Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

"Three bloodline limits aren't the limit? What a huge appetite!"

Zongxian tapped his finger on the table, staring at Yakushi Kabuto. "So, Kabuto, what do you think? Do Kazuma and the others really have the guts to attack us?"

"I'm not sure! There's too little information, and I have no idea what Kazuma and the others are planning to do... However, it's better to be prepared. Kazuma and the others certainly don't have the guts to provoke you directly, but it's possible that they're acting in secret. After all, their ambition is to leave only one Konoha in the Land of Fire, and destroying Konoha is probably their life's pursuit."

"Is it better to be prepared? Does that mean I should keep my people in the village during this period and not go out unnecessarily?"

Zongxian snorted coldly.

Currently, Konoha only has two bloodline limits that are stably passed down: the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan and the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. Apart from these, it seems that the Senju clan's Wood Release only has one survivor in the Anbu, and he is not even a proper Senju clan member.

Furthermore, the Kurama family's bloodline limit inheritance of "Domination of the Five Senses" is also extremely unstable, and currently only Kurama Yakumo has awakened this powerful bloodline limit.

After all the calculations, it seems that the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan is the easiest to obtain. After all, unless you are from the main family, it is useless to steal the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan. There are too few inheritors of the Wood Release and the Five Senses Control Bloodline Limits, so it is not easy to find people to steal them. Only the Uchiha clan has a relatively large population, and the clan members do not have any restrictions.

Of course,

Even if an ordinary person manages to obtain the Sharingan, it would be very difficult to control it.

Didn't you see that even a genius like Kakashi was always short of chakra due to the Sharingan's exploitation?

"Better safe than sorry. And don't forget, the monitor that Fujika and Yakumo encountered a while ago might be related to this. Yakumo has awakened the Kurama clan's bloodline limit, and the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan head is also studying at the Ninja Academy. Plus Fujika... I feel that these two things might not be completely unrelated."

Are these two things related?

Zongxian frowned and thought for a few seconds, then shook his head. Although what Yakushi Kabuto said wasn't without reason, it contained too much speculation. However, the saying "better safe than sorry" was true. It was better to work hard for nothing than to regret it later. As the head of the clan, it was his responsibility to protect his clansmen.

Of course, directly restricting the tribespeople from going out might be a bit too harsh, but prohibiting them from acting alone is something we can try.

"I'll deal with this when I get home from get off work."

Zongxian did not intend to issue orders in his capacity as the Hokage's assistant; it would be more convenient for the clan leader to manipulate such matters.

"Besides that, you should also go and talk to Kabuto about the Anbu and tell them to take this matter more seriously. It's been so long and there haven't been any decent results. It's not like it's Orochimaru. There's also the Joint Investigation Department... Never mind, we'll talk about the Joint Investigation Department when Mangetsu comes back."

The Joint Investigation Department of Konoha and Kirigakure also has the authority to hunt down rogue ninja.

Kazuma was always on the list of targets.

However, without Hozuki Mangetsu as the vice-commander of the Joint Investigation Department, the Kirigakure side has no say at all. Ringo Ameyuri's warlike nature makes her someone who can't sit still. It's better to wait until Hozuki Mangetsu returns before making a decision, which can also save face for our ally.

"I understand."

Yakushi Kabuto respectfully agreed.

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.

Milou Mountain, deep within.

It has to be said that Kazuma and his group were incredibly fast at running away. Just as Hozuki Mangetsu landed at the port of the Land of Fire and headed towards Konoha, Kazuma had already arrived in front of Hiruko with his captured prey, leaving the still unconscious Kirigakure ninja in front of Hiruko.

"I brought you Boil Release."

"You're much faster than I expected, Ma!"

Hiruko gave Kazuma a deep look.

In his original plan, it would be good if Kazuma could bring back the prey he wanted within two years. After all, hunting specific ninjas is not just a matter of whether you have enough strength. The most important thing is that in an unfamiliar place, just gathering information is more troublesome than you can imagine.

Beiliu Hu himself deeply understands this point.

however,

Kazuma indeed brought back prey from Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure in less than three months, as if he knew the information about these three villages like the back of his hand. Is such intelligence gathering ability supported by someone behind the scenes? Or is Kazuma far-sighted and has planted his pawns in these villages a long time ago?

But no matter which answer is it...

None of that matters to Hiruko now. What matters is that after gathering Storm Release, Lava Release, and Boil Release, and including White Zetsu which contains Wood Release power, although he hasn't yet reached the perfect number of the five elements, he can already use the Oni-Garaku Technique to gather these powers into his body, and then move towards the fifth bloodline limit.

After all, the fifth bloodline limit he had his eye on was the Sharingan.

Unlike Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure, Konoha is not only stronger, but Hiruko, as a Konoha rogue ninja, also has complicated feelings towards Konoha. Deep down, he hopes to announce his arrival in a more dignified way, so that those comrades he could only look up to in the past can now look up to him!

Instead of acting like thieves, sneaking around and grabbing people before running away.

"The longer the night goes on, the more things can go wrong. Let's end this sooner so we can have peace of mind. Don't forget our promise."

"Don't worry, your problem is just time-consuming, not an insurmountable bottleneck. According to the current research progress, we will definitely be able to solve your problem within this year. At that time, you will be able to use that power freely without any worries."

"I hope I can live to see that day soon."

Kazuma said calmly, glancing at the cold, lifeless laboratory, "Is there anything else I need to do? If not, I'm going to rest."

"Leave the rest to me. Of course, don't forget the regular blood tests! Other than that... do whatever you want, whether it's cultivation or going out, it's all up to you. By the way, He Ma, you didn't forget to take a detour around Mount Sumilu on your way back, did you?"

“My memory isn’t that bad. If someone could really track me down, they would definitely have to go there first before coming here,” Kazuma replied in a deep voice.

The so-called Su Mi Lu Shan,

It refers to a high mountain located at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron, with scenery and terrain very similar to Mount Miro. It is one of Hiruko's three burrows, and this time it was thrown out as a smokescreen to prevent skilled tracking ninjas from following Kazuma to Mount Miro.

Next,

He needs to focus on using the Ghost Sprout Technique.

"That's good."

Hiruko smiled kindly.

Having nothing else to do, Ma Jian turned and left the laboratory to go back to his room to rest. He had been traveling day and night for nearly three months and had also lost one of his comrades from the Twelve Guardian Ninjas. He was also quite exhausted. Since there was nothing else to do for the time being, he decided to take a good rest.

The laboratory door slowly closed.

Without anyone else interfering, Hiruko's smile grew even brighter. He opened the mechanism in the room, carried the unconscious Kirigakure ninja through the hidden door, and headed towards the secret laboratory located deep underground.

[Chapter 299. I have a feeling we'll definitely win today!]

Konoha Village, the ancestral home of the Akimichi clan.

"Shikaku, still haven't found Tsunade?"

Akimichi Torifu sat cross-legged on the east-facing veranda, basking in the warm sunlight of the rising sun. His blindness had indeed caused him great inconvenience at first, but as a seasoned ninja who had experienced countless battles, after spending some time and mastering the surrounding environment, he no longer needed anyone to serve him when walking, sitting, or lying down.

"It's my incompetence."

Kneeling beside him, Nara Shikaku wore an expression of unyielding bitterness and helplessness.

"What does this have to do with you? Don't take the blame on yourself so easily. It took you a long time to find Tsunade last time too... If she wanted to escape, the Anbu really couldn't keep an eye on her. Or do you think I'm so confused that I can't even understand this kind of thing?"

"...I was overthinking it, Hokage-sama."

"I told you not to take responsibility for yourself so easily, Shikaku! You have this temper of yours, sigh! Also, don't use such formal terms of address at home, there are no outsiders here." Akimichi Torifu sighed deeply. Although the Nara family members are all intelligent, perhaps it is because they are too intelligent that they see the difficulties and obstacles ahead too clearly, and understand that the chance of success is far lower than failure. As a result, they have lost some of their enterprising spirit and have always been relegated to the position of an assistant.

"Let's put that aside for now. What do you think of the rumors circulating in the village?"

"Are you referring to the rumor about the Hokage assisting in assassinating... Uncle Torifu?"

"Otherwise what? Could it be that there are other rumors circulating in the village now?"

“There are many rumors. Ever since the news of your temporary blindness spread, all sorts of messy rumors have been flying around the village. Some say it was the work of Sunagakure spies who poisoned you, others say it was the remnants of Root who caused trouble, and some even say that you were faking illness to test the loyalty of your subordinates... The rumor that the Hokage was helping to murder you was just the first one to appear.”

"...Faking illness? One or two of them, with such outstanding imaginations, they might as well become writers!"

Akimichi Tokifuku remained silent.

These absurd rumors are truly unbelievable. It's incredible that anyone could come up with them, and that some people actually believe them. The police department and the secret service have arrested quite a few people spreading these rumors these days. Some were controlled by illusions, some were bribed, and the most outrageous ones were those who genuinely believed the rumors and then spread them spontaneously.

"What about the secret service and the police department? Why aren't they doing anything about them?"

"We've been trying to control it from the beginning, but... it's like trying to hold down a gourd only to have another one pop up. There are so many people in the village, it's impossible to completely eradicate it; we can only investigate one case at a time."

"So, does that mean we can't solve the problem without addressing its root cause?"

Akimichi Takefusa let out a long sigh.

"Uncle Torifu?" Nara Shikaku keenly sensed something was amiss. What did he mean by solving the problem at its root? The reason the rumors were spreading was simply because Akimichi Torifu, the Fifth Hokage, had lost his sight due to illness and had temporarily lost the ability to fulfill the responsibilities of a Hokage.

Nara Shikaku knew perfectly well what it meant to solve the problem at its root.

"Have you thought of that yet?"

Akimichi Torifu tilted his head back, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on his face, and murmured, "This matter... can't be dragged on any longer. The longer it drags on, the worse it becomes. And even if we find Tsunade this time, it might not change anything. So I think it's probably time to put an end to this."

"this······"

Nara Shikaku was speechless.

He didn't know what to say.

Logically speaking, Akimichi Torifu was right. Such matters should be resolved decisively. Dragging things out would not bring any benefits to the Ino-Shika-Cho families, and might even bring some future troubles to the clans. However, this matter... is really hard to say. Akimichi Torifu muttered to himself that it was better for him, as a junior, not to say too much.

"Five years isn't a long time, but it's not short either. Compared to the Fourth Hokage, I've been very lucky..."

Just as Akimichi Torifu was talking to himself,

A clansman came to report that the Hokage's assistant had come to visit, accompanied by the deputy head of the investigation department, Hozuki Mangetsu.

"Lord Hokage, you look much better than before."

Led by Akimichi Choza, Sogen arrived at the veranda and greeted the Hokage, who was sunbathing.

"Really? Haha! I feel pretty good myself, although my eyesight hasn't fully recovered." Akimichi Torifu let out a hearty laugh, while simultaneously stopping Sogen from speaking. "I know you're going to say those comforting things again, but let's skip that this time. I'm tired of hearing those nice words lately. Let's get straight to the point!"

As the Hokage,

He certainly knew that Hozuki Mangetsu had returned to the village with a letter written by the Fifth Mizukage, but he didn't know exactly what had happened.

Regarding the reform of the police department, many people only noticed that a large number of non-Uchiha clan members entered the reformed police department, but few people realized that some of the most powerful members of the Uchiha clan were quietly placed in various agencies such as the border guard force.

Nowadays, apart from the Anbu, the Uchiha clan can be seen in every other organization in the village.

The Eastern Border Defense Force, an organization once under the direct control of Sogen, was already his for the taking. The information that Hozuki Mangetsu had leaked in advance only reached Sogen's ears.

"Do you remember the incident a few days ago when the envoys from Kumogakure and Iwagakure caused trouble?"

Zongxian readily agreed. Since Qiudao Qufeng had suggested getting straight to the point, he was happy to save himself the trouble of talking.

"I heard from Ding Zuo that things were quite lively at the entrance those two days, but unfortunately I didn't get to see it for myself. What? Is this related to that?"

"A Boil Release ninja from Kirigakure has been captured by Kazuma and his group."

"Even the Mist Ninja are among them?"

Qiu Daoqufeng frowned.

When Zongxian mentioned the envoys from Kumogakure and Iwagakure, he already had a premonition, but when he heard that Kirigakure had also encountered the same thing, he was still surprised. His still-intact intuition made him realize the undercurrents surging in the shadows.