Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

"So it really is... Nagato?"

Jiraiya wore an expression of pain and self-reproach.

During his last conversation with Sogen, the information Sogen revealed to him made him realize many things he had overlooked in the past. That's why, when facing Kakashi, he said that, in the end, it was all his fault.

He raised the eldest son, but failed to guide the child onto the right path.

It was his soft heart that allowed Orochimaru to go, letting him stray further and further down the evil path.

These are all seeds he planted in the past, which, after decades of growth and development, have yielded such a terrible harvest today.

"Whether it is or not is not that important. We only need to know that the other party has the Rinnegan. What is more important is what you plan to do, Jiraiya-senpai? This time, I only plan to select a small number of experts to launch a surprise attack on Amegakure. It will not be good for the village's development to start a large-scale war with Amegakure."

"Furthermore, the number of people is not very meaningful in the face of the Akatsuki group. Sending too many people will only lengthen the list of casualties and make the post-war relief work more busy."

Zongxian tapped the iron railing with his fingers.

He already had a general idea of ​​the list of participants in the operation.

Count me in.

Jiraiya readily agreed.

“Sure, with your skills, even if you can’t be of much help, you probably won’t need anyone to take care of you.” Sogen wasn’t surprised that Jiraiya agreed; it was exactly what he expected. Even a fool could figure out that Jiraiya wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Therefore,

That's why he sent his secret service to find Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's name was on the list in his mind from the very beginning.

"By the way, could I ask who participated in this operation?"

"You'll see when the time comes. Rest assured, it's fine if we don't take action, but since we've decided to act, we'll do it all in one fell swoop. Without exception, everyone involved is a strong individual." The resounding declaration echoed on the rooftop.

Jiraiya remained silent for a few seconds.

He then asked, "What about the timeframe? If it drags on too long, I'm worried Naruto might run into danger."

"It won't be long. There are still some preparations to be made. Amegakure has been an intelligence black hole in recent years. We know too little about the current situation in the Land of Rain. I have already sent people to the Land of Rain to investigate. I believe there will be results soon... Have they returned? Even faster than I expected, Shisui."

Jiraiya also sensed the other presence that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the rooftop.

then,

He followed his instincts and looked over. What came into view was an Anbu member wearing a bird-face mask and a white hooded trench coat. Combined with the way Zongxian addressed him, the identity of the person in front of him was very clear: the current head of the Anbu, Uchiha Shisui.

"So, how was it? Did you find anything?"

Zongxian asked directly, without considering that Jiraiya was still by his side.

"The coordinates have already been left."

Shisui answered, choosing to ignore Jiraiya beside him. Since Sogen asked Jiraiya a question in front of him, it seemed that Jiraiya would also participate in the rescue operation of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

"Also, during my investigation, I encountered Obito Uchiha and Deidara, a rogue ninja from Iwagakure. It seems that the Akatsuki is also gathering manpower to prepare for war, and it will be very difficult to catch the Akatsuki off guard by launching a surprise attack on Amegakure." Shisui briefly explained his encounter with Obito Uchiha and Deidara, and also shared his judgment.

"It's alright."

Zongxian waved his hand, his expression indifferent.

"From the very beginning, I never expected to achieve success through a sneak attack."

To deal with the top members of the Akatsuki, targeting individual members in a different location might be somewhat effective, but this time the chosen battlefield is Amegakure. As long as Amegakure remains shrouded in the rain, a surprise attack will be completely useless.

What he was worried about was that Nagato and the others would abandon Amegakure and start the scenario of the ninja world migration.

In that case,

That's really disgusting.

"Preparing to face us head-on? This is the best news I've heard these days!" Zongxian chuckled softly, his heart pounding powerfully. He once again felt the thrill and pressure of adventure, which made him deeply appreciate the beauty of being alive!

The battle between Rinnegan users is so exciting to think about!

[Chapter 361. Can I make a request in exchange? (On the third day of the Lunar New Year, while paying New Year's visits, don't forget to rest!)]

Gato, a wealthy man with a considerable reputation in the ninja world, was arrested by Konoha ninjas for allegedly colluding with illegal forces to undermine the social stability of the Land of Fire. This once-fat sheep, who was targeted by the Konoha Police Department, finally got his comeuppance and was captured and tortured by the Anbu to uncover his secret connection with the Akatsuki organization.

His vast fortune was also devoured by the tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves that lurked around him.

Without Gato as the mastermind behind the scenes, the construction of the bridge in the Land of Waves can proceed without any obstacles. Taz no longer needs to worry about his personal safety and can devote himself wholeheartedly to the work of building the bridge.

The mission of Class Seven

That's how it's done.

Because of his achievements, such as protecting Daz from being harmed by Gato's ronin, finding Kakashi in time, and contacting the northeastern border defense forces, the news of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki being captured by the enemy was transmitted back to the village's central command as quickly as possible.

Sakura received a notification that she should go to the Hokage Building at 3 PM to meet the Hokage.

The Hokage will personally reward her.

If it were before,

Upon hearing such news, the girl would probably jump for joy, her cheers loud enough to lift the roof off her house.

unfortunately,

The girl today doesn't feel like cheering or jumping for joy.

Her comrades were nowhere to be found, Kakashi-sensei was lying in a hospital bed unable to move, and Team 7... what was the point of her being the only one left to receive the award? This shows that the girl still hadn't witnessed the cruelty of the ninja profession.

She hasn't gotten used to losing her companions yet.

of course,

It's not that ninjas who came from wartime are all used to the pain of losing comrades. Kakashi still feels guilty about his past powerlessness. It's just that they have learned to hide their pain and only reveal their hidden feelings when no one is around or in front of specific people.

Sakura's parents watched their daughter stagger out of the house, their eyes filled with worry, but they couldn't utter any words to comfort her.

They weren't any big shots.

However, having experienced the meat grinder-like Ninja World War, they knew that the pain their daughter faced was something every ninja would encounter and could not avoid. Moreover, since they had chosen the path of the ninja, it was naturally more advantageous to realize the cruelty of the ninja profession as early as possible; naive people would not live long.

Leaving her home, Sakura dragged her heavy steps toward the Hokage Building.

At midday, Konoha Village was bustling with activity. The scorching sun made people feel a slight stinging sensation on their skin, but this still couldn't stop people from rushing about in the streets to make a living. Walking among the noisy crowd, the girl felt a strange sense of loneliness. No matter how noisy and bustling it was around her, it seemed to have nothing to do with her.

Fortunately, the strange emotions didn't linger for too long.

The shouts coming from the roadside pulled her out of her desolate mood.

"Sakura, are you alright?"

"...Yakumo, wisteria, firefly."

Sakura blinked and noticed the girls gathered around her, looking at her with concern.

"How come you are here?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sakura regretted it. She was really confused. How could she have asked such a stupid question? This wasn't some forbidden area where no one could enter without permission. It was normal for people to come and go on the street. Even if she encountered the Hokage here, it wouldn't be strange at all.

"We're going to the training ground."

Uchiha Touka replied.

I didn't notice anything strange about this problem.

"Compared to this, what's wrong with you? Sakura, you seem so absent-minded. I called you several times and you didn't respond. It's like you've lost your soul. Are you really alright?" Fujika kept asking incessantly.

beside,

Both Yakumo and Hotaru looked concerned.

"I...I'm fine."

Sakura's voice trembled slightly.

Upon suddenly seeing her classmates from the Ninja Academy, she couldn't help but think of Naruto and Sasuke, and her heart stirred with emotion. But at that moment, the image of the ANBU member wearing a bird-face mask, who had instantly brought her and Kakashi-sensei back from the distant Land of Waves, flashed through her mind, along with his warning.

Do not reveal to unrelated individuals that Naruto and Sasuke have been abducted.

Neither she nor her parents mentioned these things, but the girl's disguise skills were so bad that she was caught without even realizing it... However, putting aside her clumsy concealment skills, Sakura still tried her best to follow the advice of the ANBU member.

These past few days, he has either been resting at home or training in secluded and quiet training grounds that few people go to, actively avoiding meeting with his classmates from the Ninja Academy.

Until today, I received the notification.

I needed to go to the Hokage Building, but on the way I ran into the inseparable trio of girls.

"If you're going to training, hurry up and go!"

Sakura tried to force a smile, but her facial nerves seemed to be out of control, and she couldn't make a smiling expression. So she tried to speak calmly, "I have to go to the Hokage Building now, so I won't bother you anymore. Next time... let's eat dumplings together again."

"Huh?"

Fujika scratched her head, watching Sakura's departing figure, her brows furrowing slightly. "Yakumo, Hotaru, is it just my imagination? I feel like something's off with Sakura?"

"I feel the same way."

Ying nodded.

"Let's go! Since Sakura doesn't want to talk about it, let's not pry." Yakumo stopped his companions' curiosity. "Fujika, Hotaru, don't forget what Master said: don't pry into other people's secrets unless that person is an enemy."

"I didn't say what I was going to do!"

Wisteria wrinkled her nose in annoyance and muttered a few words, but it was only a verbal argument and she did not do anything out of line.

Hotaru's words were indifferent. Her concern for her classmates was not a hypocritical creation. However, since Sakura did not intend to seek any help from them, she would not rashly offer her assistance. Sometimes, what one considers good intentions and bad intentions are not so different in the end.

Furthermore,

She herself is not at a leisurely pace right now.

The Tsuchigumo clan of Mount Katsuragi suffered heavy losses, and its members could no longer even hold onto their territory of Mount Katsuragi, which had been passed down for generations. They all fled to Konoha to seek survival. Although their master had said that there was no problem with the Tsuchigumo clan joining Konoha, joining Konoha was just the beginning.

Behind,

There are still many troubles that she needs to overcome one by one.

Moreover, the girl has decided to inherit the forbidden technique "Rage of Heaven" passed down through generations of her family, and hopes that one day she can inherit the title of "Warrior of the Warrior" that her grandfather once possessed. In order to achieve this future, she has maintained the arduous training that she has developed under the motivation of revenge.

"Alright, let's go!"

Yakumo urged him on.