Naruto: Fire-Release system

Chapter 142: The Chaotic Shift in the Ninja World

News of the Akatsuki's attack on Konoha was bound to spread across the entire ninja world within days.

To prevent the Hidden Cloud Village from hiding its Eight-Tails Jinchūriki out of fear, Uchiha Obito decided to strike quickly.

After confirming the location of the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, the entire Akatsuki group donned White Zetsu cloaks and used the Hibernation Technique to infiltrate the Hidden Cloud undetected.

The surprise attack left the Hidden Cloud reeling. Even with the Fourth Raikage arriving in time to provide support, he stood no chance against the combined might of Akatsuki. Ultimately, the Fourth Raikage was gravely injured, and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki was captured.

As for the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Akatsuki had no immediate plans. Following their mission, the group returned to a state of dormancy.

During this period, Akatsuki focused on sealing the captured Tailed Beasts into the Gedo Statue. This process was both time-consuming and labor-intensive, giving the ninja world a brief respite.

---

After traveling at full speed, Tsunade finally returned to the newly rebuilt Konoha.

From a distance, she saw the once-rebuilt village reduced to ruins once more. Her heart nearly broke.

Suppressing her overwhelming despair, Tsunade's steps slowed as if her legs were weighed down with lead. Every step felt unbearably heavy.

"Lady Hokage, you've returned!"

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, both heavily bandaged, were the first to spot her. They quickly greeted her, their voices tinged with relief.

"What happened to the village?" Tsunade asked, her voice trembling with dread.

"During the third stage of the Chūnin Exams, the Akatsuki launched a sudden attack. No one was prepared for it," Kotetsu replied honestly.

"On top of that, spies from other villages created chaos, leading to significant casualties and economic losses."

"Thankfully, the First and Second Hokage, along with others, appeared in time to stabilize the situation. Without them, Konoha would have been completely destroyed."

Kotetsu's explanation left Tsunade both terrified and relieved. Knowing that her granduncle, grandfather, and others had been summoned through Edo Tensei had been part of their contingency plan, one she herself had approved.

While she wasn't proud of resorting to such measures, Tsunade recognized that without them, Konoha might not have survived this attack.

After learning the basic situation, Tsunade made her way toward the Hokage office. Her steps felt lighter, though the weight of responsibility remained heavy.

---

Soon after, news spread that the Hidden Cloud Village had also been attacked by Akatsuki. Despite the village's valiant efforts, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki had been captured.

With the capture of the Eight-Tails, Akatsuki now possessed eight of the nine Tailed Beasts, establishing themselves as an undeniable force in the ninja world.

This series of events shook the ninja world to its core.

Akatsuki's back-to-back victories against two of the strongest villages—Konoha and the Hidden Cloud—stunned everyone, pushing the boundaries of what seemed possible.

Now possessing eight Tailed Beasts, Akatsuki was widely regarded as the dominant power in the ninja world.

This shift in power ignited the ambitions of many. Some began to see Akatsuki as an opportunity for personal advancement.

In secret, many individuals expressed their desire to join Akatsuki. They believed that if Akatsuki succeeded in toppling the major villages and establishing a new order, they could secure wealth, status, and power as part of the organization's early supporters.

This sudden change in sentiment plunged the smaller ninja villages into a state of panic.

If even Konoha and the Hidden Cloud could not stand against Akatsuki, how could they hope to defend themselves?

As a result, a strange phenomenon began to unfold across the ninja world.

Without any declarations or formal alliances, small villages began pledging their loyalty to Akatsuki.

Some, like the Hidden Hot Water Village, went so far as to publicly declare their allegiance to Akatsuki, urging others to do the same.

Once the first village made its move, others quickly followed suit. In no time, 80% of the smaller ninja villages had aligned themselves with Akatsuki.

This bizarre turn of events led to a curious narrative where the major villages, now weakened and defenseless, were painted as villains. Meanwhile, Akatsuki began to be seen as the saviors of the ninja world.

Ironically, Akatsuki itself had made no effort to acknowledge or endorse these developments. The smaller villages had made their decisions unilaterally, driven entirely by self-preservation.

---

This absurdity left Uchiha Yi utterly dumbfounded.

"It seems that without Naruto Uzumaki's diplomacy shaping the ninja world, everyone is just scrambling to back the strongest side," Yi remarked with amusement.

"This is the true survival strategy of smaller villages: siding with power. It's as simple as that."

"But this isn't our problem to solve. Let the Five Great Nations worry about it."

Having returned to the Hidden Rain Village with Karin and the others, Yi watched the chaos of the ninja world unfold like an observer at a play. He had no intention of interfering.

"Here's a little gift for you, Nagato."

Yi approached Nagato and casually tossed him a vial containing a pair of blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan.

These were Uchiha Itachi's eyes, which Yi no longer had any use for.

After absorbing Itachi's bloodline power and acquiring his Mangekyō techniques, the eyes themselves were redundant for Yi. He could have used them for Izanagi, but that felt like a waste.

Instead, he decided to gift them to Nagato.

"This… is…" Nagato stared at the vial in disbelief, recognizing the power within.

"It's yours now. Use it wisely," Yi said, his tone casual but firm.

Nagato hesitated briefly before accepting the gift. He knew the road ahead would require strength—strength to protect those he cared for.

While Nagato's health had been restored, his loss of the Rinnegan had significantly weakened him. The Mangekyō Sharingan presented an opportunity to reclaim some of that lost power.

With this new gift, Nagato's resolve solidified. He would not let Yi's generosity go to waste.

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