Chương 26: Chapter 025- Fire Daimyo

After sending the carpenter out, Sarutobi started to look at the daily reports that were kept on his desk. While surfing through the reports, one report caught his attention.

This is a report about the situation in the Fire Nation's capital. One of the spy lurking in the Daimyo mansion informed the intelligence office of Konoha that the Daimyo seems to be planning to gather a group of ninjas that lives in the Fire Nation but is not under the rule of Konoha.

The main purpose of Fire Daimyo doing this is to create an organization that will be fully loyal to him unlike Konoha. The spy further wrote on that report that the current Daimyo is a very ambitious person and wants to snatch some authority from Sarutobi by pressurizing Konoha with economy.

'Truly a stupid person. Does he really think gathering some trash ninja would make him powerful enough to oppose Konoha! Since he is so eager to die, I will fulfill his wish.' Sarutobi snorted as he read the report. He is not the canon Sarutobi who will let the Daimyo ride on his head.

"Tiger, I have a mission for you." Sarutobi called out to one of the anbu present in the room.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The anbu nicknamed Tiger quickly appeared in front Sarutobi as he kneeled down waiting for the order.

"Take some anbus that are good at infiltrating and illusion with you to the Fire Nation capital. This will be a long-term mission. First, you will infiltrate the Daimyo building and kill off the current Daimyo and replace him by using the transformation Jutsu."

"After doing that, you will initiate a thorough search on every noble that lives in the capital. Anyone who has any bad idea against Konoha, kill them off by using the identity of the Daimyo. At the same time, select a child from his lineage and brainwash him to be loyal to Konoha so that he will follow all of its orders without any question."

"After you manage to complete all of this, find some excuse to get yourself killed and put that child in the leadership position. Come back when you feel that the child's position is strong enough and will not be shaken even after your departure. You can depart right away." Sarutobi finished explaining the task of the mission Tiger will be getting.

…..

Next day-

Sarutobi and Hashirama is hurrying toward the hideout of Uchiha Madara. As they both reached near the graveyard of the otsutsuki clan, Sarutobi started using his observation haki to pinpoint the exact location.

'Madara should be already aware of our arrival. I hope he doesn't run away. Otherwise, this trip will be in vain and it will be more difficult to find him next time.' Sarutobi thought as he clearly saw using his observation haki that a vast number of white jetsus were hiding inside the earth beneath them and looking at their every moves.

"Hashirama senapi, we are being watched. I am afraid it is going to be difficult to meet Madara if he doesn't want to." Sarutobi said.

Hashirama wasn't that shocked hearing somebody was watching them. Hashirama is a sensor ninja as well, so after coming here, he clearly had a feeling of being watched but as he tried to sense the surroundings, he didn't find any presence of ninja.

Though there were some strange chakra signatures showing up in his sense, he just thought it was some kind of special characteristic of this place and dismissed the feeling of being watched assuming he was being extra paranoid.

"Can you tell what kind of creature is this? From their chakra signature, they are clearly not ninja." Hashirama asked with some curiosity. Unlike the observation Haki which can be used to clearly see the surroundings, the sensor type ninja can only sense the chakra of others but can't determine the shape or size of other being or object using the sensing ability.

"I don't know what kind of being they are because this is my first time meeting this kind of creature as well. But I can feel that they are not that strong. So we don't have to worry much about them even though they are quite large in number." Sarutobi said as he hurried to find Madara before he escapes from here.

.....

While Sarutobi was looking for Madara using his Haki, Madara was already informed about them.

"Madara-sama, there are two intruders that have come here. One of them seems to be your acquaintance, Senju Hashirama. With your current strength, it is impossible to take him on. I think we should escape before you get defeated by him again." As white jetsu began his reporting he didn't forget to tease Madara in between.

Madara didn't mind it that much as he already knew white jetsu's personality. So, all he did was to just glare at the white jetsu for a while making the poor soul take refuge behind the black jetsu while hoping that he wouldn't get killed as well like his other brothers did after offending Madara.

After scaring the white jetsu off, he ordered the black jutsu whom he considers to be his will, "Go check outside. See if it is really Hashirama."

'Hashirama should have died years ago. So, did someone use that technique to resurrect him or someone is personating as him. If he is really Hashirama, should I stay or go to another hideout. With my current situation, it is impossible to fight him as equal let alone defeating him.' Madara was in real dilemma in his mind.

'But if I escape without even seeing him, wouldn't I be called coward by that bastard? Yes, it's decided. I am going to stay and meet him face to face. How can I, Uchiha Madara get scared to the point of running away!' Madara thought.

'Even if I don't have the power of my heyday, I can still fight him with the of help of gedo statue.' Madara gave out a confident smile as he thought of this.

.....

As Sarutobi was using his observation haki to find the secret hideout, he suddenly found a black creature approaching him while hiding inside the soil. Sarutobi gave out a barely noticeable smile seeing that as he thought, 'As long as I manage to capture the black jetsu, it will be worthwhile even if I don't manage to meet Madara.'

Sarutobi quickly stopped in his track as he pretended to take a rest before continuing the search. He gave Hashirama a secret signal as well informing him of a coming enemy.

'The black jetsu is still one minute away from us. As long as we don't speak loudly, he shouldn't be able to hear.' Sarutobi thought as he sat close to Hashirma in order to inform him about his plan.

"Hashirama-senpai, I can see a black creature quickly approaching us. This creature is clearly different from the earlier ones. I think this one knows the location of the hideout. So, I want to capture him and find out the whereabout of Madara." Sarutobi whispered in a barely audible voice.

"Don't take any action right away. Wait for it to approach us first. As long as it comes close, quickly use your wood style ninjutsu to force this creature to surface. I will then use my sealing technique to quickly capture it." Sarutobi said as both him and Hashirama calmly waited for the black jetsu to come close to them.