"Sage Mode?"
Sasuke's eyes lit up. He didn't know what Sage Mode was, but he was willing to try if it could bring Naruto back.
Black Zetsu remained silent.
He had always been inside Sasuke's body, posing as Sasuke's father, and he often guided Sasuke's thoughts so that he wouldn't descend into impotent rage.
He thought his life would simply pass in this ordinary manner.
Unexpectedly, Kakashi wanted him to learn Sage Mode.
Truly... their intentions were despicable!
"Sasuke, Sage Mode is extremely dangerous; you'd better not learn it."
"If you don't master this power, you could very well die."
"Your mother and I only hope that you can live out your life peacefully."
Black Fugaku really didn't want to go to Mount Myōboku. If he met that old toad and it saw through something, there was a high chance of unpredictable changes.
Since he had finally gotten a second chance, he needed to prioritize stability and avoid taking any risks.
"But Naruto..."
If it were anything else, Sasuke would naturally listen to his father.
However, when it came to Naruto Uzumaki, even though he could be calm and collected, he couldn't remain composed.
"Sasuke, violence won't solve anything," Black Mikoto said gently. "You should try to influence Naruto with love, and use the bond between you to persuade him to return to Konoha."
"Otherwise, even if you gain power surpassing his and bring him back by force, his heart will not be here."
After being repeatedly persuaded by his parents, Uchiha Sasuke gradually gave up the idea of learning Sage Mode.
"Sasuke, let me take you to see Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi said. "Whether you can learn Sage Mode or not will be determined by Lord Jiraiya."
After saying that, Kakashi prepared to take Sasuke to find Jiraiya.
"Kakashi-sensei, I'm not going to learn Sage Mode anymore."
"I will use my own strength to persuade Naruto to come back to the village with me."
"Force cannot solve the problem. Only when he feels a sense of belonging to the village and truly identifies with it will he be willing to come back."
Uchiha Sasuke shook his head slightly, his eyes resolute as he spoke.
"Have you thought about what to do if you can't convince him?"
Kakashi wasn't very optimistic about the naive Sasuke. If it were that easy, the Third Hokage would have already made Naruto stay in the village wholeheartedly.
"Then, I will become the Hokage!"
"To fundamentally change the village and make Naruto truly accept Konoha and us, his friends."
"It's not that you need to be stronger than Naruto to bring him back."
"Instead, we need to gain his approval in order to get him to return to the village on his own initiative."
At this moment, Sasuke Uchiha had an epiphany.
He began to view people and things from the perspective of the Hokage, and saw through the phenomena to the essence, thus understanding the real reason why Naruto Uzumaki had left the village.
Black Zetsu remained silent.
This Sasuke really resembled the Naruto from his past life.
However, by following the script, he was completely neutralized and could no longer pose a threat to his mother.
"Well said, Sasuke. I believe in you. You can definitely bring Naruto back."
Seeing how much Sasuke cherished his comrades, Kakashi vaguely saw a hot-blooded idiot wearing goggles, whose image gradually overlapped with Sasuke's.
Obito, if you were still alive, you and Sasuke would surely have a lot in common, right?
After all, you were not only of the same race, but you also valued your companions very much.
Seeing him was like seeing yourself from back then.
...
The Hokage's office.
The heads of all the major ninja clans, as well as some Konoha jonin, had all gathered together.
"As you all know, it was the Third Hokage's stupidity that caused Konoha to lose the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Back then, I disagreed with breaking the seal on the Nine-Tails, but I was outnumbered and outmatched, and the Third Hokage was stubborn, which led to this outcome."
"If this matter becomes known to the enemy, Konoha will be in grave danger."
"Therefore, for the sake of the village, for the sake of Konoha, we must regain the Jinchuriki."
Standing in front of his desk, Danzo Shimura looked directly at everyone, criticizing Hiruzen Sarutobi while also fully explaining Konoha's predicament.
"What are your thoughts, Lord Danzo?"
"Are you sending people to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"I've heard that Naruto Uzumaki is already a perfect Jinchuriki, and even the Third Hokage and Jiraiya-sama didn't dare to fight him. We probably wouldn't be his match either, right?"
Everyone who had come here knew that Danzo was telling the truth.
But figuring out how to salvage the situation was a real headache.
If a large-scale capture of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were attempted, it would undoubtedly signal to the enemy nations that Konoha had lost its tailed beast.
However, if they tried to capture him secretly, no one in Konoha would be a match for Naruto Uzumaki.
"The location for the Chunin Exams has been changed to Sunagakure."
"Sunagakure has a Jinchuriki with the One-Tailed Beast. If we bring him back to Konoha and train him a little, he will surely become a powerful strategic weapon for Konoha."
Upon hearing Danzo Shimura's words, everyone gasped simultaneously.
Incredulous gazes were all fixed on Danzo.
The One-Tailed Jinchuriki belonged to Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. If they really did as Danzo suggested...
That would be equivalent to breaking ties with this ally.
"Lord Danzo, the Land of Wind is our ally, and Sunagakure also has an alliance agreement with us. Isn't this somewhat inappropriate?"
Nara Shikaku frowned as he spoke.
Konoha certainly needed a Jinchuriki to deter enemy countries, but to set its sights on an ally was going too far.
"Inappropriate?"
"Shikaku, I am the Hokage!"
"I think you've been working with the Third Hokage for too long and have caught his indecisiveness."
"In this critical time, if we continue to follow the rules, Konoha will surely perish under such hesitation. Only by taking swift and decisive action to capture another Jinchuriki can we stabilize the situation and ensure Konoha's continued existence."
Danzo snorted coldly, showing great disdain for Nara Shikaku's indecisiveness.
"But Lord Danzo, the Chunin Exams are not just for Konoha and Sunagakure; some smaller ninja villages will also participate."
"Furthermore, a great lord is present to witness the battle. If we act in this way, won't we become the target of everyone's criticism?"
Sarutobi Asuma said, puffing on his cigarette.
He had always harbored resentment over his father's house arrest.
Moreover, Danzo's decision could easily lead Konoha into an abyss.
"Daimyo?" A cold glint flashed in Danzo Shimura's eyes. "They won't live to see the end of the Chunin Exams."
Nara Shikaku: "???"
Sarutobi Asuma: "???"
The other ninjas: "???"
At that moment, they felt their heads buzzing.
What was Danzo trying to do?
Was he going to kill all the daimyo?
Then, it would trigger the Fourth Shinobi World War?
"Danzo, do you intend to start the Fourth Shinobi World War?"
Jiraiya, who had been listening in silence, finally couldn't help but ask.
...
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