Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 508 War News

Just as the Sasuke Uchiha incident was still unresolved and Konoha was still discussing it thoroughly, Temari, the envoy from Sunagakure, unexpectedly appeared in Konoha representing the Fifth Kazekage. Her arrival was like a sudden storm, instantly shattering the slightly tense atmosphere in Konoha and bringing crucial intelligence.

At this moment, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere filled the upper-level conference room of Konoha. Almost all of Konoha's Jonin had received the emergency notice and rushed here. They sat quietly in their respective seats, their gazes revealing undisguised anxiety and unease. Everyone was silent; the only sounds in the conference room were the soft breathing and the occasional rustling of documents being turned.

However, when these Jonin turned their gaze to the other people in the meeting room, their brows furrowed slightly, and their expressions grew increasingly serious. It's important to understand that those who have risen to the rank of Konoha Jonin are all exceptionally skilled and experienced elites of the village, the backbone of its stable development. Therefore, to summon all the village's Jonin to this meeting room for a single session, in the eyes of these battle-hardened Jonin, there was likely only one possibility—war was about to break out!

At this moment, every Jonin present felt a deep, indescribable worry welling up within them. This anxiety, like a heavy dark cloud, quietly enveloped their hearts.

The brutality of war is something none of the ninjas who experienced it firsthand wanted to recall—that dark and painful past. It was a veritable meat grinder, mercilessly devouring life and hope. There, countless outstanding ninjas, who once harbored dreams and beliefs, ultimately perished in the flames of war, their names etched deeply into memorial stones. These names represent not only the lost lives, but also the root of endless sorrow inflicted upon the villages.

However, despite knowing the horror and cruelty of war, as Jonin of Konoha, they would never easily abandon their firm resolve to protect their homeland out of fear of its bloodshed. On the contrary, this cruelty only fueled their courage and sense of mission. Faced with the threat of the enemy, they did not flinch but charged forward, even if death awaited them, they would not hesitate to step forward.

They disregarded their own lives, rushing one after another to the battlefield, building an unbreakable defense with their own flesh and blood. For the village's victory, to protect their loved ones and friends, they were willing to sacrifice everything, even their precious lives. On this battlefield filled with smoke and bloodshed, the Konoha Jonin, with their fearless spirit, exemplified what loyalty, courage, and responsibility truly mean.

At this moment, the thoughts in the minds of these Konoha Jonin were surging like a tidal wave. They frowned, their gazes fixed intently on the distance, pondering a crucial question—which ninja village would be the target of the impending war?

The first thing that came to their minds was the powerful and mysterious Hidden Cloud Village. The Hidden Cloud Village had always been a formidable enemy of Konoha, and friction and conflict between the two sides occurred frequently. The Hidden Cloud Village possessed many powerful ninjas, and their unique Lightning Release techniques were feared by all. A war with the Hidden Cloud Village would undoubtedly be a thrilling and life-or-death battle.

However, another village that they fear is Iwagakure. Iwagakure is renowned for its unbreakable Earth Release techniques and tenacious fighting spirit. This village also harbors deep hostility towards Konoha, and any battle against them would undoubtedly be a bitter one.

But now, the entire ninja world is shrouded in the enormous shadow cast by the Akatsuki organization. This terrifying organization is causing trouble everywhere, posing a great threat to all the ninja villages. Under these circumstances, will other ninja villages still disregard the overall situation and rashly launch a war against Konoha? This has become a major question troubling the minds of these Jonin.

They were acutely aware of the brutality of war, knowing that every clash was accompanied by the loss of countless lives and the destruction of homes. Yet, as the backbone of Konoha's defense, they had to remain vigilant and prepared to face any challenge. Faced with such a complex and dire situation, these Konoha Jonin felt unprecedented pressure and responsibility.

Not long after, Nara Shikaku strode into the conference room with steady steps, followed by Temari from the Sand Village. Their appearance was like a silent command; the previously noisy conference room instantly fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on the two of them.

At this moment, a tense and oppressive atmosphere filled the conference room. Everyone sat quietly, anxiously awaiting the detailed information brought by Nara Shikaku and Temari. Even Hatake Kakashi, who had been sitting in the front row, had a furrowed brow and a solemn expression.

It's important to understand that Kakashi had been deeply worried about Sasuke Uchiha for some time now. However, to his utter surprise, just as he was still trying to figure out how to properly handle this thorny issue, a new crisis was looming ahead—a potential war was quietly approaching.

Compared to Sasuke's personal problems, the impending war was clearly more urgent and important. Kakashi knew that at this moment, he had to devote all his energy to dealing with the current situation. Therefore, although he was still deeply concerned about Sasuke, he had to temporarily bury it in his heart and silently tell himself: he must concentrate on solving the current crisis first, and then think of a way to deal with Sasuke's problem when the time was right.

Nara Shikaku knew the situation was urgent and every second counted; there was no time to waste. The situation was critical, and every second lost could have irreversible consequences. There was simply no time to spare.

More importantly, Konoha Village is currently in a state of chaos with no leader. This undoubtedly casts a shadow over the village's stability and development. The timely delivery of this intelligence provides an excellent opportunity to convene all Jonin for a Hokage trust vote. In this way, a new Hokage can be fairly and justly elected to lead Konoha out of its current predicament and restore its former prosperity and peace.

Prior to this, the village's leadership had already engaged in in-depth and heated discussions regarding the selection of the next Hokage. After repeated deliberation and careful consideration, they almost unanimously proposed that Kakashi Hatake should succeed to this crucial position of the Sixth Hokage.

In Konoha today, it's truly difficult to find a more suitable candidate than Kakashi Hatake in terms of strength, prestige, and wisdom. His superb ninjutsu skills have been fully demonstrated in countless arduous missions; his noble character and outstanding leadership have earned him widespread respect and admiration from the villagers; and Kakashi's years of accumulated combat experience and wisdom in handling affairs allow him to navigate various complex situations with ease.

Among the many middle-generation ninjas in Konoha, Kakashi Hatake is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding and representative figures. Therefore, there is reason to believe that the backbone of Konoha—those young, promising, and energetic ninjas—will fully support this highly anticipated candidate. After all, a strong and trustworthy leader is an indispensable key factor for the future development of the entire village.

The remaining Konoha leadership are now desperately hoping that Kakashi Hatake will become Hokage to protect their safety and interests. This is because Kakashi is not only extremely powerful, but also Sasuke Uchiha's former mentor; this connection might have some influence on the situation.

At this moment, they were like frightened birds, filled with fear and unease. Even Danzo Shimura, known as the "Darkest Ninja," had been brutally murdered by Sasuke Uchiha. Those of them, who had unhesitatingly supported the annihilation of the Uchiha clan out of self-interest, were highly likely to become Sasuke's next target for revenge. Compared to Danzo Shimura, they paled in comparison in both individual strength and the power they wielded. In the past, their audacity stemmed entirely from the support of the then Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. But times had changed. Having lost their powerful backer, they could only place all their hopes on Kakashi Hatake, hoping he would shoulder the responsibility of protecting Konoha and defending against external enemies.

However, they were sorely mistaken! Kakashi Hatake harbored deep resentment towards those who parasitized Konoha, greedily draining the village's resources like vampires. Back then, these very people had been instrumental in instigating and fueling the chaos surrounding Sakumo Hatake's actions. It was precisely because of their existence that Konoha gradually declined.

Since Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, she had always longed to eliminate these people completely and restore Konoha to its former prosperity and peace. However, considering the stability of the village, she had to adopt a more moderate approach, merely suppressing their power slightly rather than eliminating them outright. After all, rash action could trigger greater turmoil and chaos, a situation Tsunade certainly did not want to see.