Konoha, under the leadership of the Third Hokage, seemed timid, but in reality, they weren't afraid of war; after all, Konoha Village had the largest number of Ninja!
What was there to fear? Konoha wasn't afraid to challenge any single Ninja Village.
For Kakashi, he had always held some animosity towards Iwagakure.
In his ingrained perception, his best friend Obito had tragically died at the hands of Iwagakure Ninja, crushed by a massive rock that utterly destroyed his body.
Even when Kakashi was at his most despondent, he never gave up practicing Lightning Release; subconsciously, there was always the intention of killing a few Iwagakure Ninja to avenge his best friend.
When he told Sasuke about the Village and Iwagakure's affairs, he didn't even realize that this was a classic case of personal vendetta.
Besides Naruto, everyone present was a Chunin; once a major war broke out, they would definitely be the main force on the battlefield.
You say you won't go? Impossible.
The lazy Shikamaru, the aloof Sasuke, and the inconspicuous Shino all asked many questions about Iwagakure; gathering more intelligence now might save their lives someday in the future.
Ino, who had spent several days in Iwagakure, had more say in this regard; she focused on describing the Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and the abilities of some well-known Ninja from Iwagakure.
As she spoke animatedly, Hinata, who didn't allow her to drink alcohol, had prepared many snacks not available at the Curry House before the dinner party, and now, timing it perfectly, she would occasionally feed Ino.
Beef jerky, mm, licking her fingers, it was quite delicious.
Squid rolls, mm, good flavor!
Peeled lobster, Ino swallowed it ungracefully.
She spoke of Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi, of the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, and finally, of the Masked Man Obito.
Speaking of that grandson, Ino felt depressed.
She had been caught off guard then, and now, several days after returning to the Village, she racked her brain but couldn't come up with a way to deal with the Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan.
She just felt that all the Ninjutsu she had learned were utterly useless.
The Konoha 12 were all young people, full of youthful spirit, and were very interested in this kind of mastermind that only appeared in movies.
Especially when Ino said that even she, Tsunade, and Shizune combined couldn't touch his clothes, the heavy resentment in her words was palpable to anyone.
Neji frowned in thought, "Able to be immune to all Ninjutsu and Taijutsu? What kind of ability is this?"
Ino slapped her thigh, and Hinata quickly popped a meatball into her mouth, making her mumble indistinctly, "That move doesn't require hand signs, consumes very little Chakra, and with a thought, he can become intangible. What else could it be? Mangekyo Sharingan, of course!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she noticed Sasuke staring intently at her.
Why is this guy looking at me? Her mind whirled, and she suddenly realized that the current Sasuke... seemed unaware of the Mangekyo Sharingan? He wouldn't think the Three Tomoe was the limit, would he?
Sasuke asked very seriously, "The Mangekyo Sharingan you just mentioned? What does that mean?"
The other companions also looked over; none of them had heard that term before, with Naruto being the most concerned.
Ino immediately deflected, "...I, I'm not clear either. I heard Kakashi-sensei say it. Yes, he said it, you should go ask him."
Sasuke was exceptionally serious, as rigid as a pillar: "Kakashi-sensei never said anything about that."
Ino didn't know how much he understood, so she could only be vague: "Alright, I remembered it wrong. I heard a senior mention the Mangekyo. Asking me is useless; I don't have the Sharingan, nor am I from the Uchiha Clan. You should still go ask Kakashi-sensei."
Sasuke pressed on, "Exactly which senior?"
"The Second Hokage!" Ino shifted the blame to the Second Hokage, then pulled Hinata, "Let's go, let's go! My mom said she's making fish tonight, so let's hurry back to help!"
She rushed off with Hinata, leaving the other companions in disarray.
The Second Hokage? Where did you meet the Second Hokage? Didn't that person die decades ago? You must have met a ghost!
Early the next morning.
Shizune, carrying Tonton, came to find Ino, who was sealed by her blanket. Ino quickly washed up, grabbed two rice balls, and followed her to the back mountain.
At this time, the back mountain was bustling with people.
ANBU Ninja were deployed in layers, and the Sealing Team and Medical Corps were standing by.
Three question marks appeared above Ino's head. What was going on?
"Ah, I'm so sleepy! Senior sister, why are we here so early in the morning?"
Shizune said seriously, "Lady Tsunade has thought of a way to deal with the Masked Man, and today she wants to try it out."
Really? Tsunade is so capable! Her 10 points in 'Wisdom' are truly no joke; as long as she's away from the casino, the fifty-year-old aunt's intelligence is online.
Soon, Jiraiya arrived, yawning. A groggy Sakura was also called by ANBU Ninja Yūgao Uzuki, and finally, Tsunade arrived.
Tsunade hadn't slept all night and was a bit listless, but she still waved her hand and said with great presence, "Follow me!"
Ino, Shizune, a bewildered Sakura, and a large group of ANBU Ninja followed her inside. Jiraiya, trailing behind, looked left and right, but there wasn't a soul in sight.
He muttered to himself, "Actually... actually, I'm the Hokage... Why is this old woman so imposing?"
Before he finished speaking, he felt a sharp murderous intent from ahead and quickly followed the large group like a student.
The method Tsunade thought of was Kurama Yakumo.
If I can't hit you face-to-face, then I'll send someone to use underhanded tactics; I'll curse you to death!
Kurama Yakumo's health was very poor, so Shizune was called to treat her body, and Ino to treat her mind. Sakura was barely a friend of Kurama Yakumo and could help soothe her. Jiraiya... Jiraiya was there as a mascot.
The ANBU Ninja all stayed outside; Jiraiya, Tsunade, Ino, Shizune, and Sakura, the five of them, stepped into the room.
Kurama Yakumo's room was filled with bizarre sights. There were spiraling walls, slides that made you fly up when you jumped down, and curtains that looked like candelabras but could be passed through as if walking through a wall.
This room had been altered by her Bloodline Limit, transforming it into an illusory world detached from most physical rules.
Sakura had been there many times and now, knowing the way, led them.
Soon, they found Kurama Yakumo staring blankly at a panel in the art studio.
This was Ino's first time seeing this girl, and her initial impression was, wow, this girl is so eerie! Then she felt the turmoil in the girl's heart; she didn't have enough mental fortitude and willpower to control this power, and eventually, the power took over her body, turning her into this state of desperately enduring, but the more she endured, the more gloom accumulated in her heart.
Tsunade whispered, "How do you think her condition is? Can you help her regain some more sanity?"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"