Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 135
🕑 Added 2025-01-12 17:33:00 +0000 UTCLeaving the Kazekage Building, Masashi exchanged a few words with Kitsuchi before they went their separate ways.
He then walked alongside Mei.
"He seems to be a very charismatic leader," Mei remarked. "I've heard he became Kazekage after saving the village."
She found this story somewhat reminiscent of their own Kiri.
The Fourth Mizukage also rose to power during a crisis, though the difference was that the Third Mizukage had resigned instead of disappearing without a trace.
"The death of the Third Kazekage remains a mystery. No one knows who was behind it," she sighed. "The strongest Kazekage, and yet, this was his fate."
"High-profile actions, low-profile life—that principle is timeless," Masashi replied earnestly. "The Third Kazekage grew up under the watchful eyes of the First and Second. He never faced much adversity. When people get too arrogant, they tend to end up getting cut down."
Strongest... Those who flaunt titles like that often end up paying the price.
He preferred titles like "lord" that exuded a more down-to-earth vibe. It felt less aggressive. He no longer minded being affectionately called "sama" by the villagers.
This year's Uchiha Ice and Snow Festival—was it finally happening? It had been postponed so many times.
He had a lot of good works to showcase.
"Maybe you're right," Mei acknowledged the wisdom in his words.
The Fourth Mizukage had nearly fallen into a trap. Perhaps it had something to do with all the fanfare surrounding his rise to power.
If Masashi knew what she was thinking, he'd definitely tell her: "You're overthinking it. Not many people on this continent even recognize your Mizukage."
When the two returned to their inn, they hadn't yet entered when he frowned.
"What's wrong?" Mei asked.
"Someone's causing trouble," Masashi replied with a smile. "Can't blame me for what happens next."
With that, he vanished from where he stood.
Seeing him disappear, Mei's lips curved slightly, but she wasn't in a rush. She walked toward the inn entrance at a normal pace.
Inside the inn, a drama was unfolding.
In the section designated for Konoha's ninjas, a group of Suna ninjas had gathered.
Pakura's expression was complicated, while Kakashi's could only be described as "What the hell is this?"
Behind them, a group of Konoha genin and a few special jonin looked displeased.
"Pakura! How could a hero like you betray your village?"
"People who fear death don't deserve to be called heroes!"
She treated their words like they were just hot air. What troubled her was a young girl.
"Sensei, have you really joined Konoha?" the girl asked with wide eyes. "You must have been forced to, right?"
"Suna ninja, haven't you caused enough trouble?" Kakashi interjected. He wasn't yet the easygoing person Sasuke and Naruto would later know. At this point, he was still sharp and intense.
He had just transferred from the ANBU to the jonin ranks.
"If you keep provoking us, don't expect me to hold back," he warned.
During the days when his father was alive, Kakashi had been proud and arrogant—rightfully so, given his lineage. After his father's suicide, he had turned inward, developing Chidori in the process.
Following Rin's death, he became even more withdrawn, making him difficult to get along with. He prioritized missions to the point that even his ANBU colleagues found him unbearable.
While he had softened somewhat by now, he was still rigid and unyielding.
"Son of the White Fang, this isn't your business!"
"Shut up, killer's son!"
A glint of cold light flickered in Kakashi's eyes.
His time in the ANBU had taught him one thing: When faced with difficult situations or annoying people, don't talk—act. If the person causing you trouble was gone, so was the trouble.
His gaze bypassed the group of Suna ninjas to lock onto the jonin among them.
The Suna jonin met his eyes coldly and made a throat-slitting gesture.
In response, lightning flared in Kakashi's hand, and the chirping sound of Chidori echoed through the corridor.
The Suna jonin's cold expression faltered as he realized Kakashi wasn't bluffing.
"Back off!" Kakashi ordered, his voice icy. "This is your final warning."
The Suna ninjas hesitated, insulted by his command. One of them drew a weapon.
At the same time, Konoha's ninjas prepared for battle.
"Sensei!" the girl cried out, angry and distressed. "Look at them! Are you really going to help Konoha fight your own people?"
"Who the hell is your 'own people'?" a voice cut in.
Frost began to creep along the floor and walls, quickly forming a layer of white frost.
The Suna jonin turned abruptly to see a massive white hand.
With a deafening crash, the Suna jonin was slammed into a wall. The wall collapsed, exposing the orange-hued sky outside.
"Kakashi," Masashi called out.
"Masashi-sama," Kakashi replied.
"One decisive blow is better than a hundred minor ones. Kill the ones provoking you. No need for talk."
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Kakashi drove his Chidori into the nearest Suna ninja.
Electric arcs burst forth, and the ninja's upper body was obliterated, revealing the puppet-like mechanisms inside.
"See? They're all fakes," Masashi said as he clapped his hands. Ice spikes erupted from the floor and walls, piercing each puppet multiple times and severing their hidden chakra threads.
With a wave of his hand, Masashi used wind to toss the puppets out through the hole he had created in the wall.
"Use your Sharingan wisely," Masashi advised Kakashi. "Honestly, I suggest you do what Ao does—stop fiddling with your headband. Feels like you're going to tear your forehead off. I'll look into making you a proper eyepatch later."
Silently, Kakashi lowered the hand that had been about to adjust his headband.
Masashi turned his gaze to the lone remaining Suna ninja, the young girl.
"You called someone your 'own people'? Are you the Fourth Kazekage?"
"Pakura-sama is my teacher!" the girl shouted.
"Quite the loudmouth. The only reason you're still alive is because of her. Where were you when Suna betrayed her? Even if you were clueless back then, seeing her as a Konoha ninja now should give you some idea."
Masashi's voice turned colder.
"I don't care if you're stupid, malicious, or both. If I see you causing trouble again, not even Pakura will be able to save your life."
Turning to Kakashi, he added, "Next time you see her, hit as hard as you need to."
"Masashi..." Pakura started to speak but stopped, knowing her student was truly that naive.
Still, having made her decision, she had no regrets. If she lacked even this level of resolve, she would've died on the battlefield long ago.
The Suna girl hesitated, clearly torn, but Masashi didn't give her a chance to speak. He picked her up and tossed her out.
"Out you go!"
A bond between master and disciple? What nonsense!
If the bond was that strong, this wouldn't be happening.
He still had to hunt down that coward from earlier.
After calming the genin who were about to go into combat mode and exchanging a few words with Kakashi, he went to look for the Suna ninja from earlier.
For an organization like a ninja village, deliberately stirring up trouble or doing something foolish without reason was simply impossible.
Every action that seemed foolish must have a very rational explanation behind it, even if it came at the cost of the village's interests.
After all, the conflict between collective and individual interests had existed since the very day ninja villages were founded.
While similar issues existed within clans, their smaller scale made such conflicts more manageable, with internal mechanisms in place to handle them effectively.
Collectivism did not necessarily mean selflessness, and individualism did not necessarily equate to selfishness. It was not a simple matter of black and white.
But this was Suna's business.
He didn't need to investigate the truth behind it. All he needed to do was hang up whoever provoked him and teach them a lesson.
This was how the joint Chunin Exams work.
Without a few casualties, the exam would be considered a failure. It was far too much trouble just to promote a few chunin. The real main players were the jonin leading the teams.
The enemy wouldn't have gotten far. When Masashi sent him flying with a slap, he had already left a mark.
It was a clone—he was very clear about that.
Shadow clones, although seemingly widespread, remained unique to Konoha. On this point, Konoha had maintained strict control.
Before Tobirama invented Shadow Clone Technique, skilled ninja used various mediums or specialized techniques to create clones, primarily for demonstrating their abilities. The most famous among these was Hashirama's wood clone, so lifelike that even Madara could be fooled if he wasn't careful.
After shadow clones were introduced, Konoha's ninjas expanded on this concept with various mediums, using shadow clones as the foundation.
Suna was best known for its sand clones. Sand was more stable than wind, making it a sturdier medium, though not nearly as resilient against the massive ice hands.
Using chakra interconnection, Masashi's Flying Thunder God mark had already been effectively transmitted to the enemy's real body.
By focusing on the fundamental essence of chakra, theoretically, no ninjutsu could truly remain hidden—unless the Eight Gates Formation was opened, in which case all bets were off.
For the Suna ninja, it wasn't theoretical—it was a reality. His skills were simply no match for Masashi, and his presence was thoroughly exposed and under control.
As Masashi moved through Suna, his presence drew the attention of many Suna ninja.
The jonin from a foreign village who had come this time—every Suna ninja had been given a portrait and had memorized his appearance.
One Suna ninja quickly approached to inquire.
"Where are you headed?"
Masashi was someone who followed rules. Besides, grievances have their respective perpetrators. Even if they belong to the same unit, he wouldn't blame person B for what person A did—unless they were from Kumo.
He wasn't in a hurry. The Chunin Exams would last several days. They were all experienced players; rushing wouldn't suit their level.
For these lower-tier ninjas, removing the "ninja" label for a moment, they were essentially diligent workers. You could talk things out with them, and if that failed, you could resort to a fight later.
"I'm looking for someone. Sorry for troubling you all. Don't worry, I'll find them soon."
Although his tone was polite, the Suna ninja who had approached him felt very nervous.
After all, he was just an ordinary chunin, the type to clock in and out on time. He never imagined that someone as renowned as the White Ghost would actually stop and explain to him.
"Oh—no, no trouble at all! You're too kind," the Suna chunin stammered. "Who are you looking for?"
"Well…" Masashi thought for a moment. "It was someone causing trouble at the inn earlier. I figured I couldn't just let them get away, so I'm searching for them."
"That's outrageous!" The Suna chunin was shocked and furious. "What did this person look like?"
"Let's see…" Masashi considered. "They were using puppetry and wearing Suna attire."
"???"
Sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"Could it… could it be…" he ventured hesitantly, "a misunderstanding?"
"My friend, my eyes are sharp," Masashi replied, activating his Sharingan for emphasis. "With these eyes, do you think I could mistake something like that?"
"Y-you do have a point…" The Suna chunin was sweating even more profusely.
"Don't worry, I get it. Here's what you can do—just relay my exact words to your superiors. Tell them Konoha is taking this matter very seriously and is determined to find the culprit who tried to undermine the alliance."
"Y-yes, I'll do that…" The Suna chunin felt like he had no choice.
"Relax, we're allies. We won't make things difficult for you. I was a chunin once too—I understand."
For a moment, the Suna chunin was moved.
Who would've thought that the one who truly cared about them, the grassroots Suna ninja, was a jonin from Konoha!
"Understood. Please keep us informed before you act. We'll coordinate with you."
With that, the Suna chunin rushed off to report.
Watching him leave, Masashi was momentarily nostalgic about his own days as a chunin.
No matter the village, lower-tier ninjas were straightforward and hardworking. They didn't think much; they simply worked for their paychecks.
The power plays between villages or among powerful individuals—these ninjas could only passively endure them.
That was why every ninja aspired to become stronger.
Turning back, Masashi continued his pursuit.
The number of Suna ninjas around him began to increase. These were from Suna's ANBU, but they didn't interfere with his actions.
He finally sensed the chakra.
It was odd, though—it felt compressed.
Moreover, the target was near the edge of Suna's territory, just outside the village.
As he approached the city walls, Suna's defense forces intercepted him.
The "city walls" were essentially part of the mountain terrain.
Suna was built among sandy mountains, which not only shielded it from sandstorms but also served as natural military fortifications.
As before, Masashi explained everything to the Suna patrol unit and stated his intention to pursue someone.
Even Suna's ANBU appeared.
"Masashi-sama, I doubt the perpetrator is one of our ninjas."
"I feel the same," Masashi replied. "What does the Kazekage think about this?"
"The Kazekage has instructed us to cooperate fully with your actions."
"In that case, let's take a look. Chakra perception doesn't lie. The target is moving slowly—it might be a puppet. At the very least, we can confirm their identity."
"Understood."
The Suna ANBU agreed and coordinated with the wall defense unit. After a brief discussion, he returned to signal that all was clear.
Masashi pointed out the direction, and the group quickly passed through a tunnel carved into the mountain, emerging into the desert beyond.
