บท 257: Chapter 257: Shikigami Jutsu
Upon hearing Shikaku's response, both Shikato and Tatsuma nodded in agreement. Hiruzen also showed a serious expression. Mandrill, who had just returned to the shadows, scratched his head, wondering if he had missed something.
Wasn't it said that Mist Ninjas were harassing the fishermen of the Land of Fire? How did the conversation suddenly shift to defection?
Shikaku had mentioned looking at the solemn Hiruzen. After a moment of being stared at, Hiruzen turned to Shikato and Tatsuma, who were sitting, and asked, "What are your opinions?"
Shikato looked at Tatsuma, indicating for him to speak first. Tatsuma nodded, not hesitating, and said directly, "I share the same view. Oka is a defector from the Hidden Mist Village, or rather, one among the defectors. To initiate a rebellion, besides people, substantial resources are needed. These resources are not easily obtained; their sheer quantity would attract attention wherever they are.
If this were within the Land of Water, it would definitely be noticed by Mizukage and his faction. Therefore, the best approach is to procure them from other countries. While this would still attract attention, the consequences are less severe. If discovered by Mizukage, their rebellion would likely be thwarted, but if detected by ninjas from other countries, it would result in only minor losses of people and resources.
Given that the Land of Water is isolated with no neighboring countries, the Land of Fire becomes their primary target. Awa has sufficiently large ports and a bustling seafood market. Here, selling marine goods would not draw much attention, and using Land of Fire currency to purchase supplies in the Land of Fire, they could then use the pretext of deep-sea fishing to transport the goods back to the Land of Water via ships."
After Tatsuma finished speaking, he noticed that the seriousness on Hiruzen's face gradually relaxed, and Mandrill in the darkness seemed to understand, realizing the situation!
Mandrill also grew quite fond of Shikaku, who would soon take over his position. Being able to arrive at an answer so quickly, Shikaku was sure to become a valuable aide to Hokage-sama, just like Yaksha.
At this moment, Shikaku looked at Hiruzen with a somewhat puzzled expression. He thought that Hokage-sama seemed a bit naive; such matters should make the Hokage happy. Why the serious face?
As he pondered this, Hiruzen glanced at him. The previously relaxed expression tightened slightly, and he tapped his fingers on the table, saying, "We should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. However, when it affects our Land of Fire and endangers our people, even if the outcome is ultimately beneficial to the Land of Fire and Konoha, we cannot support it.
So, Tatsuma, you did very well in this matter."
Upon hearing this, Shikaku lowered his head. He hadn't considered this aspect earlier. From a broader perspective, he thought the situation was beneficial to Konoha. It seemed his father's comparison of him to Tatsuma was not meant to belittle him intentionally.
It's frustrating. If Tatsuma is so capable, why do I have to handle things myself? Wouldn't it be better to go back and sleep?
Shikato looked deeply at his son. Although he knew from his understanding of Hiruzen that Hiruzen was just trying to make amends, Shikato also saw his son's shortcomings. Shikaku was too indifferent in his approach to problems. The ninja world is not like a game of Shogi, where pieces can be sacrificed for victory. Decisions in reality don't work that way.
It was similar to a few years ago, before the Second Shinobi World War had officially begun, during the local conflict with the Land of Wind. Tatsuma's proposed tactics took a long time for the village to agree to. The only reason they agreed was that it was a ninja matter and the village had the authority to decide.
But this time, with the Mist Ninja incident involving civilians, it falls under the Daimyo's jurisdiction. If Konoha is aware and fails to report it or even engages in covering up or supporting actions, even if the outcome is favorable, the Daimyo would inevitably take action against them. The Daimyo might not care about civilian lives. To put it coldly, civilians are just assets to the Daimyo; losing some civilians is merely a reduction in assets.
However, the ninja village cannot engage in actions that harm civilians, as this would damage the Daimyo's interests. Even if such actions could bring tangible wealth to the Daimyo, as long as the Daimyo hasn't given the order, the ninja village cannot proceed.
Just as the Daimyo would contact the ninja village immediately if a ninja commits a crime and seek the village's opinion, both sides have boundaries that cannot be crossed, let alone trampled.
Shikaku's problem is that he is too detached, not considering these complexities. He is still immature, unlike Tatsuma.
Thinking this, Shikato cast an admiring glance at Tatsuma. On one hand, he genuinely appreciated Tatsuma, and on the other, since Hiruzen had expressed admiration, how could he not?
Seeing this, Hiruzen felt relieved. Indeed, age has its advantages; even casual remarks could make people think they were based on deep and thoughtful life experience.
He then turned to Shikato and asked, "Shikato, do you have anything to add?"
Shikato nodded and said, "Third, both you and Tatsuma have considered things very thoroughly. This will indeed reduce many troubles for us in the Land of Fire. However, blocking is not as effective as guiding.
Since there are defectors within the Hidden Mist Village and they pose a potential threat to our Land of Fire, we must monitor their movements carefully to prevent them from endangering us.
I've heard that due to the recent upheaval with the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, the Hidden Cloud Village has acquired a lot of supplies. The likelihood of using these supplies is low. Therefore, after a brief period of vigilance, these supplies will inevitably become surplus stock. The Hidden Cloud Village will likely be eager to offload these supplies in exchange for more liquid funds or resources to support the better development of their ninja village."
Hiruzen smiled slightly. Shikato Nara's suggestion wasn't so much about blocking as it was about diverting trouble elsewhere.
Seeing this, Shikato knew Hiruzen didn't dislike his plan, so he continued, "However, interfering in another country's internal affairs is fundamentally wrong. If the Hidden Cloud Village truly engages in such actions, as a peace-loving Land of Fire, we should ensure that the relevant parties are informed."
The defector ninjas from the Mist Village could potentially benefit anyone they trade with. Although the greatest benefit would be a reduction in the strength of the Land of Water, both parties in the trade would gain advantages.
For example, if the Hidden Cloud Village's plan succeeds, they would not only make a substantial profit but likely earn far more than the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, or the Land of Earth. However, this is not something Konoha would be pleased to see.
Therefore, if the Hidden Cloud Village wants to take this opportunity, they must be prepared for retaliation from the Land of Water and possible hostility from other countries.
Hiruzen understood and smiled even more brightly, saying, "Alright, then send Oka's body to the interrogation department. If our suspicions prove to be true, we will proceed according to your plan."
"Understood, Third."
Shikato gave Shikaku a look. Shikaku, reluctantly and with a hint of disgust, picked up the scroll from Hiruzen's desk.
Hiruzen waved his hand and said to the two, "You two go and investigate. Tatsuma and I have other matters to attend to."
"Understood, Lord Third." X2
After the father and son left, Hiruzen cheerfully said, "Tatsuma, your contributions this time are invaluable. Not only for the Hidden Cloud Village matter but also for the return journey, which is extremely beneficial to the village. Do you have any rewards you would like?"
Tatsuma pondered for a moment and, feeling somewhat humble and embarrassed, said, "In both incidents, I was working with others. It wouldn't be appropriate to reward me alone."
"There's no need to be so modest. You deserve your reward, as do others. I've already given Minato his reward. As for Sakumo and Tsunade, neither of them needed anything, so it has accumulated."
Hearing this, Tatsuma asked with curiosity, "Minato?"
He didn't ask directly because it wasn't proper to disclose rewards for such a special high-rank mission, but Hiruzen, knowing Tatsuma's relationship with Minato, did not withhold information and replied, "Minato exchanged his reward for multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Tatsuma frowned, not understanding why Minato would choose to exchange for this technique. The Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, unlike the basic Shadow Clone Jutsu, is a forbidden technique. The more clones created, the more chakra is required. When the jutsu dissipates, the feedback can be overwhelming and may even cause serious harm to the user.
Minato's combat style doesn't align with this technique, and given his intelligence, he wouldn't need Multiple Shadow Clones for training. Four Shadow Clones are already sufficient, and any more could have negative effects.
Seeing Tatsuma's confusion and slight concern, Hiruzen added, "He didn't exchange it for himself."
Upon hearing this, Tatsuma understood. Minato wasn't suited for the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, but Kushina was. Moreover, Tatsuma inferred from Hiruzen's words the level of rewards the village was willing to offer. The Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu is an A-rank forbidden technique, but since Minato exchanged it to pass on to someone else, his reward would be discounted.
In other words, the level of reward the village is actually willing to offer should be even higher, especially since Tatsuma had discovered the suspected Mist Village defectors.
After thinking for a while, Tatsuma boldly said, "Hokage-sama, from Second-sama's notes, I learned about a technique called Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Jutsu."
Upon hearing Tatsuma's request, Hiruzen raised his eyebrows and said, "Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Jutsu, is it? That's a very dangerous technique. Sensei once mentioned that this technique should not be used by living people."
Hiruzen tactfully declined, but Tatsuma was not willing to give up, as he had coveted this technique for a long time. He gave Hiruzen a determined look and said, "When I first read Second-sama's notes, I was well aware of the dangers of this technique. Therefore, I developed Medical Ninjutsu: Yin Healing Wound Destruction, a technique that does not require application only after injuries occur."
Revealing the Yin Healing Wound Destruction technique could likely attract Hiruzen's attention. Even if Hiruzen did not learn it, he might still want to acquire it for the village.
However, if it could be exchanged for the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Jutsu, Tatsuma felt that using Yin Healing Wound Destruction as a bargaining chip would be worthwhile. Even if he contributed it, it might not be easily learned by others.
This technique requires chakra control refined to the level of a medical ninja and a deep understanding of human anatomy. Only experienced medical ninjas are likely to meet these conditions. Additionally, the technique incorporates many principles of the Cursed Seal. Tatsuma, with guidance from Tsunade and Orochimaru, spent several years just to complete the technique in its preliminary form. It would be far from easy for others to learn.
Hearing Tatsuma's insistence, Hiruzen pondered. Although he was not familiar with the Yin Healing Wound Destruction technique, he had heard from Sakumo Hatake and Minato during their reports that it was a technique capable of real-time healing. Such a technique could indeed mitigate some of the damage caused by the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags. However, it also had its limitations. If the chakra required for healing exceeded the remaining chakra in the body, it could deplete the user's chakra completely.
Tatsuma had just demonstrated the consequences of chakra depletion. Tsunade couldn't save him, Orochimaru couldn't, and only the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest seemed to have that capability.
Overall, it was still too dangerous. Directly refusing might also make Tatsuma dissatisfied. After some thought, Hiruzen said:
"Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Jutsu is inspired by the techniques of a group from earlier years who mastered chakra but were not ninjas—known as Onmyoji. Their technique, called Shikigami Jutsu, also referred to as Shikigami, uses chakra and paper to achieve similar effects to Ninjutsu. However, its limitations are significant and generally used as an auxiliary. Only Second-sama managed to elevate Shikigami Jutsu to a higher level.
For now, I cannot grant you the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Jutsu, but Shikigami Jutsu is a technique known to some ninjas in Konoha. Jiraiya, for example, is familiar with it. How about this: you can start by learning Shikigami Jutsu from Jiraiya. If after mastering it you still wish to pursue the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Jutsu, I can consider giving you a chance to learn it. What do you think?"
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
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