has not yet reached the peak period of ninjas and has huge room for development. The changes in the strength of ninjas at this age can be described as changing with each passing day.

What's more, for a ninja like Ichihime, whose chakra and physical energy are beyond the norm, even if his strength is enough to match or even surpass the current Five Kages, his strength is still growing at a speed that can be described as divine speed.

"Speaking of this, the strength of the members of the Thorns team seems to be a bit weak. Didn't Uchiha Sasuke come over? I think he can be assigned to my team. Old man, what do you think?"

Yi Ji thought of something and suddenly asked Bai Shi.

As the leader of the Thorn Team, although it is a bit difficult to say, in fact, as long as these members are present, her power cannot be fully unleashed. There is always an invisible chain on her body, restricting her performance.

Otherwise, if he explodes his chakra at will, it will accidentally affect the friendly troops and chop them away like enemies.

"I think it's probably impossible. That kid probably wants to lead the team by himself and won't be subordinate to others."

Shiraishi opened the drawer and took out a document.

"This roster records all the jounin information that was just updated this year. You can try to find out if there is a jounin you need."

"Then, I'll leave first."

Kazuhime took this important roster that recorded the information of hundreds of Jonin from the Kingdom of Demons, nodded to Shiraishi, and turned to leave.