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

Chapter 57 Hiruzen Sarutobi's Vigilance

Are experts of great value?

It's big, that's for sure.

In any ninja village, powerful ninjas are invaluable. They can accomplish tasks that others cannot, and bring substantial benefits and prestige to the village.

But it's only "big" in the sense of being irreplaceable.

Whether they are Kage-level masters or elite Jonin, they are all abandoned when it comes to the interests of the village itself.

There are two main reasons for this.

One reason is that the deaths of ninjas were commonplace, and people had become accustomed to it, so they didn't take the lives of ninjas too seriously.

While some people value human life more than profit, they are a minority. The majority of people, including themselves, tend to take the lives of ninjas less seriously.

Secondly, no matter how strong an individual is, they cannot surpass the collective.

Even a small amount of collective benefit can create more skilled individuals, whether they are Kage or elite Jonin.

However, while this is the mainstream view, there are also strong individuals who can transcend this phenomenon.

For example, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.

There are also strong individuals who, while unable to transcend this phenomenon, are able to escape it.

There are only two people in the ninja world today who can do this.

The Third Raikage, A, and Minato Namikaze.

This doesn't mean they are much stronger than other Kage, but rather that the ninjutsu they possess is compatible with one-to-many situations.

The Third Raikage possessed the hardest shield and the sharpest spear in the ninja world, with an all-around, flawless defense and astonishing bursts of power.

Those who can break through his defenses cannot catch him, and those who can catch him cannot break through his defenses.

The sharpest spear can tear apart anything that tries to block him.

Human wave tactics are meaningless to him unless he has a reason not to escape.

Although Minato Namikaze doesn't have the sharpest spear or the hardest shield, he possesses incredible speed that's hard to react to, and he also has the Flying Thunder God Technique, which allows him to jump through space regardless of terrain.

He can move freely amidst thousands of troops, and can also escape at any time if he encounters an enemy stronger than him.

These two are beings in the current ninja world who cannot be overwhelmed by sheer numbers; they are capable of escaping from the group.

And now, we have to add another person—Ryuji Ayaki.

Although he couldn't believe that a fifteen-year-old boy could reach such a level, Sarutobi had to admit it after hearing Minato's mission report.

That genius puppeteer from Sunagakure truly reached that level.

Bird-shaped puppets capable of rapid flight; insect puppets, small in size yet numerous, capable of burrowing underground and breathing fire, possessing autonomous judgment and acting independently; armored figures that are unaffected by A-rank single-target burst ninjutsu, possess immense strength, extremely high burst damage, numerous ninjutsu techniques, and the ability to fly at high speeds…

This young man not only demonstrated strength comparable to any top ninja in the world today, but also showed no fear of being surrounded by a crowd.

"Just a few days ago, Danzo and I thought he was able to take on ten opponents, kill nine elite Jonin, and achieve a crushing victory because of that powerful weapon." The more Sarutobi thought about it, the more depressed he felt.

Not only did Sunagakure produce such a skilled fighter, but it was also a puppeteer who developed so many powerful weapons and equipment.

Now that they have obtained the dragon vein, it's unknown how much their overall strength will be enhanced.

Perhaps, in this Ninja World War, Sunagakure is the greatest enemy.

Sarutobi sighed inwardly, then glanced at Minato kneeling on one knee in front of the desk. He straightened his expression and said, "You did a good job on this mission. Go and get some rest. I'll talk to Sunagakure about Shiki and Choza's matter."

The mission was to stop An Lushan from stealing the dragon vein. Although Minato did not do it himself, judging from the mission objective, the mission was completed.

"Yes."

Minato responded in a low voice, then got up and left.

This time, however, his silhouette appeared somewhat desolate.

Clearly, the failure of this mission dealt a heavy blow to him.

Seeing this, Sarutobi sighed deeply again: He hoped that this defeat would not have too much of an impact on him.

In the past, he would have secretly observed Minato's situation.

It would be best if he could get over the setback on his own. If not, then we need to find a suitable opportunity to give him some inspirational words.

But now, considering the current situation and the even stronger Sunagakure, he simply doesn't have the energy to pay attention to his personal condition.

As the Sand Village grows stronger, its ambitions will swell, coupled with its need to seize territory... What price will Konoha have to pay to prevent them from launching an attack at this time?

What's the situation with Danzo?

"Lord Hokage, there is a scroll sent from Sunagakure."

Suddenly, a member of the undercover team appeared in front of the desk, holding a small scroll in his hand.

Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly walked to the ANBU member, took the scroll, and opened it.

The Sand Village requests that a delegation be sent to Konoha to study their education and medical systems, while also demanding that Konoha provide unconditionally...

This is a letter sent back by the Konoha envoy who was sent to Sunagakure, containing Sunagakure's requests.

Sarutobi didn't care about material and financial needs. Although it hurt his wallet, it was nothing compared to the crisis and cost of fighting five ninja villages at the same time.

However, the requirement to send an envoy to Konoha to learn about the education and medical ninja system...

Sarutobi's gaze sharpened, his expression growing increasingly grave. "A visionary has appeared in Sunagakure."

As the Hokage, he certainly knew why his village was so powerful.

First, there are many ninja clans; second, there is the education system.

These two factors ensure that Konoha has a continuous supply of soldiers, and outstanding new talents keep emerging.

While the medical ninja system has not yet fully demonstrated its value, the decrease in the casualty rate of Konoha ninjas in recent years is enough to show its benefits to the village's long-term development.

"The Sand Village has already seized the Dragon Vein. If they then adopt Konoha's education system and medical ninja system, they will become a formidable enemy of Konoha in the future." Sarutobi thought for a while, then picked up his brush and wrote a reply.

The gist of it was that it could increase financial and material benefits, but sending a delegation to study abroad was not an option.

……

Rain-Hidden Village.

In the conference room of Hanzo the Salamander.

Hanzo, as the host, sat at the top, flanked by the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki Ryouhei, the Third Raikage, and the leader of Kusagakure.

Inside the room, everyone knelt on the cushions in silence, the atmosphere was very serious.

After a while, Hanzo couldn't help but speak up: "Everyone, we all have the intention to attack Konoha, but we can't finalize our attack plan. If we delay any longer, things might change."

"You'll have to ask Lord Raikage about that..." Onoki said, glancing at the Raikage who was resting with his eyes closed, and said sarcastically, "Last time we joined forces to attack Sunagakure, everyone trusted each other and let Kumogakure be the leader. Putting aside the fact that we failed, in order to preserve the strength of our own villages, we used people from other villages as cannon fodder during the attack and as the rearguard during the retreat... With such an example before us, who would dare to cooperate easily?"

(End of this chapter)