Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 191
🕑 Added 2025-02-10 22:08:25 +0000 UTCThe daimyō of the Land of Rice Fields was in a great mood recently.
After all, the country finally had its own ninja village with a formal partnership.
He didn't know the founder of this village, which wasn't surprising—there were so many ninjas in the world that recognizing every single one would be impossible.
However, the person must be quite capable—an elite jonin!
For the Land of Rice Fields, having a village with an elite jonin willing to be stationed in their country and take on tasks from the daimyō's government was a great deal.
In the past, the Land of Rice Fields had relied on Konoha, but their fees were relatively high due to additional commission costs. Now, with a local village, many minor daily tasks could be handled by their own ninjas.
One day, while he was still enjoying his good mood, a retainer informed him that the White Ghost had come to visit.
This startled the daimyō.
Masashi was a renowned powerhouse feared across nations, known for his ruthless methods and high kill count. And he was from the legendary Uchiha clan.
Although the daimyō of a small nation was still a noble of high rank, knowing how to deal with people of different statuses was a fundamental skill.
The White Ghost was not someone to be treated lightly.
His reputation for leaving no survivors was infamous—after all, if he had a kind personality, would he have earned such a fearsome nickname?
Of course, as a daimyō, he wouldn't humble himself excessively, but he still needed to show due respect.
In the era of the Great Ninja Villages, the relationship between ninjas and nobles had become more delicate. Ninjas no longer served individual nobles but instead belonged to their respective villages. Likewise, countries no longer made deals with individual ninjas or clans but only with entire villages.
Technically, the Five Kage were nominated by the Five Great Daimyōs, but in reality, they operated independently. When decisions were made at the Five Kage Summit, nations would generally comply.
Still, within each of the Five Great Ninja Villages, certain ninjas held special positions.
Even if they weren't Kage, they could represent their village's interests in external matters.
The White Ghost was one such figure.
The Land of Rice Fields was an ally of the Land of Fire, relying on it for peace, while the Land of Fire's military strength depended on Konoha.
When Masashi acted outside of Konoha, unless the Hokage was physically present, he effectively represented Konoha's will.
---
After leaving Kusa, Masashi returned to the Land of Fire before heading north to the Land of Rice Fields.
At this point, very few people in the world knew Orochimaru's whereabouts—except for him.
The establishment of Oto meant that Orochimaru had settled in the Land of Rice Fields.
Since that country was a stable and valued ally of the Land of Fire—though not as crucial as the Land of Hot Water—it still received significant attention from both the Fire daimyō and the Hokage.
Thus, upon entering the country, he first visited the daimyō's residence.
When representing Konoha abroad, proper etiquette was necessary.
Otherwise, next time Minato might refuse to approve his leave request, which would be a huge loss.
When Masashi was escorted to meet the daimyō, he found him dressed in formal attire, surrounded by his trusted retainers.
"Welcome to the Land of Rice Fields." The daimyō maintained a courteous expression, upholding the dignity of his rank. His retainers also smiled, creating a friendly atmosphere.
"You honor me with such a warm reception." Masashi bowed slightly in respect. "The Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Fire are close allies, and Konoha considers your country an important partner. I have come to seek your permission to stay here for a while."
"Oh? Is this an official Konoha mission?" The daimyō raised a hand to stop his retainers from speaking and inquired personally.
"No, Daimyō-sama. This is a personal matter of mine. I have important business to handle in your country."
Hearing this, the high-ranking officials of the Land of Rice Fields felt relieved.
From Masashi's words, it was clear that Konoha had no objections to the recent changes in the Land of Rice Fields.
In terms of military policy, the actual decision-maker for the Land of Fire was the Hokage. If the Hokage had any issues with this situation, the Land of Rice Fields would be in trouble.
As a small nation, the Land of Rice Fields depended on Konoha's military strength for its security.
Daimyōs of small nations could only act boldly under two conditions:
If their country was powerful in its own right, like the Land of Rain.
If they firmly aligned themselves with a great power, like the Lands of Frost or Hot Water, ensuring the protection of a major ninja village.
The Land of Rice Fields was neither of these.
It wasn't strong enough to stand alone, and it wasn't as unwavering in its allegiance to the Land of Fire as the Land of Hot Water.
The formation of Oto meant that the Land of Rice Fields' political stance could shift even further.
The daimyō had been worried that Masashi had come to declare, "Konoha intends to attack Oto, and we expect you to remain neutral."
That would have been extremely awkward.
After all, the Land of Rice Fields had already provided funding for Oto's establishment.
"If this is a personal matter, our country has no objections," the daimyō nodded. "However, if any conflicts between ninjas arise, I ask that you inform us in advance."
"Of course. I will not put your officials in a difficult position," Masashi replied. "I am merely visiting a friend in Oto."
"Oh? I didn't expect Oto to have such influential connections." The daimyō recalled that the ninja who had negotiated the village's establishment had been an unfamiliar face.
If he didn't recognize the person, that meant they weren't a well-known ninja in the broader world.
But a great noble's friends would also be nobles. They might not be as wealthy or powerful, but they would still hold real influence.
So, the daimyō began to suspect whether the ninja he had met was truly the founder of Oto.
However, he didn't voice this thought.
"Is there any way in which our country can assist you?"
"Actually, there is," Masashi admitted. "Would it be possible to assign me a guide to take me to Oto?"
"That is a small matter." The daimyō waved dismissively. "It can be arranged immediately."
"I greatly appreciate your support," Masashi replied, feeling satisfied.
The daimyō was reasonable.
As a long-term ally of the Land of Fire, he was willing to show respect to a Konoha ninja.
He wasn't the type of noble who liked to act high and mighty.
Many nobles loved putting on airs. Among the daimyōs, the five major ones were actually less pretentious, whereas smaller daimyōs often tried to flaunt their status.
A prime example was the daimyō of the Land of Frost, who acted arrogantly toward everyone except the daimyō of Lightning and the Raikage.
Such people were the worst to deal with.
"Masashi, allow me to introduce my retainer, Aota."
A retainer stood up and nodded toward Masashi.
"He oversaw the construction of Oto and can escort you there," the daimyō explained. "He is also our liaison with the village."
"Thank you, Daimyō-sama." Masashi was pleased.
The daimyō was a considerate man. If he ever needed to attack Kaguya in the future, he would be sure to protect this daimyō.
---
Oto was located slightly north within the Land of Rice Fields. This location was equidistant from the border of the Land of Hot Water and the northern coastline.
The site was chosen by the daimyō himself, and the reasoning behind it was clear.
The Land of Rice Fields bordered the Land of Hot Water to the east, the Land of Iron to the west, and had close ties with the Land of Fire to the south.
If an enemy were to attack, they would either come from the direction of the Land of Hot Water or land from the northern coastline.
And the only possible enemy would be the Oto ninja forces.
The daimyō's residence, however, was situated closer to the border between the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Fire, in the south.
---
A convoy departed from the daimyō's residence, heading north.
Masashi and Aota were sitting in the same carriage.
"Masashi-sama, the location of Oto is somewhat remote and hidden. The journey might take some time," Aota said.
He carried a thick ledger when he boarded the carriage and was now placing one of the books on the small table inside, flipping through its pages.
"Aota-san, you are in charge of the Land of Rice Fields' expenditures for Oto?"
"Only temporarily. Once the village is fully built, a designated person will handle negotiations," Aota replied. "The Land of Rice Fields is not as wealthy as the Land of Fire. The construction of Oto relies heavily on the abilities of the ninja. We are mainly responsible for building the surface structures."
Masashi nodded.
Orochimaru's bases were mostly built underground. The so-called Oto was merely a shell.
"The Oto ninjas are constructing the underground sections themselves?"
"Yes, probably for secrecy. We only provide materials."
"Well then, today should be quite an eye-opener," Masashi said with a smile. "It's not every day you get to see ninja building things themselves."
Indeed, it was rare. After all, Oto did not have civilians like other villages.
The convoy traveled for several days.
Perhaps because the Land of Rice Fields had not been invaded since the Third Great Ninja War, its roads were in better condition than those in the Land of Hot Water.
When Masashi was informed that they had entered the autonomous territory granted to Oto by the daimyō, the convoy entered a valley.
This area was near the western part of the Land of Hot Water, part of the mountain range that spanned the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water.
However, they were already in the foothills.
Not long after entering the valley, the convoy came to a stop.
Masashi lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw a construction site ahead.
A group of Oto ninjas, wearing their distinct attire, stood at the front of the site.
To be fair, the Oto ninjas' outfits made them look anything but respectable—just as eccentric as in the original timeline.
They gave off a strong villainous aura.
The core members of Oto were ninjas that Orochimaru had recruited from the underground world after his defection.
His former subordinates in Konoha? Forget about them.
Most of those people had followed him mainly because he was one of the Legendary Sannin.
Once Orochimaru was no longer a Konoha ninja, they had no reason to continue following him.
A small number of die-hard loyalists ended up in Konoha's prison.
Some tried to defect and join him, only to be killed.
Those were the patient ones. The impatient ones had tried to break Orochimaru out when he was imprisoned—and they were killed on the spot.
As the convoy stopped, an Oto ninja approached to greet them. However, as soon as he reached the front of the convoy, he saw someone who absolutely should not be there.
"A Konoha ninja?" The Oto ninja was stunned.
They had gathered under Orochimaru not only because he was strong as one of the Sannin but also because he had promised them a bright future.
A future where they didn't have to live in constant fear of being hunted, where they didn't have to take mercenary jobs from bounty stations, but could instead conduct legitimate business with noble families.
And that business? It required taking from other villages—first and foremost, Konoha.
So, his first thought was that Konoha had come to crush them.
But when he got a clear look at Masashi's face, his thoughts completely changed.
Holy crap—it's the White Ghost!
A ninja of Kage-level strength from Konoha was standing in the heart of a village founded by a Konoha traitor. Did he even need to think about why?
The daimyō had sold them out!
"Masashi-sama." The Oto ninja loudly called out Masashi's name, then, playing dumb, asked, "I didn't expect such a distinguished figure to visit this small place. How may I assist you?"
It wasn't that he wanted to protect Orochimaru's whereabouts—he wasn't that loyal. He just didn't want to get caught in a battle between titans.
He was just a regular chunin, nothing more! Please, spare him!
Orochimaru? Never heard of him! He was just here to make a living—nothing else.
"I'm here to visit a friend," Masashi replied.
Orochimaru sure picked his people well.
They even knew how to play dumb and cover for him.
It was strange—when Orochimaru was in Konoha, he was quite popular in certain circles. His fans were extremely devoted. Masashi didn't quite understand it, but he knew that Orochimaru was a master at gathering followers.
And sure enough, after leaving Konoha, he had collected a new batch.
At this moment, the other Oto ninjas gathered around, though they kept their distance, showing no hostility.
Only one of them slipped away to report the situation.
Aota observed the interaction between the Oto ninjas and Masashi. Though he didn't fully understand what was happening, it seemed like a fight wasn't going to break out.
That was a relief. He just hoped they wouldn't start throwing punches while he was around—no way he wanted to get stuck in the middle of that mess.
"This month's materials, as reported, are all here. Should we unload them now?"
The Oto ninja stared at Aota, speechless.
I'm scared to death over here, and you're asking about unloading cargo?!
Yes! Of course, we're unloading! I'm just a simple construction worker! Sure, I wear a ninja uniform, but I'm not a ninja at all!
"Of course, right away," the Oto ninja replied eagerly, ready to start unloading, only to be grabbed by Masashi.
"Where are you going, buddy?" Masashi dragged him back. "Aren't you going to ask who I'm here to see? That's a bit careless, don't you think?"
Please, I don't want to ask! Just let me go! I swear I'll defect today!
"Uh… who are you here to see?"
"Well, why don't you guess? If you get it right, I'll give you a big reward."
The Oto ninja felt like coughing up blood. He glanced around, but all his companions were suddenly busy tying their shoes or checking support beams—none of them dared to look over.
"Uh…, I need to unload the cargo… I'll be fined if I'm late," he said, trying his best to sound pitiful. "Our wages are paid daily…"
"So, it's a daily wage?" Aota, sensitive to financial matters, frowned. "But according to your records, Oto ninjas' salaries are paid monthly."
Can you shut up?! Are you trying to get me killed?!
"This… it's just an incentive from our leader to speed up construction."
"Alright, alright," Masashi let go of the ninja.
Yeah, this one definitely wasn't an Orochimaru fan.
He was practically crying—Orochimaru's real followers were much tougher.
They were twisted but extremely resilient.
"Please inform your leader that I'll wait here."
"Right away!" The relieved ninja bowed deeply and hurried away.
