Sheltering Konoha!

Chapter 023: Protecting Konoha!

"You still dare to sit next to me after being discovered? You've got some nerve." Tsunade stretched her shoulders. Now that her arm was reattached, she no longer feared Oguri Hayashi.

While Oguri Hayashi's combat strength was complex and his tactics were varied and difficult to predict, Tsunade, as the granddaughter of the First Hokage and a disciple of the Third Hokage, had seen a lot. As a quasi-Kage-level ninja herself, she was by no means someone to be trifled with.

"After all, Lady Tsunade, you were also thinking of leaving Konoha, weren't you?" Oguri Hayashi picked up a skewer of meat from the campfire, took out his salt shaker, sprinkled some salt on it, and offered it to Tsunade.

He was from the Great Foodie Empire, after all. He would never forget to bring his salt and spice shakers, which ordinary ninja wouldn't carry.

After sprinkling on salt and spices, even ordinary wild boar meat became delicious.

Tsunade completely ignored his salt and spices. She was an expert in medical ninjutsu and toxins and was confident enough to identify and neutralize poisons.

Even Grandma Chiyo, the Sand Shinobi who specialized in poisons, couldn't deal with her, let alone Oguri Hayashi.

The reason the two could chat so harmoniously was twofold: first, they both had complete confidence in their own strength; second, Oguri Hayashi had exposed Tsunade's hemophobia but hadn't revealed it to the Konoha ninja. Who knew how many spies from other villages were among the Konoha ninja? If Tsunade's hemophobia were known to other villages, Konoha's strongest combat power would immediately be reduced by one. At the very least, even a fallen tiger still possessed its might. Even with her hemophobia, as long as no one knew about it, her deterrence would be quite sufficient.

For example, after the Fourth Hokage's death in the future, why didn't the Fourth Great Ninja War break out? One reason was the possession of the Nine-Tails, the strongest Tailed Beast. Another was that, apart from Orochimaru, the other two Sannin had not defected. Including the Third Hokage, there were three Kage-level powerhouses. Amegakure, with one Kage-level powerhouse, dared to clash with Konoha, Stone Shinobi, and Sand Shinobi. Konoha, with three Kage-level powerhouses, remained the unshakeable strongest ninja village at the center of the continent.

Oguri Hayashi's not revealing this matter publicly showed considerable goodwill. Tsunade was not a fool, so she naturally wouldn't push Oguri Hayashi too hard.

As mentioned earlier, the value of forbidden books was not as great as the transmigrators imagined, not worth Tsunade's life. The other factor was the goodwill extended by Oguri Hayashi.

He hadn't killed anyone, and his tone was full of politeness.

With his Taijutsu ability that could send the Sannin flying, coupled with the Lightning Release Body Cultivation Technique, Oguri Hayashi could have killed many Konoha ninja before the Sannin and the Third Hokage arrived.

His Lightning Release Body Cultivation Technique combined with Shadow Clones was enough to make his clones indistinguishable from real people. His solid martial arts foundation made his clones far more lethal than those of ordinary Taijutsu ninja.

They were all quasi-Kage, Kage-level powerhouses. There was no mistaking that.

Therefore, he extended goodwill, and they received it. Their relationship, already eased by the secrecy surrounding the hemophobia, further improved. That was why Tsunade was sitting by the campfire chatting with Oguri Hayashi.

Of course, Oguri Hayashi's own strength also earned their respect. If he were still a Chunin or an ordinary High Ninja, no one would bother talking to him. Tsunade would have punched him even if her windpipe and carotid artery were cut. Once the Yin Seal was released, she would still be a formidable woman.

"What exactly do you want?" Tsunade asked, still trying to probe Oguri Hayashi's intentions while eating the meat skewer.

Oguri Hayashi's strength was by no means ordinary; he was infinitely close to Kage-level. Apart from Chakra, which was still his weakness, he had almost no significant flaws. Considering his age, a powerhouse similar to Hanzo was rapidly emerging.

Unfortunately, Konoha did not match his ambition, so his defection was decisive.

However, his intelligence was astonishing. Even though he had stolen Konoha's forbidden jutsu books, Konoha could not issue a pursuit order for him. Perhaps Konoha would declare him an A-rank or S-rank rogue ninja, but Konoha would never admit that the Book of Thunder, the Book of Earth, and the Book of Ninja were in his possession. The reason was simple: they couldn't afford to lose face. Moreover, was it not possible that Konoha harbored desires for the Book of Earth and the Book of Thunder?

If they could capture or kill Oguri Hayashi and use the Yamanaka clan's techniques to find the Book of Thunder and the Book of Earth, wouldn't Konoha gain several more ultimate techniques?

Therefore, Oguri Hayashi was not worried about his own safety. He simply smiled, looked at Tsunade, and flicked the finished wooden skewer in his hand. The seemingly light skewer instantly embedded itself in the soil behind Tsunade.

Tsunade's pupils contracted. There were very few people in Konoha who could surpass him in this Ninja Tool Throwing Technique.

"This Ninja Tool Throwing Technique, along with my Taijutsu, were all acquired from those four individuals. Pretty strong, right?" Tsunade had already witnessed his Taijutsu in Konoha, where he had instantly sent the Third Hokage, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya, who were not weak in Taijutsu, flying.

This meant that his Taijutsu alone was enough to place him at the pinnacle of ninja.

"Faster, higher, stronger," Oguri Hayashi said, holding up three fingers.

"I pursue only one thing: to become stronger."

"I don't want to die, I don't want to become a sacrifice in the ninja world. So, once I had the capital, I naturally separated from Konoha and became independent."

"Konoha made you this way!" Tsunade exclaimed, her eyes wide with anger.

"Konoha has been kind to me, so I will naturally protect Konoha in the future," Oguri Hayashi said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Konoha needs you to protect it?" Tsunade scoffed.

Konoha was indeed the strongest in the ninja world at the moment. The older generation, the Third Hokage, Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu, were not yet past their prime. The new generation of Sannin was full of vigor. The next generation, Shisui Uchiha and Minato Namikaze, were emerging. The younger generation, like Kakashi, carried the torch.

By all accounts, it was the strongest ninja village in the ninja world. They didn't need to invade others; why would Oguri Hayashi need to protect Konoha?

Oguri Hayashi smiled slightly, offering no comment. He knew in his heart that in a few years, Kakashi would fall into despair, the Fourth Hokage would be framed, the Third Hokage would shoulder the burden, Shimura Danzo would harbor wicked intentions, Orochimaru would be driven away by Danzo's schemes, Jiraiya would wander the world, ignoring worldly affairs, and Tsunade, with her hemophobia, would be of little use. It would likely take a full decade for Kakashi's generation to mature before Konoha's depleted strength could be replenished.

During this period, the Cloud Ninja's actions against Hinata Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga's sacrifice represented the extent of Konoha's declining strength.

Furthermore, the numerous original characters who appeared in Naruto were treasures and riches for those Reincarnators. They would never let Konoha go!

Tsunade had no idea how important Oguri Hayashi's words "protect Konoha" truly were!

Repaying kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance, Oguri Hayashi, on his path of upright strength, would leave no room for emotional weakness!

Moreover, weren't the treasures on those Reincarnators also Oguri Hayashi's prey?!