Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

In fact, the third generation leader, who was in a terrible predicament, hadn't had time to think things through. But now, his two old friends had enlightened him, and he was able to use that momentum to make a decision.

Mitokado Enoki subconsciously looked at Utatane Koharu again.

Koharu, without any hesitation, took half a step forward and pointed her withered finger at the northeast corner of the map of the Land of Fire on the wall: "Here!"

The third generation head squinted slightly.

Koharu Utatane said hoarsely, "The Cloud Village delegation is very arrogant. A villain needs another villain to teach him a lesson. Let that kid go north, fight a couple of outstanding battles, and then..."

She turned to her two old friends and said, "Let's see if the Cloud Village delegation will still be so arrogant after this."

The Cloud Village delegation arrived in Konoha before the new year, ostensibly for peace talks, but their attitude didn't seem to suggest otherwise.

That's outrageous!

Moreover, there is absolutely no room for negotiation.

Clearly, they are taking advantage of the escalating conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure to try and "take a big bite" from the rich Land of Fire.

……

Chapter 180 I also want a friend like Qingwu

"Wonderful!"

Mitokado Homura immediately clapped his hands: "As expected of Koharu, this idea is brilliant!"

The main force behind the peace talks with Kumogakure was the two of them, who served as advisors to the Hokage.

I'm furious with the attitude of the Cloud Village delegation lately.

If it can dampen the arrogance of the Hidden Cloud Village and benefit the upcoming negotiations, why not?

The Third Generation gazed at the map, his brows gradually relaxing.

It's indeed a good choice; Xiaochun's idea achieves several goals at once.

Not only can it serve as a punishment for Qingwu, but it can also help with peace talks with Kumogakure, while avoiding provoking Tsuchikage Onoki at the Iwagakure battlefield.

In fact, the Third Hokage's initial idea was to send Seiwu to the southwestern border of the Land of Fire.

Bordering the buffer zone of "Land of Rivers" to the southwest, it requires a lot of dealing with the allied Land of Wind. He originally intended to involve Qingwu in diplomacy with Sunagakure to hone the boy's rough edges.

Looking back now, it was a real waste not to use the fighting power that could deal with the Tailed Beasts.

"It's settled then. I'll call him over later. But... if we increase the punishment for Qingwu, then we'll have to increase the punishment for Danzo as well."

The third generation leader looked somewhat troubled.

He paused for a moment, then added to the two advisors, "I previously arranged for Qingwu to be stationed at the border for a year, and for Danzo to be confined for six months."

Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura chimed in, "This is indeed a problem. If we can't treat both sides fairly, I'm afraid Tsunade won't agree easily."

At this moment, Koharu, who was switching dorm rooms, became emotionally agitated:

"Danzo did make mistakes, but his decades of dedication to the village are something no kid can compare to."

"A six-month confinement in the Root, a place shrouded in darkness, is already a severe punishment. I do not agree to increase Danzo's punishment."

The Third Hokage sighed helplessly; Koharu was clearly protecting her old teammate.

The confinement of Danzo was simply to prevent him from causing trouble during this period. As for the so-called "dark and hopeless" situation, Danzo usually spent most of his time in Root anyway, so there was no difference.

Mitokado Yan hesitated for a moment, then suggested:

"How about doubling it? And confining him for a year? That way, Qingwu's profit would be tripled, while Danzo's would only be doubled. That would save Danzo some face."

"No!" Koharu Utatane said firmly, "Just temporarily take back some of his powers and let him recover from his injuries. Confining him to his quarters is an insult to Danzo."

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage did not hesitate any longer, "A year of confinement, it's settled!"

Forget about "insults"; this is a good opportunity to shut up the root of the problem.

After the Nine-Tails Night, with the Uchiha clan's security force being abolished, the Root, now without checks and balances, became increasingly erratic.

When the Uchiha clan was mentioned, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance and finally agreed to the Third Hokage's decision.

……

Qingwu received a message from the Dark Division in the afternoon.

He had no idea what awaited him.

The group of friends didn't go to sleep until dawn. Now, except for Red Bean who went home and Iruka who went to work at school, everyone else woke up.

Kakashi cautioned, "No matter what the outcome, don't contradict the Hokage to his face. It won't do you any good."

Qingwu nodded. It's just the border; it's a good opportunity to grind some experience points.

It could be said that such punishment suited him perfectly, and for him personally, it was hardly a disciplinary measure.

It's a pity that the Dark Guard is still waiting on the sidelines, and we won't have time to build the Level 6 barracks [Forest Sanctuary] until we return.

Tianzang didn't say much, only whispering, "Be careful."

When Naruto learned that Qingwu was going to see the Hokage, he excitedly said, "Tell Grandpa Hokage that I'm not going back to that house. This place is great, so Grandpa Hokage doesn't need to worry about me."

Although this place is a bit remote, he's not the only one living here, and Naruto has already grown to like the atmosphere.

Kakashi patted Naruto's hair and nodded to Qingwu.

This suggests that at least the Third Hokage treated Naruto quite well despite his busy schedule.

Qingwu patted Naruto's chubby cheeks and agreed, then turned and followed the Anbu away from the territory.

……

Muye Village

The news that Shiki Aburame had left the Hokage Building confirmed what had happened at the Root base the previous night.

The roots have always been shrouded in mystery, which fuels the villagers' curiosity about this matter.

Thirty-six people died at once, and they were all ninjas. When has such a big thing ever happened in the village?

Some say that Qingwu was forced to take action by the Roots to save his friend, and that killing was also a way to protect himself.

Some say that he relied on the bloodline of the Thousand Hands to be unruly and even dared to break into the Root Sect, which was simply lawless.

However, aside from these controversies, what is most surprising is the strength of Jonin Qingwu.

Currently, there has been no news of him defeating Danzo.

But the fact that Shimura Danzo was present and allowed Seigo to kill someone and escape unscathed speaks volumes.

Discussions arose from ordinary villagers to ninja circles, with everyone speculating about just how strong Jonin Qingwu had become.

A few months ago, the Shadow Guard returned from the Battle of Rock Village, which refreshed the public's understanding of the situation.

This incident has only fueled everyone's curiosity about the strength of Jonin Qingwu.

……

Ichiraku Ramen

Having just returned from a mission, Moonlight Gale lowered his head and took a large gulp of noodle soup, remarking with emotion, "When I'm out here, all I think about is this."

His companion laughed and said, "Who says otherwise?"

Just then, the chatter of the diners behind them caught the attention of Gekko Hayate and his companion.

"This is terrible. I saw the Aburame clan leader come out of the Hokage Building, and her face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Jonin Qingwu is in big trouble this time."

"Yes, 36 people, all of them elite ninjas. The one from the Aburame clan was said to be a Jonin, but he was easily killed."

Moonlight Gale and his teammates exchanged a shocked glance.

Especially the former, because of Xiyan, he was not exactly a stranger to Qingwu.

Although they didn't interact much, when he was pursuing Xiyan, she often said things like, "You're nowhere near as good as Qingwu," damn it...

Just as his companion was about to speak, Moonlight Gale raised a finger in a 'shh' gesture, indicating that he should continue listening.

"I heard that Jonin Qingwu's Wood Release is almost on par with the First Hokage of the same age, and ordinary ninjas are no match for him."

"But you can't just kill people because you're strong. What can't be said openly? We've been fighting wars for years. Can't we let our elite soldiers sacrifice their lives on the battlefield?"

"That's true, but I heard that Root detained Qingwu Jonin's good friend first, which is why things got out of hand."

"Saving his comrade? That's understandable, but is that a place you can just wander into? Lord Danzo is still here, and he dares to kill someone?"

"Exactly, they're still too young and lack a sense of the bigger picture."

"You can't say that. If it were you, and your best friend was being bullied, and you were capable of doing so, what would you do?"

"..."

After listening for a while, Gekko Hayate and his companions, who had just returned, roughly understood what had happened last night.

His companion exclaimed in surprise, "This Jonin Qingwu is about the same age as us, but he's really a tough nut to crack. Those Root people are usually arrogant, but he's the only one who dares to expose their true colors."

Gekko Hayate said in a deep voice, "It is very powerful, but the matter has escalated so much, I wonder how the Hokage will punish us."

Companion: "It's hard to say, but with his strength, Konoha is in dire need of manpower right now, so we can't punish him too severely."

Moonlight Gale lamented, "What a pity. If he hadn't been so impulsive, he could have achieved even more in the future."

His companion glanced at him and said, "I wish... I could have a good friend like Jonin Qingwu."

Moonlight Gale looked at his companion, "Hmm?"

His companion said regretfully, "For his friend, he wiped out the entire gang in a fit of rage. Tsk, why didn't I hang out with him back in school..."

Moonlight Gale: "..."

Chapter 181 Uchiha Shisui

Hokage Building

There was a knock on the Hokage's office door, the sound steady and crisp.

"Come in."

The third generation leader put down the documents in his hand, rubbed his throbbing temples, and looked up at the doorway.