Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

As for who told Nawaki of the Senju clan that he was assassinated by Danzo?

The only person he could guess was Kirito.

He was the only one in the White Fang Squad who could extract intelligence from the enemy.

Kirito was the only person in the team he couldn't understand, and ever since Kirito's Lightning Release broke through to the Mysterious Realm, he had become even more unfathomable.

But one thing is certain: Kirito may be young, but he is by no means small in mind. He is very smart and has a high level of political acumen.

This can be seen from the fact that after he discovered that Danzo was the mastermind behind Nawaki's assassination, he did not inform Danzo immediately, but instead secretly reported it to the Senju clan.

Kirito didn't tell him because he suspected that the person behind Danzo was the Third Hokage, and he was worried that he would tell the Third Hokage.

Sakumo Hatake now even suspects that Kirito was involved in the Senju clan's plot to kill Danzo. After spending these days with Kirito, he knows very well that Kirito is a very ruthless person who treats his enemies with the ruthless urge to exterminate them.

Danzo's assassination of Nawaki undoubtedly indirectly offended Kirito as well.

Given Kirito's personality, he would definitely want to kill Danzo, because Danzo is no longer a comrade in his eyes, but an enemy.

"It is precisely because the mission is extraordinary that I need to do my best to complete it. Although Nawaki is not very bright, he was right about one thing just now. If the White Fang Squad can complete this mission, they will definitely become great heroes of Konoha."

Conversely, if the White Fang Squad fails in their mission, Hatake-sensei, Chizuru, Nawaki, and I will definitely be called useless by some people. They might even slander the people behind us, and many people might blame us for Konoha's inability to defeat Sunagakure.

Furthermore, if Hatake-sensei dies while the three of us survive, it will be difficult for us to maintain our standing in Konoha in the future.

Kirito shook his head when he saw that Hatake Sakumo insisted on going on the mission alone.

To be honest, he originally wanted Sakumo Hatake to give up the mission, but Sakumo Hatake insisted on doing it, so he had no choice but to accompany Sakumo Hatake on the mission.

If Sakumo Hatake hadn't given up on the mission and had died during it, while the other three were the only ones to survive, what kind of treatment would they have faced upon returning to Konoha?

Sakumo Hatake was, after all, a Kage-level ninja. His death would surely enrage many Konoha ninja. Even if the three of them explained that Sakumo Hatake had prevented them from accompanying him on missions, the other Konoha ninja would probably not forgive them.

It could be said that Sakumo Hatake is actually doing more harm than good.

If he successfully assassinates Rasa and escapes, that would be fine. But if he dies, it will be difficult for the three of them to continue climbing the ranks in Konoha and gaining power.

Their situation is different from that of the Third Hokage and the others. With the Second Hokage dead, Konoha could only rely on the Third Hokage and others to carry the banner, and they did not need to take the blame for the Second Hokage's death.

With Sakumo Hatake dead, the three of them will definitely have to take the blame.

When Sakumo Hatake heard what Kirito had just said, he was immediately shocked. He instantly realized that his actions were indeed ill-considered. He was only concerned with protecting Kirito and the other two, but forgot about the impact of the mission failure on them.

Kirito is right. If the mission fails, especially if he dies, the three of them will definitely have a hard time in Konoha.

Furthermore, given Kirito's current talent, breaking through to the Kage level is only a matter of time, and he might even reach it in another year. Such a genius is undoubtedly arrogant, and if he suffers unfair treatment from the village and becomes dissatisfied with it, it would be a very dangerous situation.

Kirito may not betray Konoha, but once he has grown powerful enough, he will surely unleash a bloodbath in Konoha. Given his ruthlessness towards his enemies, he will mercilessly eliminate any voices that oppose him.

"We absolutely cannot let this happen. If Kirito causes a huge disturbance in Konoha in the future, Konoha will be severely weakened."

Sakumo Hatake became increasingly alarmed as he thought about it, and his face turned pale.

"Kirito, the teacher hasn't thought this through. Let's discuss together how to complete this mission."

After figuring out the pros and cons, Hatake Sakumo smiled wryly at Kirito.

"Couldn't the teacher have refused this assignment?"

Kirito countered with a question.

If Sakumo Hatake actively refuses the mission, then only Sakumo Hatake will be held responsible, and the other three will not have to bear any responsibility at all. In addition, Sakumo Hatake will most likely not die.

As for whether Sakumo Hatake would later commit suicide due to the villagers' accusations and insults, he didn't know.

"The mission must be carried out. I'm not afraid to tell you that Iwagakure released the First Kazekage and Chiyo's son, Akasuna, and is secretly contacting Sunagakure. If we don't cut off the source of Sunagakure's unknown funds as soon as possible, once Sunagakure and Iwagakure join forces against Konoha, Konoha's situation will be dire."

Sakumo Hatake understood the meaning behind Kirito's words, paused for a moment, and then explained with a troubled expression.

He had considered refusing this somewhat unreasonable and difficult mission, but when he learned that Iwagakure and Sunagakure might join forces, his deep love for Konoha wouldn't allow him to back down.

Even knowing that this mission might be a one-way trip, he went ahead and carried it out without hesitation, fighting for a glimmer of hope for the peace and stability of Konoha.

"She's so dazzling. It would be such a shame if someone so pure died."

Upon learning the reason, Kirito couldn't help but feel deep respect for Sakumo Hatake's spirit of daring to sacrifice and dedicate himself to Konoha.

This is a respectable person. The reason why Konoha has been able to grow and survive in the ninja world is because of such pure people who make silent contributions behind the scenes, supporting the great tree of Konoha.

Like Nawaki, Hatake Sakumo is also a person who inherited the pure Will of Fire, completely different from some guys whose understanding of the Will of Fire has been distorted.

Such outstanding talents must be well protected.

"I understand. I will do my best to help the teacher complete the task. But before that, could you give me some time? I need to do something important, something that will greatly improve our chances of completing this task."

After understanding Sakumo Hatake's determination, Kirito smiled.

"What important matter?"

Upon hearing this, Hatake Sakumo asked curiously.

The next moment, Kirito stretched out his two hands, and lightning release and water release chakra appeared on his palms respectively. Then, under his control, the two different types of chakra began to mix together and then spun at high speed, forming a chakra ball with two different colors.

Soon, a new chakra appeared before Sakumo Hatake, adding a new color to the chakra sphere.

Gradually, the new color covered more and more areas, and the chakra ball eventually became only one color, emitting a powerful and unique chakra fluctuation.

Sakumo Hatake was a knowledgeable ninja. He looked at the chakra ball in Kirito's hand with a shocked expression on his face the whole time.

Blood inheritance limits.

After Kirito elevated his Lightning Release to a mysterious level, he actually managed to create a Bloodline Limit in just a few days.

That's really surprising.

When was it successful?

Sakumo Hatake swallowed hard and asked.

"yesterday."

Kirito answered truthfully.

After Lightning Release breaks through to level 5, the formation of Storm Release becomes very easy, it can be said to be a natural progression.

After thousands of attempts to fuse the two different types of chakra threads, he successfully found the knack for fusion and finally created Storm Release chakra within his body.

The moment the Storm Release chakra was created in his body, he noticed that his body was undergoing some kind of positive change, the biggest of which was that the amount of chakra in his body had been steadily increasing recently.

He became increasingly adept at using the Thunder Transformation Technique.

He knew that it was due to the formation of the Storm Release bloodline limit within his body, which was changing his bloodline.

However, such a change in the bloodline's origin is obviously not something that can be achieved overnight; it takes time to complete.

This can be seen from the fact that Storm Release has not yet appeared on the attribute panel.

"Congratulations on becoming a Bloodline Limit Ninja!"

Sakumo Hatake said enviously.

There was a time when he also wanted to become a bloodline limit ninja, because bloodline limit ninjas are generally much stronger than ordinary ninjas, and they can also use some very powerful ninjutsu, which he greatly admired when he was young.

Now, his youthful goal has been achieved by Kirito, a mere 10-year-old brat, which he finds incredibly enviable.

"Thank you, Hatake-sensei. After the Storm Release bloodline limit formed within me, I can feel my strength rapidly increasing. Given some time, I might be able to reach the same level as you. At that time, I'm sure I'll be able to play a greater role. What do you think?"

Kirito dispelled his Storm Release: Rasengan and continued speaking with a smile.

Sakumo Hatake remained silent and did not immediately give an answer.

He knew that what Kirito had just said was true, but when Kirito would break through to Kage level was unknown, and the mission was imminent. He didn't have much time to waste, and the Third Hokage certainly wouldn't give him much time either.

"Don't worry, teacher. When I asked you to wait a while, I meant that you shouldn't rush into action, not that you should do nothing. In the meantime, we can continue to do what we did before, such as cutting off the supply line of Sunagakure, and also gather as much intelligence as possible, formulate a detailed plan, and strive to complete this mission successfully."

Seeing that Sakumo Hatake did not immediately refuse, Kirito decisively struck while the iron was hot.

Upon hearing Kirito's words, Sakumo Hatake finally stopped hesitating and accepted Kirito's request, nodding and saying, "Alright, then I'll take the gamble."

For the sake of Konoha, he was going all out this time, even if it meant offending the Third Hokage.

Chapter 186: Tsunade's Wrath

In Konoha, at night, at a very famous izakaya owned by a businessman.

Tsunade was drinking alone to drown her sorrows. There were already many bottles of liquor on the table in front of her, but she still drank the strong liquor as if it were water.

The name of Tsunade, the princess of Konoha, is naturally very famous in Konoha. Many people in the izakaya couldn't help but admire her when they saw her slightly flushed face as she drank alone.

Unfortunately, no one dared to approach them and strike up a conversation.

This is because the Konoha princess's reputation for cruelty is well-known in Konoha. Anyone who dares to make flirtatious remarks to her has their legs broken and is sent to the hospital, where they undergo a series of unforgettable treatments before they can leave.

With so many precedents serving as examples, many Konoha ninjas, even if they harbored lustful thoughts, dared not reveal them to Tsunade and could only harbor secret crushes.

Recently, Tsunade has been very troubled. In desperation, she has resorted to drinking to drown her sorrows, hoping to numb her thoughts and find a moment of peace.

However, she will eventually wake up and face the current problems again.

"Why can't we just live in harmony? Why do we have to fight to the death?"

Tsunade mumbled drunkenly.

The conflict between her family and her teacher is the root of her troubles these days.

Both sides are things she cherishes deeply, yet now they have become entangled in irreconcilable conflicts. As the person caught in the middle, she feels extremely troubled. She tried to help both sides rebuild a friendly relationship, but all she ended up hurting herself.

The family absolutely denied any connection to Danzo's death or the mysterious Kage-level powerhouse. The teacher, on the other hand, firmly stated that the mastermind behind Danzo's murder would be severely punished. As for the fact that Danzo colluded with outsiders to kill Nawaki, no matter how much she hinted, she received no response.

She feels that being a person is so difficult. She clearly wants to do things well, but in the end, she ends up pleasing neither side.

She's increasingly reluctant to stay in Konoha; she misses life outside.

But Konoha is her home. Many very important people in her life live here. If she doesn't stay here, where else can she go?

May I sit down?

Suddenly, a voice came from ahead. Tsunade looked up slightly and saw a young and handsome man with short black hair.

However, these are not things that Tsunade should pay special attention to.

As a medical ninja with powerful combat abilities, alcohol is like water to her. Although she looks drunk, her mind is still very clear and her perception has not been reduced much.

But she hadn't even noticed the man in front of her.

Furthermore, she was unable to sense any chakra fluctuations from this man. He seemed to be just an ordinary person, but that was impossible; an ordinary person could not escape her senses.