"You're leaving tomorrow. I don't need to remind you again how to proceed, do I?"
Yoichi brushed away the hair stuck to Konan's face with sweat and continued speaking to this frail, cold woman.
"As long as you perform well in overthrowing the Land of Rain, you'll gain your freedom, and Nagato will be treated more comfortably in prison. But the quicker you take control of the Land of Rain, the greater your reward will be."
Hearing this, Konan glared coldly at the man dressing in front of her and replied in an icy tone, "I understand."
The reason she maintained this relationship with Yoichi was partly to keep Nagato alive in prison. The second reason was that Yoichi promised her that once the Land of Rain was taken over, he would ensure its citizens lived as well as those who once depended on the Akatsuki.
This was Yahiko's original ideal. If she could change the lives of the people of the Land of Rain, Konan was willing to compromise. She had already done so for Nagato once. After the first time, her tolerance grew.
"Good. Say goodbye to your family; someone will contact you soon."
Yoichi said before disappearing from the underground prison using the Hiraishin no Jutsu.
After Yoichi left, Konan regained some of her strength and began cleaning herself. Once finished, she left the cell. The door had been left open, though that bastard had taken advantage of her one last time before leaving.
Konan walked to Nagato's cell and said, "Nagato, I'm leaving."
"It's about that mission we discussed, isn't it?"
After speaking, Nagato fell silent. Ever since he found out he had been deceived, he had been uncertain whether he wished to live or die. But after learning of the price Konan paid to help Konoha take over the Land of Rain and save him, Nagato buried his desire for death deep inside.
Even if it was just for Konan, he had to survive.
"Thank you, Konan, for all you've done for this useless person."
"No, Nagato, you are my family."
Konan interrupted him. She, Yahiko, and Nagato had been wandering and supporting each other since they were around ten years old. They had become inseparable.
"The Fifth Hokage promised me they wouldn't make things difficult for you. Once I help Konoha take control of the Land of Rain and achieve great merit, Konoha might even release us."
Nagato shook his head, and Konan continued, "Nagato, I'm leaving now. Today is the day we set off."
"Yes, Konan, stay safe."
Nagato could only offer those words. With his Rinnegan gone, legs crippled, and chakra sealed, he knew Konoha was keeping him alive to ensure Konan would cooperate. She had agreed to the plan for his sake.
As Konan left the underground prison and ascended the stairs, the guards had already received orders to release her. They had remotely unlocked the control mechanism for the prison doors long before, but the delay in her emergence had left them puzzled.
However, understanding that Konan's comrade remained inside the prison, the guards assumed she had taken time to bid farewell. The third to fifth levels of the guard's prison only had surveillance outside, not within the cells.
To prevent prisoners from destroying the surveillance equipment, the guards hadn't bothered installing it inside, which had conveniently allowed Yoichi to act as he pleased.
After Konan exited the guard's station, two Konoha shinobi awaited her outside—Nara Shikaku and Uchiha Shisui.
One was responsible for executing the plan while handling on-the-spot decisions, and the other would take on Hanzō. After all, Konoha was targeting the foundation of Amegakure, and Hanzō would certainly not sit idly by.
Shisui, the second strongest Uchiha after Yoichi, was tasked with handling the so-called demigod of the shinobi world.
Previously, with only the Mangekyō Sharingan, Shisui might not have been a match for Hanzō, given Amegakure's environment and Hanzō's power. But now, with Hashirama's cells and the Extremis Virus, Shisui could maintain the armored warrior stage of Susano'o for extended periods.
Additionally, Shisui was considered the second strongest genjutsu user, and his unique Shunshin no Jutsu further tipped the balance. Hanzō might not stand a chance against Shisui.
"We've been waiting for you a while. Let me introduce myself; I am Nara Shikaku, captain of Konoha's elite unit, and the strategist for this mission. This is Uchiha Shisui, the leader of the task force targeting Amegakure."
Shikaku greeted Konan and then began explaining the mission.
"According to our intel, your Akatsuki still holds significant influence in the Land of Rain. Hanzō's decision seems to have backfired. Though no one openly mentions Akatsuki, many citizens continue to help each other in secret. You've done well."
At this point, Shikaku couldn't help but think of Yoichi. The Fifth Hokage had gained the hearts of nearly all Konoha's citizens through his business network, which also swayed the ninja of the village.
Thus, when the time came to choose the Fifth Hokage, the outcome was never in doubt.
"When we arrive in the Land of Rain, Konan-san, your first task will be to gather the remaining Akatsuki members and begin developing the area. We aim to sway the people to join the Land of Fire within two months. This is the town where Akatsuki had once prospered."
Shikaku then found a place to sit and meticulously explained the plan to Konan.
With Konoha's material support, it wouldn't be difficult to win over the people near the borders of the Land of Rain. Small nations rarely foster pride in their populace, especially not in a resource-poor place like the Land of Rain.
Though better off than the Land of Wind, the people there barely subsisted. During such times, whoever provided sustenance would be seen as a benefactor. Once these civilians were on Konoha's side, if Hanzō tried anything, Konoha would have the excuse to intervene.
Konoha had a vested interest in the Land of Rain. To the southwest of the Land of Fire lay only two problematic countries—one was the Land of Wind with Sunagakure, and the other was the Land of Rain.
Other nations like the Land of Bears or the Land of Demons posed no threat.
Now, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio of clans had completely submitted to Yoichi's command without question. The plan was his general concept, and Shikaku had refined it based on intel.
Shikaku would also oversee its execution, and if there were any mistakes, he would bear responsibility.
After explaining the plan, Shikaku asked, "Konan-san, do you understand?"
Konan, with a blank expression, nodded. "Understood. Rest assured, I'll do my best to complete the mission."
"Good, in that case, let's move out. Everything is ready in the village."
Shikaku's mind, however, was filled with mixed feelings. Not long ago, they had been bitter enemies, yet now this blue-haired woman was cooperating with them.
Though Nagato had killed many Konoha shinobi, Shikaku had to admit that with Konan's almost religious dedication, their efforts to annex the Land of Rain would be much smoother.
Yoichi himself could have handled this more quickly. He could have slaughtered all the hardliners in Amegakure, then slowly brought the nation under control. But Yoichi preferred having the village's shinobi carry out the task. According to him, "Before I became Hokage, I ran everywhere for the village. Now that I'm Hokage, should I still be running everywhere? What's the point of being Hokage then?"
Besides, Yoichi often had his own matters to attend to. His wood clone had already taken over the dragon veins of Rōran, constantly refining genetic energy there, which the clone transmitted back to his original body.
Slowly but steadily, the accumulation of energy was growing, and Yoichi felt that his progress in this area was on the verge of reaching planetary levels.
In less than three years, he was about to break through the planetary level, and his original body hadn't even been training—it was all thanks to the clone's hard work.
After leaving Konan's side, Yoichi arrived at the place where he was cultivating his clone.
Two years of cultivation had made the spiritualized clone highly compatible with the body. Its appearance and features were almost identical to Yoichi's, as it had been cloned from his cells.
Click!
Yoichi stopped the machine. The enormous cultivation chamber halted its operation, and as the nutrient fluid drained away, the clone's eyes suddenly opened. The clone now possessed the Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan.
Whoosh.
The clone twisted out of space and disappeared. Almost simultaneously, the space beside Yoichi distorted, and the clone emerged from the Kamui dimension.
"Very smooth, almost instinctual. There's a decent amount of chakra, too. Although the body is only at the level of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old, the foundation is incredibly strong."
Yoichi placed his hand on the clone's shoulder, exchanged chakra, and instantly understood its overall condition, including the sensation of using the Kamui.
The clone's soul and consciousness were entirely Yoichi's. He could merge the spiritualized clone back into himself at any time.
"The foundation is too good. The Uchiha, Senju, Shikotsumyaku, and Extremis Virus—there'd be something wrong if there wasn't a large amount of chakra."
The chakra in the clone far exceeded that of a jōnin, reaching almost Kage level.
"Let's test this."
Yoichi then attached the Potara earrings to the clone. One on his own ear, and one on the clone's.
In the next second, Yoichi felt an overwhelming force pulling him toward the clone. They collided and, after a flash of intense light, a new Yoichi emerged.
"Awesome. Fusion really feels incredible!"
Yoichi looked at his hands. The surge in chakra felt like he had consumed the chakra of multiple tailed beasts at once, except this time, it felt even better.
If the clone's power was comparable to the original, the fusion could amplify their strength by several times.
"Kamui."
The space distorted, and in an instant, Yoichi vanished from the cultivation room and appeared above Konoha's Hokage Rock.
"The speed of this transfer is almost on par with Hiraishin no Jutsu, and within my range of perception, I can teleport freely without needing a Hiraishin mark."
With that thought, Yoichi looked up at the sky.
The weather was nice today. Even in the daytime, the moon was visible.
"I almost forgot. The giant Tenseigan—that's also close to the power of the Six Paths. There might even be records of Hamura and Hagoromo's past on the moon."
Yoichi pondered for a moment. The Ōtsutsuki clan on the moon might currently be embroiled in a conflict, which would eventually leave Ōtsutsuki Toneri as the only survivor, watching over the shinobi world from the moon.
Though uncertain what method Toneri used, it was definitely something that could benefit Konoha.
"The Tenseigan might be tricky, but the Kamui Mangekyō is still quite useful. Should I clone another body?"
After some consideration, Yoichi decided to clone another body. Switching eyes between clones was troublesome, and this clone was more genetically inclined toward the Sharingan. Even if he were to implant the Rinnegan, it might not be a perfect fit.
It was better to create a new clone, this time with the Hyūga clan's Byakugan as the genetic base.
Once Yoichi made his decision, he planned to gather genetic samples from Ōtsutsuki Toneri, Hyūga Hinata, and Hyūga Hanabi to determine whose genes were most suitable for creating a Tenseigan clone.
When he eventually merged with the Tenseigan clone, Yoichi wondered just how much his power would increase. A fully grown Tenseigan clone would have strength comparable to the Six Paths level.
Moreover, the Potara earrings could fuse their abilities. Yoichi now looked forward to seeing the fusion of the Rinnegan and Tenseigan abilities.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
"Everyone, this is our last chance. If we drive out Pakura and her group, Sunagakure will still be ours. Our predecessors built Sunagakure to where it is today and entrusted it to us. Therefore, I swear by my title as the Fourth Kazekage that I will never let Sunagakure fall into the hands of outsiders!"
Rasa declared resolutely to the assembled group. Those who had gathered here were Sunagakure's most trusted individuals—the last hope for protecting the village.
"The Daimyo's office has also promised that if we defend Sunagakure, the military budget will be quadrupled to help rebuild the village. With that money, even if we pay a high price tonight, as long as we protect Sunagakure, we can recover."
This was the promise given by the Daimyo of the Land of Wind. Even the most foolish Daimyo knew that Sunagakure could not be allowed to fall.
The emissary they had sent to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had been turned away without ever meeting anyone. When the Daimyo of the Land of Wind heard the news, it sent a chill down his spine.
Without a shinobi village, the Land of Wind would have no military strength. The few guards left at the Daimyo's estate wouldn't stand a chance against a single wave of shinobi from Konoha.
The Land of Fire was clearly aiming to wipe out the Land of Wind. Realizing this, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind abandoned any thoughts of indulging himself. Along with promising Sunagakure support, he sent emissaries to seek help from the Lands of Earth, Water, and Lightning.
But first, Sunagakure needed to hold out. It couldn't fall in a short period.
"According to Elder Chiyo's plan, once we drive out Pakura and her group and fully secure the eastern exit, we'll act like we're prepared for a desperate last stand. Konoha might not push for a battle to the death. The future of Sunagakure depends on tonight."
Rasa's words stirred the resolve in the room. All were ready to fight to the death.
For this night, they had distributed all their explosive tags, kunai, and shuriken. Even Chiyo had given all her poisons to the puppet users.
Sunagakure's reconnaissance ninja had already detected the presence of Konoha ninja. Both the First and Second Hokage were supposedly at their camp outside the village, and Pakura's forces often left the village.
"Move out!"
With that order, the Sunagakure shinobi quickly dispersed to begin their operation.
Tonight was a moonless and windy night. Inside Sunagakure, aside from a few streetlights, the village was nearly pitch black. The village's infrastructure was poor, with only a few high-voltage lights and street lamps scattered around.
The lack of lighting made the night patrols a true test of the shinobi's vision.
Groups of Sunagakure ninja gathered quickly, though they dared not approach too closely, fearing the Byakugan of the Konoha shinobi. Rasa was also concerned about harming the civilians, so they chose to strike in areas they knew were vacant.
Though they wanted to drive out Pakura's group and the Konoha ninja, Rasa wasn't willing to harm their own villagers. If he did, his own shinobi might rebel against him.
After stealthily reaching their planned positions, Rasa spotted several shinobi from Pakura's group patrolling the area.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Burial!"
Rasa gathered his chakra, clasped his hands together, and unleashed his signature Magnet Release technique.
A vast wave of gold dust surged from the ground like a tidal wave, sweeping forward. In that area, the only people present were either Pakura's ninja or the civilians loyal to them.
Rasa wouldn't harm his own people, but he had no such reservations against those who had betrayed Sunagakure.
Boom!
Boom!
The gold dust swept away everything in its path. Even solid brick buildings crumbled within seconds under the overwhelming force of the gold dust. The wave of gold quickly turned that section of the village into a battlefield.
But suddenly, a voice rang out, startling Rasa.
"Mokuton: Mokujoheki!"
"Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three massive wooden walls rose from the ground, halting the oncoming wave of gold dust. Then, the ground rumbled as enormous tree trunks and branches sprouted from the earth, engulfing the gold dust wave.
Ordinarily, two users of the same Kekkei Genkai would cancel each other out, leaving the battle to come down to chakra reserves. However, Senju Hashirama's Mokuton was a step above the rest. Even with an equal amount of chakra, his Mokuton could overwhelm other bloodline techniques.
As the forest expanded toward him, Rasa had no choice but to use more ninjutsu. The Sunagakure ninja following him also unleashed their strongest techniques in an attempt to destroy the trees.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Blades!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
"Black Puppet: Crimson Flame!"
In addition to various ninjutsu and secret techniques, countless kunai with explosive tags were thrown, constantly blowing apart the oncoming trees. But for every tree destroyed, five or six more would sprout in its place.
"Damn it! There's no end to them!"
"Help! Somebody, help!"
"Ahh!!"
Hundreds of Sunagakure shinobi were unleashing their techniques, along with thousands of explosive tags, causing thunderous explosions that rocked the village and woke its residents. Many civilians were filled with fear, terrified that a battle had broken out within the village.
Only this overwhelming barrage of attacks barely managed to slow down the forest's advance. However, dozens of Sunagakure shinobi had already been swallowed by the trees before they could escape.
Rasa, in shock, muttered, "The First Hokage... How is this possible? Our scouting hawks confirmed you were outside the village."
At that moment, two figures jumped onto a nearby tree, one of whom was Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, the sight of whom filled Rasa with dread. The other was none other than Pakura, whom Rasa loathed with all his heart.
"Rasa, you're truly foolish for rushing into this trap. The Second Hokage set this up just for you, and you fell right into it," Pakura said smugly. The more despair she saw on Rasa's face, the happier she became. Seeing his incompetence only confirmed to her that her decision to turn against him had been the right one. If she had accepted his leadership, his stupidity would have led to her downfall eventually.
"Pakura, it was Sunagakure that raised you, and now—"
"Shut up, you fool! If you hadn't sold me out to Kirigakure, I would still be 'Sunagakure's Scorch Release user.' Now, what choice do you have left but to surrender?"
Pakura's words rang out as a large number of Konoha and Sunagakure ninja emerged from the surrounding forest. Hashirama's Jukai Kōtan had transformed the area into the perfect battlefield for the Konoha forces.
Many ninja were now positioned behind the enormous trees, waiting for the signal to launch their attack on the Sunagakure forces.
"Give up, Fourth Kazekage. Continuing this fight will only result in meaningless sacrifice," Hashirama urged. He did not want to fight within the village. Whether it was his Wood Human Technique or Sage Art: Mokuton, the destruction they could cause was too great. If he lost control, the entire village could be leveled.
He remembered how, during his battle with Uchiha Madara, they had altered the landscape and even destroyed an island across the sea.
"There is no fear in Sunagakure!"
Rasa, resolute, flatly refused to surrender. He would never allow himself to become Konoha's prisoner.
"No choice then. Mokuton: Wood Clone Technique!"
Hashirama clapped his hands, and ten wood clones split from his body. If Rasa refused to surrender, he would have to fight carefully to avoid harming the civilians.
Seeing this, Pakura asked, "First Hokage, what are you doing?"
"I'm setting up a barrier. The aftermath of these jutsu could cause too much harm to the civilians," Hashirama replied with a smile. "Don't worry about my chakra."
As long as he didn't use his two most powerful Sage Art: Mokuton techniques, his chakra reserves could sustain an intense battle for a long time. As for these Sunagakure shinobi, Hashirama wasn't underestimating them, but they were no match for the shinobi of his time.
Back in the Warring States Period, even a five or six-year-old child couldn't be taken lightly.
Pakura, seeing Hashirama's actions, turned her attention back to Rasa. She wanted to take this rare opportunity to end things with him once and for all.
Sage Curse Seal.
A vast amount of natural energy surged into Pakura's body through her curse seal. Her skin turned pale, and a single horn grew from her forehead as her body filled with powerful Sage Art Chakra.
"Sage Mode? Is it from Ryūchi Cave?" Hashirama, sensing the change in Pakura, thought to himself. There were only three sources of sage arts, and Pakura's sage mode had a strong serpentine aura.
"Scorch Release: Extreme Sun!"
After entering Sage Mode, Pakura quickly formed a series of hand seals and raised her right hand. Scorch Release fireballs began appearing around her, which then flew toward her raised hand and merged into a larger fireball.
Within seconds, countless smaller fireballs formed and fused into a larger one, creating a miniature sun in the night sky.
Even Hashirama was surprised. This technique had traits similar to a tailed beast bomb. It wasn't just merging the Scorch Release fireballs; it was compressing them into their current form.
"Die, Rasa!"
Pakura hurled the massive fireball toward Rasa, confident that he would block it. After all, behind him were many Sunagakure shinobi who couldn't withstand this technique.
Seeing this, Hashirama clasped his hands together and quickly raised a Mokujoheki in front of his allied Konoha and Sunagakure ninja while shouting, "Be careful!"
Rasa had no choice. He gathered a massive amount of chakra and raised three Gold Dust Shields, one in front of himself and two more to protect the other Sunagakure shinobi.
Boom!
A brilliant flash of light appeared, followed by an ear-splitting explosion. The deafening roar reverberated like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of everyone in Sunagakure.
Elsewhere, battles momentarily paused as the sound echoed across the village.
Both sides turned their eyes toward the source of the explosion, where towering flames lit up the sky. Chiyo and Ebizō felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.
"My brother is over there. If he gets angry, even I'm scared of what he might do. You'd better not get your hopes up," Tobirama said with a cold smile as he brandished a kunai. "Besides, I don't think your situation is much better than theirs!"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
You may also Like
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