Naruto’s Strongest Force [translation]

Beginning

Konoha Village, Hokage's Office

Hizashi quickly returned to report his findings.

"The Uchiha refused to sell the properties," he informed. "They're only willing to rent them out."

The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe, exhaling slowly. "Did Fugaku say anything else?"

Following the principle of "the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make," Hizashi simply shook his head.

"Who did the Uchiha assign to handle these matters?" the Third Hokage asked.

Managing those properties wasn't a simple task—it involved more than just a few shops.

Hizashi replied, "Fugaku didn't assign anyone. He asked me to manage it."

The Third Hokage was momentarily surprised but then nodded. "I see. Understood."

Seeing that the Hokage had no further instructions, Hizashi took his leave.

This left the Third Hokage alone in the office.

He sat back, puffing on his pipe with a troubled expression.

The Uchiha didn't seem to hold any grudge against the Hyuga Clan. This puzzled him.

After all, in this particular incident, he had been the mastermind, Danzo had been the instigator, and the Hyuga Clan had been the enforcers.

He had expected the Uchiha to retaliate or at least express resentment. Or was it simply because Fugaku and Hizashi had a strong personal connection?

Sending the Hyuga to handle the negotiation had been a test.

If relations between the Uchiha and Hyuga soured, the Hokage could use the opportunity to draw the Hyuga closer to his side.

But the Uchiha hadn't pursued the matter at all. On top of that, Fugaku had entrusted Hizashi with managing the shops.

The Third Hokage tapped his pipe against the table, clearly uneasy.

The Uchiha had become a massive threat, yet he had no effective solution to deal with them.

Meanwhile, the Fire Daimyo had already begun promoting new dining initiatives. The results of that venture were still unknown.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of someone knocking interrupted the Hokage's thoughts.

"Come in," he said.

An Anbu operative from the Communications Division entered. These agents typically handled urgent messages or classified orders.

"Hokage-sama, an emergency message from Jiraiya-sama," the Anbu reported, handing over a scroll before leaving.

Jiraiya rarely sent emergency messages. The Hokage's heart tightened with concern as he quickly unrolled the scroll.

After reading through it, his face relaxed, breaking into a rare smile.

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, then began writing several letters.

"Someone, come here," he called.

An aide promptly entered the office.

The Hokage pointed to the letters on the table. "Deliver these to the Akimichi Clan, the Nara Clan…"

"Yes, sir!"

Kamui Space

Obito moved steadily across a stone platform within the Kamui dimension.

The secrets of Kamui Space were still a mystery to him, but he had discovered that certain areas corresponded to specific locations in the real world.

This allowed Obito to travel vast distances quickly.

Not long after, he emerged at the border of the Land of Fire.

As soon as he stepped out of the dimension, Zetsu surfaced from the ground nearby.

"What happened in the Land of Water? Why is it out of control?" Zetsu asked curiously.

Using the Mayfly Technique, Zetsu could merge his body with the earth and plants, moving at high speed while completely erasing his presence.

This made him an ideal intelligence agent.

After Obito went to the Land of Water, he had sent Zetsu to Konoha to gather intelligence.

The goal was to exploit opportunities in Konoha and gain an advantage by cooperating with Danzo when he resurfaced.

However, something unexpected had occurred—Obito's plans in the Land of Water had gone awry.

Obito's voice was low and filled with frustration. "I found someone who would've been a perfect candidate for the organization."

"But Uchiha Natsuki suddenly appeared and disrupted everything."

"The Fourth Mizukage, whom I control, was no match for him."

Zetsu was visibly surprised. "Even Yagura in his Tailed Beast state couldn't defeat him?"

Obito let out a cold snort. "Not even close. I suffered a major loss at his hands."

"Is this Uchiha Natsuki really that strong?" Zetsu asked, his tone filled with disbelief.

Ever since Natsuki entered the Uchiha leadership, Obito's plans had been repeatedly disrupted.

First, he failed to recruit Itachi. Then, his plans in the Land of Water were ruined.

Many of Obito's financial resources were cut off, and it seemed he would have to end his deal with Danzo as well.

Obito's expression was grim. "Never underestimate him. His Mangekyō Sharingan abilities counter mine perfectly."

Obito had suffered two significant losses against Natsuki, barely surviving each time by relying on Izanagi. The stockpile of Sharingan left by Madara was dwindling.

The failures not only caused Obito to lose control over the Land of Water but also exposed crucial information about himself, including his inability to continue posing as Madara.

Worst of all, Natsuki knew that Obito was behind the Nine-Tails incident.

Obito then described Natsuki's Mangekyō Sharingan abilities to Zetsu.

"Amaterasu…"

Zetsu nodded knowingly. There had been Uchiha with the power of Amaterasu before.

But the other ability—a jutsu capable of swallowing even other dimensions—was entirely unfamiliar.

Zetsu's mind raced. Obito's Kamui, the cornerstone of his power, had been directly countered. This boded ill for their future plans.

And beyond Uchiha Natsuki, there were still others like Itachi and Fugaku, both Mangekyō Sharingan users.

Itachi's abilities also posed a serious threat to Obito.

Then there was Shisui, another potential Mangekyō user.

With so many Mangekyō Sharingan wielders in the Uchiha Clan, Obito's strength seemed insufficient.

No, Obito was still a crucial piece in their plans. He couldn't be discarded yet.

Zetsu hinted, "Even with Hashirama's cells, the power of a single Mangekyō Sharingan might not be enough."

Obito understood what Zetsu was suggesting but hesitated as he thought about Kakashi.

"I just don't want to be tied to my past anymore," Obito said, though his tone betrayed some reluctance.

Zetsu chuckled darkly. "If you don't make a decision soon, you won't be able to complete the Eye of the Moon Plan."

"You'll never see Rin again…"

"Enough! Don't say her name!" Obito snapped, his face twisting with anger.

Zetsu wisely stopped speaking, knowing he had already said enough.

After a tense silence, Obito calmed himself.

"Let's head to the Uchiha Clan grounds. I need more Sharingan," he said coldly.

Konoha wasn't far from the Uchiha Clan grounds—just a few kilometers.

Zetsu didn't point out the obvious.

Obito activated Kamui, disappearing with Zetsu into the swirling vortex of his space-time ability.

Border of the Land of Fields

Natsuki was leisurely flying on his sand cushion when a soft, pleasant voice called out from behind him.

"Natsuki-san, please wait!"

Turning his head, Natsuki saw Konan descending rapidly, her large paper wings creating gusts of wind as she landed.

Standing up on his sand cushion, Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "Why are you here? Didn't I say to have Nagato come himself?"

Konan's expression flickered for a moment. She wasn't sure how much Natsuki knew about Nagato's situation.

She chose to answer differently. "We went to the Hidden Sound Village to find you. Itachi told us you had just left, so I hurried to catch up."

Natsuki suddenly realized something. "Ah, that makes sense. Nagato's mobility is limited. I didn't think of that."

It seemed they had missed each other by chance.

Konan glanced at the sand cushion under Natsuki's feet, her expression curious but reserved.

Natsuki casually remarked, "Alright, I get it. So, where's Nagato now?"

"Please follow me, Natsuki-san," Konan said, flapping her wings and flying ahead.

After a moment, she realized she had left Natsuki far behind. Turning back, she saw him slowly drifting forward on his sand cushion.

Natsuki grinned. "Sorry, I can't fly as fast as you."

Konan was momentarily speechless. She recognized the technique—it was the Sand Hidden Village's sand cushion, a jutsu she had seen before. It was indeed slow.

Seeing there was no way to hurry him along, Konan could only adjust her speed and follow Natsuki's leisurely pace.