Chapter 160: Danzō Shimura's Move (3 & 4)
Early morning, two days later.
Hoshikawa stood in the First Training Ground and, under the watchful eye of Might Duy, activated the Eight Gates Formation .
In that instant, his body shuddered, and he felt as if everything had fundamentally changed. His mind became sharper, and his sight, hearing, and smell were all enhanced.
Most notably, the churning chakra within him filled him with a seemingly inexhaustible well of power.
Hoshikawa couldn't help but marvel; it was the Eight Gates, after all. To achieve such an effect from only the First Gate was incredible.
Yet, it came at a cost. His chakra was too volatile, making it extremely difficult to control.
If Hoshikawa attempted a regular Ninjutsu, like a Fire Release technique, he would most likely fail. Looked at another way, succeeding in casting a Ninjutsu would mean his chakra control had been elevated to a new level. The first three Gates allowed for attempted control, but the latter five would be nigh impossible. Even so, Hoshikawa was satisfied enough.
"Your talent is certainly nothing to scoff at!" Might Duy said, quite emotional. He held no bias, instead feeling delighted that a new user of the Eight Gates Formation had emerged.
"Thank you, Uncle Duy."
Hoshikawa deactivated the Eight Gates and immediately felt a wave of exhaustion. The Eight Gates was essentially a technique that forced the body into an overloaded state. When deactivated, discomfort was a natural consequence.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared with a rush of wind.
"Lady Tsunade!" Recognizing the newcomer, Might Duy quickly greeted her.
"Hm." Tsunade nodded slightly, then looked at Hoshikawa . "Come with me. We're going to see the Old Man."
"Uncle Duy, I'll see you later." Hoshikawa was surprised, said his goodbyes to Might Duy, and followed Tsunade.
"It's about the Akatsuki," Tsunade volunteered before Hoshikawa could ask.
"The Akatsuki?" Hoshikawa was puzzled. "Shouldn't this be Jiraiya-sensei's job?"
"He's busy chasing the Child of Prophecy. He only stayed with the Akatsuki for a week before leaving the Land of Rain," Tsunade scoffed. "The only reason he went at all was that his students founded it."
"That's not surprising," Hoshikawa shook his head.
"Since Jiraiya can't be found, they have to come to me," Tsunade complained. "Can't the Old Man handle anything himself?"
Hoshikawa could roughly guess the Third Hokage's intentions. It was probably to boost Tsunade's reputation. Of course, this didn't mean Sarutobi had already chosen the next Hokage, only that Tsunade's odds were extremely high.
The two quickly arrived at the Hokage's office.
"This is a secret letter sent from the Akatsuki," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, getting straight to the point.
"Such a serious look? Is it about Hanzō?" Tsunade shot him a glance and took the letter.
"It is," Hiruzen Sarutobi confirmed.
"Oh?" Tsunade's interest was piqued. She opened the letter and read it. The contents were brief: Hanzō wanted to cooperate with the Akatsuki, and they were asking Konoha for advice.
"What is Hanzō trying to do?" Tsunade frowned after reading it. "He wants to fight one moment, then make peace the next? Such a drastic change in attitude."
"Based on my understanding of Hanzō, he would never cooperate at this moment," Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered. "I believe it's a trap."
Hoshikawa 's heart lurched. Isn't this the trap from the original story? The one where Hanzō feigned peace to set an ambush, killing Yahiko and leaving Nagato crippled and blackened by hatred.
"The likelihood of a trap is high," Tsunade agreed. She recalled her battles with Hanzō during the Second Great Shinobi War. Amegakure and Konoha were sworn enemies then; he wouldn't have had the grace to let enemies walk away. He only granted them the title of the Legendary Sannin because he couldn't defeat them, using the gesture to enhance his own reputation.
"Write back and tell them to refuse Hanzō's offer," Tsunade tossed the letter onto the Hokage's desk.
"I suggest you go to the Akatsuki yourself," Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "Knowing Hanzō, he's certain to have a contingency plan." His thinking was simple: if the Akatsuki were destroyed, Konoha's act of support would become a laughingstock, especially since it hadn't even been half a month.
"Very well," Tsunade mused. Not defeating Hanzō back then was a lingering regret for her. Now that she had the chance, she'd confront the Demigod again.
"Be careful," Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe. "This mission is ranked S-class. You should select two more Jonin to join you."
"No need. War is about to break out, and it's better to have them focused on Kumogakure's movements," Tsunade refused. "Besides, the Akatsuki's strength isn't weak; they can still help us."
"Sensei," Hoshikawa suddenly cut in. "I have a candidate. How about we bring Uncle Duy?"
He thought of Might Duy because they had been training together recently. Though Duy was a Genin, once he activated the Eight Gates Formation, he was undoubtedly among the top tier of Jonin. Might Duy had always lacked a chance to make a name for himself. Fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist alone to gain fame through death was not worth it. But facing Hanzō wouldn't require his death, especially with Tsunade present. Conversely, if Tsunade defeated Hanzō with Might Duy's assistance, her prestige would soar, completely eclipsing Sakumo Hatake. If she wasn't the next Hokage after that, it would clearly be a political fix. This effect wasn't an exaggeration, given that the Uchiha had not yet deployed their Mangekyō Sharingan 'Susanoo.' Hanzō was, after all, one of the universally acknowledged strongest ninja in the world.
"Might Duy is acceptable," Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. "If he completes an S-class mission, it gives me a good reason to promote him to Chunin."
"Works for me," Tsunade said, not arguing further, and turned to leave.
"Sensei, when are we leaving?" Hoshikawa asked as they walked.
"Two o'clock this afternoon, I think," Tsunade replied. "You go notify the others."
"Got it." Hoshikawa said goodbye to Tsunade and hurried towards the First Training Ground.
On the way, he recalled the events leading to Yahiko's death. There were two key factors: Hanzō's feigned peace talks and Konan's capture. Hoshikawa rubbed his chin. He remembered Konan's capture wasn't done by Hanzō but by Danzō Shimura's Root division. Would that storyline still unfold now? Hoshikawa didn't know; he would only find out when they reached the Akatsuki base.
"Hoshikawa !" Might Duy spotted him from afar and waved. "Come, let's plunge into the fiery depths of youthful training!"
"Hold on to the training, Uncle Duy," Hoshikawa approached him. "The Hokage has a mission for you."
"What?" Might Duy's eyes went wide, and he looked incredulous. "The Hokage personally assigned me a mission?!"
"You're heading to the Land of Rain with our squad at two o'clock this afternoon," Hoshikawa said with a smile.
"That's wonderful!" Might Duy's eyes suddenly streamed with tears. "The Hokage has finally recognized my youth!"
"Uncle Duy, go back and prepare," Hoshikawa had become completely accustomed to his constant tears.
"I will not fail the Hokage's trust!" Might Duy turned and bolted away.
Hoshikawa smiled. After pondering for a few seconds, he walked towards Rin Nohara's house.
He soon reached his destination.
In the warm sunlight, Rin was standing not far from the doorway, holding out her hands. A pale green chakra glowed, and the koi fish she was covering with her hands twitched in response. But soon, the pale green chakra flickered erratically, like a bad connection, before completely vanishing.
"Did I fail again?" Rin pursed her lips, looking disappointed.
"The Mystical Palm Technique is difficult; there's no need to be so discouraged," a familiar voice said.
"Hoshikawa ?" Rin looked up, her face lighting up with surprise.
"Good afternoon," Hoshikawa said with a warm smile.
"Good afternoon," Rin retracted her hands and asked, "What brings you here?"
"To wipe off your sweat." Hoshikawa casually handed her a tissue.
"Thank you." Rin was briefly stunned, then took the tissue and wiped the perspiration from her forehead.
Hoshikawa looked at her. A thin layer of sweat beaded on her fair forehead. Brown strands of hair were matted together by the moisture. The girl, flushed after intense exertion, was undeniably a little alluring.
"Um… is there something you needed?" Rin noticed his gaze and her heart tightened slightly.
"We have a mission this afternoon. We're going to the Land of Rain," Hoshikawa said, his expression serious.
"Oh." Rin looked a little embarrassed. "I… I'll be on time."
"That's good." Hoshikawa shifted his gaze. "I should go…"
"Hoshikawa , why don't you stay for lunch?" Rin asked, gathering her courage.
"Would that be alright?" Hoshikawa paused. "It might be too much trouble for your parents."
"They're not home," Rin quickly explained. She then felt her explanation sounded ambiguous. Trying to clarify, she didn't know what to say, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.
"How about I cook?" Hoshikawa mused. Since Rin had already invited him, he couldn't very well refuse.
"Huh?" Rin looked surprised. Since when did a guest cook? But she couldn't deny that Hoshikawa 's cooking was truly delicious; just thinking about it made her mouth water.
"It's settled then." Hoshikawa patted her head and walked toward the kitchen.
Rin stared at his retreating figure, momentarily lost in thought. After a long moment, she snapped out of it and clapped her hands against her warm cheeks.
Rin put the koi fish away and entered the kitchen. She didn't interrupt Hoshikawa , instead grabbing bowls and chopsticks and leaving. After setting the table, Rin sat down. Listening to the faint sounds from the kitchen, she felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart.
"Coming!" Hoshikawa emerged from the kitchen, carrying two dishes.
"Thank you for going to all this trouble, Hoshikawa ," Rin said, her face slightly red. "You're the guest."
"It's nothing," Hoshikawa said dismissively. "We don't need to be so formal with each other."
"Okay!" Rin nodded heavily, a joyful smile spreading across her face.
"Try it," Hoshikawa said, picking up his chopsticks.
"I know it's going to be delicious," Rin said truthfully. She picked up a piece of chicken and put it in her mouth. Her eyes widened; it was indeed heavenly.
Hoshikawa watched her reaction and smiled. If a mere 50% increase in deliciousness was this good, he wondered what power the advanced version of the C-rank talent 'Master Chef' held.
The time was two o'clock in the afternoon.
At the gates of Konoha Village, Tsunade, Hoshikawa , Rin Nohara, Kurenai Yuhi, and Might Duy were all assembled.
"Move out!"
With that command, the group sped up, heading west toward the Land of Rain.
The morning of the third day.
Akatsuki Base.
"Lord Yahiko," a middle-aged ninja entered the main hall. "A secret letter has arrived from Konoha Village."
"They are quite efficient," Yahiko nodded and took the letter.
"What does it say?" Konan looked at him and asked.
Nagato, meanwhile, sat expressionlessly in his chair, showing no reaction. He had opposed accepting Konoha's aid. Since his parents had died at the hands of Konoha ninja, he naturally held no goodwill towards them. But Yahiko and Konan had both agreed, and the majority ruled, so he could only temporarily suppress his hatred.
"Konoha has sent envoys to help us," Yahiko said after reading the letter. "They don't know the exact location of our base, Konan, please go meet them."
"Understood," Konan nodded and turned to leave. With her Paper Person of God (Shikigami no Mai) jutsu, she could fly, making it convenient.
Less than ten minutes later, a knock sounded again.
"Enter," Yahiko looked up. "What is it?"
"Lord Yahiko, the Konoha envoys have arrived." the middle-aged ninja replied.
"That quickly?" Yahiko was surprised, but said, "Arrange for them to be in the main hall—no, I'll go greet them myself."
"Yes," the middle-aged ninja bowed slightly and exited the hall.
"Nagato, are you coming?" Yahiko stood up and asked.
"No," Nagato said stiffly.
Yahiko sighed and didn't try to persuade him. He walked out of the hall and quickly saw the Konoha ninja. That's… Tsunade? Yahiko was surprised and felt a little overwhelmed. He hadn't expected Konoha to attach such importance to them; two of the Legendary Sannin were now here.
"Lady Tsunade," Yahiko introduced himself. "I am Yahiko. Long time no see."
"Where is Konan?" Tsunade looked around and asked.
"Didn't Konan go to meet you?" Yahiko was taken aback. "You didn't see her?"
"No," Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Did we pass her?"
"Wait a minute!" Yahiko suddenly realized the problem. "Lady Tsunade, did this secret letter come from you?"
"No," Tsunade glanced at it.
"But this letter was sent through Konoha's communication channel," Yahiko said, confused.
After Konoha started supporting the Akatsuki, they established a special line of contact. Not many people knew about this channel.
Tsunade frowned instantly. Someone is playing a trick!
"The priority right now is finding Senior Sister Konan," Hoshikawa quickly reminded her. He had already guessed the culprit. The Shadow Hokage, Danzō Shimura.
"Go!" Tsunade said decisively. "We'll split up and search. We must find her as quickly as possible!"
(End of Chapter)
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