Chapter 121. The Heavily Guarded Forest
Chapter 121. The Heavily Guarded Forest
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"Codename?"
A deep voice echoed.
"Three-Tails." Kakashi, wearing a mask similar to the one of the interrogating ninja, looked at the person in front of him with a hint of confusion in his eyes.
An Anbu ninja?
Full title: Konoha's Special Assassination and Tactical Squad.
Of course, he was now an Anbu member himself.
As for why he became one, even to this day, he still wasn't entirely sure.
The day after the Third Hokage uncompromisingly rejected the Kumo ninja, Kakashi received an order from above.
At first, he thought that after becoming a Jinchuriki, he'd end up like Kushina-sama—locked away in the village, doing nothing but receiving a salary. But to his surprise... the Hokage had assigned him to Anbu.
Of course, that wasn't the most confusing part.
After all, his father had been in Anbu as well. Even though most of the details were classified, living with it growing up, Kakashi had picked up a few things. He was somewhat familiar with Anbu.
Therefore, joining wasn't an issue for him.
But this morning, he reported to the Anbu according to orders. Then, he was randomly given a code name and taken to a strange place by the Anbu ninja. After receiving his Anbu uniform, he was then... taken to this forest.
So, he was also confused.
Where is this place?
Who is the Anbu ninja asking this question?
Why is he being questioned again as a "new recruit"?
Wasn't he already interrogated when he joined?
After a while, his information was registered again, and he was allowed to move forward. But... why was he moving forward?
Where was everyone else?
Did Anbu send him here for some secret mission?
For a moment, Kakashi became a little nervous.
But at that moment, the Anbu ninja had already disappeared from his sight, and he had received no useful information at all!
He hesitated briefly but then took a step forward again.
The eerie atmosphere around him made him feel increasingly nervous.
One step. Two steps. Three steps... still nothing. No one told him what to do, so he continued walking. Four steps, five steps... On the fifth step—
"Whoosh."
Suddenly, a figure appeared.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed, and he nearly threw a kunai.
But—
It was Anbu again!
"???"
What is going on here?
Kakashi stared, confused, as the Anbu ninja in front of him eyed him warily.
"Codename." The deep voice of Anbu spoke again.
"...Three-Tails." Kakashi hesitated but eventually said the codename he had chosen without much thought.
But this scene... hadn't he already experienced this?
He had only taken five steps—why was he being questioned again?
Where was this place?
Why was this happening?
Why the heightened level of vigilance?
At this time, Kakashi was becoming more and more confused.
After the Anbu ninja finished the questioning, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he gave Kakashi a serious look, then nodded. "A new recruit, huh? You seem decent."
After seeming satisfied, he put his kunai away in his hand. "Our mission is critical. We need to stay vigilant at all times and not let strangers get near this place."
"Here…"
Before Kakashi could voice his growing doubts…
"Don't say too much, don't ask too many questions, just remember your duties here. I can only say—those who understand, understand, and those who don't, it won't matter how much you say. After all, it's enough for you to know it yourself. Just think about it carefully, and you will understand it in a few days." The Anbu ninja gave the codename Three-Tails a meaningful look, then added, "The waters run deep here. We can't afford to make any mistakes!"
With that, the figure vanished before Kakashi, who was still confused.
"???"
What did that mean?
Why could he not understand a word of it?
But after a moment, Kakashi regained his composure.
In that moment, Kakashi had a vague sense... his mission this time was far from simple!
Therefore, he couldn't afford to make a mistake.
But—
What exactly was he supposed to do?
Couldn't someone at least tell him?
Senpai~?
"…"
Realizing he still didn't know what to do, Kakashi fell silent again.
…
The morning after the failed kidnapping attempt, the Kumo ninja representative arrived at the Hokage Building with other Kumo ninjas in anger. They never mentioned what the Kumogakure ninjas were trying to do the previous night. They directly condemned Konoha for maliciously killing their companions who went out to the toilet!
They demanded that Konoha hand over the perpetrator, or Kumo would not withdraw their troops! As for the late-night trip to the woods to use the toilet... Was that really so strange?
It's not strange at all!
It was only natural for them to take a stroll in nature, enjoying the flowers, the moon, and the green grass, so they could push out and do business!
However...
Who would believe such a groundless and flawed reason?
The Third Hokage's body trembled with rage, his eyes burning with fury as he immediately rejected the Kumo ninjas' unreasonable demands without hesitation, firmly stating that Konoha would never compromise!
He would protect Danzo!
His confidence was unshakable, with his impressive momentum.
Though he was old, he still lived up to the dignity of the strongest ninja.
At the same time, when the Konoha ninjas heard Kumo's ridiculous claims, they stood united in their resolve, embodying the spirit of the Will of Fire. They would never abandon their comrades, never give up on any Konoha ninja's bonds.
In an instant, Konoha's higher-ups stood on the same front, without hesitation, rejecting Kumo's demands outright.
After failing to steal someone, they still dared to ask for compensation?
It's simply ridiculous!
It could be said that in this moment, Konoha reached an unprecedented level of unity, the flames of the Will of Fire burning brightly, illuminating Konoha.
In the end...
The Kumo ninjas were forced to compromise.
They had no choice.
They had surrendered because they couldn't win; how could they possibly start a war now?
Moreover, Konoha's resolve was firm… even if Kumo did launch a war, the result would likely be the same. In fact, it might be even worse than it was now!
So...
It was all a misunderstanding.
Then, Konoha accepted it.
It's all a misunderstanding!
And so, after both sides cheerfully signed the alliance agreement, the Third Great Ninja War came to an official end.
When Yuto heard the news, he was stunned.
What a deep bond!
It was probably just as strong as the bond between the First Hokage and Madara!
Otherwise, if it were someone else...
Perhaps the Third Hokage would have hesitated, and if he hesitated... someone would have to sacrifice for Konoha.
But this time...
For his best friend, he didn't hesitate for even a moment and yelled at the Kumo ninjas, "If you want to fight, then fight! Stop making excuses!"
Truly worthy of the title of Hero of Ninja.
It seemed his plan to use the Kumo ninjas as a knife to push Danzo out had failed.
The admirable bond between the two friends had foiled his plans!
But, of course, it didn't matter.
After all, during this time, he found that Danzo had been quite honest. Since the incident that night, Danzo hadn't appeared again, likely staying hidden in the Root organization, too afraid to venture outside.
The world outside was a dangerous place!
At the same time...
There were rumors that somewhere in Konoha's forest, there was a place hiding a tremendous secret. The area was heavily guarded, and no one could enter without permission.
Anyone who accidentally stepped into it would be subjected to rigorous checks—after every three steps for a minor search, five steps for a more thorough one—and if they showed any suspicion, they'd be eliminated on the spot!
Yuto had a pretty good idea of where that place was.
He'd heard that it wasn't far from the grove where they had ambushed Danzo.
It was... terrifying.
What a terrifying bond!
Yuto shook his head with emotion, but then refocused. After all, he had information about the Third Hokage and his cronies' corruption. If anything unexpected happened, once Minato took office, he'd secretly hand it over to the Daimyo.
Though he doubted it would make much difference, at the very least... their reputations would be ruined!
The Third Hokage and his friends were involved in bribery and corruption?
What a serious matter!
Of course...
He had more important things to do now.
As for the rest...
That could wait for later.
Yuto smiled as he looked across at the slightly haggard Killer Bee, pointing to the dance hall in front of him, and said grandly, "What do you think of this place?"