bookbashuk Chapter 86: A Pair of Smiling Tigers, Two Black Sharks
Chapter 86: A Pair of Smiling Tigers, Two Black Sharks
Chapter 86 A Pair of Smiling Tigers, Two Black Sharks
Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village) – oh wait, it should be called Kigakure (Hidden Air Village) now.
In the center of the Raikage's office building, the large "Raikage" character, symbolizing Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village), was replaced by a more aggressive "Aura" character.
In the office that originally belonged to the Fourth Raikage, A.
Hemp clothes stood there, looking at the new master in front of him—Broly—with a complicated expression.
In those eyes, there was an undisguised fear, as well as suppressed resentment.
At this moment, Broly was sitting casually in the Raikage's chair, his legs crossed and placed directly on the desk.
Suppressing his anger, Mabui reported to his superior in as calm a voice as possible: "Lord Kikage, according to our preliminary investigation—about 60% of the citizens of the Land of Lightning, or rather, the Land of Ki, have already left the country. And those who remain in the village, those with official ninja status, and those who can be mobilized—"
She paused, a hint of bitterness in her voice: "—There are less than a hundred people left."
The period after Broly killed the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning and the Fourth Raikage, A, and forcibly changed the country's name to "Land of Air"
A full week has passed since the ninja village was renamed "Kigakure".
This week, the entire country has undergone tremendous changes.
The news quickly spread throughout the ninja world.
Upon hearing this, a large number of citizens were filled with unspeakable fear of Broly and his group, and many packed their bags and fled abroad.
Those residents who remain in the country simply do not have this option.
They are either elderly people who have lost their children, widows who have lost their husbands, or orphans who have lost their parents.
To put it bluntly, it means "there's no way to moisturize even if you want to."
As for the ninjas with combat abilities, the situation was even more obvious; those who could run away all fled.
The ninjas who remain are all bound by the same "contract mark" that Hancock applied to Im, preventing them from leaving.
Broly was too lazy to use such tactics to control these people.
Because he felt it wasn't fun or interesting.
Just like when he watched "action movies" in his previous life, the types he disliked the most were hypnosis movies and time-stop movies.
The woman is like a delicate corpse, completely still. What kind of interaction and fun is there in that?
However, on the ninja planet, if Broly wants to do something "infrastructure-style," he needs to have people under his command.
This is just like playing strategy games in your past life. No matter how difficult the game is at the beginning, the game designers will at least give you a few basic NPC units that you can command, otherwise you simply cannot play the game.
Broly tilted his head, looked at the man in burlap sack who, though trying to suppress it, couldn't help but reveal a hint of hatred in his eyes, and said slowly, "Don't be so angry. Once I've recruited enough people, I'll let you go."
Upon hearing this, Mabuyi stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
They've already used those bizarre methods to control us, so why are they letting us go?
Could it be some kind of deeper mockery?
What Mabui didn't know was that Broly actually disliked using forceful control to recruit subordinates.
What he hoped for even more was that his subordinates would follow him willingly, like Tesoro and Toritoma from the pirate planet.
Broly doesn't necessarily need subordinates, but he doesn't want a group of disloyal people around him.
Moreover, looking at it from another angle, if we release the elites of Kumogakure like Mabui and Samui now, they might become stronger or find new allies someday and come back to take revenge—wouldn't that make the game even more fun?
Ignoring the shock and confusion on Mabui's face, Broly thought for a moment and continued, "Gather all the ninjas in the village who are still able to move and send them out to spread messages to me throughout the ninja world."
He paused for a moment, a playful smile appearing on his lips.
"Anyone who is willing, whether a rogue ninja, a wanted criminal, or an ordinary civilian, can settle in the Land of Ki. We will accept them all."
Even though he already had a considerable understanding of Broly's unfathomable strength, which was capable of killing the Raikage, Mabui was still startled by his words.
That's incredibly arrogant!
It's important to understand that the reason why rogue ninjas can successfully defect from their own ninja villages is whatever—whether it's due to ideological differences, mission failure, or committing serious crimes.
The premise for all of this is that he must have possessed considerable strength and methods! Otherwise, he would never have lived to become a "traitorous ninja".
And Broly actually dared to recruit all these dangerous, uncontrollable, and scheming individuals under his command?
Is he really not afraid that these people might gather together and cause trouble, or even turn against him, their master?
Seeing that the man in linen clothes remained silent in fear, Broly asked again, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Mabui snapped back to reality, quickly lowered her head, and avoided Broly's gaze: "No—no problem. Yes, I'll take care of it right away."
After saying that, she turned around and almost fled the suffocating office.
Watching the departing figure, still slender and graceful despite her suppressed anger, Broly stroked his chin and commented, "The quality of the Hidden Cloud Village is surprisingly good."
Broly was never one to stay put.
After issuing the order that was enough to shake up the entire ninja world, he left the office and began to wander around the now unusually deserted Cloud Village—no, Ki Village.
Currently, the number of villagers remaining in Yunyin Village is less than one percent of its original size.
After all, Broly killed their beloved Fourth Raikage.
Anyone with even a shred of ability, a shred of courage, or a shred of hope for the future would not be willing to stay and eke out a living in a village ruled by their enemy.
Those who remain are mostly elderly people, widows, and orphans who live on meager village relief funds.
When these people saw through the cracks in the windows that the figure, apart from his muscular physique, looked no different from any other child wandering the street, they all shrank back into their houses, tightly closing the doors and windows, barely daring to breathe.
This situation, where he was "hated by everyone" wherever he went, and was completely isolated and feared, inexplicably reminded Broly of Naruto Uzumaki, that blond-haired kid far away in Konoha Village.
However, these villagers in Kumogakure were far less "brave" than the "troublemakers" in Konoha when they treated Naruto.
They knew very well that the seemingly young child before them was a monster capable of easily crushing the Raikage, the strongest being in their knowledge.
Anyone who dares to point at him, or even just give him a disgusted look, will die.
Absolute violence brought about a superficial, lifeless "peace".
"Crackling and popping—!"
"boom!"
Just then, Broly heard a series of powerful fighting sounds coming from the direction of the square that was originally used for training. Interspersed among them were muffled sounds of clashing energy and a girl's clear shout.
He raised an eyebrow and then quickened his pace to walk over.
Just as they reached the edge of the square, a petite purple figure, like a swallow returning to its nest, came running over happily and threw herself into Broly's arms.
"Daddy! You're here!" Little Zi looked up, her jewel-like eyes filled with dependence.
Broly ruffled her soft, Hatsune-colored hair. His gaze then fell on the Hyuga girl standing quietly beside him, who seemed somewhat reserved. "How are you? Are you settling in well here?"
"Um."
"It's...it's alright—" Hinata lowered her head, her voice barely audible, her fair fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her pale purple kimono, almost braiding it into a pretzel.
Her feelings toward Broly were very, very complicated.
Logically speaking, Broly "intercepted" Naruto's actions from the original story—he helped her teach those Konoha bullies who were harassing her a lesson.
Therefore, Hinata's love for Naruto, which arose from being "saved," should be transferred to Broly.
But—Broly's "lecture" went too far.
He broke her arm and, right in front of her, killed the Third Hokage's son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi, in an almost playful manner.
Beneath that childlike innocence lay an absolute disregard and cruelty towards life, like a bucket of ice water that instantly extinguished any budding goodwill, leaving only immense confusion, a deep-seated fear, and a complex emotion that even she herself could hardly describe.
"If you're not used to it, then go back."
Broly seemed to see through her unease and patted her head. "I can arrange for someone to take you back to Konoha."
Hinata was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.
If it were a month ago, when she had just been taken away from Konoha, she would almost certainly have agreed.
But now, she has gradually adapted to the lifestyle of acting with Hancock, Yamato and the others.
Having grown accustomed to Hancock's somewhat cold attitude towards her, it was unexpected that Yamato, Komurasaki, and Monet all had a good relationship with her.
Now that she was being asked to leave, she felt a subtle sense of unease.
She pursed her lips and ultimately did not answer.
Broly didn't press further; his gaze shifted to the center of the square.
There, Hancock and Yamato continued their daily "sparring" as always.
Yamato was still using the stick technique that came from her father, Teacher Kai.
Compared to the original work, where she seemed to have only learned the "Thunder Bagua" move from Teacher Kai, the current Yamato has basically learned all of her father's staff techniques.
Of course, its skill and power are far from reaching Kaido's level.
As in the original work, Hancock is still very skilled at using her legs to launch gorgeous and fierce attacks.
However, after gaining the abilities of "Little Sister Im", her attack methods have obviously become much more diverse.
For example, right now, she is holding a demonic trident formed from jet-black "demon power".
"Junchali Longshengjun!"
With a loud shout, Yamato unleashed his full power and swung the heavy spiked club at high speed!
In an instant, with extreme swinging speed, a spiked club created numerous afterimages, densely attacking Hancock!
She didn't learn this move in the original story.
It's possible that after eating the Devil Fruit, he focused his energy on developing its abilities and stopped delving deeper into stick techniques.
It's also possible that Yamato was going through a rebellious phase at that time and had a tense relationship with Kaido, so Kaido didn't teach this "unfilial daughter" any new moves beyond the basic "Thunder Bagua".
But anyway, Yamato has learned it now.
Seeing this, Hancock raised her demonic trident high and then plunged it into the ground!
"Oh?" Seeing this, Broly's eyes also showed a bit of curiosity.
The next second, Hancock gripped the trident handle tightly with her left hand, while her right hand was clenched into a fist, with only her index and middle fingers held together and raised straight up.
He actually made a standard ninja hand seal!
"What?!"
Yamato's expression changed as he swung his spiked club at high speed.
Broly couldn't help but smile.
Immediately afterwards, Hancock shouted, "Lightning Release: Raimon!"
Sizzle—!!
Instantly, a violent blue-white current surged from the surface of the demonic trident stuck in the ground!
Hancock used her slender waist to pull the trident from the ground!
With a hissing crack of lightning, the halberd tip pierced straight into the core of the countless club shadows!
Boom!
The spiked club and the lightning-wrapped trident collided head-on without any fancy moves!
A deafening roar, like metal clashing against metal, exploded!
The shockwave, mixed with the dissipated electric arc, exploded outwards!
The two sides remained locked in a stalemate for about two seconds. Pure power clashed with the raging lightning.
The spiked club gradually lost ground.
In the third second, Hancock completely overwhelmed Yamato!
The demonic trident, crackling with sharp lightning, tore through the last remaining shadow of the staff, transforming into a deadly bolt of lightning that pierced straight at Yamato's cheek!
If this stab lands, Yamato will likely be disfigured.
"Hancock".
Broly's calm reminder rang out at the critical moment.
The fierce killing intent in Hancock's crimson eyes instantly subsided by more than half.
With an extremely subtle twist of her wrist, she altered the trajectory of the trident's thrust.
"laugh--!"
The sharp edge of the halberd grazed Yamato's cheek, sending up scattered arcs of electricity, and severing a strand of white hair at the end of her ponytail.
Broly walked up and gave Hancock's pert butt a slap in an annoyed manner.
That girl's attack just now was clearly aimed at disfiguring Yamato.
Hancock let out a soft "Ah" as if in pain, and pouted her delicate little mouth.
But immediately, she revealed a lovesick smile, stretched out her arms, hugged Broly's neck tightly, pressed her delicate cheek against Broly's cheek, and kept rubbing against it.
Yamato, with his carefree personality, clearly didn't notice Hancock's momentary hostility.
Yamato loosened his slightly numb hands and yelled at Hancock and Broly, "Why?! Why can you learn all the moves of this world?!"
During the few days of occupying Kigakure, Yamato also spent a lot of time looking through the ninjutsu scrolls in the Hidden Cloud Village's library, and even tried to form hand seals and refine chakra in the same way.
However, the result was just as Broly had said before—after all, she was not from this planet, nor was she a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths. She couldn't even condense a trace of chakra, let alone learn ninjutsu.
Broly, enduring Hancock's overly enthusiastic "attachment" behavior, explained, "This is one of the effects of Hancock's Devil Fruit power."
Noticing Broly's signal, Hancock relaxed slightly, raised her delicate chin, and gave everyone a "lesson" with a hint of pride: "One of the Devil Fruit abilities I obtained from Im is the ability to possess a contracted entity and temporarily use their abilities in battle."
She glanced at Yamato again and continued, "But conversely, Im can also use this technique to absorb the power of his contracted partner during possession. Do you understand, White-haired Girl?"
"Hancock's Devil Fruit ability—it's outrageous!"
Even Monet, who was in charge of logistics and never participated in combat, couldn't help but facepalm and complain after hearing this explanation.
No wonder a fool like Im was able to rule the pirate planet for eight hundred years.
Let alone on the pirate planet, even on Fairy Tail planet, with all these troublesome abilities combined, they could easily become one of the "Ten Wizard Saints".
"Broly! I don't care! I want to learn ninjutsu too! Me too! Me too! Me too!"
Yamato, provoked by jealousy and competitiveness, released his spiked club, rushed forward, grabbed Broly's other free arm, and shook it violently.
Hancock glared at her fiercely, baring her teeth, and said, "Let go of me!"
There will be opportunities in the future.
Broly was getting annoyed by the two of them. "You should finish learning your dad's stick fighting first."
A week is more than enough time for the name "Broly" and the horrific deeds he committed to spread throughout the entire ninja world.
The first to realize the seriousness of the situation was the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure in the Land of Earth—Ōnoki, the One-Day Scale.
After all, Iwagakure and Kumogakure had forged an irreconcilable enmity during the Third Shinobi World War, which had just ended a few years ago.
At the same time, Onoki is also the person who understands Kumogakure the most.
The person who knows you best is not your family, but your rival.
Although thousands of elite Iwagakure ninjas died at the hands of the Third Raikage during the Third Shinobi World War, Onoki couldn't wait for the people of Kumogakure to die as soon as possible.
But Onoki knew better than anyone the strength of Kumogakure—it was practically the strongest ninja in the world at that time.
Yet, this very village of Kumogakure was wiped out by a five-year-old child leading a group of little girls? Even that kid, A, was killed?
Upon hearing this news, Onoki felt a shock no less intense than when he accompanied his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage Mu, to Miha to sign an alliance agreement, only to be severely humiliated by that damned Uchiha Madara.
"Do you think this is true or false?" Onoki immediately gathered all the qualified high-ranking officials of Iwagakure together for an emergency meeting.
Although the elders sitting around the conference table all held a certain amount of power in Iwagakure, in the end, the highest power in Iwagakure was firmly in the hands of the Third Tsuchikage, who had been in power for nearly half a century.
Onoki wouldn't be so foolish as to arrange for three so-called "assistants" to divide his power, like Hiruzen Sarutobi from Konoha.
One of the Iwagakure elders in charge of intelligence spoke first: "According to the intelligence department's extensive investigations, a large number of citizens from the Land of Lightning have migrated to the Land of the Moon, the Land of Hot Springs, and other countries. The scale is quite large, so it doesn't seem fake. And Tsuchidae of Kumogakure did indeed lead the remnants of Kumogakure's army into the Land of Fire—I'm afraid it can't be faked."
Another Iwagakure elder sitting diagonally opposite asked in confusion, "Tsuchidai and the others went to the Land of Fire? Why?"
Onoki scoffed, his mustache twitching slightly. "What else can we do? Call for help, of course."
Onoki and his group had already received more detailed information.
Not just in Kumogakure, that kid Broly is truly a master at causing trouble.
Before taking over the Land of Lightning, he even killed the eldest son of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in the Land of Fire.
In doing so, he had essentially incurred the mortal hatred of both Konoha and Kumogakure, the two strongest ninja villages in the ninja world.
"To be honest, in this respect, I quite admire that kid, Broly."
Onoki wore an indescribable expression. "I never thought that besides that old fox Shimura Danzo, there would be someone in this world who knows how to offend people so well."
"Lord Tsuchikage, what should we do?"
Everyone turned to look at Onoki, awaiting his decision.
Many people have already started to consider: what if the two strongest villages in the entire ninja world joined forces to deal with that "Ki-Hidden Village"?
So, there are only two paths that Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) needs to take.
First, sit back and watch the tigers fight, while strictly guarding the border and waiting for an opportunity to act.
Secondly, try to unite with Kigakure. After all, Iwagakure and Kumogakure have a blood feud. Wouldn't it be great if someone was willing to fight Kumogakure with them?
Onoki crossed his hands on the table, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "Let's wait and see."
His cloudy yet still sharp eyes swept over the crowd: "What I care about most right now is that Broly—just how strong is he? Can he reach the level of Madara Uchiha?"
However, as soon as he thought about this question, Ohnoki couldn't help but shake his head.
Does this need to be said?
No matter how strong Madara Uchiha was, he couldn't possibly have the ability to kill the Fourth Raikage, A, at the age of five!
This has completely transcended the realm of "powerful" and entered a kind of "inhuman" domain.
"Although I desperately want to avenge the blood feud of the Third Shinobi World War,"
Onoki continued, his tone regaining the composure of a politician, "If Broly shows any signs of being detrimental to Iwagakure, or if his threat surpasses that of Kumogakure—then we can consider joining forces with Konoha, or even temporarily cooperating with the remnants of Kumogakure, to launch a counterattack against Broly."
He paused, his voice low and clear: "After all, I don't want another monster like Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama to be born in the ninja world."
Politicians cannot make decisions based solely on short-term gains or losses and personal grudges.
The key lies in long-term threats and balance.
After Ōnoki expressed his idea, he received unanimous approval from all the elders present.
He truly deserves to be called the Tsuchikage, who has served the longest term in the history of Iwagakure.
Despite his advanced age, his mind remains remarkably clear, unlike the Third Hokage of the neighboring Konoha Village, who always pulls off "divine maneuvers" that leave even his enemies bewildered.
The meeting ended, and just as everyone stood up to leave, "Bang!"
The conference room door was violently pushed open, and a burly figure burst in, shouting, "Dad! There's something new!"
The newcomer was none other than the captain of the Jonin squad of Iwagakure, and also Onoki's son—Kito.
Upon hearing this, Onoki frowned and reprimanded, "How many times have I told you? You must use your job title when you're at work!"
Huang Tu awkwardly scratched the back of his head and corrected himself, "Sorry, Lord Tsuchikage!"
Onoki's expression softened a bit, and he asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"
Huang Tu suddenly realized what was happening and quickly reported again: "We just received the latest news! Kigakure, that is, Broly, has publicly announced..."
Immediately afterward, Huang Tu relayed to his father the order Broly had given to Ma Buyi to "recruit and accept traitors" verbatim.
Upon hearing this, everyone present stared in astonishment.
An eerie silence fell over the conference room.
Good grief, is this how you play it?
"That Broly—is he a madman?!" a high-ranking member of Iwagakure couldn't help but exclaim.
Their thoughts were almost exactly the same as those of the burlap-clad man who had heard the order.
Everyone thought Broly was completely insane!
Can a rogue ninja who successfully betrays his own village be a good person?
They're all dangerous, troublemakers, and freaks!
How dare he integrate all these guys into his own hands?
Onoki narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "Perhaps—he has absolute confidence in his own strength, enough to suppress these guys."
However, even Onoki himself didn't quite believe what he said.
Killing a group of rogue ninjas is much harder than ruling them.
Meanwhile, other ninja countries in the ninja world, as well as wandering ninjas and information brokers, also heard about this "crazy" incident involving Broly and Kigakure through various channels.
In their shock, most of the ninja village leaders made the same decision as Onoki: to remain inactive and watch the two sides fight it out.
This water is too murky; it would be too dangerous to get involved rashly. It would be better to see how the situation develops first.
Only one person reacted in a completely different way.
The Land of Wind, Sunagakure Village.
The Fourth Kazekage, Ichiro Rasa, upon hearing this, immediately issued a stern order to his subordinates: "Spread the word! Strictly restrict the movement of Sunagakure villagers for the foreseeable future, and inform the Daimyo to restrict the movement of citizens of the Land of Wind, especially those heading north towards the Land of Ki!"
Luo Sha's concerns were very real, even somewhat helpless.
His main fear was that the villagers of Sunagakure would be tempted to move to the newly formed "Land of Ki" after hearing about this.
After all, the environment in the Land of Wind is simply too harsh.
The sky is filled with yellow sand, and resources are scarce.
Even knowing that Broly is a mysterious and dangerous freak, in order to escape this harsh living environment, there are probably quite a few citizens of Sunagakure and the Land of Wind who would take a gamble and try to get through it.
After all, every year countless people secretly escape the borders of the Land of Wind, trying to "moisten" their way to the Land of Fire, where the climate is pleasant and the land is fertile.
This is why in the first three Shinobi World Wars, the Land of Fire was often the one on the defensive—it already occupied the most fertile land on the planet and was the richest country in the world, so why would it take the initiative to attack its poor neighbors?
Another organization deeply affected by this event is Akatsuki, a lurking organization in the shadows of the ninja world.
It's important to understand that the Akatsuki's main shortcut to recruiting core members was to find and subdue powerful rogue ninja and get them to join.
Their ultimate goal is to capture the nine tailed beasts scattered throughout the ninja world.
Based on the plan of one person capturing one tailed beast, at least nine core members are needed.
Because Nagato's body is severely depleted due to overuse of the Rinnegan, Konan needs to stay by his side to take care of him at all times.
Therefore, in reality, at least ten top-tier combatants are needed.
The current official members of Akatsuki are: leader Nagato, Konan, Sasori, Orochimaru, Zetsu, Juzo Biwa, Kakuzu, and three minor Jonin who don't even deserve to have names in the original work.
Nagato was dissatisfied with the strength of Juzo Biwa and the other three minor characters.
In his view, these people simply did not have the ability to capture the Tailed Beasts independently.
Therefore, the Akatsuki organization still urgently needs to recruit new, truly powerful members.
Now, Kigakure's sudden release of this "open to all" message is clearly a fatal temptation for all the rogue ninja in the ninja world.
After all, compared to a mysterious organization that can only lurk in the shadows and currently makes a living by taking on underground bounty missions, a new force that has already effectively taken control of a large country and an entire ninja village, and has openly declared its protection of all newcomers—which one is more attractive is self-evident.
"This matter cannot be ignored."
In a secret base deep underground belonging to the Akatsuki organization.
With orange hair, a cold face, and covered in black metal rods, Pain, the founder of the Tendou sect, stood in the main position.
His voice, resonating through the chakra, echoed in the empty, dimly lit hall.
Below, several illusory figures, like colorful light and shadow, stood silently.
Those were images of the active Akatsuki members who had gathered here using the "Illusion Body Technique".
Nagato, through Pain's mouth, spoke in a cold, emotionless voice: "The actions of Kigakure will seriously affect our plans to recruit new members. This is detrimental to the organization's long-term goals."
"Hehehehe————"
A soft, hoarse laugh rang out, and Orochimaru's phantom image stuck out his signature long tongue, chuckling, "A five-year-old child—can actually kill the Fourth Raikage? Haha, that's much more impressive than you were back then, Sasori."
Currently, Orochimaru's nominal partner is Sasori of the Red Sand.
When Sasori was fifteen years old, he successfully assassinated and created a human puppet of the Third Kazekage, who was hailed as the "strongest Kazekage in the history of Sunagakure".
Scorpion's phantom image emitted a dull and cold voice, filled with obvious disgust: "Hmph, maybe he's an old monster like you, who used some forbidden technique to seize someone else's body."
He didn't have a good impression of Orochimaru as his partner.
Of course, Scorpion, who likes to turn living people into art puppets, isn't much better.
The two were evenly matched and disliked each other.
Pain, in his illusionary form, glanced sideways, his Rinnegan coldly sweeping over the images of Orochimaru and Sasori. He commanded in an unquestionable tone, "This matter is entrusted to you two to investigate, to find out the truth about Kigakure, and especially to find out—who exactly is that Broly?"
Orochimaru habitually stuck out his tongue and licked his pale lips, then suggested, "Let me go alone. Sasori's appearance is just too conspicuous."
Nagato, controlling Pain, remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
Finally, Pain slowly nodded: "Alright. Orochimaru, you will infiltrate and investigate alone. Be careful and obtain valuable information."
The image of Scorpion let out a cold snort, seemingly pleased with the relief: "Fine. I've long since stopped wanting to work with this perverted freak."
Orochimaru simply smiled, ignoring Sasori's sarcasm.
His thoughts had already flown to that mysterious Hidden Air Village, and to that five-year-old child.
"Killing the Raikage at five years old—material beyond common sense"—and his peculiar companions—Sarutobi-sensei, it seems you don't have much of a way to deal with the murderer who killed your son. You're getting weaker and weaker.
Orochimaru muttered to himself, filled with mockery towards Konoha and his former mentor, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Regardless of the schemes and undercurrents of other forces, the core conflict and focus of this huge upheaval stirred up by Broly ultimately revolves around the three parties: Kigakure, the remnants of Kumogakure, and Konohagakure.
Just as Ohnoki had predicted.
After leading Darui and other elites out of Kumogakure, Tsuchida immediately gathered almost all of Kumogakure's remaining high-end combat forces, including the perfect Jinchuriki Killer Bee and Yugito Nii, and marched into the Land of Fire.
To be precise, it was to go to Konoha Village to meet the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The reason is simple and realistic: everyone has a blood feud with Broly, so why not unite and take him down together?
A large number of Cloud Village ninjas, dressed in Cloud Village uniforms and with expressions of exhaustion, grief, and determination, marched through the gates and main road of Konoha Village under the complex gazes of countless Konoha villagers.
The last time such a large-scale incident occurred was three years ago when the Cloud Village delegation came to Konoha to sign that unequal peace agreement.
However, at that time, Konoha Village was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations to "welcome" them.
At this moment, however, there was a depressing, deathly silence on both sides of the street.
Most of the Konoha villagers simply watched the group of "uninvited guests" in silence, their eyes filled with vigilance, aloofness, a hint of indifference, and even a hidden sense of pleasure.
Only the Uchiha clan members, dressed in their traditional fan-shaped robes and with their perpetually arrogant gazes, openly expressed their attitude.
"Hmph, here comes the stray dog."
A sneer, neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the Cloud Village troops to hear clearly, came from the Uchiha group, carrying obvious contempt.
Upon hearing this, the two Yugitos, already filled with grief and indignation over the destruction of their home and the killing of the Raikage, turned ashen-faced.
Although she is only thirteen years old this year, she is exceptionally talented and can already control the Two-Tails Matatabi within her body quite perfectly, making her strength far exceed that of an ordinary Jonin.
Humiliated at this moment, the girl's anger was instantly ignited!
She paused, about to step forward to argue, or even physically teach this arrogant Uchiha a lesson.
However, as soon as she took a step, the group of Uchiha clansmen opposite her seemed to have been prepared, and they all raised their heads in unison.
Pairs of scarlet eyes lit up! Within the pupils, the black tomoe slowly rotated—the three-tomoe Sharingan!
Yugito's body stiffened abruptly when stared at by so many Sharingan eyes at the same time!
A fear and tremor originating from the depths of her blood and the instinct of her soul instantly washed over her entire body like ice water! The Two-Tails chakra within her body also showed a restless unease and a clear intention to retreat.
There's no way around it; the Sharingan and Wood Release are natural enemies of tailed beasts, providing absolute suppression.
"Calm down, Yugito!"
Just as the atmosphere was about to become tense, Tu Tai's deep and stern voice rang out.
He reached out and placed a hand on Yugito's shoulder, his gaze sweeping over the unfriendly Uchiha glares, then over the silent but hostile Konoha villagers around him, and said in a deep voice, "Remember, this time—we're the ones who need our help. Don't cause any unnecessary trouble!"
Killer Bee, suppressing his anger, cursed in his unique, quirky rap: "There's absolutely no need to ask those Konoha bastards for help! Yugito and I can take that guy down together, yay! Baka yarou! Kuroo yarou!"
"Killer Bee!" Tsuchikage whirled around, his voice sharper than ever before, "Do you think you can defeat the Raikage in one move like that Broly?!"
With the Raikage dead and his home lost, the series of blows made this usually composed strategist of the Cloud Village more irritable than ever before.
He also stopped using the respectful term he used to refer to Kirabi.
After all, he is now the temporary leader of this remnant army of Kumogakure, shouldering the heavy responsibility of reclaiming their homeland and avenging the Raikage.
When Kumogakure was attacked, Killer Bee was doing his daily training in a canyon outside the village, just like when Sasuke looked for him in the original story.
By the time he realized the fighting had broken out in the village and rushed back, Tutai had already led the surviving main force out of the village.
Upon learning of his brother A's tragic death, Killer Bee was enraged beyond anything he had ever seen. He was about to rush back to the village to seek revenge on Broly, but Tsuchikki managed to dissuade him with the same reason.
Killer Bee gritted his teeth, but ultimately did not refute O.
He knew that what Tu Tai said was true.
That monster that could instantly kill my older brother—I can't fight it.
Under the forceful control of the earthen platform, the Cloud Village troops suppressed their humiliation and anger and continued to advance towards the Hokage Building.
Just as they were about to reach their destination, a group of Konoha ninjas dressed in clothing bearing the Sarutobi clan crest formed a human wall and blocked the middle of the road.
The leading Jonin of the Sarutobi clan said expressionlessly, "The Hokage has ordered that only one representative from Kumogakure is permitted to enter the Hokage's office. The rest of you, please wait outside."
The faces of the Cloud Hidden members immediately turned even more grim, almost dripping with tears.
Damn it, this is outrageous!
When had they ever seen Hiruzen Sarutobi so "tough"?
You want to kick a man when he's down?!
Anger flashed briefly in Tsuchikage's eyes, but he ultimately took a deep breath and raised his hand to stop the restless Cloud Village ninja behind him.
He gave the Jonin Sarutobi a cold look, his voice calm and unwavering: "Fine. I'll go in alone."
After saying that, he gestured for Killer Bee, Darui, and the others to remain calm, and then, alone, followed the Konoha ninja who was leading the way into the Hokage Building.
Soon, Tsuchikage was taken to the Hokage's office.
inside the room.
In the main seat, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Hokage robes, held his ever-present pipe, his face obscured by smoke, revealing little emotion.
Standing on either side of him were the other three core members of the Konoha Elder Council: Koharu Ichitane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura, whose body was wrapped in bandages and only his sinister right eye was visible.
The four members of Konoha F4 gathered together.
Tsuchikage sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly composed, bowing slightly and saying, "Lord Hokage, esteemed elders."
Without further ado, he cut to the chase, his voice steady and powerful: "I'm sure the Hokage is already aware of my purpose. Broly invaded my Kumogakure, murdered the Raikage and the Daimyo, and seized our land and villages. And this same man also cruelly murdered your village's Mr. Sarutobi Shinnosuke."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the four men: "We share a common and irreconcilable mortal enemy. In that case, why not set aside past grievances, join forces against the enemy, and eliminate future troubles?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer immediately, but took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.
The rising smoke obscured his expression.
Standing to the side, Danzo, in his distinctive, cold, and hoarse voice, spoke first, striking straight at the heart of the matter: "Join forces? Ha—three years ago, when your Cloud Village delegation plotted something sinister within Konoha's territory, and after your scheme failed, you turned around and forced us to hand over the Hyuga clan leader, Hyuga Hiashi—did you ever imagine that we would be here today, groveling for help?"
These words were extremely sharp, mercilessly tearing open the story of the incident three years ago that brought immense shame to Konoha.
Tsuchida frowned, glanced at Danzo, and then turned his gaze back to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was silently smoking.
Seeing the other party's "it's none of my business" attitude, Tu Tai already understood.
Good cop, bad cop, they sing in unison.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, those two old guys, are truly a pair of smiling tigers and two black sharks.
Unfortunately, the Hidden Cloud Village is now weak, its homeland has been taken away, and it has no choice but to rely on the power of the Hidden Leaf Village in order to reclaim its homeland and avenge Broly.
No matter how angry he was, Tu Tai could only swallow his anger.
He tried to make his voice sound calm, even with a hint of pleading: "The past is past, and arguing about right and wrong is pointless now. With a formidable enemy at hand, I urge the Hokage to consider the bigger picture. I wonder—what conditions would Konoha require for an alliance with Kumogakure to jointly defeat Broly?"
Clearly, the Konoha F4 had already agreed on a price before the Cloud Village people arrived, and were just waiting for Tsuchida to ask for a price.
Koharu Utatane eagerly took over, her voice carrying a condescending tone: "The conditions are simple. After Kumogakure successfully reclaims the Land of Lightning, it must transfer the wealth stored in the Land of Lightning's treasury..."
Half of the resources and ninja tools will be given to Konoha free of charge as compensation for this military expedition.
She paused, glanced at Tsuchida, whose face had suddenly turned extremely pale, and continued, "Furthermore, the two tailed beasts possessed by Kumogakure—the Two-Tails Matatabi and the Eight-Tails Gyūki—must permanently transfer control of one of them to Konoha."
"That's impossible!"
Tu Tai practically roared out his refusal.
Damn it! I thought you guys were going to ask for an exorbitant price, but it turns out you're like a Tyrannosaurus Rex asking for a price!
Half of the national treasury's wealth? That's practically draining the lifeblood of the Land of Lightning's development for the next ten years!
Permanently handing over a tailed beast? Tailed beasts are a strategic deterrent force for ninja villages and one of the foundations of their existence!
This is tantamount to cutting off half of the Cloud Village's future military deterrence and high-end combat capabilities!
Such harsh conditions are impossible for Tsuchikage to agree to, let alone if the Fourth Raikage A were resurrected and standing here, he would never agree!
Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, his tone calm yet every word piercing: "Lord Tsuchidai, please calm down. You know Broly's strength better than we do. He's a monster who could easily kill the Raikage. If Konoha were to go all out to fight such a powerful enemy alongside you, we would inevitably face enormous risks and suffer heavy casualties."
He leaned forward slightly: "After this is accomplished, you will reclaim your own country and homeland, your complete territory and sovereignty. As for Konoha, all we want is some material wealth and an unstable tailed beast. Think about it carefully, isn't this price reasonable? Compared to the completeness you will gain, what we want is not much."
"Not many?!"
Tu Tai gritted his teeth and persisted, refusing to back down.
If they were to agree to such conditions, even if they managed to defeat Broly by sheer luck, how would the weakened Cloud Village and the Land of Lightning defend against the Iwagakure Village, which would inevitably take advantage of their vulnerability?
That old fox, Onoki, will never let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
At that time, we might just be escaping one tiger's den only to fall into another!
However, the Konoha F4 didn't seem to be in a hurry. From the beginning, they didn't expect Tsuchikage to immediately agree to such harsh conditions that could be described as "traitorous".
Negotiation is just like haggling at a market: first ask for an exorbitant price, then try to negotiate a lower one.
It's bound to drag on for a while. They hold the initiative and have plenty of patience to wear each other down.
Just as the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Leaf Village were engaged in a calculated tug-of-war in this office, a symbol of power and intrigue—
Orochimaru, the Akatsuki's ace infiltration expert, has silently infiltrated Kigakure, which is currently under heavy guard—or rather, completely unguarded—using his unparalleled disguise and stealth skills.
He wanted to see for himself whether the legendary Broly was really that amazing.
Orochimaru, of course, did not use his true form. What he was currently transforming into was a woman's face.
That was the female face he used to "say goodbye" to his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, during the future "Konoha Crush Plan".
This woman's body was the second rebirth vessel he used for the forbidden technique "Reincarnation of the Undead".
He was originally reincarnated as a male ninja, but he later discovered that the female body was exceptionally compatible with his soul. For Orochimaru, who pursued "immortality" and "truth," gender was never an obstacle, so he used this body.
Thinking about it that way, Orochimaru seems even more perverted.
"Are you also here to join Kigakure?"
Just as Orochimaru (in female form) was about to enter Kigakure through the main gate as a wandering ninja, a slightly timid voice rang out from below him.
"What's your name? What was your status before?"
Orochimaru looked down and discovered that the person questioning him was a very young girl with pure white eyes.
The Hyuga clan? Byakugan?
As one of the former Legendary Sannin of Konoha, how could Orochimaru not recognize those iconic eyes?
He remembered that, according to rumors, before Broly left the Land of Fire, he also took the eldest daughter of the Hyuga main family, Hinata Hyuga, with him.
However, compared to the horrifying things he did, such as killing the Raikage and seizing a major country, kidnapping a little girl seemed insignificant, so much so that this piece of information had very little presence.
Orochimaru was taken aback by Hinata's question.
He subconsciously recalled something.
But he couldn't recall the original name of the woman he had chosen as his vessel.
After a moment's thought, Orochimaru leaned slightly forward and answered in a slightly hoarse female voice, "My name is Orochimaru-hime. Before—I was a wandering ninja who roamed the land."
"oh."
Hinata nodded and carefully wrote down the words "Orochimaru, Wanderer" in her notebook.
At the same time, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This auntie looks really scary."