Konoha: Start from untying the caged bird

Page 200

The ninjas present were not as warm-hearted as Naruto, but they did not reject Gaara's existence.

Well, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I don't care.

After all, anyone sitting here, except for Hyuga Kaoru, could probably tame Gaara completely.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Hyuga Kaoru quickly led Uchiha Izumi to clean up the mess. Everyone gathered in the living room, watching the evening drama that started promptly at 7:30, enjoying their leisurely time, which felt like a holiday.

"Have you been home to visit recently, Itachi?" Hinata Yuzuru suddenly asked.

Uchiha Itachi, who had been staring blankly out the window with a calm expression, turned his head upon hearing this and remained silent for a moment before replying, "No."

He leaned wearily against the armrest of the sofa, resting his chin on his hand, his face streaked with tears: "I've met Sasuke twice; he recently wanted to join Root."

"According to that kid's chuunibyou theory, you have to stand in the closest place to see the true nature of Itachi and Konoha." Uchiha Shisui complained. Now he was a grown man approaching thirty, and his already slightly precocious face looked quite fitting.

As he spoke, he couldn't help but shake his head and said gently, "Itachi, my aunt often asks me about you."

As the head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Shisui spent most of his time within the clan.

The internal strife of that year has been quelled for a long time. With the growth and expansion of New Konoha and the reforms within the Uchiha clan, the Uchiha clan today is very different from what it used to be.

Most importantly, it was thanks to Uchiha Shisui's leadership—as Hyuga Yuzuru's most steadfast supporter, the Uchiha clan gradually shed its past image under his leadership.

As the number of ninjas increased, the diversity of jobs also increased significantly. The influence of the Uchiha clan in Konoha was also affected to some extent. Shisui was too honest and dutiful, and Itachi was an outsider, so they failed to get a share of the pie when the commercial tide was rising. The Uchiha clan is now in a slight decline.

Fortunately, the Anbu and Root are now led by members of the Uchiha clan, so from now on they are officially rooted in Konoha's Z-Team and no longer need to worry about being excluded from the core power circle like before.

Uchiha Itachi heard Uchiha Shisui's words, but simply nodded sullenly and said softly, "Mm."

His eyes darted around, but a hand suddenly appeared on his shoulder. Hyuga Yuzuru patted his shoulder with a smile: "Do you want me to grant you another vacation so you can take your aunt and Sasuke on a holiday?"

“I can’t get away from the work at Root right now.” Itachi Uchiha hurriedly objected seriously, but what he said was true.

Today, Root has transformed into Konoha's most professional intelligence and reconnaissance organization, covering a wide range of fields and can be considered Konoha's security bureau. Whether it is commercial intelligence, Konoha security, counter-espionage and infiltration, intelligence eavesdropping and counter-eavesdropping, etc., it plays a vital role in Konoha.

The danger of commercialization lies in the fact that the connections between various ninja villages have become extremely close, intelligence agents are exceptionally active, and all sorts of covert crimes are emerging one after another. These are all problems that Root needs to solve. It is conceivable how busy Root is right now.

The most obvious example is that they actually developed the first eavesdropping and surveillance equipment in the ninja world.

It is inevitable that there are independent research laboratories within the root. Nowadays, Konoha's research department has expanded again and again. Even though it has abandoned the development and research of a large number of civilian products and transformed into a more sophisticated research and development field, it is still working around the clock and is in dire need of manpower.

The development of ninja tools, the research on tailed beasts, and now, apart from the 'elixir of immortality' being secretly developed using Danzo Hidan's cells and Hyuga Yuzuru's cells, even the field of medicine has been handed over to the Konoha Medical Department, with Tsunade in charge of leading it.

"Maybe, right now, you're the only one who hasn't let go of everything. Who knows?" Hinata Yuzuru tried to soothe his emotions by saying, "At least, your aunt seems to miss you a lot. Since it's not convenient for her to go back to the clan, she can make a few more phone calls and have a get-together at your house. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Hyuga Yuzuru's words made Itachi fall silent. After a while, he nodded in agreement, stroking his phone in his pocket, and said in a low voice, "Do you think it's a good idea to let Sasuke join Root?"

“I think so.” Hyuga Yuzuru said, patiently explaining, “You should know Sasuke’s personality better than I do. He admires you, but he is just as extreme as you. If he is not allowed to see all of this clearly, he will eventually walk into a dead end on his own.”

Sending him to the root region will make it easier for me to have more contact with him.

After Hyuga Yuzuru finished speaking, the matter was considered closed, but Naruto, standing to the side, shouted, "What about me?"

The ninja teams of today are very different from those of the past. Although the mission requests of the past still exist, under the current control of Konoha, missions such as "sweeping away mountain bandits" and "pursuing rogue ninjas" have basically disappeared.

They were all dealt with by the Konoha Standing Police Force, which now covers the Land of Fire.

Konoha has now completed its legislation, Konoha courts have been established throughout the Land of Fire, and Konoha police stations have sprung up everywhere, extending to towns and villages. Even though there are still occasional casualties, the level of public security in the Land of Fire, or rather, Konoha, has risen by more than one or two levels compared to before.

The missions of Konoha ninjas are mainly for protection or are directly assigned by the administration, focusing on patrol, reconnaissance, and military deterrence.

Requests to find cats or dogs are not something Naruto can handle right now. Kakashi is also lazy, so Team 7 is going on missions less and less. Now that Sasuke wants to join Root and Hinata has found a job she likes, Team 7 is already showing signs of falling apart.

For a ninja squad, being able to branch out and become part of the entire Konoha system is a pretty good outcome.

Naruto has been quite troubled lately about which part he should add – after thinking it over, he realized that he has been training for many years and his fighting ability is now quite outstanding.

After thinking it over, Hyuga Yuzuru glanced at Naruto and suggested, "How about going to school?"

"School?" Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Hmm, with your personality and abilities, I think you'd be great as a teacher," Hinata Yuzuru said with a smile. He added seriously, "How about being a principal's assistant? You'd be teaching some basic courses and mainly learning administrative management from the Third Hokage."

Naruto Uzumaki then understood Yuzuru Hyuga's intention.

The current principal of the Konoha Ninja Academy is still the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. There's no other way; they simply can't find anyone else. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'll have to work until his death before he can even think about retiring.

Fortunately, the workload at the Ninja Academy wasn't too heavy, and the Third Hokage's abilities were more than enough.

"The Ninja Academy..." Naruto hesitated, unsure of what to do. He scratched his head and said honestly, "I'm not very confident."

As someone who was once at the bottom of his class, why become a teacher?

I don't have that ability!

Hyuga Yuzuru smiled and said, "So what do you want to do? The administration department? Be my number three secretary? That's not impossible, but it would be very busy, and I probably wouldn't have time to train properly."

Upon hearing that he wouldn't have time to train properly, Naruto promptly shook his head, chuckling awkwardly, "Then I'll just go to the Ninja Academy."

"Don't worry, I'll just be on temporary assignments. When there are tasks, I'll still have to go out and do them. The main thing is to accumulate some management experience." Hyuga Yuzuru looked at him with a smile and said meaningfully, "If you're going to do it, you have to do it well."

"I understand..." Naruto Uzumaki nervously accepted the arrangement, while Yuzuru Hyuga just smiled at him and said, "Before that, go and complete your final training with Jiraiya. As long as you graduate from Jiraiya's training, you can take a position in another department."

"What is this last training session?" Naruto asked in confusion, while Yuzuru Hyuga flicked a shimmering golden light from his hand onto Naruto's forehead. Naruto looked up and cried out in surprise.

"Sage Mode".

Naruto rubbed his forehead in shock. Although it was just a light, joking push on his forehead, he could clearly feel the power contained in the golden chakra. He stammered, "Is this kind of power something I can learn?"

“Of course.” Hyuga Yuzuru smiled, took out his phone, and simply sent a text message to Jiraiya, asking him to start helping Naruto train in Sage Mode.

Naruto Uzumaki briefly indulged in the wonderful fantasy of becoming invincible after mastering this move, but then snapped out of it and looked full of energy again: "Okay! I'll definitely learn it as soon as possible!"

Hyuga Yuzuru chuckled twice, saying nothing more, but he couldn't help thinking...

If this kid learns Sage Mode, and considering he now has more control over the Nine-Tails' power than in the original story...

It's possible that Konoha's fighting strength is about to experience another surge.

"By the way, what exactly did you say to the Kurama inside you that made it cooperate with you so much?" Hinata Yuzuru asked curiously.

He also made a promise with Shukaku that he would let it see him beat up Kurama.

Naruto scratched his head awkwardly, and after a while, he whispered, "I mean, if you can't lend me your power, I might get beaten up by the One-Tail inside Gaara. And then the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki can't beat the One-Tail Jinchuriki..."

Even Hinata Kaoru couldn't help but laugh.

Gaara slightly raised the corners of his mouth before letting it fall back down. Shukaku inside him chuckled loudly, a strange laugh that only he could hear: "That fox has been locked up for so long, and it's still so petty."

"Anyway, it said that as long as I can beat Shukaku up, it will lend me all its power. Now let me get used to it first." As Naruto spoke, Gaara let out a slightly arrogant snort, raised his face, and looked invincible.

But when all the Konoha ninjas turned to look at him, he instinctively felt a chill run down his spine and turned his head away to watch TV.

It was Shukaku who was afraid, not me.

To be honest, Shukaku inside Gaara is actually a bit intimidated now—none of these guys in front of him are easy to deal with. Except for that little girl from the Hyuga clan who looks a bit weak, the rest are all villains who could easily beat up a tailed beast.

It had personally witnessed those Susanoo, and the abundant Sharingan power within them sent chills down its spine.

"Whenever you need to fight, remember to ask me for permission first," Hinata Yuzuru said with a laugh. "And while you're at it, have someone record it so you can keep a memento."

Amidst laughter and conversation, they talked about many topics. Around seven or eight o'clock in the evening, everyone tacitly dispersed, some going to work overtime and others to rest. However, they never expected that before the Five Kage Summit was even scheduled to take place, something unexpected happened that attracted all of Hyuga Yuzuru's attention.

During his usual morning spying, cough, monitoring of Minami's surroundings, Hinata Yuzuru suddenly discovered something through his future vision.

Nagato has begun to act.

And looking at the route...

They actually planned to start from the Land of Rain and head straight for Konoha!

Chapter 150 Payne, I will become a god!

Nagato, or rather, the Six Paths of Pain's sudden action, was an unexpected event that Hyuga Yuzuru did not anticipate.

For some time, the Akatsuki organization had kept a low profile, staying within the Land of Rain. On one hand, they tried to recruit new members to make up for the organization's lack of combat power. On the other hand, the sudden changes in the ninja world left Nagato and Konan somewhat unsure of what to do.

In a sense, Nagato and Hyuga Yuzuru were like-minded and shared the same ideals. They both hoped to bring true peace to the ninja world, and the paths they took were quite similar.

Nagato's hope was to create a so-called 'god' by collecting the tailed beasts, and to dominate the world with fear and pain, just like nuclear deterrence, becoming a dark cloud hanging over the ninja world. As long as the 'god' he created existed, the ninja world would be forced to remain at peace forever.

Hinata Yuzuru followed a similar path, but compared to Nagato, he had even higher aspirations for world peace.

World peace is not simply a matter of not fighting wars.

He also wants people to have food and clothes to wear, and for him to be able to travel and enjoy the world without any worries. Ideally, he also wants to have many novel games and entertainment options to make his life more comfortable.

Both methods involved becoming gods—but Nagato followed the path of the Tailed Beasts, while Hyuga Yuzuru relied on himself...

Yes! That's right, Yuzuru Hyuga has gotten to where he is today entirely because of his own tireless efforts!

Under such circumstances, it is quite normal for Nagato to choose to remain inactive.

After all, the ninja world is currently undergoing a dramatic transformation. From Nagato's perspective, this ever-changing ninja world is vaguely resembling the world he longs for.

Should we continue with this plan? Should we continue to disrupt this evolving ninja world?

What Nagato found even more difficult to control was the current Hokage, Hyuga Yuzuru.

The strength this guy displayed in that instant was comparable to his own Rinnegan. Those eyes were unlike anything ever seen in the ninja world, and their abilities were unpredictable, forcing people to be on high alert and seriously consider whether the tailed beasts could be collected.

Currently, both the One-Tailed and Nine-Tailed Tailed Beasts are located in Konoha Village.

The remaining tailed beasts in Kumogakure and Iwagakure are not pushovers either, and cannot be easily manipulated.

More importantly, Akatsuki's plan failed, exposing their true intentions. Now, Akatsuki has become a serious threat in the ninja world. In the current peaceful climate, Jinchuriki like Killer Bee and Yugito are staying safely within their villages, resolutely refusing to risk their lives...

Nagato looked somewhat bewildered.

The plan was becoming increasingly difficult to advance, and he was also finding it increasingly difficult to judge the landscape of the ninja world. Within the Land of Rain, however, it was impossible not to be influenced by Konoha. A large number of trendy ideas, architecture, and business practices were causing the Land of Rain to change at an extremely rapid pace.

Being in the thick of it all, experiencing it firsthand, how could he not feel confused and moved?

Therefore, Nagato made a decision.

He's going to Konoha to take a look.

Now that the Land of Fire has become Konoha's territory, he wanted to see if Konoha, which had been constantly proclaiming the Will of Fire and advocating peace, was truly as prosperous as the Fifth Hokage, Yuzuru Hyuga, had described.

Nagato once again chose to send the entire Six Paths of Pain on a mission. With the Six Paths working together, their strength was unmatched in the ninja world. However, their low-key infiltration into Konoha's vast territory to gather intelligence was simply a waste of their talents.

He wanted to see for himself what Hyuga Yuzuru was really like.

But he never imagined that, in fact, while he was discussing this matter with Konan, Hyuga Yuzuru already knew his purpose with precognition.

That same day, he gathered a small group of ninjas in his office to discuss countermeasures.

“I strongly oppose it.” Itachi Uchiha’s voice was calm, but his expression was quite serious as he shook his head: “Konoha must not risk losing the Fifth Hokage by making such a decision.”

Hyuga Yuzuru smiled and simply said, "With my abilities, even if a conflict occurs, I can still leave without any problem."

“There’s no need for Lord Yuzuru to put himself in danger,” Itachi Uchiha said, offering his suggestion: “I can go and negotiate with Pain in Lord Yuzuru’s place.”

Uchiha Izumi and Shisui nodded in agreement. Uchiha Shisui said seriously, "Why don't I go? If things don't go well, I can try using Kotoamatsukami..."

"You can use Kotoamatsukami now?" Hyuga Yuzuru asked, while Uchiha Shisui simply replied with a confident and serious expression, "I should be able to."

Itachi Uchiha saw through him without hesitation, saying calmly, "Is the price to be complete blindness? Shisui, it's not necessary."

Shisui's eye power was arguably the strongest in the history of the Uchiha clan, and Kotoamatsukami was a forbidden technique among forbidden techniques, consuming a great deal of energy to use. Before he became the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, each use of it caused him great harm.

In addition to the damage accumulated from years of fighting with Susanoo and Kotoamatsukami, using the complete Kotoamatsukami again, especially at this time, would probably cause him to go completely blind.

Uchiha Shisui frowned, while Uchiha Izumi said, "I can go too. Even if a conflict occurs by accident, I can drag the other party to hell and prevent damage to Konoha."

Hinata Yuzuru pondered for a moment, tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, and finally insisted, "I'll do it."

He waved his hand, refusing any further advice from the others, and instead laughed, "If you all have to do everything, then what's the point of my existence as Hokage? Just sitting in my office watching TV?"

After a moment of silence, it was Hinata Kaoru, who had been quietly accompanying them, who finally spoke up: "I believe in Lord Yuzuru; he will not fail."

“Yes.” Hyuga Yuzuru smiled and nodded at her, then made a decision: “I will personally monitor the actions of the Six Paths of Pain. If a conflict is likely to break out, I will take my opponent away from the city limits of Konoha.”

With the Flying Thunder God Technique, as long as we are well prepared, even if a conflict occurs, we can keep it within the city limits of Konoha.

He couldn't allow the other party to move freely within Konoha.

Hyuga Yuzuru made a decision, saying, "Since he wants to see, let him wander around other places for now. If he wants to go to Xinjing, I will go out and stop him in advance."

Konoha Village, now renamed Shinkyo, is the most important and central city of Konoha, and its loss is absolutely unacceptable.

Uchiha Shisui and Itachi couldn't say anything to stop them, so they could only insist, "But please, Lord Yuzuru, act with us."

Hyuga Yuzuru did not refuse.

But deep down, he was quite confident.