Unlike Sunagakure and Iwagakure, which suddenly grew tense, Konohagakure of the Land of Fire, which also bordered the Land of Rain, did not show too much shock when it received the intelligence sent back from the Land of Rain.
For one thing, Konoha had only just ended its war with Kirigakure.
Among its middle and upper ranks, there was no shortage of shinobi who had personally witnessed Rei Kaguya fighting at full strength.
As for the strength and talent of this third legendary shinobi to appear after Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, they had always prepared themselves based on the worst possible assumptions.
As for the second reason…
"Minato, why are you making that expression again? You look like you do not know whether to laugh or cry."
In the living room of the Namikaze household, Kushina Uzumaki, whose palms, arms, and legs were wrapped in quite a few bandages, walked out of the kitchen carrying food.
Seeing Minato Namikaze sitting on the sofa while reading a letter with a strange expression, she asked curiously.
"It is a letter from Jiraiya-sensei. In the letter, he complains to me that he has clearly spent all this time avoiding the responsibility of becoming Hokage, yet now he is solving all kinds of problems for Amegakure and his three disciples. He says he is so busy every day that he cannot get away, almost like he has become Amegakure's Amekage. He does not even have time to go drink with pretty ladies…"
Minato waved the letter paper in his hand toward Kushina, who was setting out dinner, and spoke with a mixture of speechlessness and relief.
"But this is fine too. If Jiraiya-sensei is busy outside, then he has no time and no need to face Orochimaru's defection, as well as the mess Orochimaru left for the village after defecting."
"You do not blame Lord Jiraiya for not staying in Konoha to help you stabilize the situation, and instead running off to help the Akatsuki of the Land of Rain, Minato?"
Kushina put down the dish in her hand.
While untying the apron on her body, she asked.
"For Konoha's side, with Lord Third and the advisors helping me handle various matters, it is already more than enough. Letting Jiraiya-sensei go outside to clear his mind is also good. After all, Orochimaru was one of his closest friends. If he keeps staying in the village and watching us interrogate the shinobi who once belonged to Orochimaru's faction, it would be very easy for the surroundings to stir up painful feelings."
"Not to mention, the three leaders of the Akatsuki are Jiraiya-sama's disciples in the first place. If he is there helping them from the side, we can also reduce Rei Kaguya's influence over them as much as possible, right?"
"That is true… Sigh. We finally ended the war. I thought Konoha would finally become peaceful under your governance, Minato, but then something like this happened, something that could turn into internal division with one wrong step…"
Kushina shook her head.
While quietly lamenting Konoha's recent run of bad luck, she returned to the kitchen, preparing to carry the last bowl of hot soup to the table.
"Uwah!"
Almost the instant Kushina let out that cry, Minato Namikaze's figure vanished from the sofa in the living room.
The man with the greatest speed in the shinobi world first used the Body Flicker Technique to catch the bowl of hot soup that had slipped from Kushina's hand.
After setting it down steadily, he immediately held Kushina's bandaged hands with concern and asked softly, "Are you hurt, Kushina?"
"N-No. I was just scalded a little, then I did not hold it steady."
Kushina's pretty face reddened slightly.
She withdrew her hands from Minato's grasp and spoke in embarrassment.
"Do not force yourself too much. Although your Uzumaki clan physique and chakra can restrain Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails is still the strongest of the nine Tailed Beasts. If you are too impatient to master its power, you will only be harmed by its power instead."
Looking at the bandages on his wife's body, which were increasing day by day because of her Jinchuriki training, Minato's sunny and handsome brows could not help carrying a trace of self-blame and guilt.
He reached out and hugged Kushina's waist.
Looking at his wife's red hair, which had been deliberately tied into a ponytail for the sake of convenient training, he said gently, "Why not suspend your Jinchuriki-related training for a while, Kushina? You do not need to push yourself so hard…"
"If I put down my training, then all the burden will fall on you, Minato."
Kushina did not try to break free from Minato's embrace.
She simply leaned against his chest, listened to his young and powerful heartbeat, and refused.
"I am Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Protecting the village as combat strength and protecting the Hokage is my responsibility in the first place."
"Not to mention, you are my husband, Minato. You are the gentlest person, someone who still did not choose to distance himself from me even after knowing I was a Jinchuriki."
"I am not so weak that when the village needs me, I would throw the responsibility I should bear onto you, who are already racking your brain for the village."
"Kushina…"
"All right, all right. It is time to eat. Later, you still have to worry with the Third about those shinobi who left Root on their own. If you do not eat properly, you will not have the energy to handle such troublesome matters."
Kushina gently patted Minato's back and looked at the quiet Konoha outside the window.
She let out a small sigh.
Originally, she had still wanted to have a child with Minato after the Third Shinobi World War ended.
Now, it seemed they would have to wait a while longer.
Sigh. At times like this, she really envied Mikoto.
Fugaku seemed to be preparing to have a second child with her, right?
She hoped that after her own child was born, Mikoto's second child could be a good older brother or sister to them.
…
At the same time, Obito Uchiha, who had just finished his medical ninjutsu training, was sitting on a cliff where only faint moonlight could be seen.
Breathing slightly, he discussed with the real Tobi how to handle the group of Root members they had tricked away from the Land of Rain.
"Are you serious, Obito?"
"Are you really planning to use the identity arranged for you by Zetsu's clone and become the new leader of these Root shinobi?"
"Why not, Tobi? Now that the Akatsuki has gone out of control, we need a new organization that can accumulate power for the Eye of the Moon Plan. Is taking over Root, which has lost its leader, not just right?"
Obito Uchiha met Tobi's gaze with his single eye and threw the question back.
"There is clearly Madara's name available to borrow, yet you insist on using the name of an organization built by garbage who is weaker than him by who knows how many times? Madara might get angry over your lack of ambition."
Tobi did not think much and gave that answer directly.
"Heh. Then go ask Madara, Tobi. Ask him whether, when he is already old and dying, unable to display combat strength, and when the backup plan used for his resurrection has already lost control, he dares to raise the name of Madara Uchiha to gather subordinates while risking drawing that Rei Kaguya over."
Obito Uchiha sneered.
He looked down disdainfully at Tobi, who had been stopped by his question.
Only after the other party reluctantly shook his head to show that he understood Obito's thoughts did Obito speak in an icy tone.
"Since we cannot take out the name Madara Uchiha to gather subordinates, then using Root, which has ready manpower and an organizational structure, and also has a legitimate reason to be hostile to Kirigakure, is the obvious choice."
"Shimura Danzo's title was the Darkness of the Shinobi. Then the reborn Root will operate with the purpose of absorbing all darkness in the shinobi world."
"What Rei Kaguya wants to do is not much smaller than Madara's plan. In the process of executing it, his actions and the actions of his subordinates will inevitably stir up countless opposition and hatred."
"Taking advantage of this opportunity, we will become the banner of those opponents. We will provide an opportunity for resistance to those who oppose Rei Kaguya's methods but fear his power…"
"The people of the four great shinobi villages—no, the five great shinobi villages—will all be willing to provide us with support."
Listening to Obito's unexpectedly feasible and farsighted plan, Tobi jumped up in surprise.
He brought his face close to Obito Uchiha and used some unknown visual organ to stare carefully at him for a while.
Only then did he mutter quietly, "Strange. Why did you suddenly start using your brain…? Back in the Land of Rain, you still needed Zetsu's clone to explain the whole plan to you before you could understand what he wanted to do."
Obito Uchiha's face could not help darkening.
Still, he maintained his composure and calm as he said, "People grow, Tobi… Especially when they realize that before them exists a difficulty they can only climb over by giving everything they have."
"Are you talking about how your progress in learning medical ninjutsu is basically nonexistent and you have no idea when you will be able to retrieve your other eye from Konoha? Or are you talking about dealing with that monster Rei Kaguya, Obito?"
Tobi asked curiously.
Obito Uchiha took a deep breath.
Then he extended his hand toward Tobi.
With a rare and terrifyingly kind smile on his face, he spoke word by word through gritted teeth.
"Tobi, there are some words we can slowly discuss inside the Kamui dimension… okay?"
"No!"
Tobi vigilantly backed away several steps.
Covering his rear, he shook his head desperately at Obito Uchiha.
"Be good. Come inside with me!"
"No! I have to go poop!"
"What damn poop do you have?! Get over here!"
Beneath the sparse moonlight, the furious Obito Uchiha chased and beat the sharp-tongued Tobi, step by step heading toward an area where the shadows were deeper and darker.
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