Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 72
🕑 Added 2024-12-14 16:09:24 +0000 UTCFrom a distance, the Two-Tails jinchūriki looked nothing short of miserable.
Countless water snakes bound her, which restrained her fully transformed tailed beast state.
Around her, massive icy hands emerged from the ground, gripping her legs and holding them firmly in place. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't break free.
The blue flames of Matatabi flickered against the ice, steam rising where they met, but the hands remained unmelted.
Although the giant icy hands had previously crushed hundreds of ninjas effortlessly, the nearby Kumo ninja forces had rallied to support their jinchūriki.
"Teams of four! Don't let them isolate us!" A senior chunin shouted, organizing the scattered forces.
"Watch for genjutsu! He's an Uchiha!" Another squad leader warned.
After the Ninja Academy was first established by Konoha, it became the standard system across the Five Great Nations following the First Great Ninja War. This system nurtured countless civilian ninjas loyal to the five major villages.
Today, civilian ninjas formed the majority of the shinobi world, and their strength couldn't be ignored.
Their loyalty to their villages often surpassed that of the ninja clans. Their willingness to sacrifice was unmatched, making collective spirit the cornerstone of the One Nation-One Village system. This faith ran deep, becoming the backbone of the ninja villages.
It was not only Konoha that produced heroes. These individuals shared the same heart for their villages.
Without orders from a jonin, squads of four quickly assembled and merged into a torrent of ninjas charging towards Masashi.
The ground trembled under their advance, battle cries filling the battleground as they moved as one.
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Meanwhile, the mental clash between Masashi and Yugito continued.
With the help of Matatabi, Yugito frequently broke free from the genjutsu, only to be dragged back into them by Masashi.
He was never skilled in genjutsu like Shisui, and he didn't expect to resolve Yugito's willpower with it. However, the seamless cooperation between the perfect jinchūriki and her tailed beast exceeded his expectations.
How did Obito manage to control the Fourth Mizukage?
Obito wasn't particularly adept at genjutsu either. From their last clash, that much was evident.
And yet, he had controlled the Fourth Mizukage—a perfect jinchūriki, though not as skilled as Killer B.
The Eight-Tails jinchūriki was flawless in his control.
Masashi realized he had overlooked something crucial about Obito's method.
The Fourth Mizukage could not have been subdued so easily, even by the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Especially given that Obito's Mangekyō ability wasn't related to genjutsu.
He judged Obito's genjutsu talent to be on par with his own—mediocre at best.
For now, he didn't have the luxury to dwell on this.
In his mental tug-of-war with Yugito, he achieved his objective. The sealing snakes were taking effect, and the icy hands he had conjured served as ideal conduits for another sealing technique he had learned from the Uzumaki clan.
Had he been an Uzumaki, Yugito would already be sealed by now, thanks to their unique chakra.
The Uchiha chakra wasn't particularly remarkable for sealing jutsu—it relied purely on skill and power, not natural affinity.
Just like the Transcription Seal, a technique that typically required the Mangekyō Sharingan to perform.
Suddenly, he felt the ground shaking beneath him.
He turned to see the advancing Kumo ninja forces.
At this point, genjutsu was unnecessary.
Yugito's sealing was only a matter of time; the sealing technique's power had already begun infiltrating her body. As long as he wasn't interrupted, he would succeed.
The Kumo ninjas must not get close.
They're all the same, huh… Masashi thought, watching the charging Kumo ninjas. A shame that we're on opposite sides.
Seeing the world with admiration revealed its beauty. The opposite was also true.
Masashi had once viewed the world through a lens of darkness, a black-and-white photograph of life. It was a miserable perspective.
When circumstances allowed, he chose to recover his original outlook—one of reverence and appreciation for all things.
Conflict was inevitable, but it could be viewed differently. Those who risked their lives and fought with everything deserved respect.
He hated Kumo, but he didn't despise the Kumo ninjas. These rank-and-file shinobi, much like their Konoha counterparts, were adorably "foolish."
Forming the cross seal, he created seven shadow clones.
One shadow clone leaped to the ground and faced the approaching Kumo ninja forces. The clone quickly formed hand seals.
The mist began to rise from the clone, milky white and swirling.
"Stay together! Don't lose formation!" A voice called out from the advancing forces.
The thick, white mist spread outward, enveloping the surroundings until everything was shrouded in a dense fog.
"I can't see anything! Where's the target?" Panic began to spread through the ranks.
At first, the Kumo ninjas could vaguely make out the silhouette of the Two-Tails, towering and imposing. But soon, the mist thickened, obscuring everything.
Even their comrades became indistinct shadows.
"Watch out for—" The warning cry was cut short, replaced by a wet gurgle.
Unease crept into their hearts, and their advance slowed.
Masashi's shadow clones silently moved into the mist.
The killing began.
The silence was soon broken by the anguished cries of Kumo ninjas, the roars of rage, and the pain of blades and jutsu striking flesh.
Only the shadow clones remained silent.
When the Silent Killing Technique combined with the power of the Uchiha, its brutality was magnified.
Fire, water, wind, lightning, and ice techniques ran rampant in the white mist, claiming lives indiscriminately.
Enhanced physical strikes and deadly shuriken jutsu only added to the carnage.
Each battle was another chance to master these elements further. Theory could only teach so much—real combat was the best teacher for mastering multiple chakra natures.
Though the spirit of the Kumo ninjas was boundless, their individual strength had limits. These genin and chunin spilled their blood in vain, unable to aid Yugito at all.
When Masashi's clones began summoning massive ice constructs, the disorganized Kumo ninja force finally broke.
Unable to distinguish friend from foe, they tried to flee.
Even their escape route was subtly guided by the clones.
Eventually, they emerged from the mist, but only a fraction remained. Most had fallen to friendly fire in the chaos.
Looking back at the mist that still cloaked the battlefield, they were filled with despair.
Gradually, the mist changed. It lightened, becoming clear and transparent.
Slowly, it dissipated completely.
Finally, the Kumo ninjas saw their enemy.
Standing on the blood-soaked ground, holding Yugito in his grasp.
The Two-Tails jinchūriki seemed lifeless, her eyes closed, her fate uncertain.
The decisive battle between Konoha's army and Kumo's army ended with the latter's retreat.
"Focus on Jiraiya! Don't let him—" The Kumo commander's order was cut short as massive pillars of ice erupted from the ground around him.
"You're looking at the wrong threat." Masashi's voice echoed from above, his hands already forming seals.
After losing the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, they had now lost the Two-Tails as well.
He had swiftly and cleanly defeated the Two-Tails' jinchūriki and crushed the Kumo ninja's support troops. He accomplished all this single-handedly, demonstrating why certain individuals among the jonin are specifically regarded as Kage-level.
If jinchūriki were considered strategic weapons, then Kage-level ninja were the backbone of a village. Gaining or losing one directly impacted a village's diplomacy and military strategy.
However, this classification wasn't explicitly defined. Ninja villages deliberately maintained vague and rough distinctions in their rankings to avoid unnecessary comparisons, unless the gap in strength was overwhelmingly large.
As such, a genin was simply a genin, and a jonin was simply a jonin.
The term special jonin existed mainly for war-time necessities. Among jonin, everyone had their own standing; creating distinctions like ordinary, elite, or Kage-level would disrupt the delicate hierarchy.
Some things could be said aloud but should never be put in writing.
Similarly, every Kage was universally praised as the "strongest" in some way. Yet, regarding pure strength, every Kage knew precisely where they stand. One of the basic qualities of a jonin was the ability to accurately gauge their own skill level.
Regardless, as of today, in all intelligence reports across the villages, Masashi had indisputably become a Kage-level ninja of Konoha.
From now on, any movement he made will trigger Kage-level responses from the opposition. At minimum, the enemy would send elite-level jonin to confront him—probably three to match his strength.
If he visited any of the other four great villages, the Kage of that village would personally meet him, as an unwritten rule of respect for someone of Kage-level strength.
After all, why else would they be called "Kage-level"?
In short, no one would foolishly throw themselves at him for an easy defeat anymore.
The Fourth Raikage, known for his hot-tempered demeanor, immediately ordered a retreat after witnessing Masashi's display of power.
"Pull back! We can't waste more forces here!"
He had no choice. Their jinchūriki were gone, and Konoha had gained a new Kage-level ninja.
Throughout this process, the Fourth Raikage's suspicions grew. His initial belief that Iwa was behind this started to waver.
Previously, they suspected Iwa because Konoha was thought to have only one Kage-level ninja in the Land of Hot Water: Jiraiya.
Now, there were two.
Could a single Kage-level ninja single-handedly take down the southern fortress? Of course!
For a Kage-level ninja, taking a fortress alone was basic protocol—unless their skillset was unusually niche.
Kumo's army decisively retreated, even abandoning their fallen. They had no choice. Konoha's forces were brimming with morale, while the Kumo ninjas were entirely demoralized.
When Masashi casually hurled a Tailed Beast Bomb at the Kumo ninja while protecting his own troops, their spirits were crushed. Then, when he sealed the Two-Tails with overwhelming force and used shadow clones to dismantle their support troops, no one on the Kumo side believed the battle could continue.
Mastery of sealing techniques, space-time ninjutsu, four elemental releases, and even multi-nature fusion techniques—he had it all. Those massive ice giants he created were as tall as tailed beasts, and he summoned them with a simple clap of his hands.
His chakra reserves allowed him to annihilate entire support divisions without breaking a sweat.
So, how could anyone fight against that?
This type of ninja was considered a ruler in the field, nearly impossible to defeat unless extensive intelligence and overwhelming strength were employed.
If you were weaker than them by even a little and lack a powerful hidden trump card, you were as good as dead.
Among all the Kumo ninja in the Land of Hot Water, only the Fourth Raikage had any chance against him.
And Konoha still had Jiraiya.
Given these odds, Kumo had no desire to continue the fight, regardless of their rank or strength.
Recognizing that this war would only lead to disaster, the Kumo ninjas simply wanted to return home safely.
They retreated steadily, leaving the battlefield, abandoning the fortress, and finally sprinting towards the Land of Frost.
Konoha's army pursued them closely. However, thanks to the restraint of the jonin commanders, they avoided any reckless overextension. Instead, they struck opportunistically whenever possible.
Eventually, the Konoha forces "escorted" Kumo's army all the way to the border of the Land of Frost, watching as they crossed the ruined southern fortress and entered the coastal routes.
At this point, the Konoha ninjas stopped their pursuit.
Their supply lines had been stretched dangerously thin, and expanding the battlefield further was unnecessary.
From the start, Konoha's objective had been to drive the Kumo forces out of the Land of Hot Water. Pushing into the Land of Frost would mean full-scale war, lasting years with no foreseeable end.
Neither Konoha nor Kumo desired such an outcome. It would only benefit a third party—most likely Iwa, possibly Suna, or even Kiri.
After ending the chase, the Konoha forces entered the ruined fortress. Jiraiya and the other leaders explored the massive structure.
Even as a ruin, the fortress's former majesty was evident. It had stood tall for decades, only to be dismantled by Masashi.
Everyone agreed that his performance in this war was extraordinary.
Of course, this was partly because the Kumo ninjas hadn't realized there was a second Kage-level ninja on Konoha's side and had focused entirely on Jiraiya.
Had Masashi not used the reanimated ninjas, he could never have destroyed such a fortress overnight or defeated the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki quickly.
And no one doubted his claims.
If the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki had escaped, that would have been surprising.
The fortress had been destroyed, but its northern section remained relatively intact. The Konoha forces decided to occupy this portion.
Jiraiya wandered around the ruins and eventually found a reasonably intact room to use as a temporary office.
Once settled, the first thing he did was summon Masashi.
