Premature Thoughts Poison

The vast Hokage office was plunged into an atmosphere of inexplicable oppression.

Facing the Third Hokage's fury, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura turned ashen-faced.

However, they were equally dissatisfied with Danzo acting on his own initiative behind their backs.

"Hmph, Sarutobi, you truly have lost the sharp edge you once possessed," Danzo snorted coldly, his attitude softening slightly.

All this time, no matter what schemes he carried out in private, Sarutobi Hiruzen had always been able to see through them.

He had even vied for the position of Hokage several times, only to be defeated by Sarutobi Hiruzen time and again.

If it weren't for the sake of old ties and the belief that his intentions were for the good of Konoha, the Root would have ceased to exist long ago.

"Rest assured, the people I have dispatched this time are not from our Konoha; they are wandering ninja. Regardless of the outcome, they will never know my identity," Danzo said in a deep voice.

"Even if they fail, Uchiha Qin Yu will only mistakenly assume it was the work of another ninja village. After all, his brilliance has been fully exposed during this recent period."

After dropping these words, Danzo turned and left.

Watching the office door close, the Third Hokage couldn't help but rub his throbbing temples.

"Sarutobi, what do you intend to do now?" Mitokado Homura couldn't help but ask.

Utatane Koharu remained silent, merely staring at the Third Hokage.

They knew very well that by saying these words, Danzo had already made his greatest compromise.

As for the final outcome, it would depend entirely on the Third Hokage's decision.

"That fellow Danzo is truly a headache," the Third Hokage sighed helplessly.

"Send someone to notify Minato Namikaze that wandering ninja have appeared within the Land of Fire, and tell them to be careful."

In the eyes of the Third Hokage, Danzo's starting point was the safety of Konoha.

Furthermore, they only knew that Danzo had used certain means to make contact with wandering ninja.

Who these wandering ninja were, no one knew.

Therefore, it was impossible to stop them.

The only way was to notify Minato Namikaze to heighten his vigilance.

If Uchiha Qin Yu could return alive, it would be a testament to his strength.

If he were assassinated along the way, then it was simply his fate.

"Sarutobi is right; this is the only thing we can do for now," Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement. "The situation in our Land of Fire is turbulent, and the speed of the Land of Earth's attacks and troop deployments has also changed."

"It seems this tug-of-war that has lasted for two years is coming to an end. Once Minato Namikaze arrives at Konoha, have him lead his squad to the Land of Earth for the final mission."

Outside.

As soon as Danzo left the Hokage building, Yamanaka Feng and Aburame Torune emerged from the shadows.

"Lord Danzo, did things go smoothly?" Yamanaka Feng could not contain his impatience.

"You must help me avenge my father."

Yamanaka Tatsuya was Yamanaka Feng's father and also one of Danzo's most capable subordinates.

Upon hearing that Yamanaka Feng had nearly been killed by Uchiha Qin Yu, Yamanaka Tatsuya had volunteered to take action, intending to vent his anger.

Yet, to their utter shock, not only did he fail to vent that anger, but he even paid with his life.

"Feng, rest assured. The wandering ninja I contacted this time belong to a fallen minor clan. Among them is a monster who has existed for a long time. With him taking action, no matter how powerful that brat is, he has always been so low-key that he must lack extensive combat experience," Danzo sneered.

Yamanaka Feng's expression froze. "Lord Danzo, are you talking about that monster who has been appearing on various battlefields to carry out bounty assassinations?"

Aburame Torune, who had been silent until now, saw his expression change instantly upon hearing this.

If Danzo had truly hired that legendary figure, then what awaited Uchiha Qin Yu was undoubtedly a dead end.

From Konoha to the stronghold, it would take at least four days of travel at full speed.

Because Minato Namikaze was anxious to return to Konoha to check on the war situation, he had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave ahead of schedule.

Although Minato Namikaze had mentioned that he could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to take them along, Qin Yu had refused.

The Flying Thunder God Technique was not much different from the space-time teleportation of Sasuke's Rinnegan in the later stages.

However, Sasuke could use the Rinnegan to open portals in all directions.

Minato Namikaze could only jump via the Flying Thunder God Seal.

Moreover, as the number of people transferred increased, the consumption of chakra and mental energy would rise significantly.

Even the distance of the space-time jump would be shortened.

Therefore, Qin Yu had still refused.

"Qin Yu, there is a post station ahead. Why don't we rest here for a while?" Gekko Hayate asked timidly.

Throughout the journey, Gekko Hayate had kept his distance from Qin Yu at all times.

But the days of continuous travel were indeed becoming too much for him to bear, even though they were only twenty miles away from Konoha.

Still, he couldn't help but offer this suggestion.

"Uchiha Qin Yu, we are nearing the Konoha perimeter now. Why don't we rest for a while?" Uzuki Yugao wiped the sweat from her forehead, a hint of fatigue showing on her face.

If Uzuki Cangwu knew that on the journey he was so desperate for them to complete, something unknown had occurred between Uzuki Yugao and Uchiha Qin Yu.

With all their time spent rushing on the road, one could only wonder what kind of expression he would have.

Uchiha Qin Yu stopped first, landing in front of a post station. He looked at the merchant caravan inside, a playful smile appearing on his face.

"Let's go. It's quite lively here; perhaps there will be some unexpected surprises."

The inexplicable remark left Uzuki Yugao stunned, but Gekko Hayate had already bolted inside.

"Boss, hurry and bring me a pot of tea and three servings of dango!" No sooner had Gekko Hayate shouted this than he remembered that Gekko Kuro Yoru had instructed him to defer to Uchiha Qin Yu.

Seeing Uchiha Qin Yu walk in quickly, he hurriedly added, "I ordered the dango for you all."

Watching Gekko Hayate's deflated expression, Uchiha Qin Yu shook his head with a smile and said, "You eat them. I'm not hungry."

"Guests, your tea and dango have arrived." An elderly man with a withered face walked out from the kitchen.

"Young man, I advise you to try them. Travelers from passing merchant caravans, no matter how far away they are, will always go out of their way to visit us. If you try them once, you will definitely come back again."

"Is it really that delicious? This is my first time hearing of it." Uzuki Yugao's eyes lit up.

They weren't as monstrously strong as Uchiha Qin Yu, and this was their first long-distance mission.

After such a long trek, their stomachs were already rumbling.

Hearing the old man's boast, she couldn't help but pick up a piece of dango and pop it into her mouth.

"Alright, you shouldn't eat this dango. Everyone is watching you." Uchiha Qin Yu suddenly grabbed Uzuki Yugao's hand.

The sudden action left Uzuki Yugao stunned, and her cheeks immediately flushed red. "Uchiha Qin Yu, there are many people here. Quickly, take your hand back."

Watching Uzuki Yugao's maidenly demeanor, Uchiha Qin Yu rolled his eyes helplessly.

The speed at which her thoughts had veered off-track was truly too fast.

It seems the precocious mindset of the Hokage world is truly a poison!