A Whetstone Delivered to His Door

Inside the camp.

Hizashi Hyuga, Uchiha Shisui, and Hatake Kakashi's trio could practically be considered his core group.

"Kakashi, you and Shisui need to keep a close eye on things. Mist Ninja before reinforcements arrive."

After all, now all the ninjas in the Konoha Camp know that although they have achieved a strategic victory, they have failed to guard against an internal traitor who leaked information, allowing the Mist Ninja to launch a surprise attack on a large amount of supplies in the rear.

"Night, this time it was Ueki who leaked the information."

Ninjas have strong investigative abilities, not to mention their countless bizarre Ninjutsu. The traitor in the Camp was naturally found, but Kakashi said it here, and Uchiha Yoru immediately realized that things were probably not so simple.

"Kakashi, is there something wrong with the traitor this time?"

Under Uchiha Yoru's increasingly serious gaze, even Uchiha Shisui, who was the slowest to react, noticed something was wrong and stared intently at Kakashi. Only Hizashi's expression remained stern, revealing no emotion.

After a moment of silence, Kakashi Hatake quietly, "The family of Ueki is under threat, and this threat comes from within the village, secretly instigated by the Third Hokage's Eldest Daughter-in-law."

Before Uchiha Yoru could say anything after hearing this, Uchiha Shisui's eyes turned bloodshot and menacing; the name reminded him of unpleasant things.

"Damn it! It's her again! How can someone like her still be alive? First Lord Orochimaru, and now this situation, she deserves to die!"

Shisui gritted his teeth in hatred, but Uchiha Yoru fell silent. He then raised his hand to stop Shisui's outburst and looked at Kakashi, saying quietly, "Who else knows about this?"

Hatake Kakashi nodded silently and said, "And Might Guy and Shiranui Genma too."

After all, this clue was something the three of them had figured out together. Hizashi Hyuga remained silent after hearing this, staring intently at Uchiha Yoru with a serious expression, as if waiting for instructions, perfectly embodying the role of a ninja who follows orders.

Under Kakashi's silent gaze, Uchiha Yoru spoke up, lowering his voice as he said, "The village needs stability, and we can't touch the Third Hokage's Eldest Daughter-in-law- in-law. This person is only a menace; she'll harm us and her family."

Even Uchiha Shisui understood the meaning behind those words. His earlier anger was now replaced by sorrow. He said hoarsely, "Brother Yoru, why! They were all ninjas on the front lines, willing to give their lives for the village, yet in the end, they were betrayed by their own village."

This person was betrayed by the village, and then someone else manipulated him. Therefore, Shisui was more furious at the corrupt higher-ups than at this ordinary ninja who was tormented by fate.

Having been enslaved by the main Branch Family for so long as a member of the Main Family, Hizashi Hyuga's mentality is more stable, and having seen so much, he naturally has a stronger ability to accept things.

Kakashi possesses a pure political mind; he understands the ins and outs of the matter clearly. The target is Uchiha Yoru; it's entirely aimed at Uchiha Yoru.

At this moment, Kakashi was also filled with grief and anger. Uchiha Yoru's strength had become a threat, and the Sarutobi Clan had begun to eliminate dissidents. Under such circumstances, would any strong individuals still emerge in the village?

I doubt it. All powerful ninjas can only live in the shadow of the Sarutobi Clan; once they cross that line, they will be targeted.

"Kakashi." Uchiha Yoru's hoarse voice echoed in the tent. He looked at the three of them with a calm gaze and said, "You will personally lead Genma Squad, Might Guy, and Kurenai Squad to carry out this mission. This man died from his injuries. I don't want to comment on right and wrong, but his family in the village is innocent. His family needs his heroic status."

Hatake Kakashi nodded silently after hearing this. He had two purposes in taking Might Guy and Genma Squad with him to talk to them: one was to win their hearts and see if they were willing to join them, and the other was to take the blame and avoid leaks.

After all, even if this person dies, they cannot reveal any information. As long as those in the shadows know that this person has not leaked anything, that's enough. Once they do, they will all be targeted.

Kakashi understood the principle that some secrets can only be kept by the dead.

As for the three members of Kurenai Squad, Kakashi understood. After all, they needed to unite more forces. Not only were the three geniuses, but they were also people they could trust. This was a kind of pledge of loyalty; if they accepted, they would become their insiders in the future.

Who would dare betray you? Let the person behind you know you know this secret? You might be fine now, but can you be sure you'll be alright in the future? After all, for those in power, this is a stain on their reputation.

Hatake Kakashi was not disgusted by Uchiha Yoru's methods; on the contrary, he showed a determined look. The Genma Squad was special and almost never betrayed them. As for the Kurenai Squad, they were classmates, and after so many years of fighting together, they seemed to be trusted by Uchiha Yoru, so the chance of betrayal was also very low. That's why he wanted to win them over to his inner circle.

After all, their ambitions are far greater than what one or two people can change in a village; they need to unite many more people.

"Shisui, Itachi just arrived at the front lines, so take him with you and let him witness the darkness of politics. This is a responsibility he must bear as the son of the clan leader."

Although Uchiha Yoru's tone was calm, it revealed a suppressed feeling of carrying a heavy burden. With a weary wave of his hand, the three of them slowly retreated with different expressions.

When only Uchiha Yoru remained in the silent tent, he rubbed his tired brows, but a slow, mocking smile crept onto his lips, his dark eyes revealing a cold, sarcastic smirk.

Shin'nosuke Sarutobi! Hehe, I have to thank your wife for handing me this whetstone; it's perfect for sharpening the few sharp knives in my hands.

Might Guy, Uchiha Itachi Yūhi Kurenai, Mitarashi Anko, Uzuki Yugao, and the Genma Squad trio—having witnessed the darkness of the village's corruption, he believed that no one would stand idly by and watch the village continue to decay.

As for Yūhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao, whose identities are questionable, Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes as he thought of this. Perhaps this was his test, and it was time to see the results.

The worst-case scenario is that the two of them will simply report everything to the Third Hokage. What then? The Third Hokage will only think he's a man of great principle, choosing to nip everything in the bud to prevent unrest in the village. As for threats?

The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, was also an extremely proud person; otherwise, how could he have ruled Konoha for so many years based on his own ideals—the will of the Konoha? The danger is minimal.

"Kurenai, Yugao, I think you won't let me down." Uchiha Yoru murmured to himself, a confident smile on his face.

What a fine whetstone! In the future, he will have several more sturdy and sharp longswords by his side, which will also be the strength he gathers.

With his fangs bared, it was time for him to gather his strength. After Orochimaru left and he accepted the Hyuga Branch Family, there was no turning back.

The Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.

Inside the Raikage's Office, the Fourth Raikage Ay, whose muscular physique was now on full display, put down the barbell and looked at his subordinate as he solemnly handed him the intelligence.

After quickly skimming through the intelligence report, the Fourth Raikage, Ay, immediately stood up in shock and anger. He stared wide-eyed at the report several times before finally revealing a serious expression.

Is the intelligence reliable and accurate?

"Lord Raikage, time is of the essence, and there is no time to confirm."

Seeing the solemn expression on his trusted aide's face, the Fourth Raikage also frowned and looked grave. "The Konoha were dispatched from the border region near Shin'nosuke Sarutobi's territory, intended to intimidate the Mist Ninja. If that's true, Konoha probably wants to use this opportunity to negotiate Mist Ninja."

"No, we have to take this gamble no matter what! How did they find this information?!" Just as the Fourth Raikage, Ay, was about to ask how they had discovered it, his pupils constricted when he saw the familiar signature.

"It's him! Spy from Konoha High Command!"

This wasn't the first time, but the enemy's intelligence had always been accurate. Thinking this, the Fourth Raikage, Ay his teeth and said in a deep voice, "There are risks, but we must try this time. We can't let Konoha negotiate with Mist Ninja. Gather our elite forces and prepare to secretly intercept Konoha's reinforcements."

"Yes!"

A secret elite force from within Kumogakure, carrying out an important mission for the Raikage, secretly set off.

The Land of Earth, Stone Village.

Inside the Tsuchikage's office, the red-nosed Ōnoki frowned as he looked at the intelligence scroll in his hand. "It's that mysterious person's information again. Although it's highly credible, it's still somewhat dangerous."

"This is a common tactic of the Third Hokage Sarutobi, Mist Ninja, to expand his gains and intimidate the Kirigakure ninja. The Mist Ninja suffered heavy losses in the Third Shinobi Wars, and this time they may really fall into Sarutobi."

Hiruzen Sarutobi used a blatant, overt strategy. Did the Mist Ninja to fight back? Did they dare to expand their gains? To be honest, the Konoha clan is large and powerful. Opening up a battlefield with one or two thousand ninjas in the Land of Whirlpools would only be a hindrance, but the losses for the Mist Ninja would be much greater.

Ōnoki, seeing through the situation clearly, frowned. "It seems we need to make a move this time. We must disrupt Konoha's deterrence plan. The best way is to disguise Mist Ninja and wipe out this reinforcement force, thus provoking a war between Mist Ninja and Konoha."

Thinking of this, Ōnoki pondered for a long time before making a decision, "Send an elite force to join forces with the Kazekage and Raikage. Presumably, if Konoha were to Mist Ninja, that would be something everyone would want to see."

It has to be said that experience counts. The Third Hokage was afraid of causing trouble, which is why he transferred elite troops from the border defense line of the Land of Lightning. However, despite all the precautions, he couldn't prevent an insider from leaking information.

Ōnoki's methods were exceptionally cunning. He wanted to sabotage Mist Ninja's plan to deter Konoha without putting in much effort, since no one would compensate for the losses. However, by joining forces with the Kazekage and Raikage, even though it was a Konoha scheme, he could share the risks.

Konoha is a common enemy. No one wants to see a Konoha that is recuperating. After all, the Land of Fire has too strong a foundation. It would take them ten years to recover, but Konoha only needs five years. That is the difference in their foundation.

The Land of Wind, Sunagakure.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked at the information sent by the Iwakage and immediately revealed a mocking sneer. "What a cunning old man, you've certainly got a good plan."

Although he knew it was a trap, Rasa remained silent in the end. The Sunagakure suffered the greatest losses in the Third Shinobi War, which led to a large number of missions being taken by the neighboring village of Konoha. Furthermore, as a defeated nation, Sand Ninja had to hand over a portion of their missions to Konoha every year.

This is a disgrace, and also a means to weaken their Sunagakure.

He came to power at a time when Sunagakure was at its most difficult and weakest point, and even the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was cutting funding, which gave him a huge headache.

Don't be fooled by his mastery of Magnet Release: Gold Dust; panning for gold in the vast desert? It's not that easy.

The low purity of Gold Dust further exacerbates the already harsh environment of the Land of Wind.

Moreover, with the yellow sand covering the world, what is the ratio of Gold Dust to sand? It can be said that in the vast sea of sand, even if he possessed the Magnet Release Technique for Gold Dust, how much desert could he possibly mine in his entire life?

Gold Dust refers to gold deposits in mountains that have been washed away by river water; therefore, most Gold Dust is buried in the silt of underground rivers.

Leaving aside how deep the underground rivers in the desert are, just consider the destructive power of panning for gold in them. The Land of Wind is also an arid and water-scarce country, so the terrifying consequences of destroying the underground rivers would be completely outweighed by the gains.

Even if he worked himself to death for a year, how much could he possibly find? The desert is so vast that he couldn't possibly find anything even if he spent his entire life searching, let alone considering its depth; Gold Dust is almost always buried in the deepest parts.

To put it another way, the gold he panned through a desert for a month was less than what he would have earned from a single mission.

The gold content of Gold Dust is less than five percent pure.

So it's not worth it! His Gold Dust is also accumulated and sealed in a container, usually nurtured with Chakra, so that it can be used directly in battle, just like Gaara's Gourd.

Later on, the sand/ Gold Dust is sealed in an inconspicuous location. During battle, it's similar to the summoning of Mist Ninja; this Gold Dust has become a part of him and can be summoned and used at any time. (A self-justifying plot hole)

"We can't let this opportunity to weaken Konoha slip by!"

The battle between the Mist Ninja and Konoha is entirely beneficial to the Sunagakure, as both villages are at odds with them.

Konoha is now practically leeching off Sunagakure, and this time they might be able to weaken this Konoha.

In an instant, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, made up his mind and said to his trusted confidant in a deep voice, "Baki, I need you to personally take charge of this matter. Secretly mobilize elite forces, and work together with the ninjas of Iwagakure and Kumogakure to execute this plan."

It must be said that the Third Hokage Tsuchikage Onoki, was cunning and shrewd. He also used a calculated strategy, as no one wanted to see Konoha able to recuperate peacefully.

For every year that Konoha was embroiled in war and unable to recover, they could catch up for a year. During the Third Shinobi War, they almost saw hope of defeating Konoha, but they failed at the last step. This time, they were also determined to drag Konoha down from the top of the Five Great Ninja Villages once again.

At this moment, Shin'nosuke Sarutobi was far away on the border, had just dispatched ninja reinforcements when his wife, Ume Sarutobi, started causing trouble again.

"What are you trying to do now!"

Seeing the frustrated and angry look in Shin'nosuke Sarutobi's eyes, Ume Sarutobi simply sneered, "I didn't do anything, I just told them to slow down and be careful on the road, just in case of an ambush by the Mist Ninja."

"You!"

Shin'nosuke Sarutobi wasn't stupid. He stared wide-eyed at his wife, knowing she was trying to buy time and cause some trouble for Uchiha Yoru on the battlefield of Land of Whirlpools, so that she could use that as an excuse to weaken his Prestige.

It was because he understood that Shin'nosuke Sarutobi fell silent at the end, and he finally said quietly, "Father is right, your ambition is too great. I can no longer indulge you."

Ume Sarutobi sneered, "My ambition is great? Aren't I doing what you want to do but dare not do? I'm just doing it for you."

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