Sunagakure.
The shifting situation in Konoha naturally caught the attention of its ally. As the saying goes, fortunes turn like a wheel, and this year it was Konoha's turn. Not long ago, Konoha had the leisure to worry about Sunagakure's stability, urging them to avoid chaos. Yet, ironically, Konoha itself was the first to descend into turmoil.
Well, that's how it goes. Sometimes, the drama you're watching suddenly becomes your own.
"Lady Chiyo, the identity of the Fifth Hokage has been confirmed. Just as we predicted, it is indeed Tsunade of the Sannin. She has returned to Konoha and become Hokage… The situation in Konoha is rapidly stabilizing," a Sand ninja reported to Chiyo.
"The Third Hokage died at Orochimaru's hands, the Uchiha clan suffered heavy losses, Konoha's top leadership was wiped out in one fell swoop, and that Jonin Habara was forced far from Konoha… With Tsunade succeeding as Hokage and Jiraiya returning, it seems Konoha suffered tremendous losses, yet perhaps the losses weren't actually that tremendous."
Sunagakure's intelligence capabilities were quite decent, though truthfully, the information Chiyo received was fairly common knowledge, easily obtainable with a little digging in Konoha. Suna's advantage lay in receiving the news promptly.
Chiyo assessed the damage Konoha sustained from this upheaval. Compared to Suna's own recent troubles, Konoha's situation wasn't necessarily worse. Konoha had experienced severe internal turmoil, momentarily resembling scattered sand, yet strangely, it managed to reintegrate rapidly.
Always being able to find a suitable successor for the 'Kage' – that was the difference between Konoha and Sunagakure.
Privately, Chiyo naturally hoped Konoha would be significantly weakened. But in reality, after taking such a hit, Konoha was only slightly weakened, moderately at most.
Looking long-term, this turmoil wasn't entirely negative for Konoha, as it had purged internal destabilizing factors. Konoha used this opportunity to eliminate two malignant tumors: the volatile Uchiha clan and Danzo Shimura, who always considered himself the "Vice-Kage." Although Konoha bore significant wounds as a result, once healed, it could theoretically become even stronger.
The benefit for Sunagakure was a considerable reduction in pressure from the east in the short term. Regardless, Konoha had lost some high-end combat power, and at this stage, Sunagakure didn't want Konoha to collapse completely either.
As for the other piece of 'good news' – Jonin Habara being distanced from Konoha's center due to his actions – that could certainly be viewed with amusement… Though admittedly, this perspective was likely a mistake, they couldn't help but feel that way.
Chiyo sighed. "Maintain the status quo. Cancel that plan."
"...Yes, Lady Chiyo."
The premise of fishing in troubled waters requires the water to be even murkier. But the current situation was such that whoever dived in now would be completely exposed. Chiyo wouldn't take such risks or make unwise moves.
Meanwhile, Habara met with Sara, the former Queen of Rouran. He explained his intention to establish a small village there and informed her that if she wished, her people could relocate to the new settlement… This served as continued payment for the Ryumyaku he had taken.
After brief consideration, Sara readily agreed. When the Rouran survivors first entered the Land of Fire, relocating several hundred people directly into Konoha was impossible. Konoha was already a mature system, incapable of absorbing so many potentially destabilizing elements.
But Habara's small stronghold was different. It was just beginning to flourish, everything nascent, naturally allowing for inclusivity. Rootless duckweed, seeking to put down roots, always chooses to settle beside a towering tree that offers shelter from wind and rain.
Sara would naturally agree to such an advantageous arrangement. Living nomadic lives outside, her people had virtually no ability to withstand risks. The slightest disturbance could scatter them like autumn leaves swept by the wind. Now, moving to a place resembling a small hidden village, with a ninja like Habara present, they would be safe from all but the most significant threats. There was no need to hesitate when faced with such a choice.
With the Shadow Leaf Stronghold's population rapidly increasing, what did this signify? It signified the dawn of the Great Infrastructure Era.
By this time, Habara's small bachelor house from Konoha had already been "demolished" – meaning relocated entirely – to the stronghold. This feat consumed a considerable amount of Daigo's chakra. Even without the Three Systems, using space-time ninjutsu to transfer supplies wasn't particularly difficult for Konoha originally, but such methods were typically reserved for urgent battlefield support, not for moving someone's house.
The difficulty in moving Habara's house lay in the target's size, but fortunately, Daigo handled it adeptly. Any damage incurred during the process was quickly repaired by the 'professional carpenter,' Tenzo.
Habara placed his house below the central platform, avoiding the limited space up top. Compared to grand, artificial landscapes, he preferred his residence to be nestled amidst 'jungle foliage.' Thus, after the move, the 'professional landscaper,' Tenzo, also helped arrange the landscape plants around Habara's home.
Truly, Tenzo was such a good person. It was a great waste of productivity and construction points that he was currently away on a mission.
This morning, Habara was nailing a sign to the main entrance of the round building. A few hammer strikes, and the sign was up. Displayed upon it, with considerable mischief, were the characters… "No. 10 Shadow Leaf Street."
Just then, news arrived from the perimeter guards: a batch of support ninja had arrived from Konoha.
This puzzled Habara. He didn't understand why Konoha would so proactively send ninja here, especially now, when the village itself desperately needed rebuilding… He didn't yet know these ninja had come voluntarily.
When Habara went to greet them, he found another thirty or so people had arrived. Among them were five members of the Hyuga branch family, including Hyuga Hizashi and Hyuga Neji, about twenty ninja from non-clan backgrounds, and surprisingly, around ten Uchiha survivors.
The first two groups had already decided to come earlier but were delayed by the Fifth Hokage's inauguration ceremony. The Uchiha clansmen had decided more recently to check out the situation here.
After the massacre, the remaining Uchiha received significantly better treatment, but if asked whether their environment felt normal, they would likely still say no. The gazes they faced daily now contained, besides heavily veiled vigilance, elements of false sympathy, pity, and even commiseration. It was undeniably difficult to feel comfortable in such an atmosphere.
This attitude was arguably hard to accept. Thus, a portion of the Uchiha clan decided to come and see Habara's place for themselves. Possibly based on a policy of leniency and tolerance towards the remaining Uchiha, the village authorities approved their request to leave, the only condition being that they travel together with the other ninja heading out for "construction support."
The Uchiha accepted this condition readily. They merely wanted to visit, not defect, so traveling together was no big deal.
Seeing so many new arrivals, Habara immediately broke into a brilliant smile. What kind of expression was it? How to describe it… perhaps like a slave ship captain spotting locals bringing a long line of captured slaves before him.
See? Tenzo thought he built too many houses, but weren't they about to be filled up quickly?
Habara didn't care why they were here. He immediately addressed them: "Welcome, everyone, to the Shadow Leaf Stronghold! Enough small talk, let's get to work. Our efficiency can't drop just because Tenzo isn't here, especially since several hundred more people will be arriving soon… Child labor isn't exempt either! Neji, go find some nails and start putting up house numbers and street signs."
In that moment, Habara wasn't fighting alone. From Zhou Bapi to Lord Bayi, generations of legendary exploiters were surely watching him from their proverbial lamp posts.
Habara providing housing upfront wasn't out of overflowing kindness; it was purely to make the village functional as quickly as possible. He provided housing; once the Rouran survivors arrived, they would engage in herding and farming, supplying various foodstuffs… Ninja didn't lack money, but assessing their basic material production capabilities? Perhaps it was best not to evaluate that at all.
As it turned out, some things just didn't work without certain people. After Tenzo's departure, the work efficiency at Habara's site rapidly dropped to normal levels.
Having experienced the sea, mere streams seem insignificant. After witnessing the fully automatic, humanoid construction machine in action, Habara found the work speed of ordinary ninja somewhat unbearable. He almost felt like shouting, "Come back, my Tenzo!"
Then, he heard Daigo's voice seemingly appear out of thin air: "Habara, Tenzo's mission is complete. He is currently returning."
"Good! I'll go meet him immediately," Habara said instantly.
He called over Kinoshita Tadashi, who was increasingly adapting to his role as a junior foreman, and they quickly left the stronghold. About half a day later, somewhere in the Land of Fire, they intercepted Tenzo's returning squad.
"This fundraising work is pretty good. If there's more like this in the future, you can give it to me. I'm already proficient," Tenzo said while handing a large money box to Habara.
What's that saying? Once you've robbed someone, you'll fall in love with the feeling, just like an angler loves fishing.
Habara, however, uncharacteristically ignored Tenzo's chatter. Taking the money box, he said, "Tenzo, when you get back to the stronghold, reorganize those ninja. I've noticed some friction among them, especially with those Uchiha…"
"Uchiha?" Tenzo thought, Why are there Uchiha ninja at the stronghold? He hadn't heard about this beforehand.
Habara nodded. "Yes. Divide the stronghold's ninja into three teams. Require everyone to use codenames during ninja activities, no real names allowed… Just use the Ganzhi cycle for simple naming. Prefix one team with 'Chongguang,' one with 'Rouzhao,' and one with 'Dayuanxian.'"
"Er, sounds like Uchiha, Hyuga, and Root."
"Of course, they need to be broken up and mixed into the three teams. Don't let ninja of the same origin cluster together."
"Understood." "If you understand, then get going. If you leave now, you can still catch the afternoon work."
Tenzo: "..."
I @#￥… you &)… Never mind.*
After Tenzo's squad departed, Habara handed the money box to Kinoshita Tadashi beside him.
"Kinoshita, I have a mission for you… Your mission is to take these funds to a certain place and commission another mission."
The funds Tenzo acquired through 'zero-cost shopping' were precisely for this task. Simultaneously, Habara handed Kinoshita a slip of paper.
Upon seeing the contents of the note, Kinoshita's expression immediately soured. "Habara, according to tradition, ninja do not participate in politics! We are purely a military force."
Theoretically, ninja were just hired muscle. The 'politics' Kinoshita referred to, of course, wasn't the internal power struggles of the village.
Habara nodded. True enough. Traditional ninja emphasized subtle force. But training brute strength in a gym wasn't necessarily bad either. "Have you ever seen a gym at 4:30 AM? If you haven't seen it, why say it's bad?"
"Kinoshita, what we're doing is bringing change, making things better for everyone," Habara pitched. "Though it may sound high-and-mighty, every step we take leaves a clear footprint. Reputation is immense wealth. I'm telling you, this plan will definitely succeed."
"You mean, the Fire..."
Habara nodded. "Yes."
"But we can't be sure of her intentions."
"The more burdens someone carries, the less control they have over their own fate. Sometimes, seemingly impossible things just need a gentle push from us."
"Are you certain this will succeed?"
"I guarantee it. I will bear all responsibility… Eliminating some scum carries no psychological burden. You need to understand, if we weren't avoiding dirtying our own hands, we wouldn't even need a middleman. We could even save this money."
"I understand. I will cover our tracks afterwards."
"Good. Kinoshita, I leave this matter to you."
Kinoshita nodded solemnly. He understood the immense importance of his mission. Such a task could only be entrusted to him; the younger ninja wouldn't grasp the situation. Kinoshita Tadashi was Habara's supporter, and in a sense, someone who had boarded Habara's pirate ship.
The two parted ways there, one heading east, one west, each to carry out their respective missions.
Judging by the direction Habara left, he wasn't returning to the stronghold either, but heading towards the more central region of the Land of Fire.
Tsunade was just beginning to familiarize herself with Konoha's administrative affairs. She was still quite rusty, far from proficient.
Every day, large volumes of documents and reports landed on her desk. Some quickly caught her attention, while others were subconsciously ignored. Day after day, she felt overwhelmed.
"Underground Money Exchange Houses in several cities within the Land of Fire were attacked?"
Clearly, Tsunade had stumbled upon a peculiar report that fully captured her attention.
"Finding those rats isn't easy. This method – locating them accurately and cleaning them out completely – strongly suggests the work of a major village… It couldn't be our ninja, could it?"
Beside her, Shizune quickly searched through various records. After a moment, she said, "The village issued no such order, Lady Tsunade… unless the order wasn't logged."
Yes, the trouble lay precisely in that 'unless.' Some people, once let loose, naturally preferred acting on their own authority.
Tsunade shook her head, dismissing the idea herself. At this time, the village was too busy putting its own house in order; who had the time for sneak attacks?
"Send someone to investigate what exactly happened. See if ninja from other villages are operating within the Land of Fire."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
After dealing with that report, she saw another one underneath it.
"Uchiha clansmen applying to go to Konoha's Shadow Leaf Stronghold…" Tsunade paused for a moment before recalling what the 'Shadow Leaf Stronghold' was. Then, she couldn't understand why the few remaining Uchiha would split off further to go to such an unsecured location.
"It's already been approved. Who approved… Er, ah, it seems I approved it."
Tsunade was about to flare up when she saw her own signature on the report. Thinking carefully, she recalled being dizzy from overworking late one night a couple of days ago and signing her approval while half-asleep.
"This Shadow Leaf Stronghold, how many people are there now?" Tsunade asked.
"Quite a few ninja are concentrating there. All told, probably sixty to seventy people have gone there already," Shizune reported.
"This personnel flow is highly unusual."
Tsunade vaguely sensed something was wrong. Why were so many ninja running off outside the village? She suspected someone was manipulating things and deceiving her while she was still finding her footing, possibly involving an outflow of Konoha's public assets. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.
Thus, she slammed her hand on the table and declared, "Let's go! We'll go see what the situation is over there. It's not far anyway, and I happen to want to meet this Jonin Habara."
"Understood, Lady Tsunade." Kato Shizune, having wandered everywhere with Tsunade and being thoroughly accustomed to her impulsiveness, immediately agreed.
One could only say this was the difference between having advisors and not having them. If Konoha's two former advisors were still around, they would definitely prevent Tsunade's reckless behavior… The Hokage easily leaving the village center – what was that if not recklessness? They would lecture her with seniority-based platitudes, criticizing this "youngster" Tsunade for being impatient and acting on whims. The village's safety rested on her shoulders; how could she disregard her own well-being like this? What if danger arose? The advisors' admonitions would certainly be reasonable, and theoretically, Tsunade would have to accept them. Fortunately, however, they were dead. Now, in Konoha, what Tsunade said went… truly went.
In short, once Tsunade decided to inspect the stronghold under construction, the Hokage's direct ANBU detachment immediately made the necessary arrangements and notified Habara's side.
No one could stop Tsunade in this matter. Since that stronghold was Konoha's stronghold, why couldn't she, as Hokage, go take a look? On what grounds could she not go?
Looking certainly wasn't a problem, and Habara's side had nothing illicit to hide there. However, Tsunade's timing was slightly off. At this very moment, Habara was sneakily out executing his clandestine plan; he wasn't at his home base.
But whether he was at home or not, Tsunade was coming anyway.