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( Translator: I miss some paragraphs for almost all the chapters and I added them sorry )
Seeing the Fire Daimyō's expression, Wu Jie knew the man was already intrigued. He adjusted his tone slightly and continued, "The ideologies of shinobi differ greatly, even within Konoha. There are those who would side with you more closely than with the Hokage. I will ensure that our forces eliminate the staunch supporters of the Hokage during the chaos. Afterward, you can selectively support those loyal to you. Once the upper echelons of Konoha are filled with your allies, your will shall naturally become Konoha's will. After all, when Konoha is strong, they pay no heed to your desires. Only when they are weakened will they listen to your voice."
Wu Jie pressed further, "Moreover, you could take preemptive action. It is a grave dereliction of duty that Konoha failed to notice your entourage being secretly replaced by enemies. Your current forces are ill-equipped to detect the methods of shinobi. As for how you might exploit this oversight, I trust you have better ideas."
The Fire Daimyō fell into deep thought for a moment before raising his head and asking, "But if Konoha's strength is too severely damaged…"
"Konoha has survived three Great Shinobi Wars and remains the strongest hidden village," Wu Jie interjected.
Among the former Twelve Guardian Ninja, Chiriku was the abbot of the Fire Temple, Asuma was the son of the Third Hokage, and the others were renowned as powerful shinobi in their time. Clearly, the Fire Daimyō harbored ambitions of extending his influence into the world of shinobi. This alone proved he was not content with mediocrity.
True to form, the Fire Daimyō once again sank into contemplation. After a long pause, he finally asked, "And what do you stand to gain from all this?"
At this question, Wu Jie sighed, his expression turning melancholic. "Alas, the Uzumaki legacy has faded, leaving only ripples behind. I've heard that the Land of Waves is under the control of one of your brothers. I hope to redeem it so that we may one day rebuild the Whirlpool Kingdom on our ancestral soil."
"Is that all?"
"That is all."
"What about the Hidden Whirlpool Village?"
"The Whirlpool Kingdom was destroyed by shinobi. We will not establish another hidden village. Moreover, I hope that future generations will become lords and nobles, not rats destined to die in the gutters."
At this, the foolish expression vanished from the Fire Daimyō's face, replaced by a faint smile. "Very well, then tell me your plan, future Daimyō of the Whirlpool Kingdom."
Wu Jie smiled. As expected, humans were defined by their social hierarchies.
...
By now, it was the dead of night. The two raced back to Konoha at full speed. The Eight Gates Technique, whatever its drawbacks, was undeniably effective for traveling long distances.
Using seals to conceal their chakra signatures, they easily bypassed the sensory barriers guarding Konoha and slipped inside.
Karin sprinkled some dust on Wu Jie's face to make him look travel-worn. She then remarked wistfully, "I never expected redeeming the Land of Waves to cost 35 million ryō—roughly the price of an Asuma."
"Perhaps he wants us to hunt down Asuma. After all, during the schism of the Guardian Ninja, Asuma was the leader of the Hokage faction."
Karin hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you think the Daimyō might turn around and report our plan to Konoha?"
Wu Jie shrugged indifferently. "Whether he does or doesn't makes no difference. The fact that he didn't outright reject us shows that he has his own schemes brewing. Whatever he chooses to do is irrelevant. Our goal isn't to completely destroy Konoha but to drag more people into the fray and destabilize the situation further. Besides, as long as he returns the Land of Waves to us, it matters little. The Grass Village isn't our home…"
The Land of Waves…
No, the Whirlpool Kingdom.
A faint smile appeared on Karin's face. "Wu Jie-niisan, we'll need to earn some money soon. Shall we target Asuma?"
Wu Jie flicked her forehead lightly, an action devoid of meaning but done simply because he felt like it. "You've forgotten that we still have the Fourth Kazekage's corpse. And Chiriku of the Fire Temple is also an excellent choice. Rebuilding a nation will require substantial funds, but these matters can wait until after the Chūnin Exams."
Karin smiled faintly. "Hmm, the waiting... it's almost as thrilling as the outcome itself."
After regaining some of his strength, Mujin disguised himself as one of the Fourth Kazekage's guards whose face he had stolen. He then stealthily made his way toward the location of Gaara's team.
As participants in the Chunin Exam finals, Gaara's team had already returned to Konoha ahead of schedule. However, Mujin's target wasn't Gaara—it was his instructor, Baki.
Baki was a jōnin of Sunagakure and commander of the village's combat forces. As one of the Fourth Kazekage's most trusted lieutenants, he was also the operational leader for Suna's side in this mission. He held authority over the majority of Suna's forces.
Carefully avoiding detection, Mujin slipped into Baki's quarters unnoticed. In an instant, a kunai pressed against Baki's throat.
"Wait! Baki-sama, it's me!" Mujin rasped in an unusually hoarse voice.
"You?" Baki adjusted the lighting and recognized the figure as one of the guards who accompanied the Kazekage. The man was drenched in sweat, his body steaming from exhaustion—clear signs of physical depletion. His hoarse voice seemed reasonable given his condition.
"What are you doing here? Where is Lord Kazekage!?" Baki exclaimed, startled.
"I don't have much time, Baki-sama! ANBU from Konoha are watching us closely. Lord Kazekage's presence makes him too conspicuous to act freely, so he sent me back immediately."
Mujin swiftly handed Baki a personal item belonging to Rasa. "Orochimaru somehow managed to connect with the Fire Daimyo. Lord Kazekage has ordered you to gather thirty more jōnin from the village. Disguise them as Sound shinobi and infiltrate Konoha through the daimyo's entourage. Lord Kazekage also said that Orochimaru cannot be trusted—but while he has his plans, we must follow our own. These thirty jōnin should focus solely on attacking the Hokage Tower once the battle begins. If we can sever Konoha's command center and leave them leaderless, half of our mission will already be accomplished!"
Mujin handed over a scroll containing further details. "Everything is written inside, Baki-sama! We will win, won't we?"
Baki nodded firmly. "Yes! We will definitely win!"
After dismissing the guard, Baki reflected on what had just transpired. Nothing about the encounter raised suspicion.
First, he had previously felt that Suna's forces within Konoha were insufficient. He had even proposed deploying troops under the guise of military exercises near Fire Country's borders but abandoned the idea due to fears of alerting Konoha. Thus, if Orochimaru truly had a way to smuggle their forces into Konoha, it made perfect sense for the Kazekage to issue such an order.
Moreover, Baki examined the personal item in his hand—it was undoubtedly something the Kazekage carried at all times. There was no way to fake this. Surely no one could claim someone killed the Kazekage and stole these items from him.
"Heh." Baki chuckled bitterly at his own paranoia, thinking how absurd it was to entertain such wild thoughts.
August 5th, clear skies and pleasant weather—a perfect day.
The main gates of Konoha were thrown wide open as palanquin bearers carried the dignitaries of various nations into the village. Crowds of villagers lined the central streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the grand procession.
Using sealing techniques to suppress the chakra signatures of Grass Village's ANBU agents, Mujin ensured they bypassed Konoha's sensory barriers. They blended seamlessly into the flow of people entering the village. Similarly, Suna's jōnin likely employed similar methods, as Mujin noticed the Fire Daimyo waving cheerfully to the villagers.
All the guests had arrived. Now, all that remained was to ensure the banquet turned into a spectacle worthy of remembrance.