Kakashi and the others are striving to gather evidence.
Ryuhi is contacting the senior members of the Grass Flower to prepare for the upcoming turmoil.
Yokokawa Tsutomu doesn't know that he's already been marked for death in the eyes of the Grass Flower.
Right now, Yokokawa Tsutomu is very annoyed, extremely annoyed.
Because recently, the Grass Flower has been like a mad dog causing him trouble, making Yokokawa Tsutomu suspect that someone in his camp has leaked information, and the Grass Flower has learned something.
But things have come to this point, even if Ryuhi personally came to the Grass Village Leader's office to question him, Yokokawa Tsutomu would not stop his plan.
He's already reached this stage. The entire Grass Village is embroiled in the war with Konoha and Hidden Rock, and it's impossible to easily withdraw. The only way to break the deadlock is to open the Box of Bliss.
"Contact the frontline troops and have them send the next batch of Chakra as quickly as possible." Yokokawa Tsutomu thought, feeling it was crucial to open the Box of Bliss as soon as possible to avoid complications.
The Grass Village's Anbu next to him nodded quickly to carry out the order.
Feeling uneasy, Yokokawa Tsutomu called his most trusted Impermanence to discuss the next steps.
"Judging by the behavior of the Flower, they might already know about the cooperation with Hidden Rock. It's unclear whether someone defected to them or if they found out through their investigation," Yokokawa Tsutomu said.
He personally leans towards the idea of an insider. If the Grass Flower had found conclusive evidence themselves, Ryuhi would have confronted him with it long ago.
"We've already put in so much effort. Even if the Flower knows, we can only continue moving forward. Once the Box of Bliss is opened, everything will get better," Impermanence replied seriously.
Yokokawa Tsutomu nodded. He thought the same.
"Since the Flower already knows, there's no need for concealment anymore. Stop the daily operations of the Grass Village and have the Ninja extract Chakra and infuse it into the Box of Bliss, opening it as soon as possible," Impermanence suggested.
Yokokawa Tsutomu showed a contemplative expression; he had to admit that Impermanence's decision was quite radical.
Doing so would essentially mean laying all the cards on the table with the Grass Flower and would indeed offend some clients.
"Age indeed slows one down, but it's a good thing to have you, Impermanence. You're right; the top priority now is to open the Box of Bliss, and everything else is secondary." Yokokawa Tsutomu smiled and patted Impermanence's shoulder in agreement.
Radical? Grass Seed's main strategy is being radical!
Yokokawa Tsutomu truly felt that grooming Impermanence as an heir wasn't in vain; not only is he strong, but his radical drive surpasses even his younger years.
"It's a do-or-die political struggle now. If Grass Seed doesn't act, a catastrophe will befall us," Impermanence said with a serious face.
"Life or death? It's not to that extent; we're all Grass Ninja," Yokokawa Tsutomu felt Impermanence was getting a bit too extreme.
Although their ideologies differ, they're both striving for the betterment of the Grass Village, which shouldn't lead to life-and-death situations.
"If the Box of Bliss can't be opened, the village can't become stronger. Under the Grass Flower's accountability, you'll have no choice but to resign. If Konoha gains an advantage in the upcoming war, they'll hold the Grass Village accountable..."
Impermanence seriously analyzed the upcoming difficulties that Grass Seed and the Grass Village might face for Yokokawa Tsutomu.
"Gather the elders," Yokokawa Tsutomu decided after contemplating, ready to take immediate action.
Since he's gambling, he's naturally considered the consequences of losing, but the Grass Flower discovered things much faster than he anticipated, making his previously ample time now seem lacking.
...
In the competition over evidence collection speed, Ryuhi ultimately outpaced them, completing the evidence gathering faster than Kakashi and his team.
After completing the evidence collection, Ryuhi first handed over the evidence to Mokgetsu and then, following Mokgetsu's instructions, took the evidence to the Grass Village Leader's office.
"What happened to you all? Why do you look like you haven't slept?" Ryuhi walked into the office building and noticed the Ninja he encountered all seemed drained and listless.
"When the clients see you looking like this, how can they have confidence in our Grass Ninja capabilities?" Ryuhi couldn't help but scold.
Never mind other positions, the mission assignments are the core of the Ninja Village.
"Sorry, Elder Ryuhi, I couldn't sleep last night," the Grass Ninja casually found an excuse to brush off the question.
Clients or not, Yokokawa Tsutomu had already ordered that no mission should be completed before the Box of Bliss is opened.
Ryuhi frowned at their demeanor but had more pressing matters to address, so he could not linger.
As Ryuhi reached the door of the Grass Village Leader's office, the Anbu guard at the entrance stopped him.
"The leader is handling important matters, and no one is allowed to enter," the Grass Village Anbu said expressionlessly.
"Move aside. No matter what he's dealing with, I must get an explanation today!" Ryuhi bluntly retorted, showing no regard for the Anbu.
The Grass Village Anbu didn't speak again nor did he move aside.
Ryuhi wasted no more words and directly struck at the Grass Village Anbu. Since Yokokawa Tsutomu had made grave mistakes, the Anbu under his command must be problematic too.
The Grass Village Anbu tried hard to stop Ryuhi, but not only was he no match for Ryuhi, he was also physically weakened from repeatedly supplying Chakra to the Box of Bliss. In two moves, Ryuhi had him downed on the ground.
Bam!
"Yokokawa Tsutomu, you have the guts to secretly engage in war but not face me?" Ryuhi kicked the door of the Grass Village Leader's office open, cursing aloud.