Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 454 The Demigod's Invitation

Hiashi pointed to the drawing, "When he left, he leaned against a tree with one hand. This symbol was carved by him on the inside of the tree bark with his finger, which contained his own chakra."

"The way the chakra remains on it is very special; it will completely dissipate within half an hour, leaving no trace."

The air inside the tent grew heavy once again.

This was by no means a random act; it was a carefully designed secret message intended only for a select few to discover.

"The Hyuga clan's inherited library contains various ancient codes."

Rijitsu pointed his finger at the complex symbol and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The meaning of this symbol."

He raised his head, scanning every astonished face in the tent, finally fixing his gaze on Minato Namikaze.

"yes--"

"A desire for dialogue."

These four words, as if possessing immense power, struck heavily on everyone's heart.

Hanzo the Salamander, a key ally of the three-village alliance, and the absolute ruler of Amegakure...

At this critical moment in the war, he secretly sent a peace negotiation request to Konoha behind the backs of his allies.

The entire command tent fell silent.

This intelligence is far more shocking than destroying ten supply depots or killing a hundred enemies.

It was like a key, and also like a bomb, silently handed to Minato Namikaze.

"dialogue……"

Minato repeated the word in a low voice as he stared at the map, at the small Land of Rain surrounded by the three great powers, his slender fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The crisp tapping sound, in the silent tent, seemed like the swaying of the scales of war.

Is it a trap? Or an opportunity?

Refusing would mean giving up a golden opportunity to dismantle the enemy alliance.

Minato knew that this first major strategic decision was now before him.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping from Hiashi's calm face, across Shikaku's lazy yet sharp profile, and finally, slowly, resting on the orange-haired boy in the corner of the tent.

The boy clenched his fists, his face filled with concern and excitement for the fate of his hometown, because of this shocking information.

"Yahiko."

Minato spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it instantly attracted everyone's attention.

"There is a special S-rank mission that I need you to complete."

"There is a special S-rank mission that I need you to complete."

Minato Namikaze's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone in the tent, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, instantly creating ripples.

The orange campfire was still burning, casting swaying shadows on the inner walls of the tent.

The light raindrops pattered against the canvas, making the silence inside the tent seem even more somber.

Yahiko froze completely.

He subconsciously straightened his back, his excitement and concern freezing into a look of astonishment and disbelief.

You can even hear your own heartbeat suddenly accelerating, one beat after another, pounding heavily against your chest.

S-rank mission...

Leave it to me?

The two phrases echoed repeatedly in his mind, bringing waves of dizzying impact.

Beside him, Konan stopped folding paper, her clear eyes filled with worry. She subconsciously moved closer to Yahiko, as if that could give him some strength.

Nagato, the boy who was always as quiet as a shadow, raised his head at this moment, the emotions surging in his eyes more intense than any words could express.

"Minato, isn't this a bit hasty?"

The silence was broken by that always sleepy-eyed figure.

Nara Shikaku yawned deeply, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and leaned lazily against the wooden crate. But his words carried an undeniable calmness and composure.

"Hanzo the Demigod... he's not an opponent who can be judged by common sense. The fact that he's sending us signals that he wants to talk is itself highly suspicious."

He held up two fingers and slowly gestured the name.

"Possibility 1: This is a trap. He wants to lure us into sending important personnel, then set up an ambush to defeat them in one fell swoop, or capture important hostages."

"Possibility Two: A Divide and Conquer Strategy. He deliberately makes contact with Konoha to alert his allies—Sunagakure and Iwagakure. Once his allies become suspicious of him, their cooperation will crack. Hanzo can then reap the benefits and even demand more from his allies."

Shikaku shifted into a more comfortable position and continued his analysis in his almost sleepy tone: "Either way, the risks are extremely high. And sending Yahiko... although he comes from Amegakure, that could very well become a weakness they exploit. Hanzo, that old fox, is a master at manipulating people's hearts."

"Yes, it's too dangerous!"

Choza Akimichi echoed in a muffled voice, forgetting to chew the piece of grilled meat he had just stuffed into his mouth, "That's a demigod! Sending Yahiko might... what if..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

Yamanaka Inoichi nodded, his expression much more serious than Shikaku and Choza: "Minato, what judgment is your decision based on? The information we currently have is insufficient to support us taking such a big risk."

The perfect teamwork between the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was on full display at this moment. They weren't questioning Minato's authority, but rather fulfilling their responsibilities as the core of the team, presenting the worst-case scenario from their respective perspectives.

The atmosphere inside the tent grew increasingly heavy as they analyzed the situation.

Even Obito, who is usually hot-blooded and impulsive, was unusually quiet at this moment. He looked at Yahiko, then at Minato, who had a serious expression, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Minato Namikaze listened quietly to everyone's concerns, his gentle expression unchanged.

He first looked at Nara Shikaku and nodded approvingly.

"Shikaku, your analysis is very comprehensive. I have also considered all these possibilities."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the small land of the Rain Kingdom on the map, which was surrounded by three major powers.

"However, you have all overlooked the most crucial aspect of Hanzo. He is not a pure egoist, or rather, his ego is inextricably linked to the entire Amegakure."

The sound of the water gate was calm and persuasive.

"Before coming here, I read through the detailed files provided by the Third Hokage on all the important figures since the Second Shinobi World War. The file on Hanzo of the Salamander was the longest. In his youth, he was indeed a ninja with a firm ninja code; he once tried to overthrow the rule of several great nations single-handedly..."

"However, the method he chose was extreme. He used deadly poison and an iron fist to turn Amegakure into a country that he absolutely controlled. He trusted no one and maintained peace through fear. The Hokage's assessment was—a ruthless and tyrannical figure."