I'm done… just let it all be destroyed…
Rōshi finally felt that even the faintest shred of hope had vanished.
After a long silence, he lifted his head, staring up at the ceiling, then turned to his advisor.
"Do you remember that technique the Second Tsuchikage, Lord Mū, left behind back then?"
The advisor's expression changed instantly. "You mean… that one?!"
"Yes. That one."
Rōshi gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
"Back then, the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's technique put us through hell. Even Lord Mū had little way to counter it."
"After the war ended, Lord Mū and his subordinates developed a similar jutsu… but in the end, we were no match for Tobirama's genius. By the time development stopped, the technique still lacked true immortality."
"I never wanted to disturb the peace of the dead… but now we have no choice."
"Wait, Lord Tsuchikage," the advisor asked urgently. "You're not planning to summon those people, are you?!"
Rōshi nodded.
"The three of them are the strongest shinobi Iwagakure has ever produced. Even if I had personal grievances with one of them, his strength cannot be denied."
"What matters now is Iwagakure's survival. Nothing else comes first."
"No, Lord Tsuchikage!" the advisor said hastily. "I have no objection to reviving the first two—but Ōnoki absolutely cannot be revived."
"This technique has too many restrictions. The caster cannot forcibly control the revived, and there is a strict time limit."
"Ōnoki's ambition was too great. If he's revived, he'll do everything he can to remain alive and reclaim control of Iwagakure."
"When the village faced crises before, he never even considered using this technique, calling it a 'last trump card.'"
"In reality, he feared his own teacher returning and competing with him for power. He clutched authority until his dying breath."
"There's no time to worry about that," Rōshi snapped, standing up abruptly. "If the village is gone, what use is power?"
"Even using the finest sacrifices and their own remains as mediums, their revived strength will be at most half of what it once was."
"Whether it's a jinchūriki, Kakuzu, or Hanzō of the Salamander—dealing with them requires at least Kage-level power."
"The three of them together barely qualify as one Kage-level combatant."
"Kakuzu is an S-rank rogue ninja. His strength is at least Kage-level. Someone like that wandering around Iwagakure every day is like a blade pressed to our throats—we must deal with him first."
"A lone Kage-level shinobi who wants to escape can't be stopped by numbers. Unless they're covering a retreat, no amount of troops can hold them."
"To intercept him, we need someone of equal strength. I don't have that power right now—so only they can be sent."
"Damn Ōnoki… causing trouble even in death, leaving behind this mess."
"I really shouldn't have agreed to become Tsuchikage. Wouldn't it have been better to let those old fools serve as caretakers?"
Once again, Rōshi cursed Ōnoki silently.
"Let's go. I'll prepare the jutsu," he said, turning to his advisor.
"Bring me the sacrifices and the Heart Stones. Then hand the matter of 'Kai' over to the sealing team."
…
Before long, Rōshi arrived in an underground chamber. Staring at the three coffins before him, a complex emotion rose in his chest.
"Forgive my disrespect, my lords… and Ōnoki—since you left this mess behind, it's time you got up and cleaned some of it."
As he formed hand seals, the three coffins slowly rose. Carved into their lids were the characters:
"First."
"Second."
"Third."
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The lids fell away, revealing three sets of remains. The "First" and "Second" coffins contained nothing but skeletons. Only the "Third"—Ōnoki—still retained flesh.
"Summoning Jutsu: Netherworld Reincarnation."
…
"How long will our food supplies last?" Hanzō asked, turning to an Ame-nin behind him.
"About two weeks."
"Any reports from the scouts?"
"According to the intelligence, more than a thousand Iwa-nin were previously gathered along the main route ahead, but they all withdrew not long ago."
"In addition, reports from around Iwagakure indicate that several thousand troops have gathered along the village perimeter. Numerous Earth Style defensive structures have been erected, and a large portion of Iwa-nin are now equipped with gas masks."
"Besides the sensory barrier covering the village, defensive barriers are also preparing to activate."
"All these measures clearly target your techniques, Lord Hanzō."
"There are likely many traps ahead as well."
"If we launch a direct attack, the chances of victory are low."
"They've abandoned all other defensive lines and plan to fight us to the death at Iwagakure?" Hanzō said calmly.
"Iwagakure is best at defense. They've clearly prepared for my explosives. A repeat of what happened at the Land of Fire's border likely won't happen again."
"Using their barriers as the foundation, troops as support, and supplies as backing, they've built a complete defensive system. Unless we tear open a breach in the barrier first, breaking in would take at least a year—we'd be dragged down long before that."
"Combined Earth Style jutsu are another problem. When thousands cast the same technique together, the destructive power surpasses even S-rank jutsu."
"With Iwagakure right behind them, they can rotate shinobi once chakra runs dry. Their logistics can absolutely support it."
"How did Iwagakure become this cautious?"
"Should we call the Five-Tails back and add another Tailed Beast Ball…?"
Hanzō turned to the ninja.
"Pass down the order. Advance slowly and watch for traps."
"What would normally take three days—stretch it to at least seven."
"Yes," The Ame-nin replied, asking no further questions as he hurried off to relay the command.
No matter what Hanzō ordered, the Ame-nin would carry it out without hesitation—even if it meant death.
That was the faith of Amegakure.
And Hanzō himself was waiting for the right moment.
By his calculations, it would arrive soon. Until then, he intended to maintain constant pressure on Iwagakure.
When the true enemy finally descended, they would become the final straw that crushed Iwagakure completely…
---
In the Land of Hot Water, a group of Kumo-nin arrived at Kumogakure's main camp, escorting a massive water jar.
The Kumo-nin captain spoke urgently to the sentries.
"Notify the commander immediately. We have critical intelligence to report."
"This concerns the outcome of the war against Konoha. Please hurry."
After confirming their chakra signatures and identities, the sentries relayed the message to the commander.
Moments later, a scar-faced man stepped forward.
"I'm the commanding officer. What intelligence have you brought back?"
The Kumo-nin captain handed him a scroll, then pointed at the water jar.
"We brought back… a very valuable treasure."
-------------------------------///
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