Chapter 159: Minato's Request
After completing Troy's chakra replication, Uchiha Tatsuhata released the Genjutsu: Shackling Stakes, allowing Troy to awaken from the illusion where metal spikes had nailed his entire body immobile.
But by this point, even escaping genjutsu's grip proved futile.
Tatsuhata gripped his throat, slowly, decisively, inch by inch tightening his hold. Troy felt what true despair meant. He watched himself approach death step by step with full clarity, yet remained completely powerless. Replica Cloud ninja held his limbs. Even his diamond shuriken had been confiscated.
Finally, accompanied by a crisp bone-snapping sound, Troy at last escaped this brief yet interminable suffering. His head—deprived of cervical support—silently collapsed.
Tatsuhata released his grip. The replica Cloud ninja simultaneously let go. The genius Magnetic Release ninja's corpse crashed to the ground, sprawled across the chaotic, frozen earth, rapidly losing warmth.
The pitcher plant-like Black Zetsu slowly emerged from beside him, bringing latest intelligence. "Tatsuhata, Cloud ninja have discovered those corpses. They're rushing this direction. If you intend leaving, act quickly."
"Let's go."
Tatsuhata glanced at Troy's corpse. All participants at the front-line camp who'd murdered Torajiro had been dealt with. Next came Kumogakure itself—making those who killed his brother pay appropriate prices.
He snapped his fingers.
All replicas dissolved their physical forms, dispersing as chakra radiance. The vast training ground contained only himself. Black Zetsu—that guy—had already submerged underground and vanished the moment "let's go" left his lips.
Tatsuhata took one final look at Troy's corpse before his figure likewise slowly sank underground.
Approximately five seconds later, Cloud ninja arrived like arrows, spreading around the training ground's perimeter, searching for the perpetrator's traces. But their efforts were destined for futility. Beyond this scene bearing dual identities as training ground and battlefield, only Troy's corpse remained.
After Cloud ninja thoroughly searched the barrier-covered training ground, C—flanked by numerous guards—entered. He saw those square timber posts, saw cutting damage traces across the ground, saw... Troy's still-warm corpse.
C's expression hardened like iron, showing no emotion at Troy's corpse.
Before reaching this training ground, he'd already examined over twenty Cloud ninja corpses, killed separately throughout camp in different locations with varying death conditions.
"C-sama, this subordinate is incompetent. The perpetrator should have already escaped. We cannot find any traces to track."
The first Cloud ninja who'd burst into the training ground knelt on one knee before C, dispirited as a defeated rooster, morale plummeting.
He considered himself among Kumogakure's foremost investigation and tracking specialists, his capabilities a source of confidence. Yet today he'd encountered his career's greatest challenge—completely unable to capture any traces of the perpetrator who'd infiltrated their camp killing over twenty Cloud ninja, including Deputy Commander Troy.
Obviously, the opponent's stealth techniques utterly defeated his investigation methods.
Hearing his subordinate's report, C also fell into prolonged silence. He stared at Troy's body momentarily. As an expert in killing for many years, he could see Troy died from crushed throat.
Meaning Troy had been captured alive during combat.
And possessing capability to capture Troy alive in such short time... the perpetrator was absolutely no ordinary person!
C issued orders. "Summon the Corpse Disposal Team. First clarify Troy's cause of death. Troy's body certainly retains more information."
Corpse Disposal Team members were busy examining the other murdered Cloud ninja corpses. Over twenty corpses required comprehensive examination—a substantial undertaking. Even cursory inspection would consume considerable time.
As corpses remained longer, some residual information might vanish or change with time's passage. Therefore, compared to examining instantly fatal corpses, Troy's body—bearing obvious resistance traces—undoubtedly possessed higher investigative value.
His orders were executed.
C approached those square timber posts, scrutinizing them with confusion. Training ground wooden posts were typically cylindrical. Square posts like these were genuinely unprecedented. Moreover, specifications and sizes completely differed—these square posts qualified as pillars.
"These things..."
C touched a wooden post, obvious confusion appearing on his face.
He asked aloud, "Where were these wooden posts purchased?"
Nearby subordinates whispered among themselves before someone answered. "C-sama, we've never purchased such posts. More precisely, no ninja tool shop in the village produces training posts of these specifications."
"None?"
C's pupils contracted sharply. He suddenly turned toward his subordinate. "Certain?"
"Certain."
The subordinate's answer proved equally firm.
C took a deep breath, turning back toward the massive square post. His hands grasped it, arm muscles bulging suddenly. Exerting full body strength, he forcibly extracted the post from underground. Dense roots grew from the portion embedded in earth—many torn apart by his violent extraction.
"This... this is a tree?"
"Dead wood revived?"
"No, that's wrong. This is... Wood Release?"
Someone finally voiced C's speculation. He surveyed the surrounding square posts, mood exceptionally grave. These things proved the perpetrator possessed Wood Release bloodline limit.
Only Konoha possessed Wood Release bloodline limit. Though apparently no one had mastered it since the First Hokage's death, recently someone in Konoha had reportedly mastered Wood Release again.
"Issue orders immediately. Enter Level One combat readiness. Everyone stay alert, guard against Konoha attacks. Simultaneously contact the village—report this situation to Raikage-sama."
C issued stern commands.
Thus, Cloud ninja entered maximum combat readiness. Their difficult-to-conceal movements were naturally detected by Konoha's side, stimulating Konoha shinobi to face a formidable enemy—likewise sounding alarms, defending against Cloud ninja attacks.
After Troy's corpse investigation produced results revealing traces of Sharingan genjutsu domination in his brain, combined with on-site Wood Release remnants, all evidence pointed toward Konoha. The perpetrator who killed Troy and others was a Konoha ninja.
The recently relaxed atmosphere at the Yu no Kuni-Frost Country border instantly plummeted to freezing point. Konoha ninja and Cloud ninja stood battle-ready, both prepared for slaughter.
Thick gunpowder scent permeated the air. Only a small spark needed ignition for great war between Konoha and Cloud ninja to immediately erupt.
---
Konoha Village.
After assuming the position of Anti-Colossal Combat Weapon Disposal Unit head, Hyuga Ritsu couldn't continue daily seclusion in the clan compound. After all, Minato had prepared a private office for him in the Hokage building.
He could only commute daily for work attendance.
Fortunately, because training Nohara Rin to master the Three-Tails required it, his actual office location was Training Ground 44 at the village's edge. While training Rin, he himself possessed sufficient time and energy for training—primarily researching Wood Release and Wind Release techniques.
Unlike Ritsu's gratifying Wood Release and Wind Release research progress, Rin's training in mastering the Three-Tails proved quite inauspicious. Perhaps her internal seal was excessively solid—she still couldn't enter her consciousness depths to meet the Three-Tails sealed within her. Therefore, befriending the Three-Tails showed absolutely zero progress.
"Rin, keep trying!"
Hyuga Akiba loudly cheered for her friend.
However, this only caused Rin to fail meditation once again. She somewhat helplessly opened her eyes, glancing at Akiba being scolded by Uchiha Aika pulling her ear, then stood to move her body—numb from prolonged sitting.
Though mastering the Three-Tails' power showed zero progress these past days, her dramatically increased sleep time made her complexion quite healthy.
BOOM!
A roar transmitted from distant forest depths. Strong winds howled past, disheveling the girls' hair.
Nohara Rin looked toward where the massive sound originated. Ritsu-senpai was training there. One must acknowledge his genius praised by Minato-sensei—in less than a week, Ritsu had trained initially half-familiar Wind Release techniques to extremely sophisticated levels, even developing tremendously powerful jutsu.
By comparison, if Ritsu-senpai's talent shone brilliantly as sun and moon, her own abilities truly resembled firefly-level insignificance.
Thinking this, the girl's heart added another measure of melancholy. She couldn't help releasing a long sigh.
"Rin, failed again?"
A gentle voice entered her ears.
Rin looked at Ritsu appearing before her. Her gaze involuntarily attracted to his blood-drenched right hand, eyes widening with some panic. "Ritsu-senpai, your hand! Let me heal—?"
Ritsu shook his right arm, flinging off blood traces, leaving only dried marks. He smiled. "Rin, don't worry. My arm only looks scary. The wounds are actually quite shallow—already healed now."
Rin hesitated.
Wounds quite shallow?
Just examining the remaining dark red spider web-like dried blood traces revealed bleeding volume was certainly substantial. But presently, Ritsu's arm indeed bore no wounds—one could only say Ritsu-senpai's recovery power was monstrously formidable.
Ritsu didn't intend discussing his arm injury further, pursuing the matter. "Rin, I heard you sighing. Still unable to calm your mind and find the Three-Tails in your consciousness depths?"
Rin shook her head, somewhat dejectedly lowering her gaze, saying softly, "Still impossible. Either I can't calm down, or I directly fall asleep."
Hearing this, Ritsu couldn't help scratching his head.
He'd considered Rin losing control and rampaging. To this end, he'd learned all learnable Wood Release techniques from the First Hokage's scrolls Minato gave him. Though many techniques required combining Yang Release or even Yin Release to unleash true power, overall, all Wood Release techniques were thoroughly understood.
Unfortunately, he'd discovered some estimation errors. He hadn't anticipated the problem he'd face wasn't Rin losing control to the Three-Tails' power during mastery attempts. Rather—how to let jinchuriki Rin meet the sealed Three-Tails in her consciousness depths.
Clearly, memory suggested jinchuriki quite easily met internal tailed beasts. Why was Rin's case so difficult?
Ritsu pondered two seconds before consoling. "Rin, don't be anxious. This fundamentally isn't something quickly resolved. The more anxious you become, the easier for the tailed beast to exploit weaknesses. Difficulty entering meditative states to meet the Three-Tails in consciousness depths isn't necessarily your capability problem—possibly your seal is excessively solid."
"Like locking a door without giving you the key. You can only futilely attempt pushing from outside. Perhaps you could use brute force to open the locked door, but this definitely won't be simple... Conveniently, Hokage-sama arrived. I'll discuss your situation with him—see if we can loosen your bindings!"
Speaking thus, Ritsu turned, looking toward Minato appearing behind him.
"Hokage-sama, rather early today! Not yet lunchtime—did something happen? Have Cloud ninja truly declared war on us?"
Ritsu looked at the somewhat tense Minato, asking curiously.
He'd heard about the tense standoff at the Yu no Kuni front immediately yesterday. After all, his teacher Hiruko was now Hokage Advisor, qualified to access nearly all village secrets. Master and student had even discussed last night, feeling this was good news—perhaps they could exploit this opportunity to reach the front.
Minato shook his head, denying. "Cloud ninja haven't declared war yet."
Finishing, he took a deep breath, looking at Ritsu with serious expression. "Though Cloud ninja haven't declared war, Hyuga Clan Head, I wish to request you go to the Yu no Kuni front, replacing Jiraiya-sensei to garrison there temporarily."
Ritsu blinked puzzledly. What was this?
Someone proactively delivering pillows when drowsiness arrived?
****
50+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces