Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 73
🕑 Added 2024-12-14 17:41:22 +0000 UTCThe room Jiraiya used as a temporary office was quite spacious. As night fell, he lit a lamp. The light barely illuminated the room, and a cold wind suddenly blew in through a crack in the wall, making the papers on the desk rustle noisily.
Jiraiya glared at the wall with dissatisfaction, pressed down on the corners of the paper with his hand, and continued writing.
Perhaps the environment was unsuitable, as he felt that what he had written after much effort was dull and lifeless.
"Sigh..." he gave up. "This endless warring world... when will it all end?"
When Masashi arrived, he saw Jiraiya sitting at the desk with a rather forlorn expression.
"Jiraiya, did you call for me?" Please don't ask me again where the corpses are.
"Oh! Masashi, come sit," Jiraiya greeted him warmly.
The Uchiha walked over and, out of curiosity, glanced at the papers on the desk. Probably another strategy document about Kumo's movements...
He was shocked.
He thought Jiraiya was writing something important.
It turned out to be all dirty jokes?
"What are you doing?" Masashi's eye twitched slightly as he stared at the pages covered in questionable content.
"Oh? You mean this?" Jiraiya waved the papers in his hand. "As a writer, I have to seize every opportunity for inspiration."
This isn't inspiration. This is a waste of your talent. You shouldn't have become a ninja.
"I thought you were writing a battle report..."
"That kind of thing doesn't need me to write it," Jiraiya replied, putting down his brush. "But you, on the other hand, should start preparing to write. Now that you've reached this level, you need to complete these kinds of materials."
"Me too?" Masashi was stunned.
He hadn't written any reports since becoming a jonin. Why would a combat-focused jonin have to write such nonsense? Shouldn't that be the administrative department's job?
"For major events like this, the ninja involved has to personally recount the process." Jiraiya leaned back, adopting a more serious tone. "Back during the Nine-Tails Incident, you should have written one, but since everyone was there, it was waived."
He had a smug expression, as if saying, "I'm quite experienced in these matters."
"Just write down the process and casually mention the techniques used. This is mainly to help the village assign you tasks in the future."
Why don't you just admit the village wants to routinely gather intel on its ninjas? Masashi smirked. How transparent can they be?
Big villages have their drawbacks—complicated bureaucracy. Only someone in the administration department could come up with such formalities.
What kind of fool would honestly detail their methods in these reports? Who knows when there might be a leak?
"Got it," Masashi said.
He recalled how the First Hokage used to explain techniques, giving him an idea of the writing style he should use.
"It doesn't really matter. The administrative department has people stationed in the unit anyway. If you really don't want to write it, just tell them orally and let them write it themselves," Jiraiya said knowingly.
He was well aware of the nature of the administration department. They came up with this to avoid hassle for themselves.
Asking a Kage-level ninja to recount their mission process made sense, but it was also intimidating. Even the "paper-pushers" knew better than to press too hard.
"More importantly, Masashi, have you thought about which department you'd like to join?" he finally brought up the main topic, his expression growing more focused.
"After this war, you're going to be one of the village's symbolic forces. Unless you plan to take over the Police Force, staying there won't be suitable anymore. You know that, right?"
"I understand," Masashi nodded. "So, how does the village plan to arrange me?"
"If it were up to me, I'd say the jonin corps would be best for you. But this depends on what Minato and Fugaku negotiate. After all, you're still part of the Police Force for now, and even transfers have to go through the proper procedures."
"I don't mind, as long as it's not the ANBU."
"You don't like the ANBU?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.
"It's not that. Work is work, but I just don't like the atmosphere there." Masashi mimicked putting on a mask, his gesture casual but his eyes sharp. "With my personality... It's a bit difficult. The ANBU is too formal for me."
"Don't worry. Whatever the assignment, your preference will be the priority," Jiraiya reassured him.
Back when the Sannin wandered about, they hardly reported to work. Only Orochimaru briefly served in the ANBU under Danzō's protection.
Who would've thought that brief stint would lead to major trouble?
Since Orochimaru's incident, Konoha would never again link a Kage-level ninja to the ANBU under any pretense.
The inherently shady nature of ANBU work made it prone to fostering negativity.
In all the major villages, Kage-level ninjas were treated similarly: given the best resources and the utmost freedom.
Aside from the Kage themselves, no one could command them.
Even the Kage would show great respect to their Kage-level ninjas, as they were treasures of the village. Issuing arbitrary orders?
Not a chance.
In contrast, the Fourth Kazekage of the impoverished Suna had to mine gold to patch up the village's finances. Meanwhile, Suna's Kage-level ninjas lounged about, drinking tea and signing tabs.
The Fourth Kazekage even considered early retirement but found no suitable successors.
The root cause? Poverty.
Konoha wasn't poor, so its elite ninjas were considerate, never burdening the village with personal expenses.
They had their pride.
"Is that all?" Masashi asked, sensing Jiraiya was being overly optimistic.
Losing a jinchūriki didn't mean they couldn't fight.
"Yes, that's all," Jiraiya nodded. "As for Kumo, they'll probably withdraw entirely. They won't fight if they can't gain an advantage. We might even pull back soon."
"The village should profit from this situation," Masashi remarked. "When Kinkaku and Ginkaku became missing-nin, Kumo didn't compensate Konoha. Now that we've captured their Two-Tails jinchūriki, we should demand reparations."
"Not necessarily," Jiraiya shook his head. Having been in Konoha's decision-making circles, he understood the village's strategy well. "Kumo shouldn't be weakened too much. But don't worry—just think about how to spend that 50 million ryo."
He smiled outwardly but was thinking of something else.
If Masashi had released the Edo Tensei souls, then the ones who had attacked Kumo in the past might have been freed too.
Would Kumo think that Muzo might be alive?
Hopefully, their reaction wouldn't be too extreme. All he wanted was to wrap up this job quickly and get back to his real work. Maybe I can find some inspiration for my next chapter while I'm at it.
---
Jiraiya's predictions were correct.
On the second day of Konoha's ninja army stationing in the fortress, the envoys from Kumo arrived.
They were straightforward and directly proposed the intention to suspend military conflict between the two sides.
The envoy from Kumo went straight to the point. Through intelligence gathered by their side, they made it clear to Konoha why halting the war at this time was the optimal solution.
"We come seeking a cessation of hostilities," the lead envoy stated plainly, his tone neither submissive nor challenging.
"Our sources confirm unusual movements along both borders. Iwa and Suna are showing signs of restlessness," the envoy explained, his hands folded calmly in his lap. "And Rasa hasn't just stopped mining—he's been holding daily meetings with Suna's council."
Furthermore, Kumo's envoy presented a reason that was hard for Konoha to reject.
"The Fourth Raikage will personally attend treaty discussions," the envoy stated firmly.
"And what guarantee do we have that this isn't just a delaying tactic?" Hizashi asked.
Jiraiya stepped forward. "The Two-Tails Jinchūriki would make for a good show of faith during these discussions."
The envoy's expression tightened slightly before smoothing out. "We are prepared to offer substantial compensation. A shipment of resources is already en route—for reclaiming the fortress."
Of course, this was just a pleasant way of putting it. The fortress had been utterly wrecked by Masashi, leaving little more than a back wall and a few dilapidated houses.
What was there to reclaim?
In essence, it was Kumo's preliminary war reparations to Konoha.
But Konoha didn't mind.
Even during wartime, Konoha's spirit could not falter.
Besides, after this battle, the significance of Kumo to Konoha had changed. It was no longer an enemy. Having lost two jinchūriki and thousands of ninjas, Kumo had transitioned from being a northern threat to Konoha to a nominal enemy but an actual ally, capable of sharing the burden of pressure from Iwa and Suna.
This was the norm among the Five Great Ninja Villages.
As the second most affluent village after Konoha, Kumo also attracted nearly as much envy as Konoha.
The dominance of the militant faction in Kumo was a significant factor in this dynamic.
While Konoha's strength was innate, Kumo's power was largely due to its hard-earned efforts. Kumo had always been adept at flexibility and strategic pivots.
In short, the discussions were amicable.
Before departing, Kumo's envoy made a point to greet Masashi.
"Masashi-san, you're welcome to visit Kumo if you ever have the opportunity," he said, as if unaware that the man before him had slaughtered many of their ninjas and destroyed the village beneath their feet just two days ago.
"Of course, I would love to visit and see the beautiful sights of Kumo," Masashi replied with a smile. Particularly that one grave I'd like to dance on.
Digging up the grave, though? Nah, not this time around. It wasn't worth the effort in this cycle.
Besides, he'd heard that the girls from the Land of Lightning were particularly passionate. He wondered if that was true.
"That would be excellent," the envoy said calmly, gazing at Masashi. "Although Kumo and Konoha have had misunderstandings, the future holds great promise."
"Absolutely. You're welcome to visit Konoha as well," Masashi said with an air of hospitality. "We in Konoha always warmly welcome guests from afar."
The Kumo ninjas didn't respond to this with more than a polite smile. They bid farewell to the present Konoha jonin and departed.
Not half an hour after their departure, Kumo's transport team arrived. The caravan, transporting resources, formed a long line and was escorted by a Kumo ninja force all the way to the village walls.
"Their 'escort' force consists entirely of elite jonin," one Konoha jonin muttered to another. "They're not taking any chances."
"Can you blame them?" came the response. "After what happened here?"
Anyone believing this to be a simple second-line unit was clearly out of their mind.
Who sent elite jonin to escort a transport team?
Clearly, the Kumo ninjas were prepared for contingencies.
After receiving and inventorying the resources, Konoha's ninja army spent one last night in the fortress. Early the next morning, they broke camp and began their journey home.
Their departure was as spirited as their arrival. The troops were in high spirits, overall satisfied with the campaign. Even the jonin had made significant gains.
However, due to transporting resources, the return journey was slower.
Masashi used the time on the road to reflect on what he had gained during the campaign.
And the gains were significant.
In particular, he had learned Kagutsuchi. Though he was still inexperienced in its use due to the short time he had had it, the future held great potential for this technique.
He had also laid the foundation for Lightning techniques.
Masashi was pleased.
These moments of joy needed to be cherished. Who knows when they might disappear entirely?
After traveling for over half a month, the surrounding vegetation finally became familiar again. One day, he heard the cheers erupting from the front.
The cheers surged like waves, spreading throughout the entire army.
Of the more than ten thousand Konoha ninjas who had set out, nearly eight thousand returned. This battle had cost Konoha over two thousand lives, mostly genin, with several hundred chunin lost, but not a single jonin had fallen.
It was a decisive victory.
In comparison, Kumo had fared far worse. By the time they retreated to the Land of Frost, they had less than six thousand troops remaining, losing over half their forces.
Both of their jinchūriki had been lost as well—one killed, and one captured by Konoha.
This didn't even account for the destruction of the fortress.
As for the current state of Kumo, Masashi didn't know and had no interest in finding out. But within Konoha, the atmosphere was as festive as a holiday.
Still, the loss of over two thousand lives meant many families would mourn. Konoha's leadership was mindful of this and arranged a "Heroes Returning Home" ceremony.
Regardless, the war was temporarily over.
The Land of Fire had returned to peace, and everyone could resume normal life.
After returning home, he enjoyed a few peaceful days.
He got up on time each day, took leisurely walks around the village, and practiced diligently at the training grounds as usual.
Rediscovering this lifestyle almost moved him to tears.
Moved by this, he even revisited his long-unused tea-making skills.
When he expertly brewed a pot of fine tea at a familiar shop, he felt gratified that his skills were still as sharp as ever.
Maintaining the quality of life—what a blessing.
However, he couldn't help noticing that Fugaku had been visiting the Hokage's office rather frequently lately.
Something's brewing in the clan politics again, he thought, then snickered. Maybe they should try brewing tea instead.
Speaking of which, Minato was increasingly looking the part of the Hokage.
The victory against Kumo had further solidified his prestige and position.
The reorganization of the ANBU seemed to be progressing effectively during this time. Whispers around the village suggested significant changes in their structure and operations.
Moreover, Minato's working hours had noticeably decreased.
After returning to the village, Masashi also noticed another change: Mikoto had developed a new hobby.
She now enjoyed encouraging Fugaku to take the entire family to visit the Hokage's household.
Her reasoning? "Children need to build relationships from a young age."
Admittedly, this was a good thing.
Perhaps due to these frequent visits, the matter of Masashi's post-transfer was resolved sooner than he had expected.
Fugaku even sought him out for a private discussion.
"The jonin corps needs capable shinobi like you," he stated, his tone measured as they sat in his office.
"And the Police Force?" Masashi asked, though he already knew the answer.
"We've discussed this with the Hokage. Your talents would be better utilized outside the village."
Masashi had no objections to the outcome.
He would be leaving the Police Force to join the jonin corps.
