It was late at night, the moon and stars were hidden, and the Nara clan compound in Konoha Village was eerily silent, appearing to be some abandoned ruins. However, in the clan's gathering place, the entire Nara clan had silently assembled. They sat upright, solemn and silent, seemingly waiting for something.
Suddenly, in the very center of the venue, Hinata Kaze appeared, his arm around Yamanaka Ino's slender, smooth waist.
Ignoring the Nara clansmen who were respectfully kneeling on one knee under the leadership of Nara Shikaku, Hyuga Kaze first extended his senses outwards.
In Hyuga Kaze's spiritual perception, Konoha should usually have many lights on at this time. But now, only a handful of lights are lit, almost invisible in the night wind, adding to the desolate atmosphere.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Konoha has become so desolate after only a few years. Maybe I should film this scene and show everyone what Konoha is like under Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule."
As Hinata Kaze spoke, he ran his hand over Ino's smooth abdominal skin, looking quite interested.
Upon hearing this, Nara Shikaku couldn't help but secretly grumble to himself, "Isn't Konoha Village in its current state largely thanks to you?"
Although they have decided to leave Konoha, the feelings they have developed over the years for living there are not fake. Many members of the Ino-Shika-Cho triad still have deep feelings for Konoha.
Shikaku was, after all, a wise man. He quickly calmed his turbulent emotions and behaved with great respect.
"How can someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is jealous of talent and short-sighted, compare to Lord Yukage, who has a broad mind and a long-term vision? Under his rule, Konoha has declined and the people are in turmoil, far less peaceful and happy than the residents of the Land of Snow. This is why our three families are leaving Konoha and seeking refuge with Lord Yukage."
"Ha, you certainly know how to talk."
Hinata Kaze smiled and glanced at Nara Shikaku, "Although what you said is true, business is more important. Have the three of you made all the necessary preparations?"
I just sensed a large number of Root and Anbu ninjas surrounding the Ino-Shika-Cho clan compound. It looks like Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others are about to make their move on you.
Hyuga Kaze hadn't expected the Ino-Shika-Cho trio's living conditions in Konoha to have become so perilous. He only temporarily abandoned his soon-to-be-acquired ancestor, and with immense willpower, he withdrew from the world of women to come to Konoha, unable to resist Ino's pleas.
After all, Ino truly lived up to her words, being incredibly well-behaved and adorable, and trying her best to overcome every difficulty and hardship. Hinata Kaze couldn't help but sigh, "Young people are so open-minded and have a strong ability to accept new things."
She was clearly a young girl who hadn't yet developed any skills, yet in a short period of time she learned what a jailer was and what it meant to be a sharp-tongued debater.
Ino was undeterred by any illusionary scenarios or bizarre costumes; she even tried out the latest gadgets from the Land of Snow. The effects were praised by both users and onlookers.
After hearing Hinata Kaze's words, a brief commotion broke out among the Nara clan members in the venue, but it quickly subsided after Shikaku calmed them down.
After the scene calmed down, Nara Shikaku lowered his head and jogged over to Hinata Kaze to report the situation.
"Reporting to Lord Yukage, our three clans have gathered all those who agree to leave Konoha in their respective meeting places, and all kinds of supplies have been prepared. Now we are just waiting for you to use your space-time ninjutsu to lead us away from this decaying place."
After a pause, Shikaku took out a large scroll from his pocket and handed it to Hinata Kaze.
"Lord Yukage, this is the intelligence that our three families collected in accordance with your orders. It records the locations of most of Konoha's warehouses, as well as the locations of some Anbu and Root bases."
Hinata Kaze reached out and took the scroll, nodding in satisfaction.
"Then let me take you families to Yukigami Village one by one. The clan lands allocated to your three families there are almost fully developed. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio all disappeared overnight; I think Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others must be having a real headache!"
......
"The current situation in Konoha is truly a headache!"
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked out the window at the dimly lit Konoha Village and rubbed his temples helplessly.
"A headache won't solve anything, Hiruzen. Did you call me here just to show off your helplessness?"
Behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura impatiently tapped the floor with his cane, his face full of gloom.
"I also need to keep an eye on those treacherous individuals! Not only did they not send anyone when Konoha needed them, they also recalled a large number of their clansmen to stay behind closed doors. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio are so inconsiderate; they need to be given a good warning!"
Danzo!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was stern but tinged with helplessness. "I've already warned Shikaku and the others, and promised to give them some time to think. We can't push them any further; a spring will break if it's compressed too much!"
"It'll spoil even more if you don't press it down now!"
Danzo Shimura's voice grew even colder, "The Ino-Shika-Cho clans have all gathered together, and they've quietly sold off their supplies outside. In this situation, if they're not rebelling, are they still trying to escape from Konoha? Although the Root members haven't detected any signs of an attack yet, I think we should strike first and wipe out these three traitorous clans in one fell swoop, letting the other clans see what's what!"
"Danzo, do you know that Jiraiya went to the Land of Rain to gather intelligence and has already died in battle!"
As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged body suddenly trembled violently, prompting Danzo to step forward and support him.
"Jiraiya is dead? How can this be!"
Once Hiruzen Sarutobi had regained his balance, Danzo realized what he had said and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Would I lie to you?"
As Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, he grew older and weaker. “Before Jiraiya fell, he sent back a frog from Mount Myōboku. On its back were some numbers that no one could understand. I think there must be some information that Jiraiya wanted to pass on to me.”
Danzo felt a pang of unease seeing Hiruzen's bewildered expression. He quickly suppressed this emotion and asked, "Now that Jiraiya is dead, what about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? I remember that organization specifically targets Jinchuriki!"
"Naruto is currently training in Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku. We should have informed him of Jiraiya's death and asked him to come back, but we don't have any way to contact him or find a way to reach him from Mount Myōboku."
The summoning frog that brought back Jiraiya's message returned to Mount Myōboku after delivering the message, and refused to inform Naruto to return to Konoha.
"Damn it!"
Danzo Shimura was also very troubled upon hearing this. Mount Myōboku was not a place where he could give orders to the Root ninjas under his command. Without the guidance of his contractor, he didn't even know where Mount Myōboku was.
After racking his brains for a long time without finding a solution, Danzo grew angrier and angrier. He couldn't help but shout, "We'll talk about this later. Tonight, my midnight snack is frog!"
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