Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 94
🕑 Added 2024-12-24 13:06:53 +0000 UTCIn the world of shinobi, hidden villages were equivalent to the great cities of their respective nations.
Iwa was located in the mountains, where rainwater and melted snow formed stable rivers, ensuring the village's water supply.
Among the Five Great Nations, the Land of Earth could only be described as slightly better off than the Land of Wind.
Despite its vast territory, the land was barren, with much of it resembling karst terrain found on Earth. The northern areas were tundra, and the majority of the population was concentrated in the southeast, bordering the Lands of Rain, Kusa, and Taki.
Beyond the border with Taki lay a small peninsula forming a bay area, which contained the country's most fertile lands.
Of the five great villages, Suna and Iwa were traditional enemies.
The continent could be divided into six regions:
The rocky highlands of the Land of Earth.
The western desert region represented by the Land of Wind.
The central plains centered around the Land of Fire.
The northern coastal region, including Taki, the Land of Iron, Rice Fields, and Frost.
The peninsula region represented by the Land of Lightning.
And the offshore region represented by the Land of Water.
From the names alone, it was clear that the Lands of Earth and Wind were in the least hospitable areas.
Unable to break through the "central transition zone" formed by the Lands of Rain and Kusa or the "coastal area" formed by Taki, the Land of Iron, Rice Fields, and Frost, these two regions had been locked in conflict for years.
When Suna and Kumo launched a joint attack on Konoha, Iwa took the opportunity to attack Suna.
Suna then turned around and teamed up with Konoha to retaliate against Iwa.
Iwa's architecture consisted of diamond-shaped fortresses. There were no traditional roads here; instead, the Iwa ninjas hollow out hills to create fortifications, which were then connected by bridges. Roads were avoided to leave more space for water diversion and storage systems.
Suspension bridges were the most common sight in the village.
The tallest fortress was the Tsuchikage's office.
Ōnoki stood on the open balcony of the office, surveying his village. Among the Five Kage, he and Hiruzen were the only living Third Kage.
Now, Iwa was the only village still in its "Third Kage Era."
Ōnoki was older than Hiruzen—he was 58, while Ōnoki was 65. Among the Third Kage, he was the strongest in terms of offensive power, surpassing even the attack-oriented Third Raikage.
Ōnoki didn't like Hiruzen much, viewing him as a rascal.
A Kage peeping on the women of his own village while they bathe?
Having been short his entire life and always looking up, he had grown tired of seeing peaks but no faces. What was there to look at anyway?
Moreover, Hiruzen, despite being younger, was able to retire earlier—a fact that irritated Ōnoki to no end.
Why couldn't Iwa produce more talented individuals?
As the grandson of the First Tsuchikage and the protégé of the Second, he had to admit one thing: in recent years, Iwa's production of talent had clearly fallen behind.
To clarify, the output of genin and chunin was still robust, but the upper echelon was another story. There were very few truly high-level shinobi.
Most were "elite" at best, not "powerhouses."
Thinking about a young shinobi he had personally discovered brightened Ōnoki's mood.
That boy's only flaw was his mindset. If he could fix that, he'd undoubtedly become an excellent Tsuchikage, ensuring Ōnoki's granddaughter wouldn't struggle to find a husband.
"Father." Behind Ōnoki, a man opened the door and stepped onto the balcony.
"How many times must I remind you, Kitsuchi? During work hours, it's 'Tsuchikage-sama.'"
As Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi's strength was unquestionable, reaching the level of a "powerhouse." However, Ōnoki didn't approve of his thinking.
Kitsuchi advocated allying with Konoha to confront Kumo and Suna, but Ōnoki was staunchly against alliances.
Iwa's strength lay in its ability to remain unaligned, choosing strategies flexibly. Forming alliances would only tie their hands.
Publicly aligning with one side might seem advantageous, but to Ōnoki, it was a disaster.
"Times have changed, Tsuchikage-sama. We can't hold onto old grudges forever."
"Old grudges? Those 'old grudges' are the reason I'm still alive today!"
Konoha was the least trustworthy!
Back in the day, Hashirama had invited him and his master to form an alliance, only for them to be severely beaten by Madara at the gate.
See? That was Konoha for you! From that day on, he swore never to trust shinobi from other villages.
Even Hashirama had proven unreliable, so why trust this shinobi world at all? Hashirama was the only outsider he had ever admired, but the people around him?
Not one of them was decent.
Kitsuchi looked helpless. The old man's mood swings were impossible to keep up with.
"The troops are ready, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Hmm." Ōnoki nodded, satisfied. "Ensure no issues with supplies."
"Of course. Akatsuki will also ensure the safety of our routes."
"And you trust these mercenaries with our supply routes?" Ōnoki's eyes narrowed. "What about Hanzō?"
"Ame claims neutrality."
"Hanzō cowers behind 'neutrality' like a child behind his mother's skirt." Ōnoki spat disdainfully over the railing. The Salamander has grown soft. In our world, hesitation means death.
"Tsuchikage-sama, please don't spit off the balcony."
"Don't lecture me! He's just scared of Konoha. Is Konoha that terrifying?"
"His caution regarding Konoha isn't entirely unfounded," Kitsuchi didn't want to argue, but his father always baited him into it.
"Tch! What's there to fear? And another thing, losing to a bridge—Kitsuchi, you've really let me down!"
"That situation was already unfavorable by then, and you said so yourself!"
Ōnoki glared. "If you were more reliable, I wouldn't have to worry about retiring!"
"..."
"Forget it. You're old enough; I won't scold you anymore."
Seeing his son relent, he calmed down. Picking on Kitsuchi was one of his favorite pastimes.
"For this mission, Deidara will lead the Explosion Corps. It's a good chance for him to gain experience."
"Understood. Everything has been arranged." Kitsuchi hesitated, then brought up his daughter's request. "Kurotsuchi has been training hard... she wants to join the main forces this time. What do you think?"
"What would she do there?" Ōnoki immediately refused. "She should stay with the Explosion Corps. She needs to learn to work with Deidara. Such a troublesome girl."
"Her skills have improved significantly..."
"Still no. With her current level, she's better off staying in the Explosion Corps, where her Lava Release can be useful."
"Understood. Tsuchikage-sama, just to confirm, is our mission to take over the Land of Rain?"
"Yes. Your task is to hold Konoha's main forces in the Land of Rain. The Explosion Corps will sabotage Konoha's rear lines, forcing them to negotiate with us.""
"Then we'll see what this Yellow Flash is truly made of."
---
The news of Iwa invading the Land of Rain sent shockwaves throughout the ninja world.
To be fair, the ninja world got shaken pretty easily...
Whenever any of the five great powers made a move, the whole shinobi world tended to dramatically gasp, clutch their pearls, and shout, "This is a big deal!"
The Iwa ninjas had never been the strongest, but their power had always been steady.
The key was their numbers. Every time they mobilized, it was in the tens of thousands. Some even suspected that Iwa couldn't afford to feed so many people and thus periodically sended them out to "reduce inventory."
When the massive Iwa ninja army invaded the Land of Rain, the country—known for its bandit-filled chaos—unexpectedly experienced improved public order.
This operation by Iwa was entirely a mission hired by the daimyō of the Land of Earth. The true reason, however, lay in the Land of Earth's inability to tolerate the Land of Rain's chaos any longer.
After discovering that the Land of Fire had begun infiltrating th Rain Daimyō's court, the Earth Daimyō chose the most direct solution.
Thus, upon entering the Land of Rain, the first thing the Iwa ninja army did was... exterminate bandits.
It was like using a cannon to shoot a chicken.
This naturally provoked a reaction from Ame.
Hanzō, leader of Ame, finally left his isolation because the Iwa's army was nearing the village—and included the presence of Akatsuki. The legendary shinobi's appearance at the battlefield caused even the Iwa forces to pause momentarily.
He couldn't forget the boy with the Rinnegan and knew they were mortal enemies.
Once a Salamander determined to expand the Land of Rain's territory, Hanzō had now lost all ambition. He only wanted to defend his small domain. With the Iwa's army at his doorstep, he had no choice but to act and once again declare Ame's neutrality.
It was useless.
Ōnoki came in person.
The Iwa ninjas, prepared for battle, all carried gas masks.
After a fierce skirmish, the Ame ninjas, specializing in water jutsu, were overwhelmed by the earth-based techniques of the Iwa ninjas.
Hanzō narrowly escaped death from Ōnoki's attack.
His strategies had long been deciphered by neighboring powers, leaving him with no room to maneuver. If not for his own strength, he would have fallen.
Hanzō returned to Ame battered, cursing under his breath. From then on, Ame closed its gates and vanished from the battlefield, clinging stubbornly to its neutrality.
As for the Rain Daimyō, they declared that no fighting was allowed near the daimyō's palace... and that was the end of their involvement.
The Rain Daimyō showed no interest in governing the regions that had descended into self-rule.
Iwa's army, to their credit, respected the daimyō's wishes. Not only did they avoid fighting near the palace, but they also cleared out more bandits and refrained from troubling refugees heading toward the palace.
This unexpectedly turned the place into the Land of Rain's only true haven.
Having secured the Land of Rain, the army began advancing toward the Land of Fire.
It was at this point that Konoha's ninja forces entered the Land of Rain.
Unlike the war with Kumo, this time, Konoha's forces were not led by Jiraiya.
Instead, the commander was Hiashi.
This choice was recommended by the new Hokage Advisor, Fugaku.
Hiashi's first move was to organize a search unit composed of ninjas from the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Inuzuka clans.
Iwa's army was known for its centralized approach.
Their units typically consisted of large groups to maximize the stacking advantages of Earth Release. Only when multiple jonin teamed up did you see smaller squads.
Usually, it was a main force supported by special operations teams.
These special ops were typically the Explosion Corps, the ninja world's most notorious explosives experts.
The search unit's job was to locate the Explosion Corps. To Hiashi, these special ops units posed an extreme threat; if they reached Konoha's rear lines, entire supply routes could be destroyed.
Without food, even Kage-level ninjas couldn't fight effectively.
Konoha's visible Kage-level force for this operation consisted of only Masashi. However, the army was exceptionally elite this time, especially the Uchiha clan, who fielded their best.
The Uchiha couldn't afford to falter.
Even Shisui was present. While many regarded him as Kage-level, his lack of experience with the Susanoo made his true combat potential uncertain.
To be considered Kage-level, one had to demonstrate "army-level" impact in warfare.
Just as "Kage" refered to a village leader, the term "Kage-level" was tied to effectiveness in large-scale battles rather than pure personal strength.
Although the two factors often correlated.
As the only recognized Kage-level fighter in the unit, Masashi was assigned two teammates: one Hyūga and one Inuzuka.
The ninja clans built relationships this way. If someone died, no grudges were held—but the favor remained.
Masashi didn't mind.
His two companions were skilled, both holding the rank of special jonin.
The Hyūga was a sharp, cunning girl. The Inuzuka was a hot-blooded, reckless boy.
To Masashi, both were obedient.
"Captain, western sector clear. No signs of enemy chakra signatures," the Hyūga reported during one of their patrols.
"Hey, I was about to report that!" the Inuzuka protested.
Masashi watched the interaction with amusement.
During a break in their patrol, he decided to test their coordination. "Show me your tracking formation."
"Traditional or modified Konoha pattern?" the Hyūga asked, her pale eyes already scanning the area.
"Surprise me."
Their attempt at coordination was decent, but Masashi could see the flaws. "You're both thinking too much about your clan techniques and not enough about teamwork."
The Hyūga girl adapted quickly to his feedback, seamlessly incorporating his suggestions into her movements.
The Inuzuka boy, despite his enthusiasm, struggled to keep up. He was consistently outplayed by the Hyūga girl, to the point where even Masashi felt sorry for him.
So, he pulled the boy aside for a "pep talk."
It didn't help.
Hot-blooded recklessness was a talent—hard to teach, harder to fix.
Masashi gave up. At least the kid seemed to enjoy it.
Back in the Land of Rain, the biggest change since his last visit was the lack of bandits.
The arrival of the Iwa and Konoha forces had devastated the bandit industry, taking out its most prominent groups.
But travel conditions remained poor—not that it mattered much to ninjas.
Masashi's assigned area, near Kusa, had dense forests, large trees, and relatively less rain. The terrain made it ideal for stealth.
After completing a search, his team stopped to rest under the trees, replenishing food and water.
"How's your Byakugan holding up?" Masashi asked the Hyūga girl.
"Doing fine, Captain," she replied, her wide eyes gleaming obediently.
Konoha's famed visual prowess families, the Uchiha and Hyūga, were known for producing stunningly attractive members—Uchiha men and Hyūga women in particular.
While the Uchiha were seen as brooding alpha types, the Hyūga were known for their polite, demure demeanor.
He disagreed with such stereotypes.
The girl before him fit the Hyūga mold perfectly.
"Good. Pace yourself," he said, patting her head. "No need to strain unnecessarily."
The Hyūga girl blushed, closing her eyes in enjoyment.
The Inuzuka boy watched enviously. He glanced at his dog, sighed, and went back to eating.
"And you, Inuzuka," Masashi called out. "Eat up; we can't rest for long."
"Why do you keep calling me 'Inuzuka'?"
"It's a term of endearment, signifying your unbreakable bond with your partner. Masculine and noble, don't you think?" Masashi gestured to the boy's ninja dog.
The dog tilted its head, looking puzzled.
"Oh, that's awesome! Captain, you really get me!"
"Keep it cool. A man should be composed."
"Yes, Captain!"
As the boy attacked his rice ball with renewed vigor, Masashi reflected.
Was it bad to mess with kids like this? Nah, kids needed to fall for a few tricks to grow up.
"I'll scout the area. You two, stay here," he said, vanishing into the forest.
