Chapter 933: Stole Ryūmyaku?
Bang!
Yondaime Raikage’s authoritative voice reverberated through the conference room as he smashed the table to capture everyone’s attention. His declaration cut through the lingering discussions, demanding immediate action.
The tense atmosphere in the room was palpable as they all considered his words carefully. Three days had passed since the Uchiha Coup d’état, and during that time, the five great shinobi villages had diligently gathered intelligence. Their findings were grim: on the night of the coup, Akatsuki had launched a coordinated assault to capture all the remaining Jinchuriki.
Four of them had fallen into Akatsuki’s clutches, leaving only Karatachi Yagura from Kirigakure as the sole escapee. Fortunately, Konoha had been prepared for Akatsuki’s attack, and thanks to Kakashi’s Flying Raijin Mark, Naruto and Fū had been saved. Consequently, only two Jinchuriki were successfully captured: Killer Bee from Kumogakure and Utakata from Kirigakure.
The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on the gathered leaders, and the urgency of organizing a rescue mission was apparent to all.
Raikage’s anger was palpable, and it wasn’t solely due to Killer Bee’s capture. Bee was not just a powerful asset to Kumogakure; he was also Raikage’s sworn brother. The thought of his dear friend and comrade being taken by Akatsuki was unbearable. Furthermore, this was not the first time such a tragedy had befallen Kumogakure. Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, had been captured years ago, and despite their efforts, she remained in Akatsuki’s clutches, adding to the village’s suffering. Now, with the capture of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Kumogakure’s strength had been severely compromised.
Mizukage shared Raikage’s somber sentiment. The news from Kirigakure had informed Yagura that Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, had also fallen into Akatsuki’s hands. The circumstances surrounding Utakata’s capture raised a disturbing possibility: there might be another traitor within Kirigakure’s ranks. The implications of such a betrayal were dire and weighed heavily on Mizukage’s mind.
Although he has been able to control the entire village with ease with the help of Amatsukami, the fact that traitors continue to emerge from his village is making his life difficult.
Like the Raikage and Mizukage, the Tsuchikage’s expression also turned into a frown. Although Ōnoki does feel somewhat relieved now that Kumogakure has also lost both of its Jinchuriki, and Kirigakure has also lost one of its Jinchuriki, after all, not long ago, both the Jinchuriki of Iwagakure were captured, and he wasn’t able to do anything to stop Akatsuki. Of course, this is not to say that he is unconcerned about Akatsuki; at least, his ‘reputation’ has been preserved.
In comparison to the Raikage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage, Kazekage Pakura was relaxed. On the surface, the Jinchuriki of the One-Tail was executed, so the One-Tail is still within the cycle of reincarnation, and until it is reborn, nobody can do anything about it… In reality, Pakura knows that Gaara is under Kuroto’s protection, so no one will be able to harm him. After all, she is well aware of the current disparity in the Shinobi World. Except for Konoha, no Shinobi Village is capable of safeguarding their Jinchuriki.In such a troubled situation, Pakura is genuinely pleased that she betrayed Rasa and chose to serve Hyuga Kuroto. Compared to when she was only the commander of Anbu, she is now not only the Kazekage, but the state of Sunagakure has also improved over the years. Overall, her decision has greatly benefited Sunagakure.
Observing that no one responded to him, Raikage spoke in anger, “Why is no one saying anything? Have you all already given up on Bee?”
Standing behind Kuroto, Kakashi interjected, “Raikage-dono, please calm your temper. At this moment…”
Ay interrupted Kakashi as he questioned, “Calm down?” and shouted, “Akatsuki has captured five-tailed beasts… and you’re telling me to calm down, Hokage’s Hand?”
Two from Kumogakure, two from Iwagakure, and one from Kirigakure…
I’ve made some grammatical and vocabulary improvements while maintaining the original word count.
“The fact that Akatsuki has successfully captured five-tailed beasts is indeed concerning. However, the more troubling the situation, the more imperative it becomes to maintain a calm and collected approach before devising any plans,” said Kakashi, wearing a serious expression. “Haven’t we already dispatched individuals for investigation? Let’s wait for the results of the investigation before taking any action…”
Although Kakashi didn’t voice it aloud, he didn’t believe that Akatsuki would continue using their previous base after what he and Yama had done there.
In fact, Kakashi’s unspoken thoughts were echoed by the Tsuchikage, who shook his head and remarked, “Don’t be naive, Raikage. Since Akatsuki’s base has been exposed, they will undoubtedly abandon it. And even if they don’t, I doubt they would keep the captured Jinchuriki there…”
Deidara folded his arms casually and added in a nonchalant tone, “It’s been several days since their capture already… perhaps the Jinchuriki have met their demise. After all, Akatsuki seems more interested in capturing the tailed beasts; they have no need for the Jinchuriki.”
I’ve made some grammatical and vocabulary improvements while maintaining the original word count.
“What the hell are you talking about, you bastard!” Glancing at Deidara, Raikage spoke with a cold tone, “If your Amatsukami is willing to lend a hand and fully cooperate with us, the Akatsuki would have been annihilated long ago… we wouldn’t even need to discuss anything here! Just contact them. If it’s money you people want, I will provide it. Isn’t Amatsukami a mercenary organization?”
Deidara showed no fear of Raikage and chuckled, “It seems your memory is quite poor, Raikage. Haven’t I already told you multiple times that I am not a member of Amatsukami? Homusubi did approach me for recruitment, but I rejected her. I have no intention of joining such shady individuals, humph!”
“I’ve had enough of your lies,” Raikage said as he unleashed his Chakra, already seething with anger, and Deidara’s nonchalant attitude only further infuriated him.
Deidara smiled, “It appears you’re itching for a fight. Heh, Raikages are all brawn and no brains…,” and he reached into his shinobi bag, adding, “I’ve recently developed a new Jutsu. I don’t mind using you as a canvas to showcase my art!”
Deidara’s words added fuel to the fire, and soon Raikage and Tsuchikage’s entourage started arguing, turning the entire conference hall into a chaotic scene resembling a fish market.
With a bored expression, Kuroto let out a light yawn, “Haaaaaaa!”
Kuroto’s thoughts were entirely absorbed by the Giant Tenseigan of the Hyuga Clan, which he had recently acquired. If it weren’t for the fact that he held the position of Godaime Hokage, Kuroto wouldn’t have bothered attending this seemingly pointless conference where the outcome of the discussion seemed destined to be unproductive. He would much rather spend his time studying the Tenseigan.
Of course, not everyone shared Kuroto’s mindset, and his yawn immediately captured everyone’s attention. They ceased their argument and regarded Kuroto with incredulous expressions.
In the face of their bewilderment, Kuroto waved his hand casually and said, “Don’t pay attention to me… everyone can continue with what they were doing.”
Kakashi let out a sigh, thinking, ‘Kuroto!’ and felt an urge to smack his forehead.
Sitting among the highest authorities in a situation of extreme seriousness, Kuroto’s casual demeanor stirred dissatisfaction among many in the hall, especially Raikage, who was eager to rescue Killer Bee. Raikage glared at Kuroto as if he could devour him alive.
However, not everyone shared Raikage’s sentiment. Some even admired Kuroto for his nonchalant behavior, although these individuals were few in number: Mizukage, Kazekage, and Deidara. Aside from Yagura and Pakura, Deidara also held admiration for Kuroto’s casual attitude.
At this moment, Pakura, who had been silently observing everything, suddenly turned her gaze to Kuroto and asked, “Hokage-dono, I have a question for you… I hope you can provide an honest answer.”
As soon as Pakura spoke, the expressions of everyone on Konoha’s side, except for Kuroto, shifted to one of worry. The Kazekage didn’t even need to voice it; they had already surmised what she wished to inquire about.
Kuroto, unfazed, nodded and replied, “Certainly… please, Kazekage-dono, go ahead. I will do my best to address your concerns truthfully.”
Pakura cleared her throat lightly and posed her question, “The mysterious disappearance of Ryūmyaku from Rōran a few years ago… Were you the person responsible for it?”
With a smile, Kuroto responded with a counter-question, “Did Sunagakure own Ryūmyaku? I don’t think that’s the case, right?”
Pakura shook her head and replied, “True, we did not own Ryūmyaku, but Konoha did not own it either.”
“Well, I can’t deny that,” nodded Kuroto as he accepted Pakura’s argument.
Seeing that Kuroto readily admitted that Konoha had no ownership of Ryūmyaku, Elder Koharu sighed, thinking, ‘How can he so openly acknowledge that Konoha didn’t own Ryūmyaku? Now, how do we explain this matter to Sunagakure?’
Elder Hiruzen frowned, concerned that this might become a troublesome issue.
A smile graced Pakura’s face as she continued, “Since Konoha did not possess Ryūmyaku, how do you explain your possession of it? There can only be one explanation, you stole it from our territory without our permission!
“Stole?” Kuroto muttered, wearing a puzzled expression. He clarified, “What are you talking about, Kazekage-dono? It’s not right to level false accusations against others. I am not a thief, and I did not steal anything. The reason I have Ryūmyaku with me is because I own it. I purchased Ryūmyaku with money!”