Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

He is the most outstanding among the younger generation of ninja monks at the Fire Temple.

Di Lu is naturally a genius.

however,

Having personally experienced Zong Xian's overwhelming power, he felt that his own genius was simply inadequate.

"Thank you for your guidance, Hokage."

Di Lu staggered to Zong Xian's side, and despite his discomfort, he put his palms together in a gesture of respect.

“Likewise, the talent of the Sage Clan at the Fire Temple has also broadened my horizons.” Zongxian replied with a smile. “Alright, stop talking nonsense here and let the medical ninja take a look at you! Dehydration is not a minor problem.”

Di Lu didn't stand on ceremony anymore.

to be frank,

He didn't have the energy to exchange any more pleasantries with Zongxian.

Although no blood was spilled during this short sparring match, the dehydration caused by the high temperature wasn't necessarily any better; sometimes, it would have been better to lose some blood! As long as I didn't lose an arm or a leg, it would have been fine.

The Konoha embassy is staffed with medical ninjas.

This was, after all, the embassy of the daimyo, and its facilities were not only complete but also of a high standard. The medical ninjas stationed here were among the best in Konoha Hospital, so dealing with dehydration was not a difficult task. Soon, Riku was taken away by the medical ninjas.

The onlookers also respectfully stepped forward to say goodbye to Zongxian one by one.

"Zenju-bo, and... Ishikirimaru, are you leaving already? Won't you sit down and have some tea?"

Zongxian asked.

"We won't bother you today. We have things to do at the Imperial Palace. We skipped work to come here today. If we drag this out for too long, our salaries for this month will all be deducted." Zenjubo was very friendly, showing no signs of a generation gap due to the age difference between himself and Sogen. He treated her like a peer.

Ishikirimaru remained silent.

At this moment, I didn't know what to say. After thinking it over, I decided that rather than opening my mouth, I might as well pretend to be mute.

"Oh, I see! Looks like we'll have to wait until next time to have tea together."

Zongxian said this without any genuine emotion.

"Next time for sure, next time for sure."

Zenjubo, beaming, and Ishikirimaru strode quickly out of the Konoha embassy and then dashed off towards the Imperial Palace. They needed to report what they had seen and heard that day to the Daimyo. At the same time, he also felt it was time to remind the Daimyo that it was best not to place his hopes on Kazuma and the others.

Konoha today,

They are truly not to be trifled with, nor dared to be, and certainly not to be trifled with!

Embassy in Konoha

After seeing off all the onlookers who didn't belong to the embassy, ​​the old man went back to rest. His health was really not very good. His granddaughter, Tsuchigumo Hotaru, was training very diligently in the training ground. Sogen didn't pay much attention to her, but just told him to keep an eye on the little girl and make sure nothing went wrong.

And he,

They then returned to the tea room.

Silently recalling the various mysteries of the Sage's Talent displayed by Jiraiya, although it was impossible to say that he had seen through the secrets of the Sage's Talent of the Fire Temple so easily, the technique of using special chakra to manipulate natural energy for his own use was enough to make him feel that he had gained a lot.

Even if these gains cannot be converted into new combat power in a short period of time,

However, we can also strive to build up our strength and achieve a breakthrough.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In a harbor on the eastern coast of the Land of Fire,

A massive warship flying the flag of Kirigakure, the village of the Land of Water, slowly entered the harbor. Hozuki Mangetsu stood on the bow deck, looking at the scenery that was so different from the fog-shrouded environment of the Land of Water. His feelings were quite complicated. More than half a year later, he had returned to this country.

and,

This time, I'm afraid I'll be staying in this country for a very, very long time.

"Big brother, is this the Land of Fire?"

A boy with white hair, purple eyes, and sharp teeth like a shark, who looked almost exactly like Hozuki Mangetsu, stood beside him, curiously observing everything before him.

“That’s right, Suigetsu, we’ve arrived in the Land of Fire.”

Hozuki Mangetsu answered softly.

"Ooh!"

Hozuki Suigetsu let out an excited howl.

This was his first time leaving the Land of Water. Unlike his older brother, who was depressed for some unknown reason, he had no worries, only excitement.

"Brother, when will we be able to reach Konoha?"

"It might take a few more days! This is Konoha territory, we can't act without permission." Hozuki Mangetsu had already spotted the Konoha ninja waiting on the dock. "Suigetsu, go prepare, we're disembarking."

He took a deep breath.

Having dispelled the slight melancholy of not being able to inherit the position of Fifth Mizukage, he mustered all his mental strength to deal with the Konoha ninjas. He would be staying in this country for a long time to come, and it was essential to maintain good relations with the Konoha ninjas.

after all,

He was the leader of these dozens of elite Kirigakure ninja, and his deputy was Ringo Ameyuri. He had to take on the responsibility of officially dealing with Konoha himself and couldn't delegate authority to his subordinates.

So he had to force a stiff smile and walk toward the Konoha ninjas on the dock.

[279. Chapter 277 Embarking on the 'Return' Journey]

News of the arrival of guests from the Land of Water reached Konoha at top speed, and then quickly reached Sogen, who was in the Daimyo's residence. Sogen was not surprised by the news, as the arrival of the Mist Ninja was expected.

It seems that the death of the Fourth Mizukage did not have a significant impact on the Kirigakure.

He was still thinking that the Mist Village might not be able to send anyone until next year. After all, internal strife within the Mist Village was a long-standing tradition. Even without Obito Uchiha stirring things up, there were still ambitious individuals stirring within the Mist Village. Of course, with that old man, Genji, in charge, the situation in the Mist Village wouldn't completely collapse...

However, this is not a bad thing.

The Hidden Mist Village is now an ally of Konoha. The sooner the Hidden Mist Village stabilizes, the less there is to worry about it becoming a plaything in the hands of Obito Uchiha once again. Well, although Sogen isn't too concerned about whether the Hidden Mist Village will be used by Obito Uchiha again.

But overall, this is not a bad thing.

Having one more ally is always better than having one more enemy; at the very least, it will bring a lot of peace of mind to the villagers.

······

"What does the Hokage mean?"

"The idea of ​​forming a joint organization with the Mist Ninja to investigate that mysterious person who claims to be Uchiha Madara was proposed by you, Assistant Hokage. No one knows this better than you. The Hokage said he hopes you will be in charge of this matter, so... I'd like to ask, when do you plan to return to the village?"

Nara Salt Water asked cautiously.

As the Hokage's secretary, he was sent by the Hokage to deliver a message to Sogen.

In any case, the Fifth Hokage himself has not been handling official business much lately. His daily work has been temporarily entrusted to Nara Shikaji, the leader of the Jonin team, and two advisor elders, Hyuga Masayuki and Koto Mokumo. The three of them work together to perform the duties of the Hokage, and they only pay attention to important matters involving Kirigakure.

As a result, Nara Shioshi's position as secretary became much less demanding.

This time, they were simply treated as envoys and sent away.

"Should we establish a joint investigative body?"

Zongxian stroked his chin.

It was indeed his suggestion, and the Mist Ninja responded positively. However, due to the death of the Fourth Mizukage, the Mist Ninja who were originally scheduled to come to Konoha had to postpone their trip. "Have the Mist Ninja already arrived in Konoha?"

"not yet."

Nara Salt Water shook its head.

"The message was relayed back to the village by the Eastern Border Guard Force. It was sent via express communication. The Mist Ninja should be on their way under the escort of the Eastern Border Guard Force. If there are no delays on the road, they should arrive in the village by the day after tomorrow at the latest. If they arrive earlier, they might even arrive tomorrow."

"Since there are still two days left, there's no rush. I'll go back after I've sorted things out here in Daimyo Prefecture. Don't worry, it won't take too long, at most three or four days. Did the Hokage tell me to hurry back?"

"No, no, the Hokage only sent me to ask when you will return. As for the specifics, it depends on your situation, and you will have to decide." Nara Shizuku's attitude was respectful, not only because of Sogen's extremely strong strength, but more importantly because Akimichi Torifu's health was not very good.

Tsunade's whereabouts are still unknown.

This notorious "fat sheep" in the Land of Fire and even the surrounding countries owed a huge gambling debt. In order to evade his creditors, he had already honed his skills in escaping and hiding. Several times, the Anbu had clearly found Tsunade's whereabouts, but they were always unable to find her.

It's not a clone.

It's a stand-in.

He never managed to directly confront Tsunade.

Moreover, Akimichi Torifu is getting old. Even if Tsunade can cure his illness, he may not be able to hold the position of Hokage for much longer. The clever people of the Nara family have realized that it is time to consider what will happen after the Fifth Hokage steps down.

Therefore,

This made Nara Shizuku even more cautious when facing Uchiha Sogen, a strong contender for the Sixth Hokage position.

"That's good. Go back and report to the Hokage that if the Mist Ninja arrive at the village first, let them rest for two days. We can discuss any issues when I get back." I've been staying in the Daimyo's residence for a while now, and it's indeed about time I went back to the village.

However, he originally planned to return to Konoha in mid-August. Before that, he had arranged sparring matches with several people. Changing the plan at the last minute would require him to spend time dealing with these matters. He also had to communicate with the Daimyo. Three or four days might not be enough time to handle all these miscellaneous things.

correct,

The Traveler is preparing to leave today and return to Mt. Katsuragi, and Jiraiya is also going back to the Temple of Fire.

"Senior Tsuchigumo, are you sure you don't need someone to escort you?"

At the embassy entrance,

Zongxian is seeing off the travelers and others who are about to embark on their journey.

Over the course of their time together, setting aside the relationships between the village and the family, their personal friendship was quite good. The old man, the young man, and the ninja monk chatted happily about topics centered around ninjutsu.

"No need to trouble yourself. I can walk from Gecheng Mountain to Daming Prefecture and back without any problem. Besides, I have Dilu with me." Yizhi Xingzhe smiled and declined Zongxian's offer. He wasn't saying that his current old age and weakness were all an act, and that he could still easily defeat a group of people with one hand.

Rather, it was because when he felt his body deteriorating, he chose to take the initiative and wipe out as many enemies as possible who were causing trouble for their clan. It was impossible to eliminate all future threats, but at least before he died, he should not have to worry about anyone causing trouble for the Earth Spider clan.

This is also why he dared to leave Gecheng Mountain with his granddaughter.

not to mention,

On the way back, Di Lu accompanied them, and the travelers in service didn't need any extra guards.

Even if Dilu can only accompany him for half the journey.

Although both the Fire Temple and Mount Katsuragi are located in the northwest of the Land of Fire, they are not on the same line. Jiraiya and En no Gyosha will part ways after traveling together for half the journey.

"Di Lu, are you really planning to leave like this?"