Chapter 373

"Lord Hokage, Lady Tsunade."

Kitazawa spoke up in time, "I have an idea: courtesy first, then force."

"What do Itachi mean?"

Tsunade's attitude softened slightly, and she asked.

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt something subtle.

Why did he feel that his teacher was less important in Tsunade's mind than Kitazawa, an outsider?

"The Uzumaki clan is an ally of the Hidden Leaf Village; we are fulfilling our alliance by going to save them, so no one can find fault with that."

Kitazawa said with a smile, "First, write a letter to the Hidden Grass Village, stating the cause and effect, and ask them to hand over the Uzumaki clan ninja."

Actually, what Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted was a legitimate reason.

But Tsunade was in a hurry to save people, and given her personality, she couldn't be bothered to think about it.

"This method is good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes brightened slightly, and he said.

If the Hidden Grass Village released the people after receiving the letter, that would save trouble and demonstrate the prestige of the Hidden Leaf Village.

If they didn't release them, then it would be their fault.

After all, the Hidden Leaf Village had been very polite from beginning to end.

"Since that's the case, hurry up and get someone to do it!"

Tsunade gave a cold huff and said, "For every moment delayed, she suffers for another moment."

"Itachi should handle this matter yourself."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled gently and said, "Just like the last time we rescued Yakushi Kabuto, I'll temporarily hand over command of the Anbu to Itachi."

"Again?"

Tsunade's mouth twitched, and she asked, "Am I that easily fooled?"

"How can this be called being fooled?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said, "I mean for Itachi to personally take the Anbu to deliver the letter."

"I go?"

Surprise appeared on Tsunade's face.

"We must consider the worst-case scenario."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "That is, the Hidden Grass Village destroys the evidence and forcibly denies the matter."

Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.

It had to be said, Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage was indeed very thorough in his considerations.

"Fine."

Tsunade nodded.

What Hiruzen Sarutobi said wasn't impossible.

To be on the safe side, it would be better for her to go.

"I'll write the letter now; Itachi go to the Anbu and gather the personnel."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused and reminded, "We are going to save people, not to attack the Hidden Grass Village, so we don't need too many people."

He was genuinely worried that Tsunade would take all the Anbu ninjas with her.

"I'm not a child."

Tsunade pouted and said, "I'll just take two squads."

"That's good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately called out, "Haru, immediately select eight Anbu ninjas to follow Tsunade to the Hidden Grass Village."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Haru responded quickly.

Seeing this, Tsunade couldn't be bothered to follow to the Anbu and sat directly on the sofa to wait.

Kitazawa didn't stand on ceremony either and sat down beside her.

Shizune didn't sit; she stood behind Tsunade, looking like a secretary.

In fact, she was indeed a secretary.

After Tsunade became Hokage, the work she did was about the same as a secretary.

Haru's actions were fast; in the blink of an eye, he brought eight Anbu ninjas to the Hokage's office.

Kitazawa saw Kakashi Hatake at a glance.

After all, that head of white hair was truly conspicuous.

Kitazawa winked at him, meaning that they were on a mission together again, which was fate.

Kakashi Hatake also noticed Tsunade and Kitazawa, and surprise flashed in his eyes.

But Kitazawa's gaze immediately fell onto the Anbu member next to him.

Both the build and the eyes revealed behind the mask were very familiar.

Kitazawa was certain he had seen this Anbu ninja's true face.

"Lady Tsunade."

Haru introduced, "These are the two ninjas leading the Anbu, Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha."

So it was Itachi Uchiha; no wonder he looked so familiar.

Kitazawa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow upon hearing this.

It had to be said, Haru's selection level was first-class.

Tsunade, Kakashi Hatake, plus Itachi Uchiha—let alone the Hidden Grass Village, they could even storm the Hidden Cloud Village.

Kitazawa suddenly thought of Yamato again.

He noticed that in the two times Tsunade had temporarily managed the Anbu, he hadn't seen this Wood Release ninja.

Did Yamato have another mission, or was he deliberately hidden by Hiruzen Sarutobi?

If Tsunade knew of Yamato's existence, she would definitely investigate the Wood Release experiments.

Although Orochimaru had run away, Danzo Shimura was still there.

At that time, it would inevitably be another big storm.

The Hokage's office quieted down, with only the sound of Hiruzen Sarutobi writing.

Itachi Uchiha's gaze fell on Kitazawa.

Theoretically speaking, among those present, only he was an outsider.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade, Shizune, and the Anbu members all belonged to the Hokage's lineage.

Kitazawa, a ninja school teacher, mixing in, seemed out of place.

But in Itachi Uchiha's view, this proved his worth.

He indeed had a deep relationship with Tsunade.

The Uchiha clan hadn't bet on the wrong person.

"Alright, the letter is written, Haru."

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed the letter over casually.

Haru quickly stepped forward, took the letter, and handed it to Tsunade.

"We're leaving now."

Tsunade didn't look at the content of the letter and put it away directly.

"Lady Tsunade, I'll go with Itachi."

Kitazawa gave a light cough and spoke up.

"Aren't Itachi teaching?"

Tsunade asked in return.

Kitazawa looked left and right, stepped forward, and whispered two sentences in her ear.

"Your method is actually not bad."

Tsunade gave a light laugh and said.

"...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to speak but stopped.

What kind of secret talk was it that he, the Hokage, couldn't hear?

But involving Tsunade, he still didn't ask further.

Kitazawa looked at the four lines of text that appeared before him, feeling happy in his heart.

【A genius should make a name for himself in the ninja world; take the first step and let the ninjas of the Hidden Grass Village feel your formidable strength.】

【Current Mission: Safely escort Karin and her mother back to the Hidden Leaf Village.】

【Mission Reward: Fire Sealing Method.】

【Do Itachi accept?】

This was indeed similar to the time they rescued Yakushi Kabuto.

And the reward was also the sealing technique Kitazawa had hoped to see.

The Fire Sealing Method is a B-rank difficulty sealing technique.

Its effect, as the name suggests, is to seal fire, but it requires a special sealing scroll as a carrier.

In the original work, it was the only sealing technique that could directly counter Itachi Uchiha's Amaterasu.

Although Amaterasu didn't perform well in the original work, it was at least a Mangekyo Sharingan-level ability.

The abnormality of the sealing technique could be seen from this.

Kitazawa chose to accept.

As for the two sentences he had just said to Tsunade, they were simple.

Tsunade, as one of the Legendary Sannin of the Hidden Leaf, going to deliver a letter would definitely scare the Hidden Grass Village, and perhaps they would hand over Karin and her mother.

But if it were Kitazawa going to deliver the letter, it would be hard to say.

At that time, if he added some fuel to the fire, he could directly provoke the Hidden Grass Village, and they would be even less likely to hand them over.

As long as the Hidden Grass Village didn't hand them over, Tsunade would have a reason to take action.

The reason Tsunade agreed was also simple; she wanted to vent her anger.

After all, Karin's mother had been treated like that; if she didn't beat up the ninjas of the Hidden Grass Village, she wouldn't feel satisfied.

Kitazawa's suggestion was exactly what she wanted.

Once they left the Hokage's office, the eight Anbu ninjas disappeared.

As Anbu, they were naturally skilled at operating in the dark.

Tsunade didn't say much either and headed toward the Hidden Grass Village with Shizune and Kitazawa.

By nightfall, they set up tents on the spot to rest.

Kitazawa was able to chat with Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha for a while, and incidentally learned some intelligence about the Hidden Grass Village.

The current Hidden Grass Village was divided into two factions: one called Grass Fruit, and the other called Grass Flower.

Grass Fruit was the war faction, hoping to use the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which could realize any wish, to rule the ninja world.

Mui of the movie's Blood Prison was of the Grass Fruit faction.