bookbashuk Chapter 65: No Progress
Chapter 65: No Progress
Hokage Building.
The midday sun slanted in through the window at ten o'clock, illuminating the entire Hokage's office.
Fine dust particles floated slowly in the beam of light, like a group of lazy, tiny creatures, rising and falling silently in the air.
Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the window, took a deep breath of the fresh air outside, and a long-lost look of relaxation appeared on his face.
After years of war and turmoil, such peace is all the more precious.
He closed his eyes, quietly savoring the tranquility of the moment. The lingering gloom in his heart seemed to dissipate somewhat with the warmth of the sunlight.
"If only the village could stay peaceful and quiet like this forever..."
Before his low sigh had even faded, a familiar female voice from the street below pulled him back to reality.
"Don't go! I have something to ask you!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slightly opened his eyes and looked downstairs.
On the street, a woman with long, blood-red hair was chasing after a bald, middle-aged man who looked like a merchant.
The red-haired woman moved with incredible speed and agility. Her red hair fluttered like flames in the sunlight, and you could feel her relentless drive even from a distance.
"My Lord! The ninjas of Konoha are arresting people arbitrarily!"
"I'm a law-abiding citizen of Konoha! You can't chase me like this!"
The bald man ran while shouting back, his face full of panic, but his steps remained perfectly steady.
Instead, it accelerated under the cover of crowds and streets.
So this woman is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...
As expected, they didn't dare to make a move in the downtown area.
Hehe, Lord Madara... you still have to rely on me, White Zetsu Hachi...
A hint of smugness flashed in his eyes, and he even began to plan in his mind how to report today's situation to that important person.
But the next second—
boom!
A sudden, unexpected chop to the neck landed hard from his side and behind.
Before the bald man could even wipe the smile off his face, he suddenly froze and collapsed to the ground.
Snapped!
With a dull thud as he fell to the ground, the onlookers finally realized what had happened.
But when they looked at the bald man again, the middle-aged vendor was nowhere to be seen on the ground.
All that remained was a body rapidly shedding its disguise, becoming deathly pale and twisted...
White creatures?
It's no wonder they thought that way; this guy in front of them was just too strange.
"This is……"
"What happened?"
"Did this person appear out of thin air?"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, their faces filled with astonishment and bewilderment.
Just then, two ANBU ninjas appeared silently on the outskirts of the crowd, their gazes cold and swift beneath their black masks.
"Operate in the shadows; all unauthorized personnel must be removed."
The brief and unequivocal order was given, and before the onlookers could say anything more, they were immediately evacuated.
Immediately afterwards, the two ANBU members turned their attention to Hyuga Seiran, who had made the move.
They exchanged a glance, and then Asahi nodded almost imperceptibly to Qinglan, as if confirming something.
The next instant, the two picked up the white monster from the ground, and in a flash, disappeared from the spot.
On the street, only Hinata Seiran and Uzumaki Kushina, who arrived late, remained.
"Why is it the Anbu again???"
Kushina stood there, her face full of suspicion, her hair fluttering slightly as she spoke.
She stared at the remaining white marks on the ground, then looked at the glaring boy who had suddenly appeared in front of her, her dissatisfaction almost written all over her face.
"And who are you?"
"You must be Kushina, the Jonin!"
Hinata Seiran suddenly bowed, seemingly unaware of Uzumaki Kushina's red hair gradually rising.
"Eh...?"
Kushina was taken aback, clearly not quite understanding. She blinked, looking at the black-haired boy in front of her with a somewhat bewildered expression.
Do you know me?
"That's natural."
Hinata Seiran raised his head, his eyes filled with a hint of respect.
"I once heard my team leader say that you are not only proficient in sealing techniques and various barrier techniques, but also have extremely strong combat skills. You are a rare and outstanding Jonin in Konoha."
"Hmph...that's quite an exaggeration."
Kushina was taken aback at first, then her face flushed slightly, and she immediately showed a somewhat smug and somewhat embarrassed expression, raising her hand to scratch her head.
"Hahaha... No, no, it's just so-so... just so-so."
"Who's your teacher? I might even know him. I'll treat you to something later..."
"He's dead."
Kushina Uzumaki's smile froze, and she suddenly felt as if the air around her had turned cold.
"Ah, um... I'm sorry... I didn't know."
"It's okay, people always die in war."
"......."
After a few words, Kushina's anger at being "hijacked" subsided by more than half.
The two chatted back and forth, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed from the initial scrutiny and seriousness.
Before long, Kushina had come to regard Hinata Seiran as one of her own, someone she could confide in about the Anbu and track down spies with.
In the end, she simply waved her hand, patted Qinglan on the shoulder with great enthusiasm, and took him to eat Ichiraku Ramen.
On the windowsill of the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a pipe dangling from his lips, watched the scene below and couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"Hehehe..."
He shook his head and slowly looked away.
He hadn't expected Kushina Uzumaki to be so proactive in this matter, and even to make a breakthrough.
Neither Minato's investigation team nor Jiraiya's joint investigation with various departments within the village made much progress.
The entire Fire Kingdom has been searched, but the clues are pitifully few, as if they have been deliberately erased by something.
Aside from Kushina Uzumaki, the only breakthroughs that can be considered are the research results from Tsunade and Orochimaru.
Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to his seat and began to review the reports on his desk.
Orochimaru's writing was filled with various biological terms and complex deductions. The descriptions of cell adaptation, tissue regeneration, and chakra compatibility were so dense that they gave him a headache.
He recognized each word individually, but when put together, it sounded like a completely different language.
It wasn't until he read Tsunade's more conclusive analysis that he finally understood a little bit.
"Highly compatible with interstitial cells..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi gently put down the report, his brows furrowing slightly.
Although Orochimaru had previously hinted to him that the origins of these white creatures were not simple, he was still shocked when it was confirmed that they were highly related to Hashirama's cells.
Since the last Wood Release experiment failed, he personally ordered that such data and samples be strictly sealed.
If Danzo or Orochimaru hadn't leaked Hashirama's cells during the experiment, giving some unknown individuals an opportunity to exploit them...
Therefore, the only possible source left is this one.
The man who "died" in the Valley of the End...
Madara Uchiha.