Tsunade returned home in high spirits. The first person she shared the 'great news' with was Hibari, after which she didn't linger. After a sip of hot tea and a short rest, she excitedly ran off again. Most likely, she was going to show off to her various relatives.
Hibari didn't stop her. After all, this was a very memorable and happy day for Tsunade, wasn't it?
After seeing the little girl off, Hibari gave a helpless smile and sat down to continue reading the information about the Tandem Paper Bombs Technique.
However, it wasn't long before his brow furrowed slightly, and he said, "Come in."
As soon as he spoke, a figure wearing an Anbu uniform and a patterned mask that obscured their face suddenly appeared before him.
Hibari wasn't surprised at all. He asked with a calm expression, "What's the matter?"
"Commander, the information regarding the Jashin cult in the Land of Hot Water has been fully investigated..." the Anbu member quickly reported.
Hibari's eyebrows shot up, and he asked, "What are the specifics?"
"The high priest of the Jashin cult is actually a scammer, and he's not a native of the Land of Hot Water. We've traced his true identity. He was originally from the Land of Waves, a local hooligan. We don't know where he learned some messy ninjutsu, but he wreaked havoc in the Land of Waves.
"Later, the people of the Land of Waves pooled their money to hire a ninja from the Uzumaki clan in Uzushiogakure to hunt him down. He was very lucky not to be caught, escaping the Land of Waves with minor injuries.
"He became a pirate on the high seas, engaging in a no-cost business. Later, he somehow acquired some books related to the Jashin cult and also obtained a very secretive curse jutsu.
"Taking advantage of the war, he went around causing trouble in various small countries, being expelled in succession by the Land of the Moon, the Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfalls, and the Land of Rain. Finally, he seized the opportunity of this war to settle down in the Land of Hot Water, developing a large number of followers.
"He calls himself a 'spokesperson for Jashin' and propagates various evil theories, performing large-scale human sacrifices and evil experiments, harming countless innocent people." The Anbu ninja quickly explained.
Listening to this explanation, Hibari was a little surprised. This guy's life was truly colorful. The Land of Waves didn't have any ninja, so if he had learned some ninjutsu from somewhere, it was indeed possible for him to cause trouble. Later, he was driven out. The high seas were also very mysterious; being a pirate could expose a person to many strange stories that ordinary people would never experience. The fact that he inexplicably got these things, while it sounded fantastical, was indeed very possible.
"That old saying is true: good people don't live long, but evil ones live for a thousand years. This guy is truly an animal. Has he never done anything good in his life?" Hibari asked, a little amused.
The Anbu ninja also let out a slight laugh upon hearing Hibari's words and then said, "Indeed. Based on our Anbu investigation, he hasn't done a single good thing. He was rotten from childhood. It's said that he became a hooligan because he tried to assault his own older sister and was driven out by his family..."
Hibari was stunned when he heard this, and then he said, "Then he's truly worse than a beast. This kind of person is a natural-born evil scumbag. No wonder he could become the high priest of the Jashin cult. I guess if Jashin really exists, this guy would be the type Jashin would love. A divine servant!"
The Anbu member nodded in strong agreement but didn't say much else. What needed to be reported had been reported to Hibari, and now he just needed to listen for orders.
Hibari thought for a moment and then said, "The Land of Hot Water is one of our proxies for the Land of Fire. The fact that they've suffered this much is also largely related to the war between us and Kumogakure in their territory. As the side of justice and righteousness, and as their backer, we can't always let them suffer. Didn't Hokage-sama already approve the plan to assist the Land of Hot Water?
"How about this: The Mitsumine Group also has plans for post-war reconstruction there. Since we're going to make our mark there, we can't allow this menace to cause trouble for us. We'll carry out justice on behalf of the heavens this once.
"Go and notify Sakumo to prepare his team for a mission. Once I've finished with what I have on hand, I will personally lead them to the Land of Hot Water to deal with this animal."
Since Hibari had the idea of 'acquiring' the Jashin cult, he naturally couldn't let this menace tarnish its name. Jashin was also a god, and as the saying goes, a god loves humanity. He felt that he should go over and properly 'correct' this cult and, while he was at it, directly kill that utterly rotten animal and send him to meet his beloved Jashin.
The Anbu member nodded upon hearing Hibari's command and then said, "Yes, Commander. I will go and notify Captain Hatake now!"
Hibari first nodded, then said, "Wait a moment. I have something to ask you. I haven't left the house for about a month, so I'm practically out of touch with the world."
The Anbu member smiled and said, "What do you want to ask, Commander?"
"How are things with the Land of Water and the Land of Earth? Has the war stopped yet?" Hibari asked.
"The actual fighting has stopped. The Land of Water's fleet has already withdrawn from the Land of Earth's border. However, the third peace negotiation between the two countries broke down a couple of days ago and failed to reach a true peace agreement. Therefore, theoretically, the two countries are still in a state of war, but in practice, they are no longer fighting," the Anbu member replied.
"The third peace negotiation also broke down? That's not entirely unexpected. I think they probably won't be able to reach an agreement unless they fight another battle. After all, neither side has a clear victor, and neither wants to back down first. Is there any talk of a fourth round of negotiations?" Hibari asked with a smile.
The Anbu member also shook his head and said, "Neither side has mentioned continuing with a fourth round of peace talks."
"Hahahaha, good, very good. Let them remain deadlocked. Maybe it'll last until the next war," Hibari said with a laugh.
The fact that the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki and the Second Tsuchikage Mū had killed each other could be kept a secret for a while, but it couldn't be hidden for long. Now, intelligence personnel from various countries had already found out about it.
With both countries having lost their military leaders, and the Land of Water also losing its Daimyo, and with no clear winner, the cessation of hostilities was also due to changes in the international situation.
Neither side wanted to be taken advantage of, so both were resentful. Signing a peace treaty would mean one side had to back down first.
The Land of Water, having lost its Daimyo, would certainly not back down first, or the newly appointed Daimyo would be condemned and might even trigger a coup, leading to their downfall.
The Land of Earth couldn't back down first either. After all, they were the ones who were invaded and had to bear the brunt of it. Talking peace with the Land of Water due to the situation was already a big favor, and now they were expected to admit fault first? Impossible!
Therefore, in Hibari's view, the war between the Land of Water and the Land of Earth would probably just fizzle out like this. There would be no more talks, and no more interactions. They would just develop on their own and maybe one day, when they were in a better mood, they would fight another battle to determine a winner and settle old scores!
After learning all he needed to know, Hibari waved his hand and said, "Alright, go and notify Sakumo. Report any news to me in a timely manner."
"Yes, Commander!" The Anbu ninja responded and then 'whoosh' vanished from Hibari's sight.
With this new information, Hibari stopped looking at the scroll in his hand. He tidied himself up a bit and pushed the door open to find his grandfather, planning to let his family know before heading to the Land of Hot Water to stir up some trouble.
After retiring, Tobirama was very much at ease. He didn't have the bad habits of old man Hashirama, so he rarely went out to wander.
He mostly stayed at home, researching things. He heard he was recently preparing to write an autobiography.
He made his way to Tobirama's study, knocked on the door, and went in. As expected, his grandfather was writing and drawing at his desk, looking as if he was truly about to publish a book.
"Oh, look at you, actually going to write an autobiography? Great! I know people at the publishing house. Once you've finished, I'll get it published for you!" Hibari said with a laugh.
Tobirama smiled, put down his pen, and said, "I'm just writing this memoir to remember my past. I never said I was going to publish it for others to read, so there's no need for you, Commander Hibari, to trouble yourself. Why have you come to me? Is there something you don't understand about the Tandem Paper Bombs Technique?"
Hibari laughed and waved his hand, "That's not it. The Tandem Paper Bombs Technique is very simple. Give me a few more days, and I'll pretty much have it mastered. I came here to tell you about my future plans so that you won't have to ask me for help with anything after I leave. Just giving you a heads-up."
Tobirama was also surprised, and then said, "You've been holed up at home for a month; are you finally ready to go out? Did the Anbu give you a mission?"
Hibari shook his head and said, "The Anbu has no shortage of talent. Even if there's a mission, unless it's a matter of great importance, why would they need me to take action? I'm going to the Land of Hot Water to take care of some business, and I might not be back for a while."
Tobirama asked, "What business? Tell me about it."
Hibari smiled and said, "Didn't the Third Hokage-sama prepare to assist the Land of Hot Water? Our Mitsumine Group also has investments there, but unfortunately, some cult of Jashin has popped up in that wretched place and is causing trouble. When we go there to work, we naturally have to clean up the environment first. So I'm going there to deal with them to prevent them from affecting our work."
Hearing Hibari's 'righteous' words, Tobirama showed a look of distrust and said directly, "Whenever you speak so righteously, it means you're going to mix in your own agenda. I'd be a fool to believe you..."
After a slight pause, before Hibari could refute this 'slander,' Tobirama spoke again, "But you're a reliable person who knows how to handle things, so I won't ask you too much. Just be careful."
Hibari smiled and then said, "Don't worry, Ojiisan. I'm a person who is afraid of death and cherishes my life, so I'll definitely be careful."
"Good. Go and tell your grandmother, Mito, and the others as well. Don't disturb my thoughts here," Tobirama nodded and said.
"Then I won't bother you, the great writer. I'll be on my way," Hibari said with a laugh and then quickly left.
Looking at Hibari's retreating back, Tobirama shook his head with a helpless smile but ultimately said nothing more. Just as he had said, he trusted Hibari and believed that the guy wouldn't do anything reckless.
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