Chapter 577: If You Think You Can Do Better, Then Go Ahead
Chapter 577: If You Think You Can Do Better, Then Go Ahead
"It seems Iwagakure values these spies greatly." Jiraiya turned and scanned the surroundings as he spoke.
Earlier, they had been in a hurry to rendezvous with the reinforcement unit to set up an ambush and had no time to interrogate the White Zetsu. So, they had only dispatched two ninjas to take the White Zetsu to a hidden location for detention.
However, what Jiraiya didn't expect was that within just a few hours, the Iwagakure ninjas would be able to locate and retrieve the White Zetsu.
Their speed could only be described as lightning-fast.
In just a few hours, it was normally impossible to even confirm if there was a problem with the spy.
After all, being a spy was a risky business, and it was not feasible to have frequent contact more than once a day.
Yet, not only had Iwagakure discovered the exposure of their spy, but they had also rescued him at an unbelievable speed, which left Jiraiya perplexed.
Iwagakure's response time was incredibly short.
Before the ambush officially started, Iwagakure definitely didn't know that their spy had been exposed; otherwise, their ninja unit wouldn't have walked into the trap set by Mu Yue.
But to have successfully located the spy during the brief duration of the ambush was an efficiency that was a bit exaggerated.
"It's understandable, though. This ability is too powerful in war, and I reckon Iwagakure is probably afraid that Konoha will also research and develop similar products." Jiraiya sighed.
Without Mu Yue's ability to perceive malicious intent, even if Jiraiya had known about the White Zetsu's intelligence beforehand and faced it again, he wouldn't have had a good strategy to deal with its mischief.
The transformation jutsu that even sensory ninjas couldn't discern was truly despicable.
"We can only wait and see if the village can come up with a countermeasure after receiving the intelligence report." Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes also showed a hint of worry.
If they couldn't find a solution, Mu Yue would probably have to remain with the unit tasked with dealing with Iwagakure until the peace talks.
"I hope everything goes well." Mu Yue also put on a worried expression, although his heart was as calm as still water at that moment.
This was because Mu Yue had known about this incident long ago, and one of his shadow clones had even participated in it.
Mu Yue didn't want Konoha to obtain the White Zetsu.
For Mu Yue, it was a good thing that Konoha knew that Uchiha Madara was still alive.
The reason he didn't want Konoha to obtain the White Zetsu was because of the White Zetsu itself.
The White Zetsu seemed to be merely a weak intelligence-gathering tool, but in reality, it was a treasure trove of valuable resources.
A body filled with Hashirama Senju's cells was indeed a treasure in the world of ninjas.
Moreover, the cells within the White Zetsu's body were not ordinary Hashirama cells, but those cultivated by Uchiha Madara using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
If Konoha obtained the White Zetsu, with Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru's influence within Konoha, they would definitely get their hands on a portion of the White Zetsu's body.
If Orochimaru and Danzo were to research and make some breakthrough with it, Mu Yue might not be able to control the situation then.
However, although Mu Yue had the intention to take action, he had no relation to the fainted Konoha ninjas.
Two White Zetsus, disguised as Konoha ninjas, had made their move before Mu Yue's shadow clone could act.
Although Mu Yue didn't want to see Konoha obtain the White Zetsu, he also wouldn't let the White Zetsus escape. After they knocked out the guard ninja, he emerged and killed all five White Zetsus, sealing them into a scroll.
Hashirama's cells were indeed a valuable resource.
In the original story, Obito, with his regular Sharingan, was able to use Mangekyo Sharingan abilities freely without any side effects thanks to Hashirama's cells.
In the future, if Kakashi and Obito were to unlock their Mangekyo Sharingan, and if Mu Yue's planned Yang Release training didn't solve the issue with the Mangekyo Sharingan, then these White Zetsus would come in handy.
...
Konoha Village.
Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office.
Upon receiving the intelligence report from Mu Yue, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face lit up with a surprised smile when he saw that Konoha had decisively defeated Iwagakure's two-thousand-strong ninja unit.
This outcome far exceeded his expectations, as Hiruzen had initially thought that the support unit would only be able to turn the tide and maintain a balance with Iwagakure, at best.
When he saw the information about the White Zetsu, Hiruzen's expression changed drastically, and after finishing the report, he immediately asked the Anbu at the door to gather the high-level officials for a meeting.
"This is the latest intelligence from the frontline. Take a look." Hiruzen said in the meeting room.
After speaking, Hiruzen put the pipe in his mouth, took a deep puff, and then exhaled a puff of white smoke with a slightly worried look on his face.
Hiruzen's demeanor made the other three high-level officials start thinking wildly.
"Could it be that we suffered another major defeat in the Land of Grass? Good, at least now, Hiruzen won't have an excuse to not use Orochimaru." Danzo Shimura picked up the intelligence report and thought to himself.
The defeat in the Land of Grass was a bad thing for Konoha, but it was a good thing for Danzo.
When he learned that Jiraiya had been soundly defeated by Iwagakure and was now leading his unit to flee, Danzo was thrilled.
This was because it would be a huge stain on Jiraiya's reputation, causing his support rate within Konoha to drop, and it would also present an opportunity for Orochimaru.
When Danzo saw the words 'Our army decisively defeated Iwagakure's unit, killing over one thousand six hundred enemies', he furrowed his brows and read it carefully several times. He confirmed that he hadn't misread, and indeed, they had won a great victory.
Danzo's brows furrowed slightly. The frontline unit had won a victory, yet Hiruzen still had such an expression. Was he trying to play a trick on him?
When he saw the information about the Iwagakure spies, Danzo finally understood Hiruzen's concern.
They had indeed won a victory, but the strength Iwagakure had displayed was worrying.
"To think there's such a transformation jutsu that can even fool sensory ninjas." Mito Menma's expression turned solemn as he finished reading the report.
If Kakashi, who was still an untested Genin, could see the potential of the White Zetsu in battle, then these high-level officials, who had experienced countless wars, naturally understood the magnitude of the White Zetsu's ability.
"It's indeed unexpected. No wonder Jiraiya's unit was defeated so thoroughly before," Hiruzen said as he stroked his goatee.
Previously, when they received the news that Sarutobi Hiruzen was a spy, Hiruzen had expended a lot of effort to investigate, but the results were almost fruitless.
He had thought that Hiruzen was just too good at hiding, but it turned out that there was actually no problem with him at all.
Seeing that Hiruzen was trying to find a reason for Jiraiya's defeat, Danzo wanted to refute him, but he closed his mouth again.
This was because during the meeting to choose the commander of the reinforcement unit, Danzo had strongly pushed for Orochimaru. Given the current situation, the commander could only be Mu Yue.
With Iwagakure having the White Zetsu as a spy, anyone other than Mu Yue going there might not be able to defeat the Iwagakure unit.
"It's all thanks to your foresight, Hiruzen, that we appointed Mu Yue as the commander of the support unit. Otherwise, instead of a great victory, we might have received news of a great defeat," Mito said with a sigh.
If it weren't for Mu Yue's special perception ability to uncover the spy and his counterplan, the Konoha ninja unit wouldn't have been able to withstand the offensive, let alone achieve victory.
With nearly half their forces missing and undetected spies within their ranks, the difficulty of the mission was almost hellish.
Danzo Shimura felt extremely displeased seeing Hiruzen's smug expression.
Mu Yue was, after all, his Root ninja, a talented individual he had cultivated, yet here was Hiruzen taking all the credit for himself.
Danzo felt a sense of resentment, as if someone had sneaked into his garden and stolen his precious crop in the night.
"Since Iwa has suffered a crushing defeat, why don't we use the war as leverage to force Iwagakure to hand over the information about those spies?" Tsunade Senju voiced her thoughts.
"According to the current intelligence, those spies are most likely the product of some kind of human experimentation. If we can successfully decipher their techniques, our intelligence ninjas will be invincible in the future."
If they couldn't beat them, they should join them. If traditional intelligence ninjas were becoming outdated, it was time to adapt and update their methods.
Danzo looked at Tsunade in surprise, realizing that their thoughts were in perfect alignment.
Such an evil technique must be kept under Konoha's control!
"You're absolutely right. We should dispatch another ninja team to take advantage of this opportunity and march straight into the Land of Earth to seize Iwagakure," Danzo agreed wholeheartedly.
Hiruzen shook his head. "That's too risky. If Kumo seizes the chance to launch a full-scale attack, it will be a huge problem."
Although Kumo might not necessarily attack Konoha, they could also take advantage of the situation and invade Iwagakure. Hiruzen didn't want to take that gamble, as the consequences of losing were too dire.
"Hiruzen, your hesitation will only make Konoha appear weak! If Konoha makes every invading enemy pay a heavy price, who would dare to wage war against us?" Danzo rebutted indignantly.
After all, they had just eliminated over a thousand Iwagakure ninjas and won a significant battle. A victory lap into the Land of Earth would send a powerful message.
"You're only considering the benefits. What if Kumo and Kiri seize the opportunity to strike? Can you handle them?" Hiruzen asked forcefully, rapping his knuckles on the conference table.
Didn't Hiruzen realize that this was a golden opportunity to knock Iwagakure down a peg? But the risks were indeed substantial.
Since its founding, Konoha had always kept the flames of war away from its gates, with enemies only ever reaching the Fire Country, never coming close to Konoha itself.
Hiruzen had no desire to go down in history as the only Hokage to bring Konoha to the brink of war; that would be too humiliating.
"If Konoha is truly in danger, I will naturally lead the troops myself," Danzo asserted, sticking to his viewpoint.
"It's not a question of whether to go to war or not, but whether we can defeat the invading enemies," Hiruzen emphasized.
Danzo was indeed a capable ninja, but he wasn't necessarily stronger than the Sannin or Mu Yue.
"Why do you think I won't be able to deal with the invading ninjas?" Danzo countered.
Anyway, Kumo hadn't attacked yet, so there was no harm in boasting a little.
"Since you're so confident, then you should take command of the forces dealing with Iwagakure. Lead a group of ninjas to gather intelligence on Iwagakure first," Hiruzen continued.
"Not now. I have many other matters to attend to," Danzo refused outright.
It wasn't that he was afraid or unwilling to go, but he truly had other matters occupying his time.
He had been trying to figure out the true nature of Souyu's Ninshu teachings and how to get his hands on the Rinnegan.
"If you're willing to lead the team yourself, then go ahead. If not, then drop the topic of invading Iwagakure," Hiruzen said flatly.
Hiruzen's firm stance caused Tsunade to abandon her proposed plan. Her combat prowess was the weakest among the four elders, and since becoming a high-level official, she had neglected her training, causing her strength to wane further.
Danzo still felt unconvinced, but he didn't argue further. After all, he couldn't very well go himself.
If he were to meet his end in the Land of Earth, it would be a loss for all of Konoha.
"There's no need to launch a full-scale invasion of the Land of Earth, but we should indeed test Iwagakure's attitude," Homura Mitokado said, adjusting his glasses with his left hand.
In the two major battles in the Land of Grass, Konoha and Iwagakure had each won a victory.
Overall, Iwagakure had suffered far greater losses, but Konoha hadn't emerged unscathed either. Considering the other hidden villages waiting in the wings, Homura believed a more cautious approach was necessary.
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. He, too, had been considering sending ninjas to make contact with Iwagakure.
The current situation was extremely unfavorable for Konoha, and it was imperative to form an alliance with one of the major hidden villages.
"In that case, we should recall Mu Yue back to Konoha as soon as possible. Those Iwagakure spies are incredibly formidable. If one of them infiltrates Konoha, it would be disastrous," Tsunade said.
If they were going to invade Iwagakure, Mu Yue, the only person currently capable of identifying Iwagakure spies, would undoubtedly be crucial to the mission.
Now that they had decided against attacking Iwagakure, Tsunade felt it was necessary to call Mu Yue back.
"Indeed, it's best to use some pretext to gather the ninjas and have Mu Yue conduct a thorough inspection," Homura concurred, sharing the same concern.
Although the elders were all powerful ninjas, if Iwagakure spies disguised themselves as their family members and launched a sneak attack, there was a chance they could be overwhelmed.
"After the meeting, I'll contact the unit in the Land of Grass," Hiruzen agreed with the proposal.
In addition to rooting out any potential spies within Konoha, Hiruzen also wanted Mu Yue to impart his ninjutsu to other ninjas and have it cataloged in Konoha's ninjutsu library.
As a rule, Konoha didn't force any ninja to hand over their techniques unless they were inhumane forbidden jutsu.
However, the current situation was exceptional, and it could be argued that it concerned the very survival of Konoha, necessitating special measures.
Hiruzen believed that Mu Yue, as a bearer of the Will of Fire, would understand, and he wouldn't let Mu Yue teach his techniques for free.
After concluding the discussion about Iwagakure, the topic shifted to rewarding the ninjas who had contributed to the victory.
Regardless, this was undoubtedly a triumph worth celebrating.
Mu Yue, the architect of the counter-attack plan, who had slain numerous enemies and wounded a jinchuriki on the battlefield, was undoubtedly the one with the highest merit, followed by Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze.
After the meeting, Danzo quickly found one of his Root subordinates and instructed them to contact the Root members on the front lines.
"Although the spy was rescued, there might still be some residual bodily remains since a battle took place," Danzo mused to himself.
If he could unravel the transformation technique used by the Iwagakure spies, his Root organization would become the most formidable intelligence force in the ninja world.
With his Root organization's assistance, Konoha would triumph over all the hidden villages, and even Hiruzen would have no reason to restrict Root any longer.
(End of Chapter)
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