[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
====
"Joining a war means being prepared for war. Why should you surrender when facing an unstoppable enemy, as if it's all as you wish?"
Yōichi, clutching his sword, slowly approached Yugakure's leader.
"The smaller ninja villages don't do much else but are good at copying the customs of the major ninja villages. The last time I visited Hoshigakure, even the Third Hoshikage wore a Kage hat. It's a pity it doesn't increase chakra, so what's the use?"
"I've put so much effort into coming here from Konohagakure, using so much chakra. If I were to give up just because of your single comment, what do you think you are?"
As Yōichi finished speaking, he placed Raijin against the neck of Yugakure's leader, and sharply commanded, "Lift your head!"
Startled, the leader of Yugakure instinctively lifted his head, but the next second he saw the blood-red pupils with three tomoe slowly rotating, and his consciousness began to blur.
The other ninjas of Yugakure didn't dare to make any moves, paralyzed by fear, thinking, "Is this what a mighty ninja from a major village looks like? He killed four Cloud ninjas in an instant without them being able to react."
Even the village's strong man, Akaishi of the Evil God Cult, had his arm severed with a single strike, so when they saw their leader being hypnotized by the Sharingan, no one dared to move.
"They fear just forming a hand seal might get them killed," they thought as the Sharingan's hypnotic illusion took hold.
Yōichi then demanded, "What is this about Yugakure invading the Land of Fire?"
"It was orchestrated by Akaishi in collaboration with Kumogakure. He has always wanted to gather sacrifices for the Evil God. I only found out yesterday. But Akaishi had already aligned Yugakure with Cloud, and if I opposed it, I would have been killed by the Cloud ninjas."
"Cowards, unable to even control your own subordinates. How many Cloud ninjas are left in the village?"
"Only four."
"How many in Yugakure believe in the Evil God Cult? Are they all ready for war?"
"With both ninjas and civilians, there are about two hundred people. The followers of the Evil God Cult are becoming increasingly abnormal, planning to dedicate everything to the Evil God. I was planning to crack down on the Evil God Cult, but Akaishi took action before I could intervene."
After asking a few more questions, Yōichi released the leader from the illusion.
This leader of Yugakure was useless, his village infiltrated by the Evil God Cult, growing so many followers; and the cult was not satisfied with peace, their doctrine demanded fresh lives to be sacrificed to the Evil God in exchange for immortality.
Some devout followers even offered themselves to the Evil God, but such rare sacrifices still did not reflect their loyalty to the deity. Thus, Akaishi decided to push Yugakure into the war, although the leader had refused several times.
This time, with the Cloud ninjas approaching, Akaishi acted decisively, first offending Konoha, then tying Yugakure to Cloud's war chariot. Now, the Evil God Cult could secure sacrifices for the deity during the war.
"Go now, gather all those from the Evil God Cult, then execute them all. If a single person is missed, I will randomly select a hundred 'lucky' villagers from Yugakure."
While Yōichi spoke, he walked up to Akaishi of the Evil God Cult and beheaded him with a single swing of his blade.
Akaishi's head fell, still praying for divine retribution from the Evil God to take Yōichi, but after two minutes, he was silent and dead.
Though not immortal like Hidan, it's still rare in the ninja world for someone to live two minutes without their head.
"What are you waiting for? Do you plan to die with the followers of the Evil God Cult?"
"You, sir, do you-"
The leader of Yugakure stuttered in fear, but seeing Uchiha Yōichi's expression, he decided not to ask his question. His concern was for the safety of Yugakure's ninjas and civilians.
"I understand. I'll do it now."
"Make sure to collect all the material on the Evil God Cult. Not a single piece must be missed. Get it done before dawn."
Yōichi instructed, realizing that killing everyone might not be ideal, especially since many were innocent; but the Evil God Cult was a perfect target. These followers had gone mad, willing to sacrifice even their own parents to the Evil God.
Moreover, the cult had slowly developed within Yugakure. Seeing them eliminated would also serve as a deterrent to the remaining villagers, keeping them away from the war.
Soon after, the leader of Yugakure quickly organized his forces, gathering all the followers of the Evil God Cult.
"Are all the people assembled?" he asked.
"Yes, everyone is here," a Yugakure ninja whispered in his ear.
"We've captured everyone, there's no need to discuss further," the leader thought to himself, making a resolute decision.
The followers of the Evil God Cult were then brought to a vast clearing, along with all the cult's materials.
Arriving next to Yōichi, the leader handed over the materials respectfully, saying, "Yoichi-sama, these are the items gathered from the Evil God Cult. Below are the followers of the cult."
"Good. After this, you all might want to relocate to a more secluded area to start anew. Involvement in major countries' wars only leads to one outcome for small villages like yours, especially when entangled with Cloud ninja," Yōichi suggested after taking the cult's materials.
He then summoned four shadow clones, which instantly appeared around the group of cult followers.
The leader of Yugakure's eyes narrowed as he anticipated what was about to happen.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
The four clones executed the Gōka Mekkyaku, and with Godzilla's heat-enhancing ability, the flames turned into dazzling golden flames.
The followers of the Evil God Cult hit by these flames didn't even feel the burn; they were instantly turned into char by the intense fiery blast.
It was a horrific scene but lasted only a few seconds. After the fire technique ended, nothing was left on the ground but a charred pit where the flames had scorched the earth.
After completing this, Yōichi used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the area, giving the leader of Yugakure a chance to prove his wisdom.
As Yōichi departed, the leader's legs shook, nearly causing him to collapse; after steadying himself, he quickly summoned Yugakure's villagers, issuing the relocation order.
Although they couldn't move far from the Land of Hot Water, they could at least stay away from the battlefield. And with not many people in Yugakure, relocating wouldn't be difficult.
But if they didn't move, they might face threats from Cloud and possibly Konoha next time they came, which could mean the end of Yugakure.
It wasn't without precedent; many small ninja villages in the Ninja World had been wiped out in just a day or two, like Uzushiogakure, despite its strength.
By dawn, the leader had issued the order, and by late morning, he was forcibly relocating all villagers.
Outside, Yōichi, who had dissolved his shadow clone, watched the scene unfold.
Elsewhere, Minato and Jiraiya, along with their companions, also moved swiftly. They reached Takigakure only a couple of hours later than Yōichi. But upon arrival, they faced a dilemma.
Takigakure was indeed strong, having once purchased the Seven-Tails, indicating their ambition. They had also attempted to assassinate the First Hokage.
Unscathed in the previous two Great Ninja Wars due to its unique geographical position, the village now had over three thousand ninjas, including the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki and numerous elite jonin, as well as the village's treasure, the Hero Water, making it a formidable force among the smaller villages.
After capturing several Takigakure patrol ninjas and obtaining information, Minato, Jiraiya, and their companions debated their next move.
Facing such a strong village, it seemed unrealistic for the four of them to inflict significant damage; only Jiraiya had wide-range ninjutsu, requiring collaboration with Gamabunta.
They eventually decided to focus on the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki. If they could release the beast, their mission would be considered successful.
Whether Takigakure resealed the Seven-Tails or let it escape, it would be a huge loss for the village. The four felt no guilt about releasing the beast—it was war, and Takigakure had sided with Iwagakure and Kumogakure, thus must face the consequences.
Being lenient now would mean facing Takigakure on the battlefield later, threatening Konoha's ninjas.
Minato and Jiraiya, both Kage-level ninjas, with Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Inuzuka Tōka, superior to many jonin, easily infiltrated Takigakure without raising alarm.
For the first time in over forty years, ninjas had infiltrated Takigakure, catching them off-guard, allowing them to locate the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki quickly.
The disaster for Takigakure began shortly thereafter, as the Seven-Tails was released, its first instinct to escape. But the massive explosions awakened the village; they quickly realized the Seven-Tails was free.
Under the village leader's orders, many Takigakure ninjas risked their lives to retain the Seven-Tails, their prized possession, even more important than the Hero Water.
"Let's go, Minato. Our mission is complete," Jiraiya said, patting Minato on the shoulder as they stood atop a waterfall, looking down at Takigakure being destroyed by the enraged Seven-Tails.
"This is war. When it starts, if you don't use all means necessary, you might end up seeing your comrades face such disasters," Jiraiya explained.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha had decisively initiated conflict in the Land of Rain, an action Jiraiya had initially disapproved of, but for the sake of Konoha, he had endured.
Minato nodded, his expression resolute, "I understand, Sensei. I won't let Konoha face such crises!"
——————————————————
After dealing with Yugakure, Yōichi was not in a hurry to join the front lines.
The ninja squad was set to move out in four days; arriving early would mean waiting in the wilderness, so he chose to rest in a town close to the front for three days, using the time to study the materials from the Evil God Cult.
Yōichi was intrigued by the cult's power, capable of keeping a person alive even when chopped into pieces—either a special ability or immense strength.
It didn't seem like typical ninja tactics; he suspected it might be a remnant of extraordinary powers from a millennium ago, before Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's arrival in the ninja world, which had evolved into the Evil God Cult today.
He decided to research it first; if unsuccessful, he would hand it over to Orochimaru, who was always keen on studying unfamiliar entities.
Arriving in a bustling small town, Yōichi changed his appearance, planning to rest there for three days.
Walking towards an inn in the town, he was suddenly approached by a black-haired young woman holding a pig. Yōichi was slightly surprised, thinking, "What a coincidence."
"Shizune."
Yōichi stopped Shizune, who was holding the pig, but she was startled upon seeing him and asked warily, "Who are you? Why do you know my name?"
"You didn't bet any money with Tsunade-sama, did you?"
"Of course not. Yōichi-sama? How are you here?"
Shizune, recognizing the man before her, guessed his identity, aware that Yōichi would caution her like this. Regarding the difference in appearance, it was undoubtedly a Transformation Technique.
"I just found a clever wild pig and was about to show it to Tsunade-sama, also buying her breakfast."
"Breakfast?"
Yōichi looked up at the sun, noting it was already noon. Shizune, slightly embarrassed, laughed and said, "Tsunade-sama went to sleep very late yesterday, she should be waking up soon."
"Then I'll come with you. Since we've met, I should at least say hello and update you on the village's situation," Yōichi said.
"Alright, then follow me, Yōichi-sama," Shizune replied, nodding. She then carried the pig and headed to a nearby sushi restaurant to buy some breakfast items.
Tsunade-sama wasn't picky, so Shizune chose a variety of foods from the area. Together with Yōichi, they then proceeded towards the inn.
Upon reaching the inn, Shizune led Yōichi up to the second floor, to the end of the hallway, and knocked on a door: "Tsunade-sama, are you awake?"
It took a moment before a response came from inside. Tsunade's lazy voice could be heard, "Shizune? Where did you go so early in the morning?"
The door opened from the inside, revealing Tsunade in her pajamas, yawning widely. Her appearance was somewhat disheveled, with her chest partly exposed, revealing a large expanse of pale skin, and her blonde hair tousled.
"Tsunade-sama, there's someone else here," Shizune hurriedly mentioned, seeing Tsunade's state, and quickly helped adjust her clothes.
Tsunade then noticed Yōichi standing slightly behind Shizune, although he was trying to avert his gaze politely.
She expressed surprise, "Kid, what are you doing here?"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
====
[New Fanfic is Out! 'Marvel: I Started by Containing SCPs'!!]
====
"Brat, what brings you here? On a mission?"
After washing up and changing clothes, Tsunade sat at the table eating sushi and asked; as for the slight wardrobe malfunction seen earlier, she was initially a bit bothered and embarrassed, but by the time she came out, she had calmed down significantly, only shooting Yōichi a sharp glare.
"It's sort of a mission. I went to Yugakure and dealt with a follower of the evil god cult. I found something interesting there, possibly a method beyond ninjutsu."
Yōichi briefly explained his mission to Yugakure, making some modifications to the story and omitting the details about the war.
This was also a decision guided by the guidebook; as he approached Tsunade, the "Strategy Guide" ability had provided directions and methods.
"If you have time, help me research it. If you make any breakthroughs, consider it ten S-rank mission rewards."
"Ten S-rank mission rewards? What exactly did you find?"
Tsunade curiously took the information about the evil god cult and began to read, but the more she read, the more furrowed her brow became.
It seemed to be just a regular church ritual, and as for achieving immortality through worship of the evil god, Tsunade was highly skeptical.
"It's true, what's written here. These followers of the evil god cult are really bizarre. The deeper their faith and the more sacrifices they make to the evil god, the closer they are to immortality. The cult leader I killed yesterday could live for two minutes even after I chopped off his head."
Hearing this from Yōichi, Tsunade began to believe him a bit, though she still found it incredible that someone could live for two minutes without a head.
"If only we had a body, we could learn a lot from it."
"There is a body, of course, but I won't show it to you. I'll take it back to Orochimaru."
Tsunade felt a surge of irritation. Knowing she wouldn't see the body yet mentioning it, and still asking her to research this matter, this brat really was troublesome.
"What are you doing here then? If you're done with the mission, why not go back to the village?"
"This mission ended too quickly. I thought I'd rest here for a couple of days, but I didn't expect to run into you, Tsunade-sama. You gambled late into the night again yesterday?"
Yōichi's comment made Tsunade speechless. She was about to change the subject when Shizune, who was beside her, spoke up: "It's not just gambling late; she almost lost all the money she just got, and after losing, Tsunade-sama even went drinking."
"Shizune!"
The black-haired girl wanted to continue exposing Tsunade's deeds but was quickly silenced by an angry flick on the forehead, causing her to hold her head in pain.
Yōichi couldn't help but smile silently. If this were Shizune a few years later, she would probably be used to Tsunade's antics and might even help her swindle money along with Tonton.
But Shizune, just out of the Ninja Academy, was still somewhat resistant to the three ninja prohibitions, which is why she boldly spoke out; in a few years, she'd probably only complain secretly behind Tsunade's back.
After seeing a prompt from the guidebook, Yōichi spoke up, "I plan to rest here for three days; there's nothing much to do, so I might as well go gamble with you, Tsunade-sama."
"You want to gamble too?"
Tsunade's eyes lit up, immediately setting aside the evil god cult's information, then leaned in close and said, "Taking you there is no problem, but can you lend me some money?"
"You didn't lose everything, did you?"
Shizune interjected: "Although she didn't lose everything, there's only a few tens of thousands left. Tsunade-sama even pretended to be drunk yesterday to ask me for money."
"Shizune!"
Tsunade said, face flushed with embarrassment and anger, her normally carefree demeanor now showing signs of shame.
"I didn't bring much, but I'll lend you one million ryō."
Yōichi casually took out a storage scroll; his ninja tool bag had two storage scrolls for money, totaling two million ryō.
In the ninja world, there are rarely opportunities to spend so much money, unless one goes to an underground exchange to post missions; two million ryō was definitely enough.
"Thanks, I didn't expect you to be so generous, little brat. I'll pay you back with interest once I make some money!"
One million ryō was beyond Tsunade's expectations. With the money in hand, a smile quickly spread across her face.
Yōichi then checked the affection rating; after giving one million ryō, Tsunade's affection towards him increased by two points.
Without delay, Tsunade then took Yōichi to a nearby casino, ready to make a big kill.
The town was quite bustling, with many streets of customs and numerous casinos, which naturally attracted Tsunade, as her dream was to visit every casino in the world.
Many casinos do not open during the day, but Tsunade managed to find one that was open. However, there were no high-stakes tables available; so, Tsunade had to take Yōichi to some lower-stake tables. Despite this, Tsunade continued to lose money.
Meanwhile, Yōichi, with his eyes closed, bet against Tsunade, and each time he placed a slightly larger bet, he consistently won.
This was a time to see all sides of Tsunade, the weak and pleasing when borrowing money, the anger and unwillingness when losing money. The only thing missing was the joy of winning money.
When evening came, Tsunade would take Yōichi out to eat, having spent a few days here, they knew well what was good to eat in the town.
The next day, and the day after, followed a similar routine, only Tsunade's debts grew larger, and each time she borrowed money, Yōichi was very forthcoming, though he always made her write a promissory note.
By the third day, Tsunade owed Yōichi nearly twenty million ryō.
And on the last gambling table, Yōichi used finely controlled chakra to continuously win against everyone, taking all the money in the room.
Although there were ninjas in the room, the ninjas hired by the casino were too weak, not even at the Jonin level, and even Tsunade beside Yōichi could not detect his use of chakra.
After leaving the casino, Tsunade was penniless, while Yōichi carried two large money boxes, containing about thirty million; this was his result over three days, turning one million into thirty million.
"Damn, my luck has been terrible recently!"
After leaving the casino, Tsunade was still biting her finger, her face full of reluctance, and her eyes occasionally darted to the money boxes in Yōichi's hands.
Shizune, pouting, said, "Tsunade-sama, you've already borrowed over twenty million from Yōichi-sama these three days."
"Nonsense, I can pay it back, just need to find a wealthy patient, and I can make it all back in no time!"
After being lectured by Shizune, Tsunade angrily tapped her on the head, then her eyes flickered as she thought about what excuse to use to borrow more money from Yōichi.
"Let's leave it here; I should be heading back to the village soon."
Before Tsunade could speak, Yōichi spoke first; then, he handed over the two boxes of money to her, who was still puzzled about what Yōichi was up to.
"Brat, what are you doing?"
"I heard that every year in the Land of Tea, they sell fine teas. If you happen to pass by there, Tsunade-sama, could you buy some for me?"
"Huh?"
"And, remember to have the money ready the next time we meet!"
With that, Yōichi formed a hand seal and used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.
"Ah, is Yōichi-sama leaving just like that?" Shizune asked Tsunade, "Aren't you going to stop him, Tsunade-sama? You said at lunch you would take Yōichi-sama to try the flowing noodles."
However, Tsunade suddenly placed the money beside Shizune, biting her finger in thought.
Seeing this, Shizune, somewhat confused, asked, "What's wrong, Tsunade-sama?"
"Nothing, that brat really went the long way around."
Tsunade scoffed, but deep down she felt somewhat moved. She had felt something was off when he handed her the money, and only when she heard about the Land of Tea did she realize the brat wanted her to leave this area.
The mission in Yugakure was probably not just about the evil god cult; more likely, it was about preparing for the war, and sending her to the Land of Tea was probably to keep her away from the battlefield.
"That brat... Senior's affairs are not for you to worry about, hmph!"
Thinking of this possibility, Tsunade chuckled softly, then picked up the money box and said to Shizune, "Let's go, Shizune. We'll rest tonight and leave here tomorrow."
"Ah, so suddenly?"
"We've had enough fun here; let's see what's in the next place."
"Are we going to the Land of Tea? Yōichi-sama just said he wanted tea from there."
"Shizune, you're my disciple, don't listen to others."
"Okay, then where are we going, Tsunade-sama?"
"Let's go to the Land of Tea."
"..."
---
The reconnaissance ninjas of the Ninja Corps had already completed their survey of the nearby terrain, and the main force had also arrived at this location.
When Yōichi arrived, Minato had already set up camp with over a thousand ninjas.
Inside the tent, Minato said, "Good work, Yōichi-kun. How's Yugakure?"
Yōichi replied, "It's been cleared out. Now, Yugakure is just empty houses, and the remaining Yuga-nin won't be participating in the war."
Minato nodded, "That's fine then. As for the Cloud ninjas, we can still handle them, but we don't have any movement from the other side yet."
Orochimaru, who had been sent by Hiruzen to serve under Minato as a deputy commander, while Yōichi's position was the captain of the First Ninja Corps, spoke up, "They'll come. If we move our camp a bit further and then station in the Land of Hot Springs, and have the Hot Springs ninjas seek help from the Cloud Village, the Cloud ninjas will have to join the war."
This move was typical of Orochimaru's style, and it was harsh enough, shifting the Cloud ninjas' hatred towards the Hot Springs; as long as the Cloud Village couldn't resist striking at the Hot Springs, it would provide an opportunity for Konoha.
A ninja took the alliance treaty between the Cloud and Hot Springs and went down to prepare.
"Now, we just don't know to what extent the Cloud and Stone ninjas have allied, and what plots they have. If we had more intelligence, that would be better."
A Jonin from the Nara clan suggested to Minato, "Commander Minato, I recommend increasing contact with the side to gather more intelligence about the Stone ninjas."
"Commander?"
Yōichi asked with a twitch of his mouth, "Haha, Yōichi-kun, the battlefield commander at the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire is now Minato, not Jiraiya."
Orochimaru said with a smile, this was the command issued to Yugakure and the Hidden Waterfall Village after the missions from the village, and Yōichi had only found out about his position after arriving at the battlefield camp.
"Let's not talk about that now; let's focus on making plans. Fortunately, our supplies are still sufficient to endure a drawn-out conflict with the Cloud ninjas."
Minato quickly began assigning tasks. The camp had just been prepared, and there were many arrangements to be made.
Soon, tasks were assigned, and even Yōichi wasn't spared; after settling the Ninja Corps, he had to immediately go on a mission.
---
At the seaside border of the Land of Rice, a large ship slowly approached.
Tsuchidai went forward and welcomed the people on the ship.
Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han, along with Iwagakure's Kitsuchi and nearly a hundred elite ninjas.
Not counting the two Jinchuriki and Kitsuchi, just these elite Stone ninjas using combined ninjutsu were enough to break through any enemy force of equal or even double their number.
In the area of combined ninjutsu, no one could compare to Iwagakure.
"Welcome, everyone. I will lead you from here."
Tsuchidai spoke, after half a day's negotiation with the Cloud and Stone, they finally persuaded Iwagakure to send so many people to the battlefield in the Land of Hot Springs to concentrate their forces and break through one side.
Initially, Iwagakure would not have agreed; the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki were treasures of their village, and if the Cloud had any ill intentions towards them, then the two Tailed Beasts of their village would be in danger.
But the Third Raikage repeatedly assured them, even going personally to Iwagakure as a hostage, along with some important yet non-powerful Cloud ninja to act as 'hostages' in Iwagakure, and after much persuasion, they finally agreed.
Just the negotiations and persuasions took nearly a month, after which Iwagakure and the Cloud prepared for war.
This time, the Third Raikage really had no intentions of coveting the two Jinchuriki from Iwagakure.
Firstly, he hoped to use this war to provide enough military achievements for A to compensate for the damages caused by his reign as the Third Raikage and then become the Fourth Raikage.
Kitsuchi asked, "Tsuchidai-kun, is everything ready?"
"A-sama is already waiting for you at the border of the Land of Lightning. The Cloud ninja army is also ready, able to attack the Land of Fire within a day."
Tsuchidai nodded, indicating that the highest command in the Cloud Village was now A.
(End of Chapter)
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT