At a glance, as far as the eye could see, the village buildings were mostly forged from stone and took on a dark gray tone. The structures looked heavy and solid, matching the harsh land they stood on. Everything gave off a sense of endurance shaped by rock and dust.
At this moment, cries of pain echoed nonstop from inside the hospital of Iwagakure. The sounds rose and fell in waves, making passersby slow their steps. It was clear that someone inside was suffering badly.
"Ow, my waist! Easy, easy! Ah!"
"Tsuchikage-sama, please hold on a little longer! It will be done soon!"
On the hospital bed, several nurses pinned down the limbs of a short old man, while a large and sturdy head nurse pressed firmly against his lower back. The old man buried his face in the pillow and struggled, his body tense under their hands. His protests only grew louder as they worked.
"You make it sound so simple, I… ow!!"
kacha!
With a crisp sound, the short old man suddenly lifted his head from the pillow and let out a howl mixed with pain and relief. His eyes widened as the sensation shot through his body. The sound echoed sharply through the room.
"All done."
The head nurse clapped her hands with practiced ease and looked at the old man lying face down, smiling helplessly. Her tone carried a hint of complaint as she spoke. "Tsuchikage-sama, please stop moving around."
"Your last back injury has not healed yet. We told you to rest in the hospital, you refused, and we told you again to recover properly at home. It has only been a few days and you hurt your back again. You really do not take care of yourself."
If she had not said it, no one would have believed that this old man lying on the bed, groaning softly in discomfort, was the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure. His current state made him look more like a stubborn patient than a legendary figure. Age showed clearly in every movement he made.
As the grandson of the First Tsuchikage and the direct disciple of the Second Tsuchikage, his strength was once considered overwhelming. He bore the name Onoki of the Two Scales, mastered Earth Release, and could even use Kekkei Tota above ordinary Kekkei Genkai, known as Dust Release. Even so, he could not escape the slow erosion of time.
"What do you know?"
Feeling that his authority had been challenged, Onoki wrinkled his large red nose and forced himself upright as he complained loudly. "I am not even fifty yet. I am still in my prime. This little injury is nothing worth mentioning."
"Iwagakure cannot function without me. You… ow!"
While Onoki continued to rant, the burly head nurse ignored him and directly fixed a brace onto his lower back. The sudden pressure made the old man cry out again. His voice cracked as the pain surged.
"Yes, yes, Tsuchikage-sama. Everyone in Iwagakure knows you are our pillar."
The head nurse curled her lips and carefully turned the small old man onto his side. She then warned him seriously. "But you must put your own health first. You have too many old injuries, and as you grow older, they will all start to surface."
"If you twist your waist again, this problem will follow you for the rest of your life. It will seriously affect both your daily life and your combat ability."
Onoki snorted in displeasure but did not argue anymore. He lay obediently on the hospital bed and said impatiently, "Fine, fine. I will stay in the hospital and rest for a while."
"Mm."
The head nurse nodded with satisfaction and grinned. "Tsuchikage-sama, I will help take you to the restroom."
"W wait! I do not want to go to the restroom right now!" Onoki's expression changed as panic crossed his face. "Even if I wanted to go, I can do it myself!"
"Be good, Tsuchikage-sama. You cannot move right now."
"No, no. I can use Ninjutsu! You know the Light and Heavy Rock Technique, right? I can fly!"
"I am not a ninja. I have no idea about light rocks or heavy rocks."
Knock knock.
A heavy knock came from the door, and the head nurse instinctively stopped. Onoki immediately let out a breath of relief and called out, "Come in!"
Although she seemed disrespectful to Onoki, it was only professional concern for a patient. Knowing her limits, the head nurse quietly left the room. The door closed softly behind her.
Bang.
A very tall and burly figure walked in, accidentally bumping his head on the door frame. Rubbing his head, he looked at Onoki on the bed and spoke in a deep, muffled voice. "Father, how is your body?"
The man wore a red ninja hat and a tight red combat outfit, with brown Jonin armor layered over it. His build was imposing, and his large nose looked exactly like Onoki's. He was none other than Onoki's son, Kitsuchi.
"Information from ANBU?"
Lying on the bed, Onoki took the Scroll from Kitsuchi's hand. After scanning it briefly, he frowned deeply. His eyes moved quickly across the text.
"Ryuji Hyuga? From the Hyuga Clan?"
He spoke in surprise. "No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi was able to unify the ninja clans of Konoha and respond so cleanly. It turns out members of the Hyuga Clan were working with him."
"Tsk tsk. Listen to this. 'If our heads already hang over a tiger's mouth, reason alone cannot pull us out.' This was actually said by a kid."
Onoki clicked his tongue as he read through the detailed process recorded by the Jonin Council. Yet a trace of envy and jealousy flashed through his eyes. His gaze lingered on certain lines longer than others.
"A member of the Hyuga who does not focus on Taijutsu but instead trains Ninjutsu is rare. This is not a choice just anyone can make. To reach this level, with such steady temperament, is even rarer."
Konoha truly produced outstanding people. Every time it seemed that Konoha had no successors and had fallen into a Zetsu state, young talents would step forward to turn the tide and hold up the crumbling structure.
If nothing unexpected happened, this boy named Ryuji Hyuga would soon step onto the battlefield with even greater strength. With the deep Ninjutsu and secret technique foundations of Konoha, as long as one showed value and talent, there would always be a technique suited to them.
The former Three Ninja of Konoha, the former Minato Namikaze, and now Ryuji Hyuga. Who would it be next?
Looking at Ryuji Hyuga's appearance in the report, at the gentle smile on his face, Onoki turned his head to look at Kitsuchi beside him. Comparing goods made the difference painfully clear. The gap in image alone was enormous.
With that thought, Onoki slapped Kitsuchi on the head, making him look confused as he scratched his hair. Kitsuchi did not understand why, but said nothing. The room fell quiet again.
As Onoki continued reading, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter. "The abyss in the Land of Hot Water. A power that changes terrain. A suspected monster breaking free of a seal." He muttered the intelligence collected by ANBU from the Scroll.
It was not until he saw that both Kumogakure and Konoha had secretly sent people to Land of Hot Water that he closed the Scroll. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, his expression turning serious.
If it were only Kumogakure, it would not mean much. Those brainless brutes always swung their clubs whether there was a target or not. But now even Konoha was reallocating manpower to form a team for Land of Hot Water during such a critical prewar period.
That could only mean one thing. There really was something valuable there.
"Father, do we need to do anything?" Kitsuchi asked at the right moment.
Onoki nodded, then quickly shook his head. "We will act, but not personally."
"The brutes from Kumogakure chase our people like mortal enemies whenever they see us. Is it not just because we killed their Third Raikage?"
He complained through clenched teeth, then pulled out another Scroll from his robe and handed it to Kitsuchi. Kitsuchi opened it, and his eyes widened slightly at the names listed.
"Kakuzu, the Hollowanyuan Group, the Prajna Group, the Jashin Cult… and all kinds of bounty ninja and teams."
Kitsuchi looked up at Onoki and asked, "Father, do you want to hire these bounty ninja to investigate Land of Hot Water?"
The Hollowanyuan Group had a strong reputation in the black market. They claimed to belong to no village and no master, living by taking payment to eliminate trouble, and were known as ninja who hunted ninja.
As for Kakuzu, the so called immortal, his mission completion rate in the underground black market was close to perfect. He had records of killing A rank missing nin and even Jonin. The Jashin Cult itself was an extremist religious group native to the Land of Hot Water.
Kitsuchi did not underestimate bounty ninja. Anyone who could build such a reputation clearly had real ability. The black market was a chaotic place, filled with all kinds of people, but never good people.
Anyone who survived there and made a name for themselves had blood on their hands. That was the rule of the market.
"These bounty ninja and teams are all quite useful. They are experienced fighters."