Hizashi sighed softly. "Everyone has their own difficulties! I understand your desire to stay alive, but what you're doing is aiding the enemy. If Sunagakure grows stronger because of this, it will be a disaster for Konoha.
"And that One-Tail chakra-what if putting it inside the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki causes the Nine-Tails to go on another rampage?"
"If I can make Sunagakure prosper, I can naturally weaken it too. Maintaining good relations with Konoha will be their only choice.
"Besides, if I can strengthen even a place like Sunagakure, how could I fail to restore Konoha to its peak when it has timing, terrain, and popular support on its side?
"As for the Nine-Tails, there's even less need to worry! The Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu is no joke, and Shukaku himself knows sealing jutsu too. The Nine-Tails can only dream of getting out."
"What if the One-Tail and the Nine-Tails cooperate?"
"There's a way to handle that too, but it's confidential. I can only tell the Third Hokage.
"Captain Hizashi, let's return to Konoha first!"
"We're not looking for the Three-Tails?"
"We have its approximate location, so there's no hurry for now. The One-Tail is more important. This concerns whether Sunagakure will cooperate."
"All right!"
Besides bringing back the One-Tail chakra, Uchiha Yan wanted to return to Konoha to see whether Xiaren had followed the plan and what results it had produced.
After another stretch of nonstop travel lasting days, they reached Konoha late at night, already utterly exhausted.
But for the sake of the war, they still forced themselves to go see the Third Hokage.
Hearing that the three had suddenly returned made the Third Hokage's heart tighten, and even Utatane Koharu had a faint sense of foreboding.
Only when they saw the three did that feeling ease a little.