I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 148 A Whetstone Delivered to Your Doorstep

Inside the camp.

Hyuga Hizashi, Uchiha Shisui, and Hatake Kakashi's trio could practically be considered his core group.

"Kakashi, you and Shisui need to keep a close eye on things. Be wary of attacks from the Mist Ninja before reinforcements arrive."

After all, now all the ninjas in the Konoha camp know that although they have achieved a strategic victory, they have failed to guard against an internal traitor who leaked information, allowing the Mist Ninja to launch a surprise attack on a large amount of supplies in the rear.

"Night, this time it was Zhishu who leaked the information."

Ninjas have strong investigative abilities, not to mention their countless strange and wonderful ninjutsu. The traitor in the camp was naturally found out, but Kakashi said it here, and Uchiha Yoru immediately knew that things were probably not that simple.

"Kakashi, is there something wrong with the traitor this time?"

Under Uchiha Yoru's increasingly serious gaze, even Uchiha Shisui, who was the slowest to react, noticed something was wrong and stared intently at Kakashi. Only Hizashi's expression remained stern, revealing no emotion.

After a moment of silence, Kakashi Hatake said quietly, "The family of the tree planter has been threatened, and this threat comes from within the village. It was secretly instigated by the eldest daughter-in-law of the Third Hokage."

Before Uchiha Yoru could say anything after hearing this, Uchiha Shisui's eyes turned bloodshot and menacing; the name reminded him of unpleasant things.

"Damn it! It's her again! How can someone like her even deserve to live? First Orochimaru-sama, and now this situation... Damn it!"

Shisui gritted his teeth in hatred, but Uchiha Yoru fell silent. He then raised his hand to stop Shisui's outburst and looked at Kakashi with a somber expression, saying, "Who else knows about this?"

Kakashi Hatake nodded silently and said, "And Might Guy and Genma Shiranui too."

After all, this clue was something the three of them had figured out together. Hyuga Hizashi remained silent after hearing this, staring intently at Uchiha Yoru with a serious expression, as if waiting for instructions, perfectly embodying the role of a ninja who follows orders.

Under Kakashi's silent gaze, Uchiha Yoru spoke up, lowering his voice and saying, "The village needs stability, and we can't touch the Third Hokage's eldest daughter-in-law. This person is only a menace if she lives; she will harm us and her family."

Even Uchiha Shisui understood the meaning behind those words. He was furious just now, but now he was filled with sorrow. He said in a hoarse voice, unwilling to accept it, "Brother Night, why! They were all ninjas on the front lines who were willing to give their lives for the village, but in the end, they were betrayed by their own village."

This person was betrayed by the village, and then someone else instructed him. Therefore, Shisui was more angry at the corrupt higher-ups than at this ordinary ninja who was tormented by fate.

Having been enslaved by the main family for so long as a branch family member, Hyuga Hizashi's mentality is more stable, and having seen so much, he naturally has a stronger ability to accept things.

Kakashi possesses a pure political mind, and he is more aware of the ins and outs of this matter. The other party's target is Uchiha Yoru, and it is entirely aimed at Uchiha Yoru.

At this moment, Kakashi was also filled with grief and anger. Uchiha Yoru's strength had already shown a threatening state, and the Sarutobi clan had begun to eliminate dissidents. Under such circumstances, would there still be strong people in the village?

I'm afraid not. All powerful ninjas can only live in the shadow of the Sarutobi clan. Once they cross that line, they will be targeted.

"Kakashi." Uchiha Yoru's hoarse voice echoed in the tent. He looked at the three of them with a calm gaze and said, "You will personally lead Genma's team, Might Guy's team, and Kurenai's team to carry out this mission. This person died from his injuries. I don't want to comment on right and wrong, but his family in the village is innocent. His family needs his status as a hero."

Kakashi Hatake nodded silently after hearing this. He had two purposes in taking Might Guy and Genma's team with him to talk to them: one was to win their hearts and see if they were willing to join them, and the other was to take the blame and avoid leaks.

After all, even if this person dies, they cannot reveal any information. As long as those in the shadows know that this person has not leaked any secrets, that's enough. Once a secret is leaked, they will all be targeted.

Kakashi understood that some secrets can only be kept by the dead.

As for the three members of Kurenai Yuhi's team, Kakashi understood. After all, they needed to unite more forces. Not only were the three geniuses, but they were also people they could trust. This was a kind of pledge of allegiance. If they accepted, they would become their insiders in the future.

Who would dare betray you? Let the person behind you know you know this secret? You might be fine now, but are you sure you'll be alright in the future? After all, for those in power, this is a stain on their reputation.

Kakashi Hatake was not disgusted by Uchiha Yoru's methods; on the contrary, he showed a determined look. The Genma Squad was special and almost never betrayed them. As for the Kurenai Yuhi Squad, they were classmates, and after so many years of fighting together, they seemed to be trusted by Uchiha Yoru, so the chance of betrayal was also very low. That's why he wanted to win them over to his inner circle.

After all, their ambitions are far greater than what one or two people can change in a village; they need to unite a much larger group of people.

"Shisui, Itachi just arrived at the front lines, so take him with you and let him witness the darkness of politics. This is a responsibility he must bear as the son of the clan leader."

Although Uchiha Yoru's tone was calm, it revealed a suppressed feeling of carrying a heavy burden. With a weary wave of his hand, the three of them slowly retreated with different expressions.

When only Uchiha Yoru remained in the silent tent, he rubbed his tired brows, but a slow smile crept onto his lips, and a mocking sneer appeared in his dark eyes.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke! Hehe, I have to thank your wife for handing me this whetstone, which is perfect for sharpening the few sharp knives in my hand.

Might Guy, Itachi Uchiha, Kurenai Yuhi, Anko Mitarashi, Yugao Uzuki, and the Genma trio—having witnessed the darkness of the village's corruption, he believed that no one would stand idly by and watch the village continue to decay.

As for Kurenai Yuhi and Yugao Uzuki, whose identities are questionable, Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes when he thought of this. Perhaps this was his test. It was time to see the results of his efforts.

The worst outcome would be for the two of them to report everything to the Third Hokage. But what then? The Third Hokage would only think that he was a man of great principle who chose to nip everything in the bud to prevent unrest in the village. As for threats?

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was also an extremely proud person; otherwise, how could he have ruled Konoha for so many years based on his own ideals—the will of Konoha? The danger is not great.

"Kurenai, Yugao, I don't think you'll let me down." Uchiha Yoru murmured to himself, a confident smile on his face.

What a fine whetstone! In the future, he will have several more sturdy and sharp longswords by his side, which will also be the strength he gathers.

With his fangs bared, it was time for him to gather his strength. After Orochimaru left and he accepted the Hyuga branch family, there was no turning back.

……

The Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village.

Inside the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage, A, whose strong physique was now on full display, put down the barbell in his hand and looked at his subordinate as he solemnly handed over the intelligence.

After quickly skimming through the intelligence, the Fourth Raikage, A, immediately stood up in shock and anger. He stared wide-eyed at the report several times before finally revealing a serious expression.

Is the intelligence reliable and accurate?

"Lord Raikage, time is of the essence and there is no time to confirm."

Seeing the solemn expression on his trusted aide's face, the Fourth Raikage also frowned and looked serious. "The Konoha reinforcements were dispatched from the border area near Sarutobi Shinnosuke's territory, intending to intimidate the Kirigakure. If that's true, Konoha probably wants to use this opportunity to negotiate peace with the Kirigakure."

"No, we have to take a gamble no matter what. How did they find this information?!" Just as the Fourth Raikage, A, was about to ask how they had discovered it, his pupils contracted when he suddenly saw the familiar signature.

"It's him! A spy from Konoha's high command!"

This wasn't the first time, but the enemy's intelligence had never been wrong. Thinking of this, the Fourth Raikage, A, gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Although there are risks, we must try this time. We cannot let Konoha negotiate with Kirigakure. Gather our elite forces and prepare to secretly intercept Konoha's reinforcements this time."

"yes!"

A secret elite force from within the Hidden Cloud Village, carrying out an important mission for the Raikage, secretly set off.

……

The Land of Earth, Iwakage Village.

In the Tsuchikage's office, the red-nosed Onoki looked at the intelligence scroll in his hand and couldn't help but frown. "It's that mysterious person's intelligence again. Although it's highly credible, it's still somewhat dangerous."

"This is a common tactic of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, to expand his gains and intimidate the Kirigakure. The Kirigakure suffered heavy losses in the three wars, and this time they may really fall into Sarutobi's trap."

Hiruzen Sarutobi used a blatant, overt strategy. Did the Mist Ninja dare to fight back? Did they dare to expand their gains? To be honest, the Leaf Village is a large and powerful clan. Opening up a battlefield with one or two thousand ninjas in the Land of Whirlpools would only be a hindrance, but the losses for the Mist Ninja would be much greater.

Onoki, naturally seeing through the situation, frowned. "It seems we need to make a move this time. We must disrupt Konoha's deterrence plan. The best way is to disguise ourselves as Kirigakure ninja and wipe out this reinforcement force to provoke a war between Kirigakure and Konoha."

Thinking of this, Onoki pondered for a long time before making up his mind, "Send an elite force to join forces with the Kazekage and Raikage. Presumably, if Konoha were to be at war with Kirigakure, that would be something everyone would want to see."

It has to be said that experience counts. The Third Hokage was afraid of causing trouble, so he transferred elite troops from the border defense line of the Land of Lightning. However, despite all the precautions, he couldn't prevent an insider from leaking information.

Onoki's methods were exceptionally cunning. He wanted to sabotage Konoha's plan to deter Kirigakure without putting in much effort, since no one would compensate for the losses. However, by joining forces with the Kazekage and Raikage, even though it was a Konoha scheme, he could share the risks.

Konoha is a common enemy. No one wants to see a Konoha that is recuperating. After all, the Land of Fire has too strong a foundation. It would take them ten years to recover, but Konoha only needs five years. That is the difference in their foundation.

……

The Land of Wind, Sunagakure Village.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked at the information sent by the Iwakage and immediately revealed a mocking sneer. "What a cunning old man. You've certainly got a good plan."

Although he knew it was a trap, Rasa remained silent in the end. The village of Sunagakure suffered the greatest losses in the Third Shinobi World War, which led to a large number of missions being taken away by the neighboring village of Konoha. Furthermore, as a defeated nation, the Sunagakure ninja had to hand over a portion of their missions to Konoha every year.

This is a disgrace, and also a means to weaken their Sunagakure village.

He came to power at a time when Sunagakure was at its most difficult and weakest point, and even the Daimyo of the Land of Wind cut funding, which gave him a huge headache.

Don't be fooled by his mastery of Magnet Release: Gold Sand; panning for gold in the vast desert? It's not that easy.

One problem with placer gold is its low purity, and the other is that it further exacerbates the already harsh environment of the Land of Wind.

Moreover, with the yellow sand covering the world, what is the ratio of gold dust to sand? It can be said that in the vast sea of ​​sand, even if he possessed the Magnetic Release: Gold Dust technique, how much desert could he possibly mine in his entire life?

Placer gold refers to gold deposits in mountains that have been washed away by river water, so most placer gold is buried in the silt of underground rivers.

Leaving aside how deep the underground rivers in the desert are, just consider the destructive power of panning for gold in them. The Land of Wind is also an arid and water-scarce country, so the terrifying consequences of destroying the underground rivers would be completely outweighed by the losses.

Even if he worked himself to death for a year, how much could he possibly find? The desert is so vast that he couldn't possibly find anything even if he spent his entire life, not to mention its depth, where alluvial gold is almost always buried in the deepest part.

In other words, he spent a month searching through a desert and the gold he found was less than what he would have earned from a single mission.

The gold content of placer gold is less than five percent pure.

So it's not worth it! His gold dust is also accumulated and sealed in a container, which he usually nourishes with chakra so that it can be used directly in battle, just like Gaara's gourd.

Later on, the sand/gold dust is sealed in an inconspicuous location. During battle, similar to the summoning of a ninja sword by a Mist Ninja, this gold dust has become a part of him and can be summoned and used at any time. (A self-justifying plot hole)

"We can't let this opportunity to weaken Konoha slip by!"

The battle between the Mist Ninja and Konoha is entirely beneficial to Sunagakure, as both villages are at odds with them.

Konoha is now practically leeching off Sunagakure, and this time they might be able to weaken this tiger.

In an instant, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, made up his mind and said to his confidant in a deep voice, "Baki, I need you to take charge of this matter personally. Secretly dispatch elite troops and work with the ninjas of Iwagakure and Kumogakure to execute this plan."

It must be said that the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was cunning and shrewd. He also used a calculated strategy, as no one wanted to see Konoha able to recuperate peacefully.

For every year that Konoha was embroiled in war and unable to recover, they could catch up for a year. During the Third Shinobi World War, they almost saw hope of bringing Konoha down to earth, but they failed at the last step. This time, they were also determined to pull Konoha down from the top of the Five Great Shinobi Villages once again.

At this moment, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was far away on the border, had just dispatched ninja reinforcements, but his wife Sarutobi Umeko was causing trouble again.

"What are you trying to do now!"

Seeing the frustrated and angry look in Sarutobi Shinnosuke's eyes, Sarutobi Umeko sneered, "I didn't do anything, I just told them to slow down and be careful on the way, in case of an ambush by the Mist Ninja."

"you!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke wasn't stupid. He stared wide-eyed at his wife, who was trying to buy time and make Uchiha Yoru suffer some difficulties on the battlefield of Uzushiogakure, so that he could use that as an excuse to weaken her reputation.

It was because he understood that Sarutobi Shinnosuke fell silent at the end that he finally said quietly, "Father is right, your ambition is too great. I can no longer indulge you."

Sarutobi Umeko sneered, "My ambition is great? Aren't I doing what you want to do but dare not do? I'm just doing it for you."

Please support me.

(End of this chapter)