Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 53
🕑 Added 2024-12-07 21:00:37 +0000 UTCThe Land of Water, with its mountains and waters, is shrouded in mist year-round. From a distance, the layers of mountains appear lush and green, with mist swirling atop their peaks, mountain after mountain, mist upon mist.
The densely layered mountains revealed no trace of villages or rice fields. They resembled drunk old men, wobbling unsteadily.
But as one approached and stood at the foot of the mountains, their true form was revealed—chaotic, grand, and peculiar.
Looking up, the mountains seem to merge with the sky, and the sky with the mountains. Surrounded on all sides, one could easily lose their sense of direction.
In this environment, the Kiri ninjas developed a combat style vastly different from that of mainland shinobi. Even in war, it was rare to see them launch a full-on frontal assault.
Their mainstream tactics were probing, maneuvering, exchanging information, finding weaknesses, and ambushes.
Patience was a virtue of the Kiri ninjas.
Masashi was familiar with their style and understood the general shortcomings of them.
Their lack of skill in direct assaults also meant they lacked resilience for secondary attacks. Thus, he could often easily defeat them, though he deliberately held back from lethal force.
After multiple encounters, he noticed he hadn't seen a single shinobi from the ninja clans. The pattern was too consistent to be coincidental.
It seemed that internal divisions were beginning to surface within Kiri.
Normally, if a foreign elite ninja infiltrated their territory, the clan shinobi would be the first to act.
For high-ranking shinobi, their bodies themselves are treasures.
When the Iwa ninjas killed the Third Raikage, Kumo didn't wage full-scale war on Iwa because the latter returned the Raikage's body untouched.
Aside from this, ninja clan members with superior individual combat abilities were better suited to intercepting high-level threats.
The absence of Kiri ninja clans despite knowing a foreign elite ninja was present could only mean their conflicts with the Mizukage's administration were becoming apparent.
Once tensions erupted, it would usher in the most brutal era of the Bloody Mist.
This reasoning was clear, but in his memory, several of his "old friends" were not the type to quietly accept family arrangements.
"Kiri has been deploying more and more troops," Pakura remarked to him from a mountain slope, watching the ninjas vanish into the fog.
The two had just finished a ration pill break when the Kiri ninjas found them again. Though they repelled the attacks with ease, the frequency of encounters was increasing.
"They're learning. But not fast enough," Masashi noted, scanning the mist with his Sharingan.
"We can't keep this up forever," Pakura pointed out, checking their dwindling supplies.
By now, she knew that Masashi possessed a space-time ninjutsu that allowed him to escape encirclements instantly. But against an entire village, they couldn't keep playing cat and mouse forever.
The Kiri ninjas were gradually restricting their range of activity.
"Yeah, it's definitely increasing," Masashi replied. Where are you, Obito?
Obito had yet to show himself, nor had the old friends.
If there was any progress, it was that he had fully laid the Flying Thunder God pathway to Kiri.
But if this stalemate continued, he'd have to consider leaving. After all, their ration pills were running out.
"Let's wait one more time," he calculated the frequency of the Kiri ninja appearances. "If they still don't show up, we'll officially retreat. For now, let's move outward."
"Alright," Pakura agreed with a nod.
The two had avoided lethal force during this time, and the Kiri ninjas, understanding this signal, mostly engaged them with a "just doing the job" attitude.
Not every Kiri ninja held grudges against the White Ghost or Pakura.
---
As Masashi and Pakura began moving outward, someone observing in secret grew anxious.
"Leaving so soon?"
From a tree, Zetsu poked its head out. In the distance, Masashi and Pakura were little more than dots on the horizon.
From a bird's-eye view, countless black dots—Kiri ninja—were closing in on their position, attempting to intercept the two.
But against the Flying Thunder God, such attempts were futile.
The greatest strength of the technique was granting its user complete control over their battlefield movements—freedom to come and go as they pleased.
In combat, it enabled both offense and defense.
In Zetsu's "vision," the Kiri ninja barely had a chance to glimpse Masashi before he used the Flying Thunder God to vanish with Pakura.
"The plan is a complete failure…"
He mused.
Obito had visited Konoha and returned badly injured, his hatred for Masashi reaching unprecedented levels.
This time, Zetsu had known Masashi was the intruder and had hoped to trap him. However, Obito wanted the Kiri ninjas to capture or kill him, using this as a pretext to attack Konoha and incite further chaos.
Destroying the Uchiha had always been the goal.
While Konoha's political environment had changed, the conflict between ninja villages and clans hadn't disappeared.
But the current situation left him thinking this operation had been a disaster.
The White Ghost's reputation would likely haunt the Kiri ninjas as a nightmare. Killing would only bring hatred, but overwhelming the Kiri ninjas so completely would shatter their morale.
Many shared Zetsu's sentiment.
---
As Masashi moved outward, Mangetsu, Mei, Zabuza, and Ameyuri also sprang into action.
After the death of Fuguki, the previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was wiped out.
Following Kisame's defection with the Samehada, the village had hurriedly assigned Mangetsu, Zabuza, and Ameyuri as successors to their respective swords. These three were the only remaining members of the current generation of Seven Swordsmen.
The group headed to intercept Masashi.
They acted independently of the other Kiri ninjas. Mei, perhaps, was an exception, but Mangetsu had outright snuck out.
Their destination was a coastal area where Masashi had reportedly first landed.
Both the Flying Thunder God and the Edo Tensei had been battlefield legends since Tobirama's era. Veteran ninja clans knew them well.
Intercepting a Flying Thunder God user with numbers alone was futile.
If this ninja also had plenty of chakra, it was better to give up.
At the coastline, the group began their vigil.
Waves crashed against the rocks, filling the air with the sound of water. Each ninja checked their gear.
By nightfall, they lit a bonfire.
With Masashi's pride, he would undoubtedly approach if he saw the fire.
Zabuza and Ameyuri, unfamiliar with him, were skeptical but didn't oppose the plan.
To Mangetsu and Mei, however, Masashi was even more arrogant than his clan.
As night fell, the fire drove away some of the cold. Each of the four stared at the ever-changing flames, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Mangetsu grinned.
"He's here."
The others followed his gaze to the east.
A faint silhouette emerged from the shadows.
Zabuza reversed his grip on the Executioner's Blade, his expression devoid of anger, desire, or any discernible emotion.
His gaze was hollow.
A young man skilled in silent killing techniques and water jutsu, Zabuza had already become one of Kiri's most elite ninja. Most of his enemies lost their lives before even sensing his presence.
When he acted, he concealed all traces of his existence with precision, including his emotions. Yet, sweat glistened on his forehead—not out of effort, but fear, a physical reaction triggered by shock.
Zabuza could see the figure standing in the shadows but could not sense their presence. His grip tightened on the Executioner's Blade, muscles tensing involuntarily.
Even in Kiri, those who mastered silent killing to this extent were exceedingly rare. The person before him was a level above.
In contrast, Ameyuri appeared far more spirited. The girl gripped her Lightning Blades tightly, her face brimming with excitement.
Mei, however, was tense.
Of everyone present, she had the most encounters with Masashi and could sense the difference.
On the other hand, Mangetsu carried the Twinsword casually over his shoulder, exuding an air of nonchalance.
Glancing at the shadowed figure, he spoke with mild annoyance, "Hey, you're acting pretty high and mighty these days, aren't you?"
"Not at all." The man stepped out from the darkness.
The firelight illuminated his face.
Though he wore neither a Konoha forehead protector nor the standard attire of Konoha shinobi, the Sharingan in his eyes left no doubt about his identity.
The White Ghost.
Known for his water mastery bordering on the absurd and his merciless efficiency in taking the lives of Kiri ninjas, the White Ghost's name struck fear across the battlefield.
During the Third Great Ninja War, whenever the Kiri ninjas saw towering waves ahead, they knew the White Ghost was leading the charge. Those with advanced bloodline limits would immediately retreat.
The Silent Killing Technique, the Hidden Mist Technique, Boil Release, Ice Release—any one of these techniques could serve as the cornerstone of a formidable organization.
No matter how prosperous Kiri was, they couldn't afford such devastation.
The last time the White Ghost infiltrated, thousands of Kiri ninjas chased him in vain. Later analysis revealed they weren't even his first victims.
Konoha itself had suffered prior.
The Flying Thunder God was a secret technique of the Hokage lineage, not taught to Uchiha. It had to have been stolen!
For a brief moment, some in Kiri considered reaching out to the Uchiha clan, proposing that the White Ghost join their village.
The feud between the Uchiha clan and the Hokage's leadership wasn't exactly a secret. Developing an Uchiha branch in Kiri seemed like a strategic move. After all, they were all ancient clans with a tradition of diversifying their investments.
Rumor even had it that the White Ghost was a notorious flirt, and the kunoichi of the Land of Water were famously alluring. Mei was both beautiful and powerful—a perfect match.
Such rumors gained traction, and her suitors vanished overnight, fearing the White Ghost might arrive on their doorstep demanding more jutsu.
Mei was livid.
So, upon seeing him finally appear, she skipped the pleasantries and cut straight to the point. "Are you here to meet Fuguki?"
"Mei, still so impatient." Masashi chuckled. From a certain perspective, Mei was one of his "benefactors." Though she might disagree with that assessment.
Although he accidentally tore her clothes once, that had truly been an accident—she'd been running too fast.
He always treated his benefactors with familial warmth. Unfortunately, far too many people misunderstood him.
Reflecting on this, he couldn't help but touch his face.
How many slaps had he endured in his "first playthrough"?
This time around, only one. Mei's.
"Why are you alone?" She noticed his gesture and felt a wave of satisfaction. "Where's the person you rescued—Pakura?"
"Pakura? Who's that?" Masashi feigned ignorance. He hadn't brought Pakura along precisely to avoid complications.
"Don't play dumb. That's between Suna and us," Mei retorted. "She's not from Konoha. Are you protecting her because you want her Scorch Release?"
"Oh, you mean Suna's Scorch Release user." Masashi nodded casually. "I saved her because it was convenient. Good deeds bring good karma."
He raised his brows at her, a sly grin on his face. "Remember, Mei—I saved you too."
The other three turned their gazes to Mei in unison.
"Freezing me with ice before unfreezing me doesn't count as saving me!" Mei fumed, holding back her anger. "Let's get to the point. Are you here to meet Fuguki or not?"
"What happened then?" Mangetsu suddenly chimed in. "You two didn't really... have something going on, did you?"
Nobody in Kiri knew what transpired between Mei and the White Ghost back then. They only knew he emerged with mastery of Boil Release, blended seamlessly with water to wreak havoc.
Normally, this would warrant interrogation to confirm whether he'd used seduction techniques. But Mei's backer was Elder Genji, so no one dared challenge her. Instead, the Kiri forces concluded: White Ghost could copy bloodline limits.
"Nothing happened," Mei snapped, glaring daggers at Masashi. "I just barely escaped being captured."
"Then, you're here for this mission, aren't you?"
"Correct," Masashi admitted. "But Fuguki's death was unexpected."
Kiri's succession methods were rough.
"So, you'll honor the agreement, right?"
"Fuguki's death was an accident," Mangetsu replied, his casual demeanor hardening slightly. "But I personally see no need to continue. We can handle our own problems. Raise the price, and it's off the table."
Mangetsu was cut short by Masashi's next words.
"If I told you your Fourth Mizukage is under genjutsu control," Masashi said with a smile, watching their reactions carefully, "would you still be so confident?"
