Naruto: From Fake to Real, Deceiving the Ninja World.

A Root ninja appeared behind Danzo, knelt on one knee, and presented the scroll in his hand, saying, "This is the result of the discussion between the Third Hokage and the Hyuga clan."

Danzo Shimura withdrew his cold gaze, turned his head to take the scroll from his hand, glanced at it, and then frowned deeply.

"So, Sarutobi has compromised again?" Danzo sneered, his tone sarcastic. "The Hyuga clan is ruthless; they actually came up with the idea of ​​using Hyuga Hizashi to replace Hyuga Hiashi in death."

The Root ninja kneeling on one knee beside him lowered his head slightly, and a hint of dissatisfaction appeared on his face under the shadow of his black cloak.

Despite being seen by many as a shady and unsavory character, Shimura Danzo was actually considered a true "hawk" of Konoha by other factions.

Since he can be called a "hawk," it means that his influence can be considered a "faction." Many ninjas are drawn to his radical ideas and are not all forced to join Root.

As bright as the sun, so deep and wide the shadows. Located in the shadow of Konoha, the roots of the trees are driven deep into the darkness, secretly eliminating any obstacles that hinder the village, and doing so by any means necessary.

Therefore, in a sense, Danzo had his own "personal charisma." The Root ninjas were all very radical and were very dissatisfied with the Third Hokage's weakness.

In their view, if the Third Hokage really hardened his heart and used the forbidden techniques in the Book of Seals, along with all the ninja clans in the village, he could crush any village.

Instead of being on the defensive every time, and winning every war only to have it all be meaningless.

The war in the ninja world will never stop; the end of each war is merely preparation for the next.

It can be said that one of the main reasons why Shimura Danzo was able to develop Root to its current extent was Hiruzen Sarutobi's indecisiveness and weakness in dealing with external forces. Many ninjas who joined Root did so because their families died in the war and they had deep-seated hatred for other villages.

This ninja, wearing black sunglasses and with a purple tattoo on his right cheek, is from the Aburame clan and is also a member of the hawk faction.

"Ryoma."

Danzo Shimura called out his name, a shadowy glint in his eyes: "I will place you in this escort team. I still have some people I left behind at the border, and I will temporarily hand over command to you..."

He paused, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said coldly, "If the Hidden Cloud Village obediently accepts this 'explanation,' that's fine. But if they still refuse to let it go, then we'll add fuel to the fire!"

Since Kumogakure has been repeatedly aggressive, Sarutobi shouldn't blame him for manipulating public opinion in the village.

While Konoha's strength has indeed weakened, that doesn't mean Kumogakure has the right to lord it over Konoha.

Do you really think Tobirama-sensei's forbidden techniques are just for show?

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

Ryoma Aburame lowered his head, but his face couldn't help but show excitement.

------

Boom!

On a towering, cloud-shrouded mountain in the Land of Lightning, the Hidden Cloud Village was awakened by the thunderous roar carried by a white python that streaked across the sky.

A howling storm and rolling dark clouds created a massive vortex, forming a stunning natural spectacle above the Hidden Cloud Village.

It looked as if some monster was tumbling and struggling in the vortex, and the incandescent lightning it spewed illuminated two figures in the Raikage's office.

The Fourth Raikage, dressed only in a white cloak that revealed his muscular physique, sat at his desk, while a man in linen clothes with green eyes, silver hair, and brown skin waited beside him, holding documents.

"That old guy Hiruzen Sarutobi actually put up with it?"

The Fourth Raikage's gaze swept over the scroll, a mocking look appearing on his rugged black face. He grumbled, "He's getting more useless with age. If he had just confronted me head-on, I might have respected him!"

As he spoke, he turned to look at the man in linen clothes beside him, but instead of the expression he expected, he saw a man frowning as if he were deep in thought.

Knowing that Mabui wouldn't suddenly adopt such an expression, the Fourth Raikage's expression also turned serious as he asked in a deep voice, "Is there any other question?"

Although they failed to launch a war as they wished, they should have achieved half of their objective, right?

Not only did they gain access to the main branch of the Hyuga clan, but they also sowed discord between the Hokage and the ninja clans, and probed into Konoha's cowardly state.

“Lord Raikage, I just feel that things have gone a little too smoothly.” Mabui frowned. “The Daimyo’s attitude was a bit perfunctory earlier. I’m worried that Konoha might have caught them making some mistake, which is why Hiruzen Sarutobi made a decision so quickly.”

The ultimatum from the Land of Lightning was delivered unilaterally to the Land of Fire's daimyo, who then relayed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage.

Therefore, the Fourth Raikage and Azaburo were unaware that the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had misunderstood their request.

Mabui simply felt that Konoha had compromised too quickly. Even though the Third Hokage had been very tough on the internal affairs since his return to power, it was impossible to suppress dissent in such a short time.

That's the head of the Hyuga clan's main branch; the Hyuga clan won't easily compromise on that.

In fact, from the very beginning, she felt that the possibility of the two countries declaring war was greater than the possibility of Konoha handing over Hyuga Hiashi.

"So, you think there's a trap?"

As the Fourth Raikage gradually calmed down, he also began to sense something was amiss.

“Yes.” Mabui nodded. “I suggest you send someone to inquire with the Daimyo. If there’s a mistake in the plan, it’s most likely over there.”

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Raikage frowned. Even he, who was always tough, could only treat the Daimyo as an equal and was unwilling to get entangled in anything further.

Moreover, he knew very well that the daimyo was actually unwilling to go to war with the Land of Fire. After all, it had only been a short time since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, and they should have taken some time to recuperate before considering war.

Therefore, if any mistake or oversight does occur, it's hard to say whether that famous person made it unintentionally or intentionally.

However, as Konoha's old rival, the Fourth Raikage knew Konoha too well.

If we don't take action now while Konoha is weak, given Konoha's rich resources and profound foundation, a genius might suddenly emerge one day to save the collapsing empire or turn the tide.

Moreover, unlike the Konoha ninja who won the war and the ordinary people affected by the war, the hatred and resentment towards Konoha and Iwagakure in Kumogakure became even more profound due to the heavy casualties.

"Mabuyi, you should go to Daming Prefecture yourself."

With this in mind, the Fourth Raikage made a decision and calmly said, "Send Troy with a squad of Anbu to make contact with Konoha. If Hiruzen Sarutobi really intends to cheat, then we'll take action directly!"

"Yes, Lord Raikage."

Upon hearing the name "Troy," Mabui breathed a sigh of relief, and the inexplicable unease in her heart dissipated considerably.

As long as Konoha doesn't send out ninjas of equal rank to the Sannin, she believes no one will be able to gain an advantage against Troy.

Because Troy is a Jonin of Kumogakure and possesses the Kekkei Genkai Magnet Release.

Chapter 31 The Puppet Stage

Snap... Snap...

The cold autumn rain enveloped the entire forest, the dark green canopy layered into a dome, and the mist drifted among the branches, creating a gloomy and oppressive natural atmosphere.

Several dark shadows flickered on the tree trunks and branches in the forest, and rainwater dripped down the folds of the dark raincoat, leaving several winding water streaks on the surface of the waterproof cloth.

Wearing a black raincoat as well, Hinata Kumokawa stood in the middle of the group, carefully observing the other people accompanying him on this escort mission out of the corner of his eye.

Of the group of fifteen, twelve were ANBU ninjas, which meant there were three squads, with four ANBU ninjas in each squad.

This already shows a high level of importance; otherwise, the Anbu, as the Third Hokage's personal guards, would not easily go out on missions.

As for the remaining three people, besides Hyuga Kumokawa, who was being partially protected, there were two Konoha Jonin.

One is a Jonin of the Akimichi clan, and the other is a Jonin of the Aburame clan.

The others all wore masks of various shapes and sizes, exuding a cold and murderous aura.

It can be said that this escort team has extremely strong combat capabilities and there will be almost no security issues.

but……

"Danger may not necessarily come from the outside."

Hyuga Kumokawa's gaze swept over the Jonin of the Aburame clan, keenly sensing the familiar chill emanating from him.

The ninja of "Root".

Danzo Shimura hadn't given up after all, but that was fine, since they had the same goal.

"stop."

Hinata Kumokawa suddenly spoke, and everyone around him instinctively stopped and turned to look at him.

"At the 2 o'clock position, about one kilometer away, there are thirteen ninjas gathered. Their chakra aura is very chaotic, so they should be wandering ninjas."

As Hinata Kumokawa spoke, he removed his goggles to wipe them, revealing the skin beneath his eyelids that had turned white from being soaked in moisture.

"Let's take a detour." Akimichi Jonin's voice was distorted by the sound of rain.

As the name suggests, wandering ninjas are mostly unorthodox ninjas who roam around. They do not belong to any ninja village, travel between countries, and steal ninjutsu from various countries. Most of them only learn the basics, or they are similar in form but not in essence. Therefore, most of them are not very strong.

Of course, the fact that a dozen or so wandering ninjas were able to gather together strongly suggests that they were recruited by rogue ninjas from some village.

Their mission was simply to escort the body to Kumogakure as soon as possible, and to avoid causing any trouble along the way.

How far is it from the Land of Hot Springs?

Suddenly, Ryoma Aburame, a Jonin of the Aburame clan, spoke up and asked a question.

Hinata Kumokawa glanced at the map and replied, "About 150 kilometers."

The Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning do not share a border; they are separated by two smaller countries, the Land of Hot Water and the Land of the Moon. Their destination is the Land of Hot Water.

At the normal speed of a ninja, without using the Body Flicker Technique, it would take three days and three nights to travel from Konoha to Sunagakure. The journey from Konoha to the Land of Hot Springs would be slightly shorter, but still take one day and one night.

“Senior Doto.” Aburame Ryoma turned to Akimichi Jonin beside him and suggested, “We’re still a long way from our destination, why don’t we rest here for a bit? Anyway, with Byakugan in the team, we don’t have to worry about anything going wrong.”

"..."

Akimichi Tou's eyes were squeezed into slits by his chubby face. He glanced at Hinata Kumokawa behind him and secretly affirmed the boy's performance along the way.

He was also a veteran Jonin who participated in the Third Shinobi World War, and he was once part of the squad led by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

They had initially thought that the Third Generation Lord would be a burden by including this boy in the group, but to their surprise, he was able to keep up with them perfectly, and thanks to the glare he received, he didn't encounter any trouble along the way.

This level of insight, this level of physical strength, and the composure he displayed...

"Rumors are indeed unreliable."

Akimichi Tou thought to himself, but did not refuse Aburame Ryoma's suggestion, and said, "Then let's rest here for a while."

After saying that, he looked at the eight ANBU ninjas from the fourth and fifth teams. The men nodded knowingly and then disappeared in an instant.

Since we've decided to rest here temporarily, let's also take this opportunity to clear out the wandering ninjas. After all, they're in the Land of Fire, and most of them are a nuisance.

The remaining few found places to rest, their dark raincoats rustling as they rubbed together, like a flock of soaking wet owls preening their feathers.

Akimichi Tōdō summoned an eagle and handed it the completed scroll, instructing it to deliver it back to the Third Hokage.

They must maintain communication with the village; if they lose contact, the village will immediately send someone to check on the situation.

Hinata Kumokawa also found a seat and sat down. Since someone was taking his place, he closed his Byakugan and focused on refining and restoring his chakra.

However, just as he took out the water bottle and tilted his head back to drink, his eyes flickered slightly.

An insect flew into his sleeve.

The insect was very small and ordinary; no one, not even Akimichi Tou, would have noticed it.

However, Hinata Kumokawa's perception abilities don't rely solely on the Byakugan.

"Are they the pests of the Aburame clan?"

Hinata Kumokawa calmly put down the kettle, seemingly unaware of the insect's unusual behavior.

The Necrozoans are reconnaissance insects used to gather intelligence and are not as dangerous as the Parasitic Necrozoans and Nano-Viruses.

However, this will still have some impact on his subsequent actions.

Just as he was pondering how to get rid of the insects, his eyes suddenly twitched slightly, and he looked down at the ground.

"Watch out, it's underground..."

Hinata Kumokawa spoke up without hesitation to warn him, but before he could finish speaking, the muddy ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked open.

Earth escape: beheading in the heart technique.

boom!

Two hands suddenly emerged from the ground without warning, gripping kunai and aiming at Hyuga Kumokawa's ankles.

This is an attempt to cripple him, to destroy the "eyes" of this squad.

Not only under Hinata Kumokawa's feet, but also under Akimichi Tou and Aburame Ryoma's feet, a pair of hands emerged.

The former simply raised his hands to form a hand seal, lifted his muscular legs, lowered his head slightly, and stomped down with all his might, while the latter was enveloped by insects.

Click! Pfft!

A pool of red and white blood mixed with rainwater spread across the ground, and countless insects swarmed to the ground, making a chilling gnawing sound.

The two quickly dealt with their own enemies and instinctively turned to look in Hinata Kumokawa's direction.

But then they saw Hyuga Kumokawa dodge the attack, grab the two hands that were sticking out of the ground, and forcefully pull the figure out of the ground.

With a single palm strike, the immense penetrating force created a huge, transparent hole in the opponent's abdomen, from which blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out uncontrollably.