Chapter 483 The truth is revealed and Danzo is exposed?

Land of Rain, Amegakure.

Kitsuchi led several Iwagakure Jonin into the Rain Ninja office building and headed towards the leader’s office.

As he approached the leader’s office, Kitsuchi noticed many Rain Ninja hidden in the shadows; the security was vastly different from his last visit.

“Are they worried Sōsuke will use a beheading tactic? It seems that battle completely shattered his pride as a Demigod.” Kitsuchi shook his head inwardly.

Even in his own Ninja Village, he was so cautious. It was no wonder Lord Hanzo hadn’t stepped out of Amegakure since losing to Sōsuke.

“Only you, Lord Kitsuchi, may enter.”

When Kitsuchi tried to enter the Rain Ninja leader’s office with his subordinates, a Rain Ninja Anbu guarding the door spoke up, stopping them.

Maghiru, Jonin Hikari, and others behind Kitsuchi frowned. A Ninja Village that had been brutally beaten by a Ninja Organization still had such a temper.

“You all wait here.” Kitsuchi waved his hand, telling the Iwagakure Ninja to wait in place, and walked into the leader’s office alone.

Lord Hanzo had no reason to attack him, and a terrified Lord Hanzo wouldn’t dare to attack him.

“Kitsuchi, although I regret the Ninja from your village who died at the hands of the Shinobi Sect, the current situation in the Ninja World does not allow me to commit all of Amegakure’s strength to fighting the Shinobi Sect to the end. Please resolve the matter of revenge yourselves.

If the Iwa Ninja Force reaches the Land of Rain border, no Rain Ninja will stop them,” Lord Hanzo said directly.

He thought Iwagakure still wanted to make an issue of the Iwagakure Ninja who died at the hands of the Shinobi Sect earlier.

It was impossible for Lord Hanzo to go against the Shinobi Sect or Sōsuke again. If Iwagakure wanted to go themselves, Lord Hanzo would agree with both hands.

“Lord Hanzo, according to our investigation, this matter was actually a misunderstanding. Our Iwagakure Ninja were not killed by Shinobi Sect, but by Konoha Ninja,” Kitsuchi explained, shaking his head.

Iwagakure did investigate, but couldn’t find any useful information. Saying it was Konoha was just to stir up some hatred for Konoha and give themselves an out.

For Iwagakure, it no longer mattered which force or Ninja Village killed the Iwagakure squad in the Land of Rain. What mattered was how to cause trouble for the powerful Konoha.

Iwagakure wanted to provoke conflict between the Shinobi Sect, and even Amegakure, and Konoha. Therefore, the current situation in the Land of Rain was not in Iwagakure’s interest, because Amegakure and the Shinobi Sect were mutually restraining each other, and the entire Land of Rain was engaged in internal strife.

Amegakure had a large number of Ninja, while the Shinobi Sect was sufficiently elite, with powerhouses like Sōsuke, Kakuzu, and Nagato. Both sides were wary of each other and couldn’t fully exert themselves.

So Ōnoki’s idea was to make the Shinobi Sect and Amegakure stop their confrontation and instead work together to deal with Konoha.

“Misunderstanding?” Lord Hanzo’s face darkened.

To deal with the Shinobi Sect, Amegakure lost dozens of elite Ninja, and even his own reputation was greatly affected. Then Iwagakure suddenly said it was a misunderstanding, and Lord Hanzo’s blood pressure instantly shot up.

Although Lord Hanzo had multiple reasons for acting against the Shinobi Sect, Iwagakure definitely bore significant responsibility.

“To express our apologies, Iwagakure is willing to compensate Rain Ninja for certain losses and help Amegakure and the Shinobi Sect repair their relationship,” Kitsuchi said, his expression unchanged.

As long as it could cause trouble for Konoha, Ōnoki didn’t mind doubling the money he had extorted from Rain Ninja last time, treating it as payment for mercenaries.

Lord Hanzo appeared thoughtful on the surface, but in reality, he was instantly tempted.

If the Iwagakure Ninja truly weren’t killed by the Shinobi Sect, then there might not necessarily be a conflict between him and the Shinobi Sect.

Lord Hanzo had acted against the Shinobi Sect because the Shinobi Sect wanted to provoke war and threatened his authority in the Land of Rain.

If it was truly a misunderstanding, the first conflict would disappear immediately. Judging by the expressions of the Shinobi Sect Ninja during their meeting, the second might not even happen. The Shinobi Sect Ninja seemed genuinely willing to cooperate with him.

“But it’s too late now.” Lord Hanzo sighed inwardly.

Now, whether the Iwagakure Ninja were killed by the Shinobi Sect Ninja or not, it didn’t matter. Amegakure and the Shinobi Sect already had a more direct grudge.

The conflict between Amegakure and the Shinobi Sect could no longer be eliminated; the hatred from the ambush would not disappear because of a misunderstanding.

“What do you plan to do?” Lord Hanzo asked indifferently.

“I can prioritize the bigger picture and no longer act against the Shinobi Sect, but the Ninja of the Shinobi Sect might not accept our good intentions.”

“Of course, we will be honest. I believe that before major issues, the Ninja of the Shinobi Sect will surely understand your difficulties, Lord Hanzo,” Kitsuchi replied with a simple, honest expression.

“Don’t worry about this, Lord Hanzo. As long as you follow our Iwagakure’s steps, the Land of Rain will once again welcome peace.”

“Come back and say that after you’ve met Sōsuke.” Lord Hanzo did not show a clear attitude.

Kitsuchi was not angered by Lord Hanzo’s words. He smiled confidently and said, “We will bring back good news very soon.”

To increase the probability of Kitsuchi convincing the Shinobi Sect, Lord Hanzo told Kitsuchi about Danzo Shimura proactively offering to cooperate to eliminate the Shinobi Sect, only concealing some details.

Lord Hanzo didn’t know whether Kitsuchi or Danzo Shimura was lying to him. He just wanted to return to how things were before, nothing more.

Hearing that Danzo Shimura, Konoha’s second-in-command, was also involved, Kitsuchi instantly felt that their Iwagakure’s plan’s success rate had greatly increased.

Next, Kitsuchi and the Iwagakure Ninja rushed non-stop to the Shinobi Sect stronghold.

After resolving matters in the Land of Rain, he might also have to go to the Land of Grass. Currently, Iwagakure was operating on multiple fronts to cause trouble for Konoha.

Besides Kitsuchi causing trouble in the Land of Rain, Iwagakure was also in the Land of Grass, instigating the radical faction of Grass Ninja Village to participate in the war and eliminate the Konoha Ninja on the Land of Grass battlefield.

The sudden arrival of the Iwagakure Ninja put the Shinobi Sect Ninja on guard, surrounding Kitsuchi and his group.

“We are not your enemies. I have an important matter to discuss with your leader, Sōsuke,” Kitsuchi raised his hands slightly to show he had no ill intent.

The Shinobi Sect Ninja looked at each other, not believing Kitsuchi’s words. After Lord Hanzo’s fake cooperation incident, the Shinobi Sect Ninja were all very vigilant.

Just then, Muzuki’s Shadow Clone, who had been notified, arrived with Nagato, Yahiko, and others.

Although his main body was in Konoha, Muzuki had always replenished his Yang Seal Shadow Clone, which could last longer, so he wouldn’t just disappear after taking a disciple.

“Iwagakure Ninja, is it because of that skirmish on the border?” Yahiko felt a bad premonition after seeing the forehead protector on Kitsuchi.

Because Danzo Shimura had handled the traces very well, Yahiko still believed that they had killed Iwagakure Ninja that day.

“Just say what you need to say,” Muzuki’s Shadow Clone said after some thought.

Although he didn’t know why Iwagakure had come, Muzuki believed it wouldn’t be a good thing, even if it seemed fine on the surface.

Because Iwagakure was truly a troublemaker in the Third Shinobi World War. If Iwagakure suddenly came looking for them at this time, it definitely wasn’t for anything good.

Kitsuchi didn’t care about the setting; anyway, what he was about to say wasn’t a secret, so he spoke directly.

“I am here on behalf of Amegakure to clarify a misunderstanding with the Shinobi Sect. The Shinobi Sect and Amegakure should not be enemies.”

All the surrounding Shinobi Sect Ninja showed angry expressions, and some even pulled Kunai from their Ninja pouches, ready to strike immediately if Kitsuchi and his group showed the slightest sign of ill intent.

Although Lord Hanzo’s fake cooperation incident did not cause actual losses to the Shinobi Sect, this was based on the strong capabilities of Muzuki and his team.

If Muzuki hadn’t been strong enough, their respected founder of the Shinobi Sect would have died in the ambush, and other elites wouldn’t have been able to escape.

“Misunderstanding? Lord Hanzo’s actions didn’t seem like a misunderstanding at all,” Yahiko said, his usual playful demeanor gone, his face grim.

As much as Yahiko once admired Lord Hanzo, that’s how much he distrusted Lord Hanzo now.

He could never forget that day.

They went to Lord Hanzo full of anticipation, thinking they would be greeted by a dream-like alliance, with both sides working together to maintain peace in the Land of Rain.

Instead, what awaited them were various traps and ambushes. Yahiko would never forget the scene of Lord Hanzo throwing Kunai, his face cold, telling Muzuki to commit suicide.

“Only now, at this point, do they say it’s a misunderstanding?” Ikechou also believed this was another conspiracy.

Although Amegakure was currently more powerful, their Shinobi Sect had more strong individuals. If they continued to develop, the Shinobi Sect would eventually defeat Amegakure.

The Shinobi Sect Ninja were instantly agitated, expressing their dissatisfaction with Amegakure.

Muzuki pressed his palm down, signaling everyone to be quiet.

The noisy environment instantly fell silent. Muzuki looked at Kitsuchi and said,

“Since you want to clarify, at least tell us where the misunderstanding is first.”

Muzuki needed to know what Iwagakure was trying to do before he could think of a countermeasure.

“Actually, Lord Hanzo was genuinely willing to cooperate with the Shinobi Sect to build a peaceful Land of Rain before. However, a treacherous Konoha Ninja interfered, which led to Lord Hanzo taking incorrect actions against the Shinobi Sect,” Kitsuchi recited the lines prepared by Iwagakure.

It would have been very difficult for him to come up with these words himself, but memorizing them was not a problem.

Then Kitsuchi briefly explained the course of events fabricated by Iwagakure.

Under the leadership of Konoha’s second-in-command, Danzo Shimura, evil Konoha Ninja killed Iwagakure Ninja and then framed the Shinobi Sect Ninja, causing both Lord Hanzo and Iwagakure to dislike the Shinobi Sect, ultimately leading to the fake cooperation incident.

In Kitsuchi’s description of the event, Amegakure was not the perpetrator, but merely deceived by Konoha’s Danzo Shimura, while both Iwagakure and the Shinobi Sect were victims, harmed by Konoha Ninja.

In short, it was one thing: all the bad deeds were done by Konoha Ninja.

“So that day, we didn’t kill Iwagakure Ninja.” Yahiko connected everything he experienced according to Kitsuchi’s description and found that there were no inconsistencies. It was as if what Kitsuchi said was the real truth.

Yahiko was momentarily lost, unsure how to face Amegakure and Lord Hanzo.

If things were truly like that, then Lord Hanzo’s actions against them at the time didn’t seem so wrong.

“Konoha Ninja…” Nagato subconsciously looked at Muzuki.

He was the only one in the Shinobi Sect who knew Muzuki’s true identity.

Although it was hard to believe, the famous Ninja Master Sōsuke and the well-known Konoha powerhouse Raging Sun Mu Yue were the same person.

“What evidence do you have to prove what you’re saying is true?” Nagato quickly shifted his gaze to Kitsuchi and asked.

Even if Konoha Ninja were involved in the entire incident, Nagato didn’t think it could be related to Muzuki, especially since Muzuki was desperately protecting them at that time.

“Of course, we have evidence. If you want it, we have plenty. We Iwagakure will never allow anyone to use the deaths of our comrades to carry out a conspiracy,” Kitsuchi continued to recite.

Since Iwagakure dared to take action, they must have prepared everything. After all, the fuse of the matter was the death of their Ninja Village’s Ninja, and fabricating evidence was not difficult for them.

As he spoke, Kitsuchi had his subordinate take out the prepared fake evidence.

“The current Ninja World situation is chaotic. The Five Great Nations are attacking each other. In this chaos, Amegakure and the Shinobi Sect, both Ninja of the Land of Rain, should cooperate against external threats!” Kitsuchi seized the opportunity to continue persuading.

Muzuki probably knew what Iwagakure was up to.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Iwagakure wanted to turn Amegakure’s internal conflicts into external conflicts targeting Konoha, making the Shinobi Sect and Amegakure cause trouble for Konoha.

Muzuki could only say that Ōnoki’s plan was truly well-calculated.

If Ōnoki succeeded, Konoha wouldn’t be able to solve Amegakure’s problem without mobilizing a thousand-strong Ninja force.

After all, if the Shinobi Sect allied with Amegakure, it would be a combination of a Ninja Master and a Demigod, which was indeed strong in terms of top-tier combat power.

However, no matter how cunning Ōnoki was, he couldn’t have imagined that the leader of the Shinobi Sect would be a Konoha Ninja.

“I need to discuss this with my comrades before I can give you a reply.” Muzuki neither refused nor agreed.

Kitsuchi was not in a hurry and settled down in the vicinity, waiting for Muzuki’s reply.

Next, Muzuki called a meeting of the Shinobi Sect Ninja. Over a hundred Shinobi Sect Ninja expressed their opinions, discussing whether to put aside their hatred with Amegakure and cooperate.

“Lord Hanzo is indeed despicable, but what the Iwagakure Ninja said also makes sense. If we continue to fight with Rain Ninja, the Land of Rain might be the one to suffer in the end.”

“The most important thing is the culprit, Konoha. The current division of power in the Land of Rain might be a development that Konoha would be pleased to see.”

Kitsuchi’s words did not successfully eliminate the Shinobi Sect Ninja’s resentment and hatred towards Lord Hanzo, but they did successfully make the Shinobi Sect Ninja hostile towards Konoha.

“Everyone, don’t think based on the assumption that everything the Iwagakure Ninja said is true. Although there is evidence, it may not be the complete truth.” There were also Ninja like Ikechou who remained skeptical.

“Ninja don’t do anything without a motive. Iwagakure wouldn’t idly care about the peace of the Land of Rain. Think carefully about what benefits they can gain from this,” Kakuzu said, crossing his arms.

As a seasoned veteran, Kakuzu knew too well the true nature of those in the Ninja Villages.

And as for never allowing anyone to use the deaths of comrades to carry out a conspiracy, as long as there was enough profit, they would even actively sacrifice Ninja from their own Ninja Village to achieve their goals.

Finally, everyone looked at Muzuki, who had remained silent.

PS: There will be another 4k chapter later, the timing should still be about the same.

As for the Naruto extra chapter mentioned in the previous chapter, don’t worry, if I write it, it won’t take up the normal update word count; it will only appear as a burst update.