27 Chapter 27- Attacking Kirigakure
Ren Uchiha POV
His hands glowed green and the wound in the gut was finally sealed, signifying the completion of yet another surgery.
"Give him a blood replenishing pill and have him rest for the next two weeks." Tsunade ordered, sounding about as mentally exhausted as him.
The staff quickly left with the now healed Shinobi and when no one else came after that, he heaved a sigh of relief. "Was he the last one?"
"Yes. Last one for today. Tomorrow, we do this all over again." Tsunade said with a sardonic smile and he felt that familiar pang of guilt inside him once again.
How many Konoha shinobi have died in these skirmishes so far? How many more will die before this is all over?
"Don't look so upset." Tsunade said, giving him a comforting yet sad smile. "And don't burden yourself with unnecessary guilt. None of this is your fault. Do you understand?"
He nodded, and had he not known about the canon timeline, in which Konoha had 12 years of peace before Orochimaru's attack, then he might have believed her. But as it was, he knew that this war is taking place due to his existence. And he'll have to live with that knowledge.
They went outside and paused at the sight of and purple haired woman crying over the corpse of a man who wore Konoha's Jounin Jacket. Her heartbreaking wails akin to a hammer to his heart.
The man seemed to have been bisected in half. The death must've been instant. Even Tsunade would've struggled to heal a wound like this had she been in the battlefield herself.
He took a closer look and realised that he recognised the crying woman. Yugao Uzuki. A tier 5 waifu who would eventually sign up as an anbu. And the corpse she was crying over seemed familiar as well.
Observe told him that the guy was Hayate Geko. The one who was supposed to die at Baki's hands before Orochimaru's attack. Only now, he'd died many years before that.
Due to him.
A feeling of heaviness settled over him as he Tsunade directed him to a bathroom to wash their hands. But as they were doing so, he heard a loud siren sound from the center of Konoha.
The Siren, if played once, asked for all the Konoha shinobi and civilians to come out of their homes and listen up. If played twice, it meant for the civilians to prepare to go to the shelter while the shinobi became alert. And if played thrice, it meant that they were under attack.
It only played once, meaning that an announcement was about to be made.
He and Tsunade went outside along with the other shinobi and civilians.
"Do you know what is going on?" He asked Tsunade who had a somber look on her face.
"I do." She said, but didn't elaborate on it.
At that moment, an Anbu shunshined in front of their group and started speaking. "Hokage-sama has an important announcement to make. Everyone, please go to the main plaza."
He saw the veteran shinobi in the group exchange grim looks and felt a bad premonition in his heart as they started moving toward the main plaza.
Since he and Tsunade were shinobi, and important ones at that, they were allowed to sit on top of the various buildings overlooking the plaza. And from there, he watched as the plaza and the streets surrounding it slowly filled up with over 150,000 people that called Konoha their home.
Then the Hokage arrived at the top of the Hokage Tower, followed by his three advisors and a group of Anbu, and started speaking using some sort of Fuinjutsu/Genjutsu Technique that allowed his voice to travel to every single person in attendance without being too loud.
"Everyone. Thank you for coming here in such short notice." Minato said. "But I fear that I bring bad news today. I know that all of you have important tasks to go back to, so I'll keep this short. You all know that Kumo and Iwa have been attacking our borders for the past few months. But today we gained information that both those villages have dispatched an army of 4000 and 3000 shinobi to our borders. Thus, it is with a heavy heart that I announce that, we are now officially at war with Kumogakure and Iwagakure."
The speech lasted for another fifteen minutes for that, and the gist was basically that Konoha will send its own armies to secure its borders.
Minato didn't tell them how many shinobi will go to the front lines, but he later learned from Fugaku- that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the 3rd Hokage, will lead an army of 2000 shinobi to Kusa, which would turn into the Konoha-Iwa battlefield. And Jiraya would also lead an army of 2000 shinobi to the Land of Hotsprings which would become the Konoha-Kumo battlefield.
As Minato had said. They were now at war. The 4th shinobi war.
And knowing that he was the main reason why it started, he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
—————
He waited patiently for what felt like hours before the door to the Hokage's office opened up and a group of veteran shinobi walked out one by one.
He knew from having used Observe on them before, that all of them were the Elite Jounin of Konoha. Konoha used to have about 25-30 Elite Jounins. But with the help of his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes as well as the Hashirama cells, that number had now doubled.
And with Fugaku having used Hashirama Cells as well, the Uchiha clan finally had a legitimate S-class shinobi (excluding him and Ringo). So it was safe to say that the Uchiha clan was now the undisputed strongest clan in Konoha.
"You can go inside now." The secretary told him once all the Elite Jounin had shuffled of the room and he nodded before stepping inside.
He found Minato standing by the window, gazing at the Hokage Mountain in contemplative silence.
"You know, when I took the Hokage's hat, I had no idea that we would have to fight another Shinobi war so soon." Minato said, his voice laden with a somber and melancholic tone.
He had no idea what to say to that so he remained silent.
A long moment passed before Minato took a deep breath and turned to face him. "The answer is no."
He frowned. "What do you mean? I didn't even ask you anything."
"But you were. You were going to ask me to send you to the frontline, weren't you?"
"…yeah."
"The answer is no."
"May I know why?"
Minato glanced at him before he walked around his table and sat on the Hokage's chair before gesturing for him to take a seat as well.
Once he did, Minato started speaking. "First of all, know that this war that we're fight is not because of you. No, let me finish. I know you feel guilty about all this. But we're not fighting this war because of you. We're fighting this war in order to uphold the founding principles of Konoha. Konoha was created so that our families and children could live safely. And had it been anyone else aside from you that was being targeted by the enemies, then we would have fought the war regardless."
He looked away at Minato's words, knowing them to be nothing but lies.
After all, hadn't children been sent to the front lines during the 3rd shinobi war?
Furthermore, in the canon timeline, when Kumo abducted Hinata, the Hyuuga clan was asked to make a sacrifice to prevent Konoha from plunging into another war.
So yes, while Minato's words sounded sweet, but knew that the only reason why he wasn't being handed over to the enemies in a silver platter was because he was far, far more important to the future of Konoha than an Elite Jounin from the Hyuuga clan.
"You do not believe me." Minato said and when he remained silent, Minato continued. "That is understandable. I do not claim to know how you're feeling right now, Ren. But know that even if we did agree to send you to the battlefield, your participation will only serve to make the war even more intense."
"I can join up as an Anbu." He offered. "I know Tsunade-Sensei's Permanent Transfiguration Jutsu and can take the form of a grown adult. You do not even have to send me to the battlefield. Just let me use Hiraishin to help. I can go anywhere and use my medical jutsu to heal any wounded person in the camps."
"The presence of another person who can use Hiraishin Jutsu so proficiently would only serve to make the other villages even more wary of Konoha." Minato pointed out. "Plus, you serve as our primary means of capturing spies and traitors. Now that we're at war, your services will be needed more than ever before."
"In that case, I'll just return back to Konoha every few days and search for the spies and traitors before going back to the battlefield."
"No." Minato said, his voice firm. "There is also the matter of your emotional stability. Children who are exposed to too many deaths and tragedies at a young age face psychological issues as they grow older. Considering how powerful you'll grow up to be in the future, I'm not willing to take any risk with your mental health."
He leaned back in his chair and stared at Minato. "You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"
Minato gave him a sardonic smile in return. "You're one of our most powerful shinobi. And if you join the war, then Ringo would presumably follow as well. The presence of you two alone will change the course of any battlefield you visit. Of course I've given this a lot of thought."
"What about all the shinobi who would die in this war?" He finally asked. "Is my psychological health worth more than their lives. Worth more than the countless shattered families they'll leave behind?"
Minato was silent for a long moment before he stared him in the eyes and said one word. "Yes."
—————
"What's got you so down today?" Ringo asked as they sat in the hot spring pool, relaxing after a long and arduous sparring session.
"The war."
"No," She replied, sliding over to him, her soft breasts pressing against his back as she drew him closer. "Everyone is feeling the tension of the war, but your unease surpasses that of others. What's the reason behind it?"
He stayed silent for a moment and considered whether he should tell her or not. But if they were going to be married in the future, then they needed to trust one another. And trust can only be formed with constant communication and honesty,
"I want to join the war. But the Hokage is against it." He said. "And now I'm considering whether I should defy the Hokage's orders and join the war regardless."
"I'm surprised. If this were Kiri, the Mizukage wouldn't just have sent you to the battlefield; he would have sent you as a vanguard," Ringo remarked, a tone of amusement in her voice. However, the tension in her arms conveyed that her amusement was anything but genuine. "Did he at least explain why he didn't want you participating in this war?"
"He believes that the psychological damage I might suffer in the war is not worth the benefit of me being present in the battlefield."
Ringo hummed at his words. "He's not wrong, you know. I've never met a single shinobi in my life who has experienced war without being negatively affected by it. Well… aside from the crazy ones. But then again, they were crazy to begin with."
He turned to look at her. "So you're saying that I shouldn't join the war either?"
Ringo smirked at his words. "One thing you should know about me, Ren, is that I'm a very selfish person. I would gladly sacrifice this entire village if it meant protecting you."
He stared at her for a moment before he scoffed. "I don't believe you. I know there is good in you, Ringo, even if you do not like to show it."
"Keep telling yourself that." She said with a scoff even though his words warmed her heart. It felt... good to see someone having faith in her.
Resting her chin on his head, she pulled him into a closer embrace just as the door to the Hotspring swung open, revealing one of his Shadow Clones entering with a scroll in hand.
The clone dissipated after delivering the scroll, transferring its memories to him.
"What's in the scroll?" Ringo asked curiously.
"Strength of a Hundred Seal." He said with a smile. "It seems like Tsunade-sensei had already foreseen that I would ask her for this Jutsu and had prepared a scroll for me in advance."
"And what's does this Jutsu do?"
"It's the purple mark that you seen on Tsunade Sensei's forehead." He said as he used the Skill Book ability and absorbed the scroll, gaining all its information. "And it basically allows a person to store nigh infinite chakra within their body."
Ringo's eyebrows went up to her hairline. "That… sounds awfully convenient. What's the catch?"
"You need a decent understanding of Fuinjutsu and nigh perfect Chakra control in order to use this Jutsu."
"Ah…" Ringo nodded in understanding. "That would explain why I haven't seen anyone else with that purple mark. So… why are you learning it?"
"To gain a lot of chakra." He said, giving her a look that said 'this should be obvious'.
"No. What I mean is that, doesn't your Mangekyo ability also give you near infinite chakra?" She asked.
"It does. But using that ability is taxing on my eye, eventually closing it shut from the strain of repeated usage. And I prefer to keep both eyes open during a battle."
"I see." She said. "It seems like you've decided to defy your Hokage's orders and join the war anyway."
"Yes." He said and felt her arms tighten around him.
"And why would you do such a foolish thing?"
"The Hokage might be willing to sacrifice his shinobi in order to protect my mental health but I'm not. I don't want to live with the knowledge that so many people died in the war because of me. I don't want to live with that kind of burden."
"So you would rather not live at all?" She asked.
He smiled at her barb. "I know my limits, Ringo. And at this point, there is no shinobi in the Elemental Nations, aside from Onoki, who's capable of killing me. And even Onoki has very little chance of doing so now that I can use Hiraishin Jutsu."
"You're being overconfident." She told him and he smiled.
"You don't need to worry about me, Ringo. I'm not going to die anytime soon."
"Yeah." She sighed, nuzzling deeper into him. "But the I boy I knew would."
—————
He sat in a lotus position and used his Meditation skill before he started syphoning the chakra in his body into the seal in his Forehead.
A normal person requires anywhere from 8 to 24 hours to recharge his Chakra Reserves.
Compared to that, his Gamer system allows him to go from 0 to 100% in 83 minutes.
And that process shortens itself to about 27 minutes 20 seconds when using his Meditation skill, which currently stands at Level 37.
But… he was not going to do that either.
Instead, what he was going to use his left Mangekyo Sharingan eye technique: Soratatsu, to recover all his lost chakra in an instant.
So he spent a few minutes storing all his chakra into the seal. And once his total chakra was near zero.
Soratatsu!
Bam! Full Chakra reserves.
Ding!
Your left eye has suffered minor damage!
-1% to all abilities used with your left eye!
…yeah, this was a problem that he had already encountered when learning how to use his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes. Primarily, because his eyes were still at the Mangekyo stage and not yet Eternal Mangekyo.
He was also aware that a 6-hour sleep session would heal any damages incurred from the eyes' overuse.
So, he ignored the slight pain in his left eye and went back to storing chakra in his Strength of Hundred Seal.
Once his chakra neared depletion, he deployed his trump card once more.
Soratatsu!
Suffice it to say, it won't be long before he would have a large reserve of chakra stored in his Seal.
And once this step is complete, he'll go to war.
Or, well, he'll follow Ringo's lead since she has far more experience in war related matters than him.
—————
The next day.
"You need to target their defensive fortifications, supply centres, R&D departments, and economic bases." Ringo told him. "Anyone can kill an enemy shinobi. But if you want to cripple an enemy village, then you need to cripple their ability to fight. And you do that by making this war so costly for them, that continuing it would just not be worth the effort anymore."
"So, what specific targets should we aim for if we plan to attack Kumo?" he inquired, gazing at the map of the Land of Lightning. While not highly detailed, it included most of the major landmarks—main cities, significant mines, outposts, vital trade routes, ports, and more.
"Don't overthink it. Identify one of their critical weaknesses and begin from there. For example, we know that the Land of Lightning is a significant exporter of copper and gold. Start by targeting the mines connected to that, the ports facilitating those resources, the trade routes, or even go for their ships – with Hiraishin, you have the flexibility to strike anywhere, anything, or everything. The choice is yours," Ringo suggested.
"Won't they have shinobi guarding these locations."
"Of course they would have shinobi protecting those places.Frankly, I'd be surprised if you encountered anything less than three teams of shinobi defending each of these sites at all times. And that's not even counting the Samurai or Rogue shinobi forces that the local lords hire to protect their business." Ringo said. "But this is war, you know. You are not going to accomplish anything significant without killing a few shinobi at least."
He hummed in acknowledgment, recognising that he might be in over his head. Nevertheless, this was crucial, and if someone has to do it, then that someone might as well be him.
After a moment of contemplation, he fixed his gaze on the map and pointed to one of the more crucial targets. "I want to begin here."
Ringo raised her eyebrow in surprise. "That's a ballsy move. Attacking their largest gold mine. I can guarantee you that there would be at least 5 teams of shinobi guarding it at all times. And that's just from Kumo. The local lord would no doubt have a powerful force protecting that area as well. You'll face 2 Elite Jounins at the very least if you attack this place. Probably more."
"They won't be a problem." He told her, not out of overconfidence but because he knew his own abilities.
Unless Killer Bee or the Raikage himself came to fight him, there was no one in Kumo who's capable to stopping him for any significant length of time.
"Hmm… I believe you. But are you sure you want to-" He raised a hand, cutting her off as he sensed something into the distance.
He quickly put the map inside his Inventory and a few moments later, an Anbu appeared outside his window.
"Ren-san. You've being summoned to the Hokage Tower." The anbu told him and he frowned.
Did... did Minato figure out that he planned to go against his orders? No, that couldn't be it. With the thorough protection of Fuinjutsu seals on his house, there's no way anyone could spy on him. Not even the Byakugan or the Hokage's Crystal Ball would work on his residence.
So who…
He side glanced at Ringo, wondering if she had leaked the information to Minato before he shook his head.
No. He was not going to doubt her until he gains a definite proof that she has betrayed him.
Well, sitting here and pondering wouldn't provide him with any answers, so he might as well go and get them from the Hokage himself.
"Lead the way," he instructed the Anbu, following behind as they made their way to the Hokage tower.
—————
He entered the meeting room and paused upon seeing all the important people standing near the table.
Minato, Kushina, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Fugaku, and now him.
Basically, all the S-rank shinobi present in the village were in this room. All, aside from Ringo. But Ringo was still not considered an official kunoichi of Konoha so that was understandable.
"Ren. Come, join us." Minato said without even looking up from the large map on the table.
He nodded and went forward, noticing that the map showed the various islands in the Land of Water.
(AN: Sorry but I wasn't able to find a proper map of Land of Water. But it's that cluster of Islands located at far Southern-East side of this map.)
He noticed Tsunade's eyes going wide as she noticed the Purple mark in his forehead but she refrained from commenting on it.
"Sensei," he greeted Kushina and Tsunade before quietly positioning himself beside Fugaku. He nodded respectfully to Fugaku and inquired, "What is going on?"
"We are making a—" Fugaku began, only to be interrupted by another person. "Kukuku. I didn't know our golden boy would join in on this plan as well," Orochimaru remarked, giving him an amused look.
But unlike the last time they'd met, this time, he wasn't afraid of Orochimaru and met his gaze confidently.
"He won't. He's just a boy. And my student. I won't let him," Tsunade asserted firmly, and he could sense that this argument had been ongoing for a while.
"Umm... What is going on, Sensei?" he asked Tsunade, who simply pursed her lips and remained silent.
His eyes twitched in annoyance, and he searched for an answer from the others, but no one else spoke until Minato shifted his gaze from the map and looked at him.
"Before we start, do you mind explaining why you learned the Strength of a Hundred Seal, Ren-kun?" Minato asked.
"Why not? It's a useful Jutsu." He replied but he had a feeling that Minato won't buy such an excuse.
Minato gazed at him for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head. "I would believe you, Ren-kun, if you hadn't gone to Tsunade-san for this Jutsu right after I told you that you won't participate in the war." Minato's demeanour turned serious, and he gave him the 'Hokage look.' "Do not lie to me, Ren. Why did you learn that jutsu?"
"That…" He hesitated, wondering if he was going to be caught before he even committed the crime.
"Did you plan on going against my orders and join the war on your own?" Minato asked.
He lowered his gaze to his feet, unwilling to respond to the question. However, his silence appeared to be an answer in itself.
"Oh Ren, you stupid boy." Tsunade said, looking defeated. Fugaku put a hand on his shoulder for support. Kushina facepalmed. Orochimaru chuckled in amusement. And Minato let out a heavy sigh.
"This is what I meant." Minato said, looking at Tsunade who in turned looked at him with eyes that promised punishment as soon as she got her hands on him.
"You've made your point," Tsunade conceded with a heavy sigh. She retreated from the table and settled into a chair near the window, gazing out at the village, ignoring everything else.
"Okay. What is going on here?" He asked, even more confused now.
"Minato believed that you would do something reckless and join the war on your own," Fugaku conveyed, his grip on the shoulder tightening a bit. "Lady Tsunade, Kushina-san, and I disagreed. Clearly, we were wrong."
"Oh…" He said, feeling even more guilty now. He would have to do something to make it up to Tsunade-Sensei after this.
"Yes. Oh." Fugaku said with a sardonic smile. "So, Minato. You were right about Ren. What next?"
"Well, considering that Ren-kun intended to defy my explicit orders, he'll receive a punishment and incur a heavy fine. Fortunately, we intercepted him before he actually committed the transgression, so the penalty will be lenient," Minato said.
He wanted to argue that he hadn't gone against the orders, yet, so he should technically not be punished. But after looked at Tsunade's already upset expression, he decided not to go against his punishment.
"Okay, then. What'll be my punishment?" He asked.
"That will be decided after we return from our next mission." Minato said.
"Our Next mission?" He asked, putting heavy emphasis on the 'our'.
"Yes. Since you're not going to heed my orders and remain in Konoha, I've decided to have you join our next mission."
He shifted his gaze down to the map and then back up at Minato. "Does this mission have anything to do with Kiri?"
Minato offered him a grim smile. "Yes. Our next mission is intended to ensure that Kiri doesn't participate in this war."
—————
"You're late." Ringo said as he finally returned back home.
It was indeed late. The meeting stretched for over 8 hours, with Shikaku and other Elite Jounins eventually joining them as they fleshed out the next mission and all their individual roles in it.
It was his first time watching veteran shinobi work together on planning a mission. Even more so since this would be the most important mission many of them would ever take part in.
Whether this mission succeeds or fails, it would be classified as an SS-class mission. Success means one less shinobi village to fight. Failure meant making eternal enemy of Kiri.
"Sorry." He said, feeling mentally exhausted and nervousness for the next mission.
"What took you so long?" she inquired as she ushered him inside the house, seating him on a sofa beside her.
"We were planning for a major SS-class mission," he responded, contemplating whether to share the details with Ringo. Especially as he had asked for her to added to this mission as well. "One that I'll be a part of."
"Did the Hokage change his mind in letting you take part in the war?"
"No. But he surmised that I would join the war regardless. And he decided that if I was going to do it anyway, I might as well join him on this mission."
"Are you allowed to tell me what that mission is?"
"…no. But I would still tell you about this."
"Why?"
"Because not doing so feels like I'm betraying you." He said. Plus, he can't very well ask her to join this mission without telling her about what exactly it entailed. "Ringo. We're going to attack Kiri in our next mission."
Ringo froze at his words for a moment before she sighed. "I see. And you're worried about how I would feel once I learn of this mission?"
"Yeah. You might have been a missing-nin for over a decade by this point. But Kiri was still your home. I want to know how you would feel if we attacked your home."
"Former home." Ringo correction, "My home is with you now. But with that said, why is Konoha attacking Kiri, and not Kumo or Iwa?"
"Kiri is currently in turmoil after the Mizukage's death. All the candidates for the seat of the 4th Mizukage are in conflict with each other. However, we know that once the next Mizukage has been selected, they'll align with Kumo and Iwa and go to war with us."
"Like they did in the 3rd shinobi war?"
"Yeah. We want to take this opportunity to launch a preemptive attack on Kiri. Our main plan is to assassinate the leaders of the various factions so that they won't have any viable candidates left for the Mizukage's position." He said. "Aside from that, we're also going to attack the major clans of Kiri in a bid to weaken Kiri."
Frankly, he was surprised by the sheer balls it took to come up with a plan like this. And the fact that Minato not only approved it but would also lead the mission spoke volumes about him. He was quite certain that Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have endorsed such a mission, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't participate in it himself.
"And you thought that I would be against this plan?" She asked.
He nodded, and she chuckled in amusement. Eventually, her laughter subsided, and they settled into a comfortable silence. He patiently awaited her words, and after a prolonged moment, she finally spoke.
"I hate Kiri." Ringo said, nuzzling her face against his own. "It was once my home. And I loved it. But I also hated it. I hated the poverty, and the excessive the violence. I hated the fact that a more powerful shinobi could kill me, and no one would do anything about that. I hated the Graduation exam, in which I was forced to kill my classmates. I hated all the dangerous missions I was sent to. And I hated many other things. Yes, Kiri was my home. And I loved it, once. But eventually, that loved turned into dislike, and then into outright hatred. That's why, when I recovered from my disease, instead of going back to serve my village, I packed my shit and left."
"So…"
"No. I'm going to hate you for attacking Kiri, or anything like that. So you can relax." Ringo said, planting a soft kiss on his cheeks. "In fact, I'm going to join you in this mission."
"Huh?" 'Was this really happening?'
"You heard that right. You plan on attacking the various important clans of Kiri, right? It just so happens that I have a bone to pick with one of them."
He glanced at her, realising that she was serious and that he might not even have to ask her to join the mission himself. "Are you for real?"
"Yup." She said cheerfully. "One thing that you do not know about Kiri, is that there is a caste system in place. It's a sort of unwritten rule. But the clans essentially form the upper caste, while the civilian shinobi make up the lower caste."
"Really?" He asked, this being the first time he'd heard something like this.
"Yeah. The lower caste shinobi are assigned riskier missions, not paid well enough, live in worse condition, endure disrespect from clan shinobi, and lead an all-around miserable life,." Ringo explained. "That would've been my fate as well, had I not been chosen as the apprentice of one of the Seven Swordsmen."
"I see," he remarked, and he could certainly understand it. This would indeed clarify why Yagura's plan to instigate a bloody war against the bloodline-wielding clans in Kiri was so successful.
If someone attempted the same in Konoha, they would likely fail. However, with existing animosity between the common shinobi and the clans, sparking a war between these two factions would be comparatively easy.
"Are you sure about this though?" He asked Ringo. "If you're doing this just to prove your loyalty to me, then you don't need to do this."
"Oh my Ren-kun. Don't be so naive. Just because I don't need to prove myself to you doesn't mean that I don't have to prove myself to the rest of your village. Or else I'll always remain an outsider in their eyes. Someone not to be trusted. Plus, I'm doing this to get closure. So don't worry about me."
"Hmm… In that case." He got up from the sofa and pulled her up with him. "Come, let's go and talk with the Hokage."
"Right now?" She asked, looking surprised.
"Yes. You've lived in Kiri, so you undoubtedly know a lot more about it than us. Any information you provide will be a substantial contribution. Plus, as you said, it will help demonstrate your loyalty to me and this village."
"Very well then. Lead the way."
—————
Two weeks later.
He was currently using Tsunade's permanent Transformation Jutsu to look like a young teenager. On top of that, he wore an Anbu attire to conceal his identity.
Around him stood 30 of some of the most powerful shinobi in Konoha village. Minato, Orochimaru, Kushina, Fugaku, Ringo, and him. Plus 24 Elite Jounin.
8 of those Elite Jounin had his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes, with the faint tinge of Hashirama cells in their Chakra. 6 were Anbu, and the rest were from various clans.
Hell, he could even see Tsume Inuzuka, Hyuuga Hiashi, Shibi Aburame, and a few other minor clan leaders in the team.
Yeah, Konoha was definitely going all out on this mission.
Well, except for Tsunade who'll remain behind to hold the Hokage's office in Minato's absence.
'There must always be a powerful shinobi in the Hokage's seat in the Hokage's absence.' Minato had explained when he inquired why Tsunade wasn't joining them on the mission. And he could certainly see the wisdom in that.
The Hokage could die in the mission, or face prolonged delays due to unforeseen circumstances. Or the village could get attacked while they're away from it.
"Is everyone ready?" Minato inquired, receiving confirmation from all present. Minato then turned to him and nodded. "Do it, Crow."
Crow was the code name he'd been given when wearing his anbu attire. He nodded and created multiple shadow clones. "Please, everyone. Stand together."
Those who didn't know of his true identity were hesitant to follow his orders but a nod from Minato had them doing just that.
"Hiraishin: Second form. Mass Transfer," he declared, collaborating with his Shadow Clones to teleport everyone within the circle to the designated location.
In an instant, they found themselves within a recently unearthed cave on a deserted island a few miles from Kiri. The cave had been sealed with Fuinjutsu in advance by his clones to ensure none of the Kiri sensors would detect their arrival.
Their earlier plan was to land in an island about 50 miles away from Kiri. But Ringo had told them about this small island which allowed them to come so close to Kiri without being detected.
He dispersed the Shadow Clones and ignored the Notification which informed him that his Hiraishin Skill has risen by one level.
Now that they were here, it was time for step two of the plan.
To infiltrate Kiri.
—————
When they called Kiri 'Village Hidden in the Mist', they weren't joking around, unlike when they called Konoha a 'Village Hidden in the Leaves'.
No, Konoha is simply surrounded by a vast forest. And what forest did provide them with a great measure of protection, it didn't 'hide' them from anyone. Difficult to hide a village when you have a dozen roads leading toward it from all directions.
But Kiri, it is subsumed by such a heavy fog that even seeing pat 20 feet in front of himself was difficult.
If not for his Level 93 Chakra Sense and Level 14 Echolocation skill (one he'd learned in case he would have to fight blind), he would be completely disoriented and unaware of his surroundings.
As it was though, he was able to navigate the mist filled village with relative ease. And with his chakra tightly coiled with his own body thanks to his near perfect Chakra Control, he was all but invisible to the Kiri's sensors.
Maybe if Kiri had an emotion sensor like Uzumaki, they might have sensed him. But as things stood, he was able to move through their village with impunity.
His silent steps brought him behind a guard who remained clueless to his presence until the very end when a Kunai was lodged deep into his brain.
He stowed the body and the bloodied kunai within his Inventory, ensuring that the scent of blood didn't linger. Following this, he created a Shadow Clone to take the position of the guard.
Then he moved on, hunting for the other guards. And he was aware that all around Kiri, several more Konoha teams were navigating through the dense mist just like him, assassinating the guards and infiltrating deeper into the village.
Though they didn't really have to go that deep, considering that Kiri was barely a fraction the size of Konoha.
Unlike Konoha, where the civilian population outnumbered the Shinobi by 4:1. In Kiri, you'll be hard pressed to find any civilians. And considering that Kiri's shinobi population itself always hovered around 10,000 and 15,000. To say that Kiri was small would be an understatement.
The main reason why Kiri was so dangerous was not because of its shinobi but because of its geography and their homefield advantage. As things stood, in order to attack Kiri, you'll have to cross hundreds of miles of sea and land on one of their islands, which are surrounded by water.
Not wanting to take such a suicidal risk with their armies, most other villages mainly focus on defending against Kiri instead of launching an attack. Meaning that Kiri could attack other villages with impunity without any fear of retaliation.
This was also the main reason why Kiri would've attacked Konoha once again despite knowing just how powerful Konoha had become. Because they didn't expect Konoha to attack them in return. Unfortunately for them, Hiraishin Jutsu rendered factors like distance and geography irrelevant.
If Kiri had a wise leader and its shinobi weren't bloodthirsty idiots, then it could've ruled the entire Sea area around the Elemental Nation. And they would've grown immensely rich from all the sea trade.
Alas, it was not to be. And by the time they are done with this village, it would be so weak that they would never even consider attacking Konoha.
After killing two more guards, he finally arrived at his destination.
Unlike other shinobi who had mainly been tasked with killing people, his task was a little different.
Instead of assassination, he was given the task of demolition.
And his first target in the list was the Port and all the ships docked in that port.
Sure, Shinobi can run on water. But doing so in the sea where the weather can change at a moment's notice is dangerous. Not to mention that only Jounin and above have the stamina to run all the way from Kiri to the main continent. Or even to some of the distant islands in this archipelago.
Suffice it to say, if Kiri wants to mobilise their shinobi army with any success, then they need ships.
Only, they'll not have any of those ships (or their port for that matter) by the time he's done with them.
Performing a series of hand seals, Chakra-based Fuinjutsu seals emerged beneath his feet, swiftly enveloping him in a barrier to conceal his Chakra usage. Completing this, he executed another set of hand signs, generating a Shadow Clone infused with approximately 90% of his Chakra.
The seal on his forehead unfurled and the titanic amount of chakra he'd stored within it surged inside his Charka Pathways, filling up his depleted chakra reserves in no time.
Once that was done, he created yet another Shadow Clone with 90% of his Chakra.
He turned his attention to his two Shadow Clones and issued clear instructions. "Both of you are familiar with the plan. Utilize Swamp Jutsu to submerge the entire Port area underwater. Employ Fire Jutsu to incinerate all the ships, followed by Flooding Jutsu to drown any remnants. After that, if you still have any chakra left then slaughter any Kiri shinobi that comes near you. Is that clear?"
""Understood.""
"Very well. Stay here and wait for the signal. Or wait till the fight begins." He told his Shadow Clones before he dropped the Fuinjutsu Barrier and left. Quickly moving to his next destination.
The Shinobi Academy of Kiri.
The Academy was currently empty except for a few civilians working to clean it through the night.
Using Observe told him that the civilians were slaves that Kiri used for menial chores. Fucking Kiri.
He knocked them out and left them in a dumpster outside before creating a Shadow Clone to demolish the building once the battle begins.
Then he moved on to the next target.
The Mizukage's Building.
However, halfway to his destination, he detected a significant surge in chakra emanating from the other side of the village, accompanied by the thunderous noise of a powerful Water Jutsu crashing through multiple buildings.
The sound was then quickly followed by a few kunai strikes before going silent. The alerted sentry was killed. But it was too late.
This was not a game where the other sentries will look for their missing comrade for a few seconds before declaring 'it must've been the wind'.
No, within seconds, the entire Kiri became abuzz with activity. He cursed his luck and abandoned all stealth, sprinting toward the Mizukage Tower at full speed.
Two of the shinobi guarding the tower noticed him and rushed forward to meet his charge. But he easily batted them aside before he reached the base of the Tower.
If he had more time at hand then he would've loved to infiltrate the tower and get all the useful stuff inside. But as it was, he could already sense a dozen shinobi rushing towards him from every direction. So he went forward with his mission to destroy the tower.
"Fire Release: Fire Annihilation Jutsu," he intoned, and a massive sea of flames erupted from his mouth, engulfing the tower and reducing it to ashes.
…or that's what would've happened at least, if not for the barrier that suddenly sprung up out of nowhere and held back his fire from consuming the tower.
His eyes narrowed as he recognised the telltale signs of an Uzumaki barrier, realising that Kiri must've acquired it when they slaughtered the Uzumaki clan.
But either the barrier was constructed by a novice, or the person controlling it had no idea what the heck he was doing, because the very next instant, the barrier fizzled out, and the dwindling fire engulfed the tower.
He swiftly created a dozen Shadow clones to deal with the shinobi approaching him before making another hand sign and slamming his palm to the ground.
"Earth Style: Gaping Maw!"
A massive stone maw emerged from beneath the Tower, closing its jaws around the structure before pulling it beneath the ground.
"Earth Style: Maw Burial." He declared, and the stone maw intensified the pressure around the remnants of the Mizukage's tower, crushing everything within to dust.
Now absolutely sure that the shinobi here won't be able to recover the Tower, or anything inside it, he created even more Shadow Clones to deal with the multiple teams of shinobi converging in this direction before he rushed toward his next and final goal.
The R&D Department of Kiri.
Only, when he arrived at the location, he found its gates barred shut and its walls surrounded by a large Fuinjutsu barrier, stopping his advance.
'Of course the shinobi here would also have access to the Fuinjutsu barrier.' He thought but then paused as he took in the smell of blood coming out from within the barrier.
Fresh blood. And a lot of it as well.
Not just that, now that he had gotten a better look at the barrier, it was of a far higher quality than the one that protected the Mizukage Tower. Also, instead of keeping out the intruders, it was created with the express purpose of keep the people inside it from leaving.
'Did these people have no idea how to use a barrier properly?' He wondered before he quickly used his own Fuinjutsu expertise to create a hole in the barrier.
The barrier was such superior quality that it was only because it wasn't designed to withstand external attacks that he managed to breach it. Nevertheless, he swiftly infiltrated the enclosed area.
And quickly realised why the scent of the fresh blood was so strong as he saw the piles of corpses scattered around the R&D building.
'-the hell happened here?' He thought to himself before he shook his head and started making hand signs to use a powerful Ninjutsu and destroy the entire building.
But before he could finish, his Danger Sense flared and he jumped to the side as a golden chain emerged from within the building and flashed past him at blinding speed.
"Kushina-Sensei! What the hell!" He cursed as he saw the golden chain pierce the barrier like it was not even there and then go through two more buildings before it came to a stop and was retracted back into the building.
'Wait. Wasn't Kushina supposed to go to the Hozuki clan compound?' He thought to himself and wondered if the plan had been changed without his knowledge.
But then his attacker emerged from within the building, and despite the Henya mask she was wearing, he instantly realised that this person was now Kushina.
The size of her breasts and the size of her ass was slightly different. As was the shade of red hair trailing down her back. But most importantly.
His Observe skill told him that this person was Mito Uzumaki, the widow of the First Hokage. A woman who should've died when she transferred the 9 tails to Kushina-Sensei.
'How's she alive? And what the hell is she doing here?' He wondered but didn't have the time to think anything else as a dozen chains emerged from within her back and flashed toward him.
His danger sense, Mangekyo Sharingan, high-level agility, and near-perfect physical defense were the only factors that enabled him to survive the onslaught of her attack with only a few cuts and bruises.
-4 HP!
-2 HP!
-6 HP!
-3 HP!
-1 HP!
He stared at the string of notifications. While the damage wasn't even a small fraction of his total HP, and the minor cuts and bruises healed in the next second, the fact that he suffered any damage at all, despite his extremely high Physical Resistance, was impressive.
This meant that if it was anyone else, then those chains would've skewered them and turned them into Swiss cheese.
"Wait! We're on the same team!" He called out, noticing Mito preparing for another attack after realising he was still alive.
"Don't attack me. I'm from Konoha." He called out when he saw that his talk-no-jutsu was indeed working.
Mito was silent for moment before she whispered. "Those eyes…"
Then a deafening explosion shook the entire island, dispersing the Mist that veiled its surroundings. A shockwave of air slapped him in the face, and he looked in that direction to see colossal plume of fire ascending into the sky.
'It seems like Kushina-Sensei has joined the battle.' He thought as he sensed the corrosive chakra of Kurama envelop his senses.
"Kyubi's chakra... What is Konoha doing here?" Mito mumbled to herself, but his sensitive hearing picked up her words regardless.
"What are you doing here?" He asked here instead. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Her gaze sharply turned in his direction, and he sensed the weight of her chakra intensifying. "What are you talking about, child?"
"You're Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the 1st Hokage. What are you doing here?" he inquired, before hesitating briefly. "Did someone use Edo Tensei to revive you?"
But even as he asked that question, he doubted its validity. Because her Observe description gave no such hint. And he could see her arms and they had cracks in them.
Moreover, the only individual known to possess the Rinnegan in this world was Madara Uchiha. He doubted that Madara would go to the trouble of resurrecting Mito, especially considering that Madara himself must be near death at this point, if not already deceased.
Wait. Was she alive due to the Universal Calibration? He had no idea how that would even work but it seemed to be the only thing that makes sense.
"…you're mistaking me for someone else." She replied and he had to stop himself from scoffing at her words.
"No. I'm sure I've got the right person." He said before he paused and took note of the building she'd attacked. The R&D building. Where all the secret research of Kiri was being kept.
Secret research... along with the Fuinjutsu knowledge they stole from the Uzumaki clan when they massacred its people.
Yeah, things were making more sense now. Though the timing was still a suspect. Was this mere coincidence, some sort of play from Mito Uzumaki to gain Konoha's attention. Or simply Universtal Calibration at work once again.
"Are you here to take back your Fuinjutsu scrolls and get revenge for your clan?" He asked. It was possible that he might have been wrong but he frankly doubted it.
Mito's silence at his question was all the answer he needed.
"Konoha is attacking Kiri right now. Why not join us?" He asked.
Mito remained silent for a prolonged moment, deep in thought, before she shook her head. "That will not be necessary. I am not a part of Konoha. Not anymore." she declared. "Besides, why is Konoha attacking Kiri? Shouldn't you be busy warring with Kumo and Iwa?"
"We got intel that Kiri would go to war with us as soon as the next Mizukage was selected and decided to launch a pre-emptive attack." He said. "But what do you mean by 'I'm not part of Konoha anymore'?"
"That's none of your business, child." Mito said. "Though, I must ask, how did you recognise me?"
"My eyes allow me to see things that other people can't." He said, pointing at his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes. And while a misdirection, it wasn't a lie either.
"…I see." Mito said, as if understanding everything. "If that is all, then I'll take my leave. Though, before going, I want you to promise that you'll not reveal my existence to anyone else. I do not want to have to do anything with Konoha anymore."
"You want me to lie to the Hokage?"
"Not lie. Just… do not bring up out fight. That is all I ask of you."
"And why would I do that? In fact, what do you mean that you don't want to do anything with Konoha. You are the widow of the 1st Hokage, whether you like it or not. And your granddaughter is currently ruling Konoha in the Hokage's absence."
"Tsunade…" Mito mumbled to herself before she shook her head. "I do not have the time or inclination to answer your questions. So how about we make a deal?"
"What kind of deal?" He asked.
"You keep my existence a secret. And in return, I'll give you the location of the 6 tails Jinchuriki."
"He's not in Kiri right now?"
"No. The 6 tails Jinchuriki left Kiri a few years ago and has not returned since. Konoha has already taken the 3 tails from Kiri, so I guessed that you might be interested in the 6 tails as well."
"Konoha didn't take the 3 tails from Kiri. That was a different circumstance." He told her. "But… I accept your deal. Give me the location of the 6 tails Jinchuriki and I'll not reveal your existence to anyone."
"I do not have his location right now." Mito said with a shake of her head and he frowned.
"You just said that you'll give me his location."
"I did. And I did know where he was a while ago. It will take me some time but I'm confident that I'll be able to find him once again."
"And why should I trust your words?"
"I give you my word as Mito Uzumaki that I will find the 6 Tails Jinchuriki and give you his location within a month." She said.
"Your word... very well, I accept it. But break your end of the deal, and I'll tell everyone in Konoha about your survival."
"Very well." Mito said before she threw a kunai at him that he caught with a Chakra Thread, wary of any traps from her.
But while the Kunai was indeed covered in Fuinjutsu seals, it didn't do anything to him. And a simple use of Observe had him raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"How do you know Hiraishin Jutsu?" He asked.
"Fufufu. I was the one who helped Tobirama create that Jutsu. Are you really surprised that I know this Jutsu?" She asked in a mirthful voice. "I'll come and give you that information in a month. And I hope that you'll keep your end of the deal. For now, farewell child."
And with that, she vanished.
Using Hiraishin.
What the fuck.
He stared at the kunai with the Hiraishin seal on it for a long moment before it pocketed it.
He'll think on this later. For now, he had a job to finish.
A single hand sign and the entire Research and Development building was burned to cinders.
—————
With his mission complete, he immediately went back to the centre of the Kiri village and saw the vast devastation caused by the Konoha shinobi.
To say that Kiri had turned into a hellhole by this point would be an understatement.
Almost all the buildings in the village were on fire. The streets were flooded with sea water due to the excessive use of Water Release Jutsu. Kushina's use of Tailed Beast bomb had left a giant crater in the middle of the village. And a great part of the North-Eastern area had been turned into a swamp, courtesy of the Shadow Clones he'd tasked with destroying the Ships and the Port.
Good job Shadow Clones.
Despite the devastation though, the Kiri shinobi were still fighting, and now that the element of surprise had worn off, their sheer numbers were starting to overwhelm Konoha's shinobi.
All the shinobi and kunoichi who took part in this mission were either S-class or Elite Jounin. However, even their formidable skills could be overpowered by sheer numerical superiority, as evidenced by the demise of the 3rd Raikage against those 10,000 shinobi.
Well… time to change the dynamics a bit.
His Strength of Hundred Seal started working overtime and sent more and more chakra into his system, overloading his chakra system before he used his next Jutsu.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, his surroundings were filled with over a thousand Shadow Clones. And each one immediately leaped into the fray, assisting, rescuing, or healing the Konoha shinobi who were struggling in their battles.
If those Shadow Clones were made by Naruto, then they would've instantly jumped into the melee and died like the mooks they were. But his clones were smarter and mostly used Genjutsu and Ninjutsu in the battle.
And with how high his Genjutsu skill was, aided by the Mangekyo Sharingan, few shinobi ever escaped from his Genjutsu.
With that done, he glanced at the areas where the battle was most intense. Meaning the places where the S-rank shinobi were fighting against the clans.
He observed the chaotic battlefield, witnessing Manda, the giant snake, being besieged by Yuki clan shinobi. Minato swiftly maneuvered through Terumi clan members, while Kushina, in her five-tailed form, wreaked havoc among the Hoshigaki clan. Ringo clashed with Fuguki, the current wielder of Samehada. Fugaku's colossal 5-meter-tall Susanoo engaged in combat alongside Kaguya clan members, who were ruthlessly dispatching Kiri shinobi.
Wait what!?
He focused on the last part once again and found that Fugaku and a few other Uchiha clan members had put the leaders of Kaguya clan into Genjutsu and were now using them to fight against other Kiri shinobi.
'…huh. That's a genius idea.' He thought as he negligently dodged the few shinobi trying to attack him and focused back into the battlefield. 'Still, we should've retreated by now. What the hell is taking them so long?'
Well… that wasn't really a question as he could see why Konoha's forces haven't retreated.
Despite the extensive destruction they had unleashed, they had yet to eliminate the S-class shinobi vying for the role of the next Mizukage.
'Well, nothing to it.' He thought before he quickly rushed toward the battlefield where Ringo and two more Elite Jounin were fighting against Fuguki Suikazan and his team of anbu.
Fuguki immediately noticed his presence and swiftly disengaged from his battle with Ringo in order to block his attack.
However, he had enhanced his Chakra Sword to possess the weight of a mountain. When their blades clashed, Samehada emitted a sharp cry of agony as his sword effortlessly sliced through a few of its scales. This act demolished Fuguki's defence, propelling him into the ground with enough force to turn it into a crater.
A pulse of chakra sent through his feet immediately resulted in a spike rising up from underneath Fuguki's bulky form, but the guy must have had great survival instinct because even in his disoriented state, he managed to move to the side. Losing only a chunk of his flesh instead of getting a hole in his torso.
Witnessing this, Ringo swiftly charged ahead, unleashing a lethal lightning attack at Fuguki. However, he quickly raised Samehada to take the brunt of the attack. Samehada howled in pain once more from the potent lightning strike and he used this chance to throw at Kunai at Fuguki's face.
The giant of a man moved to the side, dodging his kunai, only of him to Hiraishin to his back and shove a Chidori right through his shoulder,
Fuguki turned back with alarm, surprised by the sudden appearance of another S-rank teleporter on the battlefield. However, before he could react further, Ringo arrived in front of him the next moment, swiftly slashing open his throat with her Kiba swords.
A great deluge of blood gushed out of Fuguki's neck and the guy put a hand on his throat, trying to stop his lifeblood from leaking out of his body.
But it was futile in the end as Fuguki seemed to have no experience in medical Jutsu.
Fuguki brought out his hand in front of his face, staring at his blood in shock, as if he couldn't come to terms with the fact that he was dying.
And then he swung his wind coated blade through Fuguki's neck, ending his life.
He Inventoried Fuguki's head and corpse before he picked up Samehada, only for the sword to instantly grow spikes around its handle that tried to poke into his skin.
Unfortunately for the sword, his Resistance to Physical attacks made the spikes useless. Noticing this, Samehada immediately changed its method of attack and started syphoning chakra from his body.
Ding!
Gamer Body stopped chakra extraction from user's body!
Huh... he hadn't known that Gamer Body could do this. But nice!
He tried to put Samehada inside his Inventory but failed to do so since Samehada had enough sentience that it counted as a living being rather than an inanimate object.
Well… he'll just carry it around then. It'll destroy Kiri shinobi's morale if nothing else.
"Where to next?" Ringo asked and he noticed that she looked a little tired and injured from her battle with Fuguki.
Understandable, as the wielder of Samehada is usually the strongest of all the Seven Swordsmen. The fact that Ringo fought him for so long without losing any ground is impressive in and of itself.
"Go to Orochimaru and aid him in his battle." He told her as he quickly used Medical Jutsu to heal her minor wounds. "I'll go and help Minato."
She nodded and swiftly left this place, the two Elite Jounin followed behind her as well while he rushed toward his next battlefield.
—————
Arriving at the Terumi clan compound, which had been utterly destroyed by this point, he quickly understood why Minato had failed to wrap up this battlefield by this point.
There were four main reasons for it.
First being the clan leader, who had the Boil Release bloodline and was a low S-class shinobi.
Second was Mei Terumi. Who had both Boil and Lava Release bloodlines and was also a low S-class shinobi.
Third being the numerous Jounin and the few Elite Jounin of Terumi clan who were putting up a great fight against the Anbu team that Minato had brought with him.
But fourth and main reason why Minato was still having difficulty in this fight was because Terumi clan had understood the one weakness of Hiraishin and were doing their best to snatch up and destroy any Hiraishin kunai that Minato threw around in the battlefield.
Even that had only slowed Minato in his slaughter and he could see that over half of the Terumi clansmen that already been Rasenganed to the afterlife.
But without those Kunai, Minato lost a great part of his mobility and was being held back by the two S-class enemies.
Not anymore.
He took out the Kunai Minato had given him earlier and sent his chakra coursing through it before he created one Shadow Clone who started making hand signs alongside him.
Minato sensed the emergency call from his Hiraishin kunai and immediately teleported to his side, extracting himself from the main battlefield.
And just as Minato did that.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A sea of flames poured of his mouth and was the further aided by the Wind Release Technique, turning into a grand inferno that burned everything in front of itself. By the time the fire died down, nothing remained of the Terumi clan compound but a charred land.
Well, nothing but the two pockets where Mei Terumi and the clan leader managed to use defensive Jutsu to survive the attack along with a few other clan members. The other clan shinobi were either dead or had run for their lives.
Minato's anbu flash behind him and he immediately noticed that almost all of them were injured in some form or manner.
It seems like the Terumi clan was more powerful than they had expected. Almost as powerful as the Uchiha clan before he'd empowered them with his eyes.
"I'll take the girl. You take the old man." He told Minato as he created a dozen Shadow Clones to heal the anbu before rushing forward.
He threw a kunai at Mei but it seemed like she was already wary of Hiraishin attacks and dodged the kunai by such a large margin that teleporting to it was pointles.
So he continued running toward Mei who quickly made hand signs and sent a hot stream of water at him.
Only, his Resistance to Fire Release was so high that an attack like this didn't even register as warm to his skin.
He took the Boil Release attack at face and continued running forward, not taking a single point of damage from it before he came out of the other side and right in front of Mei Terumi.
The young woman seemed stunned by the fact that he'd taken such a powerful attack to his face without sustaining any burns, but not stunned enough to stay still as he launched his own counterattacks.
They quickly exchanged a flurry of Taijutsu techniques in which he overwhelmed her with his greater speed and strength, eventually breaking through her guard and slamming his fist into her stomach.
Mei let out a wheezing cough as she was folded in half around his fist and then thrown halfway across the battlefield from the impact. She skipped and rag dolled through the ground before eventually skidded to a stop.
He quickly gave chase but it seemed like the attack itself wasn't enough to put her out of the fight as she raised her head and spewed out a curtain of lava at him.
He threw a kunai right through the lava curtain and then appeared on the other side, right beside Mei.
Her eyes didn't even had the time to widen in shock before he threw a light punch to her throat.
Her eyes bulged out of their sockets from the pain before his fingers flashed toward her most important tenketsu points.
"Eight Trigrams: Two Palms"
"Four Palms"
"Eight Palms"
"Sixteen Palms"
"Thirty Two Palms"
"Sixty Four Palms"
He missed some of the tenketsu points due to not having the Byakugan or as much practice with this technique. But the end result remained the same.
Mei wasn't able to access her chakra. Nor was she able to move her body properly anymore.
Credit where it was due, she still brought her head forward to slam against his own but he simply dodged her headbutt her and chopped her in the neck, making her lose consciousness.
He carried her on his shoulder, his prisoner of war, before he looked at the rest of the battlefield.
With his Shadow Clones and the Anbu keeping the other Terumi clan members at bay and with Minato only having to deal with a single low S-class shinobi, the battle had already ended.
He flashed beside Minato who didn't seem surprised by Mei's unconscious form on his shoulder as he spoke up. "We've done enough damage. Should we retreat now?"
"Yes." Minato said before turning to one of his Anbu. "Singal retreat to all Konoha shinobi. We're done here."
The Anbu nodded and launched a special fireball into the sky that went high up and then burst into a large blue ball.
"Take everyone back to the meeting point." Minato ordered before he used Hiraishin and vanished.
He shrugged and then stared at his Shadow Clones who had returned from chasing off the retreating Terumi clan members. "Take them back to the meeting point." He said, pointing at the Anbu.
Then he left to the other battlefields to make sure that everyone is able to retreat from Kiri safely.
Within 5 minutes, all of them were back to their starting point, staring at the still burning and thoroughly destroyed Kiri in the distance.
Of the 30 shinobi who had joined the battle, only 27 managed to return back safely. 3 of them having died in the battlefield.
The count should have been 5, but the two Uchiha clansmen, who appeared to have perished in the battle, had actually survived by employing Izanagi. He could discern this from the fact that one of their eyes was no longer functional.
He didn't blame them for it. Their lives were more valuable than a single eye.
Kushina had also discarded her Tailed Beast cloak, reverting to her human form, and was now resting in Minato's arms, thoroughly exhausted from the battle.
Minato turned away from the hellscape that Kiri had turned into and glanced at him, his eyes briefly flickering toward the unconscious form of Mei in his arms.
"Crow. Take us back to Konoha."
He nodded. "Gather together everyone."
And that's how their mission in Kiri ended.
—————
AN: God fucking dammit! It took me over 4 entire hours to edit this chapter. I'm not writing a 10K chapter ever again. Though, the length increased to 11K after a few important edits.
An oh, we also reached 100K words in this fanfic, so there's that as well.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter, because I absolutely didn't enjoy editing it. At all.
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Have a nice day
