Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 151
🕑 Added 2025-01-21 18:04:30 +0000 UTCThe Fourth Raikage, who inherited the name "A," was reviewing documents in his office.
Since Killer B's death, he had become noticeably more silent.
But there was no doubt he was the strongest ninja in Kumo, quite literally.
After finishing a document, he put down his pen.
Every hour, he made it a point to stand up for a moment—his work routine was very strict.
After walking around his office, he ended up at the huge window, staring out at the mountains with their snowy peaks
A and B—the Raikage and the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, known as the A–B Combo—were the cornerstone of Kumo's strength.
Kumo was not only a village that thrived on martial arts but also a truly centralized one, with supreme authority concentrated in the hands of the Raikage alone.
Like the Will of Fire in Konoha, Kumo also united the village under the concept of a large family.
However, due to its organizational habits, which were closer to those of a clan or gang family, its cohesion was even stronger. A key requirement for this was the Raikage's strong leadership charisma and absolute power.
The Eight-Tails jinchūriki was both a partner and a personal bodyguard for the Raikage, serving as his most potent source of strength.
But now, the Eight-Tails was gone.
The Two-Tails was still imprisoned in Konoha.
A didn't want to delay retrieving the Two-Tails, but demonstrating weakness to emphasize Konoha's strength, while adopting a do-or-die attitude to deter other villages' ambitions toward Kumo, had been the previous strategy.
This strategy couldn't exactly be called a failure—it had initially progressed as planned.
If not for Masashi, by now Konoha should have been in a state of being feared and opposed by all the villages. This would have allowed Kumo to launch its second phase of actions smoothly.
However, Masashi's emergence had been far too sudden. During the Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha clan had only produced Shisui the Teleporter.
Everyone at the time assumed that was the peak of this generation's Uchiha members.
But in subsequent battles, Masashi had frequently appeared. His strength was overwhelming, and his cunning even more so.
Now, the Lands of Earth, Fire, and Water formed a continuous block stretching from west to east.
Although Suna harbored resentment toward Konoha, it was currently powerless to act. With the three great nations united, Kumo's direct interactions with others were severely constrained.
If Kumo continued to show weakness, a pack of wolves might soon descend upon them.
Stretching his neck and back in front of the window, A returned to his desk and pressed the desk buzzer.
Soon, the door opened, and the leader of Kumo's ANBU entered.
"Raikage-sama."
"Any news on the Eight-Tails?"
"No. We've mobilized all our resources to search, and the samurai of the Land of Iron have agreed to notify us if the Eight-Tails appears there."
"It's been almost three years. The Eight-Tails could appear at any time—stay vigilant!" A said. "When it does appear, I'll personally intervene!"
"Raikage-sama, about the next jinchūriki—"
"There's no choice. We don't have anyone suitable, and it's too late to train someone. Prepare Genbu. Once the Eight-Tails is captured, I will become the Jinchūriki!"
"Raikage-sama! That's too dangerous!" The ANBU leader was shocked. "Please reconsider. It's just a matter of sealing the Eight-Tails again."
Having Genbu didn't guarantee a perfect jinchūriki. This process depended more on the individual. In Kumo's history, perfect Jinchūriki had only emerged in the current generation, with Killer B and Yugito.
Their abilities were the decisive factors in becoming perfect jinchūriki, particularly Killer B.
He wasn't just a perfect jinchūriki; he also had complete control over the tailed beast's power, similar to the Fourth Mizukage.
Yugito, on the other hand, was only a perfect jinchūriki, far weaker than Killer B.
"No, Konoha is too strong right now. Iwa won't confront them anytime soon, and Suna is unreliable. We'll become a thorn in Konoha's side. The power of the Eight-Tails cannot remain vacant." A decisively activated his traditional Raikage technique: "I don't need your opinion. I only care about mine!"
"Besides, the Eight-Tails remembers B. With that in mind, I'll convince it."
"I understand. I'll begin the arrangements immediately."
"Not so fast. There's one more thing," A stopped the ANBU leader as he turned to leave. "Your old rival—what's their situation now?"
"Oh, Konoha's ANBU has improved. They're not as easy to deceive as they used to be," the ANBU leader replied.
A understood what he meant.
They weren't as gullible as before, but with some effort, they could still be tricked.
Without a true shadow force, even if Konoha's ANBU had veteran members training new ones, they were still far from a threat.
The battle between ANBU was always a contest of the leaders.
The "rookie" on the other side still had a long way to go to catch up.
Talent took time to develop. Accumulating the experience needed for a qualitative leap would require paying a considerable price.
And even then, there was no guarantee of success.
"Then there's no need to abandon our previous plan," A tapped his desk. "Continue with the arrangements. Even if Iwa is unreliable for now, Suna will gladly cooperate. They know what will happen to their village if they don't."
"Raikage-sama, I have a question…"
"Just say it!"
"Given the current situation, Konoha is in a very favorable position. Neither Iwa nor Kiri is likely to challenge them. Can we rely solely on Suna to hold them back?"
"As the ANBU leader, asking such a question is unqualified," A glared at him. "That group in Ame, Akatsuki, isn't their thing recruiting powerful missing-nin? Isn't Orochimaru among them? Go negotiate a price with Akatsuki. If it can be solved with money, it's not a problem. I want all the manpower they can offer, and I'll make my own moves on this end."
"Understood. Do you have any other orders?"
"That's all for now. Go handle it."
After dismissing the ANBU leader, A pressed another buzzer.
Shortly after, a young kunoichi with white hair and brown skin entered.
"Draft an official document," he instructed. "Inform Konoha that we want to formally sign a peace treaty."
"Understood, Raikage-sama. What goals should we base our terms on?"
"We'll demand to join the Uchiha's new organization and request a decision-making seat."
"I understand, but the village's manpower is currently stretched thin. War preparations may require some time."
"It might not come to that. First, organize a delegation. Send a skilled negotiator to observe Konoha's reaction."
"Should we implement the plan?"
"No. If the negotiator gains entry to Konoha, they are to await further orders. Focus first on exchanging Yugito back to us."
"Understood."
---
During the second Ice and Snow Festival, Masashi found things much easier compared to the first festival.
After all, he no longer needed to rack his brains daily to create new attractions.
Now, it was enough to stage a play each day using ice and sand techniques.
On the first day, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was performed.
On the second day, it was the Battle of Kikyo Mountain.
The third day depicted Minato taking on Kumo's A-B Combo by himself.
After that, Minato's role as a voice actor was no longer needed. The dedicated Hokage had indulged himself in the performance and then returned, satisfied, to face the battles of paperwork.
On the fourth day, Masashi presented Duy's story of sacrificing his life to cripple the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. This play struck a deep chord with many in the audience.
Guy was among them, crying his heart out in the stands.
For this play, Masashi extended the runtime significantly, incorporating the struggles of Duy—a man often looked down upon throughout his life.
Even in a relatively kind environment like Konoha, such prejudice existed.
This narrative arc, where the story begins with hardship and ends on a high note, made it the most impactful performance.
Those who had once mocked him were now ashamed of their actions—or, at the very least, deeply uncomfortable.
Masashi didn't care about their feelings. For those who gained a sense of superiority by looking down on weaker individuals, he was more than happy to make them squirm.
However, the majority of the audience didn't fall into this category. In fact, many had no idea who Duy even was.
This lack of prior knowledge led to an overwhelming emotional impact by the end of the play, particularly when Duy gave his son a thumbs-up and said, "Now is the time to protect what matters most, even at the cost of your life."
The audience's emotions were thoroughly stirred.
Masashi's ice sand technique further amplified the drama of the Eight Gates Formation, vividly showcasing its power and consequences, leaving a lasting impression on the viewers.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this single play significantly strengthened the cohesion of Konoha.
Duy became the most beloved, pitied, and admired character of the festival's theatrical performances, surpassing even Minato, the contemporary Hokage, in popularity.
A person's attitude when facing life and death truly defines their legacy.
The man who raised the future "Sublime Blue Beast of Prey" won over everyone with his fearless and composed acceptance of death.
Subsequent plays lacked the same emotional power.
On the final day, the protagonists were Kakashi and Rin. The performance stopped at the moment when Rin voluntarily sacrificed herself, temporarily denying Kiri their control over the Three-Tails. Masashi deliberately excluded Obito's involvement.
Thus, the second Ice and Snow Festival concluded successfully.
Although it lasted for a shorter period than the first festival, its emotional impact on Konoha far surpassed its predecessor.
After all, the Uchiha clan—and Masashi in particular—no longer treated the festival as a mere profit-making venture.
Once the festival ended, the Uchiha clan noticed a distinct shift in the villagers' attitudes toward them.
Relationships between the Uchiha clan and other clans who had fought alongside them in previous wars also improved significantly.
This was particularly evident with the Hyūga clan.
However, this reminded Masashi of a certain event from the original timeline in Year 54.
Hinata, slightly younger than Naruto, was born at the end of Year 51.
In the original timeline, the intermittent conflict between Konoha and Kumo lasted three years, finally concluding at the end of Year 54 with peace negotiations. Under the guise of forming an alliance, Kumo sent a delegation to sign the treaty in Konoha.
Even though it was just a minor envoy, Konoha held a grand welcome ceremony.
That day also happened to be Hinata's third birthday.
What followed was one of the most humiliating moments in the history of Konoha.
In this timeline, however, the conflict with Kumo had been suppressed from the start, along with the conflict with Iwa.
Thanks to Minato's strategy of swift and decisive military action, Konoha minimized its losses during the Third Great Ninja War and subsequent conflicts.
However, Konoha refrained from launching an offensive against Kumo. The official reasoning was a desire for peace.
Normally, no one would believe such a claim, but Konoha's efficient defeat of Iwa lent it credibility.
Masashi gained widespread fame for his role in these battles. This time, unlike in the past, he didn't kill every enemy he encountered, leaving survivors to spread his name.
The real difference between Konoha of this timeline and the original timeline lay in its high-level combat capabilities. Despite surviving the Third Great Ninja War and two subsequent external conflicts, the village had suffered significant losses among its lower-level forces.
Avoiding the destruction caused by the Nine-Tails did not fundamentally change the fact that Konoha had been severely weakened, as most of the losses stemmed from the Third Great Ninja War.
This was also why Konoha did not actively attack Kumo. If Kumo refused to sign a treaty, Konoha would simply continue to stall.
---
Following the Ice and Snow Festival, Kumo finally made its move.
In the first half of Year 54, Kumo, seemingly unable to bear the pressure, proposed peace talks and an alliance.
As the second-in-command of the Uchiha clan and a ninja of Hokage-level strength, Masashi attended the internal discussion meeting at the Hokage building.
Minato announced the proposal and began soliciting opinions from various parties.
Masashi immediately expressed his opposition.
"Peace talks are fine, but an alliance is out of the question," he stated, explaining his reasoning to the gathered high-level officials. "Konoha doesn't need so many allies. Our cooperation with Kiri and Iwa is already beneficial. Adding Kumo won't bring any gains; it'll only harm the interests of all three villages. Without those benefits, our alliance with Iwa will immediately fall apart."
"Masashi-sama," the head of the administrative department adjusted his glasses, "since forming an alliance with Iwa, trade between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth has flourished. The Land of Lightning is also a wealthy nation. If we ally with Kumo, our funding for next year could increase significantly."
"That won't happen," Masashi replied, shaking his head. "Once the war ends, all nations will enter a period of military contraction—except for the Land of Lightning. We need to rely more on the association's revenue. Letting Kumo join our alliance will only weaken our financial strength. Military contraction is inevitable, and the feudal lords' investments will decrease. This will put greater pressure on the village's self-sufficiency, leaving no room to share profits with Kumo. Moreover…"
He paused, his gaze turning unfriendly.
"Kumo should be paying compensation. If they expect to take money from Konoha, they can forget it."
To Masashi, the head of the administrative department seemed suspicious.
He hoped the man hadn't accepted bribes from a Kumo envoy. If he had, Masashi would ensure he faced consequences.
Deciding to investigate, he resolved to have the man checked out as soon as he returned.
When it came to administrative department personnel, Masashi never overestimated their integrity.
While they wouldn't outright betray the village or intentionally harm its interests, they were certainly prone to personal gain in areas they didn't fully understand.
