The tables turned
Konoha naturally received the accusations from other ninja villages.
But if the Cloud Village wasn't afraid of these kinds of verbal battles back then, the Konoha naturally isn't afraid either.
Minato didn't even bother with it, leaving the entire matter to be handled by Root leader Mitokado Homura.
You know what, this kind of diplomatic wrangling is exactly what Mitokado Homura excels at.
For a period of time, the ninja hawks flying over Konoha became more frequent.
It's rare for the Five Great Ninja Villages to have such frequent exchanges as this year.
Of course, if there were fewer mutual accusations in these exchanges, the Ninja World would at least appear to be quite peaceful.
The Five Great Ninja Villages only talked the talk but didn't walk the walk, and their accusations remained only on paper. Naturally, this did not satisfy Zetsu.
Then, a plan came to him.
Soon, another message began to circulate in the Ninja World.
This time, however, the message wasn't directly about Konoha, but rather about the Byakugan, a Kekkei Genkai.
The rumor states that the Byakugan can evolve into the Tenseigan. The fusion of the two Byakugan families will inevitably promote the perfection of the Byakugan bloodline of both families. In time, Konoha will surely give birth to a Tenseigan that can rival the Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths.
At that time, Konoha will use the power of the Tenseigan to sweep across all ninja villages and unify the entire Ninja World.
The rumors even contained detailed descriptions of the Tenseigan's power. Although most of it was fabricated, the part that was true was enough to terrify the major ninja villages.
For a time, all the ninja hawks in the sky above the Ninja World disappeared completely. All the ninja villages were pondering the truth of the rumor and what they should do if it were true.
Konoha, meeting room.
The sunlight outside the window was just right, but it did nothing to dispel the heavy gloom inside.
Minato Namikaze sat in the main seat, his azure eyes sweeping across the long table around him.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, had smoke swirling between his fingers and a deep frown; Advisor Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu had solemn expressions; Hyuga Hiashi his eyes lowered, his emotions unreadable; and in the corner, Taiichi unconsciously tapped his fingertips on the table, making a very faint tapping sound, as if measuring some kind of invisible crisis.
Katsuya Otsutsuki, sitting to the right of Minato, had his back ramrod straight, but his face was as stiff as a stone sculpture.
This is because one of the main figures in this incident is the Moon Otsutsuki Clan, which he represents.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, silently dampening his temples. The gazes from the entire power core of Konoha weighed heavily on him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
"Everyone is aware of the situation," Minato's voice broke the silence. "In just a few days, rumors have swept across the entire Ninja World like a plague. At their core, they point to Konoha's taking in the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and even portray the Tenseigan as a power capable of overthrowing the Ninja World."
He picked up an intelligence scroll from the table, lightly tapping on its contents; the dull sound resonated in everyone's hearts.
"Konoha wants to cultivate the Tenseigan, sweep across all nations, and unify the Ninja World"—and so on, escalating to an increasingly blatant degree. Their sinister intentions are blatantly obvious.
Mitokado Homura slammed his fist on the table, his gray beard trembling with rage. "Utterly shameless! This is a blatant frame-up! They're trying to put Konoha on the spot!"
His sharp gaze swept across the crowd. "Gentlemen, do not underestimate this! Such rumors could become the perfect excuse for other ninja villages to join forces and attack Konoha! Cloud Village and Iwagakure, which one is easy to deal with? If they seize this opportunity to form an alliance, even Konoha will be placed in an unprecedentedly passive position!"
A heavy sense of crisis instantly spread. Utatane Koharu looked at Minato with worry. "Hokage-sama, we must clarify things as soon as possible and suppress the rumors!"
"Clarify?" Mitokado Homura sneered, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Empty words won't convince anyone. Those restless wolves won't care about the truth!"
His gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, swept over the visibly agitated Katsuya Otsutsuki, filled with scrutiny and inquiry. "The key to the problem lies in that 'Tenseigan'! Is it truly as destructive as the rumors suggest—world-destroying?"
He emphasized the last few words, his gaze fixed on Katsuya's face like a hook.
Swish!
All eyes were instantly focused on him. Katsuya felt his throat go dry and his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He subconsciously clenched his hands on his knees, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He knew that this problem was unavoidable.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to raise his head to meet the scrutinizing, worried, or subtly sharp gazes. His voice, barely perceptiblely dry, said, "The Tenseigan— " He paused, as if recalling his battle with Taiichi, "Its true power—is indeed not an exaggeration. In my previous battle with Taiichi, under the brief enhancement of the Giant Tenseigan, I sensed a trace of—the power of the Pseudo-Tenseigan Mode."
Everyone seemed to hold their breath, straining their ears to hear every word Katsuya uttered.
Katsuya closed his eyes, and that feeling of being able to destroy the world resurfaced in his mind. "At that moment, the power was like a vast ocean, endless! The vision was so sharp that it was as if the energy flow and Chakra pathways of the entire space were laid out before my eyes in perfect detail!"
What's even more terrifying is that sense of control—the ability to manipulate things that were previously impossible, which was then completely effortless.
He opened his eyes, a deep sense of satisfaction and longing lingering in them. "That level of power—far surpasses that of Kage Level!"
If—if it is truly the Tenseigan— "
His voice was hoarse, each word carrying immense weight, "It will only become stronger! Moreover—I have a vague feeling that the true Tenseigan possesses unique Dōjutsu, but my cultivation level was insufficient to use them at the time."
Dead silence.
Absolute silence enveloped the Hokage's Office. Only Katsuya's rapid breathing and the occasional chirping of birds from outside the window could be heard.
Mitokado Homura's face darkened completely, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he leaned forward slightly, like an old wolf that had smelled blood.
Such power should rightfully be in the hands of the top leadership, but even more so, it should be in the hands of the Root.
He opened his mouth, as if about to utter some earth-shattering decision.
"Cough!"
A clear, cold cough suddenly rang out, like Ice Spike piercing the stagnant air; it was Taiichi.
He leaned forward slightly, his fingertips stopped tapping, and his calm gaze met Mitokado Homura's slightly displeased look after being interrupted. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Elder Yan, please calm down. Clan Chief Katsuya's words are true; the power of the Tenseigan is indeed beyond imagination. But—"
He abruptly changed the subject, getting straight to the heart of the matter, "Have you all overlooked the most important point? Is the Tenseigan really that easy to create?"
Taiichi's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Katsuya, carrying a hint of reminder: "Over a thousand years have passed. How many members did the Moon Otsutsuki Clan have when they were at their peak? Yet, to this day, has they ever produced even a single true Tenseigan user?"
He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying an almost cold clarity, "No! Not a single one! They exhausted all their efforts and spent countless resources, and in the end, all they got was a Giant Tenseigan that couldn't be easily moved!"
That was merely a tool, a powerful energy core and weapon, not a bloodline power that truly belonged to an individual and could be used at will!
"Giant Tenseigan?" Utatane Koharu keenly grasped the key phrase.
"That's right!" Taiichi immediately chimed in, his tone resolute. "This is the true reliance of the lunar lineage, and the foundation of the entire Moon Core World."
However, due to its enormous size and deep integration with the lunar core environment, this object simply cannot be taken away from the moon!
It's more like a stationary super fortress cannon, its deterrent value outweighing its actual strategic mobility.
Mitokado Homura frowned. He naturally understood what Taiichi meant: he was telling him not to Tenseigan.
Minato, of course, understood as well. Tenseigan being born, the Will of Fire alone would not allow him to harm his comrades.
"All information regarding the Giant Tenseigan —from this moment forward, shall be classified as Konoha's top secret!"
Clan Chief Katsuya, after you return, you must restrain all clan members and ensure they do not reveal anything about the Tenseigan!
Hiashi, the Hyuga Clan must also classify this information as a secret, and clan members of insufficient status must never know it.
The contents of today's meeting, especially the information about the Giant Tenseigan, are strictly prohibited from being leaked, not even a single word! Violators will be—"
Minato's voice suddenly turned cold, "Treat them as traitors! We know their threat is limited, but the outside world is unaware of the truth! If they are exploited by those with ulterior motives and their words are distorted and exaggerated, Konoha will be unable to defend itself and will be plunged into an even greater vortex!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama! I understand! I will certainly restrain my clansmen and keep quiet!" Katsuya immediately stood up and solemnly promised.
Hiashi nodded in agreement. This was indeed a hot potato; if word got out, the Hyuga Clan would probably be in deep trouble.
Mitokado Homura opened his mouth, but in the end he only snorted coldly and didn't say anything more.
But----
"Hokage-sama," Mitokado Homura said, his face grim and his tone even more grave than before, "The information about the Giant Tenseigan is certainly important, but the rumors haven't stopped. I've been dealing with various villages these past few days, and I've clearly sensed that the winds have shifted!"
Although they had previously accused each other, it was ultimately just a war of words, a diplomatic maneuver on the surface. But ever since the rumors of the "Tenseigan destroying the world" spread like wildfire—
He paused, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, "The other four major ninja villages, especially Cloud Village and Iwagakure, have suddenly become unusually quiet."
This unusual silence actually hinted at an impending Yakumi! I'm worried they might already be conspiring against each other in private!
Minato frowned. "Where did it originate? Such precise and malicious rumors couldn't have appeared out of thin air. Are there any leads if we trace it Root?"
A hint of shame appeared on Mitokado Homura's face. "I am incompetent. Root has used all its channels, only managing to trace the initial rumor as originating from Black Market Exchange in various locations. As for the rest—we have no leads yet."
"Exchange Shop ----" Taiichi leaned back in his chair, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table again, making a rhythmic tapping sound.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, and a knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
"Heh," he chuckled softly, his voice not loud, but it clearly drew everyone's attention.
"Strength, motive, intelligence capabilities—possessing all three, being so familiar with the secrets of the moon, and even precisely seizing the opportunity to launch an attack immediately after Konoha absorbed the Otsutsuki —in the Ninja World, who else could meet all these criteria?"
A brief silence fell over the office once more. Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a thick plume of smoke, the Kakkou of his pipe flickering in the dim light. "You mean—Akatsuki?"
"Who else could it be but them?" Taiichi's voice was resolute. "They want to use the power of the Tenseigan to incite fear and hostility towards Konoha throughout the Ninja World, dragging us into a quagmire of being surrounded by enemies, so as to buy themselves time and space to develop."
This plan is undeniably shrewd.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his tone filled with certainty. "Unfortunately, they overlooked one thing. They wanted to use the elusive Tenseigan to smear us, but little did they know, they themselves carried a genuine target, one that would make the entire Ninja World wary!"
"A target?" Minato's eyes narrowed sharply, instantly catching the key point in Taiichi's words. "You mean— the Rinnegan?!"
"Excellent!" Taiichi's voice suddenly rose, carrying a confident air of control. "No one in the Ninja World has ever truly seen the Tenseigan, but what about the Rinnegan?"
The Akatsuki's Rinnegan were genuine.
No matter how secretive Akatsuki's operation was, it would inevitably leave traces in the intelligence systems of each village!
Could a terrorist organization with a leader possessing the Rinnegan, dedicated to collecting Tailed Beast, and operating with ruthless secrecy be less threatening than a "Tenseigan threat" they themselves fabricated?
Like a thunderbolt splitting the chaos! Minato, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and even Hyuga Hiashi —everyone's eyes lit up in an instant!
The gloom that had been lingering for days was suddenly pierced by the beam of light from this unconventional thinking!
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration, his eyes gleaming. "Using their own methods against them! The Akatsuki wanted to hide in the shadows and launch a sneak attack, so we'll drag them into the spotlight!"
A dark organization possessing the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths and plotting against the Tailed Beast is enough to keep any ninja village on edge!
The gloom on Mitokado Homura's face vanished, replaced by excitement. "Good! What a brilliant move to divert trouble! We've always been hesitant to act before, worried about alerting the enemy and the reliability of our intelligence sources."
Now, with the "Rinnegan Tenseigan" of the Tenseigan they've stirred up, it's the perfect time to unleash the bombshell of the Rinnegan!
A hidden axis of evil lurking in the shadows can strike a chord with every ninja village more deeply than a Konoha openly displayed!
Minato suddenly stood up, his eyes burning with a resolute flame. "Taiichi's plan strikes at the heart of the matter! Elder Yan, you are in full charge of this matter!"
Immediately mobilize all the resources of Root, in conjunction with the Intelligence Department, to send the intelligence we have gathered about the Akatsuki to the desks of the four great ninja villages, and even all small countries and underground forces, as quickly as possible!
We must make the Akatsuki and the Rinnegan's name replace the Tenseigan as soon as possible, becoming a nightmare that strikes fear into the hearts of Ninja World!
"Yes, Hokage-sama! I will certainly live up to your expectations!" Mitokado Homura was in high spirits, his eyes gleaming with eagerness. After receiving the order, he immediately turned around and left the office with a brisk pace, as if he had become ten years younger.