Chapter 489: Snowy Awakens

News spread quickly: the Third Hokage was stepping down, and Tsunade would become the Fourth Hokage.

Konoha promptly sent invitations to the other villages, inviting them to attend the inauguration ceremony.

Whether they would actually come was up to them, but failing to send invitations would reflect poorly on Konoha.

Yagura had recently taken over as the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure.

Naturally, Konoha sent an invitation to Kirigakure as well. Tsunade tasked Jiraiya with delivering it, as he was already helping the village capture tailed beasts.

Kirigakure would likely send representatives. Sunagakure would also attend, while it remained uncertain whether Kumogakure and Iwagakure would do the same.

In Kirigakure, both Yagura and Genji decided that someone with enough influence must represent the village at the ceremony. After some discussion, Yagura chose the head of the Hozuki clan to attend.

Sunagakure, on the other hand, would be represented by Chiyo.

Rasa, still burdened with heavy debt, had no time for such matters.

For the foreseeable future, he would remain occupied.

Sunagakure's financial struggles had become dire, and the Daimyo of the Land of Wind had grown impatient after repeated delays in repayment.

Forced into a corner, Rasa had no choice but to continue his role as an all-around miner—locating veins, extracting ore, and transporting it himself. His diligence had slightly improved the Daimyo's opinion of the village, leading to a recent increase in funding.

While Kirigakure and Sunagakure resolved to send appropriate representatives, Iwagakure and Kumogakure found themselves in a dilemma.

The Third Raikage didn't want to involve himself in such matters, but declining an invitation from Konoha wasn't a good look either.

As for Kumogakure's own succession, Konoha hadn't sent anyone because they hadn't been informed.

"How could we have attended if you didn't even notify us?"

"Raikage-sama, perhaps we should send Ay to Konoha. This would also allow us to assess their current situation," suggested Dodai.

Both the Third Raikage and Onoki, the Tsuchikage, were eyeing the Land of Fire. After the wars with Kirigakure and Sunagakure, Konoha was in a recovery phase, making it an opportune time to gather intelligence.

Low-level spies had limited access to valuable information, but attending this ceremony presented a prime opportunity for firsthand observation.

Onoki, however, hesitated.

Iwagakure's increasing presence in the Land of Grass had not gone unnoticed by Konoha.

Anyone with functioning eyes and a working brain could see that Iwagakure was preparing to make a move against Konoha.

And now, Konoha had sent them an invitation to the Hokage's inauguration ceremony.

What does this mean?

Was this a show of strength, capitalizing on the Fourth Hokage's succession?

While it could be an opportunity to display power, it also gave other villages the chance to gather intelligence on Konoha.

After some thought, Onoki decided to send a representative.

Not himself, of course—someone else.

Setting the invitation down, he looked toward his son, who stood straight as a board.

Wasn't this the perfect candidate?

His strength and status made him an ideal choice.

Though a bit… simple-minded. Or rather, not simple, but overly averse to trouble.

Onoki knew his son well.

"Kitsuchi."

"Yes, Father."

Kitsuchi bowed slightly, awaiting his orders.

"Fool!"

Onoki's temper flared as he pointed a finger at Kitsuchi's nose.

"How many times have I told you to address me as 'Tsuchikage-sama' when in the Tsuchikage's office?!"

"Understood, Tsuchikage-sama. What are your orders?" Kitsuchi replied with a sheepish smile.

"..."

Onoki felt as if something was stuck in his throat—neither going up nor coming down.

"Never mind. Take the invitation and a team to Konoha. Gather intelligence while you're there. That's all."

Me?

Kitsuchi blinked, his small eyes widening in surprise.

"Father, isn't this inappropriate? Considering our plans against Konoha…"

"Hmm?"

Noticing his father's glare and twitching mustache, Kitsuchi quickly backpedaled.

"Tsuchikage-sama, the village's plans against Konoha are about to begin. Wouldn't going to Konoha now be… problematic?"

"Ridiculous!" Onoki retorted.

"Our plans haven't started yet. Why shouldn't we go? Konoha sent the invitation; we're simply responding."

"Stop wasting time. You're going. Gather intelligence while you're at it."

Kitsuchi sighed internally but accepted the task under his father's stern gaze. With a small entourage, he set out for Konoha.

The news of the Third Hokage stepping down spread like wildfire, shocking many who struggled to accept the decision.

However, their protests couldn't change anything.

The Third Hokage had made up his mind.

Even Koharu Utatane, after failing to persuade him, stormed off in frustration.

The village began preparations for the event, treating it as a joyous occasion.

Even Danzo's schemes were momentarily overshadowed by the buzz.

While others busied themselves, Takuya remained his usual, relaxed self. His only task was to keep an eye on the representatives from Iwagakure and Kumogakure once they arrived.

Since neither group had arrived yet, Takuya had plenty of free time.

Today, Takuya had even more reason to celebrate—Snowy had finally awakened.

After a long slumber and a significant boost in power, Snowy, the fluffy little Nine-Tailed Fox, joyfully jumped into Takuya's arms, acting adorably spoiled.

However, Takuya felt a slight discomfort in his eyes.

Snowy's awakening had brought a significant power boost to Takuya as well, pushing his strength even higher.

But the side effect was the strange sensation in his eyes.

"Is this… advancement?"

Though the Rinnegan wasn't as visually appealing as the Sharingan or Mangekyo Sharingan, its power was undeniable.

Takuya had been anticipating his eyes' evolution for a long time.

Thanks to Snowy's incredible support, the signs of advancement were now unmistakable.

"Master, who's that woman?"

Perched on Takuya's head, Snowy tilted her head curiously at Pakura, who stood dumbfounded.

Waking up to find a fluffy fox atop Takuya's head wasn't the strangest thing Pakura had seen.

But the fox's resemblance to Kurama, the Nine-Tails sealed in Kushina Uzumaki, was uncanny.

If that weren't odd enough, Takuya had wrapped a white band around his eyes, obscuring them entirely.

What's going on?

Pakura knew Takuya had been resting recently, so overuse of the Sharingan couldn't be the issue.

"She's Pakura, my assistant and bodyguard. Be nice to her, okay?" Takuya said, ruffling Snowy's head affectionately.

Sitting at the dining table, he didn't seem inconvenienced by his blindness. His sharp sensory abilities more than compensated, though not being able to open his eyes felt strange.

"Pakura, prepare a steak for me. Snowy likes grilled meat, so make plenty."

Pakura hesitated. "But… your eyes…"

Holding Snowy, who had burrowed into his arms, Takuya smiled faintly.

"My eyes feel a little off lately, so I won't be opening them for now. Thankfully, it doesn't affect my combat ability or daily life."

If the Rinnegan was indeed awakening, Takuya would gladly accept the trade-off. Better that than having to walk around with its distinctive ripple pattern all the time.

He couldn't help but think of Nagato and Sasuke—both marked by the Rinnegan's conspicuous appearance.

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DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING