Chapter 122

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"Danzo!!"

Before Danzo could sort out his thoughts, a golden chain struck at his vitals.

Whoosh!

Danzo, ever cautious, had been on guard as soon as he saw Kushina. His battlefield instincts kicked in, allowing him to dodge the attack just in time.

"Think you can hide?"

When Kushina saw Aburame Ryoma's body, she immediately knew who was responsible. Unable to contain her fury, she attacked Danzo without hesitation, determined not to let even the Sandaime Hokage stop her this time.

However, something unexpected happened. The Sandaime did not intervene. He pondered whether his comrade had hidden secrets from him, especially since Danzo was the only one capable of having Mokuton research and independent ninjas in Konoha. He decided to let Kushina's anger serve as a test for Danzo's increasingly restless ambitions.

"Kushina, are you mad?"

Danzo couldn't withstand Kushina's relentless assault. After just a few rounds, he was restrained in mid-air by her golden chains.

"Hmph! Even now, you deny everything. Go to hell..."

Ignoring Danzo's words, Kushina punched him in the face.

"Kushina... that's enough!"

"Calm down; think about Minato~"

Finally, the Sandaime Hokage intervened, stopping Kushina's "atrocities." Danzo couldn't die here, especially not at her hands.

...

"I have returned..."

In a dark basement, Obito appeared before Madara. His eyes were numb, his movements stiff, still reeling from the recent trauma.

"I knew you would come back!"

Madara, who had chosen Obito as the executor of his plan, knew he wouldn't escape. Reality would show Obito that true happiness could only be found in the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi,' where everyone, supported by the sacred tree, would be immersed in bliss. There would be no fighting, no killing, and no losers.

"I want to create a new world!"

"A world with Rin!"

Obito longed for the world Madara described, a world where he could reunite with Rin.

...

"So, Obito is dead?"

Hearing the news from Namikaze Minato, Toshiro was so shocked that he dropped the scroll he was holding. Could Obito really be dead?

If Obito is truly gone, Madara will need to find a new executor for his plans. This could spell further trouble for the Uchiha.

"Where's the body?" Toshiro asked, still in disbelief. He knew White Zetsu's art of cloning and transformation could fool all sensory abilities, including the Byakugan.

"His body..." Minato began, "His body was left at the scene, but the Sharingan was gone."

Namikaze Minato was confused.

He had been having a productive conversation with Genji's shadow clone in Kirigakure. Both parties had discussed the relationship between Konoha and Kiri and even looked forward to a cooperative future. They had reached a preliminary agreement to let Nohara Rin stay in Konoha for a while before potentially moving to Kiri, depending on the relationship between the two villages.

Minato knew this might be a stalling tactic by the Kiri, but he was confident that once he became Hokage, he could maintain the relationship and ensure Rin's safety. Despite this, the news of Rin and Obito's deaths had arrived unexpectedly, alongside reports that Kushina had seriously injured Danzo Shimura, Obito's Sharingan was missing, and the Mokuton bloodline limit had reappeared.

After hastily ending negotiations, Minato's first stop back was the camp in the Bear Country, where he informed Toshiro of the news.

"This is really troublesome!" Toshiro exclaimed. "What's the village's stance on this matter?"

"The village claims that Kirigakure spies attempted to release the Three-Tails in the village but were stopped by Obito and the ANBU. The spies then killed Rin and Obito and stole Obito's Sharingan." Minato explained after a brief hesitation.

"A Kirigakure spy?" Toshiro scoffed. "How convenient! This way, the village can imply that the Uchiha were negligent. Despicable!"

Toshiro couldn't help but admire how the Sandaime Hokage managed to silence the Uchiha with just a few words. Although the Konoha Police Force primarily maintained law and order, it was still tangentially related to espionage incidents. This connection meant the Uchiha couldn't dispute the loss of the Sharingan. However, Toshiro suspected the clan might be more concerned about the reappearance of the Wood Release than the Sharingan.

"I understand. Thank you, Minato-san, for informing me."

Toshiro appreciated that Minato had taken the time to inform him of Obito's death, showing that he valued their relationship and didn't see him as just another expendable ninja.

"How is Kushina-senpai doing? Is she alright?"

"Uh… she should be fine, probably... Nothing too serious..." Minato replied, though he felt less confident. Injuring a high-ranking Konoha official would undoubtedly have repercussions.

Time passed slowly.

Three months later.

Since Nohara Rin's death, the ninja world has settled back into its usual rhythm.

The Kiri Ninjas launched an attack on Konoha's camp, but the frequency and intensity had significantly decreased, providing much-needed relief to the Konoha ninjas on the front lines.

"Uchiha Toshiro, watch your move!" A shout came from behind, accompanied by the hissing sounds of snakes.

Squeak! Squeak!

"Ah!"

A faint arc of electricity sparked from Toshiro's body, electrocuting the unfortunate attacker.

"Anko, even if you want to prove yourself to your sensei, you don't have to use me as a test subject every time!" Toshiro said helplessly, looking at the girl half-kneeling on the ground, her body still shaking uncontrollably.

Ever since Anko had arrived at the camp, she had periodically launched surprise attacks on Toshiro, much to his annoyance.

"Hmph! I will definitely defeat you and prove to Orochimaru-sensei that I am the best!" Anko declared, recovering her mobility after Toshiro's relatively mild electric shock.

Ever since Orochimaru had praised Toshiro's talent in front of her, Anko had resolved to surpass him.

"What a headache!" Toshiro muttered, holding his forehead. He didn't know how to handle this overly energetic girl. As Orochimaru's disciple, he couldn't treat her harshly, which only encouraged her antics.

"I have to find a way to get rid of her. How many times has this happened this month?" he thought.

"What are you staring at? Don't get any dirty ideas!" Anko snapped, tightening her collar and eyeing Toshiro warily. His intense gaze reminded her of Jiraiya's lecherous looks when he passed by the women's bathhouse.

"Tch! A little bean like you that hasn't developed yet is not my type at all. You're overthinking it!"

"Asshole, pervert, are you blind?" Anko retorted, puffing out her chest, which was just beginning to take shape.

"There's no need to push your back. No matter how hard you try, it won't change the fact that you're a thirteen-year-old girl!" Toshiro sighed, glancing away. "For a mature man's standard, you still have a long way to go."

Curiosity piqued. "Who is your dream girl, and what are the standards for mature guys?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Anko, you seem to have a fondness for mature men!"

He chose not to directly address her inquiries. He had a rough idea of what she was thinking. Narrowing his eyes, he scrutinized her from head to toe.

"I have no idea what you're referring to!"

The scrutiny made Anko flush with embarrassment, especially since the observations were accurate. She vehemently denied it, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"Tch! Could it be a case of the Sensei complex?"

Toshiro, noticing this, gave Anko a knowing wink.

"You mustn't spout such nonsense!"

Anko couldn't bear having her deepest secret, one she had concealed within her heart, exposed by someone else's jesting tone.

She reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bristling with anger, leaping up, and lunging at Toshiro.

However, the blush on her face and her furious expression made it clear to anyone that he had hit close to home.

"Oh, really now?"

"I was just about to share the dreams and ideals of a mature man like myself!"

Confronted with this feisty little 'wildcat', Toshiro remained unflustered. With just a few words, he halted Anko in her tracks.

She held her breath, her eyes fixed on Toshiro, anticipating his forthcoming words.

Indeed, Anko's feelings are understandable. As a war orphan under the tutelage of the famous Sannin Orochimaru, it's hardly surprising that her initial admiration gradually evolved into a deep-seated attachment and perhaps even love.

It seems inevitable that her affections will be unrequited. Her sensei is far from ordinary; he is a man who aspires to acquire all the knowledge in the world and is willing to transgress the boundaries of human ethics and morality. How could he possibly entertain romantic notions with a young girl like her?

"The aspiration and benchmark of a mature man. Naturally, Tsunade-senpai, should you ever attain such a body, perhaps he might consider it!"

 "Tsunade…sama…"

"So, your ultimate dream is Tsunade-sama…"

Upon learning of Toshiro's ambition, Anko was taken aback and momentarily dumbfounded. She glanced down at her steamed dumplings, a fleeting sense of dejection washing over her. Her dumplings were already better than most of those of her peers, but thinking of Tsunade-sama's level. Her face fell.

"Does Orochimaru-sensei harbor feelings for Tsunade-sama as well?"

"Indeed, what man could turn away Tsunade-sama? With such power, even Orochimaru-senpai might…"

In the face of Toshiro's ruse, Anko clenched her teeth and declared defiantly, "Orochimaru-sensei is not so shallow!"

"Yes, I concede that point, but you cannot ignore the fact that, as Tsunade-sama's friend, Orochimaru-senpai is still without a partner. There are underlying reasons for this!"

Anko remained skeptical, prompting Toshiro to persist in his deception.

Lately, this young girl's sporadic ambushes have been a source of irritation for him. Indulging in a bit of mischief was simply in his nature.

"This is confusing. Does Orochimaru-sensei like Tsunade-senpai in that way?" Contemplating her sensei's impassiveness towards the village women, yet noting his distinct behavior towards Tsunade-senpai, Anko felt a twinge of confusion.

Simultaneously, she resolved to seek self-improvement upon her return to the village.

"Anko, I possess some great massage techniques; would you be interested?"

"Drop dead.."

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