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Chapter 743: The Plan to Eliminate the Shinshu was Conceived by Moonlight
Chapter 743: The Plan to Eliminate the Shinshu was Conceived by Moonlight
After successfully bringing the Mist Village into the alliance, Daimoku began reaching out to the Shinshu organization.
They agreed to meet the day before the quarterfinals, and at the appointed time, the five Kage, disguised, entered the Shinshu administrative area and made their way to the conference room in the Shinshu headquarters.
"Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha's ambitions have grown exponentially. They are no longer content with being the first among the Five Great Shinobi Villages; they aim to become the sole village in the Shinobi World, with all ninjas bowing to Konoha's supremacy," Daimoku said, his voice heavy with disdain for Konoha's wolfish ambitions.
"The reason the five Kage have gathered in Six Paths City is that Konoha secretly convened a Five Kage Summit, intending to eliminate the Shinshu, a potential powerhouse of elite ninjas," Daimoku continued.
"We truly wish to avoid another war, and so we have come to discuss countermeasures with the Shinshu," the Third Mizukage added, emphasizing their peaceful intentions.
Kakuzu stroked his chin, suspecting that this unusual gathering of the five Kage couldn't bode well. However, he didn't fully trust Daimoku's words; the old man didn't seem like a trustworthy person.
"If it weren't for this, why would the Mist Village, an ally of Konoha, stand in opposition to it?" Daimoku asked, turning to the Third Mizukage.
As an ally of Konoha, the Mist Village's words carried more weight.
The Third Mizukage nodded and spoke, "The current Fire Shadow, Yushou Moonlight, indeed has grand ambitions. Upon taking office, he immediately initiated reforms in the Ninja Academy, investing heavily in enhancing the strength of the village's ninjas, even though the war has ended. This clearly indicates his intention for military expansion."
The Third Mizukage went on to provide several examples to demonstrate Konoha's ambitions and the potential dangers they posed.
"The Mist Village has always been known as a peace-loving village. Even as allies, we cannot turn a blind eye to Konoha's attempt to start another war," the Third Mizukage said, his face stern with righteous indignation.
Kakuzu: ...
Isn't the Mist Village known as the Bloody Mist? How did they become peace-loving?
He realized that the position of Kage was not for the faint-hearted; he wouldn't be able to handle it.
"I think I understand your intentions. Konoha wants to take advantage of the Martial Arts Tournament to collaborate with you against the Shinshu. But you don't want to cooperate with Konoha against the Shinshu; instead, you wish to collaborate with the Shinshu against Konoha, right?" Kakuzu summarized and asked.
Ra Sha nodded in agreement, "Exactly. We must stand with the Shinshu now, or Konoha's target might shift to us in the future.
Kakuzu had more questions, but he noticed that Chojiro, standing behind Sosuke, had a peculiar expression, as if trying hard to appear solemn.
"Chojiro hasn't fully adjusted to his role as a Kage yet. Being a Kage doesn't require such rigidity," Kakuzu thought, believing that Chojiro lacked confidence.
"Tell us how you plan to cooperate," Moonlight interjected.
The betrayal of the Great Ninja Villages was within his expectations, especially after witnessing the ruthless performance of Kakashi and his team.
The Great Ninja Villages, like Iwa, could tolerate Konoha being stronger than them, but they couldn't accept Konoha becoming powerful enough to take on three or even four villages single-handedly.
However, these concerns were irrelevant to Moonlight, as long as the powerful ninjas from the Great Ninja Villages came to Six Paths City.
In the end, it all came down to strength.
And Moonlight, having developed his strength, now possessed the ability to make everyone listen to his commands.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Moonlight could easily defeat the version of himself from the end of the war, when his Byakugan had not yet evolved.
"Konoha's original plan was to have the Raikage win the Martial Arts Tournament, challenge you, and deplete your chakra. Then, immediately after the battle, Yushou Moonlight would seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, killing you and Chojiro on the spot," Daimoku revealed their initial plan, stirring up resentment towards Konoha.
"They have indeed made extensive preparations," Kakuzu remarked, realizing that the plan was flawless. It made strategic sense for the powerful Third Raikage to deplete chakra, followed by the strongest Moonlight finishing the job.
"Currently, the semifinalists are the Raikage, myself, Enma, and Chojiro.
Here's what we can do: I will stick to the original plan and intentionally lose to the Raikage. Then, I'll ensure Enma advances to the finals, where he will face the Raikage.
Since the original plan was to guarantee the Raikage's victory, Enma will undoubtedly hold back during the fight. This will allow the Raikage to exhaust Enma's chakra, and then he can launch a full-force attack after Enma is weakened," Daimoku explained his revised plan.
Due to the primary objective of the new plan being to weaken Konoha, Daimoku felt it unnecessary to involve Souyuu in the challenge. He believed that after the finals, they could directly take action.
"This plan is good, no problem."
Muzue nodded in agreement.
It must be said that Daimoku was indeed devious. If not for Muzue's special identity, Konoha would have been severely undermined, and the Great Shinobi War would have been won in vain, or even set back significantly.
A smile appeared on Daimoku's face; he knew that Shinshu wouldn't refuse.
It wasn't just because Konoha would be blamed, but also because of geographical reasons that there was a hidden conflict between Shinshu and Konoha.
If Shinshu took action against Konoha now, they could not only resolve the crisis but also solve the Konoha problem in advance.
Daimoku couldn't think of a reason for Souyuu to refuse such a mutually beneficial plan.
After finalizing the specifics of their cooperation, the four Kage once again left the Shinshu building in disguise.
Chojiro saw the four Kage off, and his tense expression relaxed, revealing a faint smile.
For Chojiro, who knew Muzue's dual identity, the biggest challenge of this meeting was managing his expressions.
After leaving the Shinshu building, Daimoku and the others did not return directly to their respective hotels. Instead, they went to a secluded small hotel for another meeting.
"Raikage, when Enma takes action, you must deliberately make a mistake and ensure that Enma doesn't get seriously injured."
Daimoku instructed.
"Konoha's strength is undeniable, but Shinshu also has extraordinary potential. Weakening both sides simultaneously is the best outcome."
"I understand."
The Third Raikage nodded, crossing his arms.
On the surface, they appeared to be collaborating with Shinshu against Konoha, but in reality, this four-village alliance didn't favor any side; they only favored themselves.
If Souyuu showed any weakness, they would seize the opportunity to kill him without hesitation.
However, due to Souyuu's dangerous abilities, they wouldn't take action against Shinshu unless they could guarantee Souyuu's death.
Aside from Souyuu and Chojiro, Shinshu's other members were still only potential threats, while Konoha was genuinely strong and required further weakening.
...
The next day, the Shinshu quarterfinals officially began.
However, due to the incredible strength of the quarterfinalists, the tournament was moved out of the arena to a mountain near Six Paths City to prevent accidental injuries to the audience and allow the powerful ninjas to showcase their abilities more freely.
Regular spectators could either watch the live broadcast at the original venue or on television in Six Paths City.
Only Jonin-level ninjas were allowed to watch the matches on-site.
Generally, even Jonin from small villages, with proper preparation, wouldn't be easily killed by the aftermath of powerful ninjas.
This rule pleased some and disappointed others. Ninjas below the Jonin level felt frustrated, as even watching a match had such high requirements.
To prevent reckless spectators from being injured by the aftermath, Muzue specifically arranged for sensory ninjas to patrol the competition area, ensuring no accidents.
"It's a pity I can't watch the match with Kurenai."
Asama felt a bit disappointed.
Kurenai and Inuzuka Kiba were still Chunin and didn't qualify to watch the matches in person.
If Enma hadn't participated in the tournament, Asama might have chosen to watch the live broadcast with Kurenai in the city.
But with his father competing, it didn't make sense to stay in the city instead of watching the match live.
If he watched the match in person, how could he accurately identify his father's mistakes during the fight?
Previously, Enma had often pointed out Asama's mistakes, and now it was Asama's turn to do the same.
"Third Raikage versus Daimoku!"
As the official start time arrived, the referee announced the competing ninjas.
The Third Raikage and Daimoku stood up and walked towards the designated battlefield.
"Third Raikage and Third Tsuchikage, who do you think will win?"
Batu curiously looked at his teammates and asked.
"In terms of overall strength, they are evenly matched. But in a one-on-one battle, the Third Raikage has a slightly higher chance of winning."
Shizui thought for a moment and analyzed.
He had fought against Daimoku and had a deep understanding of his abilities.
Daimoku's Dust Release was powerful, but its release speed was an issue. The Third Raikage's speed was even faster, making it a challenging match.
Shizui believed that Daimoku was better suited for squad or legion battles, where others could help restrain the opponent, allowing the Dust Release's power to be fully utilized.
(Chapter End)
"Yes, the competition is different from a battle to the death. Daimoku can't possibly use Dust Transformation at full power, but the Third Lightning Shadow can freely use Lightning Chakra Mode."
Kakashi agreed.
If Daimoku were to use Dust Transformation at full power, it could easily cost lives. Even if the Third Lightning Shadow uses Lightning Chakra Mode at full power, it only enhances himself, and he can hold back when necessary by retracting a little strength.
"So you guys think the same way as me."
Batu directly joined in.
The facts were also similar to Kakashi's analysis.
In the early stages of the battle, Daimoku, relying on his flight advantage and Dust Transformation, forced the Third Lightning Shadow to dodge and flee, unable to counterattack.
To outsiders, it might seem like Daimoku was very powerful, suppressing the Third Lightning Shadow.
But experts knew that Daimoku only appeared formidable, and in reality, he had not achieved any results in the battle, and he had also consumed his own chakra.
After realizing that Dust Transformation was ineffective, Daimoku switched to a large-scale Earth Transformation.
This time, the Third Lightning Shadow had no choice but to dodge, but the Third Lightning Shadow didn't need to dodge.
The Third Lightning Shadow directly activated Lightning Chakra Mode with full power, and no matter what Earth Transformation Daimoku used, he broke through it with force.
After a while of back and forth, the Third Lightning Shadow seized the opportunity when Daimoku's chakra was greatly depleted and defeated him.
"The Third Lightning Shadow wins!"
The referee announced the result cleanly and efficiently.
The Cloud Hidden Ninjas watching the match all had smiles on their faces.
This was much more prestigious than defeating a genius; after all, the Third Earth Shadow was on par with their Lightning Shadow.
"Enma vs. Chojiro!"
After a simple repair of the arena, the second quarterfinals match began shortly after.
The Leaf Village Ninjas watching the match all showed serious expressions.
Chojiro was not very old, but his strength was recognized throughout the Shinobi world, and his abilities were mysterious and formidable.
"Help me keep an eye on the old man. If you notice any mistakes, let me know."
Asama, worried about his own vision, asked Batu and the others for help.
Batu readily agreed, and Kakashi was speechless, but he didn't refuse.
Enma's battle with Chojiro was more intense than the previous match, as both of them were highly skilled in the five basic nature transformations.
Enma's understanding of ninjutsu far surpassed Chojiro, but Chojiro had a vast amount of chakra and the Rinnegan, which could absorb ninjutsu, making it impossible for anyone to defeat him for a while.
"Summoning Technique!"
After testing Chojiro's abilities, Enma used the Summoning Technique to summon the Ape Demon and his Vajra Wish-Fulfilling Staff.
Regarding Chojiro's ability to absorb ninjutsu, there was a rumor that this ability had a limit, and once it was exceeded, Chojiro would be unable to absorb any more.
However, for Enma, this was a battle he couldn't afford to lose, so he chose a more conservative approach. Testing the absorption limit was too chakra-consuming and risky.
Enma didn't want to lose to a young ninja who could be his son. Moreover, Chojiro was Sosuke's disciple, so Enma was even more determined not to lose.
He didn't want to lose to both the teacher and the student; he couldn't bear the embarrassment of that.
Enma, holding the Vajra Wish-Fulfilling Staff transformed by the Ape Demon, launched an exceptionally fierce offense.
Even with Chojiro's Divine Heavenly Barrier, a defensive divine technique, he struggled to defend against Enma's attacks for a while.
The Leaf Village had intelligence that the Divine Heavenly Barrier had a five-second cooldown, which significantly reduced its effectiveness.
With the powerful recovery provided by the Yang Breath Chakra Mode, Chojiro forcibly sustained himself for a period, but during this time, Enma fought steadily without showing any weakness.
On the contrary, Chojiro, in his haste, was seized by Enma, who took the opportunity to defeat him.
"Enma wins!"
With the referee's announcement of the winner, the quarterfinals came to an end.
Only the final match between the Third Lightning Shadow and Enma, to be held five days later, remained before the Martial Arts Tournament would officially conclude.
"Today's performance was so good."
Asama couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Today, Enma's performance was terrifyingly stable, and Asama couldn't spot any mistakes in Enma's fight.
"I hope you're just as strong in the finals."
Asama would be delighted if Enma won the Martial Arts Tournament.
His conflict with his old father wasn't so severe that he wished for his father's downfall, but since Enma rarely spoke a kind word, Asama felt a bit dissatisfied inside.
Moreover, if Enma won, Asama would be eliminated by the first-place winner, which sounded much better.
(End of Chapter)
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