This puppeteer is a bit... well...

Chapter 162 Konoha Raises the Alert for War (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

"What should we do now?"

Koharu, Homura, and Danzo all felt a headache coming on when they heard the Third Hokage's question.

If they had known this would be the outcome, they wouldn't have chosen such a forceful approach.

Although the current war situation is developing in Konoha's favor, giving them more confidence to face Sunagakure, they would absolutely not want to go to war with Sunagakure.

Why?

Because the losses were too great.

If we want to start a war with Sunagakure, we must end the war with Iwagakure at this stage.

However, the balance of power in the war had already tipped in Konoha's favor, and choosing to negotiate peace with Iwagakure at this point would not bring them any benefits at all.

Having suffered casualties involving nearly half of their ninjas and wasted countless resources and supplies, abandoning the fruits of victory just when it was within their grasp and instead choosing to wage war against the Sand Village, which had preserved its strength the most intact in this Shinobi World War, was a choice that must have been made by someone with a screw loose.

Their tough countermeasures against the Sunagakure delegation are not intended to start a war with Sunagakure, but rather to use this delegation as leverage to reclaim the benefits that Sunagakure had previously extorted from them.

They were certain that the Sand Village delegation would not resist, and felt that this was a sure thing.

But to my surprise, the other party didn't play by the rules.

No, it's not that they're playing by their own rules; they've simply underestimated Ryuji Ayaki's strength.

Although Ryuji Ayaki is tough and decisive, all of this is done with the backing of great strength. In reality, he is a person who thinks things through carefully and chooses the best course of action based on the pros and cons.

If Ryuji Ayaki's trump card is truly as they know it, he might actually choose to back down, just as they imagined.

"We're now in a bind. We either have to swallow our anger or completely break off relations!"

Danzo spoke up.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

If they choose to swallow their anger, two-thirds of the guards will die tragically in vain, the village will lose face, and the ninjas' trust in the higher-ups will decrease.

At the same time, this Sand Village delegation will return safely with the knowledge they have learned, and then use this knowledge to grow and expand.

The advantage is that you can focus on dealing with Iwagakure and take the victory that should be yours.

Choosing to truly break ties and launch a full-scale manhunt for this Sunagakure delegation would inevitably sever the alliance with Sunagakure and even lead to war. Regardless of the losses caused by war or whether victory can be achieved, the fruits of victory that Iwagakure had already gained would certainly be lost.

At the same time, the village's ninjas would also question such a foolish decision.

But no matter what choice they make, Konoha can no longer be as carefree as before.

Koharu and Menyan both looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. They were advisors and elders whose duty was to provide advice to the Hokage. Now that Danzo had offered his advice, they could only wait for the Third Hokage to make a decision.

But is this kind of choice so easy to make?

Hiruzen Sarutobi paced anxiously back and forth in front of his desk, oblivious to the fact that the pipe in his mouth had already been extinguished, and he kept puffing away.

"Sarutobi, there's no time to think about it," Danzo urged. "Ryuji Ayaki and his group have already headed to the shopping district. If they all reunite, it will be even more difficult to deal with them. Whether we swallow our anger or truly break off relations, we need to make a decision as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi stopped in his tracks and looked over with a resolute expression.

"Activate war alert, have the genin lead the villagers to the shelter, and assemble all combat-type ninjas of chunin rank and above."

Regardless of which option is chosen, Konoha will have to pay a considerable price to reap the rewards.

It seems that swallowing one's anger is more worthwhile than tearing off the mask of civility.

But the most important thing for an organization is to unite its members and build consensus.

Two-thirds of the ninja in the guard unit are dead. If they can't come up with an explanation, the village's ninjas will inevitably lose faith in the higher-ups and even the village itself.

When that happens, the unity and cohesion will crumble, and the future of this village will be gone.

Therefore, regardless of the consequences, Konoha has no choice but to break off relations.

……

Konoha has a strong sense of execution.

As the war alarm sounded, the villagers, under the guidance of the ninja, orderly made their way to various shelters for refuge.

In fact, the evacuation of Konoha residents had already begun long ago.

Although they never intended to have a real conflict with the Sand Village delegation, as the planners, they couldn't help but consider the consequences if a real conflict did occur.

Therefore, when the alarm sounded, the entire Hidden Leaf Village quickly became deserted, with only waves of mobilized ninjas running through the streets or on the rooftops.

The Sand Village delegation resides in the western suburbs of Konoha. Further west lies the Forest of Death, and to the south is the gate to Konoha. It is a two-hour drive from the commercial district and nearly three hours from the hospital.

Of course, this is calculated based on the average person's walking distance.

For ninjas, it takes about half an hour to get there.

If it's a forced march, this time can be reduced to within twenty minutes.

However, considering the upcoming battle and the need to conserve energy, Ryuji did not order a forced march, but instead headed towards the shopping street at a normal pace.

"Lady Ayaki..." After traveling for about ten minutes, a captain of the guards suddenly sped up and caught up, suggesting, "After we've met up with Karura and Yashamaru, we need to break out of Konoha. Wouldn't it be better to send some men to capture the village gates now?"

After saying that, fearing that Ryuji might not have understood his meaning, he continued to explain: "Judging from the attitude of that group of people before, they never expected us to resist, so it's very likely that the Konoha gates haven't been reinforced with defenses. If we can seize control of the gates before Konoha can react and strengthen their defenses, we can escape directly through the gates after rescuing the people."

"Very good suggestion." Ryuji glanced at the accompanying Jonin with surprise and asked, "What's your name?"

"Yura, my name is Yura."

Yura?

Ryuji was taken aback for a moment, then turned around to look at the Jonin.

He had black hair and black eyes, wore a headscarf, and had long bangs that covered his right eye, but he looked very young, about the same age as Ryuji.

"Sir, is something wrong?"

Seeing that Ryuji was staring at him, Yura couldn't help but feel strange.

"It's nothing."

Ryuji shook his head and looked away. "Your suggestion is very good. If I hadn't prepared any other backup plans, this would indeed be the best tactic. But I already told you in the meeting room, didn't I? Before coming to Konoha, I had anticipated this day, so I made the corresponding preparations."

"Since you are already aware of the situation, I will not say any more."

Yura instinctively retreated back into the group, without the slightest distrust.

Ryuji glanced at him again out of the corner of his eye. The more he looked at that young face, the more he resembled the mature middle-aged man in the future. He couldn't help but think to himself: Is that bastard Sasori of the Red Sand nearby?

This Yura is one of the future high-ranking members of Sunagakure, but he is also a spy controlled by Sasori of the Red Sand using his mind manipulation technique. He became Sasori's inside manipulator when the Akatsuki organization invaded Sunagakure and captured Gaara.

It was because of him that Deidara and Sasori were able to succeed so easily.

At this moment, Yura's suggestion reminded Ryuji of Sasori of the Red Sand.

Although Sasori of the Red Sand agreed to be his spy for Akatsuki, Sasori was not an honest and dutiful person. It would not be surprising if he did anything before the promise was fulfilled.

Especially considering that he was the culprit who captured him and brought him back to the village, almost causing his execution... it would be understandable if he wanted to assassinate him.

but.

Since Yura was able to become a high-ranking official in Sunagakure in the future, it must mean that he has extraordinary abilities and it is not surprising that he has strategic vision that others cannot see.

Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether Yura's suggestion was at Sasori's behest or based on his own opinion.

(It's best to be more cautious in secret.)

Ryuji made a decision in his heart.

The best way to deal with a spy that has been discovered is not to kill him immediately, but to pretend you don't know anything about him and use him as a mouthpiece for spreading false information.

However, he had no false information to pass on to Sasori of the Red Sand.

After all, no matter how strong one is, he is still just one person and has no use for methods to deal with powerful groups.

However, if Yura, the spy, is eliminated directly, Sasori will simply plant unknown spies in again.

Therefore, all we can do is keep an eye on Yura's behavior from the shadows.

Especially when there is a possibility of contact with a scorpion, keep a close eye on him.

As I was lost in thought, a group of Konoha ninjas appeared on the distant horizon.

The person in charge was an acquaintance.

She has long, black hair that reaches her waist, pale skin, wears a white robe, and has dangerous snake eyes.

—Orochimaru.

He was followed by a large number of ninjas, most of whom wore Konoha's standard vests, but many others wore clothing in their clan's style.

For example, the Hyuga clan's hempen robes, the Aburame clan's high-necked coats, sunglasses, and insect bowls, and the Akimichi clan's great armor...

"stop!"

The two sides stopped about twenty meters apart.

Ryuji and Orochimaru tacitly stepped out of their own ranks and stopped between the two teams, sizing each other up.

Orochimaru chuckled, "Ayaki-kun, I never expected someone as intelligent as you to do something so foolish."

"A foolish move?" Ryuji's lips curled into a slight, contemptuous smile. "Orochimaru, I thought you were a smart man, but I didn't expect you to be just like those vulgar idiots. Did you really think I would push myself to the edge of a cliff?"

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's expression changed slightly.

Both Konoha's intelligence and his own investigations showed that Ryuji was not a reckless and impulsive person.

What Konoha is most worried about is that Ryuji's actions were not impulsive, but premeditated.

His words at this moment were both a test and a plea for surrender.

If Ryuji can surrender, then everything will be fine.

Even if the other party does not surrender, you can still test their attitude—whether they are confident or acting rashly. A brief conversation is enough to find out.

Orochimaru could sense the confidence in the other person's tone; it was definitely not bluffing.

He could sense it through his snake's instincts as a predator.

(End of this chapter)