Chapter 81: The Wind Carries Voices of Unfulfilled Desires
"You bastards! A perfectly good town, and you completely wrecked it!"
On the outskirts of the town, Tsunade glared at the restrained Fourth Raikage. His chakra had been sealed, his body bound by Wood Release, and his face was filled with rage.
Turning to look at the devastated ruins of what was once a bustling town, she scowled.
To her, ninjas should at least adhere to some basic principles—like not involving civilians unnecessarily.
Not to mention, this town had so many gambling dens. How long would it take for them to rebuild?
"This isn't really our fault, though," Haruta shrugged, glancing at the still-struggling Raikage. "We were just here to find you and bring you back. We didn't start this fight—he did."
Despite his extensive experience in the Root division, Haruta had no habit of attacking civilians.
After all, targeting ordinary people wasn't an accomplishment, and major ninja villages actively avoided harming them to maintain credibility.
A bad reputation would only discourage clients from hiring them, which would be disastrous for a village's economy.
Even Root, under Danzo's command, avoided leaving evidence. As long as there were no witnesses, who could accuse them of anything?
"Maybe... we could make Kumogakure pay for the damages?"
Shisui rubbed his eyes, already feeling some discomfort, but he still chimed in.
"Since their Raikage started the fight, making them compensate seems fair."
"We'll deal with that later. Right now, the priority is handling him."
Tsunade shook her head. The compensation issue was the village's problem. The elders would take care of that.
The real issue was the Fourth Raikage himself.
She never expected Haruta to actually capture him!
But now that they had him... the real trouble was just beginning.
"Shizune, Yugao, watch him."
After assigning their captive's supervision to Shizune and Yugao, Tsunade grabbed Haruta and gestured for Shisui to follow.
"You two, come with me."
Haruta glanced at her hand gripping his arm.
She still wants to take me somewhere?
But... her hand was really smooth.
Not as soft as Yugao's, but still... nice.
Medical ninjas really had an advantage—ordinary shinobi, no matter how well they maintained their hands, would develop calluses from years of training.
Even with chakra-enhanced care, the wear and tear couldn't be completely eliminated.
But medical ninjas had special techniques to remove them without any negative effects.
Watching the way Tsunade's two mountains moved as she walked, Haruta thought—This is what a mature woman should be like.
"Alright, this is far enough."
Tsunade finally stopped and turned to face the two boys seriously.
"You two brats don't seriously plan to take that guy back to the village, do you?"
"Huh? Why not?" Shisui looked confused. "We captured the Fourth Raikage. Shouldn't we bring him back?"
"What an idiot..."
Tsunade shook her head. If Shisui wasn't so strong, she wouldn't have bothered explaining.
She still couldn't believe that not only did Shisui awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, but Hiruzen had paired him with Haruta.
"Is this supposed to be a repeat of my grandfather and Uchiha Madara?"
Or... was it a way to keep an eye on Shisui?
"You're being too naive, Shisui," Haruta shook his head before Tsunade could respond.
"Capturing a Kage sounds great, but have you considered the consequences?"
"Huh?" Shisui looked puzzled. "Weren't you the one who wanted to capture him?"
Tsunade was also confused by Haruta's words.
"A Kage is the highest symbol of a village. Capturing one can certainly demoralize an enemy village," Haruta shrugged. "But at the same time, it could enrage them, triggering a new war."
Shisui froze. Did this mean they had caught a dangerous liability?
Letting him go seemed like a waste, but taking him back could be a ticking time bomb.
Shisui frowned, realizing the dilemma. Tsunade, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh of relief—at least this kid had some sense.
"More importantly, we fought in a populated area," Haruta continued.
"If there are people around, that means our battle was witnessed. Our fighting styles, our techniques—if traces are left behind, it won't be long before someone tracks us down."
"If this had happened in an isolated area, even killing the Fourth Raikage wouldn't have been a big deal. Just like how Sasori of the Red Sand killed the Third Kazekage, right?"
"What?"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned. Was this another piece of shocking news?
Wasn't Sasori that old hag Chiyo's grandson? He killed the Third Kazekage?
"It's true," Shisui nodded. Suna had searched for years without finding any clues, but they had uncovered the truth.
"Of course, if we just wipe this town off the map, then no one will know it was us."
At that moment, Haruta suddenly uttered something truly chilling.
"I'll use Wood Release to trap everyone. As long as I don't use chakra for defense, Shisui, you can ignite my Wood Release with Fire Release and burn everything to the ground!"
Wipe out the entire town?
Shisui and Tsunade were both stunned, especially Tsunade, whose face was filled with shock.
What the hell are you even saying? Who the heck taught you this?
Why do you sound just like Danzo?!
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Tsunade grabbed Haruta by the collar, her face full of fury.
"What exactly are you thinking? Is this what the old man taught you?"
"Lady Tsunade, I was just giving an example."
Haruta blinked, then nodded slightly.
"Though, I'm not sure which 'old man' you're referring to, but back when I trained in Root, Lord Danzo did teach me this way."
...
Trained under Danzo?
Tsunade was a bit surprised, but before she could press further, Haruta continued.
"Of course, I wouldn't actually do that. I've always thought that Lord Danzo's methods were a bit too extreme at times."
...
Tsunade let go of him, momentarily at a loss for words. Shisui, on the other hand, was equally baffled.
"So, what exactly are you suggesting, Haruta?"
"The meaning is simple—we're definitely taking him back."
Haruta smiled and explained.
"But to avoid starting a war, we won't bring him into Konoha. I know there are some bases outside the village belonging to Root or the ANBU.
Since the Fourth Raikage's subordinates are injured, taking them there for treatment shouldn't be an issue, right?"
...
Why does this sound like a blatant cover-up?
"Besides, since everyone saw this battle, we should just make it public."
Haruta shrugged and continued.
"We'll say that the Fourth Raikage made a bet with Lady Tsunade—if he won, she would help treat his men.
However, we, the ANBU, were unaware of the situation and intervened, leading to half the town being destroyed.
Fortunately, the Fourth Raikage has agreed to compensate the town for its losses, and Lady Tsunade has agreed to help treat his subordinates.
With the legacy of the Third Raikage before him, the Fourth Raikage shouldn't have much trouble swallowing his pride. Plus, he'll earn a reputation for caring about his subordinates.
See? That pretty much resolves the issue.
As for what happens next, we'll leave it to Lord Hokage to decide."
...
Haruta's explanation left Shisui and Tsunade momentarily speechless.
Shisui recovered quickly, as he had seen much in his time, but Tsunade's gaze was still filled with disbelief.
How does this kid's brain work? How did he come up with such a... bizarre plan?
But as a true heir of the Senju Clan, Tsunade had been forced to learn quite a lot under her granduncle's strict tutelage. On top of that, her teacher was the Third Hokage.
Through sheer exposure, she understood certain things even if she didn't like them.
And she had to admit—Haruta's plan actually worked!
It saved the Fourth Raikage's face, gave him a good reputation, and even allowed him to achieve his goal.
At the same time, it prevented the situation from escalating into a full-blown conflict with the Hidden Cloud. After all, no Kage would willingly admit to something this humiliating.
Of course, if the Hidden Cloud was crazy enough to insist on war anyway…
Then it would be the Fourth Raikage himself who looked like a fool. Plus, from a moral standpoint, Konoha would have the higher ground.
As for whether Konoha could actually win a war…
"Let's just go with this. The old man can deal with the headaches later."
Tsunade didn't bother overthinking it. She had no patience for these kinds of complicated matters.
Besides, if a fight really broke out, Konoha wasn't exactly defenseless.
Between herself, Jiraiya—wherever he was fooling around—and…
Her gaze shifted slightly toward Haruta and Shisui. These two were powerhouses in their own right.
But Haruta… She had initially thought he resembled her great-uncle.
Now, he seemed more like her granduncle.
"Let's get ready. I'll capture the target, and then we set out for Konoha. We can't afford to delay."
Shaking her head, Tsunade turned and headed toward the Fourth Raikage.
Haruta and Shisui exchanged a glance before quickly following.
"You're done talking. Does that mean you're going to let me go now?"
When they returned, the Fourth Raikage lifted his head and looked at them, a mocking expression on his face.
"I doubt Konoha can afford a war right now."
"We are done talking, yes. And I'm sure Lord Danzo and Lord Hokage will be very interested in meeting you."
Haruta looked at the Fourth Raikage's disdainful expression, then suddenly smiled and shook his head.
"What do you mean? Where's Tsunade?"
The Fourth Raikage's expression stiffened as he noticed Tsunade walking off into the distance, confusion filling his eyes.
"Lady Tsunade went to retrieve your subordinates… or rather, to bring them back for treatment."
Haruta's smile grew even wider, and he repeated his explanation once again.
Deep down, he felt relieved.
Good thing this isn't the Fourth Raikage from the Fourth Great Ninja War!
The war-era Raikage was at his absolute peak—his speed and strength were perfectly fused, and his Lightning Release Chakra Mode was insanely powerful.
That guy wasn't someone Haruta could match right now!
Haruta remembered clearly—this man had once shattered Uchiha Madara's Susanoo with sheer physical force.
Even if Madara had been an Edo Tensei summon using a weaker version of Susanoo, very few people in the ninja world could pull off such a feat.
"My physical stats are only at LV10, and my Wood Release is just LV6. I haven't leveled up anything else, but…"
Haruta quickly brightened up. He still had time!
And since he was bringing the Fourth Raikage back, there was no way his mission rewards would be weak!
"Shameless!"
Though that was what the Fourth Raikage was thinking, Haruta made no effort to hide his plan.
There was no need to—it was an open scheme, blatantly laid out. That only made it more effective.
The Fourth Raikage, however, was barely holding it together.
This kid had already fought shamelessly, but the scheme they had come up with was even worse!
"Shameless?"
Haruta tilted his head, glancing at the ruined town before sighing.
"We're both the same. When your village targeted the Hyuga Clan, wasn't that just as shameless?
And this time, you must've stolen another village's secret techniques again, didn't you?
If anything, isn't your village even more shameless?"
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Raikage snorted. He couldn't deny it—this was exactly what they had done.
"To be honest, we understand why you do it. After all, everyone acts in the best interest of their own village."
Haruta glanced at Yugao, who was approaching with concern in her eyes. He smiled and took her hand before looking at Shisui and continuing.
"I used to wonder why the Hidden Cloud was always against Konoha. But then I realized…
From a ninja's perspective, a lot of things don't make sense. But from a village's perspective, everything is perfectly logical.
You want the Hidden Cloud to grow stronger, so you'll do whatever it takes—steal, rob, kill.
Your methods are extreme, and your reputation suffers for it, but they do get results."
The Fourth Raikage fell silent.
Because… that was exactly what they had done.
"But you know…"
A breeze blew past, and Haruta turned his head to look at the Fourth Raikage, his expression unreadable.
"The more you try to take everything, the less you can hold onto.
Listen…"
"The wind carries the sound of all the things that were never meant to be."
...
Everyone fell silent.
For some reason, his words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
Only the Fourth Raikage glared at Haruta as if he were an idiot.
"What the hell are you even talking about?"
---
"Konoha didn't stop because of its own 'unattainable desires' either. You're just as shameless."
But Haruta ignored him. His attention was fully on his system interface.
[Mission Completed]
[Find Tsunade]
[Evaluating Mission]
---
"Sigh, I wonder how they're doing now?"
Inside Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through a report while muttering to himself.
Haruta and Shisui had been gone for some time, and he had no clear updates on their situation.
Although he trusted the two, the issues within the village were giving him a headache.
"Are the Uchiha really losing their minds?"
He frowned at the latest ANBU report.
The Uchiha clan's internal meetings were becoming more frequent, and there were signs of stockpiling supplies.
This was an extremely dangerous signal. No one could say for sure what their ultimate goal was, though the general sentiment was clear.
Besides that, the clan was increasing pressure for Shisui to return to them.
Even though he had personally met with Fugaku Uchiha and explained that this was Shisui's own decision—and that Shisui was currently away on a mission—Fugaku remained insistent on meeting him to confirm the situation.
"This Fugaku Uchiha... he seems to have changed."
Hiruzen's gaze drifted from the report. The Uchiha problem had to be handled carefully, or it could lead to even bigger troubles.
His personal inclination was to stabilize the situation. Ordering violence against fellow villagers was a line he wasn't willing to cross.
However, if it came to that, he knew he would have to make a choice.
"For now, calming things down is the priority. Fugaku's son… he seems promising."
Uchiha Itachi was a prodigy, something even Hiruzen couldn't deny. He had awakened the Sharingan at a young age and had a close relationship with Shisui.
Since that was the case, why not bring him into ANBU as well?
As the son of the clan leader, he could serve as another bridge between Konoha and the Uchiha.
"And being the clan head's son should make it even more effective."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe, filling the office with swirling smoke. He could already imagine how Danzo would react when he heard the news—probably jumping in rage.
After all, when Shisui joined the ANBU, that guy had been extremely displeased.
"And lately, he hasn't been behaving himself either."
Ever since Haruta awakened Wood Release on his own, Danzo had started making moves again. Though he acted covertly, Hiruzen was well aware of his actions.
The ANBU was under his command—how could he not notice even the slightest disturbance?
He had hinted to Danzo more than once, but his old friend simply ignored him.
Hiruzen had seen this kind of thing many times before, and to be fair, the allure of Wood Release was immense.
A naturally awakened Wood Release, not something obtained through experiments—such a power inherently possessed greater strength.
If nurtured properly, if wielded effectively, then perhaps one day… they could truly restore the glory of the First Hokage!
"I'll have to keep a closer eye on things in the future. Danzo…"
Hiruzen shook his head. Fortunately, with Tsunade back, there was someone else to help keep watch. That was a relief.
Lowering his head, he sighed to himself. "Sins, sins… I've been slacking off, thinking about other matters, and yet I haven't processed a single document."
He wasn't the type of Hokage who liked to slack off, though he did occasionally 'patrol' using his crystal ball.
But he was getting old—there was nothing wrong with appreciating a bit of beauty, was there?
Otherwise, if he truly had such urges, his sons would have had a stepmother years ago.
"Focus. Read the documents!"
Hiruzen forced himself to concentrate and flipped through the files. However, his expression tightened as soon as he saw one of them.
"Fourth Raikage… Land of Hot water Town."
The Land of Hot water's secret technique scroll had been stolen, and they had sent the 'Ninja Hunter' Group to take revenge. According to reliable intelligence, the culprit was likely the Fourth Raikage himself.
Hiruzen had known about this matter, but now this town caught his attention because… Tsunade was there!
Hiruzen wasn't particularly familiar with the Fourth Raikage, but he knew his father well.
They were both from the era of the Third Kages and had even fought against each other before. The sheer power and speed of that man had left a deep impression on him.
Unfortunately, the Third Raikage was too stubborn, ultimately getting worn down and killed by Iwagakure. But regardless, he had been a true warrior.
As for his son—according to intelligence, he had inherited all his father's strengths.
"Damn it… why did they have to end up in the same place?"
Hiruzen bit down on his pipe, cursing inwardly. He could only hope they hadn't clashed.
This Fourth Raikage was even more extreme than his father. If he discovered Haruta and the others, there was no telling what he might do!
"Hokage-sama!"
Just as he was deep in thought, a sudden knock on the door made his eyelid twitch.
"Enter."
Extinguishing his pipe, he spoke. Soon, an ANBU agent hurried in.
"Hokage-sama, urgent report!"
"Speak."
"The Fourth Raikage… has been captured and brought back!"
"Hmm?"
At the mention of the Fourth Raikage, Hiruzen's expression immediately darkened, and he barely processed the rest.
But when the words finally sank in, he shot to his feet.
"What?! You said he was brought back?!"
In that moment, Hiruzen felt dizzy, as if the sky was about to collapse.
---