Chapter 1051: Sowing Discord and Setting the Pace!
Chapter 1051: Sowing Discord and Setting the Pace!
Several figures restrained by Kage were unmasked by the Anbu.
Their appearances were quite ordinary, making it hard to identify them.
However, Tsunade's Advisor, Koharu, changed her expression drastically.
Yes, she had already recognized them. These people belonged to Root.
Root!
This reorganized department, under her management, had regained some of its former vitality and had a few peripheral members.
These few individuals were part of the peripheral members.
After confirming this, she quietly informed Asuma, who was standing beside her.
After all, the Anbu members responsible for the interrogation were under the management of this 'Anbu Commander.'
Thus, under everyone's watchful eyes,
Ugh!
Several figures taken over by the Anbu suddenly spat out blood.
"Damn it!"
"They've been poisoned!"
"Quick, administer the antidote!"
...
Several voices rang out, but by the time the antidote was forced into their mouths, they were already corpses.
"Are you... taking me for a fool?"
Tsunade's voice, filled with rage, echoed.
Yes, as the pinnacle of Medical Ninjutsu, how could she not see what had happened to these people?
The issue was that there were too many 'outsiders' present, or she would have exposed them immediately.
But she was furious.
To act so brazenly in front of her, did they really think she had no temper?
"Lady Tsunade..."
Asuma's face stiffened.
He hadn't anticipated that these individuals would be peripheral members of Root. To ensure that the blame wouldn't fall on the 'Hawk Faction,' affecting the Hokage Election the next day, he had to take decisive action to eliminate the threat.
"Asuma, you... you've disgraced the Sarutobi Clan!"
Tsunade had intended to call him 'teacher,' but she suddenly remembered all the despicable deeds done by Hiruzen Sarutobi, especially the downfall of the Senju Clan and the loss of her beloved, both of which were linked to him. She instantly changed her words.
That old man doesn't deserve to be called a teacher!
Indeed, as the power of the Blazing Sun Kingdom grew, its influence naturally expanded.
For example, the book "My Struggle" saw astonishing sales.
Not only did it detail Konohagakure's extensive history, but it also vividly described the plots and power struggles, making it an engaging read even as a light novel.
It clearly outlined Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions, including his collaboration with Danzo to wipe out the Uzumaki Clan, force the White Fang to commit suicide, suppress the Uchiha, and conduct the Wood Release Experiment, among other things.
Each event was described in minute detail, as if witnessed firsthand.
Initially, some people refuted the book as fake news, but as the events described were gradually proven true, the Third Hokage's reputation had become utterly tarnished.
Thus, Asuma now dared not reveal his identity as the 'son of the former Hokage,' fearing the repercussions.
Tsunade, knowing all this, refrained from cursing Hiruzen Sarutobi, which was already a sign of restraint.
"Sorry, Lady Tsunade, but our Hokage faction absolutely cannot allow you to become Hokage!"
Asuma replied.
His words implied that he would expel Tsunade from the Hokage faction and do everything possible to prevent her from becoming Hokage.
"Hmph, I hope you know what you're doing!"
Tsunade clenched her fists, almost tempted to punch him into a meat patty, but considering the place, she left with a threat and turned to leave.
She didn't believe they could truly suppress the truth.
Even if they managed to, there would surely be 'well-meaning individuals' who would spread the word about today's events.
As Tsunade had predicted,
By the next evening, the news that the Konohagakure 'Hawk Faction' was planning to burn down the Nara Clan had spread far and wide.
In the past, the Konoha guards might have been able to suppress such news.
But the current Konoha guards... while not entirely useless, they lacked the capability to handle such a situation. They could manage daily affairs, but this was beyond their capabilities.
As for the Anbu and Root?
They were indeed capable, being elite operatives.
But their numbers were too few.
With less than a few hundred members, and with other tasks to handle, they couldn't possibly control the spread of rumors in a village of hundreds of thousands.
Thus, the rumors spread wildly, and by the next morning, they had transformed into something entirely different.
The next day!
Tang Ping, using the identity of Fujima Ryo, walked through the streets, hearing a flood of discussions.
"Did you hear? Last night, the Hawk Faction went completely insane..."
"That's not right. I heard it was the Dove Faction, trying to frame the Hawk Faction!"
"Really? I wonder who the Sixth Hokage will be. This time, every ninja can vote. It would be great if we were ninjas too!"
"Stop that. Have you heard..."
...
From these conversations, it was clear that last night's event had a massive impact, with almost everyone in the streets talking about it.
However, what was strange was that there were quite a few 'rational middlemen' among the discussions.
This was the most unusual part.
Because the people of Konohagakure had never been known to be rational middlemen. Now, they were appearing, which couldn't help but seem odd.
Someone must be stirring the pot!
Definitely someone is stirring the pot.
And it wasn't just that; they were also throwing mud at the Dove Faction.
The intention was simple: if I'm dirty, then by making you dirty too, we all start on the same level.
Such a clever response couldn't have come from Tsunade's Advisor Koharu.
There was only one possibility.
Nara Shikamaru!
He had just returned to Konohagakure yesterday, and then the Hawk Faction's response improved so much that it was impossible not to suspect him.
Tang Ping was extremely satisfied with this move.
Without it, Tsunade and the corrupted Ino might have succeeded in their forced takeover.
Yes, while Tang Ping was enjoying the show, he was also constantly setting obstacles for Tsunade.
His goal was to make Konohagagure a stronghold against the Blazing Sun Kingdom.
If he didn't crush this former 'strongest ninja village,' how could he demonstrate the power of the Blazing Sun Kingdom?
More importantly, the Konohagakure faction within the Blazing Sun Kingdom was already very strong, even dominating most of the upper echelons. So Tang Ping really didn't want to accept a fully intact Konohagakure.
If he did, things might be fine while he was in power, but what about after he stepped down? Would the Blazing Sun Kingdom have to change its name to 'Wood Village'?
Since the Doyume family issue had been resolved, Tang Ping needed to start planning for his post-retirement life.
Anyway, he was determined to slaughter this 'chicken' of Konohagakure.
If he didn't, the others might not behave.
He had little goodwill toward the unruly people of Konohagakure.
They were completely spoiled.
A thorough cleansing was necessary.
Even if they had ninja blood, what did it matter?
In the past, the Blazing Sun Kingdom lacked promising students, so these villagers with ninja blood were still useful.
But now?
Not only were they no longer lacking, but with the Spirit Energy system in place, they no longer had to rely on chakra.
With these conditions, the importance of the unruly people of Konohagakure was far less than they imagined.
If not for considering the internal dynamics of the Blazing Sun Kingdom, Tang Ping wouldn't need to go through such trouble. He could have just pushed them over directly.
But he had given them a chance. If Konohagakure failed to seize this opportunity, not only refusing to submit but also provoking and targeting him, then he would have to be a billion times harsher, and no one would think it was wrong.
In the past, Tang Ping didn't have the time for these small maneuvers, as he focused entirely on his growth.
But now, he had plenty of time. Even for something as significant as devouring Jodo, he preferred to wait rather than act himself.
Listening to these discussions, Tang Ping arrived at the Hokage Building... in front of the square.
This Hokage Election was extremely special, not held in the assembly hall inside the building, but outside in the square.
There was no choice, as this time the vote wasn't just for Jounin but for all ninjas.
Even though most ninjas were part of the Allied Forces and hadn't returned, there were still thousands of ninjas in the village.
And that didn't include the unregistered ones.
It was truly terrifying!
This was the foundation of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Of course, those who hadn't registered had no voting rights, and those who registered in the past month also had no voting rights.
This was Tsunade's proposal.
The unregistered ninjas of the various ninja clans were not insignificant, like the three thousand Ape Family Army, all 'black ninja residents.'
Although other ninja clans weren't as extreme, the total number was still significant, and precautions had to be taken to prevent them from getting voting rights.
To ensure fair voting, the village didn't prevent civilians from watching, so Tang Ping also came to the square.
(End of Chapter)
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