Chapter 23: Stirrings from All Sides
Chapter 23: Stirrings from All Sides
For Konoha, the vacant position of the Fifth Hokage was the key priority, and everything else could take a backseat for now.
Similarly, for the Sunagakure ninjas, their foremost task was to find the missing Fourth Kazekage.
Setting aside the Sunagakure ninjas currently imprisoned in Konoha, the village had mobilized all its remaining forces to search for the Fourth Kazekage, or at least his body. Their experience in searching for the Third Kazekage a decade ago proved valuable in this endeavor.
To some extent, the Sunagakure ninjas had Orochimaru to thank.
After all, the original plan was for the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, to lead the Sunagakure ninjas in a joint ambush of Konoha with Orochimaru's Otogakure ninjas.
For reasons unknown, Orochimaru chose to betray his allies and assassinate the Fourth Kazekage first.
If the intention was to get close to the Third Hokage and deliver a fatal blow while disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, then it was a strange strategy, as Orochimaru showed no signs of such an attack during the Chunin Exams.
If that wasn't the case, then what was the point of assassinating the Fourth Kazekage? Wouldn't having one more ally be beneficial?
However, it was precisely because of Orochimaru's assassination attempt that the Sunagakure ninjas now found themselves in a better situation.
Otherwise, the fact that Sunagakure had caused significant destruction and casualties in Konoha would not have been lightly overlooked, with the village simply attributing it to them being deceived.
There was a high possibility that Konoha and Sunagakure would have engaged in a full-scale war, and perhaps, just like in the past, the other ninja villages would have followed suit one after the other, thus truly ushering in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
In this light, Orochimaru's assassination attempt on the Fourth Kazekage could be considered a fortunate turn of events.
The leaders of the other three Great Ninja Villages—the Raikage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage—were still alive and well.
Upon receiving intelligence about the attack on Konoha, they initially rejoiced in the village's misfortune, praising Orochimaru for his efforts and anticipating his future endeavors.
However, their expressions suddenly turned grave when they learned that Huyi Xuanyue had freed himself from the confines of the Impure World Reincarnation technique and left Konoha alone.
While they didn't understand the technique as comprehensively as the Hokages, especially the Second Hokage who had developed it, they were familiar with it due to its frequent use by Tobirama Senju during the Second Tsuchikage's reign to vex their enemies.
Based on the information they had gathered, they could surmise that Huyi Xuanyue hadn't been resurrected but was temporarily summoned in an impure state, his soul bound to the technique.
Even so, it was undeniable that Huyi Xuanyue, with his self-awareness intact, had truly set foot in the mortal world once again after several decades.
Iwagakure.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was at the hospital receiving treatment for his old back when he received news of Huyi Xuanyue's reappearance.
As he cried out in pain, his expression suddenly turned serious, and his eyes reflected a mix of complex emotions.
"Huyi Xuanyue..."
If anyone in the ninja world knew Huyi Xuanyue well, he would be second to none.
He had seen Huyi Xuanyue with his own eyes, not during the final battle at the Valley of the End, but even earlier, before the establishment of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
In the Warring States era, where children as young as five were forced to fight, Onoki was already fifteen or sixteen when Konoha was founded, considered an adult at the time.
During his decade-long career as a ninja, he had crossed paths with Huyi Xuanyue, the illustrious leader of the Huyi Clan, on several occasions due to their shared missions. He had witnessed first-hand the awe-inspiring might of a true genius, a man several years his senior.
There was no need for verbose reminders or repeated warnings from the Second Tsuchikage about the man's terrifying prowess.
Onoki had a deep understanding of Huyi Xuanyue, an impression that remained vivid even to this day.
"Who would've thought that the young man I once stood alongside is now the Third Tsuchikage?
Without a moment's hesitation, Onoki replied, "Have the Iwunin forces near the Fire Country frontline rattle some sabers at Konoha. We can take advantage if it benefits us, and even if it doesn't, we can still drain their energy. As for Yuyi Xuan Yue..."
After pondering for a while, Onoki eventually sighed and shook his head, "Send a team to investigate. It's fine if we don't find him."
No matter how brilliant a glory, it eventually fades.
Even if it reappears, it's only a fleeting radiance.
On an emotional level, Onoki longed to meet Yuyi Xuan Yue, a figure he admired in his youth, once more.
However, from a broader perspective, he couldn't afford to waste the village's strength on meaningless endeavors.
Onoki opted for the latter.
But then, a thought crossed his mind, and a smirk tugged at his lips.
While he wasn't in a rush regarding Yuyi Xuan Yue, he knew that certain individuals would be.
"Bang!"
A loud slam echoed through the Mizukage's office.
The young Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, issued a cold command, "Dispatch all our pursuer-ninjas. Find Yuyi Xuan Yue at all costs and bring him back to Kirigakure."
As the biggest loser in the battle at the Valley of the End, Kirigakure had not only lost the First Mizukage, but their reputation had also taken a significant hit.
More crucially, the recently unified Kirigakure was now facing internal struggles once again, as the village's ruling backbone was no longer present.
Even with the Second Mizukage, Hotaru Hozuki, quickly taking over, his influence fell short of the First Mizukage's, making it challenging to effectively unify the village.
Furthermore, he had died in the final stages of the First Great Ninja War.
As a result, the internal conflicts in Kirigakure intensified, leading to the "Blood Mist" era.
Although the Blood Mist era had ended, the decades-old residual issues continued to plague the current Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Yuyi Xuan Yue was the source of Kirigakure's series of tragedies.
Indeed, upon hearing that Yuyi Xuan Yue, a figure despised by the older generation of Kirigakure ninjas, had reappeared in the ninja world, Mei Terumi, known for her small temper, was determined to capture him, regardless of his current state, to avenge her predecessors.
Fortunately, Ao, by her side, calmly advised, "Mizukage-sama, Yuyi Xuan Yue is likely still within the Fire Country. With the current unstable situation in the ninja world, if we make such a big fuss, we might provoke misunderstandings from Konoha. Please reconsider."
"Also, that person is truly dead. It's not necessary to expend so much effort in searching for him."
Even if they found him, what then?
Yuyi Xuan Yue was already deceased.
Would they kill him again? Would that even matter to him?
After much persuasion, Mei Terumi finally let go of the idea of a large-scale manhunt and compromised by dispatching a small team to secretly track down Yuyi Xuan Yue.
Lastly, compared to Kirigakure's fuss.
Kumogakure was much more straightforward.
Even though the First Mizukage had died, the First Raikage had only lost an arm.
Upon receiving the news, the Fourth Raikage, Ay, lifted an arm-thick dumbbell and issued an order without hesitation:
"Do whatever it takes to find Yuyi Xuan Yue and avenge the First Raikage's lost arm!"
"Yes!"
No one objected.
The massive combat machine that was Kumogakure sprang into efficient action.
(End of Chapter)
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