Ninja Ice House

Chapter 555 Orderly

After the aftermath of the battle completely subsided, the Sunagakure ninjas, led by Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, embarked on their journey home with heavy hearts. The Konoha ninjas who had come to their aid also did not linger and quickly returned to their village.

After briefly explaining the situation to Tsunade, Mizuki led the Root ninjas, whose casualties weren't particularly severe but who had suffered some losses, away to lick their wounds.

This organization is naturally distant from outsiders, and even their fellow Konoha ninja don't have a very good impression of them.

Mizuki's style as the proxy was somewhat different from that of Shimura Danzo. The latter was a highly respected senior figure and a senior advisor who could subdue ordinary people with his prestige alone. Mizuki, on the other hand, did not have that kind of influence. However, he was not a kind-hearted person either. Only those who paid close attention would realize how fake the smile that was always on his face was.

To be honest, the "Root" organization isn't without good people, nor are they all crazy like Sai who lack common sense. But to say they're completely normal would probably be difficult for them to succeed. As for taking on management positions and becoming influential captains, squad leaders, or even department heads, they need some special abilities to really get by.

Your subordinates are all eccentric; if you're too rigid in your adherence to rules, you definitely won't be able to manage them.

What's even more interesting is that everyone from top to bottom believes that Shimura Danzo is still alive, but has handed over his affairs to Mizuki because of his old age and poor health. Most people are indifferent to this not-so-powerful successor.

Mizuki's attitude was not harsh, he did not resist the Fifth Hokage's orders, and he did not have much conflict with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Although he seemed a bit awkward, they were still able to get along peacefully, and he was not as aggressive as Danzo Shimura.

This is enough.

Underground organizations that do the dirty and tiring work don't need to be too prominent, much less take the lead.

No matter how prestigious or legitimate the Hokage is, he still needs some "tools" to do things that he himself is not good at.

Don't get too close, but be perceptive and proactive in handling matters before the Hokage gives orders, and honestly take the blame so your superior doesn't bear unnecessary criticism and infamy. That's enough.

Shuimu seems to have done a good job in this regard.

As for who he was loyal to, most people felt that Mizuki was just a puppet of Shimura Danzo, and no one expected that Kosugi would indirectly control the "Root" organization through him. Although this underground organization was not that powerful without Shimura Danzo's involvement, it was enough.

Anyway, Kosugi Bokusui didn't expect these theoretically non-existent Konoha ninjas and ANBU to be of much help. Maintaining their presence and giving them a push from within when necessary was enough.

Meanwhile, Shuimu, this ambitious guy, wisely played the role of a "tool" that satisfied all parties, obediently keeping the "Root" organization in his hands and waiting for the right opportunity.

Meanwhile, after the other Konoha ninjas went to the Konoha Hospital for treatment or left after completing their missions and submitting reports, Karin met Kaguya Kimimaro and the others sent by her father in her own small house.

Hibiki Togakushi is also awaiting further instructions.

“Usami’s problem isn’t serious. Since the village isn’t asking, we won’t offer any explanation. We’ll all tacitly pretend she doesn’t exist. Uchiha Izumi died a few years ago, so let’s not create any more trouble…”

Whether the village genuinely didn't know or was pretending not to know, the outcome was the same.

In the adult world, facts are not the key; what matters is the choice and how to make it, rather than getting bogged down in trivial details.

"The real problem is Yakumo. The Kurama clan has never been known for its physical prowess, and her chakra is also quite average. It's rather heartless for the village to place all its hopes on her as the cornerstone of the clan. Isn't there any compensation plan? Otherwise, the immense pressure and subsequent recovery are one issue, but if she can't withstand the dream space at a crucial moment, the danger level will rise sharply. Also, it seems there aren't any powerful means to protect against space-time ninjutsu..."

Yakumo Kurama's bloodline limit is only slightly affected by space-time ninjutsu, but that doesn't mean it's completely unaffected.

In critical missions, it is essential to eliminate all risks that could have serious consequences.

Hiruzen Togakushi added:

"The Fifth Hokage means that a sealing array should be used, at least at the level of the Four Red Yang Array..."

"Hmm? The village still has four Kage candidates to maintain this high-level sealing barrier?"

"We lack skilled ninjas, so we'll have to make up the numbers with ordinary ninjas..."

"also!"

After thinking for a while, Karin felt that this wasn't a big problem.

"It would be even better if this sealing array could be combined with the 'Great Dream Realm' into a composite ninjutsu. Is there a way to do that?"

"It's not entirely impossible. We've also considered the sealing team and barrier team in the village, but it's quite difficult, and we seem to be short-handed."

"If the power accumulation is insufficient, which means the chakra consumption may be relatively large, the safety margin of the 'flowing oil' might not be enough to hold on, right?"

"That's it!"

Hibiki Togakushi confirmed the little princess's guess.

"The matter of waking Jiraiya cannot be taken too seriously. To ensure everything goes smoothly, Tsunade even issued the so-called 'New Village Protection Barrier Test Mission,' saying that at the appropriate time, the latest composite barrier that can effectively defend against external intrusion would be tested. In essence, it is still to prevent the overflow of the 'Great Dream Realm' power and forcibly drag people from the outside into the dream illusion, causing panic..."

Karin smiled and shook her head, saying:

"The surging Yin Release chakra and the ripples of space-time fluctuations could even cause a real-world mirage to appear throughout Konoha and the surrounding area. Ordinary people who have no resistance to such phenomena would be better off going to sleep early to avoid being frightened."

For example, if an old building from decades ago suddenly appears, or a familiar face that has been dead for many years reappears, without prior "precautionary measures," countless people might feel mentally disturbed.

If people who shouldn't know the truth believe it's all a dream, that would be perfect.

After chatting for a long time and finalizing the important matters, Karin stretched her arms and moved her slightly sore neck, feeling a little lazy.

"Father, this impromptu test you've given me is quite complicated!"

It's not that the strength is insufficient or that it's too difficult to achieve, but rather that it requires cooperation from multiple parties, with each step closely linked. If something goes wrong in one place, it won't lead to total failure, but if too many links fail, no matter how hard the key figures try, it will be in vain.

This is a massive system engineering project, and the person in charge not only needs solid skills, but also extremely strong communication and coordination abilities.