aircannonsinc Chapter 228 Could it be Madara Uchiha...?
Chapter 228 Could it be Madara Uchiha...?
Chapter 229 Could it be Madara Uchiha...?
Deep within a desolate sandstone canyon in the Land of Wind lies an extremely secluded cave.
The dry wind whipped up sand and gravel, futilely battering the cave entrance, which was cleverly concealed by illusion.
The cave was rather cold and gloomy, with only a few dim oil lamps providing a faint light source, illuminating Xiao Nan's worried face.
She carefully used her paper-based technique to help Nagato place his emaciated body, which was connected to the Gedo Mazo's chakra receiver, on a relatively flat stone platform.
"Nagato, what exactly happened?" Only now, having ensured her immediate safety, did Konan finally speak, her voice trembling slightly.
She remained near Nagato's main body, sensing the faint collision of chakra in the distance through her paper-based techniques, but that final chakra burst that tore through the sky...
The golden pillar of light that destroyed everything was so terrifying that even from such a great distance, it made her soul tremble, as if she were facing the might of heaven.
"That light"
Nagato coughed violently a few times. In his deep-set eyes, there were still traces of blood in his Rinnegan that had not yet dried. It was as if blood tears were sliding down his pale, bloodless cheeks, making them look particularly glaring and eerie.
Overusing the power of the Rinnegan, coupled with the immense mental shock he suffered, had left him in an unprecedentedly bad state.
He paused to catch his breath before speaking slowly, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper had been rubbed: "We lost—the Asura realm, the Human realm—and the Animal realm."
Xiao Nan's pupils contracted.
The Six Paths of Pain are an extension of Nagato's power and a symbol of "god." Each one is extremely precious and difficult to make.
Losing three lives in a single battle is an unprecedented and devastating blow!
"How could this be?" Xiao Nan exclaimed in disbelief.
Although she sensed the intensity of the battle, she never expected it to escalate to this point.
"That Asura himself didn't even show up." Nagato's tone carried a lingering fear that he himself didn't realize. Bloodlust flashed in his Rinnegan, as if he were seeing that despairing scene again.
He began to recount slowly, from the vibrant and hopeful land on the border of the Star Country, to the encounter with the Summer Squad, to Uchiha Shisui's sudden intervention, and the inconceivable, massive dark red chakra transmitted remotely through the seal. "That chakra—was filled with coldness and violence, yet it also carried a strange vitality, so vast that it was almost inexhaustible, just like—a tailed beast!" Nagato's voice was deep.
"Moreover, that method of remote transmission and precise control is similar to the chakra receiver on my Pain, and may even be more efficient."
Xiao Nan listened quietly, her pale purple eyes filled with growing shock.
"Then there was that attack." Nagato's breathing became rapid again, as if just recalling it had exhausted her strength.
"Unable to sense its source, unable to determine its trajectory, it was as if an extremely compressed chakra attack came from beyond the heavens. Just one strike, only one strike! The Asura Path and the Human Path—not even a trace remained—"
He paused, then added with difficulty, "Moreover, he—he can even unleash a technique similar to 'Shinra Tensei'! Its power—"
Absolutely no less impressive!
Xiao Nan fell completely silent.
Before the physical body even arrived, it remotely transmitted tailed beast-level chakra, summoned a mysterious summoning beast, and used a technique similar to the Rinnegan, ultimately even triggering an attack akin to divine punishment.
This Asura's methods are simply unheard of and unfathomable!
Nagato continued his narration, mentioning the Uchiha woman who suddenly appeared and controlled the dark red giant.
"And there's that Uchiha woman that Madara and Zetsu mentioned before—she's very strong, extremely strong."
"Her power could withstand my Shinra Tensei, and even—slay the Animal Path."
Finally, his voice became incredibly heavy as he spoke the part that had shaken him to his core.
"And the most terrifying thing is that he knows. He knows Pain is guilty, he knows the Rinnegan, he knows 'Uchiha Madara'—" Nagato raised his head, his Rinnegan, dripping with blood and tears, staring directly at Konan, and said, word by word, "He—. called out my real name.
The air inside the cave seemed to freeze.
Xiao Nan suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes filled with horror.
After Yahiko died, and the first Akatsuki was reduced to just the two of them, Nagato went into hiding. Only she, the guy who called himself "Uchiha Madara," and the black and white Zetsu knew of Nagato's existence.
Over the years, the Akatsuki organization has also been secretly recruiting rogue ninja from various villages, absorbing a new batch of members.
But these people are at most Jonin level. Nagato recruited them using Pain, so there's no way a fourth person could know that Nagato was manipulating Pain.
"He—he also mentioned Yahiko," Nagato's voice was filled with suppressed pain and immense confusion. "He said that the real culprit who caused that tragedy, killed Yahiko, and murdered the Akatsuki members who came to his rescue—had actually been lurking right beside me all along."
"What?!" Konan exclaimed in shock. This news shocked her even more than the revelation of Nagato's real name.
Yahiko's death is an eternal pain in her and Nagato's hearts, and it is also the root of Nagato's complete transformation, making him believe that "feeling pain" is the only way to bring peace.
Now some people are saying that the truth is not what they think?
Besides Hanzo the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, and Danzo Shimura, leader of Konoha Root, who were present at the time, was there another mastermind behind it all?!
"That person has always been by my side—" Nagato repeated the words, a complex light flashing in his Rinnegan, a mixture of doubt, anger, and a hint of fear he didn't want to think about.
Two figures instantly flashed through Xiao Nan's mind.
The elusive "Uchiha Madara" who wore a tiger-striped mask, and the eccentric Zetsu who was always half-black and had a strange demeanor.
"Could it be—they?" Xiao Nan's voice trembled, almost blurting out.
Once the seed of doubt was planted, many previously overlooked details suddenly became clear: they appeared far too "timely."
The "help" given to the Akatsuki organization always carries a certain purpose, especially Black Zetsu, who always gives people a gloomy and eerie feeling.
Nagato nodded slowly, his eyes sharpening despite his weakness: "Although there's no evidence, their appearance..."
That's really too much of a "coincidence."
He recalled Madara Uchiha's "Eye of the Moon Plan," his obsession with collecting the tailed beasts, and his subtle interest in the power of the Rinnegan, and his doubts grew heavier.
Shura's words cannot be entirely trusted, but the accusation itself is like a key that unlocks the door to his long-closed doubts.
A long silence fell over the cave, broken only by the soft crackling of an oil lamp burning.
Xiao Nan needs time to process this earth-shattering information and the enormous doubts that follow.
After a long while, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and asked, "Nagato, what should we do next?"
Nagato closed his bleeding eyes, seemingly gathering strength, or perhaps deep in thought.
A moment later, he opened his eyes again. Although he was still tired, he had regained some of the calmness and decisiveness that belonged to a "god".
"This battle, though resulting in heavy losses, was not entirely without gains." His voice regained its usual somber tone: "At least..."
We have truly tested the strength of the Star Kingdom, or rather, that Asura. It far exceeds our expectations.
He looked at Konan: "Regarding Iwagakure, we reported back to Onoki that we have already attacked a key border town in the Land of Swamp."
However, they encountered fierce resistance from the Star Ninja. The opposing side deployed several elite Jonin, including two Uchiha clan ninjas, who were extremely powerful.
They possess at least near-Kage level strength. Our Akatsuki's elite forces suffered heavy losses on the mission, barely completing part of it.
He paused, then added, "As for detailed information about those two Uchiha, and further information about 'Shura,' the leader of Hoshigakure—tell him that's at a different price. As for whether he believes it or not, and how to verify it—the battle took place outside Honmatsu Castle, and it caused quite a stir; the news will spread sooner or later, leaving him no choice but to believe it."
Xiao Nan nodded thoughtfully.
This report not only concealed the secrets of Pain's Six Paths and the fact that Nagato's personal intervention had failed, but also preserved the Akatsuki's mystery and power, while diverting the blame to the Land of Stars and the Uchiha clan. It could even extract another intelligence fee from the suspicious Onoki, making it truly the best strategy.
As for "Uchiha Madara" and "Zetsu," a cold glint flashed in Nagato's Rinnegan: "First, we need to find a way to secretly investigate their background. But right now—we can't touch them."
The Akatsuki organization needed Madara's support and Zetsu's intelligence. More importantly, Nagato remained wary of and wanted to exploit Madara's Mangekyou Sharingan and his claimed plans.
"We can't completely trust Shura's words, but he clearly harbors great hostility towards 'Madara' as well," Nagato concluded, a calculating glint in his eyes. "Perhaps we can use this."
Several days later, at a secret base deep within Amegakure Village.
The damp air was filled with the smell of rust and dust.
A colossal golem stood in the shadows.
Xiao Nan pushed Changmen, who was sitting in a specially made wheelchair, and slowly entered the core area of the base.
Two people were already waiting there.
Wearing an orange-red swirling mask that revealed only one scarlet Sharingan, Madara Uchiha leaned casually against a stone pillar, seemingly lazy. However, his single eye subtly swept over Nagato, especially his Rinnegan, which appeared to be overused and even faintly showed traces of blood.
On the other side, a creature that was half black and half white, like a pitcher plant growing from the ground, slowly emerged from the ground.
On the other end, Bai Zetsu exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "Oh my! It seems that the leader didn't gain any advantage by personally taking action this time? How rare!"
The black Zetsu half remained silent, but its small yellow eyes were also carefully observing Nagato's condition.
"Uchiha Hikaru—I didn't expect that woman to be so powerful. I had overlooked her before." After all, Black Zetsu had been focusing on the chakra reincarnations of Ashura and Indra for a thousand years in the ninja world, so he naturally wouldn't pay much attention to female ninjas.
Nagato remained expressionless, showing no anger at White Zetsu's teasing. He merely gave a faint "humph," acknowledging that the operation had not gone smoothly.
He skipped the topic altogether and instead turned his gaze to Obito with a hint of inquiry and subtle scrutiny.
"That crazy Uchiha woman is very strong." Nagato spoke slowly, as if stating a fact, yet also questioning, "She controls a dark red chakra giant, combining offense and defense with astonishing power, even able to withstand my Shinra Tensei."
He paused, his Rinnegan locking onto the eye beneath Obito's mask: "Why have I never seen you use that power?"
Obito remained silent for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly beneath his tiger-striped mask.
Nagato's sudden mention of Uchiha Hikaru's power and his direct questioning of Susanoo surprised Nagato and made him wary.
It seems a lot has happened in the Star Country.
He replied in a tone befitting "Uchiha Madara," one that was both weathered and arrogant: "That is the third power contained within the Sharingan, Susanoo. Not everyone who awakens the Mangekyou Sharingan can awaken it, but once awakened, one can obtain divine power."
He straightened his body slightly, as if reminiscing about past glories: "In my prime, I could naturally use it too."
The conversation ended there.
Nagato gave him a deep look and didn't ask any further questions, but the doubts in her heart were not dispelled.
The other party's answer made him feel even more that "Uchiha Madara" was hiding more than he had imagined, and that the "Uchiha Madara" in front of him was definitely not the real Uchiha Madara, but who exactly was he?
Thinking of that crazy Uchiha woman from the Land of Stars, Nagato couldn't help but wonder if there were any members of the Uchiha clan who had been separated from their clan.
Suppressing his own guesses, Nagato turned his gaze to Zetsu and changed the subject: "How's the intelligence gathering on Hoshigakure coming along?"
He needs to know exactly how much he understands this.
White Zetsu's half immediately chimed in, its tone still exaggerated: "I'm so sorry, Boss! The ninjas of the Uzumaki clan in that Star Country have incredibly powerful sensory abilities! My clones can't get too close at all; getting even slightly close risks being discovered. So, as for detailed information, hehe—"
Black Zetsu added in his distinctive deep, hoarse voice, "Currently, all we know is that they are annexing neighboring small countries very quickly, and their internal management seems to be very tight, but it is indeed difficult to investigate their specific combat strength composition and high-level information."
He cleverly attributed the lack of intelligence to the enemy's tight defenses, concealing his own intention to possibly know but not report it.
Nagato sneered inwardly, "Just as I thought."
He ignored Zetsu and directly issued the order: "Release the intelligence we have. Spread two messages through underground gold exchange offices and all covert channels: First, the actual controller of Hoshigakure is 'Shura of the Ninja World.' Second, some Uchiha clan ninjas are colluding with Shura and serving him."
He paused, a cold glint flashing in his Rinnegan: "Pay special attention to the channels of Konoha and Kumogakure. I want to see which of the Five Great Shinobi Villages will be the first to get restless and go looking for trouble with that 'Shura' after learning this news."
Obito's single eye beneath his mask flickered slightly, but he remained silent in protest.
Spreading intelligence and stirring up trouble fits his plan to fish in troubled waters.
The white Zetsu's half emitted an ambiguous laugh, indicating that it would take care of it immediately.
Within the shadowy base, various parties harbored their own schemes, and a chain of suspicion quietly formed.
The intelligence deliberately spread by the Akatsuki organization quickly disseminated throughout the entire ninja world via underground gold exchange shops, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
This quickly caused ripples in the intelligence networks of major forces in the ninja world.
The combination of keywords such as "Land of Stars," "Shura," and "Uchiha" is enough to attract the attention of any Kage.
Kumogakure, Raikage's office building.
A heavy, muffled thud echoed through the office.
The Fourth Raikage, A, was not wearing the white Raikage cloak that symbolized his status, but only a black sleeveless bodysuit that exposed his muscular arms.
His missing left arm below the elbow was particularly noticeable, but it did not affect his strength in the slightest.
At this moment, he was using only his right hand, his five fingers gripping an enormous barbell with incredible weight like iron clamps, to perform a relaxed and stable overhead bend. Each movement caused his muscles to tense, exuding an explosive sense of power.
Fine beads of sweat glistened on his bronze skin, a testament to his relentless training.
The office door was gently pushed open, and the secretary, Mabui, walked in.
She was still wearing a standard Kumogakure ninja uniform, and the faint scar on her forehead was a testament to the horror of the attack years ago.
She held a scroll in her hand, her expression calm yet tinged with seriousness.
"Lord Raikage." Mabui bowed slightly.
"Hmm." Ai snorted, her movements continuing, but her gaze swept over: "What is it?"
"There's a significant new update to the underground gold exchange network regarding the Star Kingdom and that 'Shura.'" Mabui presented the scroll: "The speed and scope of this intelligence dissemination are extremely unusual. Our initial assessment is that someone is deliberately spreading it."
"Shura?!" Ai's movements suddenly stopped, his right arm muscles tensed instantly, and the huge barbell seemed to freeze in mid-air as if it were nothing.
His eyes instantly blazed with fury, like a beast whose scales had been touched. The air in the office seemed to become stagnant and sweltering because of his anger.
"That bastard!" Ai's voice boomed like thunder, making the windows rattle.
He slammed the barbell to the ground with a loud thud, and spiderweb-like cracks instantly appeared on the solid floor.
"Assemble the troops immediately! I'm going to personally lead the men and raze that damned Star Country to the ground! Twist its head off and kick it like a ball!" Ai roared, his remaining right fist clenched tightly, with faint flashes of lightning indicating his extreme excitement.
Mabui seemed to have anticipated the Raikage's reaction. Undeterred by his imposing manner, she calmly adjusted her glasses and said in a steady voice, "Raikage-sama, please calm down. The Land of Stars is located in the western part of the continent, not bordering our country, but separated by the vast Land of Earth and several other nations. Large-scale military operations simply cannot bypass the sight of Iwagakure. And we are with Iwagakure..."
She paused, then emphasized, "It remains a hostile relationship."
"..." Ai's chest heaved violently, and his heavy breathing was clearly audible.
Mabui's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing some of his impulse, but causing a deeper and more humiliating anger to burn in his heart. The painful memories of the Third Shinobi World War surged into his mind instantly. His father, the Third Raikage, faced tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninja alone to cover their retreat, and eventually died from exhaustion, worn down to death by that old fox Onoki!
He has never forgotten this deep-seated hatred!
What followed were two fierce battles with the mysterious man who called himself "Shura".
The first time, the opponent launched a surprise attack on Kumogakure single-handedly, as if entering an empty village. He directly clashed with the "AB combination" formed by him and Killer Bee, not only severely injuring them, but also causing more than two hundred ninja casualties in the village. In the end, he left with nothing but wounds and a bounty of seventy million ryo.
That was an unprecedented humiliation for the Hidden Cloud Village since its founding!
The second time, upon learning that the other party had appeared in Hell Valley within the Land of Lightning, he did not hesitate and personally led twelve elite members of the Dark Guard, including Darui and Xi, to encircle and annihilate them, vowing to avenge his humiliation.
The results of it?
Another crushing defeat!
Killer Bee and Yugito, two perfect Jinchūriki, were seriously injured and on the verge of death. More than half of the twelve elite Anbu members were killed or wounded. Even Killer Bee himself paid a heavy price by losing his left arm!
These two blood debts, like a red-hot branding iron, are deeply imprinted on Ai's heart, causing her pain day and night.
He constantly thought about revenge, about tearing that demon to pieces.
He slammed his fist on the desk next to him, and the hard solid wood surface shattered with a crack, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
"Damn distance! Damn Onoki!" Ai growled, his voice hoarse from trying to suppress his anger.
He knew, of course, that what Mabuyi said was true.
To launch a large-scale war across half the ninja world is simply unrealistic and would only give the covetous Iwagakure and Konohagakure an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
He forced himself to calm down, took a few deep breaths, and asked in a low voice, "What's the situation in Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure? What's their reaction to this information?"
Mabui was prepared and immediately reported: "As for Konoha, because of our previous tough questioning attitude, they seem to think we are being unreasonable. They did not provide any further explanation regarding the specific situation of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but only repeatedly emphasized that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is safe and sound, and firmly denied the possibility that Shura could obtain the Nine-Tails' chakra from Konoha."
"Regarding Shimura Danzo," Mabui continued, "our intelligence agents conducted an in-depth investigation. He was the leader of Konoha's Root organization and a former student of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju."
"According to the records, when the Second Hokage led his delegation to negotiate peace, they were attacked by the Gold and Silver Brothers' rebellion. Danzo was indeed present, and based on his age, he is now over sixty years old. Considering his age, status, and past experiences, he could not possibly be the terrifyingly powerful, seemingly youthful Shura."
Ai frowned, and after listening to the report, sneered, "Hmph, it seems this Shura is deliberately using this name to confuse the issue, or perhaps he has some personal grudge against that Shimura Danzo?"
He leaned towards the latter, as this method of framing others was not uncommon in the ninja world.
"What about Iwagakure?" Ai was more concerned about his old rival's movements.
"There are no signs of large-scale military mobilization on the Iwagakure mainland," Mabui replied. "However, we have reliable intelligence indicating that..."
The elite Jonin of Iwagakure, Bunga, has been unusually active in underground gold exchange shops recently, frequently contacting powerful wandering ninja organizations and mercenary groups.
"It is preliminarily deduced that Onoki may want to use a method of hiring people to conduct probing or sabotage operations against the Land of Stars in order to avoid losses caused by directly using the power of Iwagakure."
"That old fox, he's got a good plan!" Ai scoffed, but had to admit it was the most advantageous course of action at the moment.
Finally, Ai's voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern and helplessness: "How are Hiwa and Yugito's injuries healing?"
Mabui sighed softly, "Killer Bee and Yugito are both seriously injured. Although their lives are not in danger, they will need a long period of rest and recovery. The latest assessment from the Ninja Hospital is that they will need at least six months to regain their initial fighting strength."
"...--Half a year." Ai fell silent, the anger in her eyes gradually replaced by a heavy sense of suppression.
The loss of two perfect Jinchūriki has greatly reduced the defense and power of Kumogakure, making him feel constrained even if he wanted to do something.
He walked to the window and looked out at the Cloud Hidden Village shrouded in mist. The area that had been destroyed by the Asura attack a few years ago had been restored, but the horrors of that time were still vivid in his mind.
Ai's huge fist slowly clenched, his one-armed figure appearing exceptionally resolute, yet also revealing a hint of loneliness and indignation.
"I'll remember this grudge!" he said to the window, his voice low, as if declaring to the distant Star Kingdom.
"Shura, Star Kingdom, just you wait! One day, I will personally lead my men to collect this debt! With interest!"
Land of Earth, Hidden Stone Village, Tsuchikage's Office.
The short, white-haired Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was floating in mid-air, his small brows furrowed as he listened to the report from the ANBU ninja in front of him.
He held in his hand the report that Wenya had just submitted regarding the execution of the Akatsuki's mission.
"...—The mission encountered strong resistance from the Star Ninja. The enemy deployed several elite Jonin, including two from the Uchiha clan, who possess strength close to that of a Kage. The Akatsuki organization suffered heavy losses. The mission is partially completed, and we have now discovered that the leader of the Star Ninja Village is Shura." Onoki stroked his beard, his small eyes flashing with suspicion.
"Those Akatsuki guys, while they charge exorbitant prices, they're still quite capable. Losing several elite soldiers in one mission? And they even have ninjas with strength approaching that of a Kage? Wen Ya's report is probably heavily inflated—"
He instinctively felt that things weren't that simple, but he also questioned whether the Akatsuki organization was exaggerating their results.
He has employed the Akatsuki organization more than once or twice. The Akatsuki's group of rogue ninjas are still quite powerful, more than capable of destroying a small country. How could they easily suffer such a big loss at the hands of a new force?
Is that Asura really that strong?
Although Konoha and Kumogakure concealed some information about Shura, Iwagakure's intelligence department still managed to gather a considerable amount of information, including two Uchiha "near Kage level" individuals.
That's impossible no matter how you look at it!
The Uchiha clan of Konoha is terrifying enough, how could there possibly be Uchiha ninjas in Hoshigakure?
Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and another ninja from the ANBU intelligence squad quickly walked in and respectfully handed over an intelligence scroll.
"Lord Tsuchikage, this is information brought back by a caravan returning from the border region of the Land of Swamps. After verification from multiple sources, it is highly credible."
Onoki took the scroll and began to read.
The above content is rather fragmented, mostly consisting of eyewitness accounts: Several days ago, a brief but exceptionally fierce battle broke out near Matsumoto Castle in the Land of the Swamp. The commotion was immense, with the ground shaking and even a strange golden light descending from the sky—rumors were flying everywhere. One of them caught the special attention of the secret agents: more than one eyewitness claimed to have seen a "dark red armored giant" fly over Matsumoto Castle and join the battle.
"A dark red armored giant?" Onoki muttered to himself. He hadn't paid much attention to it at first, thinking it might be some kind of new summoning beast or ninjutsu.
However, the next second, a nightmare scene, buried deep in his memory and bringing endless humiliation and fear, suddenly crashed into his mind!
That was in the distant past, when he was still young and impetuous, when he went to Konoha with the Second Tsuchikage, Musashi, to see the First Hokage, Hashirama, to seek an alliance. That was when he encountered that demon-like man—Uchiha Madara!
That man once stood among a towering giant, a giant who was like a god of war descending to earth, unstoppable and invincible!
He and his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage Mu, appeared so pale and powerless in the face of that giant!
The fear of being dominated by absolute power, the humiliation of being the Tsuchikage yet powerless to protect the village, overwhelmed him in an instant!
Onoki's body trembled violently, his face turned deathly pale, and he almost lost his levitation ability, falling from mid-air. He hurriedly grabbed the desk, his breathing becoming rapid.
"No—...it's impossible—" he muttered absentmindedly, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Susanoo?! It's Susanoo?! Madara Uchiha's...could it be...could it be that he's not dead yet?! No—no—the color is wrong—Madara's is blue—dark red."
After the initial shock and fear subsided, Onoki's brain began to race.
Combining the mention of "two Uchiha clansmen" in Wenya's report with the Akatsuki's unusual "loss report," a terrifying suspicion formed in his mind.
The Akatsuki organization did not encounter any opponent who was "close to Kage level" at all!
They likely encountered a top-tier Uchiha powerhouse who possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan and was able to activate Susanoo!
even.-
There might be more than one!
That's why the Akatsuki, which is capable of wiping out small countries, would eat it and use such a vague report to cover it up!
If the Land of Stars possessed this level of Uchiha power, coupled with that mysterious and unpredictable "Shura" who could cause losses to both Konoha and Kumogakure—
Onoki's expression turned extremely serious.
He originally just wanted to spend some money to hire the Akatsuki organization to cause some trouble for this unruly, annexing small countries, and to test their strength.
But now it seems that the waters of this Star Kingdom are far deeper than imagined!
It might even involve that terrifying being, Madara Uchiha!
"Could it be that guy Uchiha Madara back then—" He slowly sat back in his Tsuchikage chair, his short body sinking into it as he fell into deep thought.
The office was silent except for Lao Tuying's heavy breathing and the unconscious tapping of his fingers on the desk.
It seems that the strategy towards the Star Kingdom needs to be reassessed.