https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-338-Orochimaru-s-Prelude-to-Defection-/12932714/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-340-Brothers-You-Smell-So-Good-A-A-/12932716/
Chapter 339: Changes in the Leaf Village
Chapter 339: Changes in the Leaf Village
"Dong Ping!"
As soon as they entered the village, several ninjas from the Mountain Clan and other smaller clans greeted them, eager to welcome their fellow clansmen.
They were part of the network that the Heavenly Fortress had established within the village.
However, they weren't expected to undertake dangerous missions; their primary tasks were to gather routine intelligence and serve as a base for the Heavenly Fortress.
With the Heavenly Fortress flourishing, many smaller clans that struggled to thrive in the village yearned for the opportunities offered by the Mountain Clan and others.
After all, joining the Heavenly Fortress meant that clan members could receive resources to cultivate their ninja talents and also share in the abundant industries.
The clans that had joined were indeed reaping the benefits!
In the Leaf Village, most of the fields were already occupied by the major ninja clans, and the remaining ones had been divided among the higher-ups, leaving little room for the smaller clans to survive.
Especially for the declining smaller clans, there was no chance of resurgence.
But in the Heavenly Fortress, opportunities were abundant.
Unfortunately, the Root Division was keeping a tight watch, not allowing villagers to migrate to the Heavenly Fortress, and even regular visits were subject to scrutiny.
They were restricting the Heavenly Fortress from every angle, treating them like thieves.
The Leaf Village didn't want to do this, but they were forced to.
The Heavenly Fortress had become so well-known and offered so many benefits that if the village didn't suppress it, they might be drained of resources.
At the very least, the commoners and smaller clans had genuine opportunities for development.
In the past, there were concerns that these clans might face unexpected dangers and be eliminated, as such situations were common in the ninja world.
But after a few years, the Heavenly Fortress had become increasingly prosperous.
Not only had the number of ninjas increased, but the strength of their powerful members had also significantly improved, naturally dispelling any lingering worries.
However, the village had now directly prohibited travel to the Heavenly Fortress, all because of Danzo's ruthless measures, backed by the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Otherwise, they would have caused trouble long ago, but now they could only curse their fate.
This was all part of Dong Ping's deliberate plan.
Even if he couldn't immediately absorb these clans, he could still buy their loyalty with small favors, allowing them to witness the benefits firsthand.
This way, when the opportunity arose, they would naturally flock to the Heavenly Fortress.
"You can go back now."
Dong Ping gestured for Hyuga Cangyue to return to her clan.
After all, she needed to report her findings to the main family.
Currently, her Reincarnation Eye was stuck at the fourth fetal movement phase, and there was no sign of further evolution. She could only wait for the right opportunity.
And that opportunity was not far off.
Indeed, he was referring to the Great Tree Branch on the 'Moon.'
Dong Ping had made his preparations. If the Great Tree Clan were to descend, he would be among the first to know, and he could either intercept them on their way or launch a direct assault on the Moon.
In the past, he might have worried about his insufficient strength.
But now, the Heavenly Fortress boasted several powerful Kage-level ninjas, along with numerous Quasi-Kage and Kage-level members.
Most importantly, he had prior knowledge of their specific information.
In the ninja world, everyone understood the value of intelligence.
Even a Six Paths-level ninja could be toppled if their intelligence was leaked.
Furthermore, the strongest member of the Great Tree Clan on the Moon was the Giant Reincarnation Eye. If he could find a way to seal or eliminate it first, sweeping through the Moon would be a simple task.
Would he feel any hesitation?
For those who constantly plotted to 'purge' the ninja world, he had no sympathy.
Even if it meant expending a lot of effort to find the path to the Moon, Dong Ping would have already taken action against the Great Tree Clan.
"Yes, Dong Ping-kun!"
Hyuga Cangyue nodded discreetly and left, perfectly playing the role of a loyal follower.
Although ninjas were known for their acting skills, she was undoubtedly the 'Best Actress' in this regard.
As for Dong Ping, he naturally returned to the Mountain Clan.
However, upon arriving at the Mountain Clan's territory, a smile crept onto his face.
He had found the opportunity to perform a jutsu.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
He had acquired this technique long ago but never used it openly, so no one was prepared for this move.
And when he needed to make a subtle move, this technique was incredibly convenient.
As long as the shadow clone wasn't under attack, it could act independently.
Memorial Stone!
As usual, Kakashi visited the memorial to pay his respects.
His strength had now reached the level of an Elite Jonin.
For him, this growth rate was actually considered 'extremely slow'.
After all, he was once a super genius of Konoha, comparable to a Chunin when he graduated early at the age of seven, and a Jonin in his early teens.
But now, after a few years, merely growing from Jonin to Elite Jonin, it seemed out of sync with his 'super genius' identity.
It should be known that this age period is the fastest stage of growth. If one doesn't grow during this phase, it becomes less likely to progress later on.
And even after he had been slacking off, he still managed to reach the Elite Jonin stage so quickly. Hats off to Dohei.
Mangekyou!
Dohei remembered how he had saved Yahiko when he first met him, and performed an eye transplant for Kakashi.
He directly replaced his Mangekyou left eye with a true Three Tomoe Sharingan.
With Kakashi's talent, even without the Uchiha bloodline, he could still manage with a regular Three Tomoe Sharingan.
With a reduced burden, he could then advance to the Elite Jonin level; otherwise, he would have to drag it out for a few more years.
Suddenly, Kakashi turned his head to the side.
A figure that shouldn't have appeared emerged and walked out.
"You...?"
Kakashi looked at the Uchiha Dohei in front of him, unsure what to say.
Their relationship was both familiar and distant.
It was familiar because they were once in the same class, but distant because they had since parted ways.
So, when he suddenly saw the other person, Kakashi was momentarily speechless.
"Dream Seal... Release!"
Dohei didn't bother with pleasantries and directly performed the technique with hand seals.
He had come to see Kakashi with a task in mind.
Yamato!
No, he should be called Akira now.
The other party was still hidden in the Root, and Dohei wasn't after the Wood Style; he needed Yamato to cause trouble.
At the very least, he wanted to stop Root from hounding him like a mad dog.
Once this matter was exposed, Root would be in deep trouble.
Furthermore, this wouldn't affect the future plot, making it the most suitable distraction to divert the village's attention.
Of course, Dohei might also have wanted to see some entertainment.
After all, seeing the Konoha F4 in trouble would put him in a good mood.
Who could blame them for constantly bringing up the 'Will of Fire'?
After such an incident, let's see how they dare to mention the Will of Fire.
Conducting human experiments with the First Hokage's cells was practically shameless.
Undermining the village's reputation was also a strategy for the Skyguard.
The worse their reputation, the more chance they had to woo the various ninja clans.
Currently, due to the policies implemented by Skyguard (weakening the ninja clans), the clans were cautious, and with the benefits of staying in Konoha, they had no other thoughts.
But if they learned of the Fire Shadow's misdeeds, their trust would diminish, and they might even consider defecting to Skyguard.
Just like the Yuki Clan!
They had a significant presence in Konoha, but due to Danzo's coercion, even knowing that joining Skyguard would weaken their clan's power, they had no choice but to join.
They could slowly drain them.
By the end, the village would only be an empty shell, and who knows who would be considered the legitimate successor.
As Dohei was thinking about this, Kakashi also recovered his sealed memories.
"So that's how it is..."
He finally understood his previous doubts.
He now understood why he had left a message for himself, collecting daily intelligence and placing it in one location.
"Here, Rin asked me to give this letter to you!"
Dohei took out a letter that Yahiko had specifically requested him to deliver to Kakashi.
Since he had already told him about it last time, bringing a letter this time wasn't a big deal, so he agreed without hesitation.
"Rin..."
Kakashi trembled as he reached out his hand.
Even though he had decided to trust Dohei before, this time, he had even brought a letter.
At the same time, he wasn't worried about being deceived.
Because it was pointless!
There was no betrayal of the village, nor any personal gain; it was merely a collection of daily intelligence.
As Kakashi read the letter, Dohei also took out the sealing scroll that this Shadow Clone had specifically carried.
That's right, something big was about to happen.
(End of Chapter)
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