https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-149-Preparing-to-Capture-White-Zetsu-/12832216/
Chapter 148: Such a Good Deal?
Chapter 148: Such a Good Deal?
"Lord Hokage, please intervene on behalf of the Hyuga clan!"
Hyuga Tokumitsu stood up, interrupting Mito Iwai, and immediately accused the other party.
"I wonder what Elder Tokumitsu wants me to do?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, feigning ignorance. How could he not know about the conflict between Tanpei and the Hyuga clan? He was just pretending.
"Previously, when Tanpei paid us a visit, we treated him with the utmost respect, but he..."
As Hyuga Tokumitsu recounted the earlier conflict, everyone's eyes turned to the two men, though their gazes varied.
They all understood the reason for the conflict.
And when it came to Sage Mode, did they crave it?
The answer was a resounding yes.
However, due to Tanpei's terrifying strength, they could only suppress their desire.
No one blamed Hyuga Suzume, as everyone knew what the 'Caged Bird Seal' represented for the Hyuga clan.
The branch family was just a polite term; calling them 'slaves' wouldn't be far off.
So, it was only natural that the main family would direct them to gather information. Tanpei's retaliation was entirely justified.
Even those who were friendly with the Hyuga clan didn't speak up in their defense.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Tanpei a fair opportunity to explain.
However, sometimes fairness itself can be unfair.
Knowing that the Hyuga clan had designs on his Sage Mode, yet handling the matter with apparent fairness, only indicated a biased stance.
It was unclear if there were any personal grudges involved.
Tanpei didn't believe that Sarutobi Hiruzen was entirely selfless and devoted to the village. If that were true, the 'Three Thousand Apes' joke about the Sarutobi clan wouldn't exist.
Moreover, the fact that Sarutobi Asuma would later teach the next generation of 'Ino-Shika-Cho' was the strongest evidence.
Asuma had been a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja!
In other words, he had been a defector and still returned to become the teacher of the future leaders of three clans.
What a selfish move!
Otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have lost hope and left Konoha. It wasn't something that could be washed away by a simple death.
Tanpei had previously confronted Sarutobi Shinno and even slapped Asuma. As the father of those two, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't possibly have no grievances against him.
Despite his inner annoyance, Tanpei didn't show it. Instead, he calmly said:
"If the Hyuga clan wants Sage Mode, I can teach it to Hyuga Suzume. However, she will need to undergo several years of 'hard' trials. I wonder if they will agree to this?"
As he spoke, he deliberately shot a hateful glance at Hyuga Suzume, making her cower in fear.
Without that look, it would have sounded like he was simply offering the Hyuga clan a chance to gain Sage Mode.
But with that look, it was a different story.
The underlying message was that the Hyuga clan would have to hand over Hyuga Suzume for him to torment for a few years before he would teach them Sage Mode.
Anyone with a functioning brain could understand this.
"No..."
"Deal!"
Hyuga Hiashi couldn't help but speak up, but Hyuga Tokumitsu cut him off, his face beaming with joy.
It was just a minor branch family member.
Give her!
He would have hesitated if the price were anything else, but this condition was a no-brainer when it came to Sage Mode.
He had already intended to use her to placate Tanpei, a Kage-level ninja, and now this was even better.
Would Tanpei not teach Sage Mode?
With the credibility of a Kage-level ninja, there was no need to worry about that.
Most importantly, even if he lost the bet, would the Hyuga clan suffer any real loss?
Absolutely not!
It was just a few years of 'trials' for Hyuga Suzume, and she wasn't from the main family.
So, it was no wonder Hyuga Tokumitsu reacted this way.
"Then, have I offended the Hyuga clan in any way before?"
Tanpei, having seen the thick-skinned nature of these clan elders, asked in return.
His offer was for Hyuga Suzume's benefit.
This way, she would have a special status within the Hyuga clan and wouldn't have to worry about internal threats before she could break free from the Caged Bird Seal.
Here is the rewritten chapter with non-English characters replaced with their English equivalents or transliterations:
And he could openly stay by my side.
A win-win situation!
What a deal!
"Absolutely no offense, from now on, you will be our esteemed guest of the Hyuga clan!"
At this moment, Hyuga Tokumitsu had completely shed his usual rigid and conservative demeanor, swallowing back his previous accusations.
'Old fox!'
'Shameless!'
...
The clan leaders of the major ninja clans were all silently cursing in their hearts.
If a bit of humiliation meant a chance to obtain the Sage Mode, they would gladly welcome it, regardless of their status as precious flowers.
"Alright, let's continue discussing the reassignment of the defense zones..."
Shimura Dan opened the topic again.
As he explained, many eyes carefully glanced at Tang Ping.
This was about splitting the southwestern ninja forces in two.
One half would continue to garrison at Kikyo Mountain, while the other half would be stationed in the southern region. This would not only allow a two-front assault on the Sand ninja from Kikyo Mountain but also provide a flank to defend against the Mist ninja's advances.
Brilliant!
A very solid strategy, the only downside being for Tang Ping, the commander.
Not only would his responsibilities increase, as he would have to face the dual threats of the Sand and Mist ninja, but he would also lose control over half of the southwestern forces, leaving the newly appointed deputy, Shimura Sen, in charge.
"Fine by me!"
Tang Ping nodded nonchalantly.
They thought he would play some tricks, but this was all they had?
He never considered the southwestern forces as his own. Losing control over half of them was no concern, as long as it didn't touch his bottom line.
The Honda Trading Company, collecting orphans... as long as these weren't affected, he didn't care.
He even welcomed less responsibility.
Power comes with responsibility!
Leading the southwestern forces meant defending against the Sand ninja, but now with half the power, he could slack off without the village complaining.
They couldn't expect him to risk his life for the village just because they had tried to reduce his power, right?
That's why he agreed so readily.
Seeing him nod so easily, Shimura Dan and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances.
'Did we misjudge him?'
Due to Tang Ping's previous behavior, especially his efforts to absorb the defeated clan's ninja, they had been on guard.
They had tried every trick to reduce his power, expecting a strong reaction, but he had agreed so smoothly.
It seemed that, apart from his rebellious nature, he was actually quite a decent person.
In reality,
When Tang Ping heard about being assigned to the southern region, he had only one thought.
Is this for real?
By the sea!
The ninja world didn't value the ocean, even the Water Country, an island nation, was desperate to invade the Fire Country to 'get on land.'
But as a time traveler, Tang Ping naturally understood the principle that 'whoever controls the sea controls the world.'
Moreover, the southern region was closer to the Land of Rivers, which suited him perfectly.
Being stationed in the south was essentially letting him use Konoha's resources to build his own power base. Not shouting in excitement was a sign of his strong self-control.
Thus, what the Konoha F4 considered an extremely difficult goal was achieved so easily.
But before they could celebrate, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Something big must have happened!
Everyone knew today's meeting was crucial, so it had to be something major to interrupt it.
"Hokage-sama, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, along with hundreds of Mist ninja, have bypassed the front lines and are rushing towards Konoha. They are now less than a thousand kilometers away!"
The messenger's voice was urgent.
Indeed, it was urgent. With less than a thousand kilometers to go, if the jonin used the Body Flicker Technique without worrying about chakra consumption, they could arrive in a few hours.
Even at a standard marching speed, it would take them only about two days.
Unbelievable!
Everyone in the meeting room was in shock.
The southeastern forces responsible for defending against the Mist ninja were not weak. How could the enemy bypass their defenses so easily?
But the situation had already occurred, and questioning the reasons was pointless. They immediately began to discuss how to respond.
Only one person remained silent, his eyes filled with deep thought.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
