บท 223: Chapter 223
The reasons Kaito provided were truly irrefutable because war indeed constitutes an environment most conducive to a ninja's growth.
Moreover, Kaito made it clear; it follows the principle of voluntariness.
And the young people from each major family willing to participate in this battle must send enough personnel for protection.
Once Ōnoki returned to the front line, they would have to withdraw immediately.
Under such conditions, strictly speaking, these young people wouldn't have experienced war.
They could only be considered to have felt the atmosphere of war and experienced the cruelty that a ninja must undergo.
Yet, such cruelty might indeed be unbearable for ordinary people.
"These Uchiha folks are truly ruthless towards their own people."
Jiraiya pondered for a long time and involuntarily heaved a faint sigh.
He remembered something, namely that Uchiha Fugaku had found him again recently and submitted an application to him.
It was a request to send his son to the battlefield, accompanied by someone named Karin.
Who Karin is wasn't important to Jiraiya. Even if this person was not from the village and was brought back by Kaito from outside, it was alright.
Although it didn't conform to the rules, who in the entire village dared to speak against Kaito?
But the key was the youngster Sasuke. This boy was Uchiha Fugaku's biological son, and currently the only son.
That Uchiha Fugaku agreed and was willing to let his son go to the battlefield truly made Jiraiya both immensely admire and sigh in disbelief.
After pondering for quite a while, Jiraiya finally lowered his head and said to the side, "Call Chief Shikaku over; I have something to discuss with him."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." The air trembled slightly, and then the voice vanished without a trace.
Clearly, this was the Anbu hidden in the Hokage's office.
Not long after the Anbu left, Nara Shikaku quickly entered the office.
"Hokage-sama, you summoned me?"
"Putting other matters aside, take a look at this."
Jiraiya and Nara Shikaku were quite familiar with each other, so without any unnecessary words, he directly handed over the information scroll returned by Kaito to Nara Shikaku.
Nara Shikaku was somewhat unclear about the situation, but as he held the intelligence and began to earnestly unroll it, he immediately understood why Jiraiya had called him.
It has to be said that when he saw this document, he too felt that Kaito's approach was somewhat unbridled.
But it must be said that it indeed seemed to be very helpful for the younger generation.
Moreover, apart from these things, the other information is really quite interesting.
"Hokage-sama, I think I understand why you summoned me here," said Nara Shikaku, speaking only after a moment of contemplation.
"Minister Kaito's idea is good, and practically, it's not without possibility. If Orochimaru's intelligence is accurate, then indeed, we can do something before that. However, before that, we need to do some things, only then can we arrange more securely."
"Do you mean that you agree with this?" Jiraiya slightly furrowed his brow, then asked in an uncertain tone, "If it means sending Shikamaru, would you be willing?"
"I think I would not hesitate, as long as the intelligence is true, and I can negotiate with other families to allocate enough protective personnel," Nara Shikaku gave his answer, albeit with slight hesitation.
Truthfully, some things can be hesitated over whether to do them or not, but some decisions must be made even after hesitation.
Nara Shikaku, while not exactly an old-school ninja, is still a person who has experienced it all.
Sending their children at this stage might be the best choice, as it can provide rich experiences for them.
Although it may seem somewhat cruel, the world itself is cruel, and being a ninja is inherently a brutal profession.
"Moreover, Hokage-sama, I want to pre-emptively focus on this, why not direct more energy to the Cloud Hidden issue proposed by Minister Kaito," Nara Shikaku has made up his mind internally, planning to ask how many others share his viewpoint.
And in his view, while this matter is related to Konoha's future, it does not seem to be as significant as the Cloud Hidden issue overall.
"Cloud Hidden is indeed troublesome, but do you really think that after losing the Third Raikage, Hidden Cloud Village would still do such a thing?" Jiraiya, in fact, noticed this information quite early but was somewhat unsure.
"And Kaito seems to be quite worried that the Eight Tails Jinchuriki will go too, but you should also be aware of the jinchuriki issue; every village is extremely conservative."
"That's certainly true, but I think Minister Kaito must have her own judgment," Nara Shikaku took a deep breath and then spoke seriously.
"If, I mean if, Minister Kaito's speculation is true, then how shall we respond?"
What exactly is being discussed within Konoha, Kaito has no concept of it, for at this moment, he has already set out.
Although the Land of Grass isn't exactly a nation of great depth, conducting a slow search within it is indeed not a simple task.
Especially since the Land of Grass boasts lush vegetation, with visibility not particularly high, this proves to be extremely advantageous for covert operations and the transportation of supplies.
Fortunately, Orochimaru has marked out a very clear path for Kaito and the team; all they need to do is follow this path to collect traces.
"What a pity, we should have brought someone from the Hyuga clan on this mission," Kaito slowly observed the surrounding traces, silently pondering in his mind.
Indeed, upon arriving here, they had also considered whether the information provided by Orochimaru was accurate or not.
If the Rock Ninja were to attack Konoha, they would naturally need to transport resources from Iwagakure, and these resources would inevitably enter the Land of Grass.
The main road cannot be used flagrantly for transporting materials because this might attract the attention of Konoha and therefore be ambushed.
War, in some aspects, hinges on logistical support; without adequate logistics, it's really hard to continue the war.
It's not that Kaito looks down on these ninjas, but at least Kaito doesn't think these ninjas, in terms of willpower, can compare to the forebears of his homeland before his traversal.
Logistical materials must have sufficient guarantees, and under circumstances where they dare not take the main road, there must be some unknown places.
The location given by Orochimaru is actually a relatively reasonable explanation, although this route evidently also has some problems.
Although it's not as pitiful as the Kannabi Bridge, Kaito recalls that there are mountain ranges blocking the way ahead in this place.
Such a route is very unsuitable for Iwagakure to transport resources to the frontline, at least in Kaito's view, this is not a route for large-scale transportation.
He, after all, has cooperated with the Nara and Akimichi clans in transporting strategic materials to the Land of Bear, naturally understanding how crucial the choice of route is.
However, they were not without gains, at least they did indeed find that this place has a large number of wheel traces, as well as quite a few Hidden Rock lookouts concealed around.
"It's really strange, that road, judging from the traces and level of protection, really does seem like a transport route of Iwagakure," Yane, away from that area, pondered their reconnaissance results with a furrowed brow.
"However, based on the map, that road is clearly not an easy path. Moving forward is a mountain range; breaking through that place would take a long time. Has Iwagakure been preparing all this for a long time, preparing to fight such a battle with Konoha?"
"That, we do not know, but we can be sure that Iwagakure's actions this time are indeed strange," Shisui also sighed on the side, slowly speaking.
"At least when I was in the Anbu, I didn't receive such information, but there truly were too many secret lookouts along that path.
Such defenses, strictly speaking, are somewhat excessive, and now I'm afraid there are only two possibilities.
One is that this is true, and perhaps Iwagakure has been prepared for a long time, while the other is that Iwagakure is deceiving us, and likewise has deceived Orochimaru."
Yaneko and Shisui spoke back and forth, leaving Kaito momentarily without an easy point of interjection.
However, what they said did make sense; that place, linking to the mountainous area of Iwagakure, in no matter which way you look at it, is not a good transport route.
Yet, the potential of ninjas is boundless; it's hard to say whether they might clear that place, thereby creating a passable route.
However, doing so would still take time; this definitely isn't something that Ōnoki would do from choosing to start with Konoha, and it's not something that can be accomplished in just a week or half a month! So, the possibilities really are only two: one is that Iwagakure perhaps began preparations a long time ago, which might be over these years, or perhaps it happened during the Third War.
After all, during the Third War, Iwagakure could only rely on the Kannabi Bridge, which is basically common knowledge.
The second possibility, as Shisui said, is that they might have been deceived, and even Orochimaru might have been deceived.
Iwagakure might have done this to disrupt Konoha's investigations and ensure that their own transport routes don't have problems.
Once bitten, twice shy - Iwagakure had their logistical route blown up by Namikaze Minato back in the day.
Would anyone be willing to allow such a thing to happen to them again?
"However, whether or not Iwagakure's supply route is this one is not important; what's important is that it seems like up until now, I haven't found the Fourth Raikage and his guys," Kaito muttered silently to himself. Although that route is indeed vital, for him, the marks are an even more crucial matter.
After all, he can find ways to deal with the war, but if he doesn't encounter the marks this time, who knows when he will be able to obtain them.
Especially since the people marked by the system are strictly speaking, somewhat gloomy. Although Kaito considers himself very strong, he hasn't gone mad enough to think he can emulate Nagato.
Is he expected to, like Nagato, fly over Kumogakure, loudly proclaiming 'How many floors can a bag of rice be carried up'?
Seizing this opportunity is the most important thing for Kaito, of which he is genuinely very certain.
Lifting his head to look around, Kaito and his team are now almost reaching the border of the Takigakure.
Moving forward, they would approach that mountainous region, so Kaito and his team had no choice but to edge closer in this direction, after all, the further they proceeded, the stronger the defense would become.
Gently shaking his head, Kaito forcefully suppressed the emotions within himself, knowing that pondering over too many things now would be pointless.
However, as Kaito contemplated how exactly to find the marks, and simultaneously, how to investigate Iwagakure's logistical route, he was astounded to discover that his mark seemed to tremble slightly.
This situation immediately alerted Kaito; this was truly the first time he encountered such a situation, therefore, he hesitated not in expanding his perceptive power.
Just at that moment, he faintly sensed that in the direction of the Land of Taki, several strands of eerie chakra were continuously advancing.
And one of these individuals' chakra was seemingly so immense that it was somewhat suffocating.
Most importantly, this chakra seemed to have a slight resemblance to Naruto.
Now, A felt a headache emerging because he felt that he had indeed made an incredibly erroneous decision.
He truly did not know why he agreed to bring along Killer Bee, the idiot, who along the way, with his clamor and fuss, truly made him feel somewhat headachy.
He was endlessly repeating his nonsensical rap, and A sometimes truly wished to give this fellow a good thump on the head.
However, when he noticed the three disciples behind his younger brother, he decided to exercise a bit more patience.
Disciplining his brother was a matter to be done after returning home and shutting the doors; in front of outsiders, especially his brother's disciples, he should give some face.
"Yo, yo, stupid big brother, we've already crossed through the Land of Taki, now we're within the Land of Grass, the dangerous mission is finally starting, yo, yo!"
Killer Bee, the fellow, seemed to be utterly oblivious to A's now somewhat livid complexion, continuing his relentless singing.
And while singing, he was also observing everything around him.
As a jinchuriki, he truly had few opportunities to run outside, although his big brother did not overly restrict his freedom.
Moreover, he had been to the Land of Hot Springs and teamed up with his big brother against Namikaze Minato, but it was indeed his first time in the Land of Taki and the Land of Grass.
Especially the Land of Grass, this place was abundant with lush forests everywhere, making him incredibly curious.
"Teacher, I think we should be quiet, right?"
Samui seemed to notice A's continually accumulating anger, she softly spoke to her teacher.
"When we were in the Land of Taki, Teacher's rap nearly exposed us. Now that we have entered the Land of Grass, we need to be even more vigilant.
After all, this is where Iwagakure and Konohagakure clash, and their ninjas will be everywhere.
To complete our mission, we really cannot attract too much attention."
Samui always maintains a mature, calm demeanor towards others in the village, but towards the Raikage and her own teacher, she dares not adopt that attitude.
Regrettably, her words didn't have much effect, as Killer Bee carelessly responded with his peculiar singing tone.
"Don't worry, idiot, fool, Octopops is always helping us stay alert to our surroundings. There won't be any problems, idiot, fool!"
Killer Bee's demeanor really made everyone else feel helpless, but having the Eight-Tails keep watch was indeed a tremendous help.
A also helplessly covered his face with his hand, too lazy to comment on Killer Bee any further, though he had decided he must properly discipline this fellow once they returned.
"Yo, yo, Octopops says someone is approaching us, moving really fast."
Just then, Killer Bee spoke again. Although he still expressed himself through rap, his facial expression had subtly changed.
"Octopops also says, the other party's chakra is extremely dangerous, and this chakra gives Octopops an uneasy feeling. Please be careful, please be vigilant!"
Just as his words came out, Killer Bee stopped, his expression focusing intently ahead.
His words had already rendered A and his three disciples incredibly alert. Even the Eight-Tails said the approaching person's chakra was terrifying, so they must prepare their defenses no matter what.
"Have we been exposed?"
A silently regulated his breathing, his brain also beginning to ponder rapidly.
"Were we exposed in the Land of Taki, or did some other problem lead to our exposure?"
A truly did not anticipate that they would be exposed; although they had been noticed on their journey here.
But those who noticed them are, at this moment, sleeping in the Pure Land.
So, he is genuinely puzzled right now, unclear whether there was a problem in a particular place, or if actually, there are problems everywhere?
They waited quietly, for at this moment, no matter who the other party is, they must be prepared to respond.
Whether passing by coincidence or deliberately coming here!
"Whoosh!"
With the rustle of a gentle breeze, three masked figures suddenly appeared before them.
And these three figures, upon seeing them, promptly stopped in their tracks.
However, what A found somewhat baffling was, although these three were wearing masks, he seemed to feel a certain astonishment from them upon seeing himself and his companions.
"Were they not coming for us?"
A pondered rapidly in his heart, while at the same time, Shisui and Yaneko were also violently shaken inside.
They had been following Kaito in this direction to simply circumvent Iwagakure's defenses.
And while Kaito had indeed mentioned earlier that Kumogakure might make a move, and even their Raikage might get involved, to tell the truth, they had maintained a certain skepticism toward that claim.
They had never dreamed that they would actually encounter the Fourth Raikage!
Not only the Fourth Raikage but even the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had truly appeared before them.
At this moment, while they were amazed at Kaito's extraordinary logical judgment, their hearts also involuntarily sank a little.
Encountering these two individuals would unsettle and horrify anyone.
Meanwhile, Kaito was somewhat agitated inside because he had finally seen this guy!
The chakra he had felt earlier, while he wasn't sure what it was, at this very moment, he could confirm that it was the power of the Eight-Tails!
The Eight-Tails' chakra was too strong, and Killer Bee had been using it to scout around all along, causing the chakra to unconsciously overflow, which also provided Kaito with an opportunity.
"Fourth Raikage, Eight-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Kaito forcefully suppressed the slightly turbulent emotions within him and spoke in a flat tone.
"I really didn't expect to encounter such a big shot like you in a place like this."
"And who are you?"
A, with his eyes slightly unfocused, stared at Kaito, asking in a deep voice.
"Are you from the Leaf Village, or from the Hidden Stone Village?"
"Does that question have any meaning?"
Kaito did not pay much attention to the Fourth Raikage, instead speaking somewhat teasingly.
"No matter who I am, the most crucial person here is still you.
Being the Fourth Raikage and appearing at this location, and even bringing the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki with you, are you trying to reenact the Third Raikage?"
"Indeed, discussing this now is rather meaningless."
The Fourth Raikage nodded, letting out a slight sigh.
"But no one will know."
Just as his words fell, the Fourth Raikage suddenly burst forth with unimaginable speed, almost like lightning, appearing behind Kaito.
His hand fiercely swiped towards Kaito, and it was at this moment that his words fell.
"I would appear here!"
//
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