The domineering Uchiha drove the Third Hokage mad!

Chapter 150 The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki...Disappears

The night of the Nine-Tails was like a boulder thrown in, its ripples continuing to stir the deep waters of the ninja world.

The relocation of Konoha Village not only took away the military pillar of the Land of Fire, but also its most important strategic deterrent: the Nine-Tails.

This caused the once wealthiest Land of Fire to suddenly reveal its soft yet deadly belly.

Driven by both anxiety and ambition, Daimyo makes a foolish decision.

He summoned his sharpest "sword" at the moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Inside the luxurious yet spacious hall, the Daimyo's voice was urgent: "Hiruzen! Although we have 10000 Guardian Shinobi, we must also possess our own Tailed Beast! Otherwise, we'll be devoured by those wolves sooner or later! The Seven-Tails of Takigakure... Go and bring it to us! At all costs!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment, then lowered his head heavily: "Yes, Your Excellency."

A few days later, a precise raid, personally planned and led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, descended upon Takigakure.

The absolute gap in experience, strength, and intelligence rendered Takigakure's defenses virtually nonexistent.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi quietly withdrew, carrying a sleeping green-haired baby girl with a peculiar mark on her forehead... who was probably Fu, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki who was only a little over a year old... Takigakure hadn't even fully reacted yet.

But the news could not be kept secret forever.

"The daimyo of the Land of Fire has kidnapped the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki!!"

This news was like a thunderbolt, instantly shaking the entire ninja world!

Takigakure Village was plunged into unprecedented rage and despair!

The villagers were outraged and surged into the streets, roaring for an explanation from the Land of Fire, while lamenting the weakness of their own country.

The daimyo of Takigakure even sent a secret envoy overnight, tearfully pleading for help from their powerful neighbor (Iwagakure Village in the Land of Earth).

The reactions from neighboring countries were intense and swift!

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, a cunning and calculating man, had already seen a huge opportunity to profit from the chaos.

He issued the strongest condemnation through diplomatic channels: "The Fire Country Daimyo's actions are a blatant violation of the rules of the ninja world! This is a provocation against all countries that possess Jinchuriki! Iwagakure will not stand idly by!"

After receiving Onoki's secret letter, the Fourth Raikage, A, also issued a statement: "Daimyo of the Land of Fire, return the Jinchuriki immediately! Otherwise, I will come and take it myself!"

In Sunagakure, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, also received a secret letter from Onoki.

He also issued a stern statement: "We demand that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire immediately return the Jinchūriki! We also express our deep concern about the escalation of the situation!"

But secretly, they were mobilizing border troops.

Faced with overwhelming international pressure, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had no choice but to bite the bullet and rely on a coalition of 10,000 men and Hiruzen Sarutobi to adopt a posture of full defense. However, it was clear to anyone with eyes to see that beneath the surface, the Daimyo was weak and isolated.

At this moment, the shrewd and calculating Onoki turned his gaze to the distant southern islands.

The Land of Water, New Konoha Village, Hokage Building Conference Room.

The Sixth Hokage, Orochimaru, leaned lazily against the large Hokage chair.

He let out a low chuckle and casually tossed the secret letter onto the table: "Heh heh heh... What an interesting development. My beloved teacher, in his later years, has actually taken up the business of kidnapping babies. And that old turtle Onoki actually wants to invite us to the Land of Fire to get a share of the spoils."

Nara Shikaku pressed his fingers to his temples, clearly deep in thought: "Although the Land of Fire is in chaos right now, Hiruzen Sarutobi is personally overseeing things, along with that hastily assembled 10,000-strong allied army. If we rashly intervene, our army will inevitably suffer casualties. Moreover, cooperating with Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure is tantamount to seeking help from a tiger; disputes over the distribution of spoils are bound to arise afterward. It's better to let them fight it out first, and we'll sit back and reap the benefits."

In recent years, Hiashi Hyuga has also undergone some changes. He said in a deep voice, "After more than two years of development, we have more than 1 ninjas. If we send 5000 of them, we can take a piece of the land of fire at a very low cost."

The 75-year-old Master Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his voice aged yet weighty: "I... agree with Advisor Shikaku's view... let the three great ninja villages take the lead first."

Orochimaru listened to the three men's opinions, especially Hiashi's aggressive suggestion, and his eyes gleamed even brighter.

He licked his lips, like a venomous snake spotting its prey: "Hehehe... Shikaku, your caution is always just right. Chief Hiashi's suggestion is also very constructive. Risks certainly exist, but the Land of Fire... the wealthiest of the Five Great Nations..."

He lowered his voice, his tone enticing: "Who would complain about having more money? With more resources, the village's development, the research of each family, and even... the exploration of the art of immortality can all be greatly accelerated."

Ultimately, a preliminary plan leaning towards "precise plunder of the Land of Fire" was drafted and swiftly sent to the Daimyo's residence by Minato Namikaze.

Council Hall, Daimyo Mansion, Land of Water.

After reading the newly delivered proposal report, Uchiha Mitsunori's face remained expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger.

He pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly: "A coalition of ten thousand men? Hiruzen Sarutobi personally kidnapped the baby girl? He really will do anything... But Orochimaru... he still can't shake his old ways of profiting from war and collecting experimental subjects."

He put down the report and said to Minato Namikaze below, "Reject the proposal. Tell Orochimaru and the advisory board that this matter is off; the Land of Water will not participate."

Minato Namikaze looked slightly taken aback: "Daimyo, should I just relay this message like this?"

Uchiha Mitsunaga, overlooking the prosperous capital, slowly explained, "Tell them to take a long-term view. We have already reaped enough benefits from the Third Shinobi World War. When we moved to the Land of Water, we also received a massive amount of resources and money from those corrupt old nobles. The Land of Water is now wealthy enough to support our development for more than a decade. There is no need to take any more risks to rob a pittance."

His voice turned serious: "Moreover, it would be unwise to antagonize the Land of Fire for such short-term gains. This would disrupt all our trade channels with the Land of Fire (the import of bulk commodities such as food and textiles would be interrupted), causing prices in our country to skyrocket... No matter how you calculate it, this is a huge loss!"

Minato Namikaze nodded respectfully and said, "I understand, Your Highness!"

Uchiha Mitsunori smiled and said, "Minato, I have high hopes for you. Once Orochimaru steps down, I will recommend you as the Seventh Hokage! Tell them to focus on development and cultivate talent. We need to consolidate our gains and strengthen our rule. The storms outside are not our concern for now."

Minato Namikaze bowed and said, "Yes... I will obey Your Majesty's orders..."