Undercurrents in the Great Ninja Villages

While Rin was completely bewildered, unable to fathom what Minato-sensei and Kushina-shimu were discussing, Shi Xiu suddenly appeared before them.

Minato and Kushina were startled, looking at Shi Xiu with guilty expressions as they said, "Lord Shi Xiu, you've returned."

Shi Xiu nodded, then slowly reached his hands into his robes. However, when his gaze inadvertently swept over the baby bottle in Kushina's hand, his movements froze abruptly.

"Kushina, where did you get that bottle?" Shi Xiu asked, raising an eyebrow with a look of surprise.

Kushina explained, "An Anbu delivered it just now. I checked it thoroughly; there's no danger."

Hearing this, Shi Xiu couldn't help but feel a bit astonished.

So, Nara Luling had actually come by again; that was truly unexpected. However, Shi Xiu merely nodded and didn't say much more.

Although Shi Xiu believed deep down that Nara Luling was unlikely to leak information regarding Minato, he decided to issue a solemn warning just to be cautious.

Thus, Shi Xiu took a baby bottle from his robes, placed it gently on the table, and warned Minato and Kushina with a grave expression and a stern tone.

"Minato, and Kushina! Next time, if I am not present, you must absolutely not show your faces under any circumstances, nor let anyone else discover your existence! Do you understand?"

Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance, then nodded slightly in agreement.

However, Rin, unable to suppress her inner confusion, blurted out, "Why?"

Hearing Rin's question, Shi Xiu turned his gaze toward her. Despite some unpleasantness that had occurred previously, Shi Xiu decided to be patient and explain the reasoning to her.

"It is because of the... the mysterious man in the mask."

Shi Xiu paused for a moment, omitting the name Obito, and spoke in a flat tone.

Shi Xiu paused again, then continued, "If the outside world learns that Minato is still alive, I fear that mysterious man will come knocking again. With his strength and methods, the Konoha village that has just shown signs of recovery and vitality would once again be plunged into a great catastrophe."

Rin nodded gently after hearing this. In truth, she desperately wanted to see that mysterious man with her own eyes to confirm that he could not possibly be the Obito she held in her heart.

But once she thought of the crisis Konoha might face, she had to abandon that idea. After all, she did not want to see the village suffer another calamity.

Just then, Shi Xiu suddenly turned his head, fixed his gaze on Minato, and asked, "You should have left a Flying Thunder God mark on that mysterious man, right?"

Minato did not hesitate for a second and replied immediately, "Yes!" At the same time, he exchanged a look with Shi Xiu; in that single instant, the two seemed to have reached a tacit understanding.

"Wait two more days, then go find that mysterious man. Discuss it amongst yourselves; I am going to rest." Having said that, Shi Xiu turned and left to return to his room.

Meanwhile, in the Cloud Village, at the Raikage's office building.

Inside a spacious and bright room in the building, the Fourth Raikage, A, sat upright before a massive desk, his brows furrowed and his expression grim.

Just moments ago, he had received a shocking piece of news: the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had unfortunately passed away.

Without a moment's hesitation, A summoned his most capable assistant, Mabui, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee. The two quickly arrived at the office and stood before A.

Mabui, with her white hair and dark skin, wore a sexy professional outfit. With her delicate features and proud figure, she was quite beautiful, but as the Raikage's secretary, she was no mere vase; her intelligence and capability were beyond doubt.

Killer Bee possessed healthy, wheat-colored skin and a powerful, muscular build. One of his signature features was the sunglasses he wore year-round and the eight slender ninja swords strapped to his back.

A raised his head, stared straight at Mabui, and asked with a touch of impatience, "Mabui, have you heard the news of the Fourth Hokage's death?"

Mabui nodded slightly, indicating she was already aware of the matter. However, before she could offer more of a response, Killer Bee, standing to the side, could no longer suppress his emotions. He began to wave his hands, and a rhythmic rap flowed from his mouth like a running stream.

"The Fourth Hokage, oh~ he was so young, yo~ He should have had a future full of light, who would have thought he'd pass away in his prime, it's such a pity, yo~"

Hearing Killer Bee's nonsensical words, Mabui's expression instantly turned gloomy, and a few black lines faintly appeared on her forehead.

Mabui turned her head and couldn't help but say, "Lord Killer Bee, could you please be a little more serious! This is not the time for jokes!"

Being scolded by Mabui, Killer Bee didn't get angry; instead, he smiled, scratched the back of his head, and opened his mouth again, preparing to say something.

But this time, just as Killer Bee had said a few words: "Asking me to be serious, it's really..."

Before he could finish, A could no longer tolerate it. A slammed his hand onto the desk with a dull, thunderous thud and barked, "Bee! Quiet!"

Hearing his brother speak, Killer Bee instantly fell silent.

Seeing this, A shifted his gaze away from Killer Bee and back to Mabui.

Mabui was looking down, focused intently on the intelligence report that had just been delivered by their spy planted in Konoha.

As she carefully examined it, Mabui read softly, "According to reports from our spies in Konoha, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina, have both unfortunately sacrificed themselves, and even Konoha's Anbu suffered heavy losses this time."

Hearing this, A nodded slightly, indicating he understood the situation.

However, Killer Bee, standing to the side, could no longer contain his excitement and blurted out, "Minato Namikaze sacrificed, Konoha's strength declines, Big Brother wants to attack Konoha. Yo~"

Before the words had even faded, A glared fiercely at Killer Bee.

Then, A slowly stood up and commanded in a low, authoritative voice, "Immediately notify Darui and Samui. Have them each lead a detachment to the border of the Land of Fire and properly test the current strength of Konoha."

Upon receiving the Raikage's order, Mabui did not dare to delay in the slightest. She moved quickly, turning to leave to relay the instructions and arrange the relevant matters.

Meanwhile, in the Sand Village, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sat in his spacious yet somewhat austere office, reading a newly arrived intelligence file with a heavy expression.

This file contained an important report from the spy he had carefully planted in Konoha.

Rasa's brows were tightly knit. After a moment of contemplation, he rose quickly and shouted toward the door, "Someone! Go invite Chiyo to come here."

Before long, an elderly woman with a hunched back and white hair, yet still full of vigor, slowly walked into the room.

This elderly woman was Elder Chiyo. Though she was now over sixty years old, she still played a vital role in the village.

Chiyo bowed respectfully to Rasa before finding a seat and sitting down.

Once Chiyo was settled, Rasa handed her the report in his hand and spoke, "Chiyo, take a look at this report. Something major has happened in Konoha; their Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, has unfortunately been killed in action. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Chiyo took the report and began to read it carefully. However, after finishing, she merely shook her head slightly, remaining silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"This old woman has no particular thoughts on the matter; everything shall be decided by you, Kazekage-sama." Having said this, she lowered her head and said nothing more.

Seeing this, Rasa could not help but let out a deep sigh. He knew well that ever since Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law had died tragically at the hands of the "White Fang of Konoha," Sakumo Hatake, during the Second Shinobi World War, Chiyo had become disheartened and increasingly indifferent to the affairs of the village.

Although she was still willing to contribute to the village during critical moments, she chose to remain aloof most of the time, which truly gave Rasa a massive headache.

With no other choice, Rasa had to continue, "In that case, I believe we should remain still for now and wait to see how things develop. Given the current situation in Konoha, they will sooner or later come to us for aid. When that time comes, we can take the opportunity to squeeze them for all they are worth and secure greater benefits for our village."

Chiyo nodded slightly at these words, signaling her agreement. She then stood up, preparing to leave.

Yet, at the very moment Chiyo turned away, a flash of dark, inscrutable emotion flickered through her eyes.

Meanwhile, Onoki of the Stone Village chose to remain equally still, and Obito, hiding behind Yagura, had no intention of continuing to wade through these muddy waters, using Yagura's voice to announce a policy of wait-and-see.