Since Jiraiya took over, Root has become increasingly deserted.
Even though Jiraiya spared Danzo's Root because he was an elder in the Danzo and had made many "contributions" to it, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not so soft-hearted.
He knew exactly what Danzo had been doing all these years, so he showed no mercy in dealing with his old buddy.
Danzo was angry, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had more say than him in every aspect: he was the retired Hokage, the current Hokage's teacher, and also the Hokage's assistant.
Having survived Shinigami, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have returned to his former " Shinobi Hero " days.
Even though he's no longer the Hokage, he's even more awe-inspiring than before.
Jiraiya appears to be the Hokage, but in reality, he is only responsible for handling village affairs. The true power holder is Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The reason is simple: Jiraiya was too weak, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was, in fact, his respected teacher. Therefore, Jiraiya was willing to give in, and Hiruzen Sarutobi did not hold back.
The collaboration between master and apprentice actually worked quite well, giving the struggling Konoha a slight respite. However, unfortunately, it wasn't very effective, as Konoha had lost too much over the years.
But this is for the best; at least Konoha isn't too much weaker than other villages, and the fragile balance of the Shinobi World can still be maintained.
This is exactly the kind of Konoha that Yuzuru wants.
As long as Konoha exists, it will always be a coveted prize in the eyes of all other ninja villages.
Don't underestimate preconceived notions in people's minds.
Just like in the hearts of other villages, Kirigakure will always be at the bottom, just like Sunagakure.
Even though Konoha has lost many things, it is still the strongest ninja village in the eyes of others.
Konoha is also trying to maintain this stereotype. After all, once you've been number one for a long time, you can't let go of it. Or rather, whether or not to relinquish the number one spot is no longer up to them.
If the emptiness within Konoha is truly discovered, what awaits them will definitely not be peaceful coexistence or subservience, but rather being completely devoured.
Putting everything else aside, Konoha's superior geographical environment alone makes it impossible for them to be overlooked.
Relocating the entire village would be the best possible outcome, but a more likely result would be that Konoha would be completely wiped out, leaving nothing behind, including the forbidden books left by Tobirama Senju, the Konoha Hyuga Clan, and other large and small clans.
It's worth noting that since the establishment of the Shinobi World has been attacked by multiple countries in succession, which is quite rare in a sense.
Sea Capital.
Hinata, what's wrong with your eyes?
While Yuzuru was tuning his piano with Konan in the office,... well, working diligently, he was immediately drawn to Hinata's eyes when she suddenly came to find Hinata.
"Teacher, my eyes seem to be able to see more clearly."
Hinata's eyes shone with a deep blue light as she jogged over to Yuzuru.
Konan immediately pretended to be nonchalant and returned to her desk, casually grabbing a piece of paper to wipe her inner thighs and covering the hickeys on her neck with one hand.
Hinata glanced at Konan, pouted, and said nothing.
She's no longer the naive little girl she used to be.
Yuzuru pulled her in front of him and carefully examined her eyes.
"Do you feel any discomfort?"
"It feels a bit congested."
"Congestion?"
"Yes, when Chakra flows in my eyes, I always feel a kind of inexplicable blockage."
Hearing this, Yuzuru also became curious.
It looked like Hinata's eyes were finally undergoing their final transformation, but he didn't quite understand the intricacies of it, after all, he wasn't a completely Ōtsutsuki.
Like Hinata, she evolved later in life.
Therefore, professional matters should be handled by professionals.
"Let's go, let's go ask your Kaguya- sensei."
With that, Yuzuru took Hinata's small hand and said to Konan, "I'm leaving the work to you."
"Yes, don't worry, I'm here."
Konan nodded gently.
Then, the two disappeared from the spot.
When it reappeared, it had already entered the interior of the moon.
On the bed, Kaguya was constantly using Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's eyes to purify and refine her bloodline when she suddenly sensed their presence and slowly opened her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
" Kaguya, Hinata's eyes are acting strangely. Come and see what's wrong."
Yuzuru brought Hinata to her.
Kaguya looked at Hinata, activated her Byakugan without saying a word, and examined her carefully.
Soon, a look of disbelief flashed in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
Yuzuru noticed all of this and immediately became worried.
" Hinata, like you, is undergoing a deeper evolution in her body and eyes."
" The Natural Energy within her was so immense that it transformed her body into a unique Ōtsutsuki body, or rather, Ōtsutsuki Sage Body. Combined with her already highly pure Byakugan, the two complemented each other, resulting in an even deeper fusion."
"Your situation is somewhat similar, but not entirely the same. Your transformation stemmed from the God Tree Fruit absorbing the bloodline of a member of the main Main Family with pure blood, forming a special Nine Tomoe Sharingan. It was an evolution based on that eye. Hinata hand, underwent a comprehensive evolution starting from her body."
"Previously, her body couldn't keep up with the Byakugan, preventing her from unleashing its full potential. Now, due to the intake of Natural Energy, her extremely energy-deficient body has evolved, leading to a further advancement in the Byakugan's evolution. In other words, Hinata's talent is now truly about to be revealed."
Kaguya looked at Hinata, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.
Yes, I'm envious!
Although she came from the Ōtsutsuki Clan, she was ultimately just Branch Family.
Kaguya's talent was among the best in the Ōtsutsuki Clan; even the Main Family had few who could compare to her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to so easily cripple Isshiki.
Unfortunately, no matter what she did, she was limited by the purity of the Byakugan in the Branch Family, or rather, the purity of her bloodline, and could not obtain stronger power. She was still subject to the control of the Main Family.
This situation only changed after she ate the God Tree Fruit, obtaining one of the strongest eyes of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, the Nine Tomoe Sharingan.
Hinata, despite not being from the Ōtsutsuki Clan, possesses Byakugan even purer than most Main Family. While physical talents can be improved through various means, the Byakugan of the Ōtsutsuki Clan cannot.
The purer the Byakugan, the greater the potential!
She said her eyes feel blocked; can you help with that?
"Come over."
Kaguya waved to Hinata.
Hinata immediately came to her and looked at her obediently.
Kaguya gently stroked Hinata's cheek. "Such a talent and eyes that I truly envy."
"It'll hurt a little right now, just bear with it."
"Um."