Chapter 154: Iwagakure and Kumogakure's Movements
A few days later.
As time passed, news of the battle between the Leader of Uzushio and the leader of Akatsuki continued to spread among the spy networks.
Most people who learned that Uzumaki Menma and Pain possessed strength surpassing the Five Kage remained skeptical. After all, there had always been far too many claims in the shinobi world about people being on par with—or even above—the Five Kage.
Yet after all these years, the Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were still the Kage. Nothing had changed.
Still, the spies unanimously recognized that the Leader of Uzushio and the leader of Akatsuki were extremely powerful, and they relayed the intelligence to their respective leaders.
Inside the Iwagakure administrative building.
The diminutive Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was handling official business in his office. Faced with the mountain of paperwork before him, the old man felt tons of pressure, and the pain in his already protruding lower back flared faintly.
At that moment, Kurotsuchi pushed open the office door and hurriedly delivered some intelligence. "Grandpa, this is information regarding the Land of Waves."
Ōnoki took the report and frowned after giving it a quick glance.
Seeing her grandfather sink into thought, Kurotsuchi leaned over to take a look. "Grandpa, Uzushio Village has occupied the Land of Waves. Does its leader really possess strength comparable to yours?"
"I don't know..."
Ōnoki said uncertainly, "But if this intelligence is true, the Leader of Uzushio will be a formidable opponent. And the name Uzumaki Menma reminds me of the Land of Whirlpools, which was destroyed decades ago."
"Those people from the Land of Whirlpools were no less crazy than the Uchiha during the Warring States Period. If they had chosen to join Konoha, Konoha's advantage in the previous