Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

Clearly, after Konoha appointed a new Hokage, the village placed great emphasis on medical ninjutsu, which significantly reduced the mortality rate of Konoha's wounded personnel on the battlefield. This indirectly greatly enhanced the strength of Konoha's ninjas, and even the allied Iwagakure village benefited from this.

Bad news kept coming from the front lines, leaving even Akasago, whose body had been largely transformed into a puppet, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

The only good news was that Madara Uchiha's support for Sunagakure didn't falter at this time; large sums of money were sent to Sunagakure, giving them enough funds to purchase materials for making puppets.

Besides that, there are still ninjas from the Oni organization left to assist in the battle.

Although those ninjas from the Demon Organization were all lone wolves and it was difficult for them to cooperate with the ninjas from Sunagakure, they were quite good at carrying out assassination missions. They successfully destroyed several of Konoha's occupied medical hospitals and even joined forces to severely injure Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"I need more support. Damn Konoha suddenly mobilized so many people. They must be coming for Sunagakure. They may have already discovered that I am colluding with Uchiha Madara. Damn Uchiha Madara, he actually wiped out Kirigakure without a word. Doesn't he know how much of a shock this will cause to the other ninja villages?"

Anxious and frustrated, Akasuna smashed a beautiful ceramic pot in the office, gritting his teeth as he complained.

"Watch your words. You should know very well who contributed to the strength of your Sunagakure. If Lord Madara had heard what you just said, you and Sunagakure behind you would probably cease to exist."

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out in the room.

Akasago's expression changed drastically in an instant, and then he saw a strange man, half a hundred years old and half a dozen years old, emerge from the ground in front of him and look at him with indifferent eyes.

"Please forgive me, Lord Black Zetsu. There has been too much bad news coming from the battlefield lately, which has made me lose control of my emotions. I have no intention of blaming Lord Madara. Sunagakure is still Lord Madara's best ally."

Akasuna's expression shifted several times before finally adopting a flattering tone and speaking cautiously.

A person's name is like the shadow of a tree.

How could Akashi not feel fear when Madara Uchiha did something as shocking as destroying Kirigakure? Even though Sunagakure and Madara Uchiha were allies, Akashi was very worried that this ally, who could also destroy Sunagakure, might one day have a brain fart and wipe out Sunagakure as well.

In short, even though Sunagakure and Madara Uchiha were allies, they were no longer equals.

"That would be for the best, otherwise, there would be no point in your existence. Fine, considering that your village made a significant contribution to Lord Madara's successful operation this time, I will let you off this time. But if I hear you speaking ill of Lord Madara again, I promise I will make sure he hears it."

Seeing that Akashi was very sensible and bowed his head in front of him, Black Zetsu sneered.

"Thank you, Lord Kuroze. I wonder what orders you have brought from Lord Madara? The entire Sunagakure will do our utmost to fulfill them."

Hearing Black Zetsu say this, Akashi breathed a sigh of relief and then spoke with even greater respect.

Regardless, Sunagakure absolutely cannot do without Madara Uchiha's support now, otherwise, Iwagakure and Konoha could wipe out Sunagakure without Madara even having to lift a finger.

"You should have received the invitation to the Five Kage Summit by now, right?"

Hei Jue asked.

Upon hearing this, Akashi immediately understood Black Zetsu's intentions and quickly replied, "Yes, I have received it and was just about to explain this to Lord Madara. The fact that the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure suddenly convened this meeting is likely related to the major event that Lord Madara has undertaken."

"Kumakubi is nothing but a bunch of clowns. If it weren't for Lord Madara having important matters to attend to and being unable to spare the time, he would have destroyed more than just Kirigakure back then."

Black Zetsu sneered, then stared at Akashi with a strange and chilling gaze.

Since Madara Uchiha destroyed Kirigakure, it basically means that the forces led by Madara Uchiha have officially declared war on the entire ninja world.

Therefore, Black Zetsu no longer needs to worry too much. Since he is going to be at odds with the entire ninja world anyway, it's not a bad idea to clean up the guys on his side who might be a hindrance or leak secrets beforehand.

Akashi felt a chill run down his spine and his body go cold under Black Zetsu's gaze. He began to realize that Black Zetsu's approach to him this time was probably not just about wanting him to continue being a tool.

They might even be planning to silence them.

For a moment, Akashi watched Black Zetsu with extreme vigilance, ready to strike first if he sensed anything amiss.

But suddenly, the black Zetsu in front of him blurred and turned into Uchiha Madara.

Chapter 357: Hope for Advancing to a Great Ninja Village

"Uchiha Madara!"

When Akashi discovered that Black Zetsu had transformed into Madara Uchiha, he was immediately horrified. A chill ran down his spine, and he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of fear.

This fear filled Akasago with shame and indignation, making him feel ashamed of his status as the Kazekage. However, his shame and resentment ultimately failed to inspire the courage within him to overcome his fear.

The reason is simple: the difference in strength between him and Madara Uchiha is too great, so great that he can hardly even look up to him.

A guy who can single-handedly destroy a major ninja village—that feat represents terrifying strength.

In his anxiety and fear, Akashi realized that he seemed to have no choice but to wait for death in front of Madara Uchiha. Unable to muster the courage to fight back, he didn't even have the courage to run away.

He feared that if he fled, Sunagakure would be destroyed.

He ultimately had feelings for Sunagakure, and his initial dream was to make Sunagakure the strongest ninja village in the ninja world.

"What exactly do you want me to do? Just tell me."

Akasuna suppressed his fear and pretended to be calm as he spoke.

But the next moment, Madara Uchiha in front of him turned back into Black Zetsu, who was looking at him with a mocking expression.

In an instant, Akashi realized that he had just been under a genjutsu, and that his ugly state had been seen by Black Zetsu. A strong sense of shame and indignation arose in his heart, making him feel ashamed.

"It seems your loyalty to Lord Madara is still trustworthy. However, Sunagakure doesn't really have any other choice now. Even if Lord Madara doesn't deal with you, Iwagakure and Konoha won't continue to let you go unpunished. You only have one path left: to cooperate with us. Hehehe~"

Black Zetsu took in the changes in Akasuna's face and sneered.

Akashi remained silent, staring intently at Black Zetsu with bloodshot eyes.

Black Jue was completely unconcerned about the anger in Akasuna's eyes. The angrier Akasuna appeared, the more pleased Black Jue was, because it was all Black Jue's doing that had brought this human to this state.

The other person was being manipulated like a puppet on a string, and no matter how unwilling they were, they were powerless to do anything about it.

Humans are indeed a bunch of fools bound by emotions, and hatred is what they love to exploit. As long as there is hatred in people's hearts, they can be used.

For example, the Red Sand in front of it knew that this person's hatred for Iwagakure was far greater than that for it and Madara Uchiha. Therefore, it was certain that the Red Sand could not escape its grasp and could only obediently follow its orders.

Of course, hatred can also easily make a person lose their mind, so it is necessary to add a chain called love around the neck of the beast of hatred.

"Go to the Five Kage Summit and bring back everything that was discussed. This is the new order that Lord Madara has given you."

Black Zetsu suppressed his mockery and said coldly.

"Iwagakure and Konoha may already suspect that Sunagakure is cooperating with you. If I go there, wouldn't I be walking into a trap? Without me, Sunagakure will lose control of everything."

Akasuna said with a sullen face.

Although he had anticipated that Madara Uchiha would send him to the Five Kage Summit as a spy, upon hearing Madara's order, he couldn't help but feel a desire to back down.

He knows his own strength and capabilities, and if he were to attend the Five Kage Summit, his safety would be far from guaranteed.

"Isn't there your son, Sasori? He's quite strong and shone brightly in this war. I think he's fully capable of becoming the next Kazekage. What do you think?"

Black Zetsu said coldly.

Upon hearing this, a strong killing intent erupted from Akashi, and a massive amount of chakra quickly surged within his body.

"You'd better stay away from him."

At this moment, Akagami was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, baring its teeth and claws at Black Zetsu.

In Akasago's heart, besides the village, the only things he cherished were his son and wife. Sasori was his greatest pride in life and regarded as the future of Sunagakure. Sasori was the only one who absolutely could not be harmed.

"Then do what Lord Ban asked you to do well. Don't make excuses. This is an order, not something to discuss with you."

He didn't care about the killing intent posed by Kurozuki Akazasa and directly threatened her in return.

After saying this, it revealed another sinister grin, then slowly disappeared into the ground.

"Plop~"

As soon as Black Zetsu left, Akashi seemed to have all the strength drained from his body, collapsing to the ground with despair on his face.

Then, he suddenly tilted his head back and burst into manic laughter: "Hahaha~"

He knew he was really doomed this time.

Black Zetsu's words just now clearly meant that he should go and die, and if he didn't go, then the village and Sasori would cease to exist.

This is forcing him into a dead end.

He tried to negotiate with a tiger for its skin, but in the end, the tiger killed him. Was this his final fate?

……

Amegakure Village, Chief's Office.

A ninja with graying temples walked in. He looked at the person sitting in the familiar seat in front of him and said coldly, "Did you send me, a cripple, here just to show off in front of me?"

"A cripple? Who in Amegakure would dare call you, Hanzo the Salamander, a cripple? Don't misunderstand, Hanzo. I didn't call you here to show off. If you're unhappy with me, I can give this chair back to you right now."

Hattori Masashige, played by the White Zetsu clone, immediately stood up and shook his head.

"Give it back to me? Hmph, forget it. I can't afford to sit in that chair now. Who told me I'm just a confined and washed-up old man?"

Hanzo the Salamander continued coldly, venting his dissatisfaction in front of the White Zetsu clone.

Since Hattori Masanari became the new leader of Amegakure under the election of the crowd, Hanzo the Salamander was quickly forgotten by the people of Amegakure and was placed under house arrest. The pretext was that he was sent to Konoha to recuperate, but being far away from Amegakure, he was no longer able to interfere in Amegakure's affairs.

Hanzo the Salamander thought he would die of old age in Konoha, but he was unexpectedly released by Konoha not long ago and was able to return to Amegakure.

However, the current Amegakure is very different from the Amegakure in his memory. The Amegakure of the past was full of reinforced concrete, but now it has been replaced by various wooden houses, and the style and layout of the houses are very similar to those of Konoha.

This shows that Amegakure's relationship with Konoha is truly extraordinary; in other words, Konoha has a very deep influence on Amegakure.

And the reason for all of this is the person in front of you.

"Hanzo, I know you are dissatisfied with me, but you have just returned to the village. Why not take a walk around the village? Perhaps what you see is not the same as what you thought. Amegakure and Konoha are friendly and have a close relationship. There is nothing wrong with that."

The location where Rain hides necessitates a strong and capable ally; being a fence-sitter is unwise, and forcibly confronting other major ninja villages is even more unwise.

The White Zetsu clone listened to Hanzo's cold words and spoke earnestly.

"Pah! Stop lying to me! Who was it that said they wanted to make Amegakure strong? Does your idea of ​​strength mean being a dog of Konoha? Don't you, Hattori Masanari, feel any shame?"

Hanzo the Salamander pointed his finger at the nose of the White Zetsu clone and cursed.

From the changes in the village, he knew that Amegakure was now learning from Konoha in every way, and that there were many Konoha ninjas stationed there, including many outstanding Jonin.

Is it reasonable for a single ninja village to have so many powerful ninjas from other ninja villages?

Seeing this, Xiao Nan, who was standing next to Bai Zetsu's clone, couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to speak up for her leader.

As her secretary, she had witnessed all the efforts her leader had made for Amegakure. Although Amegakure often faced difficulties and unreasonable demands from Konoha during its post-war recovery, her leader always stood up for reason and tried her best to secure reasonable benefits for Amegakure, never bowing down to Konoha.

Otherwise, Amegakure wouldn't have been able to recover from the war so quickly.

Even though Hanzo the Salamander had made great contributions to Amegakure, she couldn't allow him to slander her leader like that.

Konan was about to retort when the White Zetsu clone stopped her with a gesture. Then, the White Zetsu clone said with a serious expression, "Hanzo, Amegakure is independent. Its relationship with Konoha is merely that of allies, not superiors and subordinates. I can guarantee you this with my life."

"Humph."