Shizune, Who Do You Think Is the Hokage?

Kikyo City.

"Sir, we were attacked in the vicinity, but the attackers did not harm anyone. Instead, they left this item behind. Please take a look."

"Um."

Hayama Shirakumo accepted it.

A small bamboo tube.

This type of bamboo tube is usually used by Ninja Birds to carry information directly, but the other party did not use Ninja Birds, but instead tied it to Kunai.

Just as he was about to open it, Hayama Shirakumo saw a mark on it, and his pupils immediately contracted, causing him to falter.

This is Kyohiko's Flying Thunder God symbol!

Knowing about this mark, yet not being from Konoha...

Hayama Shirakumo dared not be negligent.

He immediately and carefully retrieved the intelligence.

Inside is--

"Having arrived at Amegakure, head north."

Target?

Amegakure?

North?

Is this a secret code between the other party and Kyohiko?

As a rotating Jonin, Hayama Shirakumo was experienced and quickly realized the importance of this intelligence.

It must be sent to Konoha immediately!

"Go and continue patrolling and observing. Increase the number of patrols; send out ten squads to patrol and keep an eye on the surrounding area. Even if they are Sunagakure ninjas, subdue them if you encounter them!"

"Yes!"

In the next instant, Hayama Shirakumo had vanished from the spot.

In Kikyo City, there is a team skilled in the Flying Raijin Formation. While they can't perform any teleportation as easily as Kakashi and his two companions, they excel at transmitting intelligence and individual ninjas...

This small team of a dozen or so people is sufficient.

Konoha, Anbu.

Kakashi was dealing with a mountain of documents, sweat pouring down his face, almost soaking his mask.

Even when facing enemies, he didn't experience such immense pressure.

These documents...

Has that guy not seen any of it?

At that moment, footsteps sounded.

"Grown ups!"

"What's up?"

Kakashi gritted his teeth.

The other party paused for a moment, then said, "This is a document sent from Kikyo City, and it bears Lord Kyohiko's Flying Thunder God inscription."

"Um?"

Kakashi took it, and then instantly ran towards the Anbu Training Department.

At this time, the Anbu Training Department had been completely transformed into several secret training grounds deep in the Forest of Death. In addition to Anbu Ninja, a bunch of Orochimaru's ninja monkeys and apes were also kept there.

Although they are not yet fully developed, the current Ninja Apes and Ninja Monkeys have already demonstrated a certain level of Ninjutsu combat ability.

but.

With Kakashi's speed, the monkey ninjas couldn't stop him. They could only throw fruits and stones at him, but none of them could hit him.

Inside, a group of people were fighting and killing each other, but the difference was—

Their enemy is Kyohiko.

Because those participating in today's training were not members of the Anbu, but ninja monks from the Fire Temple, and a small number of Konoha Ninja from various clans.

Bang bang bang!

A series of sounds rang out.

"There are too many flaws. Make it even tighter, especially with you, Chiriku. You are the most important core. Although the Senju Kill a strong defense, my counterattack power is not strong as long as I don't attack you. So you can't be so rigid!"

"Yes, I... I'll think of another way!"

Twelve or thirteen-year-old Chiriku, his face covered in bruises, lowered his head, full of tension and shame, and dared not utter a word in rebuttal after being scolded.

Kyohiko looked to the other side.

"And you?"

"You talk a good game, but I haven't seen you actually do anything. You have absolutely no teamwork. And you think you can join the Guardian Ninja?"

Kyohiko gave a cold, mocking reply.

Asuma clenched his fist blade in anger, but he really couldn't win. Even with the help of Chiriku and the Fire Temple monks, he was still beaten to a pulp by Kyohiko alone.

and.

Kyohiko's target is often him.

He even suspected that the guy was doing it on purpose!

but...

Even so, he endured the pain and gritted his teeth to stand up.

"Again! I was just afraid of hurting you earlier!"

"Very good, you still have the ability to fight, much better than I expected, but..."

Kyohiko glanced behind him.

Then, he Hand Seals and created a Wood Clone.

"Since you said you were afraid of hurting me, that's why you held back, then let's fight my Wood Clone."

The Wood Clone split off.

As a special clone, the Wood Clone possesses 80-90% of the original's strength.

Although not every Ninjutsu can be used, but...

Dealing with these people is more than enough.

Kyohiko then retreated, withdrawing from the battlefield.

"Now, you can attack me with the intention of killing me!"

The Wood Clone grinned.

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Chiriku's forehead.

He had heard about Kyohiko's various deeds before and had imagined how powerful Kyohiko was now, but all imagination could not compare to witnessing reality.

Only after a real-world confrontation did he truly understand Kyohiko's current situation...

They are no longer a match for them!

In just a few years, Kyohiko has reached a height that he could not reach, and he can even overwhelm them all with just his clones.

The sounds of battle rose again from within the woods, still one-sided, but now that they were separated, everyone was much more willing to fight.

At least...

Explosive Tag and high-damage Ninjutsu are now being used to target vital points without any restraint, and the effects are much better than before.

Above, the Nine-Tails ' clone lay on a tree, quietly enjoying the sunlight and the noise.

At this moment.

Kyohiko has already extricated himself.

"What's up?"

"I don't know. I came here immediately after receiving the intelligence from Kikyo City."

Kakashi handed it to Kyohiko.

Kyohiko frowned.

Kikyo City.

border?

What kind of intelligence might be there?

His eyes narrowed instantly when he saw the bamboo tube.

Flying Thunder God design!

This wasn't Anbu intelligence network's code for transmitting information; rather, it was a communication code he and Pakura had agreed upon.

Open it up and take a look.

A few seconds later, Kyohiko closed the note.

Did Amegakure and further north?

Amegakure is undoubtedly Hanzo's village.

Zetsu's desire to win over Hanzo was something Kyohiko had anticipated, so it wasn't entirely unexpected. But then, Zetsu went to find Hanzo and Ōnoki, who was further north...

What is your intention?

"I'm going to see the Lord Hokage. I'll send a clone to handle the documents there later. You keep an eye on things here for me, and take over when the clone is done."

Although Kakashi no longer has the Sharingan or Chidori, he is actually stronger than before.

With his Lightning Style: Rasengan, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode taught by Kyohiko, and various Ninja Blade techniques he developed himself, he definitely possesses combat power approaching that of an elite Jonin.

More than enough to deal with these people.

After all, no matter how strong Chiriku, Asuma, and many other ninja monks are, they are actually just ninjas who have not experienced actual combat. If they could perform at half their level in a real fight, that would be considered good.

"Good."

Kakashi just responded.

The next instant, Kyohiko Flying Thunder God.

Konoha, Hokage Office.

Tsunade, a pen dangling from her mouth, her head swaying precariously, when suddenly a familiar presence came from outside.

She immediately perked up.

Kyohiko is here!

What is he doing here?

Could something have gone wrong?

Tsunade immediately stood up, Shizune looked blank, and then saw the door open and Kyohiko come in from outside.

"What happened?"

"No, not at the moment. It's not Guardian Ninja."

Kyohiko immediately explained, then walked over to Tsunade and handed Tsunade the note.

Tsunade took it.

The words on the note made her eyelids twitch.

Target?

Heading north?

She looked at Kyohiko and asked in a low voice, "This doesn't seem to be one of our ninjas?"

Kyohiko memorized the handwriting of several of Tsunade who frequently delivered intelligence, to prevent being deceived by outsiders regarding information.

But this handwriting...

She had never seen it before.

"No, that's not true, but she can be trusted, at least in this matter."

Kyohiko answered.

He and Pakura still maintained a frequency of meeting once every few months.

A few days ago, he exchanged new information with the other party about Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Madara Uchiha, Pakura was naturally skeptical of.

This didn't surprise Kyohiko.

He doesn't need Pakura's complete trust; as long as Pakura trusts her to a certain extent, and then tracks and investigates, he can obtain the information he needs.

Although the Iburi Clan possesses the ability to Smoke Transformation, making them invincible in infiltration and intelligence gathering, it depends on who they are compared to.

Compared to ordinary ninjas, their Kekkei Genkai is indeed more stable after the improvements, far surpassing ordinary methods.

However.

Compared to White Zetsu, their stealth and escape abilities are negligible.

and.

There might be some accomplices and unexpected situations on the other side, making the danger far greater than a normal infiltration. It would be much safer to send Pakura to track and investigate.

It's here now, isn't it?

"Alright, since they're trustworthy, we should take this seriously."

Tsunade rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Headache!

One Madara Uchiha, a strange black and white creature, was already enough of a headache for her; that half of his body was still being studied in depth by Orochimaru.

result.

This group has become increasingly active, and now they have also made contact with Amegakure and Iwagakure.

Kumogakure...

I'll definitely go, right?

"Three villages?"

"Hanzo is not necessarily included, but you should include Kirigakure."

Kyohiko said.

Tsunade was both angry and amused upon hearing this, and laughed, "Isn't this just another war like before? Fine! Let's keep fighting!"

but.

Words spoken in anger are words spoken in anger.

Tsunade understood that if war were to break out again, its intensity would be incomparable to anything seen before.

Once these people make a move, they will act together...

and.

Of the previous villages, only Sunagakure was truly engaged in combat; the others were merely probing the borders and no full-scale war actually broke out.

At that time, Kyohiko, Minato Namikaze, and Orochimaru joined forces and directly killed the Third Kazekage, known as the "Strongest Kazekage," in the west, instantly reversing the situation.

Afterwards, before a full-scale war could truly break out, everyone quickly stopped fighting due to the death of the Third Kazekage and the surrender of Sunagakure, including Iwagakure and Kumogakure, who were testing the waters.

As for Kirigakure...

Previously, no one could figure out what they were up to, but once they learned that Madara Uchiha behind the scenes, their doubts vanished.

Madara simply didn't want Konoha to have an easy life; he didn't care how many people died in Kirigakure.

Otherwise, where would the Bloody Mist Village be?

But this time...

Once war breaks out, it will be a true all-out war, and who knows Madara Uchiha might also be involved.

Even if it's just old age, or a replica of memories, it's still something that ordinary people can't compare to.

Konoha...

Danger!

"It could be said that this is a continuation of the previous war. After all, the previous war never truly stopped; it was merely suppressed."

Kyohiko largely agreed.

The cooperation between Kumogakure and Konoha was actually a choice made after weighing the interests and the risks.

Now that he and Minato Namikaze are getting stronger and stronger, even the Third Raikage is no match for the two of them combined. How could the Kumogakure not be anxious!

Tsunade pondered for a long time.

"Then make all preparations for war!"

She sneered, "Push them out. Especially in situations like this, you can't back down. If you take a single step back, they'll attack you en masse!"

Kyohiko's mind raced.

He had a vague feeling that something was wrong!

A coalition of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure is indeed possible at the moment, and Madara and Zetsu certainly have the motivation to push it forward.

But what about the introduction?

Ōnoki and the Third Raikage are not fools.

They couldn't be the first to start a war. After being defeated by Kirigakure several times, Kirigakure no longer had its former strength, and there was much internal discussion.

I reckon it's unlikely they'll be on the front lines.

and.

In Kirigakure now, anyone who dares to come to Kyohiko will be killed, unless Madara himself takes action, and even then, it has to be Madara Uchiha in his prime...

He could stop them all, even kill them all, and then gather his strength to defeat them one by one.

so.

It's unlikely that the Three Great Shinobi Villages would be at the forefront, Sunagakure even less likely.

So...

A thought flashed through Kyohiko's mind, and he suddenly uttered a word.

"Uchiha!"

"What?"

Tsunade paused for a second, then realized—

You mean?

"People like Ōnoki and the Third Raikage might act to gain an advantage, but they're unlikely to be the first to rush in..."

Kyohiko explained his analysis.

Tsunade slightly, quite agreeing, "That's the Uchiha then..."

If there's one point that could ignite a new war, the only possibility is that it originates from within Konoha itself.

but.

Taking direct action seems inappropriate.

Tsunade frowned.

"Kyohiko, do you have any clue?"

"No rush. Let's wait for Iwagakure and Kumogakure to make their moves, then we'll mobilize our ninja."

A fierce glint flashed in Kyohiko's eyes.

He figured out what the other person was going to do.

Nine-Tails, Summoning Contract.

If all goes well, this power, combined with the Uchiha's, could cause considerable destruction, but they never imagined that the Nine-Tails...

Actually, it's on their side!

but.

The filing of all kinds of plans needs to be done.

Kyohiko's mind raced, his fingers tapping lightly. "Sis, you should go... never mind, the Third Hokage and the others aren't of much use now, it's pointless to talk to them."

"I'm going to Minato and Hiashi's place."

With that, he vanished using the Flying Thunder God.

Tsunade was bewildered.

She was stunned for several seconds, then looked at the Shizune beside her, who was barely breathing, with a hint of doubt in her eyes.

"Shizune."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

"Sometimes I feel like a puppet, doing whatever he says, and he's even more willing to give orders than I am! Tell me, am I the Hokage or is he the Hokage?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

Shizune, suppressing a laugh.

Anyone else would have ruined this table long ago, unlike now...

Tsunade wasn't annoyed at all.

even.

She was even a little happy.

Tsk!

Humans!

Shizune, she chuckled to herself and went about her business.