Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 338 Sword of Damocles

Does the Hidden Cloud Village actually have a solution?

Upon hearing this, the gazes of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mei Terumi, and even Rasa instantly focused on him.

However, the Fourth Raikage immediately shook his head: "Don't even think about it. We're prepared, but it's far from enough."

"I don't believe that the weapons that we, the Cloud Hidden Sect, have devoted all our efforts to developing can pose any real threat to those beings who see planets as nurseries and whose power is comparable to that of gods."

"That might just be a futile attempt to stop a chariot." He looked around at everyone, no longer the reckless and impulsive person he used to be, but with a cold and calculating expression that was almost cruel.

"So, are we just supposed to sit here and wait to die?" Mei Terumi blurted out.

"Yes, and also wrong."

The Fourth Raikage nodded first, then slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The legend of the Sage of Six Paths is too ancient, too vague and immeasurable for us."

"However, as the tomb owner of the same Otsutsuki clan, we may be able to glimpse his great power through the underground palace."

"Think about it, those ninja tools that were merely his burial goods, once they recognized a master, could grant the user power surpassing that of a tailed beast..."

"Then, just how terrifying would his power be at its peak?"

He paused here, leaving room for everyone's imagination.

"At least, to the limit of what I can imagine, the entire ninja world today probably can't find a force capable of directly confronting that kind of existence," he sighed.

"Let alone the five Kage joining forces, even if guys like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha crawled out of their coffins, I don't think they could handle it."

These words chilled everyone present to the bone.

"So all we can do is pray that the Otsutsuki clan will arrive later, giving us more time to develop."

The Fourth Raikage stated the conclusion of the Hidden Cloud Village's think tank, speaking calmly: "Secondly, we must keep this threat hanging over our heads firmly in mind and devote all our resources to its development."

"So that at some point in the future, when disaster truly strikes, we will have even just a little more resources to struggle."

This is not meant to boost the morale of others, but rather a decision made based on existing intelligence—the most ruthless and likely closest to the truth.

Faced with an absolute disparity in power, prayer and lying low seem to be the only things they can do at the moment.

A heavy sense of powerlessness permeated the silent communications room.

Finally, in a suffocating silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his head.

"Lord Raikage."

His eyes, weathered by time, were filled with complex emotions as he looked at the Fourth Raikage on the screen and said in a hoarse voice, "This secret is indeed of immeasurable value."

"On behalf of Konoha, I acknowledge this and thank Kumogakure for their honesty."

After saying that, he paused slightly, a smile appearing on his face: "Actually, everyone, perhaps we don't need to worry too much."

"At least now we can be sure that the value of that underground palace far exceeds our initial imagination."

"The things inside, let alone being used to deal with the threats from Akatsuki and Hueco Mundo, could perhaps even be used to deal with the threat from the Otsutsuki clan!"

As he spoke, his tone, which had originally been meant to comfort the group, became increasingly resolute.

“We might even draw bolder conclusions based on the inscription.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flickered as he asked, "Is it possible that the body of that powerful tomb owner is still preserved in the deepest part of the underground palace after death?"

"The remains of a 'deity,' even just the body after death, probably contain secrets and value that are beyond our imagination."

"If we can explore to the very end and uncover all the secrets of the underground palace, what we will be able to touch may not just be a few powerful ninja tools, but..."

"The Otsutsuki clan's power and secrets, comparable to those of gods!"

Upon hearing this, Onoki and Mei Terumi's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light on the screen, but the one who reacted the most strongly was Orochimaru, who was disguised as Rasa.

Despite Orochimaru's best efforts to suppress it, a trace of almost manic heat still uncontrollably flashed across his normally cold and hard eyes.

For him, who was obsessed with exploring the essence of life and pursuing immortality and all truth, the allure of a complete body from outer space, comparable to that of a god, was simply irresistible!
Those are the remains of a god's body!

That is the shortcut to the truth!
Orochimaru's body trembled violently within the Kazekage's robes, barely able to control the excitement and greed that emanated from the depths of his soul.

"Therefore, what we need to do now is very clear."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's calm yet powerful voice rang out again, pulling everyone back to reality. "The underground palace before us, the power and secrets it may hold, is one of the 'futures' we can grasp."

"The joint exploration of the underground palace is no longer about fighting for immediate interests, but an action that concerns the future survival of the ninja world."

"We must abandon pointless infighting, put aside past grievances, work together, and make sure to uncover all the secrets!"

Beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hyuga Kumokawa's gaze was deep, and a notification sound came to his mind.

[Your lie has been judged as [Blinded by a Leaf], [Substitution], [Making a Falsehood True], and [Calling a Deer a Horse]. Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mei Terumi, Yagura Karatachi, and others experienced extremely intense emotional fluctuations, reaching the level of [Respecting a God]. You have gained 12000 Truth Points.]

[Remaining realization points: 48757]

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and solemnly said, "On behalf of Konoha, I acknowledge that it is entirely reasonable to use this intelligence as a contribution from Kumogakure to this joint operation."

"...Seconded." Onoki pondered for a moment and slowly nodded. Terumi Mei and "Rasa," who had barely calmed down, also expressed their approval.

Upon seeing this, the Fourth Raikage's lips twitched upwards slightly.

Without a doubt, the existence of the Otsutsuki clan was a threat hanging over their heads, like the Sword of Damocles, making them feel unprecedented pressure.

However, with a common threat and enemy, the five people's relationship clearly improved.

"As expected." Seeing this, Hyuga Kumokawa smiled. "Only by having a sword hanging over their heads can they be brought to their senses."

Just like in the previous life, the only thing that could make China, the United States, and Russia join forces militarily is a cataclysmic disaster capable of destroying humanity.

"I'm just two thousand points away from fifty thousand," Hinata Yunchuan thought to himself. "Now that I have so many points, I should be able to materialize the next four levels of the dungeon."

Although the underground palace is currently empty except for the first level, he already had plans for the remaining four levels.

At this moment, he was simply reviewing the entire plan in his mind one last time to ensure there were no oversights.

When the ninjas finally pushed open the last door of the underground palace after going through all sorts of hardships, what awaited them was not some treasure.

Instead, it was Otsutsuki Kumoshiki who descended in his complete form.

but……

"With the current points reserves, it's probably not possible to complete the 'renovation' of the remaining four floors."

Hinata Kumokawa mentally estimated, "It would be good enough if we could materialize the second and third layers."

Sure enough, more "lambs" are needed to invest their trust and fear.

Meanwhile, as Hinata Kumokawa pondered, the Five Kage's discussion had already concluded.

As the final farewell was spoken, the images on the screen dimmed and disappeared one by one, eventually turning into four pitch-black mirrors.

It reflects Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, which instantly sheds all composure and is filled with deep weariness and worry.

"Hoo..." He seemed to have aged a lot all of a sudden, exhaling a breath of stale air and rubbing his tightly furrowed brows.

He even felt that the amount of information and the mental strain of this meeting exceeded that of a battle.

However, just as he stood up, a calm and solemn voice broke the brief silence.

"Third generation sir."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, slowly turned his head, and looked at Hyuga Kumokawa.

Hinata Kumokawa remained seated, his eyes appearing exceptionally deep in the dim light.

Looking at the young man who was taking over his position, Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes and asked, "Yunkawa, what's wrong?"

Hinata Kumokawa leaned forward slightly, the light falling on half of his face while the other half remained hidden in the shadows. Although his tone was still respectful, it made Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sink.

"There were some things I couldn't say in front of the other four Kage just now," Hinata Kumokawa said in a deep voice, "but in retrospect, you seem to have overlooked something important."

"You overlooked a detail?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed again, his weariness replaced by a hint of alertness. "What detail?"

"Back then, on the day the underground palace appeared," Hinata Kumokawa spoke slowly, each word crystal clear, "that being that killed so many of us."

"who is he?"

(End of this chapter)