Chapter 39

"Yeah. Sunagakure has been acting strangely. They've sent a large number of people searching for something in the desert and throughout the Land of Rivers. Something major must have happened."

"Their friction with Konoha has been getting worse by the day, and the smell of war is getting stronger. Our Uchiha clan's restaurants and shops in the Land of Rivers have all been affected. It wouldn't be surprising if war broke out one day."

He turned to look at Hao and Mikoto, his tone becoming more serious. "You two need to be extra careful when taking missions lately. Stay away from the Land of Wind and don't go looking for danger."

Although the two of them were both well-known among the Jōnin, Senichi still felt uneasy.

When the day of battle truly came, even Jōnin might not make it back alive.

Hao and Mikoto exchanged a glance and nodded seriously. "Got it."

Uchiha Yan, who was sitting nearby, frowned after hearing this.

"Don't rush off later. I'll prepare something for each of you to keep as a last resort. Take it out when your life is in danger. It might save you."

He was too young. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't reveal his abilities, much less leave the village. This was the only way he could help his family.

Mikoto and Hao felt a warmth in their hearts. "Thanks."

After they finished eating, Uchiha Yan turned around and entered the underground laboratory.

About ten minutes later, he returned with three scrolls and handed them to Senichi, Hao, and Mikoto respectively.

"When you need to use them, just pour Chakra into the scrolls. They'll activate on their own. You'll naturally understand what they do when the time comes."

The Sealing Scrolls actually contained quite a lot of Uchiha Yan's Chakra.

Once activated, they could summon a Shadow Clone with roughly seventy percent of his Chakra reserves.

He had temporarily produced that Chakra by repeatedly converting mental energy and Innate Qi.

Each Shadow Clone possessed Near-Kage Level strength, which was enough to handle most situations.

Moreover, when it came to mental energy, his Near-Kage Level combat power could hold his own against a Kage-level expert for a while if they clashed head-on.

That amount of time would be enough for Mikoto and the others to escape.

"Mm! Thanks, bro!"

Mikoto and Uchiha Hao quickly accepted the scrolls and voiced their thanks.

Uchiha Senichi, however, took his scroll and looked it over twice. Finding it somewhat amusing, he turned to Uchiha Yan and said, "I get one too? To be honest, with my strength, I don't think I'll need this, will I?"

After all, he was a Kage-level expert now.

Even among Kage-level fighters, he wasn't weak.

Besides, he was growing stronger every day.

He wasn't bragging. If he really wanted to run, there truly weren't many people in the Ninja World who could stop him.

Before he could finish speaking, Uchiha Meixin glared at her husband and scolded him. "You're so long-winded! This is our son's heartfelt gesture. Take it since he gave it to you!"

"What do you mean, 'I think' and 'you think'? How strong are you now, exactly?"

Uchiha Senichi's head began to ache from Uchiha Meixin's scolding.

He was filled with regret.

Why did I have to run my mouth?

"Fine, fine, fine! I'll take it!"

He quickly raised both hands in surrender.

Kumogakure, the Raikage's office.

The Third Raikage held the intelligence report in his hand, raised his brows slightly, and turned to ask a ninja beside him, "Dodai, is this intelligence reliable? Has the Third Kazekage really gone missing? Is Sunagakure really planning to go to war with Konoha?"

Dodai immediately nodded in confirmation. "It's basically certain. I even suspect that the Third Kazekage has already died for some unknown reason."

"According to the information sent back by our spy in Sunagakure, Konoha probably wasn't responsible."

"This looks more like something done by someone within Sunagakure."

"However, judging from Sunagakure's current movements, they clearly intend to pin the blame on Konoha. They'll probably declare war on Konoha soon, both to divert internal and external conflicts and to prevent the other villages from taking advantage of the situation."

"We were lucky to obtain such detailed information this time. That spy was fortunate."

"Lord Raikage, perhaps we can use this opportunity to make some gains."

With such a good opportunity, it would be unreasonable not to profit from it.

After listening, the Third Raikage nodded and narrowed his eyes. In a deep voice, he asked, "Have we still not found a suitable candidate for the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki?"

"Hm?"

Dodai was stunned for a moment before immediately understanding what the Third Raikage meant. He hurriedly nodded. "That's right. We still haven't found a suitable candidate. Not just anyone can become a Tailed Beast's Jinchuriki."

The Third Raikage nodded, then changed the subject. "Does Konoha have an orphan from the Uzumaki clan? That should be the vessel they prepared for the Nine-Tails."

"Have our informants in Konoha keep a close eye on that girl. Find out when she usually leaves, which routes she takes, and where she lives."

"When Konoha and Sunagakure start fighting, send an elite squad over and find a way to seize her."

Kumogakure had always been extremely envious of the unique Kekkei Genkai possessed by the major shinobi villages. They had committed plenty of acts involving both trickery and force.

Dodai was stunned by those words. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Lord Raikage, that Uzumaki girl may already be the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Think about it—Mito Uzumaki hasn't appeared in several years."

"Two years ago, Konoha strengthened its security once. The intelligence department speculated that Mito Uzumaki had probably transferred the Nine-Tails to that girl at the time, then passed away afterward."

"If that's really the case, then that girl is the new Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Konoha has certainly arranged for Anbu elites to watch her. Taking her won't be easy."

Seizing a prospective Jinchuriki and seizing a true Jinchuriki were two entirely different things in terms of difficulty.

But the Third Raikage's thinking was completely different. Not only did he not abandon the idea, his eyes lit up instead. "Isn't that even better?"

"If she really is the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, bringing her back would be equivalent to gaining another Nine-Tails."

"Konoha would lose the Tailed Beast as its trump card, and we wouldn't need to fear them in the future."

"When the time came, all we'd need to do was stir things up a little. The other three great shinobi villages certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity. They'd join forces to attack Konoha and carve it up."

"If Mito Uzumaki were still alive, I'd have to think twice. That woman really is difficult to deal with."

"But if she's gone, then a mere underdeveloped Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki isn't worth mentioning."

"Besides, didn't you just say that Sunagakure is going to war with Konoha?"

"Once they start fighting, how will Konoha have the energy to squabble with us?"

"Moreover, precisely because Konoha is about to go to war with Sunagakure, there will certainly be gaps in the village's defenses. That's our opportunity."

The Third Raikage might have been covered in muscle and looked like a reckless brute, but those familiar with him knew that he was actually an old fox.

When it came to scheming, he was no worse than Ōnoki. Anyone who focused only on his fists was just waiting to suffer.

After listening, Dodai nodded in agreement. "Lord Raikage is right. Shall we proceed according to your instructions?"

"Mm."

The Third Raikage said in a deep voice, "Keep a personal eye on this matter. Don't let anything go wrong."

Konoha, inside the Uchiha clan's restaurant.

In a private room, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had rarely gathered together for a drink.

"Jiraiya, didn't you used to brag nonstop in front of Orochimaru and me about how amazing your disciple Minato was?"

Tsunade held her wine cup and proudly gulped down a mouthful. Her eyes and brows were filled with delight. "From what I can see, he's nothing special. Compared to my disciple Yan, he's not worth mentioning."

Her tone was full of genuine satisfaction, as if the resentment she had held in for years had finally found an outlet.

Jiraiya's brows knitted together when he heard that, and the corners of his mouth drooped. "I heard about it as soon as I returned to the village. His reputation certainly sounds impressive, but who knows how much ability he really has?"

He snorted coldly. "No matter how monstrous his talent is, he's still just a three- or four-year-old brat. How powerful could he be? I don't believe it."

His disciple Minato was the best in the world. How could he possibly lose to a little brat from the Uchiha clan? Tsunade must have done it on purpose.