Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"Alright, alright, you're a grown man, why are you arguing with a child? Sasori's method is good. If you agree, go and discuss it with Sunagawa. The war must continue. If it weren't for you fooling Hanzo the Salamander back then, Sunagawa would have already ordered you to return..."

Chiyo, seeing that her nephew was so old but still acted like a big kid, said helplessly and wearily, "It seems to be because he's single. My precious son has matured a lot since becoming a father."

But the thought of that brat being in love with the princess of the Senju clan gave her a headache.

Speaking of which, Yusaori's half-sister should be an adult by now, right...?

...

"Wow! Future brother-in-law, I've heard that Sunagakure is very rich, but I didn't expect it to be true. Even the floor is made of gold!"

"Wow! This is the Six Paths Ninja Tool, the Bashōsen? I didn't expect to find it here. Future brother-in-law, you're really amazing, even using the Six Paths Ninja Tool as a decoration..."

"Wow! My future brother-in-law..."

“…”

"Stop! Click! Click! Kid, although I'm happy that you keep calling me 'future brother-in-law,' if you keep talking, I'll sew your mouth shut and sell you to an old black slave... (▼he▼メ)"

With a dark expression, Masato looked at the slightly chubby kid in front of him, who had been chattering incessantly ever since he woke up, completely unaware of his current situation and treating the enemy camp like his own home.

After discussing their findings, Sunagawa and Ebizo decided that now was not the time to sell the boy for the highest price. After all, the boy had only been missing for a short time, and Konoha probably wasn't in a state of panic yet. Even if their story was perfect, Konoha wouldn't offer much in return. Moreover, they were still at war with Konoha. It would be better to keep the boy in the village for now and leave the village a way out.

239. I want to be the Hokage's brother-in-law, let me help you find a way.

After all, Konoha's overall strength far surpasses that of their villages, as can be seen from the war in the Land of Rain. Although their desire to defeat Konoha has never changed, admitting that others are stronger than themselves is not easy, but the facts are right in front of them, and they have no choice but to admit it.

No one knows how this war will turn out, but that doesn't stop them from leaving a way out for the village. If they are defeated like in World War I and go to Konoha to negotiate, having the Konoha Crown Prince in their hands means that Konoha might actually give them a huge war reparations. There's only one grandson of Hashirama Senju in the whole world, and unless Hiruzen Sarutobi wants to be scorned by the people of Konoha, it's impossible for him to ignore this Crown Prince.

But the decision was made by those two bastards, and the one who suffered was Masato, the "future brother-in-law."

This kid's template is Naruto Uzumaki... Pshaw! I should say he's the template for a savior, but this kid has the luck of a protagonist but not the fate of one. He's a total social butterfly. Ever since he woke up and saw me, his mouth has been chattering non-stop. Even Chiyo and Sasori couldn't stand his voice buzzing around like flies, so they ran out of the house without even having breakfast.

At first, he was quite surprised that this kid idolized him. You know, there are so many talented people in Konoha, and White Fang is pretty awesome too, but this kid has a good eye and only picked him. Moreover, he keeps calling him his future brother-in-law. Shinto was quite happy, but this kid just kept talking non-stop all morning. It was like a princess or prince who had been trapped in the deep palace since childhood was letting out the wind for the first time. It was unbearable.

Most importantly, this kid is as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, showing absolutely no signs of being in enemy territory. You can imagine that this child had a very happy childhood, so it's no wonder he was killed off in the original story. You really can't blame Snake for this; such an innocent child going to the battlefield, even with a genius like Snake leading him, is bound to die...!

"Future brother-in-law, I remember I was tied up by three guys, did you save me?"

After calming down, Nawaki looked at Masato's future brother-in-law with an innocent and admiring expression and asked...

"Yeah! You're not wrong. On my way back, I saw three Iwa ninjas with this big, furtive thing on their backs. I thought Onoki had sent his underlings to kidnap Hanzo's girlfriend, but I didn't expect it to be you. What were you doing on the battlefield, you little brat? Is Konoha out of people?"

After habitually shifting the blame to Onoki, Masato asked, "Although the Senju clan has declined, Konoha is now militarily strong. There shouldn't be any need for this good-for-nothing prince to go to the battlefield, right? And they won't even compensate him for bodyguards."

This treatment is a bit poor. Look at Sasori's parents, they were given hundreds of Jonin to Elite Jonin as bodyguards by Shinto. Meanwhile, Nawaki, who is also a prince, didn't have a single bodyguard. He was actually taken down by three peripheral henchmen from Sunagakure. If this were to be told, no one would believe it. Three peripheral henchmen were able to take down the prince of Konoha?

"How could that be! I'm a man who's going to be Hokage, so of course I have to protect Konoha with everyone in the clan. But nobody wants me to come out, not even Orochimaru. So I ran away secretly, and nobody knows."

Don't let his brother-in-law's naive and innocent appearance fool you. The moment you belittle Konoha in front of him, this kid goes wild. He doesn't even give his idol face. Just like now, when Shinto said that Konoha has no talent, he immediately jumped up and down. When it comes to brainwashing, Hiruzen Sarutobi is a cut above. Sunagawa really doesn't have the ability to make his Sunagakure underlings so brave.

If the Sand Village's underlings faced White Fang, they'd probably be too scared to utter a single word before their legs went weak.

"...So similar!"

When Shinto looked at his brother-in-law, who had said he wanted to become Hokage, his appearance completely overlapped with the image of the savior in his mind. Apart from the asymmetrical hair, his tone and expression were exactly the same.

Upon seeing this, a flash of inspiration struck Masato!

He finally knew how that brat died!

This kid was definitely killed off by the drawing! Otherwise, logically speaking, as the apple of Konoha's eye, even if the Senju clan was really wiped out and only he and Tsunade were left, if the Senju clan didn't provide him with bodyguards, wouldn't Hiruzen Sarutobi provide him with a few bodyguards?

In war, anything can happen. Even with Orochimaru by his side, there's no guarantee of absolute safety. So, if this kid really goes to the battlefield with Orochimaru, Hiruzen Sarutobi will definitely equip him with a few G4s. To be honest, as long as he's equipped with a few G4s and has the self-awareness to avoid fighting the Great Dragon, and just stays close behind Orochimaru and the others, he's basically safe. Just like Sasori's father, Shinto has gone to great lengths to provide him with hundreds of top-tier tanks for this war. As long as Sasori's parents aren't stupid enough to engage in melee combat, even if White Fang can't kill them...

So Shinto is absolutely certain that this kid was screwed over by Kishimoto. Why did he have to look exactly like the Savior, even down to his personality? And to make matters worse, he's a mediocre kid, still a genin at ten years old. Without the Six Paths Mantra, what good is talk-no-jutsu...?

Furthermore, if this kid doesn't die, how could the perfect ninja Minato Namikaze possibly rise to power? The Senju clan already holds a significant advantage in Konoha's popularity. No matter how perfect Minato Namikaze is, or how inspiring his underdog story is, if they were to choose a leader, even ordinary Konoha villagers would vote for this kid. His entire family almost perished for Konoha; their achievements are unparalleled...

"Future brother-in-law? What's the truth?"

Rope Tree looked at her future brother-in-law, who was in a daze, and asked curiously.

"It's nothing, it's just that your brother-in-law thinks you seem to have gone astray. If others want to become Hokage, it's very difficult, and they may not even have the chance even if they dedicate their entire lives. But you're different! Think about it, your great-grandfather was the first Hokage, right? Your great-grandfather was the second Hokage, right? I also know your father. If your father hadn't wanted to be Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't be pointing fingers at you now. You understand what I mean?"

Shinto, looking like he wanted to be Hokage's brother-in-law and help you find a solution, was analyzing and drawing on the table. Halfway through his sentence, he saw the kid looking completely bewildered and stopped to ask.

"I don't really understand... What does my desire to become Hokage have to do with my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather?"

Rope Tree shook his head blankly.

"How can it be unrelated? It's extremely relevant! Think about it, your great-grandfather goes without saying. Although it's my era now, your great-grandfather was a legend in the ninja world back then. You could say there would be no Konoha without him. And your second great-grandfather goes without saying; Konoha's development to where it is today is all thanks to the foundation laid by your second great-grandfather. So, all you have to do is summon your great-grandfather or second great-grandfather and issue a decree, and everything will be fine..."

240. Does that bastard have any principles?

"But...aren't my great-grandfather and second great-grandfather already dead? How can they be summoned? (⊙_⊙)?"

Rope Tree was still completely bewildered when he heard this.

"Of course you can summon him. Don't you know your great-grandfather is a famous forbidden technique printing machine? I think he must have developed this kind of forbidden technique. Orochimaru from Konoha is also known for knowing thousands of ninjutsu. He's a genius of the same type as your great-grandfather. Find an opportunity to ask him if he has this kind of forbidden technique. If he does, ask him to summon your great-grandfather. If not, just ask him to develop one. When your great-grandfather or great-grandfather's decree is issued, you can just wait to reach the legal age to become Hokage. Fighting and killing all day long is too tiring! What if you accidentally get killed one day? That's not worth it... Don't you think so?"

Masato continued to tempt her.

"Is Orochimaru really that powerful? I didn't realize it, and he's always hiding from my sister..."

Nawaki was somewhat tempted. At his age, he didn't know the meaning of being Hokage, nor did he know that being Hokage was not something a human being could do. He worked in the office from dawn till dusk every day, exhausted like a dog.

In his current worldview, Hokage equals prestige and status, so he wants to become Hokage and experience that prestige. Hearing what Shinto said, he was indeed somewhat tempted. However, he was a little surprised and somewhat disagreed when he heard that his incredibly powerful future brother-in-law was comparing his awesome second grandfather to Orochimaru, who always hid from his sister. If Orochimaru was really as powerful as his second grandfather, would he need to hide from his sister?

You should know that Orochimaru spent a whole year hiding in a lab to avoid his sister!

"...With your sister's generous personality and incredible gambling luck, Orochimaru would have been selling his ass long ago if he hadn't avoided her. Scientific research costs money too!"

Masato was speechless. With Tsunade's domineering spirit and incredible luck in gambling, even someone from a wealthy family couldn't withstand her extravagance. Not to mention Orochimaru, a genius scientist from a humble background who didn't come from a wealthy family, whose scientific research was incredibly expensive...

"Hmm... my older sister has taken a lot of my allowance over the years."

Rope Tree nodded in empathy, as if there was some truth to it.

"Oh...poor child, I'll have someone buy him a few bottles of Brain Gold to help him recover..."

Masato patted his brother-in-law's head. No wonder Hashirama Senju's grandson was so incompetent; ten years old and still a genin, and his intelligence didn't seem particularly high either. No wonder he exposed himself to the enemy...

......

"boom!"

"I knew it was that bastard! (▼he▼メ)"

A loud bang echoed through the Hokage Building in Konoha, blasting a large hole in the wall of the Hokage's office. An angry, strong woman's voice rang out from inside, startling passersby below. Needless to say, only two people in Konoha would dare to smash things and throw a tantrum in the Hokage Building: their Konoha Princess Tsunade and the Blood Hot Chili Kushina. However, this voice was clear and deep, not something a little girl with an underdeveloped voice could produce. So, it could only be their Konoha Princess Tsunade.

Meanwhile, Tsunade, who had returned to Konoha in a great hurry, was instantly unleashed after hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others' analysis of Nawaki's whereabouts. Although she did not enter her ultimate zone form, Tsunade was still in a state of fear, especially after winning MVP and racking up countless stats in the battle in the Land of Rain. Her murderous aura startled everyone around her, and Hiruzen Sarutobi almost dropped his pipe.

How many kills does this guy have to rack up to have this kind of murderous aura?!

Meanwhile, Jiraiya, standing beside Orochimaru, was filled with envy. The Sannin had gained some fame in the ninja world over the years, and everyone knew them as the "Gambling, Drugs, and Lewd" Sannin of Konoha. However, compared to top-tier figures like Sakumo, they were still quite far behind. They had completed many missions over the years, but they hadn't encountered any worthy opponents or fought any classic battles that could be written into textbooks to elevate them to the top tier.

But who could have imagined that in this battle in the Land of Rain, everyone thought Tsunade was there to detoxify and provide support, while Sakumo was the main character? In the end, all Sakumo did was have a one-on-one duel with Shiki, while Tsunade managed to get the MVP award.

In the ninja world today, everyone knows how powerful Tsunade, the princess of the Senju clan of Konoha, is with her fists. She can even create a ki explosion, and the terrifying power she unleashed at the end, for some unknown reason, even terrified Onoki.

Of the three legendary Sannin, Tsunade, who has already become a doctor, is now at the top. She's practically a top-tier player now, while he and Orochimaru are stuck in the village because they haven't had a chance to play. Jiraiya was so frustrated by the terrifying killing intent emanating from Tsunade that he was practically wiping out his teeth. Just how many kills has this violent maniac racked up?

"...Actually, there's no need to worry. If Nawaki is really with that guy, he should be safe. His character... well, he's not the best, but he's still a principled person. Besides, Nawaki is Tsunade's younger brother, so he wouldn't do anything to him..."

Seeing Tsunade's fiery state, and to prevent her astonishing killing intent from affecting the boss who had just been discharged from the hospital because of his best friend's return, Hatake Sakumo had no choice but to speak up.

However, he was too embarrassed to say what came next; in short, it was a tragic fate.

He couldn't understand it either. He'd been to Sunagakure before, and Sunagakure wasn't lacking in pretty girls. Why was that guy so obsessed with Tsunade? From his perspective, aside from being a bit violent, Tsunade seemed no different from any other girl...

Does that guy like violence?

"Sakumo, you're too naive. That guy's nature is unpredictable, sometimes righteous and sometimes wicked. Even if what you say makes sense, it's still wartime. It's not a good thing for Nawaki to fall into their hands!"

Mitokado Homura, one of the three giants of Konoha, frowned and said that they had dealt with Shiki quite a bit. Although they had not had as much contact with Shiki as Hatake Sakumo, they still knew a lot about Shiki. Mitokado Homura could not agree with Hatake Sakumo's statement that Shiki had principles.

That bastard has principles? If he had principles, would he be fooling a three-year-old like Tsunade?

Those with principles would teach those Sand Village ninja to shift the blame to the Iwa ninja or their Konoha.

Over the years, countless blames have been shifted onto Konoha by those bastards from Sunagakure...

241. Winning hearts and minds: Hiruzen Sarutobi stands out from the crowd.

"It's too early to talk about these things now. These are just our guesses. The most important thing now is to confirm whether Rope Tree is in the hands of Golden Lion. If it is, that's fine. We can just give them whatever they want. But if it's not in Golden Lion's hands but in someone else's, that's a big problem! Rope Tree has been missing for two months now. What we need to confirm now is its whereabouts."

After Mitokado Homura finished speaking, another Konoha heavyweight, Haruhi Suzumiya, stepped forward to add, "This is the most crucial issue. The fact that Nawaki is in Shiki's hands is merely speculation among the Senju clan and others. But the lack of any activity from Sunagakure is making her uneasy. If Nawaki isn't in Shiki's hands but in the hands of Onoki, Amegakure, or Kumogakure, then his fate is uncertain. We can't let such a promising young man be ruined by those people..."

"...Sakumo, go to Sunagakure, Orochimaru, go to Iwagakure, Jiraiya, go to Kumogakure, and Shishou, go to the Land of Rain. Confirm the whereabouts of Nawaki. If Nawaki is really in Shiki's hands, Sakumo, ask him what he wants."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been silently smoking heavily without fear of getting lung cancer, didn't look too good. Firstly, he had just been discharged from the hospital and needed to recuperate at home. Secondly, he was worried about his best friend's condition. He wondered which group in Sunagakure was so cruel as to have put his best friend in such a state. He was initially angry that his best friend had ruined his underlings, but when his best friend returned to the village and was immediately sent to the ICU, all his anger vanished when he saw his best friend's miserable state in the hospital.

Especially the "S" on his forehead and the "X" on his chin—seeing these two highly distinctive symbols inexplicably improved his mood... no! It made him even angrier, and he gripped his best friend's hand tightly before his friend was sent to the ICU.

I will avenge you!

His best friend is still in critical condition, but Tsunade, the surgeon in charge of the operation, is still here in a state of superhuman strength. No wonder he looks terrible!

However, the problem of Rope Tree does need to be solved. The war in the Land of Rain has been going on for more than two months now. Considering the casualties and losses of the three major villages in the Land of Rain, he estimates that the next wave of attacks will arrive in about six months or even sooner. If we don't find out where Rope Tree is now and who has fallen into his hands, it is indeed a hidden danger.

Like my friend said, it's better that he ended up in Shiki's hands. After all, everyone knows that bastard wants to seduce Tsunade. He won't really do anything to Nawaki; at most, he'll just lead Nawaki astray. But then again, with Nawaki's talent, even if he does turn evil, it won't be a big problem...

The worst-case scenario is that Rope Tree falls into the hands of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, or Amegakure, in which case its fate would be uncertain.

To ensure Tsunade was in a good mood and wouldn't accidentally cut off any unnecessary organs while operating on his best friend, he mobilized all the village's double-flower red sticks plus one red stick. Infiltrating enemy villages during wartime is the most dangerous thing. Sakumo is alright, as he and Shiki are both enemies and friends, so going to Sunagakure won't cause any trouble. But Orochimaru and Jiraiya are going to Iwagakure and Kumogakure, and if they are discovered, losing an arm or a leg would be the least of their worries.

As for the Rain Village, he thought it was unlikely that Nawaki was there, but to put Tsunade at ease, and also to put his own mind at ease, he decided to send Shishou there.

"Lord Hokage, what should we do about the village? There's been no movement from Kirigakure for a long time. I wonder if they're planning something. We've tried to contact them and sent several groups of Anbu over, but we've lost contact with them all."

Mitarashi Shishou, a Konoha Red Rank fighter and vice-commander of the Anbu, while not particularly outstanding in combat, is an absolute talent in administration. During the time when Hatake Sakumo was away on campaign and Sarutobi Hiruzen was hospitalized, he managed the Anbu with remarkable efficiency. Moreover, he is meticulous and focused on Kirigakure during his tenure. After all, Kirigakure is notoriously cunning, having taken advantage of the First Shinobi World War to raid the Land of Earth. Therefore, while they were fighting the other three clans in the Land of Rain, he was constantly on guard against Kirigakure. He himself didn't care much, as the village only had a few capable Red Rank fighters, and they had all been sent out. The Hokage hadn't fought in many years. Considering Danzo's advisor being beaten like a dead dog, and weighing the Hokage's fighting strength, even if the Hokage is barely considered a Red Rank fighter, he is currently recovering from a serious illness, and who knows how much his fighting strength has declined. If Kirigakure were to launch a counterattack, who knows if the Hokage could handle it?

"...Don't worry, the most important thing now is to find Nawaki's whereabouts. Alas! Brother Kima entrusted Nawaki to us back then. If anything happens to Nawaki, how can we explain it to Brother Kima and our two teachers...Konoha, we must not let our heroes shed blood and tears!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, turned around, and looked out the window at a 45-degree angle. After delivering a tear-jerking monologue, he spoke firmly and powerfully.

If Shinto were here and saw this scene, he would definitely give Hiruzen Sarutobi an Oscar; he wouldn't even need to compete for this year's Academy Award!

In terms of winning people's hearts, Hiruzen Sarutobi was absolutely unparalleled among all the Third Kage. He would never miss the slightest opportunity. Sakumo Hatake was his right-hand man, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were his disciples, and none of these people needed to win people's hearts. So this scene was put on display for Mitarashi Shishou, who had just taken over.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heartfelt monologue moved Mitarashi Shishou to tears, making him yearn to immediately grab his greatsword and engage Hanzo of the Salamander in a bloody battle...