"..." Nagato thought.
He didn't know where Makiya got the confidence to find him, but seeing that the opponent didn't intend to pursue for now, Nagato felt a quiet sense of relief, followed quickly by a surge of shame for his own retreat.
'If it comes to it, I'll just summon the Gedo Statue and fight to the death. Nagato, oh Nagato, what are you afraid of?'
Nagato asked himself. He certainly wasn't afraid of death; he was only afraid of dying before fulfilling Yahiko's wish of bringing peace to the ninja world.
'Yes, that's it!'
In any case, Nagato convinced himself. With Konan's help, he left his hiding spot, rendezvoused with the Deva Path puppet, and swiftly moved away from Konoha.
Makiya finished sealing the Animal Path and put away the scroll, gazing into the distance. Watching the Deva Path's silhouette grow smaller in his sight, he created a Shadow Clone to follow them secretly before turning back toward Konoha.
They could run, but they couldn't hide. Nagato and Konan's base was in Amegakure. They thought they were well-hidden, but they didn't realize that as a traverser, Makiya's natural intelligence advantage meant he knew their secrets inside and out.
'I wonder what Nagato's expression will be when I suddenly show up in Amegakure.' Makiya thought curiously as he walked back, feeling a bit of anticipation.
Thanks to the efforts of the Military Police Force, the Anbu, and Makiya, there were virtually no casualties in Konoha during this attack. Only a few unlucky souls were killed by collapsing buildings, casting a thin layer of sorrow over the village.
Tsunade led a group of medical ninjas in the rescue efforts, searching for the injured among the ruins. She had summoned the massive Katsuyu, who split into countless smaller bodies to perform mass healing, which proved remarkably effective.
Due to the Sage Mode Makiya had developed, the version of Katsuyu that Tsunade summoned was twice as large as before. It was the first time so many of its bodies had appeared outside Shikkotsu Forest, and Katsuyu seemed quite excited, making the healing effects even stronger.
The attack on Konoha couldn't be hidden. Despite Minato and Hiruzen's strict orders for the Anbu to hunt down spies and informants within the village, the truth eventually leaked. The news swept across the entire ninja world like a hurricane.
The prestigious number one village of the ninja world, Konoha of the Land of Fire, had its Hokage Rock overturned by a mysterious enemy. A third of the village had been completely destroyed, and even the Hokage building had vanished. It was simply unbelievable.
However, the sight of such a massive rock formation flying in the sky was no different from a 'Second Moon.' The spectacular scene had drawn many civilians out of their gates to watch and discuss it fervently.
The later scene of a giant cutting that moon into pieces had caused countless jaws to drop. News that stirs strong emotions travels fastest; through word of mouth, various strange versions of the story were flying everywhere within a single hour.
The commotion of Makiya's moon-slashing feat could be seen from half of the Land of Fire. Konoha was powerless to suppress the news unless Minato could instantly place a Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on everyone in the country. Consequently, the other Great Ninja Villages received a wealth of intelligence overnight, and their reactions varied.
Tsuchikage Ohnoki recalled the terror of being dominated by Hashirama and Madara Uchiha. He immediately ordered Iwagakure to focus on internal recovery and prohibited any external warfare. He decided to stay quietly in his own territory, raising children and farming as if he were a peaceful old man—as if he hadn't been the one to orchestrate the death of the Third Raikage.
Ohnoki even began to consider Kurotsuchi. One could tell what a child would become by looking at them young, and the two-year-old Kurotsuchi already looked like she would grow into a beauty. Should he find a time in a few years to send her to Makiya and forge a marriage alliance?
While Ohnoki was trembling with fear, Kumogakure was filled with a restless energy from top to bottom. The disappearance of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, had made them furious. They had even demanded that the other villages open their gates for them to conduct searches.
Although Konoha's overall strength hadn't taken a heavy hit from this attack, the fact that a third of the village was destroyed was undeniable. Their prestige had plummeted, making the bellicose Cloud Ninja eager to test them.
As for the news of Makiya shattering a 'moon' with one strike, the Fourth Raikage claimed that size meant nothing. To him, it was just a Susanoo; he felt he could smash it to bits with one punch. He believed true attacks should focus on a single point for maximum power.
Jiraiya, who was currently investigating and 'collecting material' in the Land of Hot Water, was shocked by the news. However, secret letters from Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi dissuaded him from returning. The attack was over; going back now wouldn't help much. It was better to continue investigating the mysterious Seireitei.
He hadn't just been collecting material. His long, quiet investigation had finally yielded results; he had discovered a member of the Seireitei and was currently tracking them in secret.
Long after the dissolution of Root, Yamato had been scouted by Minato. He couldn't escape his original fate and joined the Anbu, becoming good friends with Kakashi. It was rumored he had even been hit by a friendship-filled Thousand Years of Death, leading him to constantly shout slogans about bonds and friendship.
The heavy burden of rebuilding the Hokage building fell on Yamato. There were countless matters for the Hokage and high-level officials to manage, and not having a place for meetings was critical.
Obito was useless for this. That guy hadn't turned dark, so his strength was bottom-tier. If Hashirama's Wood Style created forests and Yamato's Wood Style handled urban greening, then Obito could at most play with potted plants. He spent all his time circling Rin Nohara like a husky, completely lost in her presence.
Under Yamato's efforts, the legendary Wood Style once again aided Konoha. Numerous 'Five-Story Building Jutsu' and 'Three-Bedroom Apartment Jutsu' were deployed, and the reconstruction of Konoha proceeded at a blistering pace.
Inside the newly constructed temporary Hokage building, a meeting was underway. The attendees looked at each other in surprise; they hadn't expected Makiya, who usually had a low political profile, to suddenly launch an offensive.
"That is my proposal. According to the ninja registry, the number of Genin, Chunin, and Jonin from the Sarutobi clan is the highest—even far exceeding the total of other clans combined. In times like this, they must take responsibility..."
Makiya tossed a document onto the conference table. "These ninjas didn't reach their current level solely on their own. I looked at the previous policies. In this [Strong Foundation Project], the Sarutobi clan took sixty percent of the slots to train Genin. In the [Elite Project], the Sarutobi clan took fifty percent of the slots to train nearly thirty Jonin and seventy Chunin. Then there's the [Fire Style Ninja Project], the [Let Some People Become Jonin First Project], the [Bloodline Development Project], and the [Make Leaf Great Again Project]..."
Makiya looked around, his gaze lingering on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face for a moment before scanning the expressions of the other clan heads. "How is it that I never heard of any of these projects within the Uchiha clan? Modesty aside, I was considered a fairly famous talent back then. Why did I only learn Medical Jutsu and a B-rank Fire Style before going to the battlefield? Was I not qualified?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed twice. "Cough... cough... the qualification certifications for every step are recorded and fully comply with procedures and protocols. You didn't apply, so naturally, you couldn't be selected."
"Nonsense. I didn't even know these projects existed, so where would I apply?" Makiya shot him a glare before softening his tone. "I'm not bringing this up to settle old scores; that would be boring. Right now, Konoha is in a state of neglect. The recent war cost us a large number of middle and lower-level ninjas. To continue increasing educational strength and the number of ninjas, it is time for the Sarutobi clan to give back to the village."
Makiya counted on his fingers. "The village currently needs a large number of Jonin and Chunin to serve as team leaders for new Genin. There is also a massive shortage of teachers at the Academy. A one-to-fifty large-class education only produces cannon fodder. And as for the number of ninjas on missions... why is the mission schedule for the Sarutobi clan so relaxed? We need to increase the intensity!"
Hiruzen frowned. "Makiya, not everyone is as strong as an Uchiha. If we make ordinary ninjas accept the same mission intensity as Uchiha Jonin, they will suffer! Those with greater ability should do more; working in any position is a contribution to the village!"
"Is that why Konoha Hospital, Konoha Prison, and the Konoha Barrier Team are filled with so many Sarutobi clan members?" Makiya sneered. "I reiterate, I am not settling old scores. The ninjas the village spent massive funds and resources to cultivate must take responsibility in these extraordinary times. If the Uchiha and Hyuga are the spears of the forest, the Sarutobi shouldn't think about slacking off. This applies to every clan."
"With great power comes great responsibility!" Hiruzen's face darkened. "Rashly increasing the mission load for the Sarutobi clan is the same as sending them to their deaths!"
"Those who survive are the elites." Makiya didn't back down an inch, meeting him head-on. "The Uchiha clan became what it is by going through the same process. You know that better than anyone!"
Hiruzen was speechless. Makiya was right. The reason the Uchiha clan could awaken so many Sharingan was partly due to talent, but the fundamental reason was that they had struggled and suffered through the trials of blood and fire.
Makiya stood up, facing everyone, and spoke loudly: "I propose that missions be allocated based on the number of Jonin and Chunin in each clan. In these extraordinary times, only by uniting as one can we revitalize Konoha. I've finished speaking. Who supports me, and who opposes me?"
The room fell silent as everyone looked at one another.
Who would dare oppose?
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a bitterness in his heart. Makiya claimed to be doing this for Konoha, but to Hiruzen, it was clearly targeted at the Sarutobi clan. However, given Makiya's strength, he wasn't someone Hiruzen could provoke right now. 'What should I do? Am I just going to let Makiya slaughter us?' Hiruzen's mind raced. 'No, I must find a way to resist. It seems I can only look for outside help... Ninjas, in the end, serve the nobility...'