It was his own Flying Thunder God mark, along with the aura of Tsunade's soul.
Hiding his presence, Makiya landed quietly in the woods and crept into the village to observe the situation, finally getting a general idea of what was happening.
This village had not been affected by the ninja wars; instead, it had been devastated by its own Daimyo. All the men had been forcibly conscripted to the capital, and the young women had been kidnapped by various nobles. Only a group of elderly, weak, and disabled people remained in the village, barely clinging to life.
Nono Yakushi, known as the 'Walking Priestess,' was skilled in medical ninjutsu. She often traveled the ninja world in the guise of a priestess, gathering intelligence through the subtle details of conversations with patients while healing them.
War had led to a shortage of food, and the elderly and weak in the village were fighting with all their might for two pancakes. Nearly everyone was injured, and Nono Yakushi just happened to be passing through, setting up a stall to treat the sick and injured.
As for why Tsunade was helping, Makiya had no idea.
Perhaps it was simply because she was kind!
The ninja world was also a dog-eat-dog society, and it manifested in a more naked and blatant way here. The ruling class, centered on the Daimyo and the nobles, occupied the top of the food chain and didn't treat commoners like human beings at all.
Strictly speaking, ninjas were merely the Daimyo's mercenaries in name. The Daimyo provided the funds, and the ninjas provided the labor; both parties got what they needed.
The Daimyo of the Land of Grass was quite 'sensible.' He had no intention of striving for excellence or expanding his military. Instead, he chose to live a life of decadence, preying on the people and indulging in pleasure every day, leading a very comfortable life.
Even if the nation's ninjas were few and the people's grievances reached the heavens, the rule of the Land of Grass's Daimyo remained very stable. The Daimyos of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth would even send people to help him clean up rebellions and rioters occasionally.
Tsunade, who had conducted an in-depth investigation into the lives of the commoners in the Land of Grass, felt this very deeply.
One cannot imagine things outside their own cognition. Previously, Tsunade had only operated within the borders of the Land of Fire, concentrating near larger cities since only those places had casinos. She had thought that although there were differences among the people of the ninja world, the gap wouldn't be too vast.
When she saw with her own eyes the people of the Land of Grass eating bark and soil, and when she saw villagers dying from a small wound, she realized how deeply the wars between major powers hurt the people of smaller nations.
If the current Tsunade were faced with Pain's questioning, she would absolutely never be able to say something like, 'We major nations have also suffered.'
There is a difference in pain; how can a cut finger be compared to a body full of festering sores?
As expected of a female ninja who understood human nature; as the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade could probably make Pain unleash his ultimate move with just three sentences.
Tsunade assisted Nono Yakushi from the side, her expression serious and thoughtful throughout. Her hemophobia made it impossible for her to treat wounds or perform surgery, so she could only help prepare medicines or correct some of Nono's treatment methods. Shizune, meanwhile, had gone to the nearby mountains to gather herbs.
"Hmm?" Nono Yakushi looked up in confusion, having noticed Makiya in the woods behind her. Her expression remained unchanged as she continued to prepare medicine, repeatedly instructing the elderly woman in front of her how to take it. Only after seeing her off did she stand up and look back. "This... ninja-sama? Are you here for medical treatment?"
Women are natural actors, and as Zhang Wuji's mother once said: the more beautiful a woman is, the more she knows how to lie. Nono might not have been world-toppling in her beauty, but she was certainly attractive.
Having been a spy for so many years and still being alive, Nono Yakushi's acting skills were top-tier. She was active on the battlefields between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, so naturally, she knew of Makiya Uchiha's name. She recognized him the moment he appeared, but her face remained calm, her expression carrying three parts surprise, three parts vigilance, and four parts the compassionate maternal nature of a healer.
It was quite laughable. Makiya was a member of Konoha's Uchiha clan and one of the village's top combatants, perhaps even the best. Yet even now in Konoha, a significant number of villagers had no idea who he was because the village didn't promote him at all.
But in Iwagakure of the Land of Earth, Makiya Uchiha, who had fought the Five-Tails, was a legendary figure capable of stopping a child's crying. His portrait had long since spread throughout the hidden village, and the note in the ninja handbook was 'Extremely Dangerous.' Encountering this person during a mission meant one could directly abandon the mission without any punishment.
"Eh? Makiya? Why are you here?" Tsunade recovered from her low mood, looking at Makiya with a face full of surprise.
Makiya greeted Tsunade with a smile and then looked at Nono Yakushi. "I'm here to find someone. Her. Nono Yakushi."
Saying that, Makiya pulled a stack of photos from behind him and handed them to Nono. "That old geezer Danzo is dead. I killed him. Nono Yakushi, you are free."
Nono Yakushi trembled all over, a look of deep disbelief flashing in her eyes. Although she had suspected something when her cursed seal disappeared and had silently prayed that something had happened to Danzo, she still couldn't believe that the man who had hidden in the shadows controlling the ninja world for so long had died so suddenly.
The reason she had returned to the field as a 'Walking Priestess' was due to Danzo's secret manipulations. Danzo had used the Konoha Orphanage to threaten Nono, the director, into returning to Root, and had even forced the young Kabuto Yakushi to become a spy as well. The one-eyed old man's black hand had always loomed over Nono, Kabuto, and the orphanage, never disappearing.
This was why when Nono accidentally discovered Tsunade's whereabouts, she had immediately sought her out to confirm the intelligence.
Unfortunately, Tsunade didn't know what was happening either. If she and Shizune didn't proactively contact the village, neither Hiruzen nor Jiraiya would be able to find her.
Now, only Makiya could find Tsunade, who was hiding in the ninja world, in the shortest amount of time. After all, he had secretly hidden an inscription on her.
Nono's hands shook as she took the photos. When she saw the content, her face showed a very complex expression—relief and liberation mixed with a sense of grim irony.
The scene in the photos seemed to be in a dense forest, with battle scars visible all around. Makiya was squatting on the grass, flashing a peace sign with one hand while holding Danzo Shimura's head in the other, the neck stump charred black.
That face was one Nono would never forget even as a ghost; it was indeed Danzo's head. Of course, the most critical proof was the failure of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. Danzo's control over his subordinates was extreme; unless he died, it was impossible for the seal to be deactivated.
"Thank you, Lord Makiya." Nono returned the photos to Makiya and gave a deep bow before asking in a heavy voice, "Did Lord Makiya come specifically to find me because you want me to serve you? If it is you, I am willing. I only ask that you treat the children of the orphanage well."
Nono was no fool. Having traveled the ninja world for so many years, she had seen all sorts of joys, sorrows, and human ugliness. she understood that in interactions between people, interest was the most primitive and reliable motive. Makiya had come specifically for her, so he must want something. She had nothing else to offer but her skills as a spy.
"Talking to smart people is refreshing. I do indeed want you to serve me," Makiya nodded. "But I won't force you. If you're unwilling, you can choose to go back to being the director of the orphanage. Danzo is dead, and Orochimaru has disappeared. Very few people in Konoha know your identity."
Nono's eyes held a glimmer of hope, but it gradually dimmed. "It's too late. I know too many secrets. For someone like me, returning to the orphanage would only bring disaster to everyone. Being a spy is my fate for life."
Makiya covered his face. "You're afraid of bringing disaster to the orphanage, but you're not afraid of bringing it to me?"
Nono smiled, her eyes flickering. "You are a great figure who can defeat a Jinchuriki. Any trouble I could cause is completely insignificant before your strength."
As the two talked, Tsunade felt a bit sour. An inexplicable feeling of irritability rose in her heart. She didn't know why, but she was just very unhappy.
"I'm going to check on Shizune. That girl has been in the mountains for so long, I hope nothing's happened." Thinking that what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over, Tsunade tossed out an excuse and walked toward the nearby forest with a pouting expression.
"???" Makiya scratched his head, his face full of question marks. He noticed that Tsunade was a bit unhappy and that it seemed directed at him, but this anger was completely nonsensical.
'Could she be hitting menopause early?'
Nono chuckled to herself, seeing through the situation but choosing not to speak.
The process of recruiting Nono was smoother than he had imagined. If anything, Nono saw things too clearly and understood the principle that the wise submit to the inevitable.
After Danzo's death, many spies sent out by Root lost contact, including Nono and Kabuto Yakushi. Makiya would slowly reach out to the others as well.
After recruiting Nono, things on Kabuto's side were much simpler. After showing Nono photos of Kabuto from recent years, she immediately saw through Danzo's malicious intentions and agreed to cooperate.
Using a secret code to call Kabuto Yakushi out of Iwagakure, Nono personally went out. With his 'mother' speaking to him, Kabuto immediately showed his obedience.
The underground tunnels of the Land of Grass were too complex. Tsunade had only investigated a small part so far, finding a few clues, and planned to continue unraveling the mystery. Makiya left her some supplies and then took Nono and Kabuto back to his base.
High in the sky, Kabuto and Nono crouched nervously on the flying sword, using chakra on the soles of their feet to firmly stick to the blade, their hearts pounding as they watched the clouds drift past.
Flight is a yearning carved into human bones. When they found that the sword Makiya controlled was very steady, the two finally let their hearts sink back into their chests and began to enjoy the pleasure of flying, looking down at the mountains and rivers and gazing at the beautiful land.
They passed through the Land of Waterfall, the Land of Iron, and the Land of Rice. Makiya and the other two arrived at the base located below the Land of Hot Water just as the sun was setting.
"Lord Makiya, is this your... um... power base?" Looking at the uninhabited mountains below, Nono looked up at Makiya, suddenly feeling a bit of regret. Her newly recognized boss seemed a bit destitute, with no subordinates around him.
Of course, she wouldn't think that way for long. After Makiya controlled the flying sword to land on the mountain peak, a deep and terrifying roar echoed from the valley. The thunderous sound pierced through the air, full of power and intimidation.
A giant blue-black cat demon leapt into the air, its chakra cloak vanishing like flames to reveal the slender figure within.
Like a kitten waiting for its owner to return, Yugito Nii appeared before Makiya with agile steps, casting a vigilant gaze at Nono and Kabuto.
"From now on, you will be colleagues. Let me introduce you: this is Yugito Nii, the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails Matatabi. These two are Nono Yakushi and Kabuto Yakushi."
At Makiya's introduction, the three shook hands. Yugito looked indifferent, while Nono and Kabuto felt a wave of shock in their hearts. Makiya's image continued to rise, suddenly becoming mysterious.
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