Chương 159: Chapter 159
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"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!"
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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)
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