Naruto: All My Targets Are Ninjutsu.

Yes, that's right.

As a bodyguard of the first Mizukage, Byakuren, Suien had met Madara Uchiha.

At the same time, he is one of the few people who can contact others knowing their identities.

Due to the restrictions set up by Madara Uchiha beforehand, Suigan couldn't reveal this truth. Nor was it necessary. If Madara hadn't secretly intervened, Suigan would have had a difficult time becoming the Third Mizukage. Their relationship was essentially one of mutual exploitation, not simply one of manipulator and puppet.

But this time...

The situation is slightly different now.

"Tell me what exactly happened."

After venting her emotions, Shuiyan took a deep breath, picked up the bowl and chopsticks she had just overturned, and asked—since she was eating rice porridge, it was obviously unrealistic to try to get the rice grains back, but Shuiyan's mind was no longer on eating.

The ANBU member lowered his head and answered somewhat nervously: "Reporting to the Mizukage, I heard that the person who defeated Yagura Jonin and captured the Six-Tails and Three-Tails this time was still Konoha's Mikami Yu, the 'White Reaper' who left a fearsome name on the battlefield of Sunagakure. Several members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were killed or captured by him."

"In addition, according to some unconfirmed information, Konoha's 'Yellow Flash' seems to have also appeared on the battlefield of Kirigakure, but this information has not yet been confirmed."

"...That's not surprising."

Hookah smoked and squinted.

Over the past few months, he's heard the name "Yu Mikami" so many times that he's practically worn out from hearing it.

Starting with Suigetsu Hozuki, the opponent has been like the nemesis of Kirigakure. Every time he appears, he takes away more than one elite Jonin from Kirigakure.

And Minato Namikaze...

Although the name might be slightly unfamiliar to Kirigakure, his remarkable feat of single-handedly defeating the Fourth Hokage A and Killer Bee on the battlefield of Kumogakure, as well as his "Flying Thunder God Technique" which allowed him to wreak havoc everywhere, has been passed on to the desks of several high-ranking ninja villages through various channels.

It is said that, due to the current situation, the Third Raikage personally issued an order that "upon encountering the 'Yellow Flash,' one can abandon the mission without punishment," solely to minimize the losses of his own ninja. Such an order is somewhat unbelievable for the fiercely independent Kumogakure.

For this,

It's unclear what Onoki of Iwagakure thinks about this. After all, he hasn't directly participated in the battle yet.

However, from the perspective of the Hidden Clouds and the Hidden Mist...

This pair of masters, Minato and Mikami, are truly a pair of smiling tigers and two black sharks.

It's unclear what incredible luck Konoha had, but after nearly losing "Konoha's White Fang" and Orochimaru, two top-tier fighters, they somehow managed to draw two more SSR-level character cards that could be trained as the village's leader, making other villages both envious and jealous.

If Konoha were to digest and absorb the two tailed beasts, they would gain two new Jinchuriki...

That would be a nightmare for the other countries!

Who knows, there might only be one Land of Fire left in the entire ninja world!

"Bring me paper and a pen!"

Suigan raised her head and said loudly, "I'm going to write to Konoha and demand that they return the tailed beast we captured this time. Also..."

"Send someone to deliver a message to Kumogakure and Tsuchigakure, telling them that if they don't want to face a Konoha with three Tailed Beast Jinchuriki and two Sannin-level fighters, they must support us and put pressure on Konoha together! This will determine the future of the ninja world for the next twenty years!"

At this time,

Another thought quietly began to grow in the mind of the hookah smoker:

Although the defeat of Kirigakure is a fait accompli.

However, due to its isolated location overseas, it wouldn't be easy for other countries, including Konoha, to launch a full-scale attack on it. Therefore, there's no need to worry about it being annexed for the time being.

So……

Is it possible to implement an "offshore balancing policy"?

If we could find a way to get Konoha, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure fighting each other, and ideally even get Madara Uchiha involved, so that all four sides would be severely injured and Kirigakure could reap the benefits... wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?

At that time, with his unprecedented achievements, he will become the greatest Mizukage in the history of Kirigakure, and will no longer need to resort to extreme purges like the "Bloody Mist Village" to maintain his rule...

Hmm, we need to plan this out properly.

He rubbed his chin with the hookah and began to think.

……

Compared to Fog Concealment,

The Sand Village received information about the battle situation a little later.

However, due to its geographical location, it was established slightly earlier than Kumogakure and Iwagakure.

This intelligence report makes no mention of the existence of "Uchiha Madara." The information about his appearance is a closely guarded secret known only to Mikami Yu and his team who were personally involved in the rescue mission, as well as the Third Mizukage, Suien; it has not yet been made public.

In the eyes of most spies and ordinary Konoha ninjas, Mikami Yu and his group had stolen the Three-Tails from a group of Kirigakure Anbu.

But even so...

Even this intelligence report caused a huge uproar among the high-ranking officials of Sunagakure!

That's Kirigakure!

One of the Five Great Nations, a power on par with Sunagakure, lost so decisively, even losing its Tailed Beast?!

This……

Has Konoha's strength reached this level? Does that mean their previous defeat was actually a good ending?

Driven by various psychological factors, Chiyo spearheaded a meeting of elders that was held overnight.

Sitting at the head of the table was still the acting Kazekage, Yekura, and below the table were still the same seven or eight Sunagakure elders, but there was a new face compared to not long ago, namely the young Jonin Karura who had been recently promoted and entrusted with important responsibilities.

The meeting had just begun,

Elder Toguri, who had a goatee, spoke first: "I have said before that Konoha is now at the height of its power and is in its prime. Given the current situation of Sunagakure, it is really not suitable for us to be enemies with them. It is better to maintain and consolidate the existing alliance."

"...?"

Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged glances: "Elder Toguri, if I remember correctly, you suggested last time that we take advantage of Orochimaru's defection to attack Wildfire Castle?"

"...Ha, that's all in the past."

Elder Toguri chuckled dryly, his expression unchanged: "Times have changed. The current Konoha possesses three tailed beasts, and also has the 'White Reaper' capable of capturing multiple tailed beasts, and the 'Yellow Flash' whose strength is no less than his. What terrifying power that is! Only a fool would want to be their enemy."

"In my opinion, Konoha is one of the more trustworthy villages among the ninja villages. It is not as cunning as Iwagakure. As long as we communicate with them amicably based on the peace treaty we signed last time, it is not impossible to seek further joint military operations."

"At that time, with Konoha's military strength and our intellect, what difficulty would it be to annex the three kingdoms of Lightning, Earth, and Water?"

"Although doing this might be seen as becoming a vassal of Konoha, as long as we can gain tangible benefits and fertile land, what's wrong with being a vassal?"

"..."

These words left the elders present speechless.

Although everyone sitting here right now has similar thoughts, but...

You, who have always been a warmongering advocate against Konoha, have suddenly become a peace advocate who want to cooperate sincerely with Konoha. Isn't this change a bit too fast?

His initial arrogance followed by his later obsequiousness is laughable.

"Cough cough."

Chiyo coughed lightly and said in a deep voice, "The matter of the Sand-Wood Treaty is an important topic today. Everyone is welcome to speak freely, and Lady Yokura will make the final decision. Also…"

"The reason I've invited everyone here today is to discuss another important topic, which is the matter of the One-Tailed Jinchuriki."

"Jinchūriki?"

Tosu and the others looked at each other, their faces filled with doubt.

Chiyo didn't keep anyone in suspense: "Bunpuku might be dying soon."

"!"

“I recently visited Bunpuku at the Temple of the Wind. He said he has a premonition that his time is coming to an end, and he might die within the next year. Before that, Sunagakure must prepare a new Jinchuriki so that he can inherit the power of the One-Tail after his death…”

While Chiyo and the others were exchanging opinions, one after another.

the other side.

Yekura sat in the main seat with her chin resting on her hands, listening to the conversation of the people around her in a half-hearted manner, but her thoughts had already quietly drifted to the distance.

She was thinking about Yu Mikami.

how to say……

Having fought against Mikami Yu multiple times and even initially gained the upper hand, Yekura was quite aware of this white-haired brat's growth potential and had long anticipated that he would surpass the Kage level and grow into a very strong being even among the Kage.

but,

Yekura still hadn't expected that Mikami Yu's progress would be so rapid.

It should be noted that suppressing tailed beasts is usually the job of the Five Kage, and only those Five Kage who are at the peak of their experience and strength can do it.

Just like Pakura herself, although she holds the title of the Fourth Kazekage and her strength is among the top in Sunagakure, she is not confident that she can suppress and seal the One-Tailed Beast on her own. She needs the assistance of Chiyo or Ebizo.

However, Yu Mikami defeated two tailed beasts in a very short period of time.

Even if Minato Namikaze and others helped, it's enough to demonstrate the opponent's strength.

From Sunagakure's perspective, seeing such a powerful junior emerging from Konoha should have been a cause for concern.

but……

For some reason, Ye Cang felt a secret joy and a sense of pride.

This feeling is like...

"Well, my judgment is pretty accurate."

"As someone I value, it's normal for him to make such rapid progress."

"It's been quite a long time since I've seen that guy. We've been communicating through Kamaitachi. I wonder if he's grown taller or if his appearance has changed... If I saw him again now, I probably wouldn't even recognize him at first glance."

While lost in thought, Yekura heard someone calling her name. When she came back to her senses, she saw that Chiyo and the others were all looking at her, as if waiting for her to make her final decision.

"Cough cough..."

Yekura coughed lightly, recalling the bits and pieces of information she had just heard, and said, "Hmm... Elder Chiyo is right. Although Sunagakure was the first ninja village to possess tailed beasts, we lag far behind other ninja villages in the development of Jinchuriki. This is undoubtedly a waste of resources."

"So, perhaps we can take inspiration from Kirigakure and Kumogakure and try to develop the power of the Tailed Beasts for the village's use... What are everyone's current preferences regarding the next Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast?"

"...Not yet."

Chiyo shook her head: "So far, we haven't found a suitable candidate in the village. Rasa has some talent in this area, but not much. If we really let him be the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast, it would probably be a bit of a stretch."

More importantly, Rasa and Pakura are not on the same side. Back then, in order to consolidate the Fourth Kazekage's position, he did a lot to trip up Pakura.

In this situation, if the former were to obtain the power of the One-Tailed Beast and significantly increase their strength... they might plot a comeback, or even rebel and seize power, which would deal a considerable blow to the Sunagakure's newly stabilized situation.

"..."

Yekura was silent for a moment: "Then... what if I do it?"

"?"

Chiyo paused for a moment before saying incredulously, "You mean... you'll personally become the Jinchūriki?"

"This……"

This won't do.

Putting everything else aside... a Jinchūriki has to endure the hatred and bullying of the entire village! How can you let the Kage of your own village become a Jinchūriki? Wouldn't that make the atmosphere in the village too disharmonious?

Chapter 309: Yekura's Visit to Konoha, and the "Healing Technique" for "Sadness"

"So I've always had a question..."

Yekura hesitated for a moment, then finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind: "Although Jinchuriki are the vessels of Tailed Beasts, they are first and foremost citizens of Sunagakure. They sacrificed their freedom to shoulder responsibilities they didn't originally have to bear. In essence, they are no different from those who fought on the battlefield and should all be regarded as heroes of Sunagakure..."

"But why should they have to endure the malice from the villagers? That's so unreasonable."

"This one……"

Faced with Yekura's questioning, Chiyo hesitated for a moment: "Many years ago, the One-Tailed Beast did indeed cause serious damage to Sunagakure, resulting in the deaths or disabilities of many older Sunagakure ninja. Although time has passed and the wounds have healed, everyone still needs an outlet for their emotions."

"Moreover, other villages treat Jinchuriki in the same way, not just Sunagakure."

"Just because it's always been this way, does that mean it's right?"

Yekura shook her head: "The One-Tail is a wild beast. I don't think there's anything wrong with its logic in defending itself when its territory is invaded. On the contrary, it's normal for us to arouse its hatred by capturing it from the wild in order to obtain the power of the Tailed Beast."

"To put it another way, before the establishment of Sunagakure, the various ninja clans in the Land of Wind fought each other for many years, but in the end they shook hands and made peace, and together they formed the Sunagakure we know today. Since humans can turn hostility into friendship, why can't the tailed beasts be tamed, just like summoning beasts?"

"Forehead……"