How did you know Kakuzu was captured?

Outside Konoha, Might Guy, standing upside down, sprinted towards them, his face filled with excitement.

"Kai, don't run away!"

"Haha, Shikaku- senpai, you have no idea how bored I was on the ship! Now that we're almost back in Konoha, I'm so eager to get back!"

Might Guy quickly ran back backwards, "Shikaku, I'm going to report back to the village first."

Nara Shikaku burst into laughter.

Kai is a master of Taijutsu on land, even surpassing his father Might Duy in terms of Taijutsu skills.

Who would have thought that this kid would become so listless once he got on the ship, his fighting ability even weaker than that of an average person?

Might Duy probably didn't even know his son had this problem...

He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Kai, you can go ahead, but when we get back to the village, I'll definitely tell everyone about your deeds!"

Please don't!

Might Guy instantly returned to Shikaku's side, behaving obediently as if he were a completely different person from before.

Kurenai Yuhi covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Looking at the village in the distance, she was filled with mixed emotions.

This departure certainly took a long time.

Putting everything else aside, the round trip by boat took almost a month, and then they were delayed for a while in the Land of Snow. Their previous intelligence communication relied on Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God.

Otherwise, being in the Land of Snow would essentially isolate them from the Shinobi World.

Hong couldn't help but whisper, "Senior Shikaku, if..."

"Shh! We'll talk about this back in the village."

Shikaku smiled slightly. The people behind him were mostly research talents they had brought back from the Land of Snow, and many of them were their family members.

Although they are trustworthy and will become new residents of Konoha like the Iburi Clan in the future, they are not yet.

and.

These people, after all, come from the Land of Snow.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Kurenai Yuhi nodded slightly and said, "Wouldn't it be a bit difficult for Minato- senpai to protect the Third Raikage and the others all by himself?"

"Don't worry, Minato has the Flying Thunder God Technique, he can use it to Flying Thunder God at any time. If we stay, we'll only be a burden."

Shikaku calm.

After saying that, he laughed and said, "If we can take down the Third Raikage, we'll have already gotten all the Kumogakure to make their move at sea."

Once you reach a certain level of strength, sheer numbers are no longer enough.

Even if Minato had five times the number of people, they still wouldn't be able to hold onto Kumogakure Minato Namikaze, provided he didn't have to fight.

The Second Hokage died because he could run away, while the other young people couldn't.

The situation is different, of course.

Shikaku paused here, then turned around and smiled, "Everyone, we've arrived at Konoha!"

Those who had been walking until they were completely exhausted suddenly perked up upon hearing this and looked into the distance.

At the end of this trade route, a grand gate and a long wooden wall stretch out, majestic and magnificent.

The Hokage Rock in the distance is barely visible.

We've arrived in Konoha!

Upon seeing this, their eyes lit up immediately.

Konoha!

For these former wandering ninjas, Konoha, one of the "Five Great Shinobi Villages," was undoubtedly a paradise.

They fantasized countless times that they were born to be people of Konoha, but when they woke up, they found that they were actually still wandering.

But now

They were really going to walk into this village and become a part of it, a dreamlike experience.

"Shikaku, we... we really can too..."

"Of course, Kyohiko said before that you would become a part of Konoha, and your children can choose whether or not to become ninjas."

Nara Shikaku knew that the reason these people kept questioning him was simply because they were too excited.

The Land of Snow and the Snow Ninja Village may seem idyllic, but in reality, they have experienced and deeply understand the hardships that region has endured.

The nobility were alright; they always found a way to make a living.

When ordinary people face a snow disaster, they are helpless and have no Tenten to turn to.

Ninjas are certainly stronger.

However, the families and children of ninjas may not have the abilities of ninjas, and they still want to be part of a large village like Konoha.

The problem is that they don't have the connections or resources.

As for the Snow Ninja who remained in the Land of Snow, it was less that they were unwilling to come, and more that they dared not come, fearing that they would implicate their own kind.

As for what happened later...

Having found a way to make a living, they naturally became even less willing to trouble Yaze with his many efforts.

Shikaku patiently explained the policy again and again.

As they listened, they walked to the door.

Upon reaching the entrance, Shikaku smiled and said, "We've come at the perfect time, just in time for the market. Everyone has just arrived, so we can buy some daily necessities now."

Yaze swallowed hard.

Konoha is too big!

Similarly, it's far too bustling.

At a glance, there were countless goods, fruits and vegetables. Many vegetables that could not be seen at all in the Land of Snow were as plentiful as snow here.

They walked down the street as if they were entering another world.

Yaze only remembered this when he reached the door.

"Shikaku, I don't know where you live..."

"Don't worry, the village issue has definitely been resolved."

Shikaku responded with a smile.

Even if the problem isn't solved, with Kyohiko and Yamato's abilities, building seven or eight houses would be as easy as drinking water.

As for the location, it can be right next to the Iburi Clan.

The area is full of newly moved-in residents, so everyone has common topics to discuss, and there's no need to re-run water and electricity lines.

And that's exactly what he thought.

Not long after...

"Mr. Yaze, you've finally arrived!"

After a laugh, a figure appeared in the air.

That's too fast!

As a result, Shikaku only saw a blurry, indistinct figure before they could see the person in front of them clearly.

"Kyohiko- sama!"

Yaze was immediately overjoyed.

Kyohiko came to pick them up personally, so the promise Shikaku had made was definitely true, and there wouldn't be any deception or different treatment after they arrived.

He believed in Kyohiko.

Kyohiko glanced around, getting a general idea of what was going on, then looked at Shikaku apologetically, "Shikaku- senpai, I've been quite busy lately and haven't been able to pick you up..."

"It's alright. I already knew about your situation through Minato."

Shikaku laughed.

Kyohiko nodded and said, "In that case, you should go and report to Tsunade first. I'll take them to their lodgings and settle their accommodations and identification."

"Good."

Shikaku nodded, relieved to see that Yaze and the others trusted Kyohiko. He greeted them, registered, and then headed to his office.

Kyohiko immediately looked at Might Guy and Kurenai Yuhi.

"Are you going home first or...?"

"Let's finish what we started; we should at least see where they live."

Kurenai Yuhi smiled.

Kai was about to leave, but upon hearing this, he immediately remained silent.

really.

I need to know where I'll stay and whether it's a good place!

Along the way, they got along well, and they had a few friends with whom they had a good relationship and might even keep in touch.

The Hokage Office.

"What? Kakuzu has already been captured?"

"Raiga Kurosuki is dead too?"

Shikaku felt a little dizzy.

It had only been a few days since he and Minato drafted the regulations and sent the scroll back to the village.

Could it be...?

"Kyohiko had already captured them?"

"No, after you sent the plan back, we finalized the strategy and figured out how to make the arrest, so the arrest and detention went smoothly."

Tsunade knew he didn't believe her, so she took a pair of blades out of the sealing box and placed them on the table.

Shikaku examined it carefully, then a thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly believed it.

Kirigakure!

This sword is very special; it is said to greatly enhance Lightning Release Ninjutsu. It is thanks to it that Raiga Kurosuki has achieved his current strength.

certainly.

He is now most likely dead.

A look of joy and shock flashed in Shikaku's eyes.

"Very good!"

Kyohiko is highly efficient; there's great potential for things to happen in Land of Waterfalls!

Once we take care of the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Rain, the Land of Rain in between will be a piece of cake.

Shikaku's thoughts raced.

Suddenly, a thunderbolt flashed through his mind, and he realized what it meant.

"Wait? Arrest?"

His eyes widened.

Capture alive?

Killing them is easy, but capturing them alive is many times more difficult!

Kyohiko actually has such abilities?

Tsunade nodded slightly.

Shikaku's breathing quickened.

He's a smart man; of course he understands the value of living Kakuzu.

Firstly, the secret techniques of the Yamanaka Clan can extract memories, which may contain information related to Madara Uchiha.

Secondly, Kakuzu has indeed lived for a very long time, Kakuzu may know many secrets that others do not.

Thirdly...

Although the Earth Grudge Fear is a forbidden art, it is of great value.

Otherwise, Takigakure have been destroyed long ago; why would they have kept it and let Kakuzu steal it?

Seeing Shikaku's eager gaze, Tsunade couldn't help but admire him.

This young head of the Nara Clan is indeed exceptionally intelligent; no wonder the Nara Clan, Yamanaka Clan, and Akimichi Clan are all willing to listen to his advice.

She nodded gently.

"We've extracted quite a bit of intelligence; it's confirmed that Madara was contacting these people using the identity of the one with the black and white stripes."

"Some of the other intelligence was also quite valuable, and we also obtained his accumulated wealth."

"It's a pity that Raiga Kurosuki is dead."

Tsunade sighed.

While some information can be gleaned from Raiga Kurosuki's corpse, it's not as valuable as information from a living person.

Shikaku, however, was already quite satisfied.

Capture Kakuzu...

The opponent is someone capable of capturing the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki!

Before this, he never even dared to think about it.

but.

"Was Raiga Kurosuki killed by Kyohiko?"

"No, Kakashi handled it all by himself."

Tsunade answered.

Shikaku was taken aback, then looked at Tsunade and, seeing the smile in her eyes, knew exactly what was going on.

Tsunade appeared to be regretful, but was actually quite pleased, and deliberately brought up the topic.

Raiga Kurosuki is powerful, right?

Kakashi killed him!

Kyohiko is strong and highly talented, that's common knowledge, and Kakashi was also known as a genius in his early years, but...

In recent years, on the one hand, Kyohiko and Minato have become too famous and their brilliance is too dazzling, and on the other hand, Kakashi has little room to do anything as he is in the Anbu.

This has resulted in Kakashi not actually making a move for over a year, and no one really knows Kakashi true strength.

Looking at it now.

Instead of regressing, he has become even stronger, and was even able to kill Raiga Kurosuki single-handedly!

"As expected of him... Ha, that's not the right way to put it, as expected of Kakashi!"

Shikaku sighed.

He originally wanted to praise Kakashi for truly living up to his title of "Sakumo's Son," but how could he not know about Kakashi's hard work?

That child's achievements today are entirely due to his own hard work and practice. Calling him "the son of Sakumo" is really inappropriate for such a person.

Tsunade smiled.

"There's no one else here, so there's no need to be so reserved. However, Kakashi is indeed hardworking, but his rapid progress is inseparable from Kyohiko's influence."

Shikaku was about to praise her, he saw Tsunade impatiently take out something.

Gravity Training Suit!

After the principle was explained, Shikaku's eyes lit up.

Nice one!

He couldn't possibly be ignorant if he could become the class leader of the Jonin.

The stronger a ninja is, the more difficult it is to improve their physical strength, because the ninja's physical attributes are significantly enhanced after being empowered by Chakra.

An ordinary person would be exhausted after running a few hundred laps, but Might Guy could punish himself by running a few hundred more.

If an ordinary person tried to play like that, they would have ruined themselves long ago.

But.

If you could become stronger with less time and effort, who would want to train like Might Guy?

Even Kai himself couldn't help it.

With this thing, everything will be different!

Shikaku was overjoyed. "How many of these can be made?"

"Currently, production volume is low, and costs can't be reduced. We can only produce a dozen or so pieces. This is the current arrangement. Please take a look."

Tsunade explained Kyohiko's thoughts.

Shikaku repeatedly expressed his admiration.

Good idea!

It not only helps everyone become stronger, but also inspires their fighting spirit.

in addition...

"In my opinion, the remaining two items can be rented, but only to those of Special Jōnin or higher."

Tsunade the suggestion.

Shikaku nodded repeatedly.

This is a reasonable solution!

only...

"Is that all?"

"We can't do any more. Metals are scarce right now. Even if you brought some back from the Land of Snow, you'll need them for other purposes as well. We can't just rely on the Gravity Suit."

Tsunade explained patiently.

Furthermore, it's impossible for Kyohiko to sit in Konoha and just use the Added-Weight Rock Technique on them.

Shikaku around.

"The Third Hokage is proficient in all Ninjutsu. The Added-Weight Rock Technique is a bit difficult, but he should be able to figure it out, right?"

He's even got his hands on three generations!

Kyohiko is busy, but all three generations of his family are semi-retired, so he shouldn't be busy now.

Tsunade couldn't help but laugh.

Hiruzen Sarutobi...

We're incredibly busy!

While Earth Style Ninjutsu could offer Sarutobi Shinnosuke ninjutsu, only Orochimaru, besides Hiruzen Sarutobi, was proficient in all four other types of Ninjutsu.

Where is Orochimaru?

On one hand, we need to study Chakra Armor; on the other hand, we need to study Earth Grudge Fear and immortality.

He was so busy that he never canceled his Shadow Clone; he basically used one clone in two.

Afterwards, Tsunade talked about Orochimaru and Kyohiko's recent creations.

For example, the Wood Release Puppet.

Shikaku was deeply moved by what he heard.

It felt like Konoha's Ninja Tools technology had become almost unrecognizable after he'd been gone for a month or two.

He listened for a moment, pondered it, and then realized what it meant.

"Lord Hokage, you must have something for me to do, right?"

"Hahaha, I can't hide it from you, Shikaku. Your Nara Clan is very knowledgeable in medicine. I want you to research Medicinal Bath that can restore the body."

Tsunade stated her request.

Shikaku immediately realized that Tsunade simply couldn't spare any more manpower.

He nodded immediately.

"Anyone in the Nara Clan skilled in medicine can participate. As for the cost... let's try our best!"

Both medicinal herb cultivation and research incur costs, not to mention that some medicinal herbs are inherently expensive.

Tsunade understood immediately and said in a low voice, "Jonin can afford it, it's fine."

"That makes it simple!"