Malphegor
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IUTT: Ch. 82
🕑 Added 2025-05-21 21:10:36 +0000 UTC700 Kiri ninjas took less than ten minutes to finish assembling. Under the leadership of Fuguki, everyone began rushing toward their target. Among them, a hundred scouts were sent ahead to clear traps along the route.
Within the group, Suiten wasn't conspicuous, and Fuguki didn't keep him restrained by his side. Taking advantage of this, Suiten's fingers continuously tapped the hilt of the blade he held in his hand.
The rhythm of the tapping was transmitted via a mic hidden in his sleeve, it was Morse code.
In the world he came from, Morse code was so widely used among spies that it had become outdated and too risky to rely on. But in the Naruto world, only three people across the entire shinobi world knew Morse code: Shin, Tsunade, and Minato.
There was virtually no chance of it being intercepted and decrypted.
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At the eastern war zone camp of the Land of Whirlpools, Tsunade sat in the war room, holding an earpiece to her left ear, frowning in concentration as she listened carefully. Before her was a sheet of paper, and in her right hand was a pen, quickly jotting things down.
Five minutes later, she handed the first sheet of paper to a ninja on her left. "Send a message to the southern ambush troops, they must reach this location in twenty minutes and await the next order."
Another five minutes passed, and she handed a second paper to another ninja. "Send this to the northern ambush troops..."
Twenty minutes later, she put down her pen, a strange smile forming on her face.
"How's the preparation going?" she asked the nearby Ryo, who was on standby.
"Everything was ready ten minutes ago."
"Excellent. Pass the word, the enemy has taken the bait. Everyone is to move immediately according to the original plan."
They really took the bait?
Ryo looked at Tsunade in disbelief. All they did was throw a few kunai with explosive tags attached, and the enemy fell for it?
It sounded utterly absurd.
But seeing her confident expression, he didn't dare ask further. At this point, the only thing he needed to do was follow orders.
"And have the three biggest gossips stay in the camp. I don't want anyone shaking morale once we're on the battlefield. If it really comes to that, I might not be able to resist hitting them myself."
"Yes," Ryo accepted the order and left.
After half the ninja force had departed, Tsunade came before the remaining group, already prepared. This time, the eastern war zone had mobilized in full force, 500 ninjas in total. Combined with reinforcements from the south and north, two-thirds of Uzushio's ninjas were now on the eastern front. There was only one goal: to annihilate the 700 Kiri ninjas with minimal casualties.
Just as she was about to give a pre-battle speech, a commotion erupted at the back of the formation.
"Didn't you hear me tell you to get out of the way?" a furious voice roared. Moments later, a figure pushed through the crowd and appeared before her.
"Tsunade!" the angry voice continued.
"What's the meaning of this? Why are we being left behind at the camp?"
"You're abusing your authority!" another ninja bellowed.
"And the rest of you, what the hell are you doing?" Kuroishi, one of the most outspoken critics of Tsunade these past few days, yelled at those behind him.
"She says the enemy took the bait, and you believe her? What if it's a trap? She's leading everyone to their deaths. We absolutely must not follow her orders!"
"I didn't expect things to get this far." Tsunade didn't say a word, but suddenly a deep, aged voice sounded from beside her. Everyone turned to look, at some point, several masked ninjas had appeared at her side, clearly her guards.
"I had hoped that, facing the fall of our nation, we could unite and face the enemy together. I never imagined that some would openly defy military orders before battle, insult the commander, and shake morale at such a critical moment."
As the aged voice finished speaking, he removed his mask, and everyone was stunned.
"Ashina-sama?!"
Cries of surprise rang out from the crowd. No one had expected that Ashina himself would appear on the front lines.
But he paid no attention to the commotion, and asked, "Yuuichi, how should we deal with the crimes these men just committed?"
Another elder standing nearby took off his mask and said a single word, "Detain."
The three men who had been so arrogant moments ago were now completely desperate, loudly protesting and trying to justify themselves. But their pleas had no effect.
With barely a signal from Ashina, the six masked ANBU flanking him moved like shadows. In an instant, the three were slammed to the ground, their limbs pinned and chakra points. Seals were quickly slapped onto their foreheads, silencing their protests and suppressing their chakra.
They wouldn't be fighting anyone, or talking, for a long while.
The entire scene left everyone stunned, staring in disbelief at Ashina and Yuuichi.
Even if Kuroishi and the others... fine, maybe they had gone too far. But still, wasn't this ultimately because of the sudden appointment of Tsunade as supreme commander?
If not for that, would it have come to this?
It was Shin who had specifically suggested leaving those three behind at camp.
Could he have known they'd cause a scene?
Not exactly. But he knew their type.
He hadn't been banking on this exact confrontation, just that something would happen eventually, and that by positioning them away from the main action, they could be isolated.
If things stayed quiet, fine. But if they lashed out?
That would give Ashina a perfect excuse to act without seeming tyrannical. It was a clean political removal, without bloodshed, and without it coming directly from Tsunade or Shin.
He wanted to see how Ashina would respond.
And now that he had publicly supported Tsunade and taken swift action, any future dissent would carry a clear risk.
If Ashina had hesitated or tried to ignore this incident? Then Shin would've found other pressure points to apply, maybe not today, but soon.
"I know some of you may have opinions about my decision," Ashina said shortly, knowing they were about to head to the front lines.
"But let me make one thing very clear, Tsunade is someone I personally invited to help us. And I invited her because she has the ability. So all of you listen carefully: from now on, if anyone shows even the slightest disrespect to her, you'll end up just like those three. Move out!"
He ignored the expressions of his fellow clansmen and gave the direct order. Then he and Yuuichi flanked Tsunade, one on each side, clearly showing their full support and deference to her.
Many still felt unsettled, but none dared voice any objections now.
The clan leader, always seen as reasonable and approachable, had just used force without hesitation, and that terrified them.
What they didn't know was that Ashina wasn't feeling triumphant.
He was frustrated.
