Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

however,

The profoundness of puppetry is not an exaggeration.

Back then, Sasori of the Red Sand dared not hold back anything under the watchful eye of Sogen. With his memories potentially being examined at any moment, the genius puppeteer from Sunagakure truly recorded everything he knew on the scroll. The contents of the scroll not only explained how to control puppets in battle, but the design and manufacture of the puppets were so profound that even a top student like Kabuto found them challenging. The forbidden techniques for human puppets even included extensive knowledge of biological science.

"Moreover, there is medical ninjutsu. Medical ninjutsu is also a field that one cannot fully master even after a lifetime of research. Focusing on just one aspect will exhaust an ordinary person's mental energy. If one wants to have both, nine times out of ten, one will only end up with nothing, and that child's future will be ruined."

Finally, Kabuto seemed to realize that his words had a somewhat accusatory tone, and two seconds after he finished speaking, he added, "Lord Hokage, you may have high hopes for that child, but... not everyone is as talented as you."

Zongxian looked Kabuto up and down, making Kabuto very uncomfortable. He kept wondering to himself, "Could it be that the Hokage was angered by what I said?"

But that shouldn't be happening!

According to his understanding, the Hokage was not such a petty person; even when someone contradicted him to his face, he could still maintain a smile.

He had raised objections to the Hokage's orders more than once, and the Hokage had never been angry at his talkativeness. Even though he didn't always explain the reasons for his decisions, he was never punished for it.

Only when a mistake is clearly made.

Only then will the whip of punishment fall.

"Is this also part of the Dean of Pharmacy's teachings?"

Zongxian suddenly asked.

"Ah? Hmm! I guess so! My mother has told me more than once that children are the future of the village, tender seedlings that we need to carefully nurture. She has also warned me not to act recklessly when dealing with children, but to be more patient and gentle." Kabuto Yakushi sincerely expressed the teachings of Nono Yakushi.

"Not bad, very good."

A satisfied smile appeared on Zongxian's face.

Indeed, one is influenced by one's surroundings. It is difficult to remain untainted by the mud when one is with a black-hearted and rotten scoundrel like Orochimaru, while one will naturally become upright by living with a kind person like Yakushi Nono, who has seen ugliness but still retains a gentle and kind heart.

They both came into contact with that forbidden technique that violated the order of human reason.

Yet his mind was not warped.

It can only be said that the environment has a huge impact on a person.

"Don't worry! I don't intend to ruin that child." Zongxian said with a smile, "This is just a small experiment! I will send people to keep an eye on the child's situation at all times, and if things don't go well, I will naturally step in to guide her to a more suitable path... And, to be honest, Kabuto, don't underestimate that child."

"That child is a genius like you, with a very sharp mind, excellent academic ability, and exceptional control over chakra. Unlike you, whose future path is basically set, that child's potential is not yet determined."

"I'm not sure if she has a talent for designing and creating puppets, but with that child's intelligence and sensitivity, controlling puppets shouldn't be difficult for her. And to be honest, the forbidden technique of human puppets doesn't require extraordinary innovation. Human puppets depend more on the quality of the materials used to make them, and the craft of making human puppets overlaps with medical ninjutsu in many ways... Even if she fails in the end, she can continue to study medical ninjutsu."

Zongxian patiently explained the situation to his trusted confidant.

"...What you've said is quite tempting. Focusing on forbidden puppet techniques? If combined with medical ninjutsu... that's definitely not out of the question."

Yakushi Kabuto pondered it carefully.

It is certain that the Hokage's idea is not just wishful thinking.

He himself specializes in medical ninjutsu. Although he has always stood by the Hokage's side and his presence has been overshadowed by the Hokage's brilliance, he is confident that even if Tsunade returns to Konoha, his medical ninjutsu skills will still be among the top five in Konoha.

Furthermore, he had also seen the scroll that recorded the secrets of puppetry, so he could conclude that the Hokage's idea was not without feasibility.

although,

There will certainly be many difficulties along the way.

However, the more precious something is, the harder it is to obtain; this is only natural. To gain power, one must naturally face corresponding difficulties. What he was worried about before was that the girl was doing useless work towards a future that was destined to be impossible.

"Instead of worrying about others, Kabuto, how's your mastery of the forbidden techniques I taught you lately? When I asked you last time, you said you'd mostly got it down, but now I think you've made further progress, haven't you?"

Zongxian asked with a smile.

"Lord Hokage, how long has it been?"

The pharmacist rolled his eyes.

"It's been almost half a month, hasn't it?"

"Half a month..."

Kabuto was helpless.

He could only say, "It's a little better than before. Hiruko helped create better carrier materials, and the effect of the technique has been significantly improved. However, the difficulty of controlling it has also increased considerably. Moreover, my chakra reserves are limited, so it's difficult for me to maintain this level of forbidden technique for too long."

"Don't worry about the chakra issue, Samehada will be available for you to use."

Zongxian flicked his finger on the table.

"Of course, Samehada isn't a panacea... There will likely be many places where Samehada will be used, and it might not be able to withstand much consumption. In short, we'll have to play it by ear. It's hard to expect perfection in these things. It's good if it comes in handy, but don't worry too much. Even if we fail, it's okay. I don't intend to put all my trump cards on you."

This is not meant to comfort Kabuto.

but facts.

Having Kabuto study forbidden techniques was just one of many backup plans he had prepared. Moreover, he never had the habit of placing his hopes on others. Compared to others, he was more trustworthy. It wasn't that he was worried about being betrayed, but it was just that it was safer to win the crown of victory by his own hands.

Of course, this doesn't mean he's planning to pull off a solo raid on the enemy camp.

The Hokage's authority is not just something to intimidate people with.

The enormous leaf,

As long as we don't exhaust the resources, saying that we can let them take whatever they want is not an exaggeration at all.

For this operation, he not only gathered the power of the Uchiha clan, but also did not overlook the available forces of the entire village. After all, rescuing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was not an internal matter of the Uchiha clan, but a public matter of the village.

Since it's official business,

It doesn't make sense that only the Uchiha clan should be involved in the work.

The massive war machine of Konoha Village had been operating silently for some time, but this time it wasn't a large-scale war like the Fourth Shinobi World War. The largest number of chunin and genin were useless in this operation; only the jonin were qualified to know that the village was about to make a big move.

Therefore,

Konoha remained as prosperous as ever, largely unaffected.

"I understand, and I will do my best."

The pharmacist nodded.

"By the way, Kabuto, the time... is almost here." Sogen looked at the calendar on the table and said softly, "Go tell the Hyuga, Aburame and other clans to be ready to leave at any time. I don't want the order to leave to be issued and then someone suddenly tells me that they have encountered trouble."

"Although it's unlikely that anyone would cause trouble at this time, I'll still give you a heads-up beforehand, just in case something does happen and someone accuses me of punishing someone without warning."

As the final words were spoken, a sharp killing intent suddenly arose.

Looking at the Hokage leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, Kabuto Yakushi keenly sensed the terrifying killing intent that could sting the skin. His heart tightened, and he hurriedly replied in a deep voice, "I'll take care of it right away!"

"Go!"

Zongxian waved his hand.

The pharmacist left, leaving only Zongxian in the large office. He slowly opened his closed eyes, his previously dark pupils now tinged with a mysterious light purple, the ripples of reincarnation seeming to draw in one's soul.

war,

It's about to begin.

[Chapter 363. Demonic Wind]

Dark clouds rolled in, and thunder rumbled.

The torrential rain had been falling for several days, and the loud noise of the rain could not be blocked even by thick walls.

To the southwest of Yuyin Village are rolling hills. The endless rain has washed away the soil from the hills, revealing strangely shaped rock formations. These rocks are riddled with gullies and holes from years of rain, and some parts have been polished smooth as mirrors by the rain.

And on the side wall of a solitary rock.

It has a string of jet-black incantations that do not fade in the slightest despite being exposed to wind and rain.

"Boom!!!"

A thunderclap boomed in the sky. Before that, a bolt of lightning, like a silver snake, had appeared in the clouds, bringing a moment of light to the ground. However, more than a dozen intersecting figures suddenly appeared on the open ground, which had previously only been filled with the shadows of rocks.

It was like a ghost.

It appeared out of thin air.

"So many years have passed... the Land of Rain is still the same as before!" Jiraiya, wearing a straw hat, looked up at the dark, cloud-covered sky and let out a long sigh. He had complex feelings for this rainy country that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He, Orochimaru, and Tsunade once fought Hanzo of the Salamander here, earning the title of the "Three Legendary Sannin".

Later, he met Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan here, and spent a lot of time teaching Nagato, whom he had identified as the 'chosen one' at the time.

And now,

He, however, was about to turn against his former comrades and disciples in this very country.

destiny,

It's truly unpredictable.

"Sōgen-kun, what's the next step?" Jiraiya didn't let himself be immersed in that inexplicable emotion for too long. He quickly snapped out of it, turned to look at Sōgen beside him, who was also wearing a straw hat and dark red armor, and asked, "If needed, I can act as a scout and infiltrate to gather intelligence."

"The difficulty of infiltrating is too great. I think the Akatsuki organization has long been prepared to lie in wait. At this time, trying to infiltrate would probably only be sending them to their death. Even you, Jiraiya-senpai, would not last long facing three Orochimaru-level opponents at the same time."

Zongxian said softly,

They were currently located less than three kilometers from the edge of Amegakure. Even through the thick rain, they could see the outline of Amegakure with its towering tower standing on the hill. This was the location that Shisui had chosen after surveying all the places around Amegakure, the one that best suited Sogen's requirements.

The coordinates and incantation for the Flying Thunder God Technique were left here.

Then--

Until today.

At Zongxian's command, the Konoha ninja, fully equipped and ready to go, were escorted by Shisui and traveled thousands of miles. In the blink of an eye, they were transferred from the meeting room in Konoha to the hill outside Amegakure. Before the transfer, they were thoughtfully provided with straw hats and raincoats for everyone.

Everyone was just wearing straw hats.

They disliked the straw raincoat for being too bulky and no one carried it.

"Then what should we do? Launch a full-scale attack?"

Jiraiya frowned deeply.

This operation started suddenly, without any prior explanation of the battle plan. The approximate number of people involved was only known at the last moment when everyone had arrived and were being transferred to the outskirts of Amegakure under the guidance of Uchiha Shisui.

Yes,

He could only give an approximate number.