Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 121
🕑 Added 2025-01-07 12:58:48 +0000 UTCThe year had already passed its halfway point.
As Masashi and Shisui once again stood before the gates of Konoha, basking in the pleasant weather of the Land of Fire, they both felt comfort.
It was truly delightful!
Stretching leisurely, Masashi turned to Yagura with a smile. "Mizukage-sama, this is your first time in Konoha, isn't it?"
"Yes, it's indeed a unique experience."
To establish a truly amicable relationship between Kiri and Konoha, this Mizukage had gone all out.
He personally traveled to Konoha, accompanied by Ao and Mei.
A gesture of absolute sincerity.
Masashi and Shisui, not ones to take advantage of others, showed full respect to Yagura throughout the journey, extending meticulous care to ensure his comfort.
It wouldn't do to let their guest feel even a hint of displeasure—such conduct would be contrary to the traditional virtues of Konoha.
Once assured that Yagura was in a pleasant mood, Masashi turned his attention elsewhere.
"Are you both adapting well, Hikari, Haku?"
The Kiri contingent consisted of three individuals. In addition to Yagura, there was Hikari and her younger brother.
Yagura was a man of his word. He followed through on his promises.
This too was a demonstration of sincerity, and in a way, it was meant to showcase this to Konoha—offering even the Ice Release bloodline as a gesture of goodwill. Kiri's stance was clear; how Konoha chose to respond was now up to them.
Such a display of sincerity would ensure that even the most shrewd minds in the Hokage's office wouldn't make things too difficult for Yagura.
Even if Danzō were alive, he wouldn't dare slight the Mizukage, lest he risk alienating Kiri from the broader ninja world.
Hikari, holding her brother's hand, gazed at Konoha with a sense of dazed wonder.
Looking at the towering gates in the distance, she finally felt the reality sink in—she and her brother had found a new life.
They would once again live as individuals in this world.
"Konoha has strict procedures for citizenship. I'll take you to meet the Hokage. He's a kind man. With his endorsement, you'll be able to complete the expedited process for citizenship," Masashi explained.
He was confident.
Minato would surely agree. Ice Release was a renowned bloodline limit in the ninja world, a valuable addition to Konoha's capabilities—a talent the village sorely lacked.
Assassination-specialist bloodlines were a rarity in Konoha.
"Yes, I'll rely on you," Hikari said, lowering her head. Haku looked up and noticed tears in his sister's eyes.
The perceptive boy said nothing, merely tightening his grip on his sister's hand.
In his heart, he clenched his little fist, encouraging himself. Stay strong!
Yagura observed the siblings, sighing inwardly.
He was reluctant, after all.
The Ice Release! From now on, it would be Konoha's exclusive treasure.
Yagura had thought his proactive efforts were sufficient, having built a strong rapport with Haku early on. Yet it was all for naught. Hikari's heart had been won over, and as the saying goes, "an elder sister is like a mother."
Naturally, Haku followed his sister.
Retracting his gaze, Yagura accepted the loss. This was a significant setback; better not to dwell on it.
At least it wasn't a total loss. Life always has surprises, and he had unearthed a major treasure from the Kaguya clan.
Unlike the potential represented by Hikari and Haku, the boy named Kimimaro had definitively awakened the powerful bloodline limit, Shikotsumyaku.
Thinking of him lifted Yagura's spirits.
The group approached Konoha's gates.
From a distance, they saw a squad of Konoha ninja already heading toward them.
"Masashi-nii!" The loud voice at the forefront belonged to Tetsuka.
"This must be the Police Force?" Yagura asked Ao and Mei. "Ao, do you think we could form a similar unit in our village?"
"Mizukage-sama, I'm afraid it would be difficult—not because of manpower, but because we lack the necessary talent," Ao replied, unconsciously touching his eyepatch-covered right eye.
"What do you think, Mei?"
"I share Ao's view," Mei said.
She had been relatively quiet throughout the journey, perhaps still unsettled by the recent turmoil in Kiri.
This turmoil had claimed the lives of many familiar faces, including Mangetsu. Among the surviving male members of the Hōzuki clan, only Suigetsu remained.
After hearing their responses, Yagura nodded. He understood the implication of "talent."
Copying an organizational structure was easy, but without the right personnel, it would be nothing more than an empty shell with no real effectiveness.
When Konoha established its Medical Corps, many villages copied the concept. Most of them later disbanded their medical units, leaving only hospitals in place.
The Police Force was formidable not because of its size, but because it could monitor the entire village and surrounding areas, leaving infiltrators with nowhere to hide. Its combat squads were also above the average ninja level.
This strength relied entirely on the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Inuzuka clans.
Kiri had no equivalent clans.
As they spoke, Tetsuka and his squad reached them.
Noticing Yagura and his entourage, he grinned widely. "Mizukage-sama! Welcome to Konoha! That must've been a tough journey."
"Not at all," Yagura replied politely. "It's rare to have an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Land of Fire."
The atmosphere seemed harmonious.
Though Hikari and Haku appeared a bit nervous—likely startled by the sudden rush of people—the warmth of the welcome helped them relax.
"Don't worry; you're safe here," Tetsuka reassured them with a sheepish grin.
Hikari managed a small smile, finding his demeanor endearingly simple. Surely someone like this couldn't harbor ill intentions.
"Where's Fugaku-sama?" Masashi asked.
"He will be here shortly. He had an important meeting and is running a bit late," Tetsuka explained, glancing back toward the gate. Then his expression brightened. "Oh, there he is!"
"Let's not keep him waiting," Masashi said, patting Tetsuka on the shoulder. "Let's go."
"Right!" Tetsuka waved his hand, and the accompanying Police Force members formed an escort for the group as they headed toward the gates.
As they neared the entrance, Masashi spotted the clan leader. Usually stoic, Fugaku was now wearing a rare smile as he waited to greet Yagura.
It just went to show—no one was truly incapable of smiling. If someone claimed they couldn't, it simply meant they didn't want to.
Upon reaching the gate, Fugaku stepped forward to shake Yagura's hand.
"Mizukage-sama, I must apologize. The village has been chaotic after the recent battle, and the notification from Masashi came late. It's regrettable that you had to travel such a long distance personally," Fugaku said before turning to Masashi with a stern expression. "You haven't shown any disrespect to the Mizukage, have you?"
Masashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes, maintaining a polite smile instead.
"No need to worry, Fugaku-sama. I've gotten along quite well with Masashi. If anything, I find him too formal," Yagura said with a hearty laugh.
"That's a relief," Fugaku replied, chuckling. "This boy barely respects me as clan leader. I worried he might lack decorum."
"Not at all. If he were one of my juniors, I'd be quite fond of him."
Watching the two adults exchange pleasantries and subtly take advantage of him, Masashi chuckled coldly to himself.
Keep laughing. But by tonight, that little stash you've hidden under your tatami mat will be gone.
---
The name Konoha was unfamiliar to Haku.
Though he was said to be an orphan of the Yuki clan, the term "Yuki clan" was equally foreign to him.
Strictly speaking, he and his sister were not biological siblings. However, Haku's mother knew Hikari, and thus he came to know her as well.
Hikari liked Haku a lot and asked him to call her "sister," but the precocious Haku saw it as an act of condescension from someone of higher status.
Both of Haku's parents were marginalized in the Yuki clan—they neither awakened a bloodline limit nor possessed any talent as ninjas. Kiri was not Konoha; clan members like them were branded as "useless" and received few resources.
In the Land of Water, fairness existed in a peculiar way. Even ninja clans had to work tirelessly to maintain their place. No opponent would go easy on them due to their status—only one could survive.
No one wanted to die.
For ninja clans, ensuring their ninja's survival meant prioritizing resources for those who could fight.
As the child of ordinary clan members with no notable talent, he never felt familial love from the clan and naturally held no regard for the Yuki name.
Hikari was not a ninja either, but as the daughter of the Yuki clan's leader and a skilled manager, she was respected—though the respect was akin to how one treats a prized pet.
Haku thought they were different, but in Hikari's eyes, they were the same.
On the night of the clan's massacre, all titles and statuses lost their meaning.
Obito, with pure malice, annihilated every ninja in the Yuki clan. At the time, Yagura remained in hiding and allowed Obito to lead the ANBU in this massacre. Fortunately, Obito had his reservations and spared some Yuki clan members with non-combatant statuses.
In the end, only Hikari and Haku remained in the village, and that too for reasons that could not be disclosed.
For Hikari, her situation didn't change much. The Hōzuki clan ensured her basic needs were met, but she lost her superficial freedom. Her once prominent status now made her a pawn for the Hōzuki clan to curry favor with powerful figures.
Still, she had to live. She had to survive to protect Haku.
Haku was the only remaining member of her clan in her eyes. The exiled Yuki members ceased to be part of the clan from that moment on. If they didn't erase their identities, they wouldn't meet a good end.
In this process, Haku truly came to see Hikari as his sister. By the age of five, he understood a great deal about life.
He obeyed Yagura's arrangements, hoping to save Hikari from her plight.
Now, it seemed as though he and Hikari had escaped the pit of fire.
The sun in Konoha was warm, and the air was pleasant.
Everywhere he looked, there were people.
There were no towering, cold fortresses. Shops lined the streets, and villagers strolled freely, their laughter filling the air.
Villagers didn't avoid ninjas when they saw them. Ninjas and ordinary people conversed with mutual respect.
Many street-side food stalls were filled with both civilians and ninjas sitting together, chatting and eating without discomfort.
So, this is what a village outside Kiri is like.
Suddenly, Haku felt a surge of anticipation.
"Hikari-neesan, can we live here in the future?" Haku looked up and asked her, who was also observing the surroundings.
"Yes... it seems like this is where we'll be living from now on." Hikari gazed at the streets so unlike Kiri, taking in the genuine joy of the people around her. She felt as though her past life had been a waste.
So, life could actually be this carefree.
"Not seems, but definitely." Masashi, walking ahead of the siblings, turned back. "You're already Konoha villagers now. Get used to it."
"Don't worry; the villagers here are very friendly," Shisui added, smiling warmly at the two.
Meanwhile, Tetsuka looked on curiously.
He felt a tiny pang of envy.
Masashi could casually bring back beautiful women. Tetsuka wished he had that talent.
But would these siblings also be moving to the Uchiha compound?
He mused that there were still plenty of vacant plots in the compound.
Building a house wouldn't be difficult, just time-consuming.
"Masashi-nii, where do you plan to have them live?" Unable to suppress his curiosity, Tetsuka asked.
Hikari and Haku turned their gaze toward Masashi upon hearing this.
Having a house was essential for settling down—a universal belief, even in the Naruto world.
"There are plenty of houses in Konoha. Let the Hokage decide," Masashi replied casually.
After joining Konoha, villagers could buy land to build their homes or rent apartments. Both the North and South districts had numerous options.
If they found it too expensive, they could consider the West district, though it was less desirable due to poor accessibility.
Given Hikari and Haku's special status, finances wouldn't be an issue. Once Konoha allowed them to join, such matters would be covered by public funds.
Konoha even had a budget specifically for recruiting talent.
Ahead, Fugaku and Yagura were engrossed in a lively conversation, paying no attention to the minor happenings behind them.
Ao and Mei watched the siblings with amusement.
"You don't have to worry," Mei assured them. "Given your unique status, Konoha will take care of everything. For now, you don't have to worry about income."
"What about later? Can I find a job myself?" Haku mustered the courage to ask, finding her less intimidating despite her Kiri background.
"You're still young," Mei said fondly, patting Haku's head. She appreciated how mature he was for his age. "Besides, what if you become a ninja? Then you won't need to worry at all."
After comforting Haku, Mei glanced at a figure ahead and added silently in her heart: Even if you can't become a ninja, he won't let you suffer.
She was about to admire Konoha's charm further when she noticed Ao seemed troubled.
"Ao, what's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just amazed by Konoha's prosperity," Ao replied with a smile.
He seemed fine, but Mei quickly figured it out.
It was about Ao's right eye.
Though he wore an eye patch, this was Konoha—home to the Hyūga clan. At any moment, they could encounter them.
The seal on his eye patch was merely to prevent the Byakugan from being stolen, not to hide the fact he had one—it simply wasn't possible.
The Sharingan users ahead had already noticed the Byakugan under his eye patch. If they could see it, the Hyūga clan certainly would.
Being in the heart of the Byakugan's origin, Ao's tension was understandable.
Ao was part of Yagura's second gesture of goodwill, a bargaining chip in negotiations.
While the Hokage wouldn't forcibly take the Byakugan on Yagura's behalf, encountering the Hyūga clan could be unpredictable.
In Konoha, a hot-headed young ninja might already have charged forward shouting, "Prepare to die!"
Mei didn't fully believe the Konoha clans were much different from Kiri's, but she trusted Yagura.
Ao, too—though nervous—followed Yagura's decision without hesitation.
After passing through a particularly bustling street, they arrived at a building.
A large round emblem hung above it, with the bold red character for "fire" in the center.
They had reached the Hokage Building.
