Chapter 425: Tsunade's Disappearance
"Tsunade is missing?"
Hearing Kakashi's words, Tobitake Tonbo fell into deep thought.
He wove hand seals and cast a sensory ninjutsu—one whose range far surpassed his previous sensory capabilities—expanding outward with himself as the epicenter.
Countless glowing motes of light materialized within his mind.
These light points represented every living being who had ever been caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi and subsequently implanted with his neural threads, including various summoned beasts.
He directed his sensory focus toward Tsunade's signal, only to discover that it had vanished entirely.
Did she die? That can't be... I've paid special attention to all major characters, especially regarding their life signatures.
Failing to detect Tsunade's presence, Tonbo's brow furrowed slightly.
Although he couldn't monitor everyone every single second of the day, his tracking mechanisms weren't something that could be eliminated so easily and cleanly without leaving a trace.
To be capable of abducting Tsunade and severing my tracking coordinates at the same time... with an ability like that, I'm afraid Kara is finally beginning to surface.
Watching him weave seals, Kakashi knew he was likely employing some form of sensory ninjutsu. "How is it? Did you find her?"
"No. She has completely vanished from my sensory range. The enemy's capabilities are strong—exceptionally strong."
To be able to purge his neural threads... aside from Orochimaru and Kabuto, he had never met anyone capable of detecting them.
Unfortunately, the neural threads left on Tsunade dated back to the Fourth Great Ninja War and hadn't been specially upgraded. Had they been his modern neural threads, the enemy would have found them far harder to dispel.
"It seems another entity similar to the Akatsuki has emerged in this world. Didn't Senior Jiraiya say that the Child of Prophecy would bring peace?" Kakashi let out a soft sigh, feeling a sense of deep foreboding regarding the existence of this organization.
At the same time, he harbored a healthy degree of caution toward this hidden faction.
One had to remember that Konoha's strength had progressed by leaps and bounds ever since the introduction of Scientific Shinobi Tools. Not to mention Konoha's current systemic reforms and training regimes, which churned out vast numbers of talented personnel every year. The village had been steadily advancing, fully restoring its Fourth War peak combat power in just a few short years.
"War can never be eradicated entirely; we can only make peace endure a little longer. It seems someone out there still refuses to let us enjoy it easily," Tonbo stated calmly.
"For now, we can only rely on the village's power to track down Lady Tsunade. I hope we can find a lead soon. If you uncover anything, summon me immediately—I will go all out to eliminate anyone who threatens peace."
Tonbo spoke with absolute authority.
This was his era now. Any villain that reared their head would be dealt with the moment they were discovered.
There was no need to burden the next generation with it; dangerous threats were to be snuffed out in the cradle.
It was just a bit of a shame that although his shadow clones were scattered across every corner of the globe, they had only managed to uncover some of the enemy's outer perimeter assets without pinpointing their main headquarters.
Over the past few days, he had also noticed Kara's expansion and was actively using shadow clones to deal heavy blows against them.
Regrettably, the results were minimal.
The number of shadow clones he could maintain was finite. Even while roaming across the Great Nations, they could only root out peripheral members.
It seemed their headquarters was outfitted with a specialized device that made it completely impossible for him to locate. Even when he managed to capture and control peripheral Kara members, they were quickly exposed and neutralized.
Evidently, Kara had acquired intelligence regarding his abilities and developed specific countermeasures—even absolute fail-safes.
Hearing Tonbo's resolute tone, Kakashi wondered why his aura carried such heavy hostility today.
Now, even if the Akatsuki were resurrected, they would founder completely against Konoha's present forces. Modern Konoha was in a completely different league compared to the past, having achieved a massive leap in combat capability—especially in top-tier firepower.
"Right, I'll inform you as soon as we have news. By the way... congratulations! You're going to be a grandfather soon!"
Having concluded official business, Kakashi turned to Tonbo with a light chuckle.
Over the years, Kakashi had learned to take things in stride, finding contentment in his single life. Yet seeing Tonbo's sons and daughters getting married—with grandchildren surely on the horizon—he couldn't help but feel a touch of envy.
Tonbo possessed top-tier strength, lived a fulfilling life, and managed both his career and family so effortlessly. Kakashi genuinely wondered how he pulled it off.
"Nothing is set in stone yet, it'll probably take a while. Right now, those kids are off on their honeymoons. I just hope that when they get back, they'll bless me with a few big, healthy grandchildren!" Mentioning this brought a radiant smile to Tonbo's face.
Surrounded by children and grandchildren—a dream he hadn't achieved in his past life—was finally coming to fruition in this one. Nothing could be more blissful than this.
"By the way, I heard the Taketori clan has joined the Konoha family as well?" Tonbo asked suddenly.
The Taketori clan—longstanding allies of the Hyuga family—had historically been one of the primary clans providing elite guards to top officials like the Fire Daimyo. Recently, thanks to Konoha's new policies and the guidelines of the Shinobi Alliance, they had officially integrated into the Konoha community.
They were currently in the middle of constructing their clan compound, handled directly by the Hyuga clan's construction firm.
"Yes. The world is evolving, and the Taketori clan wanted to integrate into the new era. At the invitation of the Hyuga clan, they joined Konoha's fold," Kakashi explained. "The Hyuga clan's construction company is exceptionally talented. The compound should be completed before long—do you want to head over and take a look when it's done?"
Ever since the founding of the World Ninja Association, the Hyuga clan had produced numerous One-Star Master Builders, and even Two-Star Master Builders—all of whom were practicing shinobi.
Relying on the unique advantages of the Byakugan, even a little study gave them an overwhelming edge in the construction industry.
"That's great, but I'll pass on visiting. I still have plenty of tasks on my plate and my schedule is quite packed," Tonbo declined. Right now, his modified Unlimited Void technique was undergoing deep, rigorous research. Aside from bolstering Konoha's military capabilities, he had little time for non-family matters.
The sooner a technique capable of countering future-sight abilities was perfected, the greater the shift in future outcomes would be.
Thus, he and Orochimaru were accelerating their research pace.
Kakashi rolled his deadfish eyes at him. "I really don't get you. As Deputy Director, how do you manage to have so much work to do? Shouldn't your main job just be keeping an eye on Orochimaru? Good grief!"
He genuinely couldn't comprehend it. Logically speaking, Tonbo should have had plenty of free time on his hands. Wouldn't it be nice to wander around and take it easy?
If Kakashi were to retire, he would stroll through the village and drop by bookshops to see if any interesting reads had come out.
He heard a fanfiction novel based on Icha Icha Paradise had hit the shelves recently. He had been eyeing it for a while, but his demanding duties as Hokage left him with zero time to read it—a tragic loss, considering he heard the fanfic was exceptionally good.
"That won't do. One must continuously refine their strength; otherwise, how could one suppress all the monsters and fiends looking to cause trouble?" Tonbo chuckled.
Strength was the true foundation of a peaceful life.
Naturally, when time permitted, he still made a point to wander around and relax. Just as Orochimaru had remarked, constantly keeping oneself under pressure wasn't sustainable.
Because of this, Tonbo had adjusted his schedule recently. Beyond researching ninjutsu, he dedicated ample time to enjoying his personal life and pursuing hobbies he loved.
However, attending the Taketori clan's village integration ceremony wasn't a necessity, nor was it something he found particularly intriguing.
Had it been ten years ago, he might have dropped by to check out the commotion. After all, the Taketori clan was a prominent family.
He wondered if that man named Taketori Tensho had retired from the Fire Daimyo's elite guard. If he had retired, he would probably be attending the ceremony right about now.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!