Malphegor
patreon
HSU: Ch. 165
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 20:28:51 +0000 UTCHearing a roar, Konan, flying with her paper wings, turned her head.
What she saw was the Eight-Tails and directly opposing it stood the white Susanoo.
Looking at the two mountain-like figures, her expression darkened.
The Raikage was going all out!
Is this mission destined to fail? Even Nagato couldn't stop these Konoha ninja?
Before she could think further, a dark-green Susanoo rose from behind the Eight-Tails.
"There's another one?!"
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Suddenly, the sound of wind roared from her side. The pressure hit before the attack even arrived, displacing the very air around her.
Realizing she had been distracted, Konan tried to take flight, but at that exact moment, a barrage of shuriken, each carrying explosive tags, came hurtling toward her, followed by a multi-sized hand.
Seeing no way to avoid them completely, Konan's body began dissolving into paper sheets. If I can't dodge, I'll disperse the impact.
Her paper form started spreading out to minimize the damage from the incoming explosions, when a flash of red hair appeared in front of her.
Nagato spread his arms wide.
Torifu's Multi-Size Palm and Homura's shuriken with explosive tags both struck almost simultaneously from opposite sides.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The explosion's fiery wave was repelled like a crashing tide, pushed in the opposite direction by Nagato's repulsive force.
The Multi-Size Palm was rebounded even faster than it had come.
Torifu let out a groan, undoing the Expansion Jutsu as Koharu dashed forward to heal him with medical ninjutsu.
Nagato grabbed Konan by the shoulder and floated them both down to the ground.
"Let's call a truce," he said.
"It was your side that chose to go to war with Konoha," Homura replied, positioning himself to shield his injured comrade. His hands remained ready to form seals at a moment's notice.
"Such decisions are merely the whims of clients. A shinobi's task is not to inherit their grudges," Nagato responded. His gaze flickered briefly to where the massive forms of the Susanoo and Eight-Tails clashed.
Masashi's actions had served as a reminder—Konan must not be involved in this mess.
In truth, Kumo's intelligence had failed, completely misjudging the situation.
That the Raikage was now cornered was no surprise.
"Kakuzu," Nagato called.
Emerging from the shadows, Kakuzu's mood was sour.
"Kumo botched their intelligence. From this moment, this mission is no longer our concern," Nagato said, turning to Homura. "That's the situation."
Homura stared into Nagato's Rinnegan. Logic told him that the best move for Konoha would be to abandon the Raikage and seize the opportunity to eliminate Nagato.
"Homura," Torifu suddenly spoke up. "Think of the bigger picture."
"I know," Homura sighed.
Addressing Nagato, he said, "Fine. Konoha accepts this reasoning—provided you do not interfere further."
Whatever ocular jutsu this was, today was not the day to provoke it.
The chance to avenge their teacher might not come again. But Konoha no longer needed to push to such extremes.
"My apologies." Nagato nodded, not sparing even a glance at the Raikage. With Konan and Kakuzu, he turned and left without hesitation.
The trio vanished into the night.
Homura waited a moment longer to ensure they were gone before letting out a breath of relief. Turning to Torifu, he asked, "How's your hand?"
"Not good," Koharu replied as she continued applying medical ninjutsu, her chakra glowing softly in the growing darkness. "I don't know what jutsu that was, but he won't be able to use this hand for the rest of today. The chakra pathways are completely disrupted."
"I still have another hand," Torifu said stoically.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed across the sky.
The three turned in unison toward the source. There, the white giant was relentlessly beating down the Eight-Tails.
With each casual slash of its sword, it severed the octopus-like tentacles. Its massive shield effortlessly blocked all of the beast's attacks, and the moment it made contact, the shield released a shockwave, forcing it to retreat step by step.
The dark-green Susanoo provided support from the side.
"If Kagami were still alive..." Homura sighed.
Koharu remained silent, her expression complicated. Her hands trembled slightly as she continued healing Torifu.
She had avoided getting too close earlier—not just to hold off Konan but because she didn't want Kagami to see her current state. Nor did she want him to know she had once pondered what choice she would make if forced to choose between the village and his clan.
Though she believed he already knew, even back then.
"Forget it. Let's head over there," Homura said.
Koharu opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately stayed silent.
After wrapping Torifu's hand, the three began moving toward Gyūki.
The Eight-Tails let out another roar, though this one sounded desolate.
Masashi, controlling Susanoo, swung the Totsuka Sword again and severed one of Gyūki's arms. The massive limb crashed to the ground.
Cutting off a person's limbs makes them a stump. Cutting off Gyūki's limbs makes it a... bull stump then? Ah... I am getting distracted, Masashi thought.
The Susanoo took a massive stride forward, slamming the Yata Mirror into Gyūki's face, flattening it.
In terms of raw chakra power, a fully-transformed jinchūriki couldn't compare to the tailed beast's actual form.
The Fourth Raikage challenging him in this state was simply self-destructive.
The dark-green Susanoo seized an opportunity, slashing from the side and severing one of Gyūki's legs.
Without its support, it collapsed onto its back, the impact shaking the entire area.
"Uchiha!" it roared angrily in the Raikage's voice.
Masashi drove the Totsuka Sword straight into its mouth, pinning its head to the ground.
The sword's unique ability activated, melting the chakra composing Gyūki's head and absorbing it into it.
This process quickly spread to the rest of Gyūki's body, like a wave of dissolution flowing from head to tail.
As the chakra layer was peeled away, the Raikage's form began to emerge.
He was in a dire state.
While the Totsuka Sword targeted tailed beast chakra, that chakra came from his own body. It felt no different than being hit by the sword directly.
Exhaustion overwhelmed him, akin to chakra depletion. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably.
It wasn't just a sensation—the sword had drained his chakra entirely, leaving him as vulnerable as a newborn.
His chest heaved.
With his chakra depleted, his Lightning Release Chakra Mode deactivated, and the Eight-Tails no longer responded. Deciding to fight with his physical strength, he staggered to his feet.
But before he could act, Hiruzen had already closed the distance. The staff smashed into his knee.
Everyone heard the sickening crack of something breaking, the sound like a tree trunk splitting.
Danzō appeared behind him like a ghost, slashing his Vacuum Blade to sever the Raikage's arms.
A swift kick to the already shattered knee sent the Raikage to the ground.
Bone fragments jutted through his skin.
A's face turned red, then purple, as his neck swelled like it might burst. Veins bulged across his forehead as he let loose a torrent of curses aimed at Konoha.
The two Susanoo faded as Masashi and Kagami approached.
"Give him a swift death. He was a worthy opponent," Masashi suggested, his Sharingan still active.
"Kumo breeds beasts, not men. They don't deserve human dignity," Danzō sneered. "Hang him on a hook for all to see. Let them remember what happens when they challenge Konoha."
"Danzō, that would only instill fear toward Konoha," Kagami sighed, his expression showing clear disapproval of his old friend's suggestion. "That goes against our purpose."
Danzō raised an eyebrow but came up with another idea.
"Then let's bleed him out. He's big—should take a while. Make it educational for any watching Kumo shinobi."
"That's no different," Kagami said, exasperated. His Sharingan spun slowly, reflecting his agitation.
"Just kill him, as Masashi said," Hiruzen interjected. "He at least deserved such honor as a Kage. Afterward, we'll deal with Kumo's forces."
"Fine by me." Danzō said and approached the Raikage.
"Mind if I take the last hit?" Masashi asked.
Danzō paused mid-swing, recalling Masashi's reputation from past missions. With a twisted smile, he stepped aside, tossing the Raikage to the ground like garbage.
The Raikage, despite his wounds, managed a blood-filled laugh. "Of course... it had to be you, Uchiha. First B, now me, are you happy?"
"No, I am sad. Sad that he was a Kumo ninja. But you fought well," Masashi said, approaching the fallen Kage.
"Save your pity." A's voice was weak but defiant. "Just know that Kumo's lightning never dies. It only...travels."
In an instant, a massive flaming sword erupted from the ground, impaling him through the stomach and hoisting him into the air.
Flames consumed his flesh, crackling with the sound of burning meat. The smell of charred flesh filled the air, but none of the observers flinched.
The Raikage locked eyes with Masashi, his gaze unyielding even in these final moments.
"I just wanted to let you know," Masashi said calmly, "this is how Killer B died."
The next moment, the flaming sword exploded inside the Raikage, the blast turning night into day, brilliant instant.
As with Killer B before him, A was consumed by the flames, leaving no trace of his body behind. Only ashes drifted down like black snow.
---
Watching the massive fireworks lit up the sky, both Minato and Masashi, as well as the rest of the Tobirama Squad, fell into silence.
Kumo had developed to such a degree that, for Konoha, it was both expected and unforeseen.
It was expected due to the Land of Lightning's potential and Kumo's organizational structure. However, the speed at which it developed was unexpected.
The growth of a ninja village's strength did not follow a straight line but rather a curve.
During specific periods, each village might produce exceptional individuals. When the right environment and opportunities align, a village's strength could surge. However, these prosperous times were not permanent and eventually decline.
Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Konoha had maintained an upward trajectory from the First Hokage to the Fourth Hokage due to its strong foundation. However, even within Konoha, the power of its factions fluctuated like a curve.
The Senju faction fell into decline after the First Great Ninja War, eventually exiting the stage altogether. The Sarutobi faction enjoyed a golden era from before the Second Great Ninja War to before the Third Great Ninja War, after which it too declined. The Third Great Ninja War became a turning point, ushering in a period of ascent for the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha faction had now begun to take shape.
At this rate, barring unforeseen circumstances, the Fifth Hokage was likely to come from the Uchiha clan.
Before the Third Great Ninja War, after the First, the Uchiha clan experienced a period of decline. In the original timeline, during this period, the Uchiha would dwindle even further, leaving just enough ninja to sustain a single unit of the Police Force.
The difficulty of being Hokage lay in carefully navigating and managing these factional dynamics. A Hokage had to skillfully utilize ascending factions without overly provoking those in decline, ensuring that the village's overall strength did not suffer due to the decline of dominant factions.
The other three villages, lacking Konoha's deep foundation, did not face this challenge. However, their strength rose and fell more sharply in tandem with their factions' fluctuations.
Kumo, however, was an exception.
Since the First Great Ninja War, it had been highly unified under the Raikage family. This had resulted in a single dominant faction, with its strength developing along a straight upward line—until it was curtailed by Konoha after the Third Great Ninja War.
This unique trajectory stemmed from Kumo's development model, which was considered unorthodox in the shinobi world.
It was characterized by a high degree of unity, a village-wide focus on a single goal, and ruthless external plundering, just like vikings on Earth.
This characteristic was rooted in the Land of Lightning's traditional national spirit as a northern nation, making Kumo the only village that continued military expansion even during peacetime.
Kumo and the Land of Lightning complemented each other perfectly.
From the start, Konoha's real threat came from the Land of Lightning's unique culture of plundering, distinct from other nations.
While other nations focused on rebuilding through farming and bolstering their defenses, the Land of Lightning farmed while keeping an eye on its neighbors, ready to stir trouble and plunder as soon as it saw an opportunity.
Other nations, preferring to avoid trouble as long as their bottom line was not crossed, often opted to "pay for peace."
In the shinobi world, this manifested in Kumo's blatant disregard for rules.
Ambushes were trivial, and stirring up trouble during negotiations was routine. Today, they would extort one village; tomorrow, another. They sparked conflicts everywhere, treating localized unrest as a form of diversified investment, ready to reap rewards when opportunities arose.
When raw strength dominated, scale won.
This explained individuals like the Gold and Silver Brothers, who ambushed the Second Hokage and desecrated their own Raikage's ashes in pursuit of extending the war.
They were the real culprits behind the death of the Second Hokage.
During his life as Muzo, Masashi had suggested preemptively striking Kumo, wiping it out before it could grow stronger.
Tobirama did not adopt the plan, believing Kumo would inevitably become a public enemy and that Konoha did not need to act as the vanguard.
He was obviously wrong in this regard.
Having never truly experienced peace, he failed to understand how tolerant other villages—including Konoha—would be toward Kumo after the meat grinder era ended.
The Fourth Raikage had to die. Masashi could not change the Land of Lightning's inherent viciousness, but he could change Kumo.
Simply destroying Kumo was a low-return move. Even if Iwa and Kiri did not drag their feet, Konoha would only achieve a costly victory, benefiting others.
The Land of Lightning could always establish a second Kumo, repeating the cycle.
Transforming Kumo better aligned with Konoha's interests.
Changing Kumo was not as difficult as it seemed. The first step was to end the Raikage family's dominance.
Suna also needed to plunder to survive, but lacking a figure like the Raikage family, it relied heavily on the shinobi world's rules.
In the original timeline, Suna only broke alliances when forced into a corner.
Breaking alliances for survival falls within acceptable norms.
In contrast, Kumo in the original timeline would break alliances on the same day they were formed, resorting to extortion and provocation.
Now, with the Fourth Raikage dead, half the battle was won.
The next step required someone qualified but lacking the Fourth Raikage's unifying power to assume the role of Raikage.
There was such a person in this town.
As the fireworks in the night sky faded, Masashi withdrew his gaze and sensed the surroundings.
"The Two-Tails has left the town. We should retrieve it."
"The Two-Tails is here too?" Danzō's eyes lit up.
It wasn't his fault for reacting slowly. When he and Kagami were reanimated, Hiruzen hadn't had time to inform them about the giant cat.
All he had said was to kill the Raikage.
"The Akatsuki ninjas just left. They might be after the Two-Tails," Torifu said.
"Akatsuki? They are enemies of Konoha!" Danzō's stern face surfaced. "Hiruzen, you were careless!"
"I'm no longer the Hokage," Hiruzen had to remind him again.
It was frustrating. Whenever something happened, Danzō would target him first.
"Hiruzen, your current state leaves a lot to be desired." Danzō said before turning to Minato, who had been enjoying the drama. "What do you think?"
"Of course, we must capture it. Masashi, you've prepared contingencies, right?"
Minato immediately passed the responsibility.
Back when he first became Hokage, Danzō often berated Hiruzen for not acting like one. This familiar scene was quite nostalgic.
Every time, Danzō would only remember his presence at the last minute.
Facing him now felt bittersweet. After all, Minato had forced Danzō to his death.
But he couldn't be blamed for that. How could he have known Danzō would go so far? By the time he realized, it was already too late to back down.
"There are contingencies." Masashi produced a scroll containing the Two-Tails' chakra. "Finding the Two-Tails won't be hard, but what about that Kumo ninja named Dodai? Should we let him go or kill him?"
"There's still a Kumo ninja? Kill him!" Danzō couldn't stand hearing the words Kumo. "Kill him, then eliminate their troops. Didn't they have a support force? They must be elites supporting the Raikage. We should take this opportunity to wipe them all out!"
"Sandaime-sama, what do you think?" Minato turned to Hiruzen.
"Let me think..." Hiruzen recalled what he knew about Dodai.
After a moment, he said, "Let him go. This man is a suitable candidate to become the new Raikage."
