34 Chapter 34: Danzo and Third Hokage Confused
Nawaki and Tsunade did not return immediately; they set up camp near the bridge while ten of Nawaki's clones ventured off.
"That will work?" Tsunade asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.
"Of course, it will," Nawaki replied confidently. "Do you think they will inquire about the whereabouts of the Root Anbu?"
"Funny boy," Tsunade said, playfully smacking him on the head.
Nawaki responded with laughter.
Indeed, Tsunade knew Nawaki was right. It was implausible for the Third Hokage to question the Root Anbu's whereabouts, and even less likely for Danzo to do so.
-
-
Some hours later...
The Nawaki clones returned.
They emerged from the shadows, becoming visible only as they neared Nawaki and Tsunade.
Tsunade was impressed by Nawaki's ability; she could only detect the presence of his shadow clones when he chose to reveal them.
"Sis, I'll recall my other shadow clones before we continue," Nawaki stated, forming a hand seal to summon back the clones dispersed in various locations.
Shortly thereafter, Nawaki was inundated with information from 400 clones.
Processing the influx of data took some time due to its sheer volume.
Tsunade, observing Nawaki, wondered about the potential overwhelm he might experience. She found some solace in the thought of the purple orbs, known for enhancing mental capacity.
Nawaki's mental prowess was formidable. Despite receiving memories from so many clones simultaneously, he seemed capable of assimilating it all.
Indeed, Nawaki was utilizing the purple orbs at that very moment to clarify his thoughts and augment his understanding.
Seconds stretched into minutes.
After 23 minutes, Nawaki opened his eyes, which briefly sparkled gray-green before returning to their usual appearance as he blinked.
"So that's it..." Nawaki murmured, then proceeded to create 300 shadow clones.
Without needing to issue any commands, the 300 shadow clones entered Dark Mist mode and dispersed in various directions.
"I've done what I needed to do. We can head back now," Nawaki said, flashing his characteristic smile at Tsunade.
Relieved to see Nawaki acting normally, unaffected by the deluge of memories from the clones, Tsunade responded, "Yes, we shouldn't linger too long."
"Mm," Nawaki nodded, understanding her concern.
-
-
A few hours later, in the Leaf Village, within the Hokage's office:
In the open space before the Third Hokage's desk, Tsunade broke the seal of a scroll, and the bodies of fifty ninjas lay scattered.
"Tsunade, what is this?" the Third Hokage asked.
"These are Cloud ninjas responsible for the bridge destruction," Tsunade replied coldly. "When Nawaki and I arrived, we were ambushed. These fifty ninjas attempted to assassinate us, but they severely underestimated me, as you can see from the outcome."
The Third Hokage frowned, troubled. 'Ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village? This wasn't the plan...'
"Where is Nawaki?" he inquired.
"He's back at the Senju compound," Tsunade responded, her tone still icy. "He sustained some injuries, which I've treated. He was exhausted, so I let him rest before coming to report the incident."
"Mm, good job," the Third Hokage said. What more could he say? Blame her for neutralizing the Hidden Cloud ninjas and evading their trap?
And what about Danzo? Where are his...
The Third Hokage wasn't the only one bewildered by these events.
Danzo, in a Root Anbu hideout, was aware of the 'incident' and could still sense the cursed seals on most of the Root Anbu he had dispatched. However, he couldn't pinpoint their locations or comprehend the unfolding events.
Upon hearing that Tsunade and Nawaki had been attacked by at least fifty ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village, his confusion deepened.
Later that day, the Yamanaka Clan employed their abilities on the corpses Tsunade had brought in.
Their investigation confirmed the veracity of Tsunade's account...
Both the Third Hokage and Danzo grew increasingly perplexed, unable to fathom how the situation had escalated to this point, and mystified about the whereabouts of the missing Root Anbu members.
-
-
"See, it worked well~" Nawaki said, smiling.
Tsunade chuckled lightly. She still felt a bit apprehensive; after all, casting genjutsu to fabricate an entire scenario in the minds of fifty ninjas, making them believe they were on a mission to attack her and Nawaki, only to end up dead, was no small feat.
Yet, she was again reminded of the formidable influence of Nawaki's enhanced mental power, a result of his prolonged use of the purple orbs.
His genjutsu might even surpass that of two Uchihas. Nawaki wasn't particularly fond of using it, but that hadn't stopped him from mastering it when he had the opportunity.
"Right now, Danzo is likely discussing with the Third Hokage, indirectly addressing the odd behavior of the Hidden Cloud Village," Nawaki commented coolly, revealing that he had shadow clones within earshot of both men.
He hadn't used all his clones for this, so when significant information was uncovered, they created new clones to relay the information back to him.
"Some of my shadow clones have already started spreading rumors about the Hidden Cloud Village's 'attack' on us," Nawaki continued. "Soon, I'll be ready to initiate the second phase of my plan."
"Mm, everything is proceeding as expected," Tsunade acknowledged, her tone tinged with caution. "But, Nawaki, please be extremely cautious in your actions, okay?"
"I know, Sis. I won't be reckless," Nawaki assured her. "As I've mentioned before, my clones don't share any of my characteristics or appearance. Even if they're discovered, it won't be traced back to me."
"Good," Tsunade nodded approvingly. "Are you planning to enter the hunting dimension now?"
"Yes, that's the plan," Nawaki confirmed. "I need to transform these ninjas into orbs to enhance our strength, and then..."
He didn't need to finish. Tsunade understood his intention and nodded in agreement.
||- Note -||
Read 30+ chapter on Patre on!
pa treon.com/Tozoku
