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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 365
🕑 Added 2025-04-04 16:00:10 +0000 UTCChapter 365: Return and the Eve of the Chūnin Exams
After digesting this shocking news, Kakashi looked at Byakuya, filled with questions.
He didn’t understand why Kushina, missing for years, was with Byakuya. Why hadn’t she returned to the village? Was it because she feared the masked man who orchestrated the Nine-Tails attack, or was she wary of Konoha itself?
Byakuya saw the doubt in Kakashi’s eyes and gave him an answer.
"Kakashi, Kushina only recently contacted me. She seems to have suffered a severe injury and has just recovered. As for why she hasn’t returned to Konoha, it’s likely because she’s preparing to deal with the masked man."
Kakashi nodded slightly, then asked, "I understand. But where is Kushina-sensei now? Can I see her?"
Byakuya hesitated before saying, "I’ll have to ask for her opinion first. Her identity is too sensitive, and if she’s exposed, the masked man might come after her again."
"That masked man again…"
Kakashi gritted his teeth, then seemed to recall something. "What does Kushina-sensei plan to do about Naruto? Will she leave him in the village or take him with her?"
Noting the shift in Kakashi’s tone, Byakuya smirked. "So, if Kushina takes Naruto away, it seems that Kakashi, the elite Jōnin of Konoha, isn’t all that loyal to the Third Hokage?"
Kakashi remained unfazed. "Konoha is Konoha. The Third Hokage is the Third Hokage. And besides, the current Hokage isn’t a true Hokage anymore. Kushina-sensei is the widow of the Fourth Hokage. My loyalty will always be to Konoha."
To Kakashi, loyalty to Konoha and loyalty to the Hokage were not the same thing.
Most of the time, they overlapped, but the Third Hokage’s actions in recent years had left him disappointed.
And it wasn’t just him, many of the village’s elite Jōnin were dissatisfied with the Third as well.
It had nothing to do with whether Hiruzen was kind or not. The simple truth was that his current abilities were no longer fit for the position of Hokage.
Byakuya wasn’t surprised by Kakashi’s ambiguous stance.
In the original timeline, the Third had already lost the trust of the noble clans and senior Jōnin. It was only out of respect for his past merits that they had allowed him to die as Hokage.
At that moment, Kakashi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Byakuya, if Kushina-sensei is still alive, then… what about Minato-sensei?"
Byakuya shook his head. "The Fourth Hokage used the Reaper Death Seal. You know what that means."
Kakashi fell silent for a few seconds. He had been too hopeful.
Deep down, he had wished that Minato was still alive, if he were still Hokage, all these problems would be solved.
With a soft sigh, he said, "Thank you for telling me this. If I get the chance, I’ll visit and thank you in person."
"That won’t be necessary."
Byakuya paused for a moment, then added, "However, about Kushina’s existence, I hope you keep it a secret from the Third Hokage. I worry that her identity might be leaked."
Kakashi thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
He personally believed that the Third wouldn’t leak it, but the masked man had mastered space-time ninjutsu. If too many people knew, word would inevitably get out.
Just before Kakashi turned to leave, Byakuya’s voice rang out again.
"Oh, and one more thing, make good use of your Sharingan. It will be the key to defeating the masked man."
"My Sharingan… is the key to defeating him?"
Kakashi was skeptical and wanted to ask more, but Byakuya’s figure had already disappeared.
---
Back at Tazuna’s house, Kakashi saw several ninja wearing Amegakure headbands standing near Naruto, Tazuna, and the others.
Seeing Kakashi arrive, Naruto and the rest finally relaxed and explained what had happened in the past half hour.
Apparently, while Kakashi and Byakuya were away, members of Akatsuki had appeared in the civilian areas of the Land of Waves, announcing that the wealthy tyrant Kado had been overthrown and that Akatsuki would be taking over the region.
These Akatsuki members had come looking for Tazuna to discuss the construction of the bridge and an industrial zone.
However, Naruto and Sasuke hadn’t believed them, thinking they were Kado’s subordinates, so the two sides had been at a standstill.
After hearing the full story, Kakashi chuckled and then explained Akatsuki’s connection to Byakuya.
Once Naruto and the others realized these people were Byakuya’s subordinates, they let down their guard. Naruto turned to Tazuna and said, "Tazuna-ossan, since these guys work for Byakuya, we don’t need to protect you anymore. Byakuya is a good person, I'm sure the Land of Waves will thrive from now on!"
Tazuna wasn’t so easily convinced. He didn’t trust Kado, and he certainly didn’t trust these ninja either.
However, after seeing the Akatsuki ninja use their jutsu to speed up the bridge’s construction, and noticing other earth-release users renovating the ports, he finally relaxed a little.
Maybe… these red-cloud-cloaked ninja were different from those elsewhere.
---
After three days of travel, Team 7 finally returned to Konoha.
The long journey at full speed had left Kakashi slightly fatigued, while Naruto and the others looked utterly exhausted, sprawled out like dead dogs.
But there was no time to rest, they had to report to the Hokage immediately.
After knocking on the office door, they found the Third Hokage already waiting for them.
Putting down his health magazine, Hiruzen glanced over the group before focusing on Kakashi.
Though Team 7 had only just arrived, he had already learned about the situation in the Land of Waves from Yamato.
Before the Third Hokage could ask anything, Naruto and Sasuke enthusiastically began recounting their journey. When they talked about the battles, they even waved their arms excitedly.
The Third Hokage listened patiently, then calmed them down before asking Kakashi to stay behind.
In front of Naruto and Sasuke, he always maintained the image of a kind grandfather. But before an elite Jōnin like Kakashi, he was only one thing, the Third Hokage of Konoha.
Picking up the mission report Kakashi had prepared, he casually skimmed through it and then asked indifferently, "Kakashi, you encountered Byakuya during the mission? And he helped you defeat Itachi and Kisame?"
Kakashi nodded. "That’s right. Somehow, Naruto’s whereabouts were leaked, and both Itachi and the masked man found out. If it weren’t for Byakuya, we would’ve been in real danger."
The Third Hokage tapped his fingers on the desk. "I’ve known for a while that the masked man has spies in the village. But how did Byakuya also know your movements?"
Kakashi was taken aback, then answered, "Hokage-sama, I have no idea."
The Third stared at Kakashi for a moment before sighing. "It makes sense that you wouldn’t. Byakuya and Amegakure must also have spies in Konoha, but at least they’re on our side."
After a pause, he continued, "According to this report, you and Yamato witnessed Byakuya’s Wood Release firsthand. How would you evaluate his strength?"
Kakashi hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should say what he truly thought.
Seeing his hesitation, the Third Hokage waved his hand. "Just be honest. I simply want your evaluation."
Recalling what he had witnessed, Kakashi took a deep breath and said, "His power surpasses that of a ‘Demi-God.’ Byakuya has already exceeded Hanzō of the Salamander, and he’s only one step away from being a ‘God of Shinobi.’"
After a brief pause, he added, "I also suspect that Byakuya is somehow connected to the First and Second Hokage. He might be a descendant of the Senju Clan through the Uzumaki lineage. Otherwise, his Wood Release wouldn’t be this powerful. He’s on a completely different level compared to Yamato…"
The Third Hokage remained silent for a long time after hearing Kakashi’s assessment. Slowly, he reached into his desk drawer, pulled out his pipe, and took a few dry puffs without lighting it.
A ninja who had surpassed the ‘Demi-God’…
His emotions were complicated. He couldn’t help but regret not sending reinforcements to Uzushiogakure all those years ago.
If Konoha had saved Uzushio and integrated its surviving shinobi, Byakuya might have grown up as a Konoha ninja.
With Byakuya around, the Fourth Hokage would never have died during the Nine-Tails attack, and everything that followed might never have happened.
Then again… if Byakuya had been in Konoha, he might have just ended up as an experimental subject for Danzo and Orochimaru. Those two never considered the consequences of their actions.
After discussing Byakuya’s strength, the Third Hokage shifted the topic. "By the way, during those ten days when Naruto and Sasuke were missing, were they with Byakuya, or did they go somewhere else?"
Kakashi’s heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure. "I don’t know where they went. I asked them, but they refused to say."
The Third Hokage unexpectedly dropped the issue. "If they don’t want to talk, so be it. Everyone has their secrets."
He waved a hand, dismissing Kakashi.
Kakashi found this odd but said nothing. As he left the Hokage’s office, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the Third already knew something but had chosen to stay silent.
Once Kakashi was gone, the Third Hokage’s expression darkened. He reached into his drawer and pulled out another report, one sent by Itachi Uchiha.
The report contained two key pieces of information.
First, the masked man had set his sights on the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Naruto, though he hadn’t made a move yet.
Second, Itachi was questioning whether their past agreement still stood, why were members of Root making contact with Sasuke?
After reading it, the Third Hokage instantly understood where Naruto and Sasuke had gone.
Most likely, they had been taken by Root, and Danzo himself had probably been involved.
Danzo had always been interested in both Naruto and Sasuke. His goal was to turn them into perfect killing machines that obeyed only orders.
The Third, however, had a different philosophy.
Root’s strict rules and curse seals could control the weak, but they couldn’t restrain the strong.
If Naruto and Sasuke were bound by rigid rules, they would inevitably question them as they grew stronger, leading to catastrophic consequences.
But if they were guided by the Will of Fire, things would be different. Even if he were to die, they would still protect Konoha.
And in their hearts, he would always be the perfect Hokage.
This report also explained how Byakuya had learned of Naruto’s departure, Danzo had likely leaked the information. It was even possible that Danzo and Byakuya had been working together in secret.
After all, both had similar identities.
Danzo was the leader of Root. Byakuya was the leader of Akatsuki in Amegakure. Both were only one step away from becoming their village’s ultimate leader.
And if making that final step required sacrificing part of their village’s interests, neither would hesitate.
With a sigh, the Third Hokage turned his gaze toward the Land of Waves.
Byakuya was a highly strategic ninja. His original plan had been to use Tazuna’s predicament as a pretext to eliminate Kado and seize his wealth to fill Konoha’s financial deficit.
But Byakuya had acted first, securing control over the entire Land of Waves before Konoha could move.
This would undoubtedly worsen Konoha’s already dire financial situation.
Moreover, since Byakuya had saved Naruto, Konoha had lost any moral justification to interfere in the Land of Waves. Any attempt to do so would lack ethical standing and public support.
Public opinion is meaningless when the power gap is too large.
But Amegakure, or more accurately, the Amegakure Alliance, had grown to rival the Five Great Nations, even surpassing Sunagakure and Kirigakure. It was now powerful enough to stand on equal footing with Konoha.
If Konoha lost the advantage of public perception, it would struggle to compete against Amegakure.
More importantly, Konoha needed to form an alliance with Amegakure to avoid another large-scale siege. The Third Hokage still remembered the horrors of the Third Shinobi World War vividly.
Yet, this situation could not continue indefinitely. If things kept deteriorating, Konoha would eventually collapse under the weight of its financial and political struggles.
Unlike civilian shinobi raised within the academy system, Konoha’s noble clans were the last ones who would defect. Even if they left Konoha, they would suffer a temporary setback but still retain a significant standing elsewhere.
As his thoughts began to wander, the Third Hokage shifted his gaze from the window back to his office.
His eyes swept across the portraits of the past Hokage, finally resting on his own.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
He had to find a way to save Konoha.
With this in mind, he took out a document he had prepared long ago, the proposal for the Joint Chūnin Exams.
The Joint Chūnin Exams were a grand competition involving multiple shinobi villages. Beyond selecting elite Chūnin, it served as a military showcase in times of peace.
In front of the world’s political leaders and village heads, it was an opportunity to display the strength of the next generation.
This time, the Third Hokage intended to invite every talented young shinobi in the ninja world, organizing the largest Chūnin Exam in history.
If Konoha could achieve an overwhelming victory in the exams, it would erase the village’s years of decline.
With a triumphant showing, Konoha would regain the support of international leaders, restore its mission contracts, and reclaim its former glory.
And as for whether Konoha would dominate the Chūnin Exams? The Third Hokage was confident.
Aside from the two monstrous talents, Naruto and Sasuke, who already possessed Jōnin-level strength, Konoha had many other outstanding young shinobi.
Might Guy’s students, Rock Lee and Neji, were already approaching Jōnin-level themselves.
With Naruto, Sasuke, Lee, and Neji working together, they would undoubtedly outshine the younger generation of any other village.
The more the Third Hokage thought about it, the more pleased he became.
A smile crept onto his face as he imagined Konoha, once again flourishing under his leadership.
