https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-128-Oh-No-the-Hokage-s-Son-Has-Been-Captured-/12832185/
Chapter 129: Hiruzen Sarutobi: The Pain, It's Too Much!
Chapter 129: Hiruzen Sarutobi: The Pain, It's Too Much!
Konoha Village!
In the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere was unbearably tense, as if a single spark could ignite the room.
"What do we do now?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's hoarse voice carried a weariness that refused to fade.
Pain!
Too much pain!
His heart felt as if it were being sliced by countless knives.
Who would have thought that merely allowing Shinno to lead the mission would result in him being captured by the Sand shinobi?
And not only that, the remaining ninja forces were unable to retreat under the relentless pursuit of the Sand shinobi.
"Let the Southwest shinobi forces deal with those Sand shinobi!"
Danzo, ever the warrior, immediately suggested a direct confrontation, confident in the strength of his forces, even if he wasn't the one leading them.
Though he harbored animosity towards Douhei, he had no doubt about his capabilities.
"No!," Koharu Utatane instinctively objected. She realized the others were looking at her and explained, "If the Southwest shinobi forces engage, the Sand army could march directly on Konoha..."
She was being cautious and pragmatic.
Konoha couldn't afford to let the enemy reach the village.
Even with the village's hidden strength, the blow to morale would be catastrophic.
Once morale collapses, it's nearly impossible to restore.
"You're right, the Southwest shinobi forces cannot engage!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood that if the worst were to happen, the village, already struggling, might crumble instantly.
"Perhaps I should lead the Anbu to rescue them?"
Mito Iwai stepped forward, gritting his teeth.
He had voted to recommend Shinno, and now that he was captured, it was only natural for him to want to help.
"The priority is to support Orochimaru and the others. We can rescue them later!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi firmly rejected the suggestion.
As a father, he wanted to send help immediately, but his duty as Hokage required him to prioritize the greater good.
"If it weren't for the fact that all the Root members are out gathering intelligence, we might have been able to rescue them!"
Danzo sighed 'regretfully.'
Whether he was genuinely upset was anyone's guess.
"Then who will lead this mission?"
Koharu asked.
The village still had considerable potential, and forming a support force wasn't a problem. The critical issue was who would lead it.
A single incompetent commander could doom an entire army!
In this world where individual strength was paramount, this wasn't just a figure of speech but a harsh reality.
"Minato..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately thought of him.
Minato was enthusiastic, optimistic, and a firm believer in the Will of Fire. As Jiraiya's student, he was the best choice.
"No, the Cloud shinobi are already on the northeastern border. Without Minato to hold the line, the defenses could easily be breached. He can't leave!"
Koharu outright rejected the suggestion.
Compared to the Sand, the Cloud posed a greater threat, and they couldn't allow them to invade the Land of Fire.
Konoha had another available Kage-level ninja.
Tsunade!
But due to Hiruzen's stubbornness, everyone knew she wouldn't be asked to help.
Kage-level ninjas weren't as common as cabbage, even in Konoha.
"Perhaps we could send the support forces to Mount Kikyou and have the Uchiha boy lead the Southwest shinobi forces instead?"
Mito Iwai had an idea.
"…It's acceptable!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally nodded.
They had only one viable option left.
Though he disliked the boy's previous demands, they had no choice but to use him now.
However, they had forgotten that they had just stripped him of authority and 'borrowed' two hundred shinobi from his command.
In the eyes of the Konoha F4, it was fine to treat him this way, but not the other way around.
Such blatant double standards!
So, when the order was sent to Mount Kikyou, there was no response.
Finally, when Mito Iwai and Koharu arrived with a force of five hundred shinobi, they found Douhei Uchiha.
Good grief!
They were truly taken aback!
They found him by the river, leisurely fishing. At his feet were several bound messenger shinobi, and the messenger hawks had received the same treatment.
"Uchiha Douhei!!"
Danzo's fist clenched tightly.
Tranzu Shizun had only refrained from attacking due to the significant gap in their strength. Otherwise, she might have acted on her anger immediately.
But to everyone's surprise, Douhei's reaction to her fury was simply a nod.
"Uh-huh..."
He acknowledged her presence with a slight nod but continued to stare into the water.
He was well aware of the source of her anger.
However, he believed that if someone dared to scheme against him, they should be prepared to face the consequences.
He couldn't just sit back and take a loss without retaliating, could he?
Was she really expecting him to be a spineless Uchiha, brainwashed by the Will of Fire?
Mitokado Homura tugged at his friend, understanding the source of Douhei's discontent. He began to consider how to pacify the situation.
They needed Douhei to act, or their situation would be dire.
The ninja they had brought to defend Mount Kikyo would be hard-pressed to provide support, especially against the overwhelming forces of the Sand shinobi.
Worse, their own strength had declined drastically with age. While their secret and forbidden techniques could still threaten Kage-level opponents, they were also more vulnerable to being eliminated.
"How much will it take for you to act?"
Tranzu Shizun, known for her intelligence, had calmed down and was now ready to negotiate.
They had come to understand that Douhei would only act if there was something in it for him.
Though this annoyed them, they could tolerate it during wartime.
"I've been conducting experiments recently and need to purchase a batch of nutrient solutions. I wonder if there are any 'kind-hearted' sponsors out there!"
Douhei laid out his conditions.
Since they had schemed against him, they should be prepared to pay the price now.
"Ten canisters!"
Tranzu Shizun gritted her teeth and named her bottom line.
Each canister cost ten million ryo, and they were not easy to come by. Only major clients could secure them, and even ten canisters would require her to use a significant amount of her connections.
"Restoring the glory of Konoha is our duty!"
Douhei immediately sat up straight.
Sand shinobi, huh? No problem.
He had already had his fun, and now he would be getting ten canisters of nutrient solution, making this a highly profitable deal.
A massive investment!
It seemed the other party was genuinely sincere.
This was a private deal, not an official one, and the price was enough to hire someone like Kakuzu multiple times.
"..."
Tranzu Shizun looked at Douhei, who now seemed fully committed to the village's cause, as if the previous person was someone else entirely. She was seething with frustration.
My money!
This expense would have to come out of her personal funds, not the official budget.
The only silver lining was that Douhei was ready to act and immediately led his team into battle.
Soon, the remaining eight hundred shinobi of the Southwest Shinobi Army set off toward Orochimaru's location.
As for Mount Kikyo, it was left in the hands of the two elders and a hastily assembled force of five hundred shinobi.
They didn't expect much from them, only that they could hold the fort.
Tasks like rallying the shinobi and distributing supplies were naturally entrusted to Nara Tadanari.
After the reminder from Nara Shikaku, Douhei had come to understand the priorities of these clan shinobi and was no longer interested in recruiting them.
As long as they completed their tasks, that was all he cared about.
"Speed up!"
On the way, Douhei urged his team to move faster.
Saving someone was like putting out a fire; if they failed to rescue their target, his ten million ryo worth of nutrient solution would be lost.
He was well aware of the situation with Orochimaru and the others being pinned down.
However, this time, Douhei planned to take care of some personal business.
Yes, personal business.
A noble had dared to cause trouble for the Honda Trade Guild.
Clearly, they were asking for trouble.
The Honda Trade Guild now paid a substantial portion of its profits to him, essentially as protection money.
Yet, this noble still dared to harass the guild, which Douhei could not tolerate.
He had been too busy (fishing) to deal with it earlier, but now that he was out, he would take the opportunity to show his support for the Honda Trade Guild and make it clear that they had his backing.
He didn't want to be constantly called upon to clean up their messes, so this was the perfect opportunity to establish his authority.
He would bring the shinobi army to back him up!
After this, no noble would dare to cross him.
(End of Chapter)
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