Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

Xiaochun, who was turning over in her dorm, hurriedly got up from the floor and shouted.

"Yes, yes, Kurama, protect Kurama. As long as Madara Uchiha doesn't have Kurama, he can't return to his prime. With the current strength of Konoha, we should be able to withstand him. After all, he's an old man in his seventies or eighties."

Mitokado immediately echoed.

Seeing the two of them in such a disheveled state, the Third Hokage's eyes flashed with disappointment. He nodded and said, "Don't worry, I've already had someone take care of what you've been considering."

Then, he turned his gaze to Momoka, who remained calm, and asked, "Momoka, did you already know that Uchiha Madara was still alive?"

When he revealed that Madara Uchiha was still alive, Momoka's expression clearly didn't show any surprise, which was very strange.

Then, he immediately recalled the incident where Lady Mito lost control abnormally, causing the Nine-Tails to emerge from her body.

Looking back now, it must have been Madara Uchiha who did this. He had a summoning pact with Kurama, and he must have taken advantage of the instability of the seal inside Mito's body to try to summon Kurama through the summoning pact, thereby taking Kurama away and killing Mito.

However, for some unknown reason, his wishful thinking back then fell through, which was probably due to Lord Mito intervening to thwart his conspiracy.

"That's right, I already knew that Uchiha Madara was not dead. However, it was Mito-sama who told me before she died, and she also told me not to alert him and to be wary of Danzo. That's why I didn't tell you about it."

Since the matter could no longer be concealed, Tao Hua decided not to keep it a secret any longer and answered frankly.

The Third Hokage, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane received an explanation. The former sighed, finally confirming that Madara Uchiha was indeed still alive. The latter two glared at Momoka, their expressions undoubtedly blaming her.

Ignoring the two men's dissatisfaction, Momoka turned to the Third Hokage and said, "Third Hokage, don't think too highly of Madara Uchiha. The First Hokage has been dead for so many years, and he still hasn't dared to attack Konoha. This shows that he is wary of Konoha."

"Momoka, you don't need to comfort me. You should know better than me how terrifying this person is. The reason he hasn't dared to attack Konoha all these years is simply because he's afraid of Lady Mito. Now that Lady Mito is gone and the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki hasn't grown up yet, Konoha is in great danger."

The Third Hokage shook his head, still not optimistic about Konoha in its current state.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were also sighing and pessimistic about Konoha's ability to withstand Uchiha Madara.

"Yes, both the First Generation Lord and Lady Mito are no longer here."

Upon seeing this, Tao Hua sighed.

Then, she changed the subject and said confidently, "However, our Konoha still has strong individuals who can fight against Uchiha Madara."

Chapter 273: The Powerful Confidence Brought by the Eight-Year-Old Immortal

"who is it?"

Upon hearing what Momoka said, the Third Generation suddenly remembered something and quickly asked her a question.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who were standing nearby, also thought of someone and looked at Momoka in unison.

Yes, both of them thought of the mysterious Kage-level powerhouse who had effortlessly killed Danzo and defeated the Third Hokage. The upper limit of that person's strength was still a mystery, and he was a true sage.

Furthermore, this person has close ties with the Senju clan and may be a hidden powerhouse within the clan.

If this person were to stand up against Madara Uchiha, Konoha might have the strength to fight against Madara Uchiha.

The power of the Sage is still very strong. The reason why the First Hokage was able to defeat Madara Uchiha, who controlled the Nine-Tails, was largely due to the power of the Sage.

The power of the Wood Release ninjutsu that the First Hokage used by combining Sage Mode with his own power is still firmly etched in their minds. That Sage Mode Wood Release ninjutsu called Top Transformation Buddha was really too powerful. Madara Uchiha and the Nine-Tails were directly defeated.

"Of course it's Kirito."

Under the expectant gazes of the three, Tao Hua smiled and said.

"Don't joke around, Momoka. Kirito is powerful, and I admit that his future achievements are limitless, but he is only 11 years old and has not fully grown up yet. Even if he has the power of Shukaku now, it is still unlikely that he can fight against Uchiha Madara."

Koharu, upon hearing that Momoka was referring to Kirito, looked distressed and said...

"Yes, since Madara Uchiha chose to attack the Konoha military camp in the Land of Wind, it means he is no longer going to hide. He must be able to see the threat Kirito poses, so how could he possibly give Kirito time to grow?"

Mitokado agreed with Koharu Utatane's opinion.

The third generation remained silent, continuing to look at Momoka, gesturing with his eyes for her to continue and explain.

"You guys underestimate this kid. His strength is far more than it appears. As for how strong he is, I'm not really sure, but one thing I'm sure of is that if he wants to leave, Madara Uchiha won't be able to kill him."

Tao Hua answered with a confident expression.

Just how strong is Kirito?

She, as the person who saw Kirito enter Sage Mode when he was eight years old, is the most qualified to speak on this matter. Kirito was already a Sage at the age of eight, and now, three years later, given Kirito's terrifying aptitude for cultivating Sage Mode, his strength must have far surpassed that of when he was eight.

Furthermore, Kirito has recently developed the Storm Release bloodline limit and mastered a terrifying lightning release movement ninjutsu that allows him to transform into lightning.

It's safe to say that if this kid wants to run away, there's probably no one in the ninja world who can stop him. Madara Uchiha is no exception. Even Madara Uchiha in his prime couldn't possibly stop Kirito.

Is Kirito really that strong?

The Third Generation was surprised to hear Momoka say that.

After the deaths of Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki, Madara Uchiha, who was still alive, was probably the strongest ninja in the world. The number of ninjas who could escape from him was extremely small.

If Kirito can do this, his strength is truly extraordinary, far exceeding his imagination.

"Of course, let me tell you something else. Three years ago, when Kirito helped Lady Mito seal the Nine-Tails, he had already mastered the power of Sage Mode."

Seeing that the Third Hokage was still intimidated by Madara Uchiha's reputation and lacked information on how to counter him, Momoka had no choice but to reveal another crucial piece of information about Kirito.

This intelligence is absolutely of the level of a depth charge.

Upon seeing this, the Third Generation, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu were all greatly shocked, their faces showing expressions of horror.

Kirito mastered the power of Sage Mode three years ago, so wouldn't that mean he became a Sage at the age of 8?

They believed they had already given Kirito a high enough assessment of his talent, and that he would most likely become a ninja comparable to the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha in their prime. However, in retrospect, their assessment was still too low.

A ninja who achieved Sage Mode at the age of 8 will at least be no less accomplished than the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha in the future.

This talent is so amazing, it's almost unreal.

"Wait, Momoka, if Kirito was already a sage when he was 8 years old, then he shouldn't have had any contact with the summoning beasts of the three holy lands, and he's still not a contractor of the three holy lands."

Suddenly, the Third Generation had a very important question and quickly asked it.

In his understanding, the power of immortal arts could only be obtained through the three holy lands of the Spirit Beast Realm.

If Kirito had become a Sage at the age of 8, his three disciples, who had signed summoning contracts with the three sacred sites of Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi-dō, and Shikkotsu-ryū respectively, should have known about it.

But he only learned of this news now.

Doesn't that mean Kirito's Sage Mode wasn't obtained from the three sacred lands?

If true, that would be extremely important information. It would mean that Konoha truly possesses the lineage of Sage Techniques, and that it is a lineage of Sage Techniques unique to humans, rather than the obviously flawed Sage Techniques of other species.

Historically, while few ninjas have mastered sage techniques, they have not been absent.

However, those ninjas who mastered immortal techniques throughout history were all short-lived, and none of them had the long lifespan of those otherworldly immortals. This shows that the immortal techniques passed down from otherworldly beings to humans are flawed, or perhaps not suitable for human cultivation.

"As far as I know, that's correct. However, I'm not entirely sure where Kirito got his Sage Mode from. When I learned that he had mastered the power of Sage Mode, he was already a Sage."

Tao Hua thought for a moment and nodded.

"It's unbelievable. If I didn't know you were the kind of person who wouldn't lie, I really wouldn't have imagined that Kirito's talent was so outstanding. Before the age of 10, Kirito had never left Konoha, and Konoha had no Sage Mode inheritance. He himself had never come into contact with any of the outcasts from the three holy lands. The only explanation is that he mastered Sage Mode on his own."

The Third Hokage received a reply from Momoka and was once again amazed by Kirito's talent.

At the same time, he no longer felt any desire to fight against the Senju clan. With such a talented ninja as the Senju clan, whose talent was so high that it was despair-inducing, how could the Sarutobi clan, whose talent was dwindling, possibly contend with them?

With a formidable enemy at hand, if the Sarutobi clan continues to have conflicts with the Senju clan, their fate will be extremely unpleasant.

Now that I think about it, that mysterious Kage-level powerhouse who also possessed Sage Mode might have been Kirito's subordinate.

Of course, he also considered that Kirito had learned Sage Mode from this mysterious Kage-level powerhouse, but then he thought it was unlikely.

Kirito became a sage at the age of eight. Before he was eight, Lady Mito was still alive. With Lady Mito around, it was impossible for that mysterious Kage-level powerhouse to have any contact with Kirito.

Therefore, the only explanation is that the mysterious Kage-level powerhouse likely learned his Sage Mode from Kirito, and that person was most likely Kirito's companion or subordinate.

"Kirito was already a sage at the age of eight and had mastered the art of spirit transformation. He probably had the ability to evade the village's surveillance a long time ago and leave the village to operate outside. He's really something. This kid is really good at pretending. He's made me and the others look foolish."

The third generation deduced some more truths, and couldn't help but feel depressed.

Then, a chill ran through him.

To be so young yet know how to hide one's strength, develop steadily, and have such good acting skills—this cunning is terrifying.

What the Third Hokage could think of, the two shrewd old guys, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, could also figure out part of the truth. They were equally horrified by Kirito's extraordinary intellect since childhood, and their faces turned very ugly.

"Hehe, scared, aren't you? This kid is no pushover. If you know what's good for you, you'd better cooperate and put away your power and your little schemes. Otherwise, when he comes back, you'll see how tough he is. He'll make your lives miserable."

Tao Hua took in the expressions of the three people and sneered inwardly.

The reason she revealed Kirito's secret was not only to boost the three's confidence in fighting Uchiha Madara, but also to use Kirito's strength to intimidate these three shady old men and make them understand how terrible the consequences of continuing to oppose the Senju clan would be.

"It's truly a blessing for Konoha. With such an outstanding genius ninja as Kirito, even if Madara Uchiha comes, we don't need to be too afraid. As long as Kirito is alive, Konoha will not perish."

The third generation quickly broke free from their depressed mood, their worried expression vanished, and they finally smiled.

The reason he was afraid of Madara Uchiha was not because he was afraid of death, but because he was afraid that Konoha would be destroyed in his hands, and he would have no face to go to the Pure Land to see the First Hokage and his teacher.

Konoha must not be destroyed during his term.

This was the only thing the Third Hokage truly desired after learning that Madara Uchiha was not dead. The continuation of the Sarutobi clan's power, preventing Tsunade from becoming the next Hokage, and continuing to try to retain his own power—none of these mattered anymore.

From beginning to end, what he valued most was Konoha, and he was willing to give up anything for the continuation of Konoha.

Unfortunately, before learning Kirito's shocking secret from Momoka, he was truly pessimistic and did not believe that Konoha was capable of withstanding Madara Uchiha's attack.

If this emergency meeting fails to find a way to counter Madara Uchiha, he intends to initiate the Konoha Escape Plan, allowing some of the village's seeds to leave, lest Madara wipe them out and completely destroy Konoha.

Fortunately, Kirito's appearance gave him hope of fighting against Madara Uchiha.

As he just said, as long as Kirito is alive, Konoha will not perish, and there will be hope for its resurgence in the future.

In this way, he wouldn't have to worry about Konoha being destroyed in his hands.

“Indeed, Kirito is a good man. When he returns, I suggest that we entrust the Book of Sealing to him for safekeeping. We should give him priority in meeting his needs for any training resources he requires.”

Mitomon Yan echoed in agreement.

With the news that Madara Uchiha was still alive and Kirito's shocking secret being revealed, he no longer had any desire to fight for power. He just wanted to continue living a good life and enjoy his old age.

It wasn't that he was truly willing to relinquish his power; it was simply that the enemies and internal rivals were far too powerful, and he, an 'ordinary person,' saw absolutely no hope of winning the struggle against them.

Those who know the current affairs are handsome.

Since there's no hope of victory, I might as well surrender while I still have some value and hopefully achieve a dignified ending.

"This old guy is still as opportunistic as ever. That's fine. Although he has done a lot of stupid things with Danzo over the years, he has ultimately made a lot of contributions by shedding blood for Konoha. Giving him a dignified ending is not unreasonable."

Momoka sneered inwardly when she saw Mitokado Homura shamelessly trying to curry favor with Kirito, yet she also admired the man's sense of propriety.