Chapter 172

Carnes found himself silently scoffing at the notion.

What did she mean to 'know' Naruto? How could anyone but him truly understand the depths of his character?

He had witnessed his entire journey, watching Naruto grow from a mere child into the Seventh Hokage and even a loving husband.

Who among them could claim to understand Naruto like he did? Who knew his hobbies or the countless times he had pranked Jiraiya?

He was certain that he was more acquainted with Naruto than anyone else in the village.

No one here could claim to know Naruto like he did, not even Tsunade.

However, he couldn't express his sentiments to Tsunade and the others.

After a brief pause, he casually replied.

"Jiraiya once mentioned Naruto to me. He held great hope for this young man, and I too share his belief that Naruto would be an exceptional leader of Konoha."

Tsunade appeared visibly surprised.

She also had unwavering faith in Naruto.

His spirit, determination, and intelligence were truly remarkable.

To her, these were the quintessential qualities of a true shinobi, especially for the person who dreamt of being Hokage.

However, what she found unexpected was that Carnes seemed to hold Naruto in even higher regard than herself.

He had even greater faith in Naruto than she did.

In her mind, only a few individuals could be compared to Carnes, like her legendary grandfather, Senju Hashirama, would be one of them.

But she found it difficult to discern who was more powerful.

Yet, here was Carnes, showing unwavering optimism in Naruto.

It was a sentiment that gave her newfound confidence.

Could Naruto really stand up to formidable foes like Pain?

Earlier, Tsunade had her doubts, especially after witnessing the power of Deva Path.

Yet, after hearing Carnes's words her confidence in Naruto was boosted immensely.

Meanwhile, inside Konoha, Naruto stood atop the toad's head, brimming with enthusiasm.

He gazed upon his beloved village and declared with an exhilarated smile.

"Konoha Village..."

"I'm back!"

Naruto ascended to a viewpoint and scanned his surroundings.

A hint of doubt crept across his furrowed brow.

"This is the village, right?"

"Yes, no doubt about it."

"But what's with all this?"

"Is the village trying to expand but still the scale is enormous!"

"Why is something this significant happening without anyone briefing me?"

"Hmpp... why hasn't anyone told me about this massive development?"

At his feet, the Toad Sage observed silently, a low rumble in his voice.

"Where is the enemy?"

In an instant, Toad Sage Shima, the wife of Toad Sage Fukasaku, leaped into action, her urgency palpable.

Witnessing her urgency, Naruto, not the one to mince words, inquired.

"What the heck is going on? What's the situation?

Do you have any idea about recent happenings in Konoha Village?"

Toad Sage Shima wore a grave expression as she began explaining, her tone solemn.

"This is a complicated matter. So, it will take time to explain fully.

In brief, the Six Paths of Pain, and members of the Akatsuki, launched an invasion on Konoha Village, causing significant casualties among the ninja ranks and left many of the citizens injured.

Pain tried to destroy and flatten Konoha with a devastating jutsu, but it seems someone called Carnes might have stopped him..."

"As for the state outside the village...,"

"That's the aftermath of Carnes' jutsu."

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