Chapter 132: Leaving Konoha
While the girls were resting after lunch, Ling Yu used Space Power to appear outside the Hokage Tower, intending to handle this matter alone.
BANG!
The door was kicked open from the outside.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, I have business with you."
Ignoring any notion of courtesy, Ling Yu had no good feelings toward Hiruzen Sarutobi. He barged straight into the tightly closed office, striding in without hesitation.
At that moment, a high-level Konoha meeting was still underway in the Hokage office. Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, advisor Koharu Utatane, new Root leader Mito Kaden, and Mito Kaden's assistant Orochimaru were all present. Seeing Ling Yu burst in, their expressions immediately turned displeased.
"Stand down! A meeting is currently in progress. Without the Hokage's permission, unauthorized personnel are strictly forbidden from entering."
Ling Yu's rude action instantly drew the attention of the Anbu. Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could even speak, several Anbu ninja leaped out from the shadows, weapons drawn, blocking Ling Yu's path.
They were ninja directly commanded by the Hokage and obeyed only his orders. Even though they knew they couldn't match the strength of the man before them, they refused to back down.
"Hm?"
Seeing several reckless Anbu blocking his way, Ling Yu frowned, about to speak.
"Stand down! Senju Ling Yu was invited here by me. From now on, do not obstruct him."
The next moment, a stern voice rang out. The Anbu ninja immediately withdrew.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, I never expected your subordinates to be so loyal—they even dared block me. Aren't you afraid I might lose my temper and act?"
Ling Yu gave a disdainful laugh and strode straight up to Hiruzen Sarutobi, his tone laced with mockery.
Ling Yu's words instantly provoked displeasure from everyone present, but they merely darkened their faces and said nothing in retort.
After all, everyone in the room knew his overwhelming strength. They had no desire to provoke him over such a trivial matter. Of course—except for Orochimaru, who watched with keen interest.
Orochimaru had received three experimental subjects from Ling Yu's wood clone that morning, along with a note reading "Happy cooperation." Knowing he would definitely have future contact with Ling Yu, he felt quite pleased inside.
"Heh heh… Ling Yu, long time no see. What brings you here today?"
Even though he was mocked, Hiruzen Sarutobi—despite his good temper—couldn't help but feel anger. The veins on his forehead bulged.
But no matter how furious he felt inside, on the surface he still had to maintain a polite, "kindly" demeanor and ask Ling Yu the purpose of his visit.
The last time they had spoken face-to-face was during the Second Great Ninja War, when Hiruzen had humbled himself and begged Ling Yu to save Konoha—losing all dignity.
He never expected his face would be slapped again so soon. He wondered what trouble Ling Yu had come to cause this time.
"I won't beat around the bush. You should already know that my sister and I plan to leave Konoha for a while. I came today just to inform you."
"As for when we'll return… I can't say for sure. It might be two or three years, or it might be even longer."
Not wanting to waste words with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Ling Yu used Wood Release to grow a chair from the floor. He sat down casually and spoke to Hiruzen with a relaxed expression.
"What?! You're leaving Konoha? The war has only just ended—the surrounding situation is still unstable—and you want to leave now? What do you take Konoha for? A place you can come and go as you please?"
Mito Kaden shot to his feet, his face filled with stern accusation.
Right now, Konoha's safety relied heavily on Ling Yu's reputation. The other villages didn't dare attack because they feared him. If he left for a few weeks—or even a month—they could still accept it.
But years? And taking the powerful Tsunade, along with Mikoto and Kushina—two more top-tier fighters? If other nations learned of this, war could break out again.
"Hm? You don't want us to leave? We've already helped Konoha win the war. The rest is your own business. We don't want to get involved, and we won't."
Ling Yu's gaze turned cold. His overwhelming aura erupted instantly, pressing down on everyone in the room. Mito Kaden—who bore the brunt of it—was slammed flat to the floor, completely unable to move.
"Senju Ling Yu! Do you… do you know what you're doing?! Attacking Konoha's high command is a capital offense—do you understand that?! Hiruzen, say something!"
Koharu Utatane flew into a rage at the sight of Ling Yu acting so brazenly. She looked desperately toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Stop! I approve your request."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even glance at her. Reason with them? His strength is greater than mine—how am I supposed to control him? Go up there and die?
Though that was what he thought, Hiruzen still hurriedly called for a halt. He absolutely could not allow Ling Yu to rampage here and potentially turn against Konoha.
If that happened—even if he and the others survived—Ling Yu would become a missing-nin. The other four nations would seize the opportunity to attack Konoha, and the village would never withstand it.
"Haa… you're really leaving for that long?"
Only after Ling Yu withdrew his aura did Hiruzen Sarutobi take a deep pull from his pipe and cautiously ask.
"I'm certain! And there's no room for discussion."
Ling Yu's gaze was resolute.
"Very well… but can you promise me one thing? Just consider it a favor to the Senju clan."
Seeing that Ling Yu had given his final ultimatum, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't dare push his bottom line any further.
......…
Senju Compound At this moment, Ling Yu and Tsunade's group were all sitting together on the sofa, talking.
"Minister of Foreign Affairs? Why would the Third Hokage suddenly give you such a position out of nowhere? Aren't those kinds of jobs usually held by old men?"
Kushina sat on the sofa, picked up the document Ling Yu had placed on the table, and asked with a puzzled frown.
When Ling Yu went to speak with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kushina had just returned from Uzumaki Rinane's house. That was why she could be in the living room when Ling Yu got back.
"It's not out of kindness. He's afraid that once I leave, I won't come back. As long as he announces this position to the ninja world, everyone will know that—even though I'm not in Konoha—I still stand with the village."
"And if other nations hear that I'm visiting their territory, they'll be on high alert. As long as they're busy watching me, they won't have the energy to attack Konoha."
Ling Yu reached over and pulled Konan into his lap, gently stroking her little head while slowly explaining.
Hiruzen Sarutobi really was quite cunning. Unable to scheme against him openly, he resorted to this overt strategy.
"Hmph, I knew it couldn't be anything good. So they just want to use you as a figurehead and wave your name around like a chicken feather pretending it's an imperial edict."
Kushina's face filled with anger. She snorted coldly and tossed the document back onto the table.
"Since you already knew that, why did you still agree to take the position?"
Hearing Ling Yu's explanation, Mikoto also looked a little upset. She frowned and asked him.
"Heh heh heh… even though it's an open scheme, it's not entirely bad for me. I can openly visit other ninja villages. If anything happens, I won't have to bear the consequences myself—and those villages will still have to treat me well with food and hospitality. Sounds pretty good, right?"
Looking at the document on the table, a strange glint flashed in Ling Yu's eyes.
Who knows—maybe he could even use this position to find a few more girlfriends. While Konoha had plenty of beautiful women, the other villages weren't lacking either.
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