Naruto: My Chill Life in the Hyuga Main House

His words seemed to awaken the people present, and everyone immediately began thinking deeply.

Seated at the central position, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe. After several seconds of contemplation, admiration appeared on his face.

"Not bad," he said. "Airplanes are indeed perfect as aerial weapons for countering enemy airborne attacks."

As Hokage, his insight was naturally far beyond theirs, and he immediately recognized the advantages of using planes as weapons.

In reality, airplanes could not only be used defensively but also serve as tools for aerial assaults in battles against other villages.

After all, hadn't the Sky Ninja used flying devices to conduct aerial strikes during the Second Great Shinobi War?

Back then, Konoha had destroyed many of them and stored several in the warehouse.

Why hadn't he thought of that earlier?

At that time, the war was reaching its climax, and they simply couldn't spare manpower to research these devices.

By the time the war ended, he'd nearly forgotten about it altogether.

Hiruzen suddenly recalled there were still remnants of flying devices stored in Konoha's warehouse.

When he sent Anbu members to retrieve them, he discovered that the items had already been claimed by Root members.

Receiving this information, Hiruzen relaxed slightly.

"Danzo took them? Then it's fine," he murmured.

Having grown up together since childhood, Hiruzen understood Danzo very well. He knew that whatever Danzo took would definitely be for research purposes.

Eventually, those findings would still be returned to Konoha.

Hiruzen still had confidence in ensuring that outcome.

He just needed to issue an official request as Hokage—no matter how furious Danzo became, he would still turn over the research.

Meanwhile, upon learning this intelligence, his close friend Danzo immediately dispatched Root members to investigate.

As the leader of Konoha's Root, he needed to eliminate any potential threats that could endanger Konoha.

If more hands were needed, he would redeploy from other areas. The safety of Konoha always came first.

Several rounds of troop reassignments left most of the Root members stationed in the Land of Rain's industrial zone reassigned elsewhere.

These agents had originally been suppressing factory workers. Their departure from the factory compound in the Land of Rain quickly drew the attention of observant enemies.

Konan, one of the leaders of the Akatsuki organization, immediately located Yahiko and Nagato after receiving reports from her subordinates.

"The ninja stationed at the factory have been relocated, leaving only a small number behind. This is our best opportunity to rescue Daibutsu."

Yahiko clenched his fist and declared loudly, "Excellent! This truly is an opportunity. Quickly gather all Akatsuki members!"

Nagato frowned. "Could this be a trap?"

"Even if it is a trap, we must confront it," Yahiko replied firmly.

"Daibutsu is our comrade. We cannot allow him to remain imprisoned in that evil place."

More than half a month had passed, yet every single person who signed contracts and went to work at the factory never returned again.

Their families outside had lost all contact with them, desperately seeking news about the factory, yet no information ever surfaced.

This act of covering up only fueled rampant speculation, giving rise to a flurry of rumors.

It was said that someone had heard cries of pain echoing from within the factory walls.

Others claimed to have seen workers sprinting madly toward the gates in a desperate attempt to flee the factory.

Even more troubling, those who entered the factory to deliver goods reported seeing employees with vacant stares and clear signs of agony.

With such rumors spreading, Akatsuki grew increasingly concerned about their spy, Daibutsu.

Not long ago, Yahiko led a group in an attempt to negotiate with the factory forces, urging them to release the employees—but they were driven back, defeated.

The factory side refused any chance for peaceful discussion, instead using powerful ninja to drive them out by force.

Not long after,

Akatsuki members were ready for action. A group of young dreamers with lofty ambitions gathered together, marching toward the Fire's Root Factory.

At this time, Akatsuki had just been formed. The team was filled with passionate youths carrying grand dreams in their hearts.

Undeterred by hardship, they marched together toward the Fire's Root Factory.

Before the factory gates, Yahiko, as Akatsuki's leader, stepped forward first.

He shouted defiantly, "People from the Land of Fire! Release our comrades!"

Back then, Yahiko was still naive, believing that peace in the world could be achieved through words and communication alone.

But he wasn't Naruto Uzumaki, the chosen one of fate.

The Root members inside the Fire's Root Factory showed him absolutely no respect. Without hesitation, they hurled kunai knives that embedded themselves in the ground before him.

A Root ninja wearing a bird mask coldly declared, "Trespassers will be executed without mercy."

This arrogant act immediately stirred resentment among the Akatsuki members.

They were fiery young men, full of energy and unable to endure such provocation.

"Damn you, Fire Country scum! How dare you act so arrogantly here in the Land of Rain! Let's show them what we're made of!"

Though Akatsuki already had a certain scale at this point, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato lacked strong leadership skills, causing members to often disregard orders.

Without permission, the Akatsuki members charged forward in unison, storming through the main gates of the Fire's Root Factory.

"They're asking for death," the Root ninja muttered, eyes narrowing coldly as he prepared to strike—only to be stopped by someone beside him.

"Don't shed blood here in the Land of Rain—it'll be difficult to justify to Lord Hanzo."

The one interrupting was Togami, the Rain Country's factory envoy. He was Hanzo's watchful eye within the Fire's Root Factory, assigned to monitor its activities and uncover any plots Danzo might be brewing.

Hanzo agreed to cooperate with Danzo and allowed this facility to be built in the Land of Rain mainly for economic recovery. After construction, the factory could provide employment opportunities for locals and bring in profits.

However, Hanzo did not trust Danzo—one who lurked in Konoha's shadows could easily be scheming in secret.

Were it not for the enormous benefits gained, he wouldn't have associated with Danzo at all.

Togami was his eyes inside the factory, watching closely for any suspicious movements and potential conspiracies on Danzo's side.

Faced with the interruption, the Root ninja lowered his gaze, masking his fury, and pulled back slightly.

He understood how difficult it was to establish this factory in the Land of Rain—it was a rare opportunity granted by Danzo.

If he ruined this chance, his own fate would surely suffer.

Although the Root ninja held back, the Akatsuki members remained unaware, morale high, surging forward into the heart of the facility.

As they entered the factory complex, row after towering row of buildings came into view. From deep within the factory building came the deafening roar of machinery.

On the roads of the factory compound, workers in uniforms bustled back and forth, carrying goods, creating a scene of lively activity.

"Are they really just working?"

An invading member of the Akatsuki organization widened his eyes in disbelief.

From what they could see, nothing looked suspicious—everything seemed normal.

After all, it's just a factory, right?

The horrifying, bloody scenes of abuse they'd heard about never showed up. Instead, everything ran smoothly and efficiently.

Just then, several figures rushed into a factory building, catching the workers' attention.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>