[Congratulations, Host. You have completed your one-hundredth draw and triggered the guarantee. You have obtained an S-rank item: Otsutsuki Bloodline, 5%.]
"Use it!"
The next moment—
Rasa felt that familiar power pour into his body once more.
His body was strengthened.
His chakra rose.
…
"Thirty percent bloodline concentration."
Rasa felt as though his eyes had undergone some sort of qualitative change.
"There is one additional ability."
"Byakugan: Coercion!"
"Through the Byakugan, release tremendous pressure to intimidate those around me. If the opponent's spiritual strength is insufficient, they will fall unconscious directly under this pressure."
"It seems only Otsutsuki Kaguya has displayed this ability."
"It's similar to Conqueror's Haki from the world of One Piece."
"With this ability, human-wave tactics will find it very difficult to work on me."
After carefully sensing the changes in his body, Rasa returned to his chair and sat down.
"What should the next rumor use as its entry point?"
"Related to Konoha, capable of attracting everyone's attention…"
"Something that has already happened."
Suddenly, Rasa thought of it.
"Isn't this right in front of me?"
"Jiraiya."
"Jiraiya, who hadn't returned to Konoha for so many years, was suddenly summoned back by force. The moment he returned, he was heavily injured and crippled in battle against me, losing one arm and both legs."
"Putting aside how much strength he has left, he may not even be able to function as a ninja anymore."
"The rumor can absolutely say that Hiruzen Sarutobi provided me with intelligence and sold out Jiraiya. That Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to cripple Jiraiya."
Rasa's eyes lit up.
"And I myself am one of the parties involved, so I can directly cooperate with it."
"Make this rumor spread even more fiercely."
"Under the existing rumors that Hiruzen Sarutobi persecuted Minato Namikaze and Konoha's White Fang, even if Jiraiya personally steps forward to clarify matters, the people of the shinobi world will inevitably discuss it endlessly."
…
…
Konoha.
Two special figures appeared near the post town close to the village.
Both were disguised, making it impossible to see their original appearances.
One was Zetsu.
The other was Kakashi.
The Hashirama cell transplant that Obito Uchiha had envisioned had failed, but Sasori of the Red Sand had removed those cells in time, preventing Kakashi from turning into a plant.
However, that was also why he had remained unconscious for several days.
After Kakashi's Sharingan was removed, Nagato did not store it in the Akatsuki's core area as promised.
Instead, he handed it directly to Obito Uchiha.
Obito Uchiha then transplanted it back into his own eye socket.
From that moment onward, Double Kamui was complete.
"Greatly increased ocular power."
"Greatly increased transfer speed."
"And Susanoo that can be used when both eyes are present."
Excitement appeared on Obito Uchiha's face.
"The stronger I become, the higher the success rate of the Eye of the Moon Plan."
"Rin, wait for me. It won't be too long."
But immediately afterward, Obito Uchiha thought of Kakashi.
"The current Kakashi is too weak."
"With that level of strength, he has no way to help the Eye of the Moon Plan."
"Only if he reaches the level of Senior White Fang back then can Kakashi truly help me."
"I, the former dead last, have become a powerful genius. Yet Kakashi, the former genius, has instead become the dead last within the Akatsuki."
Obito Uchiha shook his head and refocused his attention on the matter before him.
Kakashi heard many people discussing him.
After all, this place was close to Konoha.
Therefore, the direction of public opinion here was different from other places.
Konoha could control the direction of public opinion here.
"Sunagakure is truly hateful. They're openly spreading rumors."
"Kakashi is clearly in Konoha, yet they insist on saying Kakashi was persecuted. Who knows where they found some fake to give that interview."
"Too much!"
One person voiced his guess.
"I think Sunagakure is trying to provoke Konoha. They want to go to war with Konoha."
"Konoha's resources are too abundant, too plentiful. Sunagakure is too barren. So now that Rasa's strength and Sunagakure's strength have become so powerful, they've set their sights on Konoha."
The person opposite him said,
"But Rasa really is strong. Even Jiraiya-sama wasn't his opponent."
"There's no suspense anymore. He's the number one in the shinobi world."
"To think such an incredible person appeared from Sunagakure's barren soil."
"And the Devil Fruits are absurd too. They only exist in Sunagakure. Their luck is too good."
Kakashi's face darkened.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's mood had improved somewhat.
No matter what people outside the Land of Fire thought, at least within the Land of Fire, inside Konoha, and around Konoha, public opinion regarding Konoha had returned to a positive direction. As for what the Kumogakure envoy team had done, very few people knew about it.
No one knew that under circumstances where Kumogakure was clearly at fault, Konoha had still handed over one Hyuga Hizashi, then another pair of Byakugan.
Kumogakure had easily obtained the Byakugan, which the Hyuga clan regarded as a treasure.
But the only ones grieving were the Hyuga clan.
Outside the Hyuga clan, only a very small number of people knew that Kumogakure had obtained the Byakugan.
The causes of Hyuga Hizashi and Hyuga Yamatsubaki's deaths were not announced to the public.
"Kumogakure has finally been dealt with."
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"As for Sunagakure, they will likely become even more excessive… If we can obtain intelligence on the Devil Fruits and the Sun Disk, then spread it, we can make the other shinobi villages act against Sunagakure."
"I hope Yakushi Nono can gain something."
"Otherwise, Sunagakure will become a long-term, continuous problem."
"That Rasa has far too much hostility toward Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his teacup.
"As for the village, Jiraiya is heavily injured, Danzo refuses to listen, and Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane are both incapable of bearing great responsibility. The number of people under me who can still be used is getting smaller and smaller."
"Few among the younger generation have grown up either."
A trace of worry appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.
"But fortunately, Shinnosuke is still working hard."
"I hope that in a few years, he can grow to the point where he can stand on his own."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had thought Konoha would welcome peace, at least for a period of time.
He had thought he himself would have some time to breathe.
But he had never expected—
Suddenly, a new storm of public opinion swept through all of Konoha.
"Have you heard? The reason Jiraiya-sama lost to Rasa was actually because someone in the village sold Jiraiya-sama's intelligence to Sunagakure."
"Because they were afraid Jiraiya-sama would seek justice for Minato-sama, and because he threatened the Hokage position."
The other person instantly understood.
"You mean the person who sold out Jiraiya-sama was Hokage-sama?"
The conversation that suddenly entered Hiruzen Sarutobi's ears sent blood rushing to his head, and his vision abruptly went dark.
"Who is spreading rumors again?"