Chapter 737: Change of plan, Sancun backstabbed

“As expected, when it comes to Ninja strength, it has to be Nagato, you! When you defeated the Mizukage, those Ninja from the Five Great Ninja Villages all looked like their jaws had dropped.”

On the way back to the Shinobi Sect’s headquarters, Yahiko vividly recounted the shocked expressions of the Ninja in the audience during Nagato’s battle.

“There were many Ninja who were surprised, but I remember Yahiko, you were one of them too, right?”

Konan teased.

At that time, Yahiko also looked at the arena with a surprised expression, as if he hadn’t expected it.

“Oh, well, it’s been a while since we last met, so I didn’t know Nagato’s exact strength.”

Yahiko scratched his head and explained.

To personally witness a good brother, with whom he grew up, defeat a Kage at the pinnacle of the Ninja World, the impact was truly not small.

“And Konan must have been very surprised at that time too, it’s just that I didn’t notice.”

Yahiko said with certainty.

No matter how much she wished for Nagato to win, his opponent was still a Kage, so seeing Nagato win would certainly still be surprising.

“Mm.”

Konan didn’t argue, she smiled generously and admitted it.

Yahiko looked at Nagato, with a look that said, “I told you so.”

“On the contrary, Sasori, who has known Nagato for a shorter time, believes in Nagato’s strength more.”

Konan shifted the topic to Sasori, who hadn’t spoken.

Sasori’s expression at the time was particularly striking among the many surprised people; Konan still remembered the details of Sasori’s facial expression.

Sasori was just smiling slightly, seemingly a little happy, without any hint of surprise or unexpectedness.

“It’s not that I believe in his strength, I just think the Third Mizukage’s strength wouldn’t be that strong.”

Sasori explained indifferently.

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

Yahiko couldn’t help but retort.

The core of it was still thinking that Nagato’s strength was greater than the Third Mizukage’s.

“If the opponent were the Fourth Hokage, I don’t think Nagato could win.”

Sasori felt that Yahiko’s words made sense, so he added a sentence.

“Who would think Nagato could defeat the Fourth Hokage? Only Teacher Sōsuke could win against him, right?”

Yahiko was even more speechless.

Sasori’s mouth was even harder than the alloy puppets he made.

Nagato saw Sasori getting along harmoniously with his two close friends, and couldn’t help but smile, saying:

“Indeed, in this world, only Teacher Sōsuke can surpass the Fourth Hokage, and only the Fourth Hokage might be able to surpass Teacher Sōsuke.”

“Surpass Teacher Sōsuke? Nagato, do you rate that Hokage so highly?”

Yahiko was a little surprised.

After personally witnessing the entire process of Sōsuke defeating the Third Tsuchikage, Yahiko couldn’t imagine what kind of strength it would take to defeat Sōsuke.

As Sōsuke’s top disciple, Nagato should be the one who knows Sōsuke’s strength best, yet Nagato actually believed that Muzuki might be able to defeat Sōsuke. This was too high a praise.

Nagato smiled without speaking, not explaining further.

Although this was a secret that would be taken as a lie if spoken, it was indeed the biggest secret of the Shinobi Sect. Before getting Muzuki’s approval, Nagato would not reveal it, even if the person asking was Yahiko.

Yahiko didn’t mind either, he just took it as Nagato being strong and possessing powerful insight that he didn’t have.

“Your next opponent will be Obito. I see his strength is not simple, Nagato, you must be careful and not be careless.”

Yahiko reminded him. He really couldn’t figure out how Obito managed to avoid attacks, nor could he think of a way to counter it.

“Mm, I will.”

Nagato nodded and replied.

Although he had defeated Obito last time, Obito had clearly made great progress this time, and Nagato would not underestimate him.

After discussing some other powerful contestants, they shifted from talking about the competition to everyday trivial matters.

“Konan, are people still sending you love letters in the Shinobi Sect?”

Yahiko looked at Konan and joked.

Konan enjoyed considerable popularity within the Shinobi Sect, having titles such as “Pure White Flower” and “Gentle Angel” within the organization. Occasionally, brave individuals would gather courage to express their feelings to Konan.

Nagato’s heart stirred, and he quickly looked at Konan’s face.

“Not for a long time. After all, I rejected all of them, so they probably all think I’m difficult to get along with, and thus stopped sending them.”

Konan thought for a moment and replied.

“It couldn’t be because I became Leader Kakuzu’s deputy, and they’re afraid of being scolded by Leader Kakuzu, could it?”

Nagato and Yahiko exchanged glances, feeling that the latter possibility was quite high.

Kakuzu was famously outspoken; even to Sōsuke, the most revered founder of the Shinobi Sect, Kakuzu would not hesitate to offer his opinions.

It was fine if it didn’t affect work, but if confessing or anything else disturbed Konan’s work, then it would be a different story.

Nagato felt a sense of relief for some unknown reason and said:

“Looking at it now, Teacher Sōsuke must have thought about having us establish a branch in the Land of Rivers very early on, which is why he had us learn in different positions and gain work experience.”

“Indeed, during my days as the Jonin Squad Leader in the Amegakure, my management abilities were greatly honed.”

Yahiko nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Although he originated as a Ninja Organization leader, the Akatsuki Organization was too small, a makeshift group among makeshift groups. Only after truly managing the Ninja of a Ninja Village did Yahiko understand how difficult management was.

“Only by learning alongside Leader Kakuzu did I realize how difficult it is for him.”

Konan also spoke of her insights from work.

The three smoothly transitioned the topic from daily trivialities back to work.

Furthermore, they didn’t neglect Sasori, actively asking him about matters concerning the Chakra Technology Bureau.

They didn’t disband until after they had finished eating and walked for a while, then they each went to do their own things.

…

After returning, Ōnoki had the Iwagakure ANBU secretly contact Kumogakure and Sunagakure, saying there were important matters to discuss.

To avoid alerting Konoha and Hidden Mist, the three specifically sent out clones, letting the clones disguise themselves and attend the meeting, while their main bodies continued with daily activities, minimizing the possibility of exposure.

The three clones met at an ordinary hotel.

After having their Anbu guard from the shadows, the three Kage’s clones entered the hotel room.

Ōnoki’s clone first set up a soundproofing barrier inside, then spoke:

“Raikage, Kazekage, I think the plan to assassinate Sōsuke can no longer continue.”

As long as Konoha remained strong, the Shinobi Alliance would have a basis for cooperation, so Ōnoki didn’t beat around the bush and directly stated his thoughts.

After speaking, Ōnoki carefully observed the expressions of the Third Raikage and Rasa.

Rasa’s face showed some surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Ōnoki, the organizer of the assassination plan, to change his mind so quickly.

The Third Raikage, on the other hand, was deep in thought, pondering the implications of Ōnoki’s words and the pros and cons of canceling the plan.

“Konoha has shown too strong a potential; it’s not just about Hayate Mugetsu. It’s strong in all aspects. If we lose Sōsuke, this ultimate powerhouse, I’m afraid even the combined efforts of our three villages would struggle to contend with a fully developed Konoha.”

Ōnoki further explained.

“Indeed, it’s no longer worth expending too much effort to kill Sōsuke. Konoha would gain more advantage than us.”

The Third Raikage said in a deep voice.

Originally, Konoha still had to be wary of Sōsuke, the current God of Shinobi.

If Sōsuke died, Konoha could truly develop in peace. In a decade or so, they would naturally become invincible in the Ninja World.

“But if Sōsuke isn’t killed, the Shinobi Sect’s development will be unstoppable. At that time, it’s uncertain whether the Shinobi Sect will first clash with Konoha, or with Sunagakure or Iwagakure.”

Rasa put forward a different opinion.

He felt that whether Sōsuke died or not, Konoha would still strive to become the overlord of the Ninja World.

But if Sōsuke didn’t die, Sunagakure would be caught between two forces it couldn’t afford to provoke.

Rasa didn’t want to gamble Sunagakure’s interests on Sōsuke helping the Shinobi Alliance resist Konoha in the future.

“All Five Great Ninja Villages can unite because of Sōsuke and the Shinobi Sect. We cannot ignore the potential threat the Shinobi Sect might bring just because of Konoha’s displayed potential!”

Rasa emphasized with a serious expression.

His rebuttal wasn’t because he was short-sighted and couldn’t see Konoha’s potential.

One must know that he had just been defeated by Uchiha Obito, one of Konoha’s new generation representative Ninja, a few hours ago. How could he not recognize Konoha’s development potential?

His rebuttal was because if the Shinobi Sect didn’t perish, Sunagakure’s dominant position in the southwestern Ninja World would soon be affected.

At that time, if the Shinobi Sect and Konoha each took a bite, Sunagakure wouldn’t even need to wait for Konoha to develop; it would directly lose its future.

The Third Raikage crossed his arms and did not oppose Rasa.

What Rasa said was not without reason. The Shinobi Sect’s survival could indeed curb Konoha, but this did not mean that the Shinobi Sect would be beneficial to other large Ninja Villages.

The Shinobi Sect challenging the Five Great Ninja Villages’ structure was an unavoidable matter.

Perhaps, with the coexistence of the Shinobi Sect and Konoha, these large Ninja Villages might decline even faster.

“So what we need to do is not just terminate the plan, we need to muddy the waters of the Ninja World.”

Ōnoki continued to explain.

If they simply abandoned the assassination, then what awaited the Shinobi Alliance might be a mixed doubles match against Konoha and the Shinobi Sect.

They would be swallowed up by the Shinobi Sect’s interests and still be threatened by Konoha.

“We must make the Shinobi Sect and Konoha forge a great enmity, a hatred that will make them constantly wage war against each other!”

During the competition, Ōnoki had been constantly thinking about what kind of Ninja World would be better for Iwagakure and the Shinobi Alliance.

After expending countless mental efforts, he finally thought of the most likely successful method at present.

Eliminating the Shinobi Sect and leaving only Konoha would cause Konoha to quickly realize its potential and become an unstoppable hegemon.

Allowing the Shinobi Sect and Konoha to coexist might lead to a new situation where Konoha and the Shinobi Sect divide the Ninja World, which might not be better for Iwagakure than the first outcome.

Only by using war to simultaneously weaken both sides’ strength was the best choice for the Shinobi Alliance to continue developing.

“You want to leak information to the Shinobi Sect?”

Rasa became interested and asked.

Ōnoki clearly intended to target both the Shinobi Sect and Konoha.

“Not only will we inform them, but we will also form a cooperation with the Shinobi Sect.”

Ōnoki replied, speaking of his new plan.

“We can tell the Shinobi Sect about the plan to assassinate Sōsuke, making the Shinobi Sect believe that Konoha is the organizer. Then, we can play along with the plan and cooperate with the Shinobi Sect to deal with Konoha on the day of Sōsuke’s assassination!”

“Currently, apart from Sōsuke and Nagato, the Shinobi Sect is negligible. There is still a large gap in overall strength compared to Konoha. Therefore, we don’t need to hold back; we should try our best to weaken Konoha’s strength.”

Konoha has many high-level combatants in Six Paths City, not just the participating Ninja.

Muzuki, the current Hokage, goes without saying. Then, the Yellow Flash Minato Namikaze, the Sannin Orochimaru, and the Sannin Tsunade are also in Six Paths City, just not participating in the competition.

Of course, it’s not just Konoha that’s like this; the other Ninja Villages are also similar, having hidden some masters.

For example, Iwagakure, Ōnoki brought the Five-Tailed Jinchuriki Han, but did not let him participate.

“If we can use this opportunity to make Konoha lose a group of strong individuals and geniuses, that would indeed be good.”

Rasa was very tempted. If the plan truly succeeded, even if the Shinobi Sect grew, it would only change the Five Great Ninja Villages’ Ninja World structure to five villages and one sect.

Although it would still harm their interests, it was much better than Konoha dominating or Konoha and the Shinobi Sect splitting the Ninja World.

“This plan is feasible, with high chances of success.”

The Third Raikage nodded in agreement.

Facing the encirclement of five villages, Sōsuke couldn’t possibly remain indifferent; he would inevitably retaliate, and that would be their opportunity.

No matter how Sōsuke thought, he wouldn’t imagine that the initial instigator would be the informing Iwagakure.

In such a situation, even if Sōsuke could figure it out, it would be of no avail. Would he refuse the help of the Shinobi Alliance and face Konoha and Hidden Mist alone?

Sōsuke might be able to hurt Konoha badly with his peerless strength, but Konoha also had the power to easily destroy the Shinobi Sect.

Any normal person would form an alliance at this time.

“Also, I think we can try to gauge Hidden Mist’s attitude.”

Ōnoki said, remembering something.

“The risk is too great. Hidden Mist is cooperating too much with Konoha now; they probably won’t stand on our side.”

Rasa wasn’t too keen on bringing Hidden Mist into the fold.

If it weren’t for Hidden Mist’s betrayal during the Third Shinobi World War, how would he have ended up in such a predicament?

It was bad enough that he didn’t gain any benefits for Sunagakure, but he also gained a bad reputation.

He also wanted Hidden Mist to experience the taste of being betrayed, and incidentally, weaken Hidden Mist’s strength.

“So we’re just trying to gauge Hidden Mist’s attitude. If Hidden Mist also sides with us, then it will truly be foolproof.”

Ōnoki shook his head.

He found Rasa’s perspective to be lacking, too concerned with short-term gains and losses.

“Let’s try it. Anyway, there’s still plenty of time before the operation.”

The Third Raikage also thought it was worth a try.

There were still five days until the quarterfinals, and after the quarterfinals, there were the Four Finals and the finals. The day of the finals was when they would assassinate Sōsuke, so they had enough time to perfect the plan.

“Then let’s try it, but it must be done secretly. If the plan leaks, everything will be in vain!”

Seeing the Third Raikage side with Ōnoki, Rasa had no choice but to agree.

Sunagakure’s strength was inherently inferior to Iwagakure and Kumogakure; Sunagakure was the weaker party in the Shinobi Alliance.

However, to save face, Rasa repeatedly emphasized secrecy, making it seem as if he wasn’t easily convinced.

After confirming the plan, the three canceled their clones, letting the memories flow back to their main bodies, and simultaneously began to implement the plan by exerting their respective powers.

With the three great Ninja Villages exerting their full force, undercurrents began to stir within Six Paths City.