Konoha, Hokage's office.
"Yu, what's going on?!" Minato Namikaze, along with all the Elders of Konoha, including Lord Third, questioned Yu, who stood before them.
"What else could it be..."
"I've successfully completed the mission..."
Yu lazily leaned against the wall, indifferent, looking at his fingernails.
"Don't joke with me! Do you know what I mean?"
"According to the reports from the ninja on the battlefield, did you really turn the bodies of the enemies you killed into puppets?"
Lord Third seemed somewhat angry, raising his tone. It was similar to when he discovered the secret experiments of his beloved disciple Orochimaru on human bodies in the anime, staring at this young man in front of him with a mix of incomprehension and concealed sorrow.
"Sarutobi-sensei, you didn't know the situation back then at all..."
"Rock Ninjas not only outnumber us but have also deployed a Jinchuriki. If we don't turn formidable opponents into human puppets to enhance our combat strength, do you want all of us to die in battle?!"
Facing Lord Third's questioning, Yu also raised his tone, calmly looking into Lord Third's eyes. "Moreover, both Puppet Jutsu and Human Puppet Forbidden Jutsu are all spoils I acquired legitimately by killing enemies during S-rank missions in the Wind Country. What's wrong with that?"
"Well..."
Upon hearing Yu's rebuttal, Lord Third was momentarily speechless. Although the Human Puppet Forbidden Jutsu involves turning a person's corpse into a puppet, it is considered a taboo in the normal ninja world.
But at that time, with a large number of enemy forces on the battlefield and the urgent deployment of Jinchuriki, Yu's use of this extreme forbidden jutsu to turn the tide and save Konoha's ninjas seemed, from a logical perspective, justifiable.
Moreover, there's another crucial point—Yu currently not only holds the method for creating the Medical Seal, but this knowledge holds significant value and meaning for the entire Konoha.
Furthermore, being one of the major contributors to this war, the substantial shift in power and status has made it challenging for Konoha's Elders to hold him directly accountable as they would with an ordinary ninja.
"You can't just take away the Iwagakure Five-Tails Jinchuriki and the corpse of the Hidden Cloud Third Raikage directly on the battlefield!"
At this moment, Utatane Koharu, standing beside Lord Third, spoke up. "Do you have any idea how much pressure we are under in this matter? Iwagakure and the Hidden Cloud have repeatedly demanded that we hand you over. Although the Great Ninja War has temporarily ended, the village's resources are still scarce. If the Earth Country and the Land of Lightning use this as an excuse to go to war with us again..."
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Before Utatane Koharu could finish her sentence, Yu directly interrupted.
"Under pressure?"
Looking at Utatane Koharu in front of him, Yu's gaze swept over every Konoha Elder present, and a disdainful smile appeared on his face. "Oh... you mean you Konoha Elders, right?"
"Well then, just agree to their demands! Hand me over, I have no objections..."
Yu smiled indifferently, with a hint of mockery. "Just like Konoha's White Fang did back then, persecuting fellow village ninjas. It's not the first time for you, is it?"
"You!"
Facing Yu's sarcasm, Utatane Koharu glared, but she couldn't find words to retort at once. After all, in the incident eight years ago when Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, took his own life due to rumors, the entire Konoha Elders bore responsibility.
"Sigh..."
Only Lord Third looked at Yu with a complex expression, seeming bewildered and sorrowful, ultimately turning into a helpless sigh.
Yu's sharp words seemed to remind him of the incident from eight years ago. If he had stuck to his stance at that time, the tragedy of White Fang might never have occurred.
"Sacrificing the interests of a few for the benefit of the majority, all in the name of 'peace'..."
"Isn't this the usual style of you Konoha Elders?"
Surveying all the Konoha Elders present, thinking of the ninjas risking their lives on the battlefield and contrasting them with these old people playing politics in the village, Yu suddenly growled with some annoyance.
"Yu..."
Staring blankly at Yu, Lord Third was taken aback. In his impression, this young man before him was always graceful and rarely showed such uncontrolled emotions.
"Alright, that's enough."
Looking at Lord Third in front of him, Yu suddenly noticed that the old man seemed to have aged a bit more. Thinking of how this elder had always protected him, he felt an unexpected sense of reluctance.
"Anyway, decide for yourselves..."
With that, Yu walked out of the Hokage's office without looking back.
"This is infuriating! Sarutobi! Look at your disciple!"
"Does being Konoha's hero now give you the right to act recklessly?!"
"Such a defiant kid. I can't believe you considered putting him on the list of Hokage candidates earlier!"
Seeing Yu completely disregarding the attitudes of all the Konoha Elders present, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura roared in anger.
"Enough, stop talking!"
As he watched Yu's departing figure, Lord Third suddenly shouted in frustration.
Seeing Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura obediently closing their mouths, a hint of struggle and confusion finally appeared on Lord Third's aging face.
For the village... must it really be done like this?
Is it right or wrong?
....
After leaving the Hokage's office, walking on the streets of Konoha, Yu felt a sense of oppression in his chest. The incessant flow of people on either side seemed to emphasize that he was in a separate world.
Six Paths of Pain, Uchiha Madara, Kaguya, Otsutsuki Momoshiki, and Otsutsuki Kinshiki...
Even though there are powerful adversaries ahead, almost impossible to defeat, these ignorant people are still entangled in matters that seem insignificant to Yu. From a certain perspective, Nagato's thoughts might be correct. People only truly cherish peace when they experience pain.
Feeling a bit confused, Yu walked aimlessly, unaware that the number of pedestrians on the road gradually decreased. He arrived at an open training ground, where the setting sun cast its glow, and only an empty swing swayed in loneliness.
At that moment, a familiar figure flashed not far away, capturing all of Yu's attention.
"Yugao!"
"Tell me, why have you been avoiding me for so long?"
On a nearby path, an ANBU ninja removed the cat-faced mask from her face, catching up with another female ANBU ninja ahead.
"I beg you, stop bothering me, Hayate."
"Besides, we're still on a mission. Addressing each other by our real names is a violation of ANBU regulations."
Seeing the path ahead blocked by someone, the ANBU female ninja reluctantly removed her rabbit-faced mask, revealing a cold and beautiful face. It was none other than Uzuki Yugao, who had been separated from Yu for over a year.
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