Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 70
🕑 Added 2024-12-13 18:10:17 +0000 UTCAs the Konoha ninja army adjusted its strategy, with the main force standing by and shifting focus to annihilating enemy squads in field battles, the jonin, including Masashi, were given some rest.
Jiraiya set up a rotation system, keeping only a few jonin on duty at a time.
Several jonin had gathered at one of the rest areas, discussing the recent strategic changes. The smell of tea filled the place as they debated the merits of their new approach.
"We're spreading our forces too thin," a senior jonin said, setting down his cup with a frown. "The enemy could exploit the gaps in our defense."
Masashi leaned against the wall, eyes half-closed. "Sometimes efficiency requires aggression. A direct approach with our full strength would end this faster."
"And risk more casualties?" Another jonin cut in, looking up from the map spread on the low table. "We've already lost enough people."
"Better quick losses than a drawn-out war." The longer we wait, the more variables enter the equation.
Although Masashi believed that given Konoha's current configuration, a direct and aggressive approach might be the most efficient, he deferred to the consensus. After all, at its core, a ninja village functioned as a service organization.
When Tobirama established the nomination system for the Hokage, it wasn't specifically targeting the Uchiha. At that time, the Uchiha themselves had no intention of vying for the position of the First Hokage. It was Hashirama's less-than-reliable handling of the matter that inadvertently put Madara on a rollercoaster of emotions.
With no combat missions for the moment, Masashi took the opportunity to enjoy the famed hot springs of Yu. However, soaking in the springs didn't mean neglecting his training.
His focus was on Lightning Release body techniques and Kagutsuchi.
The latter proved significantly more challenging. Kagutsuchi, a true Mangekyō Sharingan ability, was theoretically impossible to understand or utilize without awakening the Mangekyō.
Historically, most Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't clearly articulate their abilities. Every Mangekyō technique was born directly from the user's deepest desires, a system completely detached from conventional ninjutsu.
But Kai had managed to create this technique purely with the power of a three-tomoe Sharingan. Remarkably, it worked just like the Mangekyō version of Kagutsuchi.
Before divine beings entered the fray, any Mangekyō ability was a formidable weapon. Amaterasu could defeat almost anyone at a glance, representing the pinnacle of elemental transformation.
Tsukuyomi and Kotoamatsukami epitomized genjutsu, the former shattering minds with violence, the latter manipulating its victims without them ever noticing.
Kamui excelled in both offense and defense, reigning supreme among space-time techniques.
And Kagutsuchi, while seemingly less impactful than the aforementioned techniques, was unparalleled in shape manipulation.
Turning something inherently abstract into something akin to a standard ninjutsu was extraordinarily difficult. Even with a three-tomoe Sharingan, mastering it was no guarantee.
Fortunately, Masashi was one of the rare Uchiha who could properly wield ocular power at the three-tomoe stage. For him, Kagutsuchi was challenging but not impossible.
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In Yu's abandoned training grounds, now converted into tourist spots, the place was often filled with the sounds of crackling and explosions, with the occasional fire pillar shooting into the sky.
This kept the Yu ninja at a distance, though Uchiha clan members frequently visited to train together.
"It's like trying to grab smoke," one Uchiha member complained after another failed attempt.
"Because you're thinking of it as chakra. Think of it as an extension of your vision."
"But the flames won't stabilize!"
"That's the point. They're not meant to be stable. They're meant to be alive."
The jonin of the Uchiha clan had a straightforward strategy: unity.
Since the night of the Nine-Tails attack, the Uchiha understood the importance of acting collectively. Instead of endless debates over better tactics, they decided to band together and act decisively, adjusting strategies as needed.
This time was no exception. Whether or not Masashi inherited the Muzo's legacy, the sentiment was unanimous: support him.
In the training grounds today, a group of Uchiha was gathered, all honing their fire-release techniques. True to his pragmatic nature, Masashi included them in his training to share knowledge and elevate everyone's abilities.
"There's a qualitative threshold we're missing," Masashi explained, watching another attempt fizzle out. "Something beyond just strengthening our eyes."
"Like the difference between regular chakra and nature energy?" Tetsuka asked, his own Sharingan analyzing the failed technique.
"Exactly. But for each Uchiha, that threshold manifests differently." Just as every Mangekyō ability is unique to its wielder.
If Kagutsuchi could be popularized, an Uchiha ninja's standard capability in battle would shift from one-on-two to one-on-three. For the fire-specializing Uchiha clan, Kagutsuchi was nothing short of a divine weapon.
But as always, the fire remained unruly and uncooperative. The root issue was the difference between controlling ocular power and chakra.
"So what you're saying is..." a senior Uchiha began, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"We each need to find our own path to control." Masashi said. "The traditional path won't work here."
Chakra manipulation follows a rigorous and well-established system. Ocular power, however, was entirely subjective. If there was any guiding principle, it was simply this: "If you believe you can, then you can—even if you can't."
This left the group of Uchiha jonin scratching their heads, much to Masashi's frustration. He had hoped that someone in the group would experience a breakthrough to accelerate the progress. Instead, they were all struggling more than he was.
Shape manipulation was not a foreign concept to the Uchiha. Techniques like Fire Dragon Bomb and Dragon Flame Caterwaul all involved fire shape manipulation.
However, those techniques required hand signs, and the resulting shapes were fixed. Kagutsuchi, in contrast, demanded freeform manipulation, replacing hand signs with ocular power.
The fire created by this technique could be endlessly manipulated as long as it wasn't extinguished. Yet, none of them, including Masashi, could perform even basic shape transformations.
He concluded that the issue lay in insufficient ocular power. Just as chakra achieved qualitative change at a certain threshold, so too did ocular power. Before this threshold was reached, the only noticeable improvement was an enhancement of the Sharingan's basic functions.
He theorized that the qualitative change might vary for each individual. For Kai, it seemed to enhance control.
After another failed attempt, Masashi admitted to himself that he couldn't fully master the technique in his current state. Just like his Susanoo, which was inaccessible outside of Sage Mode, Kagutsuchi required a power boost from the Mangekyō.
"Step back a little, everyone," he announced, preparing to shift tactics.
"How far is 'a little' with you?" Tetsuka asked, already moving back.
"Far enough to not get burned I guess?"
The jonin promptly gave him space, knowing all too well that fire, once out of control, spared no one—even those proficient in fire.
With a single thought, Masashi tapped into the natural energy stored within him. Flame-like markings appeared on his face as his chakra and ocular power surged in Sage Mode.
He released a controlled amount of chakra, transforming it with fire nature, then used his ocular power to manipulate it. Drawing on Kai's "insights" and his own experience with Susanoo, he shaped the fire into a sword.
The flames twisted and danced before solidifying into the form of a blade, stable and precise. The gathered jonin marveled at the sight, crowding around to observe the fire sword.
"Why don't you try cutting something?" someone suggested.
Masashi nodded, walking to a nearby target and swinging the sword. The blade passed cleanly through, leaving the upper half of the target to slide off, its cut edge charred black.
Kagutsuchi had been successfully executed, with a perfect transformation. He would call it Sage Art: Kagutsuchi.
In the final days before the decisive battle, one of Masashi's main tasks was to accumulate natural energy.
After confirming that he couldn't use it without "buffing up," he stopped worrying about it.
Of course, he still practiced daily, but only briefly before deactivating it quickly.
Good resources should be saved for critical moments.
What was the point of a buff if it didn't let you last for a hundred rounds?
And so, finally, the time for a group brawl had arrived.
Konoha's military supplies had been replenished. Most importantly, Kumo's forces were beaten to the point where they could no longer operate in small, independent squads.
Without the havoc caused by the Nine-Tails, Konoha's basic combat strength was solid.
In the original timeline, Konoha's losses on the night of the Nine-Tails attack were concentrated among the genin. The higher-ranking jonin were mostly unharmed unless they recklessly got close to the Nine-Tails' claws.
As a result, Konoha in the original timeline, with its genin forces severely depleted, found itself unable to continue its confrontation with Kumo after a brief clash. Even though it knew Kumo's threats were habitual, Konoha dared not take risks and was forced to compromise.
This led to Konoha handing over Hizashi's corpse, with his Byakugan already destroyed. The high-ranking officials of Kumo understood that this was Konoha's bottom line. Any further provocation would lead to a desperate fight, something Kumo wanted to avoid.
Their goal was robbery, not war to the death. Thus, peace was achieved.
But in this timeline, the attitude of Konoha's clans was completely the opposite. They were more worried about Kumo suddenly deciding not to fight.
When Konoha's main forces departed from Yu, the clansmen marched with high spirits, brimming with fighting intent.
Thanks to the frequent skirmishes and reconnaissance battles during this time, the genin of clan origin had already earned their battle merits. With military supplies in place, there were no further worries.
Now it was time for the jonin to earn their share of merits.
On Earth, there was a certain big shot named Napoleon who liked to concentrate his artillery, calling it the "King of Battle."
In the shinobi world, the "King of Battle" was the jonin, and long ago, it was established that in large-scale fights, if there were enough jonin, some should always be grouped together.
The Konoha's army, numbering over ten thousand, spread out after leaving the village.
They continued using the traditional multi-front deep-penetration strategy.
This was necessary. Otherwise, it would just lead to unnecessary casualties. Clusters of jonin acted as spearheads, while chunin and genin stayed in small squad formations.
The mobilized Konoha ninjas advanced straight toward Kumo's main base.
As for the Kumo army, from the perspective of the entire Land of Hot Water, they had already lost their ability to gather intelligence on the periphery.
However, they still had enough strength to send out scouts.
Thus, when the Konoha ninjas approached the village that Kumo had turned into a stronghold, battles between scouts and guards broke out once again.
This did not hinder the main advance of Konoha's forces.
Masashi, like most of the jonin, moved alongside Jiraiya.
Pakura, however, had been sent out separately. Her Scorch Release was better suited for small squad combat.
But even while moving, Masashi didn't stop absorbing natural energy.
Finally, he saw the large village in the distance.
Once, this village had been the central battleground for countless ninja clans, its once-bustling streets turned into grim graveyards.
Over time, the area became a haunting place filled with bones, rumored to be a haven for ghosts.
But after the establishment of the One Country-One Village system, this village, located at a major transportation hub, regained its prosperity.
Otherwise, Kumo wouldn't have chosen it as a stronghold.
Jiraiya led a group of jonin to a high ground overlooking the battlefield.
Below them, on the plains, Konoha and Kumo ninjas were locked in fierce combat, the ground stained red with blood.
On the village walls, Kumo jonin were also watching, waiting for an opportunity to turn the tide.
They had noticed the group on the distant high ground. They knew those were the true opponents.
They had long been aware of the destruction of the fortress.
Konoha had somehow managed to accomplish it overnight. All the Kumo stationed there were annihilated, and the Eight-Tails jinchuriki was missing.
No one believed that Killer B was dead.
There were only minor signs of partial transformation at the site, something that didn't align with the norm.
A battle that fierce should have left more destruction, the Kumo commanders reasoned. It was clear he must have been captured.
But to destroy the fortress so thoroughly that Killer B couldn't even fully unleash the Eight-Tails? Only multiple Kage-level individuals leading a group of jonin could achieve that.
Jiraiya and the Konoha jonin couldn't possibly have sneaked there. Kumo wasn't so lax. Jiraiya and his group had always been in Yu.
Thus, Kumo suspected Iwa.
Possibly even Suna. After all, Suna was Konoha's ally, and they would relish the chance to strike at Kumo.
No smaller village could muster such power.
They had already sent messages back to their village, requesting reinforcements to investigate.
For now, they announced within the army that Killer B was on a secret mission.
But today, Konoha suddenly launched a massive offensive.
The timing was terrible for Kumo, coming right before their next supply shipment was due to arrive.
The loss of the fortress had severely weakened Kumo's supply capacity. Without that transit hub, transportation costs had skyrocketed, and safety had plummeted. Konoha not only hampered Kumo's reconnaissance efforts but also attacked their supply lines.
As a result, Kumo's resource stockpile was even tighter than when they first heard about the fortress's fall.
Many low-level Kumo ninjas didn't even have enough explosive tags.
At this moment, the Fourth Raikage stood on the village wall. Lightning chakra crackled around him intermittently, betraying his agitation.
His face showed no emotion.
Only those who knew him well could tell that this expression meant the Raikage was in an extremely foul mood.
"Yugito," he suddenly said.
"Yes, Raikage-sama," a female ninja responded.
"I'll hold off Jiraiya. Your task is to kill as many Konoha ninjas as possible. Avoid engaging their jonin."
"Understood."
"The rest of you, same as last time. Keep your opponents occupied."
"Yes!"
The group responded loudly, their voices filled with pent-up frustration. Konoha's tactics during this time had been utterly infuriating.
"Good! Move out!"
The Fourth Raikage barked before leaping off the village wall, his body already wrapped in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Reckless as always, Raikage-sama…" his guards muttered with wry smiles, but they followed, one after another.
Alongside them, other Kumo jonin jumped down as well, their formations tight and disciplined despite their commander's impulsive charge.
From his vantage point, Hizashi immediately relayed this information to the jonin, his Byakugan tracking every movement. "The Raikage is on the move, and so is their jinchuriki. They're splitting their forces—the Raikage's heading straight for us."
"Got it, Hizashi," Jiraiya said, stretching his limbs. "Let's go, too."
With that, he leapt from the high ground.
The Konoha jonin followed, smiling as they joined the charge. Finally, a real fight, their expressions seemed to say.
Among the eight great ninja clans, the Uchiha and Sarutobi clans were particularly excited.
These two clans excelled at battlefield assaults, and they thrived in scenarios like this.
Masashi didn't smile. He was too busy.
There was no time for grinning—every second spent gathering natural energy was crucial, as he would need it soon.
Following his clansmen, he quickly broke ahead of the pack, then summoned his beast.
With a deafening roar, a massive black snake appeared on the battlefield, Masashi standing atop its head.
"Kuro."
"Masashi, your orders?"
"See that cat? Charge straight at it!" His eyes fixed on Yugito.
