Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"A person should know their own limitations. I'm a straightforward person, so don't take it too personally!"

With his feet firmly planted on the table, Masato calmly said...

"...Clan Chief Umekawa, although this might be a slight against our Sunagakure, Masato is absolutely right. We've been searching for a Jinchūriki all these years, but as you've seen, the village truly lacks someone capable of handling the Seven-Tails. Forcibly sealing the Seven-Tails into those children would harm them. The Seven-Tails' chakra reserves are several times greater than Shukaku's (the One-Tailed Beast). Even Bunpuku couldn't withstand such a massive amount of chakra. Moreover, the sealing process would be extremely risky; if the seal couldn't be maintained, the children would die on the spot. This is why we're considering using members of the Uzumaki clan as Jinchūriki. Now it's wartime, and if the Tailed Beasts can't be sealed into Jinchūriki, the safety factor is far too low!"

Sunagawa saw that Umekawa was about to start ranting again, and the meeting had once again been steered astray by this bastard. He quickly steered the topic back on track. Every time they argued, this old guy got so angry he was practically dying, yet he still insisted on arguing back. Was he out of his mind...?

"But Lord Kazekage, I really don't trust outsiders to be Jinchūriki... They're not one of our own!"

Despite Sunagawa's words, Umekawa Hakuchi still looked worried.

"Old man Meichuan, your thinking is too old-fashioned. That approach doesn't work anymore! This is an era where everyone loves each other and is like family. You're still clinging to the past. It's true that this little girl isn't one of us from Sunagakure yet, but if my nephew does his job and wins her over, she'll follow him wherever he goes. And if they have a little Sasori, she'll be one of us in the future, right? Look at the village now. How many people here have ancestors who have lived here all their lives? Aren't they all outsiders that Sunagakure took in back then? They lived here for decades, reproduced, and then became one of us. If we're really counting ancestral origins, at least half of the people in our village are from other villages, and there might even be people from the Land of Fire. Now their children are ninjas, risking their lives for Sunagakure. Tell me, aren't they one of us? If you dare, go out into the street and say that, and see if the villagers will block your door!"

Shindou glanced at the stubborn old man with a look of disappointment and said.

The handsome Sasori, being led by Chiyo, glared menacingly at a certain unscrupulous middle-aged man. Several green senbon needles appeared in his small hand, but before he could make a move, Chiyo noticed and snatched them away with a nimble hand.

"Clan Chief Meichuan, we're all getting old. It's the era of the young now. Sometimes it's best to let go..."

After discreetly putting away her precious grandson's senbon, Chiyo reached into her ninja tool pouch as if preparing to pull out the Ten Ninja Swordsmen and said to Bai Chuan Baiji.

While the saying "An old man is a treasure" is true, this old woman's thinking is outdated, and besides, Mei Chuan Baidi is actually a full twelve years older than Chiyo.

If it weren't for the fact that this old guy was genuinely thinking about the village and had indeed done a lot for it, Chiyo would have already thrown out the Ten Ninja.

Damn bastard, how dare you say your chosen granddaughter-in-law isn't one of us? Do you think I don't exist?

"Lady Chiyo is right, I will have my son accept the position of clan leader tomorrow...!"

Meikawa Hakuchi might disregard Sunagawa's feelings, or even their top performer's, but seeing Senju's actions, the stubborn old man from one second instantly became as docile as a dog. He was older, and could rely on his seniority with Sunagawa or Shiki, but he couldn't rely on his seniority with Chiyo. After all, Sunagawa wouldn't actually kill him, a meritorious figure in Sunagawa. Shiki, though sharp-tongued, was only meant to annoy him and wouldn't actually fight him. But Chiyo was different. Whether it was her status as the First Hokage's wife or her prestige in the village, she far surpassed him. She was truly capable of taking action.

Mei Chuan Baidi was so frightened by Chiyo's actions that he broke out in a cold sweat. After he finished speaking, he sat down obediently like Yusaori's father, just like a dog.

After receiving a disdainful glance from her father, Saori continued to keep her eyes down and mind her own business.

This old guy is really out of touch with the times. He can't even see the situation clearly. Apart from Feng Ying and the two of them, everyone else present has the surname Gong Lie. Even his daughter has only half a surname. Although Lord Feng Ying said he was asking for their advice, it was just a polite way of saying that. In reality, he was just informing them. Almost everyone in the Gong Lie family was present. It was obvious that they had already made their decision. And you actually dared to offer suggestions? Now look what happened.

Was he dethroned?

Outsiders, unaware of the true situation, might think that the Yusa and Meikawa clans of Sunagakure are the only two powerful families. The Miyako clan is known as a prestigious clan, but it only has a handful of members. Chiyo's family, the puppet clan, has long been integrated into the village and can no longer be considered a clan. The Yusa and Meikawa clans, on the other hand, are militarily strong, much like the Senju and Uchiha clans of Konoha in their heyday. They are always the main force in every war. But only the clan heads of Sunagakure know that they are the ones who truly hold the reins of Sunagakure!

The Kazekage was put to power by the Miyako clan, the Anbu chief was Chiyo's cousin, the Grand Councilor was Ebizo, the Puppet Masters were led by Jie and his daughter, and the village's super enforcer, Shiki, was also a leader in a key department of the village. Even Shinto, who disliked power, was still the leader of the Jonin squad.

It was precisely because he understood this that Yusaori's father, who remained behind, nodded slightly after hearing Sunagawa's words and then closed his eyes to rest.

His daughter married the Crown Prince, so there's no reason for the Yusha clan to object, right?

Even from the village's perspective, since it was founded by the first generation, it's unlikely that Shinto, the first generation's nephew, would do anything to harm the village. There must be a reason behind his suggestion.

Thinking of this, Saori's mighty father suddenly felt enlightened. His back no longer ached, his legs no longer hurt, and he could carry his grandson up eighteen flights of stairs without getting out of breath...ヾ(^Д^*)/.

252. Handsome Scorpion isn't cut out to be the Kazekage either.

"Child, the dead cannot be brought back to life. From now on, you will live in our house... and you can learn some sealing techniques from me."

After Bai Di's objections were ignored and he promised to voluntarily relinquish his position to his son, who had raised the crown prince for decades, everyone present unanimously agreed that the Uzumaki clan's little girl would become the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki. However, not immediately, since the little girl hadn't yet developed feelings for the handsome Sasori. They would wait until the little girl couldn't resist the allure of Sasori's pretty face before making any moves. Chiyo was quite confident in her grandson's charm, so a few days later, after Karin's mother passed away, Chiyo immediately brought Karin's mother to the Miyamoto clan.

.

She had already made up her mind. Given that her precious grandson had resisted to the point of daring to ambush and shoot his own uncle, it was almost impossible to turn his passive skills into active ones. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds affection... So she simply brought the little girl to her home. Facing her precious grandson's pretty face every day, she really didn't believe that the little girl could resist.

She's been there, she knows that girls this age are easily tempted by glamorous appearances. Didn't she herself drool over Tobirama Senju's portrait back then...?

"Yes, Chiyo-sama..."

Karin's mother, her eyes red from crying, nodded firmly. Ever since she and her mother were taken to the Grass Village by the ninjas when she was three years old, her feelings of national hatred and family feud had been worn down. She was kept in a small house by the Grass Ninjas, and because of her special ability, she was bitten by various injured Grass Ninjas every day. It is true that the Uzumaki clan has strong vitality, but after several years of having their life force drained by a bunch of people every day, there will be a day when they can't take it anymore.

Because she was young, the Grass Ninja didn't bite her much because they wanted to keep a substitute. Every time someone was seriously injured, they would bite her mother. So, compared to any national or personal grudges, she hated the Grass Ninja Village more, since it was something she had personally experienced since she was old enough to understand.

Although we don't know what the purpose of the Sand Village bringing them back from the Grass Village is, at least in the past few days, the Sand Village has been more humane than the Grass Village. Although the living conditions are a bit harsh, at least they don't intend to keep them as pets, and no injured Sand Villagers bite them. They even buried their mother, and now they can learn sealing techniques from Lady Chiyo.

Maybe I'll have a chance to go to Kusagakure to avenge my mother someday...

"Don't worry, little girl. Sunagakure isn't some tiny grass-growing village. Our medical facilities are quite advanced. It's not like we need to bite a little girl to save our lives. This is Sasori's... uh... that red-haired hottie's territory. Nobody dares to bite you unless he asks. But if you want revenge, I don't object, but you'd better hurry up. Otherwise, it'll be pointless to seek revenge after your enemies are all dead, unless... you sign this contract right now, and I'll go get revenge for you immediately. They're just a bunch of punks. It won't take more than a few minutes to kill them. How about it?"

Shinto, wielding top-tier Observation Haki, sensed Karin's mother's desire for revenge. A clever idea struck him. He pulled out a marriage contract he'd somehow prepared for his nephew and placed it before her, tempting her. This little girl had been abducted by the Grass Ninja with her mother when she was only a few years old; she probably, likely, most likely couldn't read. All he had to do was have her sign it, and then it would be a done deal...

"Damn it! (-"-Angry)"

"Hey, hey, hey! Nephew, calm down. You're a human, not a dog. Your uncle is only doing this for your own good. Watch your teeth, you're not old enough to lose them yet..."

Upon seeing the two prominent characters on the marriage certificate, Sasori, who had been quietly standing beside Chiyo, suddenly erupted. Because of Kazekage's act of shooting his unscrupulous uncle, his parents had confiscated all his senbon needles, kunai, toothpicks... and anything else he could shoot. So, Sasori could only pounce on Masato and start biting him relentlessly. This action startled Masato, who quickly controlled his Armament Haki to prevent it from activating. He wasn't even old enough to lose his baby teeth yet; if he broke two of his front teeth, he wouldn't look so dashing...

"Hey......."

Chiyo shook her head helplessly as she watched the two figures, one big and one small, wrestling together. Perhaps this was a common problem among super geniuses!

Having had two super geniuses in her family gave her a better understanding of what super geniuses are like. Most geniuses in the ninja world fall within the realm of normal people, so their achievements are limited, and their ceiling isn't high—at most, they'd be a Red Stick (a low-ranking rank). Super geniuses, on the other hand, might have extremely high talents, so they all have some minor flaws. For example, White Fang is straightforward; despite being the head of the Anbu, he never resorts to underhanded tactics. Her nephew has never been serious since childhood; even now, in his early thirties, he's still like a child, completely unreliable, and prone to getting carried away when he's fighting.

My beloved grandson is a withdrawn person who can't stay with other children his age for more than a few minutes. They either become so disgusted by his looks that they question the meaning of life, or they attempt suicide by overdosing on drugs...

At this moment, Chiyo realized that the people who could truly lead the village to success were not these so-called super geniuses, but rather a small group of people who were within the normal range of geniuses. Super geniuses were at most high-level henchmen, and there were very few super geniuses like Tobirama Senju whose personality could lead the village to success!

Moreover, the reliable ones are all in Konoha. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi is said to be very lecherous, he has not hindered Konoha's development. Onoki has a fiery temper, but he has not hindered Iwagakure's development either.

But my nephew and my precious grandson seem completely incapable. One managed to wipe out the Sand Village, and while we can't see the other's potential yet, Chiyo's premonition is growing stronger. My precious grandson's personality doesn't seem cut out to be the Kazekage. They told you to be an idol, but you went and became a powerhouse...

.....

"Stop hitting her, sis! You'll die if you keep hitting her!"

"boom!"

"Tsunade, maybe we should just stop. If we keep fighting, Nawaki really won't be able to hold on..."

"boom!"

"Hey Hokage, why don't you go and break up this fight?!" (▼へ▼メ)

"...Watergate."

"Kushina, please don't make things difficult for the Hokage. Lady Tsunade's condition... I'm afraid it will be very difficult to refuse her..."

"......"

The Senju clan of Konoha was currently staging a dramatic transformation, and if it weren't for the Senju clan insignia still on their clothes, no one would have known that the pig's head on the ground was Nawaki.

Tsunade's terrifying appearance terrified the onlookers, among whom the fiery red-haired girl was the most agitated, shouting at Tsunade and even urging Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose eyelids were twitching, to go in and break up the fight.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, his head aching from the noise, glanced indifferently at the sunny boy next to the red-haired girl.

The sunny young man acknowledged the message, then gave the red-haired girl a gentle pat on the head. The girl, who had been flustered, quickly calmed down, a blush creeping onto her face...

There's a saying: every creature has its counter, and the red-haired girl was completely defenseless against his perfect grand-disciple's move.

253. What other hidden talents does Rope Tree have?

Despite Sakumo Hatake's assurances, the young prince still got beaten up upon returning to Konoha...

I just got back yesterday evening, spending the night in fear of being raided and beaten by my furious older sister. But a night has passed, and he's still alive and kicking...

Rope Tree thought that his older brother Sakumo's promise had worked.

Little did he know that it was all a lie. He glanced at the onlookers around him and saw no sign of Brother Shuo Mao, who had once sworn that he wouldn't get beaten up.

"You brat, don't you remember what I told you before? Stay in the village and behave yourself! How dare you sneak off to the battlefield! Do you know how many people were worried about you? (▼へ▼メ)"

"boom!"

"I'll break your legs right now!"

"boom!"

"Ouch! Sis, stop hitting me! Naruto, help me!!!! (?^?)"

Once again, he was knocked away and landed right at Hiruzen Sarutobi's feet. Rope Tree, staring at the pig's head, immediately clung tightly to Hiruzen Sarutobi's leg, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"...Ahem, Tsunade, let's just forget about it. Nawaki only sneaked out to protect the village. Consider it...a lesson learned..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was being fawned over, couldn't ignore it anymore. His precious young master had indeed been beaten quite badly by Tsunade, so he had to grit his teeth and suppress his heartache as he tried to comfort him.

Three hundred billion!

That's 30 billion worth of supplies!

Although he had already decided that if the other party was only after money, he would give them whatever amount they wanted, the thought of the 30 billion made his heart bleed. Ever since the horse returned last night and reported that it had redeemed this precious treasure with 30 billion, his heart had been aching ever since.

Although he was very touched by Toastmaster's willingness to take out 30 billion yen out of his own pocket, as a responsible leader, how could he let Toastmaster pay out of his own pocket? Besides, that was probably the money that the Hatake clan had saved up for generations. So when Toastmaster said it, he immediately patted his chest and refused. It's just 30 billion yen, the village will give it to us!

Although it sounds easy to say, it wouldn't matter in peacetime. Konoha could come up with 90 billion, let alone 30 billion. But this is wartime. Wartime supplies are extremely important, especially since Konoha has to fight 1v4. If they don't prepare their resources well and fail, they will become sinners in Konoha's history.

Three hundred billion worth of supplies is enough for them to fight two major wars!

The thought of having to pay someone to attack him made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel like a hundred thousand grasshoppers were running through his mind... It was awful!

As for the story Golden Lion fabricated, he didn't believe a single punctuation mark. The whole "driven by a sense of justice" thing—stopping the Iwa ninja and rescuing Nawaki—was clearly just a different name for a ransom claim. Essentially, Golden Lion was still the mastermind behind everything. Fortunately...

"You brat, even if the Hokage came today, not even his father could save you! (▼へ▼メ)"

Tsunade, her face contorted with rage, glared at her younger brother who had called for reinforcements. She rolled up her sleeves and strode over menacingly, looking as if she wouldn't rest until she had broken her brother's legs.

"Cough cough...!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nearly choked to death when he heard Tsunade's words.

"Tsunade, I think we should just let it go. The reaction has already been taught a lesson, and although Nawaki sneaked out, he didn't come away empty-handed. At least he accidentally discovered a certain... talent of his while in Sunagakure."

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to choke to death and Tsunade was about to unleash a powerful basic attack, Sakumo Hatake, who had been standing in the Sand Village with his arms crossed, assuring Nawaki that Tsunade wouldn't beat him up, appeared. Looking at Nawaki's resentful little eyes, like a little girl whose feelings had been deceived, Sakumo Hatake had a headache.

Even though he had already been beaten up, Sakumo Hatake still had to offer some words of advice.

He had originally planned to go to Tsunade after reporting the situation to his boss last night. Perhaps Tsunade would give him face and not hit him too hard, maybe just give him a couple of punches as a token gesture. After all, he was his own brother, could she really kill him?

But who knew that after he reported to his boss, his boss asked him to count the supplies and send them to Sunagakure as soon as possible. After all, Shiki the Golden Lion was sometimes very talkative, and if the supplies did not arrive on time, who knew what kind of trouble he would cause.

Hatake Sakumo thought about it and realized he was right. That guy's mouth was sometimes a bit big. He even suspected that Madara, the First Kazekage, and Chiyo might have been the ones who orchestrated the love triangle. Given that kind of person's personality, it was quite possible.

So after leaving the Hokage Building, he went straight to the logistics department to check the supplies with Mitokado Homura.

Three hundred billion worth of supplies, two people spent the whole night counting them and still hadn't finished. If it weren't for the logistics guys passing by him this morning while chatting, he would have remembered the promise he made to coax Rope Tree back.

So I rushed over, but I was still too late...

"Oh? Talent? Does Rope Tree have some hidden talent? (⊙_⊙)?"