manynovel Chapter 146 Meeting
Chapter 146 Meeting
A heated argument immediately broke out in the office.
Looking at the group of stubborn and rigid old men in front of him, Ai couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. However, he knew that the people in front of him were all important figures in Kumogakure, and even his father had relied on them a lot when he was in power.
In particular, the one-eyed old man is the head of the Cloud Village's think tank, and his role in many of the village's policies and plans is immeasurable. If we can persuade him now, the other village leaders will surely follow our lead and agree to this decision.
So, Ai composed himself and said slowly, "Elder Tutai, this decision is the result of my careful consideration. Please listen patiently to my ideas before you analyze and judge them, is that alright?"
Tsuchikage, with his single eye, looked at the burly man before him and refrained from further rebuttal. This Fourth Raikage was remarkably similar to his father, his former partner, the Third Raikage. Both were physically robust, equally hot-tempered, and even their personalities and the ninjutsu they practiced were alike. While he wasn't yet as powerful as the Third Raikage, he was still among the top figures in Kumogakure. For Kumogakure, he was a man of both volatile temper and profound wisdom, perfectly suited to be the village's Kage.
After seeing that Tu Tai was listening attentively, Ai couldn't wait to explain the reasons for his decision.
"This mission to capture members of the Hyuga clan's main family in Konoha requires that the executors possess extraordinary strength. Only in this way can we defeat the defensive ninjas hidden in the shadows of Konoha. I believe you all have no objections to this!"
Seeing that everyone present nodded in approval, Ai continued, "As for my personal abilities, I think everyone in the village is well aware of them!"
The crowd continued to nod in agreement.
"In that case, if we want to ensure that this mission goes smoothly, who in the village is more likely to succeed than me personally?"
Furthermore, once this operation begins, it will inevitably alert other villages throughout the ninja world. Therefore, security along the route must be carefully considered. With me in charge, at least I can effectively deter those with ulterior motives. At the same time, the leader of Mifune of the Land of Iron will probably not risk offending the Raikage of our Cloud Village by obstructing our actions.
The most crucial point is to act decisively and swiftly, without any hesitation. You are all well aware of my speed; in this village, if we're talking about who can reach the Land of Iron with lightning speed and successfully complete this mission, it's none other than me. As for your concerns—whether this action will damage the Hidden Cloud Village's prestige in the ninja world—there's no need to worry. You should know that our target this time is a member of the Hyuga clan's main branch. It's foreseeable that this news will soon leak out and be known to other ninja villages. After all, for such a prominent figure, even if it's just sending a Kage to carry out a mission, other villages would probably be willing to send their own Kage if given a similar opportunity!
After hearing A's explanation, everyone present nodded slightly, agreeing with the Raikage's words. Even Tsuchida nodded in agreement.
Ai smiled slightly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd before him. He knew that this time, with him personally carrying out the plan, the village would no longer obstruct him. Time was of the essence, allowing no further delays; continuing endless arguments was pointless. No one could predict when the enemy would withdraw from the Iron Kingdom; they had to act swiftly and decisively, and not miss this hard-won opportunity.
Seeing that the village leaders had reached a consensus, the receiver whispered a reminder: "Sirs, the intelligence personnel on the other side are still anxiously awaiting instructions from our village! Should we pass on the message immediately so that they know the specific arrangements for this mission? In this way, they can do their best to delay the enemy's advance and buy us more precious time and opportunities."
Everyone realized what was happening and hurriedly sent the receiver to relay the order. They also hoped the other party could delay the person's actions as much as possible to buy more time. If that wasn't possible, they wanted to record the person's movements for future tracking.
After watching the receiver leave to relay the orders, Ai didn't linger. He nodded slightly to the people still lingering in the office, then suddenly threw a punch, smashing through the wall. With the sound of cracking bricks, Ai moved like lightning through the broken hole and sped towards the mission location.
Meanwhile, in a shop in the Iron Country's forging town, Hyuga Kanan was completely unaware of this. She was still intently listening to the shop's material collector's detailed explanation of various metal materials. It must be said, this shop truly lived up to its reputation; the variety of metal materials it collected was dazzling and comprehensive, leaving Hyuga Kanan amazed and even somewhat overwhelmed. However, deep down, she was secretly relieved. It seemed she no longer needed to painstakingly wander between other shops, as this shop alone was sufficient to meet most of her current needs for metal materials. Even if she encountered a special metal material that was temporarily out of stock, she could simply ask the shopkeeper to collect it for her. Of course, as payment, she would need to pay the shopkeeper an extra sum and wait patiently for a period of time, but in this way, she would obtain all the materials she needed.
Hinata Kanan then requested that he receive a complete set of all metal materials, not in large quantities, but with a complete set of each type. At that moment, the shop manager rushed back to the shop.
Seeing that Hyuga Kanan was still in the shop, he finally felt relieved. He quickly went to her and said he would personally receive this distinguished guest. He was puzzled by what she needed, but didn't show it. He simply said that his shop would prepare all the metal materials she needed, but some materials were not currently in stock and would require some time to collect. He hoped she could stay in town a little longer.
After a moment's thought, Hyuga Kanan thought, "I've already spent a lot of time coming here to find what I need. It would be a waste to delay any longer because of these trivial matters. However, if I go to another shop, it might also take up some time..." After thinking it over, he finally told the Hyuga shopkeeper that he could only give them three days at most to collect the remaining missing metal materials; if they hadn't collected them by the deadline, he would give up all hope and look for them elsewhere.
Having said that, Hyuga Kanan left the area carrying several types of metal materials and found an inn in the town to rest. He waited for the other rare metal materials to arrive, and began to study and analyze the various metal materials he had acquired. In this way, he could finally settle down and find peace. Meanwhile, the Fourth Raikage, A, was speeding towards the Land of Iron, without stopping or resting, fearing that any delay would cause him to miss a crucial opportunity.
Three days passed quickly, and Hyuga Kanan had made some progress during this time, but he was still a long way from being able to grasp the basics of the power of the metal element. Previously, he had relied on absorbing and refining the elemental power within the soul energy of ninjas to achieve rapid improvement. Now, he needed to learn and comprehend it step by step, realizing that cultivation was indeed not something that could be accomplished in a short time, and that the time required would likely be even longer.
The day he had agreed upon with the shop had finally arrived! Hyuga Kanan was already eager to obtain the crucial materials and immediately return to a quiet place for secluded cultivation. After all, this small town was far too noisy and chaotic; for someone like him who pursued the ultimate realm, such an environment would undoubtedly interfere with his cultivation to some extent.
Moreover, despite being in the Land of Iron—a country with a relatively small number of ninjas—it was not an absolutely safe place. Every day, samurai would clash fiercely for various reasons. This turbulent situation made it impossible for Hyuga Kanan to concentrate fully on her training.
When he stood before the shop again, a slight, mysterious, and eerie smile crept onto his lips. But it vanished in an instant. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door and strode inside. His mind was filled with curiosity and doubt: what were these ninjas up to? He was eager to uncover the mystery.
Upon entering the shop, Hyuga Kanan's eyes immediately fell upon the back of the store, where a burly man stood, his gaze fixed intently on Kanan. At the same time, the man began gesturing, clearly directing the ninjas to set up a barrier and prepare for any potential appearances of Konoha ninjas from other areas.
The burly man was none other than the Fourth Raikage, A, who had rushed here the previous night, having received a great deal of intelligence. Most importantly, the Cloud Ninja who had been lurking around Hyuga Kanan for three days hadn't discovered any trace of Konoha ninja, and the latter had remained in the inn without any intention of venturing out.
The opponent's Byakugan was renowned for its reconnaissance capabilities, so the Cloud Ninja dared not get too close, much less act rashly, for fear of alerting them. They had absolutely no idea what Konoha ninja were in the opponent's room, or how many there were. They could only quietly wait for the opponent to come to their territory and prepare their countermeasures.