Yes, the Hokage

Then something soft enveloped his fist. Turning around, he saw his mother holding his fists with both hands, her eyes filled with worry.

Inuzuka Tetsu forced himself to shake off his unease, gave his mother a weak smile, and prepared to go up and greet Fenglan.

However, before he could move, Feng Lan's gaze swept over at just the right moment, and she waved with a smile, gesturing to the seat next to her.

Upon seeing Feng Lan's smiling face, Inuzuka Tesshin was initially relieved, but then began to tremble, because the position Feng Lan was pointing to was actually to his left!

Keep in mind that the other party is currently sitting in the main seat, with Minato sitting to Feng Lan's right, while there are two empty seats to his left, which are actually reserved for him and his mother!

Inuzuka Tetsuya swallowed hard, instinctively glancing at the reactions of those around him.

Fugaku Uchiha's gaze swept over him, lingered briefly, and then looked away; Hizashi nodded slightly to him; Shiki Aburame was wearing sunglasses, so no one could tell what he was thinking... The voices that were originally talking did not stop because of his arrival, but Tetsuka Inuzuka could feel that several gazes fell on him for a moment.

But no one showed hostility, nor did anyone express doubt or resentment.

He took a deep breath, took his mother's hand, and walked with his head held high to the seat next to Feng Lan. Behind him, Shikaku shook his head with a profound expression, and simply gestured for Inuzuka Tsuru and the others to sit down.

Inuzuka Tetsu sat down in his seat. He suddenly remembered what the two guards had said to him when he was at the entrance of the Uchiha compound—"So you are Lord Fenglan's subordinates."

He was feeling uneasy and dizzy at the time, and he felt that the gatekeeper's attitude changed very quickly. But now, sitting here and looking at the gazes of the people around him, he suddenly understood the true weight of those words.

"This must be your mother," Feng Lan said with a smile.

"Fourth Hokage, Lord Fenglan, I, I am Inuzuka Aoi." Inuzuka Aoi, who was just a Chunin, couldn't help but stammer nervously when she saw so many important figures.

“You don’t need to feel so much pressure,” Minato said with a gentle smile. “Your son will be my captain of the guard from now on, and I’ll have to rely on him for many things.”

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Inuzuka Aoi's eyes lit up instantly, and she smiled brightly, just like any mother who longs for her son to succeed—I had never seen Inuzuka Tetsu smile like this since he had memories.

For no apparent reason, a strong warm current surged through his limbs and bones. It was pride, glory, and the joy of making his mother happy and satisfied... This feeling was so wonderful and so captivating that he could ignore everything, including danger, just for a moment with his pursuer.

But soon, that feeling disappeared because Feng Lan spoke.

“Your child is indeed very talented, but he has been somewhat tarnished by Danzo.” He adopted his standard smiling tiger persona. “But it doesn’t matter, I will polish him properly in the future.”

Inuzuka Aoi, naturally oblivious to the hidden meaning, gratefully replied, "Yes, yes, thank you for your help, Advisor!"

Inuzuka Tetsuya's body stiffened, as if he were completely under the other's control.

"That's what your mother said." At this moment, Feng Lan looked over with a smile. "If I'm a little stricter later, you won't blame me, will you?"

"How could that be?" Inuzuka Tetsu tried his best to imitate Feng Lan, trying to replicate the other's smile. "I couldn't be happier."

[Hmm, that's about right. At least when I'm away at the Five Kage Summit, this kid won't dare to make any big moves.]

After using both kindness and firmness, Feng Lan withdrew her gaze and continued to praise Inuzuka Aoi's child, making the mother laugh heartily, and even her crow's feet wrinkles smoothed out.

Then came the real banquet. Feng Lan didn't look over here again, which made Inuzuka and her son much more relaxed. Perhaps because her son was so happy to have achieved success, Inuzuka Aoi was no longer as nervous as before. She ate a lot of food and even had a small drink, which made half of her face flushed.

Meanwhile, Inuzuka Tetsu quietly lay low, serving his mother food while taking the opportunity to observe the people at the banquet.

He noticed that Fenglan was very casual when picking up food, and didn't pay special attention to Shuimen's condition. However, when others wanted to pick up their chopsticks, they would wait until these two had picked up their food before they started eating. It wasn't intentional or deliberate, but rather a natural habit.

He saw Shikaku talking quietly with Choza and Inoichi, his expression quite somber, unlike his usual lazy demeanor. Even Choza, who was known for his love of food, didn't give the dishes on the table a second glance.

He saw Itachi, the eldest son of the Uchiha clan, sitting there carefree, and felt a sudden pang of envy for no reason. But the boy next to Itachi, named Kabuto, was very nervous and awkward, and even needed Itachi's help to pick up food.

……

He looked down at the bowl in front of him.

If someone had told Inuzuka Tetsu a few months ago that he would be sitting next to the Fourth Hokage and the chief advisor at a banquet hosted by the village's high-ranking officials, with the head of the Hyuga clan sitting across the table and the son of the Uchiha clan head sitting diagonally across from him, he would have thought it was a dream, but it all actually happened.

He also remembered the headband, which was in the inner pocket, close to his chest.

He suddenly wondered if his father, back then, had ever sat by a campfire on the battlefield, just like him, looking at those stronger than him, thinking that one day he too would reach that level.

Inuzuka Tetsu didn't know the exact answer, but he felt that his father at that moment wasn't thinking about power and status, but about his mother, about the woman who was raising the child alone and never saw him return.

Leaving aside Inuzuka Tetsuya's inner turmoil, Uchiha Fugaku downed several cups of sake, then, emboldened by the alcohol, stood up and bowed deeply: "Lord Fenglan, I have a favor to ask!"

"Hmm?" This time, even Feng Lan really didn't know what he wanted to say.

“My youngest son… is two months old now. We named him Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke.” Fugaku took a deep breath. “Lord Fenglan, if you don’t mind, would you be his adoptive father?”

Upon hearing this, everyone at the banquet displayed different expressions. They hadn't expected that Uchiha Fugaku would actually take such a gamble. Not only had he sent his eldest son as a hostage, but now he had even offered up his youngest son as well. He was determined to form a deep bond with Fugaku.

However, upon closer reflection, this move was truly brilliant, because apart from Feng Lan, no other high-ranking member would favor or promote the Uchiha clan; they were all in the same boat at the moment.

By offering his youngest son, Fugaku could not only gain further trust from Fenglan, but also protect himself in critical moments—if the Fourth Hokage were to consolidate his power and then discard him, he could at least be more lenient because of Fenglan's adopted son.

However, before Feng Lan could even speak, Shui Men slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly: "No way!"

"What?!"

Everyone was stunned, wondering if the Fourth Hokage, who usually struggled to even handle a simple document, also had a sense of justice and couldn't bear to see Fenglan and the Uchiha clan so closely bound together, lest they become too powerful and threaten his position as Hokage.

Could it be that today, this pair of "AB" partners from Konoha Village will turn against each other because of power and interests?

Recall that at the beginning, Minato insisted that Fenglan sit in the main seat. Could this banquet be a trap? If the Yellow Flash really intended to kill, Fenglan would be completely powerless to resist!

Minato, already somewhat drunk, let out a hiccup: "Mr. Fugaku! Fenglan can adopt Sasuke as his godson, but before that... he must first become our Naruto's godfather! I'll be number one!"

Chapter 109 Assassination of the Earth Shadow

After hearing Shuimen's words, the banquet hall fell silent for a moment, and everyone wore expressions that suggested they wanted to laugh but dared not.

"puff--!"

It wasn't until Feng Lan started laughing that the others joined in, laughing: "Hahahaha..."

Feng Lan laughed as she pulled Shui Men down to sit: "Look at Shui Men, he's already drunk after just a few drinks, he's such a loser."

At this point, naturally no one dared to agree that "Minato is a loser," only he himself was still muttering things like "Naruto's adoptive father" and "number one."

"Alright, alright, alright, I'll definitely be Naruto's adoptive father first." Feng Lan casually reassured him, and Minato actually quieted down, sitting there like a big blondie. "Don't try to fool me anymore."

"When have I ever fooled you?"

"It's always been there! Mmm..."

Before Shuimen could settle old scores, Fenglan swiftly downed a glass of wine, causing him to pass out drunk on the table. His practiced movements made one wonder if he had done this many times before.

Having dealt with Minato, Fenglan shrugged at Fugaku: "You saw the Fugaku clan leader too. Although he probably won't remember what he said after waking up, Sasuke will probably be ranked after Naruto."

"Of course, of course." Seeing that Feng Lan did not refuse, Fu Yue felt relieved and sat down with a big laugh.

“Everyone has probably finished eating by now.” Feng Lan waved his hand. “If there’s nothing else, please go back now. I have some things to discuss with Chief Inuzuka and Mr. Shikaku.”

Seeing this, everyone tactfully took their leave. In the end, besides Fenglan and the drunken Minato, only the Ino-Shika-Cho family and Inuzuka Tsuru remained in the room.

Their expressions were also different. Shikaku, who was deep in thought, still had an unfathomable expression. Inoichi, who was good at using sensory ninjutsu to communicate in his mind, did not open his mouth, but his eyes were moving wildly. He was obviously still conducting team voice communication. Choza, who was the least scheming, was worried.

Inuzuka Tsurugi, on the other hand, looked restless.

Feng Lan glanced at the four people with unhurried eyes, and finally decided to kill the lone one first.

"Chief Inuzuka."

Upon hearing him speak, Inuzuka Tsuru instinctively clenched his fists and stood up abruptly like a schoolchild being called on by the teacher: "Here!"

"No need to be so nervous. Now that I've brought Inuzuka Tetsu under my command, I have no intention of pursuing the matter from before." Feng Lan chuckled. "The main reason I've kept you here this time is to discuss the Five Kage Summit."

"The Five Kage...meeting?" Inuzuka Tsuru was slightly taken aback. She rarely even had contact with the higher-ups, and she never expected that the Inuzuka clan would be involved in something of this level.

"My request is not much. Please transfer the best young men and ninja dogs of the Inuzuka clan to me for tracking purposes."

"Who are you tracking?" Inuzuka Tsurugi felt embarrassed to ask, but he couldn't help but ask anyway.

Feng Lan knew that this girl was a complete novice in this area, so she simply explained it to her in a way that even a monkey could understand: "Tracking down the guys who attacked us or were attacked by us."

"But, but that's the Five Kage Summit!" Inuzuka Tsuru asked doubtfully. "Violence is absolutely prohibited during the entire summit according to the rules."

"Rules are meant to be broken," Feng Lan said calmly. "Back then, the Second Hokage was caught off guard during the peace talks in Kumogakure, which is why he was ambushed and died in battle."

"But, but it was the Gold and Silver Brothers who rebelled, not the Second Raikage's intention."

"Can you guarantee that the rebels from other villages won't start making trouble during the Five Kage Summit?"

"Well……"

"Let me put it another way. Sunagakure was the first village to sign a peace treaty with Konoha, but over the years, Sunagakure and Konoha have had the most minor and major conflicts. If even a treaty between nations can be broken, what is so unbreakable about the rules of a mere meeting?"

He looked at Inuzuka Tsurugi, who was completely terrified, and softened his tone slightly: "Of course, I was just taking precautions. As the saying goes, even if a man has no intention of harming a tiger, a tiger may have the intention to hurt a man. I am just making full preparations for the Five Kage Summit from the perspective of an advisor. In principle, I will not attack others proactively."

"Then... can't iron meet your requirements?" Inuzuka Tsuru tentatively asked.

“Even an outsider like me can see that he and his ninja dog don’t have much chemistry, so I plan to have him stay in the village for the Five Kage Summit this time,” Feng Lan said with a smile. “Besides, dogs… while they may be dispensable, if we’re going to use them, we should use the most capable and loyal ones, shouldn’t we?”

"I...I understand." Although he didn't understand the power struggles between major nations, Inuzuka Tsurugi at least understood that this mission was Fenglan's last chance to choose sides. If he didn't know what was good for him, this advisor could use Inuzuka Tetsu to tear the Inuzuka clan apart, just like the Hyuga clan before.

Although Fenglan spoke in a relaxed tone throughout, she kept saying what she needed and didn't give herself any choice to refuse.

The Uchiha and Hyuga clans possess formidable combat power and bloodline limits. Shikaku is Konoha's top strategist, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio advance and retreat together. Shiki Aburame was among the earliest veterans to join the clan and played a significant role in ensuring security during the Hokage's speech.

Since my small family doesn't have the resources or experience, it's best to just obey.

She took a deep breath: "My daughter, Inuzuka Hana, is the most talented woman of this generation. She can control three ninja dogs at the same time. The three Haimaru brothers are rare triplets. Not only do they cooperate perfectly in battle, but they can also divide the work and fill in the gaps when they want to track scents. They will definitely be able to complete your mission, sir."

"Okay." Feng Lan smiled with satisfaction. "There will be a high-level meeting tomorrow morning. Have her come to report to me tomorrow afternoon."

As Inuzuka Tsuru walked out of the banquet hall, he let out a long sigh of relief and then saw his clansmen waiting for him not far away.

Looking at Inuzuka Tsuyoshi, who was completely unaware that he had almost been sold and was grinning foolishly because he was able to attend the banquet; and Inuzuka Aoi, who was slightly tipsy from being happy because her son was praised, she suddenly felt a deep sense of envy.

The Inuzuka clan originally disliked getting involved in these messy affairs and just wanted to raise dogs and live their own quiet lives, but now... that's probably not going to be the case.

Inuzuka Tsurugi's gaze finally landed on Inuzuka Tetsuya. Looking at the other's deliberately imitated Feng Lan's squinting smile, her mouth opened several times. Now she really felt that this kid was more suitable to be the clan leader than herself.

Although her mind couldn't comprehend these things, her animal instincts told Inuzuka Tsurugi that it would be dangerous for the Inuzuka clan to fall under Iron's control. She said nothing, but walked heavily towards her home.

……

On the other side, Shikaku was naturally not as passive as Inuzuka Tsurugi. After the latter left, he took the initiative to ask, "Lord Fuuran, are you really planning to make a move during the Five Kage Summit?"

Fenglan knew that Shikaku was not as intelligent as Inuzuka Tsurugi, and would not believe what he said as soon as he was told, so she nodded frankly: "I am indeed considering this issue."

Even if the First and Second Hokage were not around, and Shisui stayed behind in Takumi Village, Jiraiya and Tsunade might not have been willing to cooperate with his plan. Obito alone would have been enough to carry out the assassination of the Kage.

Obito is just too strong now. He has two Kamui, Susanoo, Wood Release personally taught by Hashirama, and ninja tools tailored to his own... No wonder Tobirama is so wary of him. To be honest, if it weren't for holding Rin as his trump card, Fenglan would never have dared to give him so many enhancements.

Furthermore, his Kamui dimension is essentially a transport ship. Just like when he captured Killer Bee, it looked like he was coming alone to assassinate him, but in reality, he could pull out a whole truckload of breadmen to gang up on him at any time. He demanded that Inuzuka Tsurugi take him back, all for this purpose.

As for the assassination target... it's naturally not the Raikage or the Kazekage. If the former dies, the blame will definitely fall on Konoha. The latter just made a dirty deal with me. As for the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, killing him would make it easier for Kisame to cause trouble. However, Fenglan wouldn't do something like that without a profit. It's best to wait for that guy to come to us for help.

The best target would undoubtedly be the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of the Two Scales. Iwagakure preserved its strength the best during the Third Shinobi World War, and this old guy is quite intelligent and experienced, making him a very troublesome character.

Killing him would prevent Iwagakure from falling into a leaderless state, but as can be seen from the Fourth Shinobi World War storyline in the original work, there are no outstanding talents. The Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, is stubborn and at odds with the Tsuchikage, so it's only a matter of time before he leaves the village.

Since the Fourth Hokage, Kurotsuchi, has not yet grown up, the successor will most likely be her father, Kotsuchi, or Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki who didn't have much screen time in the original work. This would greatly reduce the threat to Iwagakure.

Of course, the risks were not small. Although the rule of the Five Kage Summit was that each Kage could only bring a maximum of two guards, Feng Lan did not believe that he was the only one carefully selecting and preparing to bring an entire team. Even out of the most basic sense of precaution, each village would definitely bring no fewer people. At most, they would just have them wait outside the border of the Land of Iron.

Onoki is a highly experienced fighter who can fly. If he realizes something is wrong and escapes, Konoha and I will become the target of everyone's anger.

The risks and rewards were equally high, which is why Fenglan had been hesitant and even inclined not to do it; otherwise, he wouldn't have left Shisui in Takumi Village. After all, the risks were borne by himself and Konoha, but the benefits of killing Onoki might not necessarily come to him.

However, he still subconsciously made all the preparations in advance, just in case something happened and he was caught off guard.

"Lord Fenglan..." Seeing that the other party actually had such dangerous thoughts, Shikaku frowned. "The Fourth Hokage will not agree to such a thing."

He was also a smart man, so he didn't say that doing so was too dangerous, that Iwagakure was not to be trifled with, or that it might cause a war or something—because Fenglan must have already analyzed the situation before he had the intention to kill. Instead, he directly pointed out the most crucial point, trying to nip the other party's insane idea in the bud.

"If I really intend to do it, I won't let him know," Feng Lan said noncommittally.

Shikaku's brows furrowed even more. Fenglan's actions... were becoming more and more like Danzo's. Konoha had lost Danzo, and now another Danzo had appeared? If that were the case, he dared not gamble away the entire fortune of his three clans, because Danzo was the kind of person who would devour people without spitting out the bones.

Therefore, he made one last probe: "Lord Fenglan, when the Fourth Hokage was still lucid, would you have dared to say such a thing so openly?"

"cut."

Feng Lan clicked his tongue, admitting that Lu Jiu's move was spot on. He stared at Minato for a long time, the image of the other's furious, bristling expression flashing through his mind, before finally sighing, "Fine, then we won't do it. But I'll still bring the people with me, just in case."

"Of course."

Shikaku relaxed completely. It seemed that Fenglan was ultimately different from Danzo. The difference was that if the Third Hokage had been spoiled by Danzo, Konoha would have truly become a one-man show by Root. However, the Fourth Hokage had already been spoiled by Fenglan, and he would still consider the other party before making any decisions.

“Then…” He took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at his two close friends. “Lord Fenglan, while you and the Fourth Hokage are at the Five Kage Summit, please leave the village affairs to us.”

Shikaku wasn't talking about "me," but rather "we," which clearly means that the opinions within the Ino-Shika-Cho trio are completely aligned, and they have sworn allegiance to this side.

“Okay.” Feng Lan stood up solemnly and grasped Lu Jiu’s hands with both of them. “Then, please invite Mr. Lu Jiu to attend the high-level meeting with me tomorrow.”

Chapter 110 High-Level Meetings