Chapter 90: All for the Sake of Konoha (3)

"What a terrifying ability. I'd kill you here if I could," Deidara said, his tone calm but laced with frustration.

"But it seems you're out of options now," Minato Namikaze replied as his reformed Edo Tensei body gazed at Deidara.

In the final moments, Minato released the Nine-Tails state. There was no way he would let the Nine-Tails suffer damage—it was still alive, after all, while he himself was but a shadow of the past.

"Goodbye then. Let's hope that the next time we meet, we won't be enemies," Deidara remarked, signaling Orochimaru to release the Edo Tensei.

Minato's Edo Tensei body began to crumble. Standing silently, he couldn't resist asking one final question: "How is Naruto doing now?"

"Danzo is the current Hokage. What do you think?"

Minato's expression froze, shifting to shock and concern. But before he could say more, his form disintegrated entirely, returning to the afterlife.

"Deidara, mind if I collect some of your cellular tissue?" Orochimaru approached with a glint of interest in his serpentine eyes.

Deidara bit his finger, allowing a drop of blood to fall into a vial.

"I don't care about things like that," he said indifferently.

"Even if you manage to create a clone of me, it wouldn't matter. What makes someone truly powerful isn't just their body—it's their mind."

"If there are parallel worlds, then out of all the Deidaras, I would undoubtedly be the strongest."

Orochimaru chuckled softly. "An interesting perspective."

After parting ways with Orochimaru, Deidara returned to Amegakure alongside Kakuzu and Hidan. He thought he'd enjoy a brief period of peace, but the calm lasted only a few days before shocking news reached him.

Konoha had crushed Iwagakure in a decisive battle, not only driving them out of the Land of Wind but also gravely injuring the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.

If not for Amegakure's position between them, forcing Konoha to take a longer supply route through the Land of Wind, they might have already launched a full-scale invasion of Iwagakure.

"What the hell happened?" Deidara stormed into the central tower's office, seeking the latest intel.

"Even with Jiraiya, Konoha shouldn't be this formidable. Don't tell me Might Guy transformed!"

"It wasn't just Jiraiya," Konan explained. "Tsunade, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, has returned. And alongside her, a powerful Wood Release user appeared."

"The two joined forces with Jiraiya to confront the Third Tsuchikage, leaving him severely wounded."

"A strong Wood Release user? Who?" Deidara frowned, puzzled.

Tsunade's return under Danzo's leadership was odd enough. Still, Konoha was her home—perhaps she had simply resolved to protect it despite her grievances.

"We don't know," Nagato admitted, shaking his head. "The person wore a mask throughout the battle. They're likely from the Anbu or Root."

'Yamato? No, that's impossible. His Wood Release isn't strong enough to stand against a Kage-level opponent.'

Before Deidara could dwell further, Kurotsuchi burst into the room, her expression frantic.

"Deidara, let's go see Grandpa!" she urged. "We need to check on him."

"Alright," Deidara nodded, leaving for Iwagakure with Kurotsuchi.

...

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office in Konoha...

Jiraiya slammed his hands on the desk, frustration evident.

"Tsunade, how could you support such a proposal?"

"Why not? Naruto is Konoha's jinchūriki. He should contribute to the village," Tsunade replied firmly.

"Tsunade, you're not the person I remember. What happened to you?" Jiraiya's voice was laced with disappointment and confusion.

This felt wrong. Her demeanor, her words—it was as if she wasn't Tsunade at all. But how could she not be? No one could deceive his Sage Mode senses, and her strength in the recent battle against Onoki was undeniably genuine.

Even her hemophobia… it seemed to have vanished entirely.

Tsunade scoffed, ignoring Jiraiya's scrutiny.

"You're still as naive as ever, Jiraiya. The village faces grave threats, and we must do whatever it takes to protect it. This is my grandfather's village, the legacy of the Senju clan. I won't let it fall."

Hearing her conviction, Jiraiya hesitated. He loved Konoha just as much, enough to endure Danzo's leadership despite his grievances. If Tsunade's methods were extreme, perhaps it was only her love for the village shining through.

"Still, you can't sacrifice Naruto! He's the child of prophecy—the savior of the world!" Jiraiya retorted sharply.

Danzo, who had been silently observing, seized the moment to speak.

"Then let us compromise. We'll only extract a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra to create an elite strike force. That should suffice."

Reluctantly, Jiraiya nodded. With Tsunade's support, Danzo's pressure was overwhelming.

In the dark recesses of Root's base, Danzo leaned on his cane, his singular eye gleaming with greed.

"Lord Hokage, Hyūga Kazuto has arrived," a Root operative reported.

"Let him in," Danzo ordered.

Moments later, the disguised Kazuto entered, bowing respectfully.

"Lord Hokage!"

Danzo nodded. "Kazuto, have you made your decision?"

Kazuto met his gaze with resolve. "Yes. This is all for Konoha!"

Danzo smirked, stepping closer. His voice was low but firm.

"Indeed. Everything we do is for Konoha."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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