Chapter 152

Sarutobi Hiruzen had just returned to Konoha Hidden Village and received news of a monumental event that shook heaven and earth. There had been a rebellion in Iwagakure Shinobi Village. Taking advantage of Onoki's coma, some individuals openly rebelled. If it weren't for the Kamizuru clan's resistance in Iwagakure and their efforts to maintain stability in the Hidden Villages, Onoki might have woken up earlier.

Fortunately, Onoki woke up in time and led the frontline shinobi of Iwagakure to swiftly suppress the rebellion within the village. In one fell swoop, Onoki had reportedly wiped out three shinobi clans. The entire shinobi world was in awe.

"Excellent strategy to stabilize the situation in the Hidden Villages. Not only have I not lost much power, but I have also withdrawn from the shinobi world war while showcasing my strength. Onoki, your Will of Stone is truly formidable," Sarutobi Hiruzen angrily remarked in his office.

"This turn of events was both expected and unexpected. We are well aware of Onoki's strength and temperament. Those fools in Iwagakure are mere pawns," Shimura Danzo said with a gloomy expression, tinged with a hint of anger.

As leaders of the Hidden Villages, they possessed a deeper understanding and broader perspective. They knew full well why those three shinobi clans had been targeted for slaughter. It wasn't because they were vying for the Tsuchikage position or had the strength to take the lead—Onoki welcomed such competition. However, their association with the Daimyo's mansion and their attempts to turn Iwagakure into the Daimyo's private property in exchange for status were not acceptable to Onoki. This was why the Kamizuru clan had intervened to prevent it.

Peeking into the shadows was not a major issue. After all, who didn't engage in some form of spying? Take Konoha, for example. Shimura Danzo desired to become Hokage, a fact known to everyone in Konoha and the shinobi world. And yet, he still lived a comfortable life, enjoying his food, drink, and leisure activities. The Uchiha clan had been eyeing the Hokage position for quite some time. In the original work, if they hadn't succumbed to emotional instability towards the end, they would have divulged everything about their rebellion. They would not have suffered such dire consequences. In the shinobi world, spying on positions was not a major issue. The real concerns were collusion with outsiders, harming the interests of the Hidden Villages, and open rebellion. As long as one didn't engage in blatant rebellion or collusion with outsiders, they were still considered a member of their lineage. Peeking and competing were common occurrences.

The massacre incident in Iwagakure successfully served as a reminder to the Great Hidden Villages. They began to investigate whether there were any shinobi colluding with the Daimyo's mansion within their own villages.

"Danzo, Koharu, Homura, thoroughly investigate the situation of the shinobi in the Hidden Villages. See who is colluding with the Daimyo's prefecture," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a somber expression, exhaling smoke rings.

He did not believe that he was any better than Onoki. If there could be people colluding with the Daimyo in Iwagakure, then the situation in Konoha was even more complex. With numerous shinobi clans, were there more individuals colluding with the Daimyo's prefecture? Moreover, the Daimyo was persistently pushing for the establishment of the Guardian Twelve Ninja. Was there someone secretly supporting the Daimyo's agenda?

Sarutobi Hiruzen wondered where the shinobi selected by the Daimyo to guard the Twelve Ninja were coming from. Ninety percent of the shinobi in the shinobi world were under the control of the Five Great Hidden Villages. The rest were wandering shinobi. To expect these wandering shinobi to travel far using traditional training methods was almost like wishful thinking. The Borenchuan Zhong shell organization was a perfect example. None of those shinobi had become so strong through traditional training; they relied solely on the power of scientific ninja tools. This only served to reinforce the fact that the Five Great Hidden Villages upheld the orthodox shinobi system. Their training methods were the oldest, and it was nearly impossible for others to surpass them with the ancient chakra training system. Hi no Kuni Daimyo had managed to recruit over a dozen elite jonin as guardians, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen puzzled.

The events in Iwagakure halted the shinobi world war for a few days. The Great Hidden Villages initiated self-examinations. The results of these examinations led to various changes. In Konohagakure, Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen patted several promising young shinobi on the shoulders and said, "Boy, I can see great potential in you. Let's send you to the frontline to fight. Earn more achievements, and you could be the next shadow. Don't worry about dying in battle; we'll take care of your family."

In Sunagakure, Hitoshi believed in a society that embraced diversity and emphasized the rule of law. However, for some unknown reason, dozens of concrete pillars suddenly appeared at the sea port. It was rumored that Bunpuku had intentionally placed these pillars at the bottom of the sea to serve as foundations for submarines.

All the Hidden Villages had their own methods. The thorough investigation prompted many individuals to adopt a more positive approach to life. Military expenditures in the Hidden Villages increased as a result.

In Hi no Kuni, Shimura Danzo made a lucrative deal. After sending some promising young shinobi to the frontline, many pots and pans in the Daimyo's mansion mysteriously broke, and vehicles were extensively damaged. There was suddenly a shortage of eating utensils in the mansion. Seizing this opportunity, Shimura Danzo approached the logistics supervisor of the Daimyo's mansion and secured a major contract, earning a fortune.

To show gratitude to the Daimyo for creating wealth for Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen compiled a list of shinobi deaths and presented it to the Daimyo, feigning deep sorrow. He emphasized the tragic sacrifices made by Konoha shinobi and, in response, the Daimyo allocated funds from his treasury to provide comfort to the Konoha shinobi. "The crying child receives milk," as the saying goes. Sarutobi Hiruzen shed more tears and secured additional funds.

Simultaneously, Shimura Danzo received another major order. The reason? A bunch of fragile porcelain in the Daimyo's mansion had been stolen and destroyed.