White Zetsu Hidden in the Village, Uzuki Yugao Still Hated the Third Hokage

"They'll be fine. Neji are so strong. Unless they encounter thousands of enemies, who can stop them?" Naruto reassured him.

Little did they know that their words would come true, and at this moment, Neji and his two companions were fleeing in a sorry state.

Naruto didn't know any of this, and even if he did, he wouldn't know the exact coordinates, so there was nothing he could do. There were so many unexpected situations on the battlefield, and whether one could survive depended entirely on their own abilities.

"The war has started, and there's nothing I can do here." Hinata was a little unhappy.

"It's good that you're safe and sound. Nobody knows when war will break out suddenly," he reassured you. "Perhaps the war will be over soon, and then I'll bring you back."

"But the New Year Festival is just around the corner," she said.

"The New Year Festival... I'm afraid we can't celebrate it in the village. Can I come and spend it with you alone?" His voice softened. "I can't bring anyone else; I only trust you."

Hinata felt much more at ease, gazing at the warm sunshine of the Land of Snow Capital City, and felt strangely sluggish. Noticing Naruto's questioning gaze, she smiled gently.

"Remember to come back and see me."

"Of course, I won't go back on my word." Naruto smiled and reached out to pat Hinata's head. "You can rest here and recover. I'll keep an eye on things in the village."

"Um."

~~

"What kind of monster is that?" Omoi gritted his teeth, tore off a piece of his clothing, and forcibly bandaged his wound. "We're not going to die here, are we?"

"Stop talking such discouraging things! You'd be the one who dies here!" Karui slapped him on the back of the head, irritably saying, "Those monsters haven't caught up yet!"

Even so, Karui still looked around with some trepidation.

They circled around Kumogakure) before being lured out of the village and into the heart of the Land of Land of Lightning's forests. Deep within the Storm Forest, they were ambushed and nearly killed by White Zetsu.

Several of the White Zetsu seemed quite different from the ordinary White Zetsu, both in appearance and strength. Even the three of them found those Mutated White Zetsu extremely troublesome.

They are impossible to kill, as persistent as a leech, and some of the White Zetsu even know how to conceal their presence.

"They didn't chase after us. Only a small number of White Zetsu have the ability to conceal their presence; most of them aren't very strong." Samui was slightly injured, walked over slowly, looking at his two unworthy disciples.

"Should we retreat to the village?" Omoi asked, always a pessimist. "There are too many White Zetsu, and they know how to use tricks. The three of us can't handle them."

"Let's wait and see." Samui's gaze was calm. After all, he was Elite Jonin had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and he was not afraid of death.

Samui made the decision, and Omoi and Karui had nothing to say but to hurry up and recover their strength.

The snow gradually stopped, and the woods became increasingly quiet.

Suddenly, Samui spoke up.

"Back to the village!"

"What?" Omoi and Karui looked up at the same time, staring at their superior in shock.

"They haven't caught up yet after so long, something must have happened in the village." Samui frowned. "Let's go, there's no point in staying here. Let's go out and scout around."

~~

"Konohamaru, what are we supposed to do?" Udon stared at the figure in front of him, and said with some fear, "My mother told me that I must be home before dark and not to linger outside."

"Coward!" Konohamaru curled his lip. He was all grown up now. "How old are you? Still talking about 'Mother, Mother' all the time. You have no backbone!"

Udon opened his mouth, but dared not say anything more. He knew that Konohamaru had no parents since childhood, and Udon rarely mentioned words like "parents" to avoid upsetting Konohamaru.

"But this is too risky, and the village isn't safe either," Moegi said cautiously.

As the sun sets in the west, the crimson flames blaze.

Konohagakure Street was bathed in an orange twilight. The three little figures were silhouetted against the backdrop of the usually bustling street, which was now deserted.

It got dark, so I sealed the doors and windows.

Moegi stared at the dimly lit Konohagakure Street and couldn't help but shiver. She had never thought the village was dark before. But now, looking at it again, the once-familiar village seemed eerily sinister.

Konohamaru forcibly summoned the two, saying he needed to find the monster hiding in the village. Udon and Moegi, who always followed Konohamaru's lead, ran away after being encouraged by him.

The three hid in a large tree at the street corner. There was no light nearby, and even if you got closer, you couldn't see them clearly. But there were streetlights further away, so you could see clearly in all directions.

If there's any disturbance, the three of them can detect it from their hiding place in the tree, making it a good spot for reconnaissance.

"Konohamaru, there are no monsters in the village!" Udon whispered, his eyes scanning the darkness with obvious nervousness. "The Anbu have already cleared out the monsters, and the village is safe now."

"Safe my ass! Then why did they tell the villagers to seal their doors and windows? A lot of people have nailed their windows shut." Konohamaru muttered under his breath.

"Besides, I'm not blind. I really saw the enemy."

Konohamaru frowned. He still remembered the dark figure he had glimpsed in the alley, a clearly white face. It had no trace of life, which was truly terrifying.

He was terrified then, but after the fear came anger, a desire to prove he wasn't weak. He wanted to become the village's shadow, a hero, like his grandfather, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He wasn't entirely confident, though. The village fell silent as night fell, and the Anbu police had vanished. He panicked, unsure whether venturing out alone was the right or wrong decision.

"Konohamaru, Konohamaru." Moegi tugged at Konohamaru's sleeve in the softest voice she could manage. "Look over there, isn't a monster coming?"

Upon hearing this, Konohamaru's heart skipped a beat; he only glanced at it before his heart began to pound.

Two hundred meters away, under a streetlamp, a white, humanoid monster emerged from the darkness. It was slender, its entire body seemingly coated in latex, and it had fangs in its mouth.

A piece of facial bone, deformed like armor, covered his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

"Monster," Moegi murmured.

"It seems to have spotted us!" Udon, sounding a little panicked.

"Don't speak!" Konohamaru gritted his teeth. He wasn't afraid of the monster; this was his chance. "Cover me, I'm going to kill that monster!"

"No! (Konohamaru!)" Moegi and Udon exclaimed almost simultaneously.

Konohamaru moved, charging straight at Zetsu without even dodging. Amidst the howling night wind, he was struck hard by a White Zetsu punch. With a bang, the struck Konohamaru turned into white smoke; it turned out to be just a clone.

The instant the clone was shattered, Konohamaru roared above White Zetsu's head, the air compressed and swirling with the Rasengan, creating a deafening explosion. Once successfully gathered, it slammed into White Zetsu with incredible precision, causing the ground to shatter like layers of a pastry under the immense torsional force of the Rasengan.

A massive shockwave erupted from Konohamaru's center, creating a visible storm that was particularly striking in the darkness.

"Where did that explosion come from?" Uzuki Yugao looked up at the southwest corner of the village. She couldn't hear it very clearly, but she was worried that someone was up to no good.

"Something's wrong!" An Anbu appeared beside Uzuki Yugao. "Captain, the White Zetsu have all retreated. Konohamaru killed a White Zetsu in the southwest corner."

"Damn it!" Uzuki Yugao clenched her fists, wishing she could fly over and stomp Konohamaru to death. "Wasn't anyone watching them? Letting out a bunch of idiots to ruin things!"

Her status is different now, and she doesn't need to worry about things like the grandson of the Third Hokage. It's wartime now, and what she hates most are unruly children.

They're quite adept at doing bad things, but they'll be unable to explain themselves even after they die.

After the Anbu members left, Uzuki Yugao stared into the thick darkness and cursed angrily. She rarely lost her composure like this, but for some reason, she couldn't control herself today.

Perhaps it was because she had planned this for a long time and put in a lot of effort, just waiting for the intelligent White Zetsu hiding in the village to come out on their own.

Or perhaps it was because the brat was so arrogant and self-righteous that he ruined her important plans. But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't hide her true feelings.

She hated, she hated the Third Hokage.

Insignificant people seem to be forever insignificant; they die and they die, their plans are ruined and they are ruined. This was true when Gekko Hayate died, and it was also true when his own plans were disrupted.

Because that was the Third Hokage, and this time it's the Third Hokage's grandson. They were all unintentional, perhaps it had nothing to do with them at all, they were just unlucky.

Uzuki Yugao also understood that even if Konohamaru hadn't been the one to cause trouble today, there was no way to pursue the matter too much. At most, he would be punished, let alone Konohamaru.

She understood the reasoning; the Third Hokage had no selfish motives and was a hero who died defending the village. Konohamaru's parents both died in the war; he was a pitiful child.

But for some reason, she still felt hatred. She hated the capriciousness of fate, hated that powerful people never cared about the lives of ordinary people, and hated her own powerlessness to take revenge.

Taking a deep breath, Uzuki Yugao suppressed these chaotic thoughts. The war was more important; she should focus on salvaging the mission first.

What are you standing there for?

"What?" Uzuki Yugao jumped back suddenly, only to find that the person who came was Naruto, and she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

She had been lost in thought and hadn't had time to recognize the voice. Seeing Naruto's surprised expression, Uzuki Yugao asked seriously.

"What's up?"

"It's nothing, I just heard a noise and was passing by." Naruto glanced at Uzuki Yugao. "How long has it been since you slept? Your eyes are all red."

"It's alright." Uzuki Yugao felt a little flustered, not because she hadn't slept.

"Alright, I'll be going now." Naruto nodded and left on his own.

He had only happened to be passing by when he saw Uzuki Yugao standing there in a daze, and wondered what was wrong with her. Seeing that she was alright, he naturally wouldn't waste his time; he still had to go find Konohamaru.

That bastard! He insists I taught him the Rasengan, but couldn't he just say he figured it out himself?! Damn it, this kid looks smart, but why is he so stubborn?!

Naruto arrived at the scene cursing and swearing. Kakashi demanded an explanation from him, saying that such a dangerous Ninjutsu could not be taught to a brat like Konohamaru.

He was so absurd that he couldn't even remember which year he was taught it.

I had just Hinata in and hadn't even had a chance to catch my breath back in the village. I was planning to go see Ino. But then this happened. What bad luck!

From afar, Naruto spotted Konohamaru and his two short, stocky friends.

Taking advantage of the Anbu members leaving, he squeezed forward and flicked Konohamaru on the head.

"Ah! Naruto, why did you hit me?!" Konohamaru covered his head.

"Brother Naruto."

"Big Naruto!"

Moegi was a little excited and wanted to pull his clothes, but stopped when she reached out. Seeing that no one was watching, she quietly withdrew her hand, but her tone was still very happy.

"How dare you say that!" Naruto grabbed Konohamaru and pulled him over, giving him a thoughtful look, as if he vaguely understood why Uzuki Yugao had acted that way.

However, Konohamaru is indeed a lawless and irresponsible kid, and no one disciplines him.

"I killed a White Zetsu!" Konohamaru exclaimed excitedly. "Naruto- nii, look how powerful my Rasengan is! It's over there in that big crater!"

"Impressive?" Naruto was a little annoyed, but then he thought there was no point in blaming him. "The puddle I made is bigger than the one you created, and you're still bragging?"

"Impossible!" Konohamaru retorted defiantly, his neck stiff with arrogance.

"You say it's impossible? Have you ever thought that your reckless actions will kill Moegi and Udon?" Naruto's tone suddenly turned stern, and he pushed Konohamaru to the ground.

"Isn't everything alright?"

"Nothing my foot! Where do you think the Anbu went?" Naruto yelled. "Do you think there's only one White Zetsu in the village? Stop gloating and go home!"

He was too lazy to educate the kids, even though Konohamaru and the other two were already twelve or thirteen years old. Naruto at that age was already able to defeat Kabuto, while Konohamaru was still playing ninja house.

A few words wouldn't be enough to make Konohamaru realize his mistake. He only told Konohamaru not to mention that he learned the Rasengan from him, because he couldn't bear the embarrassment.

Ultimately, it was a minor matter, and Naruto didn't linger for long. After warning Konohamaru, he hurriedly left and rushed off to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

After confirming Ino's safety, the two talked for a while outside the flower shop. Inoichi Yamanaka, upstairs, turned a blind eye to their conversation.

The battle was becoming increasingly urgent, Inoichi Yamanaka was under considerable pressure, leaving him no energy to deal with the two children. Although he really wanted to rush up to them, grab Naruto, and shake him violently by the shoulder.

What's going on now? There's a war going on, aren't you worried at all? Huh? Don't you have any ambition? Are you trying to gain fame and fortune by marrying my daughter?

But these thoughts could only remain in Inoichi Yamanaka's mind. Naruto wasn't in a hurry to go to the battlefield, so how could his father-in-law force him to go to the front lines?

If something unexpected happens, Ino will hate him to death.

The outdoor temperature wasn't high in winter, and Naruto didn't talk to Ino for long, urging her to go home. Ino reluctantly turned and left, pulling down the curtain on the first floor.

Ino would be safer staying in Konohagakure. The Yamanaka Flower Shop is located in the very center of Konohagakure, not far from the Hokage Building. The surrounding buildings aren't too dense, so the White Zetsu wouldn't be able to reach her.

Thud. Naruto returned home and collapsed onto the sofa.