Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

It was as if reminding Onoki that they were worse off than before. At least they managed to loot some supplies and make a profit from Kumogakure. Thinking about Kumogakure, that was truly miserable. They spent 10 billion yen on supplies but ended up with nothing.

"Phew... Yeah, right. Have you finished counting? Are the quantities correct? That bastard Raikage deserves his bad luck! (￣︶￣)"

After Mizuki's reminder, Onoki's mood improved considerably. He could almost picture the Raikage angrily demolishing the Raikage Tower, like an angry bird. He immediately calmed down; anger was bad for his kidneys. His son had just been born, and he wanted to fight again to see if he could create another one. He'd heard that Hiruzen Sarutobi had been married for years without producing a single child; he guessed it was because of too much anger…

.......

"Lord Raikage, according to our research, almost all the sealing techniques we brought back from the Land of Whirlpools were developed based on the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan. In other words, outsiders simply cannot learn them. However... the S-rank sealing technique you obtained at the cost of so many resources is an exception. Although this sealing technique is very powerful, the price is also very high. It is called the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique. The caster can summon a Shinigami to extract and seal the opponent's soul. After the sealing is completed, the caster's own soul will also be eaten by the Shinigami. It is equivalent to a forbidden technique of mutual destruction."

"Yes, yes, yes! That's the technique! Damn it, over a dozen of my good lads died because of this technique! It turns out it's a suicide tactic used by the Uzumaki clan!"

"So, the sealing techniques that everyone else received, just like us, are useless now?"

"Hahaha! I bet those two bastards, Onoki and the Mizukage, are already jumping up and down in anger! ヾ(o′?｀o)?"

On the Cloud Village side, the Raikage didn't furiously demolish the Raikage Tower as Onoki had imagined. Instead, he and his big-headed strategist, Azabu, quietly listened to the report from the sealing squad leader. Hearing that the sealing techniques they had previously obtained were useless, but the sealing technique they had seized with supplies was actually usable, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Especially after seeing the big-headed strategist, who was about to lay down his resignation letter, take it back, he became even more gloating. At least he knew that his supplies hadn't been wasted; he had obtained a usable sealing technique. The others were probably slapping their thighs in satisfaction!

This game is like buying the lottery, it's so damn exciting! Luckily, he had a strong heart and won! ヾ(^д^*)/.

199. Handsome Scorpion was studying the Basic Law at the age of three.

The annihilation of the Uzumaki clan was equivalent to Konoha losing an ally, which greatly boosted the morale of all the countries and villages in the ninja world. In the years following the annihilation of the Uzumaki clan, the already intense border conflicts intensified. Of course, it wasn't just conflicts with Konoha. Nearly twenty years had passed since World War I, and both the major and minor ninja villages had reached their peak, each with strong and well-equipped armies. As young people grew up, their first thought was naturally to rise to power. In an era without war, the way to rise to power was naturally to rack up the most impressive statistics in covert conflicts, which naturally increased the chances of success. This led to both sides being completely unable to restrain themselves from causing massive casualties in border conflicts.

Among them, Konoha, as the center of the ninja world, suffered the highest casualties. Although Konoha's equipment was superior and its combat power was generally higher than that of other ninja villages, it couldn't withstand the sheer number of people. They were almost always fighting against several at the same time or in a series of battles. They would fight one village after another without resting for two minutes. Even an iron man couldn't withstand this.

As friction between nations and villages intensifies, the atmosphere in the ninja world grows increasingly tense. Anyone with a modicum of sense can sense the impending war. Under these circumstances, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and many smaller nations and villages begin preparing for war. The major ninja villages' objective is clearly aimed at Konoha, while the situation for smaller villages and countries is far more complex. If during the First Shinobi World War, these smaller villages and countries were merely bystanders behind the three major ninja villages, then this time it's a battle between smaller villages, or several smaller villages uniting to challenge the major ninja villages. In the past two years, due to the ambition and impetuousness of some young people, friction between major and minor ninja villages has naturally increased, and hatred has been brewing. No one side dares to attack another, but when two or three smaller villages or countries unite, and these smaller villages have reached an unprecedented level of prosperity after years of development, their audacity grows.

The conference room inside the Wind Shadow Pavilion was packed with people. This important meeting was not only attended by the heads of various clans, but also by all the elite Jonin who were presentable and well-known. However, the clan heads sat in the front, while the elite Jonin squatted on the periphery, striking all sorts of poses that they thought were the coolest, with serious expressions on their faces.

"Come here, let big brother give you a hug. Big brother will take you to see the goldfish... There are lots of cute little girls there! Being too reserved won't do, or you won't be able to catch a girl, and your grandma will cry..."

Sitting next to Chiyo, Shinto was playing with the three-year-old boy in Chiyo's arms. This little brat was Chiyo's apple of her eye; he'd spent almost all his life in her arms since birth. Even his parents had only held him a handful of times. And then there was Sasori, the handsome three-year-old, whose talent for puppetry he displayed last month, far surpassing his genius puppeteer parents, made Chiyo cherish him immensely. Chiyo even brought him to such grand occasions. However, children in this world matured earlier; the dangers of early training weren't yet widely known in the ninja world, so most clan children started training at three. Therefore, Sasori sat quietly on Chiyo's lap, neither crying nor fussing, a well-behaved, handsome young man quietly playing with the basic puppet control techniques Chiyo was teaching him.

The geniuses in this world are almost all the same: they're all introverted and repressed, and don't fit in. Although these kids are incredibly attractive to girls their own age, it seems like their fates are all predetermined; none of them are destined for a happy ending. The second male lead is just a plot device.

"....ヽ(ー_ー)ノ"

The serious atmosphere was instantly broken. Everyone looked speechlessly at this jerk who was teasing the child. We're having a meeting right now, can't we be serious? If you make a three-year-old call you big brother, then we're all a generation younger than you.

You're a single dog and you're taking someone to pick up girls... Ugh! ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

"...An adult impersonating a child is a crime punishable by up to twenty years in prison. I'm only three years old, and you're several years older than my father..."

The little brat, Sasori, calmly looked at the uncle he usually considered an idiot. Unlike other kids who would raise their hands for a hug, Sasori calmly gave this illiterate man a lesson in legal knowledge, while looking at him with the eyes of someone who thinks he's an idiot. This kind of tactic wouldn't work on other kids. Does Sunagakure even have goldfish?

"puff!"

"...Who told you to do this? Does our village have this law? How come I didn't know about it? (⊙_⊙)"

Masato curiously asked Mada behind him, "This genius's genes are amazing! He's only three years old and he's already studying basic law..."

"Probably...maybe...maybe..."

Mada was also confused, but seeing how well-behaved the handsome scorpion spoke, coupled with his calm expression, even though he was only three years old, he could still feel that this rule should exist.

The people around looked at each other, as if asking if there really was such a law in the village? Pretending to be innocent is so serious, it could get you locked up for twenty years...

"Hmph... mortals."

Handsome Scorpion glanced disdainfully at the bewildered adults around him before lowering his head to continue playing with his fingers.

"......"

Handsome Scorpion's gaze may not be very hurtful, but it is extremely insulting.

The group, feeling the glare from Handsome Scorpion, were furious. They were incredibly annoyed that someone of their stature and status had been looked down upon by a mere three-year-old brat.

If you weren't Chiyo-sama's grandson, and had that guy next door protecting you, I'd beat the crap out of you! (▼へ▼メ)

"Alright, alright, let's get down to business. Everyone knows the current situation in the ninja world. Every village is preparing, including Sunagakure. However, the situation is quite chaotic. According to reports, the Hidden Hot Springs Village, the Hidden Frost Village, and the Hidden Smoke Village have officially formed an alliance. Last year, Kyo wiped out their people. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be targeting us when the war begins. There are other villages in the same situation. Therefore, the war situation is very complicated. After discussions between the Kazekage and me, just in case the war route cannot be the same as the First Great War, we plan to borrow passage from the Hidden Rain Village..."

Seeing that his grandnephew had stirred up a wave of hatred with just a glance, Ebizo, who now has the "old" in his name, quickly stepped in to interrupt, so as not to affect his grandnephew's future ascension to the throne.

200. Next time, remember to pass the buck to Konoha.

"Wow!? Kyo is pretty good. His record after a year away is not bad. It's just that his methods were a bit crude. He only knew how to kill and cover up, but forgot to shift the blame. In that situation, the first thing to do was to pretend to be someone from Konoha and shift the blame to Konoha! Let this be a lesson. Be more careful next time!"

Masato, in the tone of an old man, glanced at the seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy behind Sunagawa and lectured him in a precocious manner.

This young man is one of the few geniuses in Sunagakure since Sasori's father's generation. His father was also Sunagawa's teammate when he was young. Unfortunately, due to bad luck, Sunagawa became the leader, but his father died on the way to a mission. However, because of this teammate bond, Sunagawa took good care of his teammate's son. This time, because of his youthful arrogance, he killed people from three ninja villages, which led to their alliance. Normally, the standard politician's approach would be to abandon this troublemaker and focus on Konoha after the next war begins. However, Ebizo's words have made it clear that Sunagawa wants to protect this young man.

The Hidden Hot Springs Village, the Hidden Frost Village, and the Hidden Smoke Village are just three small ninja villages. Each village's military strength is at most a few hundred people, and the person in charge is at most an elite Jonin. Even if they join forces, they can't withstand a single fart from the Hidden Sand Village.

However, that's in peacetime. Wartime is completely different. War is unpredictable, and sometimes a small mistake can lead to total defeat. This armed force of a little over a thousand people is neither strong nor weak. If they were attacked at a critical moment in the war, or if their supplies were seized, the problem would be huge. After all, it's impossible to send more than a thousand people to escort supplies.

Although Sunagakure has developed quite steadily, they still don't have the necessary conditions.

Sunagawa wanted to protect his teammate's son, and Masato didn't care either. But shouldn't we criticize this guy for his poor management? Someone who only knows how to kill people but doesn't know how to use his brain won't last long in the ninja world.

During World War II, he remembered that other small villages were just minor players. The three small villages, though united, did have an imposing presence, but their resources were far inferior to the enemy's. If you gave Sasori's parents two decent tanks, they could easily wipe out all three villages. However, despite the frequent fighting in the ninja world, village massacres were rare. The atrocities committed in the past were too great; who knew if the retribution would fall on future generations? Even Chiyo, who was never superstitious, now went to the temple every ten days or so to burn incense and pray after learning that the Uzumaki clan could summon Shinigami (death gods). Her son and nephew were both participants in the clan extermination war. Her son and nephew deserved their fate, but if the retribution fell on her precious grandson, he would be doomed…

"..."

Upon hearing Masato's words, everyone rolled their eyes. They had never seen anyone educate a junior like this before. Wasn't this just training a young man to be a cunning old fox?

"Scorpion, just listen to what your uncle said, don't take it seriously..."

Chiyo glared at Masato, then whispered to her beloved grandson who was playing with his fingers, "There are already enough cunning people in Sunagakure than my nephew. I don't want my grandson to be influenced by my nephew and become like him. I'd be more at ease with someone like Hashirama Senju..."

"Well, Uncle's explanation is too simplistic. Simply impersonating someone from Konoha isn't enough. If you want to frame someone, you need to leave behind solid evidence to convince people that it was Konoha who did it. If you can't do that, it's best not to leave anything at all so that no one can find the culprit."

Handsome Scorpion nodded seriously, then added confidently, "If it were him, he would never let anyone know who did it..."

Chiyo glared at Masato with murderous intent: You brat! (▼he▼メ)

σ(⊙▽⊙a！！

Shock!

Everyone stared in astonishment at the handsome Sasori who had just finished speaking. They weren't surprised by what Sasori had said, but by the fact that their Sunagakure's orthodox disciple had already shown such cunning potential at such a young age! If he were to grow up like this, what would become of them? Sunagakure was about to take off!

"(⊙_⊙)! That's great! Jie, Saori, take Sasori to get his IQ tested after the meeting. Let's see how many intelligence points he has. He's almost on par with Nara and Azabu's big heads!"

Shinto was also surprised. Some things really are innate. No wonder the mystery of the Third Kazekage's disappearance after this kid killed Sunagawa in the original work became a decades-old unsolved case in the ninja world. This kid is only three years old and he already has this kind of brain.

"-_-||..."

Handsome Scorpion's parents looked helpless. At that moment, they realized that moving out into the neighborhood was the biggest mistake they'd ever made; look at the way their child had been influenced...

"Stop, stop, stop! We are discussing the next steps in the war."

Seeing that this bastard had once again steered the meeting off-topic, Sunakawa felt utterly exhausted. If it weren't for the fact that this bastard would be needed to face off against White Fang in the upcoming war, he really wouldn't want to play along with him. It was just too damn tiring; even a simple meeting had left him this exhausted.

"What's the point of discussing this? Haven't you already come to a conclusion? We'll pass through the Land of Rain. Hanzo from the Land of Rain and I have a pretty good relationship, so passing through shouldn't be a problem. But... we need a legitimate reason to start a war, right? Otherwise, Konoha will definitely be able to stand on the moral high ground again. The ninja world is in a mess right now, but nobody has a legitimate reason."

Masato, propping his head up, analyzed the situation.

The situation in the ninja world is currently very intense. Apart from the Land of Water, which is far from the mainland and whose situation is unclear, almost every ninja village in the ninja world is actively preparing for war, striving to show their own style and flair in this highly anticipated battle. However, they have been preparing for months, and the supplies they have collected are almost moldy, yet the battle has not officially begun. Why is that? It's simply because they lack a legitimate reason.

If a war is started without a legitimate reason, it will have far-reaching consequences, disrupting the entire ninja world. While the war is in progress, it may not seem like a big deal, but once it ends, the ninja world will be branded as someone who has unjustly started a ninja war and disrupted the ecological balance of the ninja world.

Although this thing doesn't cause any real damage, it severely impacts the morale of the village and the country.

Nobody wants to carry it!

The current situation is that everyone is prepared, but everyone is waiting for someone to step forward so that they can follow suit.

"This idiot... cough, Masato's words make sense. Moreover, I think that even if our Sunagakure were to go to war with Konoha, we shouldn't be the first to act. We've developed quite well in the past twenty years, but Konoha, with its most fertile and prosperous land, has undoubtedly become much stronger than before. We have no idea to what extent. The first village to attack Konoha will inevitably face Konoha's main offensive. We might as well let the other villages enter the fray first and see how Konoha responds."

201. Chiyo was so proud!

Bai Chi, who was barely clinging to life and planning to drag Golden Lion along to sign in with the old man Rokudo, stood up to express his opinion under the surprised gazes of everyone.

This old man actually agrees with his mortal enemy's statement?

These two are mortal enemies who can't stand not to bicker a few times whenever they meet! σ(⊙▽⊙a

"Hmph! I'm doing this for the village's sake! It has absolutely nothing to do with this scoundrel! (▼he▼メ)"

Seeing the surprised looks on everyone's faces, he seemed to know what they were thinking and gave a rather arrogant snort.

Although he was in a wheelchair because of the grandson he cherished most, he still had a clear understanding of the bigger picture. The Meichuan clan's current status was due to their connection with the village when it was founded; it was the village that gave them that status. If the village prospered, the Meichuan clan would naturally prosper even more. If the village suffered heavy losses, the Meichuan clan would not fare much better. Therefore, while he was irreconcilably at odds with that bastard Jin Shizi in terms of personal feelings, he was quite magnanimous in agreeing with the bastard's views on the benefit and loss of the village.

"Chief Meichuan's analysis makes sense, but the biggest problem now is that none of the villages have a reason to start a war, and others may have the same idea as us. Even if we want to find a reason for other villages to start a war, it will be very difficult!"

After Chiyo's in-laws, the head of the Yusa clan, nodded in agreement with Umekawa Hakuchi's statement, he sighed.

He wasn't the only one who knew the strategy of letting others test Konoha; the other villages weren't fools either. Onoki was a cunning old fox, and he had a young, big-headed man with a rumored IQ of 95 by his side. The Raikage also had a big-headed man named Azabu. Trying to scheme against them and make them the vanguard was not so easy.

"I think it doesn't necessarily have to be our major ninja villages that make the first move. Given the current situation, even if one other village were to initiate an attack on Konoha, several villages would be compelled to act, like Iwagakure, which fought the Uchiha clan of Konoha most fiercely back then. While the Raikage is rough around the edges, he's also very concerned with his reputation. Back in Uzushiogakure, he always wanted to be the first to act. If Iwagakure or we make any moves, the Raikage might not be able to remain silent. The most important thing now is to get one village to stand up and attack Konoha. However, this village can't be too small, as smaller villages don't have enough influence… If possible, Takigakure and Amegakure would be the best choices. However, Takigakure has a better relationship with Konoha, and the Seven-Tails is with us. Takigakure, relying on Konoha, doesn't have that much courage. So, I think Amegakure is a suitable choice. Hanzo of the Salamander is strong enough, confident yet suspicious, and perhaps because he rose from humble beginnings, he has a strong sense of pride. We can use this to our advantage to get him to attack Konoha…"

If you were to put a pair of glasses on Sasori's dad right now, Masato would look just like that creepy homeroom teacher from his middle school days—it's so damn similar!

After the handsome scorpion's father spoke, everyone around fell silent. To be able to analyze the target's personality so meticulously and then target him accordingly... is this still their legitimate heir, the upright and honorable son of the first generation?

How come they saw Tobirama Senju's shadow in the Crown Prince? Could it be...? Everyone looked at Chiyo holding her grandson and the handsome Sasori with surprise, and then their attention wandered.

Yes, Tobirama Senju is definitely more handsome than the first Hokage!

Even Chiyo, sensing the surprised looks from everyone, forgot to draw her Ten Ninja. Instead, she looked at her beloved son, who had grown up a lot and was now a father, and felt very gratified. All her years of hard work in teaching him had not been in vain; her son had finally grown up!

Each generation needs different talents. She hopes her grandson can become a popular figure like Hashirama Senju... Even if he's a goofball, it's a waste of his pretty face... That's because the village's foundation has been laid, and they're just waiting for their grandson to rise to prominence!

Unlike her nephew and son's generation, who were in the early stages of village development, when the village was truly building its infrastructure, she didn't need a popular comedian like Hashirama Senju. Instead, she needed a cunning old fox like Tobirama Senju who could ensure the village wouldn't be taken advantage of in this chaotic world. That's why she always hoped her son and nephew would develop in that direction, and that's how she raised her son. However, while her nephew was clever, he wasn't cunning enough, which was due to his personality and something she couldn't change. Her son, on the other hand, didn't have the same issues. He had always been in a calm and collected state, but she was very satisfied with his interpersonal skills. For example, this time, her son succinctly explained the current situation in the ninja world and, through a brief encounter, was able to clearly analyze what kind of person Hanzo of the Salamander was and what his personality was like.

At that moment, Chiyo felt incredibly proud!

This son was definitely worth raising! ヾ(^д^*)/

"Ahem... Jie's analysis makes sense, but it won't be easy to get Hanzo of the Salamander to initiate a war with Konoha. What are your thoughts?"

Coming to his senses, Sunagawa cleared his throat, interrupting everyone's shock, and asked.

He was also taken aback by Jie's... cunning and shrewdness, and thought to himself, "The First Lord has a worthy successor..."

"If it's just about drawing hatred between Hanzo of the Salamander and Konoha, it's simple. We can just send someone to impersonate a Konoha ninja and cause trouble in the Land of Rain. But as the saying goes, nothing is absolute. I'm worried that if Hanzo of the Salamander finds out it was us, it will create a lot of trouble..."

"Chiyo's in-laws, the head of the Yusa clan, said with a frown."

It's incredibly difficult to deceive the senses of a Kage-level shinobi. The fighting style of Sunagakure is completely different from that of Konoha. Whether someone is an imposter or not, an old hand like Hanzo of the Salamander can be seen through at a glance. Unless you have a barrier powerful enough to sever the senses of a Kage-level shinobi, but such a thing doesn't exist in the ninja world. Even the awesome Uzumaki clan doesn't have one.

"Perhaps someone can help us with this, but we'll have to pay them more. I know a friend who's a master of all kinds of killing techniques, and his strength is only greater than Hanzo of the Salamander. It would be a piece of cake for him to imitate Konoha's methods of killing people without his knowledge. However, my friend's appearance fee is extremely high, equivalent to what Brother Sunagawa charges for two concerts. If you think it's feasible, I'll contact him, and after I give him the money, he can take action anytime."