The others had no idea that this was what Toneri was focused on.
But the Third was the Third. He brought the conversation back on track.
"Young man, your name is Toneri, right? I'm the Third of Konoha. You don't need to worry about your safety anymore. You're perfectly safe now!
"If you don't mind, could you tell me what you've been through lately? Especially about the sealing formula on your stomach and the Tailed Beast inside you—where did it come from?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi put away his pipe and smiled at Toneri through narrowed eyes.
Judging from Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression alone, he seemed like a kindly old man from next door.
A warm, easygoing presence washed over Toneri.
Toneri tensed slightly.
This one's even more skilled!
Toneri immediately put on an expression that looked pitiful and helpless.
He recounted everything he had been through lately, in detail and with a little embellishment.
He started with how he became the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, then explained how, by sheer coincidence, he had set off on the road back to the Land of Fire. After that, he described meeting a ninja at the Land of Fire's border and how they had fought.
In short, he kept the general story intact, with just a "slight" bit of polish here and there!
But Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others confirmed that the Tailed Beast inside Toneri was the Two-Tails!
They all knew that Kumogakure had two Tailed Beasts. They also knew Toneri had one inside him; they simply weren't sure which one.
"I see.
"So you were originally a resident of the Land of Fire, Toneri. You only had to leave home because of a special mission, and now you've come back. You're home again!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat down beside Toneri's hospital bed with a smile.
Toneri knew that, despite Hiruzen Sarutobi's kindly old-grandfather act, he was deciding whether to let Toneri stay or send him away.
Toneri's only advantage was that he was a native of the Land of Fire, and Root should have a file on him. That was probably how Hiruzen Sarutobi knew his name.
There was plenty of controversy surrounding Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Toneri didn't know much about the specifics. But Hiruzen had devoted himself completely to Konoha—even his life.
His Will of Fire...
"Wherever leaves dance, the fire will burn. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and new leaves will sprout."
That was the principle Hiruzen had upheld ever since he became Hokage.
So, while the Two-Tails inside Toneri was a major concern, the fact that he was a native of the Land of Fire was also something Hiruzen Sarutobi had to consider.
Besides, Danzo did have a point.
Kumogakure was still Konoha's ally, but it had given Konoha no warning before preparing to attack the Land of Earth. That was another factor.
They could have at least said something.
But they hadn't.
They had simply used Konoha as a shield, taking advantage of its position in the Land of Rain to attack the Land of Earth and seize territory.
And what was the point of seizing territory?
Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't a fool.
What's more, the moment he saw the sealing formula on Toneri's stomach, he recognized it and understood where it came from.
What had happened back then was the most helpless and powerless he had ever felt since becoming Hokage. Even now, thoughts of it still flashed through his mind every night before he fell asleep.
If I'd acted ruthlessly back then, things might have turned out differently.
That was one reason Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated over what to do with Toneri.
But the most important factor—the one that weighed most heavily—was the Tailed Beast itself!
As the Shinobi World Professor, renowned for his achievements on the battlefield, Hiruzen had seen the devastation a Tailed Beast could wreak when unleashed in battle.
To ordinary ninja, the number of tails didn't matter. Either way, they couldn't fight one.
A Tailed Beast was a meat grinder on the battlefield.
Its only drawback was that Tailed Beasts on the battlefield were often uncontrollable.
They injured the enemy, but their allies too.
And this clever-looking little fellow in front of him seemed to have some ability to control a Tailed Beast!
That was what truly tempted Hiruzen!
After all, Konoha had the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts: the Nine-Tails.
To seal the Nine-Tails perfectly and make its host a suitable Jinchūriki, the Uzumaki Clan had been the ideal choice. Their powerful bodies, vast chakra reserves, and formidable Sealing Jutsu made them perfect for the job—and they had nearly been wiped out.
At first glance, this little fellow didn't seem to have anything particularly special about him. Even the sealing formula looked terribly crude to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And yet Toneri had made it all the way from the Land of Lightning to Konoha, come right to the brink of losing control, and then recovered!
If that little girl could control the Nine-Tails as well as this boy seems to control the Two-Tails...
The Shinobi World was anything but peaceful.
Even though the Second Shinobi World War was nearly over, Hiruzen Sarutobi could clearly sense that the conflicts between the hidden villages wouldn't ease just because of this war. If anything, they might grow even worse!
The war was only ending because every side had suffered heavy losses, and because they had been forced to stop when Hanzo of the Salamander, the Demigod of the Ninja World, agreed to a truce.
But once the hidden villages recovered, those conflicts would inevitably surface again!
As Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to be prepared at all times. The Nine-Tails, the strongest Tailed Beast, was part of those preparations.
And as the Shinobi Hero, he had no choice but to yield to time. In his forties, his strength had already begun to decline.
Konoha occupied the most fertile land in the entire Ninja World and enjoyed the richest resources. Of course, that made it a target for the envy of others.
A land torn apart by war...
"Mm-hmm. Mister, who are you? Where am I?" Toneri nodded obediently as he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his eyes utterly pure.
What wonderfully pure eyes...
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help thinking, then turned and glared at his old friend.
How could he put the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on such an innocent child and use someone so young as a spy in another country? That was just...
Too cruel!
He'd forgotten who had approved it back then...
Noticing Hiruzen Sarutobi's look, Shimura Danzō couldn't figure out what he meant.
But as an old friend, he could more or less guess what decision his companion had made.
After all, a Tailed Beast was a tempting prize, wasn't it?
And it could weaken Kumogakure, too.
Third Raikage A was probably still furious right now. Losing the Two-Tails over a bit of land in the Land of Earth was hardly worth it.
Judging by Toneri's account and the investigation results provided by Anbu and Root after they learned what had happened, Kumogakure probably didn't know that the Two-Tails had ended up inside Toneri by sheer coincidence.
They also had no proof that Toneri was in Konoha. So as long as the secret was protected, there shouldn't be a problem for now.
Kumogakure had already suffered heavy losses.
And Iwagakure was still licking its wounds. Compared to Konoha, it would surely hate the Kumo Ninja who had attacked it from behind much more.
Of course, if the truth came out, Hiruzen Sarutobi had plans of his own.
When it came down to it, nothing was beyond sacrificing for Konoha—not even Hiruzen himself.
Everything was for Konoha!
For the Konoha where new leaves could sprout beneath the light of the fire!
"Little Toneri, you're in Konohagakure now.
"It's safe here. If you want, you can stay here from now on. This can be your new home!" Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and gently patted Toneri on the head.
It's a cage, too.
Toneri silently added, keeping his face calm as he nodded obediently.
"Hiruzen..." Danzo took a step forward to speak.
But before he could get a word out, Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped him with a raised hand.
"Little Toneri, you've only just woken up. Get some rest and recover. We'll leave you in peace for now." Hiruzen Sarutobi rose to his feet and spoke to Toneri.
"Okay!" Toneri answered with a nod, looking perfectly obedient.
It wasn't as if he could leave even if he wanted to.
This was Konoha. Forget leaving—he probably couldn't even get out of this hospital building.
Even if he unleashed the Two-Tails' full power, it wouldn't be enough to beat Hiruzen Sarutobi alone, who was still near the peak of his strength.
And besides, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't the only big shot in Konoha.
You all say Jin Mu's chapters are short, but each one is around 2,500 characters now. During the new-book period, that's the best Jin Mu can manage. Otherwise, he'll end up suffering from the word-count issue like last time!
Quite a few readers still aren't used to Jin Mu's current style. There's nothing I can do—gotta play the sympathy card. Jin Mu has to make a living, so put out the bowl, put out the bowl!
Thanks to 平常心是我 for the ten-thousand-yuan reward, and thanks to 小鸡炖人参, 书友20181203003918289, 羡余余, and all the other generous readers for your rewards!
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