Searching for Materials

Cloud Shinobi Village paid a heavy price to bring Killer B back.

Fortunately, Konoha was not overly aggressive either, backing down immediately once they got what they wanted.

Both Orochimaru and Shikaku Nara knew that promises between villages were often a joke.

Even so-called alliances and cooperative relationships were impossible to trust.

For example, Konoha and the Land of Whirlpools were long-time allies, and their cooperation was so deep that many Uzumaki crests could still be found in Konoha to this day.

Yet didn't Konoha just stand by and watch the Land of Whirlpools destroyed and the Uzumaki Clan wiped out?

No matter how pleasant things sounded on the surface, war would still break out over interests.

Other nations and shinobi villages resented the fact that the Land of Fire and Konoha occupied such prime locations while they had to face harsh natural environments and scarce resources.

The Legendary Sannin and Shikaku Nara stood in the Hokage's office, watching the departing group of Cloud Shinobi.

War will still come, but before it arrives, we will have enough formidable strength.

Orochimaru muttered.

After becoming Hokage, he gained a deeper understanding of war.

Because of the imbalance of interests, war would never stop.

There were still conflicts within Konoha, and many people in the Land of Fire were unhappy with Konoha, believing that its existence posed a threat to the Daimyo.

If a single country was like this, how could country and country be at peace?

Jiraiya was pondering as well, though he was much more optimistic than Orochimaru.

Orochimaru, don't overthink it. Isn't everything getting better and better?

Tsunade chose silence. With the passing of her lover and younger brother, plus the decline of her family, she was now the sole surviving member of the Senju Clan.

The burdens she carried were far greater than those of Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

The village was her village, yet at the same time, it was not her village.

Aside from the Medical Division, she felt somewhat out of place in this village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had also returned to Konoha. During his time in the Summoning World, his supplies were almost used up.

His clothes were tattered, making him look like a wild savage.

The seals on Killer B, Samui, and the two other Jonin had been lifted.

Killer B and Eight-Tails reestablished their connection.

B! We really took a huge tumble this time!

Gyuki sounded somewhat helpless. The Uchiha were the nemesis of their Tailed Beasts. While his attention was still on Jiraiya and that toad, a Mangekyo illusion had cut him off from Killer B.

After that came Wood Release and seals, making it impossible to break free.

Fortunately, Killer B was not killed; otherwise, it would have to wait a long time to resurrect before being captured and sealed by someone all over again.

Being able to chat with Killer B idly right now was still pretty nice.

Sigh, who knew Konoha was so strong.

Killer B sighed, communicating with Gyuki in his mind.

During the Third Shinobi World War, the impression Konoha left on other shinobi villages was one of weakness. Aside from Minato Namikaze, there were no bright spots whatsoever.

The Nine-Tails Uprising caused Konoha to lose Minato Namikaze as well as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, leading them to assume Konoha was incomparably weak now.

The squad they dispatched did as they pleased at the border of the Land of Fire, only for Jiraiya and an Uchiha to suddenly strike them down.

Lord B, the Raikage is really angry this time...

Shi's expression was also very ugly. The negotiation process was completely one-sided; because Killer B had been captured, they were far too passive and couldn't act tough at all.

Moreover, the pressure from the Sannin was immense. Just having Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru look at him made cold sweat stream down his back.

Fortunately, Konoha was not overly aggressive and still left them some breathing room.

Samui, on the other hand, was reminiscing about the muscular man she saw just as she left Konoha. They Cloud Shinobi were famous for their formidable physical constitutions.

Yet it was the first time she had seen such a robust physical body, and just thinking about it made her legs tremble a little...

The person Samui saw was naturally Hiruzen Sarutobi, and who knew what expression she would have if she learned that the man who stirred her heart was the Third Hokage.

Immortal cultivation was a leap in life tiers, and Hiruzen Sarutobi still held absolute attraction for women.

Killer B scratched his head, having no idea how to face his older brother.

This was entirely his fault, so he would just have to accept punishment upon returning—most likely sent to Cloud Lightning Gorge to rot.

The group of Cloud Shinobi returned to Cloud Shinobi Village, and A indeed flew into a rage, immediately choosing to attack the moment he saw Killer B.

Even with Tailed Beast Transformation, Killer B was no match for A, and one of Gyuki's horns was sliced right off by A.

Shortly after, Killer B was ordered never to step out of Cloud Lightning Gorge again!

The news that Eight-Tails had been captured alive caused the entire shinobi world to change its view of Konoha. Once the Sannin gained power, they swept away Konoha's former cowardice.

Konoha was incomparably formidable now, and the Rock Ninja chose to follow the Cloud Shinobi's example, recalling the ninja who had been harassing the borders of the Land of Fire.

Madara Uchiha's Mangekyo and the First Hokage's Wood Release sweeping across the entire shinobi world were still fresh in people's memories.

Now, the Mangekyo and Wood Release had appeared in Konoha once more. While they were certainly not as powerful as Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, the deterrent force was still sufficient.

The shinobi world ushered in a long-lost peace, and the major shinobi villages all entered a development phase, which was also the benefit brought by war.

Although war brought pain and death, it also produced a large number of vacant positions and opportunities.

History was naturally a cycle of development and war, constant death and rebirth.

Yet none of this mattered to Hiruzen Sarutobi. Only continuous cultivation and strengthening himself were the ways to solve all problems.

Hiruzen Sarutobi resupplied after returning to Konoha and happened to run into the departing group of Cloud Shinobi.

The Eight-Tails inside Killer B's body caught Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention. The Tailed Beast's chakra was indeed vast and brimming with energy.

However, it was of no use to Hiruzen Sarutobi, nor did he deign to become a Jinchūriki.

The only thing that drew a passing glance from Hiruzen Sarutobi was perhaps that Samui; this little girl seemed to pay unusual attention to him.

Upon returning this time, Hiruzen Sarutobi planned to resupply and then set off for Star Ninja Village.

He would defeat the Star Shinobi of Star Ninja Village, seize the "Star" from their hands, and see if it could be used as material for artifact forging.

Near Flower Fruit Mountain, he had also found some materials, though he still lacked a few primary minerals.

With the scarce resources in this shinobi world, Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to forge only a single dharma artifact to serve as his natal magic treasure, continuously searching for materials to optimize and elevate it.

For instance, the Kusanagi Sword in Orochimaru's hand was a decent material.