章 116: Chapter 116
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During the ten days of mission execution outside, the team subsisted on dry rations to replenish their energy, taking shelter in concealed spots amidst the mountains.
This was nothing out of the ordinary for ninjas. Even the lowest rank Genin, fresh out of the Ninja Academy, would quickly adapt to this routine.
Yoichi, during this period, spent his days targeting and eliminating Cloud ninja. By night, he would go into hiding to rest and recuperate his strength.
Their team also considered hunting Cloud ninja at night, benefiting from their combination of two types of Dōjutsu, Inuzuka clan techniques, and sensory ninja skills, which made the darkness an excellent camouflage.
However, the Cloud ninja were not fools; aware of the Byakugan, a Kekkei Genkai of Konoha, they rarely chose to undertake missions at night. Even those Cloud ninja teams operating outside would find a concealed spot to hide.
This initially led to Yoichi's team wasting a lot of energy at night, eventually causing them to give up on the idea.
At night, Yoichi rarely took turns keeping watch; the task was divided among the three members of Daiki's team. It wasn't due to the privilege of leadership but rather out of their own volition.
Given they had little opportunity to exert themselves against the enemy, if they also had Yoichi, their main force, keeping watch at night, they would have felt like they were not contributing enough to the mission.
Yoichi now employed his Master of Dreams ability every day, wishing he could use this formidable skill twenty-four hours a day.
After entering the dream, the first thing was to have Mina investigate and refine the control seals for the Edo Tensei bodies.
Once she improved the control seals, Yoichi planned to entrust her with experimenting on the enhanced sacrificial rituals.
Mina's expertise in human anatomy and control far exceeded Yoichi's, and at the very least, she could determine the specific reasons behind the failures in merging with Hashirama's cells and document them.
Furthermore, Mina harbored no objections to such experiments. In the realm of dreams, new test subjects would appear as soon as one was used up, and all necessary materials were readily available; hence, her response was somewhat slow, and to this day, she still believed it was all part of her dreams.
However, enduring the same nightmare for over ten consecutive days made Mina slightly doubtful.
Orochimaru's experiments on Hashirama's cells involved sixty children, and in the end, only Yamato survived; thus, Yoichi could have Mina test on three hundred, or even six hundred subjects in the dream space.
With enough time, they could manage thousands of trials to finally discover a method for successfully merging with Hashirama's cells.
After making arrangements with Mina, Yoichi then sought Kushina to assist her in controlling the extraction of chakra from the Nine-Tails; over the past few days, their cooperation had become exceedingly synchronized, and recently, Kushina had also begun attempting to sense the negative emotions within the Nine-Tails' chakra.
With Yoichi by her side, she wasn't afraid of losing control due to the influence of the Nine-Tails' chakra. Once accustomed, Kushina planned to try controlling the Tailed Beast's power on her own.
Over these ten days, Yoichi had already taken a substantial amount of chakra from the Nine-Tails. Kushina often grumbled about it, either hoping that Yoichi's genjutsu would last longer or feeling that he was taking too much chakra.
Yoichi didn't pay much attention to Kushina's complaints. He took as much chakra as he did because he could handle it; those who couldn't, simply had to endure.
After obtaining the Tailed Beast chakra from Kushina, Yoichi would then visit Mikoto in her dreams, playing the role of a loving husband.
This ability, the Master of Dreams, was indeed miraculous; he had grown fond of it. In Mikoto's dreams, he found the only warmth he could feel amidst the perilous battlefields.
Especially since Mikoto had become increasingly bold in her dreams, just yesterday she had embraced Yoichi's head, calling him 'Anata'—a term of endearment.
If not for knowing these were Mikoto's genuine reactions, Yoichi might have thought she was just a figment of the dream he created.
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"Doroi-sama!"
In the village of Kumogakure, a young kunoichi reported to the right hand of the Third Raikage after arriving at the Raikage Building, her face filled with excitement: "I've communicated with the Two-Tails, and I've even learned its name!"
"What, Yugito, is this true?"
Doroi was visibly shocked by the mention of Yugito, who had only been a Jinchuriki for less than a month.
To know the name of the Two-Tails in such a short time was extraordinary. Was she a reincarnated friend of the Two-Tails? Although the Two-Tails was less temperamental than the Gyūki, it was still a sealed Tailed Beast, harboring some resentment towards the village of Kumogakure. Even the previous Jinchuriki took two years to gain the Two-Tails' approval.
And the previous Jinchuriki, who never even received Gyūki's acknowledgment, died mysteriously during a Gyūki rampage, leading some to suspect foul play.
"It's true, the Two-Tails, called Matatabi, said it would help me, but I can't use its power yet. Only after rigorous training will I be able to harness it."
Hearing the name 'Matatabi' confirmed by Yugito herself convinced Doroi that she indeed had the recognition of the Two-Tails.
As for not being able to use the Two-Tails' power, that was to be expected. Doroi spoke seriously, "Yugito, you know the current situation in our village. If we want to decisively crush the Leaf Shinobi, we need the help of the Two-Tails, so please communicate well with it, and let it assist us."
"I want to help the village, but I can't use the Two-Tails' power right now."
Yugito could only harness a small fraction of Matatabi's power, showing some of the Tailed Beast's characteristics—that was her limit.
"There's another way, which is to let Matatabi take possession of you, allowing it to take over your body."
Doroi continued, "Although the possession by the Tailed Beast might last only for a short duration, perhaps no more than five minutes, Matatabi's power should be enough to give us a significant advantage on the battlefield."
With the Eight-Tails also persuading, it shouldn't be a problem.
"Then, I'll go and talk to Matatabi. I'll try my best to persuade it."
Yugito nodded, eager to contribute to the village and quickly become a hero.
After Yugito left, Doroi prepared to inform the Third Raikage of this news. If Yugito successfully persuaded Matatabi, then soon Kumogakure's frontline would have two Jinchuriki.
Even if Matatabi could only hold out for a few minutes, that duration would be a terrifying nightmare for the enemy.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Hot Water, the Cloud ninjas gradually realized that their returning comrades were becoming fewer, especially those who went to a certain area and then vanished.
Immediately, Kumogakure dispatched a team to investigate. After searching the area thoroughly, they found eight bodies that were still recognizable as human.
Bringing the bodies back, the Cloud ninjas began analyzing the intelligence gathered.
Soon, the information obtained from the bodies reached the Third Raikage.
A clean kill with a single strike, and the bodies were burned post-mortem, with the fatal wounds mostly located at the left chest and throat.
"It's that Uchiha bastard, it has to be!" the Third Raikage said angrily, his expression grim. The brutal swordsmanship and the use of Fire Release were indicative, although it could also have been other sword-wielding Leaf shinobi.
But the Third Raikage preferred to believe it was Yoichi, who had once broken his arm.
"Father, let us handle that bastard."
A spoke up, "With me and B together, if we encounter him, we'll surely kill him, right, B?"
"Yeah~," Killer Bee rhymed in his typical fashion, confirming his brother's words. "With my bro~, our combo is invincible, yeah!"
"Since you both wish to go, then go ahead and select a few helpers from the camp," the Third Raikage contemplated for a moment before instructing his sons.
While he dearly wanted to personally kill that Uchiha, after thinking it over, he decided to give this opportunity to his son and Killer Bee.
After this war, he also planned to step down from the position of Raikage. Even if Kumogakure could accept a Raikage with a broken arm, he himself could never accept being a Raikage with such a glaring weakness.
"The information I've shared with you about him, once his body emits a purple glow, immediately use speed to make it impossible for him to aim. Once that move hits, it's almost unstoppable."
The Third Raikage warned as he unconsciously glanced at his severed arm. Even the power of the Eight-Tails had only caused a minor injury, but that Uchiha had managed to sever his arm.
"I understand, Father. B and I will be cautious," A assured, before going to the camp to select assistants. They needed sensory ninjas and those skilled in sealing jutsu. Besides them, A and B alone would be sufficient.
The duo, having trained together for nearly ten years, had never faced defeat.
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"Minato-kun, are you confident about this?"
Shikaku looked at Minato in shock. If he weren't the deputy commander and a disciple of Jiraiya-sama, he would have dismissed the idea without a second thought.
"Shikaku, Minato has already discussed it with me, and I think there's a chance," Jiraiya spoke up. "The main thing is, even if we're discovered, we can still get out safely."
"Using the Flying Thunder God Technique? To infiltrate the Sand ninja camp, and if discovered, survive a battle, and after all that, how much chakra will you have left, Minato? Even if you manage to teleport away, how far can you get?"
Shikaku knew about Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique. The farther the distance, the more chakra it consumed.
"This mission is to assassinate the enemy's Jinchuriki. Not to mention the probability of failure being nearly 100%, even if you succeed, you could still be chased down by the Sand ninjas. I don't agree with this," Shikaku firmly rejected the plan.
Seeing Shikaku's stern refusal, Minato chuckled sheepishly and then tried to reassure him: "It's not just relying on the Flying Thunder God Technique. If Jiraiya-sensei and I really want to get out of the Sand village, we'll use the Reverse Summoning Technique of Mount Myōboku."
"Yes," Jiraiya continued, "Normally, it's difficult to use this technique, but I've already requested Mount Myoboku's help. So, at the crucial moment, we can definitely retreat. Then, you can summon us back from Kikyo Castle."
The Reverse Summoning Technique required precise timing. Jiraiya planned to carry a small toad with him, which at a critical moment could dissolve the summoning to return to Mount Myōboku, signaling them there.
At that moment, Fukasaku would summon them to Mount Myōboku, and once they were there, the toad left at Kikyo Castle would be summoned back, alerting Shikaku, who would then summon them back.
Although Fukasaku initially hesitated to get involved, Jiraiya's earnest request persuaded him to agree.
"The village hasn't been able to contact Yoichi, and I can't persuade Mina either. If the One-Tail attacks the medical camp again, who will stop it? We have to try this possibility," Jiraiya expressed his helplessness.
Mount Myoboku's giant toads suitable for stalling the One-Tail were limited; only three were available, and two were recovering from injuries. If they had to summon a toad to confront the One-Tail alone, it might even be fatal.
After thinking it over, Shikaku finally asked, "So, what do you need me to do, Jiraiya-sama?"
"Simply draw their forces out in front of their camp, then..."
Jiraiya shared his plan with Shikaku, who, after hearing it, concluded that it was feasible. The most at risk were the two of them, but they had sufficient assurances.
"Alright, I'll start gathering suitable ninjas right now."
The next day, at the River Country's Unra Iron Mines, as dawn broke, the Sand ninjas were pushing the miners to work hard.
These people were civilians from the River Country, so the Sand ninjas used them without any concerns. As long as they didn't die from exhaustion, they were pushed to their limits.
However, suddenly, a giant toad burst forth, wielding huge twin swords at the Unra Iron Mines, slashing at the Sand ninjas. Ordinary Sand ninjas couldn't handle such a massive summoned beast, especially one armed with twin swords.
Behind the toad, over a hundred Leaf ninjas also charged out, making the Sand ninjas think that a major force from Leaf had arrived. Many Sand ninjas retreated strategically after their first engagement.
They were only about sixty in number, significantly fewer than the Leaf forces, not to mention the presence of a giant toad.
News quickly reached the Sand ninja's frontline camp, and soon after, over two hundred Sand ninjas left the camp. A hawk circling in the sky saw this and swiftly conveyed the information to Shikaku, who then relayed it to Jiraiya.
Upon receiving the report, Jiraiya quickly devised a plan to infiltrate. Fortunately, they were in the River Country, with its forests and rivers.
If they were in the deserts of the Wind Country, even a fool would suspect a frog appearing in the desert.
They sneaked past the guards and, after transforming, attacked two Sand ninjas, taking them to the toad's stomach for a thorough interrogation to gather intelligence before moving deeper inside.
With Minato's sensory abilities and Jiraiya's toad summoning skills, they surprisingly managed to infiltrate the Sand ninja camp smoothly.
Then, Jiraiya suddenly appeared, using several large-scale Earth Release techniques to help Minato draw attention, while the latter used his Body Flicker Technique to quickly approach the resting place of the One-Tail's Jinchuriki.
Using the Flying Thunder God Kunai, Minato quickly eliminated two Sand ninja guards at the entrance of the tent and then burst inside, approaching with another Flying Thunder God move before unleashing a Massive Rasengan!
He shattered the puppet sitting on the bed inside the tent.
(End of Chapter)
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