Chapter 721 Padding

The day of the funeral is scheduled for the middle of late July.

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

The Mausoleum Park, which was originally full of tombs, has added hundreds of new tombs again. At a glance, it seems that there is no end in sight. This makes this originally secluded place even more serene and sad.

The living dressed in pitch-black clothing, held bouquets of flowers, and saw off the dead.

Naruto standing in the crowd could vaguely hear someone cursing someone.

The living seeing off the dead is not just a simple sacrifice, the sadness will also follow the killing of their relatives, and they will feel hatred in their hearts.

All their words, eyes, and breath enveloping their bodies are filled with a strong hatred that wants to eat people.

And this kind of hatred, even the children who came with the adults, are also rendered by such emotions, staring at the grave of their loved ones in front, gnashing their teeth, the bright pupils are not innocent, but full of a frightening light, like an irritated cub.

Whether it is the avenger or the avenger, the pain of being killed by a loved one is the same.

This seems to be an inescapable cycle.

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

At this time, he thought of Sasuke again.

In order to achieve revenge, a terrifying gesture that will do anything at all. The people of Konoha are infected by the same thing.

This kind of hatred is still chained, and as the size of the victim grows, the hatred will become more profound and unforgettable.

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

Minato, who can feel Naruto's emotions, naturally knows why Naruto is distressed.

Dad, is there really no way to resolve such a thing as hatred?

Minato's consolation did not make Naruto feel better, but made his mood more complicated.

Hate is only a part of disputes. If human disputes do not stop, then such things as hatred will continue to breed. As human beings, we are very small and very powerless in the face of many things. To resolve the hatred of the villagers, Sasuke had to die. vice versa.

Minato's voice was unusually firm and brutal.

Having experienced ninja wars, he has already clearly understood that the best way to respect an enemy is to let him die.

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

While enjoying the honor, it is natural to be prepared to be hated by countless people.

Naruto, you are Konoha Ninja, you must destroy all enemies who are against the village for Konoha. Compassion and compassion are things that only winners are entitled to have. In the world of ninjas, the "compassion" that can be generally accepted is the ninja's ninjutsu and fists.

From Minato's point of view, there is no need for any hesitation at all in the choice of whether to die by oneself or the enemy. The only option is to kill the enemy.

But Naruto's hesitation and intolerance, he can also understand.

In the past, on the battlefields of Ninja World Wars, there were many novice ninjas with Naruto's naive mentality and good intentions. Therefore, when they set foot on the battlefield, they were often the first group to sacrifice.

Is it pathetic? It can only be said that it is unfortunate to live in such an era of war.

To be born in such an era, compassion and pity are also a sin.

And this kind of evil is closely related to one's own weakness, so that excess weakness will attract malicious peeps.

Naruto looked at the tombstones in front of him, the depression in his heart made him almost unable to breathe smoothly.

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

Listen well, Naruto, whether it is Sasuke or these villagers, you don't need to have any burden or guilt. Even if failure was inevitable, you did your best. Next time, fight with the determination to kill Sasuke.

Naruto who wants to take care of Konoha and his friends, the final result may not be good.

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 the difficulty that light words can describe.

Naruto didn't speak, but just looked at the countless tombstones, surrounded by an atmosphere of silence, separating himself from the people around him.

Minato is not in a hurry either. It is not easy to change a person's inherent concept.

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, the road ahead can continue, otherwise it can only stop here.

Choose what to pick up and what to give up, these are the options that ninjas must experience in the process of growing up.

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

The kid named Shikamaru made his own choice very simply. With a little practice, he will become an excellent jonin like Shikaku in the future. Minato suddenly remembered Nara Shikamaru, a fellow student with Naruto.

According to the evaluation of a ninja, whether it is excellent or not, although strength is a key factor, the growth of thought is also an indispensable and important part.

With the former, one can only become a general who charges forward on the battlefield, but cannot become the master of the overall situation. Only by taking both, can you get the ticket to the door of Naruto.

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

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

The crowd dispersed one after another, which eased the sad atmosphere a lot. It was not as depressing as before, making people dare not breathe loudly.

The weather at this time is neither sunny nor gloomy, but rather sultry.

In front of the tombs of the two consultants, there were only a few people who stayed here and did not leave.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shikahisa, and Danzo who were specially allowed to come out of prison to attend the funeral of old friends.

Compared to the other three, for the two dead old friends, Danzo seems to have lost emotion in his eyes. Sadness, joy, or other emotions, all can't be felt, and some are just nothingness.

From the beginning to the end, his eyes were not placed on the tombstones of the two old friends.

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

His purpose was never to commemorate the two old friends who died... After all, there is no need for the dead to remember.

"The funeral is over, now it's the old man's turn."

Danzo's right hand is leaning on a cane, using this as a foothold to support the body to stand.

His complexion is very bad, and his breath is also very weak, which can be easily seen by everyone present.

Tsunade and Shikahisa were also slightly surprised. They hadn't seen Danzo for a few days, and 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 other party suddenly makes a mistake, the martial arts faction that starts to lose control will definitely bring huge troubles to Konoha.

Konoha at this time cannot withstand such a big turmoil.

Therefore, they, who once hoped that Danzo would fall the most, hoped that Danzo could continue to support it as much as possible, at least until they made proper arrangements on their side and prepared for it.

"Then, according to what was agreed that day, Lu Jiu and I will conduct an audit to ensure that your methods are legitimate."

Tsunade's expression also became serious.

To be honest, she doesn't want to deal with people like Danzo.

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

In a short period of time, it is almost impossible to dissolve the roots.

Especially after the root absorbs a large number of fighters, the difficulty of disbanding the root will rise in a straight line.

"It's already at this time, the old man will naturally not play any tricks. Everything the old man is doing now is also for the sake of Konoha's future."

Danzo said so.

The subtext is that, already at this point, there is no need for him to split Konoha's power for the sake of the Naruto position.

However, regarding Danzo's statement, the three of Tsunade clearly wrote the word "do not believe" on their faces.

But whether they believe it or question it, they have to act according to Danzo's will at this time.

"Forget it on my side, just witness that you two are there. If I am, I still need to go out to check the information. Please leave the matter in the village."

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

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

"He is still so frizzy in his work. Although he is very good as an intelligence officer, neither the Kingdom of Ghosts nor that organization is a simple thing. Fifth generation, you better let him be careful outside, and don't fall into the enemy's trap, especially at this critical moment."

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

Don't know if this is Danzo's goodwill or ulterior motives, Tsunade just nodded.

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

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

"Come in."

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

Twisting the doorknob, I saw a gloomy, unsmiling old man walking in from the door. It was Danzo who came from the direction of the Mausoleum Park.

It seemed that Shikamaru felt very surprised by Danzo's arrival, and the originally flat expression on his face immediately showed obvious fluctuations.

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

However, he has made up his mind that no matter what kind of words Danzo uses to provoke him, he will not pay attention to it, nor will he have anything to do with the root organization.

Although he used the power of the roots in killing Sasuke, the essence is the cooperation that both parties seek together. After the cooperation, the connection will naturally be cut off directly, and there is no relationship at all.

As for jumping into the roots, to be honest, he didn't have such a dangerous and stupid idea from the beginning.

Just manipulating the ninjas in his own village with curse seals, and treating the ninjas as pure tools and killing machines to destroy their personality, just these actions, he can't agree with the root idea, thinking that such actions are too cruel and cold-blooded.

Danzo, who caused all this, naturally became the dark existence in his heart that he least wanted to contact among Konoha.

"Nara Shikamaru, the old man is here to invite you to enter the root."

Didn't hide his intention of coming, Danzo directly issued an invitation.

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

"Sorry, Elder Danzo, I think that I am not capable enough to abandon everything in the past and devote myself to the great cause of contributing to the village like those seniors. Therefore, you should ask another wise person about entering the root."

The tone is neither humble nor overbearing, a pair of dark pupils, forming a line of sight with Danzo's eyes, with a calm expression.

After all, this is temporarily Hokage's territory, and he doesn't think Danzo will do it directly here.

As if he had expected Shikamaru to give such an answer, Danzo remained expressionless and asked, "I ask you a question. Do you think that with Uzumaki Naruto's potential, he has the ability to become the pillar of the village?"

"certainly."

Shikamaru answered without the slightest hesitation.

He never doubted Naruto's potential.

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

"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 inexplicable to Shikamaru, so he asked with a puzzled look:

"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 what Danzo was thinking.

"The old man's lifespan is less than half a year, and it will come to an end. The root urgently needs the next leader, continue to lead the root forward, and you are the one chosen by the old man."

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

"After the old man dies, the roots will move around your will. You can change the 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 fighting faction attached to it can also subtly transform into the power under Hokage under your adjustment, and become a powerful boost for you to help Naruto Uzumaki."

Shikamaru's face was further dull, the conditions given by Danzo were so amazing that Shikamaru was immersed in shock and couldn't recover for a long time.

Danzo leaned on his crutches, turned around, and walked towards the door of the ward step by step.

By the time 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.

"This is all I have said. It is up to you to decide what to do next. In addition, this decision must be made within a week. Once this time limit is exceeded, the old man will treat you as a waiver."

After finishing speaking, Danzo walked out of the door, and disappeared at the door in a blink of an eye.

Outside the ward, Tsunade and Shikahisa, who heard the whole process in the ward, were full of thoughts and doubts.

"Lu Jiu, do you think what Danzo said just now is true?"

Whether it is letting the roots merge into the Anbu, or handing over the power of the fighting faction to others, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like the root's behavior.

After all, it is that Danzo, Tsunade dare not put absolute trust in such a ninja.

Lu Jiu groped his chin and answered:

"Although judging from a conventional point of view, these words of Elder Danzo are not worthy of trust. But the weakness shown by the other party is not a pretentious gesture, and the fact that there is no heir at the root is indeed a big hidden danger. I think this should be the idea that Elder Danzo originally wanted to express."

Although this is far from being "a man who is about to die, his words are good", but if Danzo really intends to decentralize power, then the process of concentrating Konoha's internal forces on their side will undoubtedly go much smoother.

In this way, before the kingdom of ghosts hits Konoha next time, the integration of forces can be completed, and they can counterattack normally, instead of holding each other back, and there is no room for fighting back against the kingdom of ghosts.

"Is that so? But I always feel that Danzo is behind our backs and planning other things."

Tsunade frowned, and after Lu Jiu's relief, he didn't let go completely, but continued to tense.

"It's because you have become nervous recently. Anyway, it is a good thing to be able to quickly integrate the internal forces."

Lu Jiu said so.

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

Otherwise, it would be impossible to talk about the integration of the roots and the fighting faction.

Hearing this, Tsunade nodded slightly. No matter what Danzo is planning, the integration of Konoha's internal forces is the most important thing.

The first thing Kachihime did when he returned to the land of ghosts was to come to the office where his father Shiraishi was, and to make a necessary mission report on his visit to the Daimyo Mansion in the land of fire.

However, this so-called visit to the Daming Palace of the Nation of Fire was intended to transfer part of Konoha's strength, and the bait was deliberately thrown out to make Konoha bite.

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

Judging from the results, the envoy group headed by Ichihime has indeed successfully transferred a considerable part of Konoha's power, pinning them down in the Daming Mansion of the Land of Fire, and providing a platform for Uchiha Sasuke to surprise Konoha.

"Thank you for your hard work. For the next period of time, you will temporarily stay in the country of ghosts, and you don't need to run around outside."

After reading the mission report document made by Yiji, Shiraishi put it aside casually, and said slowly to Yiji.

"In other words, don't you need to keep an eye on Konoha?"

Yiji raised her eyebrows.

"Of course you need to keep an eye on it, but there's no need to focus all your attention on Konoha. Since Akatsuki kidnapped Izuku half a year ago, the tail beast operation has not officially started, which makes me a little concerned. Although according to the informant's report, because of the emptiness of internal power, the operation will be low-key... But the preparation time this time is too long."

Shiraishi exhaled deeply, with a heavy tone, as if squeezing words out of his stomach.

Compared to villages ruled by big countries like Konoha, Akatsuki brought him a lot of pressure.

Although the ghost kingdom is the most powerful on the surface, it should not be taken lightly.

"so"

When Yiji heard this, she seemed to understand what Shiraishi meant, and narrowed her dark eyes.

"So, if Akatsuki wants to launch an operation targeting the tailed beast next, it is likely to use the trend of thunder to sweep the hole, and eat the remaining Zhuli of all people in one go."

Holding a signature pen, Shiraishi tapped the table lightly, making such an assumption.

Such a hypothesis is bold, but it is not impossible.

Similar deployment arrangements have been made by Shiraishi in the past.

That is to hide and not say anything, to attack at the most appropriate time, to reverse all the unfavorable situations ahead, and to complete the strategic goals set by oneself.

This is how Xiao Xiao feels to him now. Restrain all minions, and suppress the outward momentum, but this is not fear, but that there is no need to continue meaningless struggles and sacrifices.

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

"Taking away all the remaining Jinchuriki in one go, and Yixiao's remaining strength, can this really be done?"

Yiji's brows were slightly relaxed.

To deal with the remaining Jinchuriki at once, that is to say, to attack Kirigakushi, Yunyin, and Konoha at the same time. In the case of dividing the army into three groups, it is very difficult even for Oni Nation to accomplish such a feat.

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

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

Shiraishi said so.

He, Liuli, and Ayane have basically reached the peak of their lives. If they want to grow, it will be a long time of hard work. If they want to make achievements in a short period of time, it is difficult to break through the existing boundaries through exercise alone.

The age of Kazuhime has not yet reached the heyday of ninjas, and has a huge room for development. The changes in the strength of ninjas in this age group can be described as changing with each passing day.

What's more, a ninja like Ichihime whose chakra and physical energy are beyond abnormal, even if the strength is enough to match or even surpass the current Five Kages, the speed of strength growth is still unabated, which can be described as super fast.

"Speaking of this, the strength of the members of the thorn group seems to be a little weak. It just so happened that Sasuke Uchiha came over. I think he can be assigned to my team. What do you think, old man?"

Yiji thought of something, and suddenly asked Shiraishi.

As the leader of the thorn group, although it is a bit difficult to say, in fact, as long as there are these members, her power cannot be fully unleashed, and there is always an invisible chain around her body, restricting her performance.

Otherwise, if you explode your own chakra at will, you will accidentally affect your allies, chopping them away as if they were chopping up the enemy.

"I think it's probably impossible. That kid should want to lead the team by himself, and won't be inferior to others."

Shiraishi opened the drawer and took out a document from it.

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

"Then, I will leave first."

Ichihime took this important roster that recorded hundreds of ninjas from the Oni Nation, nodded at Shiraishi, turned and left.

(end of this chapter)