Takuya's lips twitched before he spoke in an irritated tone.
"Don't ask me whether they can hold out. What you should be asking, Third Hokage, is how many people Konoha should send to help with disaster relief, how many wounded we'll need to treat, and how much aid we'll need to provide for the dead."
Kumogakure resisting Uchiha Madara?
Are you joking?
Are you overestimating Kumogakure, or are you underestimating Madara?
Takuya wasn't even sure whether Madara had fully resurrected yet.
But one thing was clear—whether it was Edo Tensei Madara or a fully revived Madara, there was no way Kumogakure could stand against him.
A full-body Susanoo alone would be more than enough to give them hell. And if Madara got serious, he could just drop a meteor on them.
…
The Third Hokage looked awkward after receiving such a blunt response, but he was also shaken by Takuya's words.
And he wasn't the only one.
Is he serious?
Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief.
But Takuya wasn't joking. He stood up and walked toward the door, not bothering to look back.
"Just notify Kumogakure. Tell the Third Raikage to be ready for a fight to the death. For now, all we can do is wait for news."
People wouldn't believe it even if they were warned in advance.
As long as Madara wasn't knocking on Konoha's doorstep, Takuya wasn't going to waste his time worrying about it.
As for Kumogakure?
He could only hope they didn't get wiped out too badly.
"Meeting adjourned," Tsunade announced.
As everyone dispersed, Tsunade quickly caught up with Takuya, dragging him into her office before shutting the door behind them.
She looked at him seriously.
"You weren't exaggerating, were you? Madara is really that powerful?"
"He's on an entirely different level—except for me."
Takuya casually pointed at himself before pulling Tsunade into a hug, sneaking in a few bites on her neck before pinching her cheek to reassure her.
"Relax. As long as the fight doesn't reach Konoha, we don't need to concern ourselves with it. As long as we stay steady, that's all that matters."
"As for the other villages, they'll only lower their heads once they realize the severity of the situation."
"Kumogakure and the others are just starting to grasp how much of a problem Madara is. But they still don't understand how terrifying he truly is."
"At this point, there's no point in saying too much. Even if we wanted to help, they might not accept it."
Tsunade understood the logic, but could they really just stand by and watch Kumogakure get destroyed?
She was furious, though not at Takuya—her anger was directed at the other villages.
They were all too busy scheming and playing their own little games.
Takuya sighed, knowing Tsunade wasn't willing to sit back and let Kumogakure fall. The weakening of one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages would affect the overall balance of power.
Patting her shoulder, he offered a compromise.
"How about this—we send a message to Kumogakure first and see how they respond?"
"If they ask for help, we send a team. If they don't, we just wait for the results. How's that?"
"And also, notify the Special Operations Squad. Tell Jiraiya to have them return."
In the end, Tsunade accepted Takuya's suggestion.
A messenger hawk, carrying a sealed intelligence scroll, was sent from Konoha to Kumogakure at top speed. With its pace, it would reach the village in half a day.
Ever since the incident in Iwagakure, Kumogakure had been on high alert. The once-bustling village had grown eerily quiet.
With the village in a heightened state of vigilance, merchants and traders quickly fled, fearing they'd be caught up in the conflict.
Every time Kumogakure entered full lockdown, it resulted in major financial losses.
But for the sake of their village's safety—and to protect the Rinnegan—the Third Raikage had no choice.
"You're not being fair. You went off to have fun and didn't bring us along."
Takuya had barely set foot back in the village before he was met with complaints from Nawaki and Minato.
Especially Nawaki, who looked particularly offended.
"Get lost. You eat my food, drink my sake, and you're still complaining?"
Takuya snorted, shoving Nawaki aside before grabbing a piece of beef and tossing it into the hot pot.
As he placed his chopsticks down, he sighed.
"Other countries have plenty of good food too, especially Kumogakure. But no matter how much I eat, Konoha's food still feels the most comforting."
"Yeah, right. You just wanted hot pot!"
Nawaki rolled his eyes dramatically.
Does he really expect me to believe that?
Takuya shot him an unimpressed look—Believe what you want.
Nawaki nudged Minato, hoping he'd back him up.
Minato reluctantly put down his chopsticks.
"Takuya and the others going without us was a little unfair. But have you considered whether Lord Hokage would even allow us to leave?"
"…Never mind."
Nawaki sighed in defeat.
Minato and Takuya are practically attached at the hip.
No wonder they've been best friends since childhood.
Nawaki threw Minato a look of betrayal before stuffing his face in frustration—Fine, I'll just eat all your food instead!
Takuya, meanwhile, took a bite of the freshly cooked beef, fanned it a little to cool it down, then spoke again.
"The Shinobi World is about to descend into chaos. Honestly, staying in the village is probably the safest option. You two should be grateful."
"If you were running around like Jiraiya, you'd be miserable."
"If not for our friendship, I would've recommended you both for the Special Operations Squad already."
"Yeah, no thanks. Keep that favor away from me."
Nawaki shook his head vehemently.
Minato chuckled.
"Sensei's already been complaining. He's just lucky you didn't throw my name in too."
Neither of them wanted to join.
Why would they, when staying in the village was so much more comfortable?
Big-picture world affairs weren't their problem.
If Jiraiya had been around to hear this, he'd probably smack Minato upside the head.
Compared to the original timeline, Minato had changed quite a bit under Takuya's influence.
Takuya wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
He was still the same Little Sun—always smiling, always warm.
The kind of guy that made older sisters swoon.
But compared to before, this Little Sun had developed quite the cunning streak.
"Let's just eat. After we finish, come by my place—Kushina bought a bunch of gifts. There's something for you two as well."
"What kind of gifts?"
"How would I know? You think I went shopping with them?"
"Who knows? Minato here likes tagging along with his girlfriend on shopping trips. He can walk around for an entire afternoon without complaining."
"Ahem!"
After a full meal and a relaxing soak at the hot springs, Nawaki and Minato finally decided to forgive Takuya—at least, that's what they thought.
As for Takuya?
Forgive you, my ass. I just felt bad for you two and treated you to dinner and a bath. You two drama queens sure love making a big deal out of everything.
Returning from the hot springs, Minato and Nawaki eagerly followed behind Takuya, curious about what gifts Kushina had prepared for them.
At the same time, Uchiha Mikoto had also heard the news and made her way over to the house.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING