https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-129-Hiruzen-Sarutobi-The-Pain-It-s-Too-Much-/12832186/
Chapter 130: Flame Finger
Chapter 130: Flame Finger
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West Tsuru Town!
This was the small town ruled by the target noble.
"Filthy merchants, you dare to run away without paying taxes in Lord Kamakura's territory? Do you want to die?"
A gaunt man, his face heavily powdered and pale as a ghost, was surrounded by a dozen samurai and several dozen ashigaru. He had stopped a convoy that was about to leave the town.
How rampant were the nobles in the shinobi world?
There was only one way to describe them:
They were completely inhuman!
There was nothing they wouldn't do.
The common people in the shinobi world lived in hell, and these nobles were largely to blame.
Less than one percent of the population belonged to the noble class, yet they controlled more than eighty percent of the resources. Coupled with the backward production methods, it was no wonder the commoners struggled to survive.
"Lord Kosei, we have already paid our taxes. This shipment can't be delayed; it's needed urgently by the Southwest Shinobi Army!"
Honda Shou pleaded desperately.
If it were just money, he wouldn't have been heartbroken.
But this shipment contained materials he had privately acquired for the Southwest Shinobi Army.
The noble's steward not only wanted money but also intended to seize the goods, which he couldn't accept. That's why he had tried to slip away, only to be intercepted.
"Hmph, you think a bunch of lowly merchants can intimidate me?"
The man named Kosei, as he spoke, whipped Honda Shou's back.
In reality, he was just a steward, but in this territory, he was the supreme authority.
As for shinobi?
In the eyes of the nobles, they were merely hired muscle, not taken seriously at all.
Just as Honda Shou was being beaten and begging for mercy, ready to pay a heavy price:
"Are you calling us lowly?"
A voice interrupted the scene.
Thud, thud!
A young man with short hair, wearing a tight black outfit and elbow-length gloves, entered the town through the gate, followed by several shinobi wearing Leaf Village headbands.
His presence was commanding, and the display was impressive.
When Touhei arrived, he saw 'Changwei beating Laifu'—no, it was the noble's steward beating Honda Shou. Anger rose within him.
In the past, Honda had treated him to a few good meals during their time at the shinobi academy.
He had thought the intelligence exaggerated the situation. The Honda Trading Company was a collaborator with the shinobi army, and with his backing, no noble would dare to disrespect them.
But he hadn't anticipated the nobles' boundless arrogance.
Shinobi naturally feared the nobles, thinking they were 'Celestial Dragons.'
"You... what are you going to do? I am Lord Kamakura's steward. Even the Third Hokage of the Leaf Village would treat me with respect!"
Kosei was panicking, invoking the Third Hokage as a shield.
Indeed, from the nobles' perspective, the Leaf Village was just a hired 'muscle' for the Fire Country, with a low status.
They only grudgingly acknowledged the 'dual power' (Daimyo and Hokage) due to the shinobi's military might, but in their hearts, they despised the Leaf Village.
Any major noble's territory and population were larger than the Leaf Village, so they couldn't possibly respect it.
"Is that so?"
Touhei walked up to Kosei, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
As for the samurai and ashigaru, just as they were about to act, they found kunai at their throats. Any movement, and the Leaf shinobi would not hesitate to slit their throats.
With Touhei's rank as a commander, the Southwest Shinobi Army would follow his orders unless it harmed the Leaf Village.
Hiss!
A flame ignited on Touhei's fingertip.
Then, in the terrified gaze of the steward Kosei, Touhei extended a flame spear through the man's forehead.
"Flame Finger!"
Touhei had actually wanted to call it 'One Yang Finger.'
But he felt it was too out of place, so he decided to stick with 'Flame Finger.'
This technique had great potential.
In battle, a sudden strike like this could be a game-changer.
The inspiration for this jutsu came from 'Chidori Spear,' much like how his Flame Cloak drew from 'Chidori Style.'
In short, while developing these jutsu, Touhei almost drove his future self (Sasuke: Please act like a human!) bald.
"Let's go!"
After executing the steward, Touhei led the Southwest Shinobi Army away quickly.
Not showing too much closeness to Honda Shou was for his protection, and Honda would understand the reasoning.
If he showed too much favor, Honda's enemies would target him, causing trouble.
This level of involvement was just right.
It showed he valued their partnership without getting too close.
"Lord Touhei, should I eliminate the steward's family?"
Hyuga Aozuki asked quietly beside him.
Looking at her pure and beautiful face, it was hard to imagine such ruthless words coming from her lips.
"Let's save the troops first. Then, you and Koji can disguise yourselves as bandits and raid the family. We need to give the nobles some face; we can't act too directly!"
Touhei nodded.
Since the goal is to establish dominance, it must be seen through to the end.
At the same time, it’s a golden opportunity to make a hefty profit. Nobles have considerable wealth, and such generous benefactors are always welcome.
This noble’s situation is not unique.
While not all nobles are as greedy and foolish, the majority are, and he looks forward to more such opportunities in the future.
Not only can he humiliate them, but he can also line his pockets in the process.
If anyone suspects him, let them bring evidence. If they can’t, do they really think this ‘Sage’ is a soft target, easy to manipulate?
"Great!"
Hyuga Tsukigata gave a deep look at the location of the mayor’s residence, memorizing it.
Once the crisis is over, she will bring Yamamoto Koji to pay a visit to this ‘generous benefactor’ who sponsored their cause.
Soon enough, the Shinobi Army arrived at a forest.
This was where Orochimaru and his remaining forces were surrounded.
"Zixiao, you go—"
With Hyuga Tsukigata by his side, Douhei had a significant advantage in intelligence. He issued commands to preemptively eliminate the Sand shinobi scouts hiding in the area.
Small teams rushed out, accelerating to their targets.
Having Hyuga Tsukigata with them was like having a map of the entire area.
However, Douhei couldn’t reveal her full range of vision. He only sent out teams when they were within a kilometer, making it appear as if her vision was limited to the standard one-kilometer range of a Hyuga branch member.
With this strategy, the southwestern Shinobi Army could silently infiltrate the core battlefield without alerting the Sand shinobi.
Boom!
Douhei faintly heard the distant sounds of intense battle, knowing that things had escalated to hand-to-hand combat.
"I’ll go ahead. Tani, you take command."
With that, he sped off.
Whoosh!
His flame armor enveloped his body, transforming him into a blazing meteor that vanished from the others' sight.
No one in the southwestern Shinobi Army found his actions strange.
Strong individuals have the right to be capricious.
Nara Tani smiled bitterly and led the Shinobi Army forward at a steady pace.
On the other side!
Orochimaru, working in tandem with Manda, used traps, poisons, and other means to repel the Sand shinobi.
Fighting three against one!
Even though Chiyo’s strength was limited by her puppet, she was still formidable.
Furthermore, Roshi and Yuki were growing stronger with each battle.
After numerous engagements, their current strength was on par with Kage-level shinobi.
Had Kurotsuchi not left, Orochimaru’s situation would have been even worse.
Currently, while his injuries had been healed by the Snake Substitution Jutsu, his condition was still at rock bottom.
The Snake Substitution Jutsu!
It is one of Orochimaru’s core secret techniques.
A fusion of summoning techniques and advanced biological skills, inspired by snakes shedding their skin.
Even with fatal injuries, this secret technique can heal them.
It was also the secret technique that Douhei coveted the most.
Unfortunately, the development process was too complex, so he had to put it on hold for now. However, he had a clear development strategy.
Just as snakes can shed their skin, phoenixes can be reborn from ashes.
With the right approach, the all-powerful chakra can achieve anything.
The most crucial aspect of developing jutsu is ‘creativity,’ so Douhei was confident he could create this secret technique if he had enough knowledge.
"Orochimaru, you have nowhere to run this time!"
Roshi controlled his golden sand to restrict Manda while simultaneously attacking Orochimaru’s will.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru’s will was as resilient as a wolf’s. Even in the face of certain death, it did not waver. He continued to fight Yuki while defending against Chiyo and Roshi, never giving them a chance to attack.
With Orochimaru bearing the brunt of the pressure, Nara Shikaku and the others managed to hold their ground without collapsing.
However, the number of Konoha Shinobi Army members had dwindled to less than six hundred, less than half of their initial force, showing the extent of their losses.
Most were injured and on the brink of collapse.
"Finished!"
Nara Shikaku suddenly realized his chakra was depleted, and he sighed in despair.
The Sand shinobi took turns attacking, so their chakra remained well-preserved.
However, as the pursued, they had no way to conserve their chakra. The continuous harassment and pressure were aimed at depleting their chakra.
Without chakra, a shinobi is no better than a civilian, and the Sand shinobi would have no trouble slaughtering them.
A kunai flew at him like a bolt of lightning.
With chakra, dodging it would have been easy.
But now, even though his mind wanted to evade, his body told him it was impossible.
Just as he was about to lose all hope, a voice like a heavenly melody sounded in Nara Shikaku’s ear.
(End of Chapter)
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