Chapter 38: The Morning Mist Returnees!
"Something like that actually happened?"
Black Zetsu's tone carried a hint of surprise.
"Just where did this Byakuya get that kind of information from?"
"Probably from some ancient, incomplete texts left behind from long ago?"
The White Zetsu merged with Black Zetsu spoke slowly. "After all…
Only those kinds of extremely old, badly damaged records would contain the mistaken idea that eating White Zetsu can increase chakra volume.
Anyway.
That's not where we should focus right now."
"You're right~"
Black Zetsu continued slowly, "That Byakuya seems to be nothing more than a fairly talented shinobi.
Our real priority is that mysterious new force that suddenly appeared.
The Black-Robed Organization.
Immensely powerful, unknown numbers, unknown goals, unknown leader.
I have no idea where they came from.
We absolutely cannot allow this organization to ruin our plan!"
"I'll dispatch every single one of my clones."
White Zetsu said calmly, "They'll disguise themselves as ordinary shinobi from every village.
Sooner or later, we'll find the roots of this organization."
"Mm. Since Akatsuki isn't capturing tailed beasts for the time being,
let those people go poke around the Black-Robed Organization first…"
...
Zetsu himself, of course, didn't believe for a second that eating White Zetsu could increase chakra reserves.
However—
the ignorant masses who didn't know any better… completely swallowed the nonsense.
After Byakuya's public lecture ended,
one explosive rumor after another spread like wildfire across the shinobi world.
"Hey, did you hear?
They say all chakra in the world originally came from a single God Tree!
And on that God Tree grows this white fruit that looks exactly like a human.
Eat it, and your total chakra volume skyrockets!"
"Did you hear?
Far away in the east, there's this divine tree.
And it bears something called White Zetsu ginseng fruit!
Why call it ginseng fruit?
Because it looks like a person, obviously!
Eat one and you'll live longer, get way stronger!"
"Did you hear?
Those ginseng fruits look human, and eating them grants immortality!"
"Did you hear?
They look like people, but once you eat them, you can become a god!"
...
Countless different versions of the tale quickly swept through the entire village of Konoha.
The main reason this happened so effectively
was because the various spies deliberately steered the rumors in that direction.
After all…
this was a golden opportunity to sow internal discord among Konoha's great clans.
And the effect was indeed quite obvious.
The great clans really did start eyeing each other with suspicion for a while.
However—
that didn't last very long.
Because something huge happened in Konoha—the Third was critically ill!
Ever since the Konoha Crush,
the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had already burned through almost all of his life force.
No one expected him to deteriorate this quickly.
So—
members of every major clan, every somewhat well-known shinobi, all flocked to the hospital to visit the comatose, dying Third Hokage.
The whole village sank into an atmosphere of deep sorrow.
Quite a few people had already started preparing black funeral clothes for the Third's passing.
And in the middle of this heavy mood,
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura went looking for Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya."
The man himself was sitting on a rooftop, leaning against the wall and staring at the sky when he heard them and turned his head.
"Oh~
It's Elder Homura and Elder Koharu~
What do the advisors want with me?"
"What do we want?"
Mitokado Homura said expressionlessly, "You already know even if we don't say it, don't you?"
"No need to make that scary face~"
Jiraiya grinned carelessly. "Didn't the negotiations with Sunagakure go perfectly fine?"
"Sunagakure publicly announced that everything was Orochimaru's fault.
Besides,
they've already declared complete surrender to Konoha.
Their Jinchūriki is even in our hands.
At this point, the negotiations aren't that important anymore."
"What Konoha needs most right now is to choose a new leader!"
Utatane Koharu added quickly, "We need a powerful, trustworthy leader!
There are all kinds of potential conflicts brewing everywhere."
"You don't have to tell me these things~"
Jiraiya kept playing dumb.
"I was just about to head out to gather some material~
See you later~"
"Jiraiya!"
Mitokado Homura's face hardened as he spoke gravely,
"Let me tell you the basic decision we've already made.
We need a Fifth Hokage right now!"
"And at yesterday's emergency meeting with the Fire Country Daimyō,
Jiraiya…
we unanimously decided to choose you as Hokage!"
Utatane Koharu spoke rapidly, "Not only that—
your teacher, the Third Hokage, also recommended you to be the next Hokage.
Sarutobi must have already talked to you about this, right?"
"How unfortunate~"
Jiraiya didn't turn around. "I'm really not suited for that kind of thing."
"This is a decision.
And if even someone as renowned as one of the Legendary Sannin—you—can't do it,
we honestly can't think of anyone else who could."
"Speaking of the Sannin… isn't there still one more?"
Jiraiya finally turned his head and looked seriously at the two advisors.
"Tsunade would obviously be a much better choice, wouldn't she?"
"That girl does indeed have the ability."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance,
pretending to look surprised.
"But nobody has any idea where she is right now!"
"I'll go find her!"
Jiraiya stared at them slowly. "Compared to someone like me with zero motivation,
the capable Tsunade is clearly far more suited to be Hokage.
What do you think?"
"But…"
The two pretended to hesitate for a moment before agreeing.
"Understood. We'll discuss it.
However, in the search team for Tsunade, we need to assign three Anbu to accompany you."
"No need."
Jiraiya shook his head. "I won't run away.
Also… I want to ask for one person."
"Who?"
"Uzumaki Naruto."
...
Ding~
On the high wall outside Konoha Village,
two figures suddenly appeared.
Both wore pitch-black cloaks embroidered with red clouds, wide-brimmed hats tied with wind chimes that jingled softly, their faces completely hidden.
A gentle breeze passed, making the wind chimes on their hats ring out in clear, delicate tones.
"This village really is lucky, huh~"
Hoshigaki Kisame said with a faint, mocking smile. "The invaders were wiped out almost as soon as they showed up.
Still…
even though not many people died,
the village itself was wrecked pretty badly, wasn't it?"
"That once so prosperous village…"
Uchiha Itachi gazed down at the village below, his expression calm. "How pitiful…"
"That doesn't sound like you at all.
Feeling nostalgic for your old home after all?"
"No. Not in the slightest."
Itachi slowly lifted his head, revealing a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan.
"We enter the village at dawn tomorrow.
Don't forget the mission.
Investigate that newly appeared Black-Robed Organization."
"Got it~"
...
The next morning.
A thick fog suddenly rolled over Konoha Village.
Within the dense mist, two figures slowly walked into the village.
It was none other than Kisame and Itachi.
However, what the two of them didn't know was that,
not long after they entered,
another pair of strange black-robed figures wearing hats also stepped into Konoha.