Chapter 647: The Four Kage's Ambush? (6k)

Chapter 647: The Four Kage's Ambush? (6k)



Earth Country.

Border Town.

As soon as Tu Tai, the elite leader of the Cloud Village's Jonin class, entered the town with his squad, a ninja in the Stone Village uniform approached them.

"Please follow me," the Stone Village ninja said calmly.

There had been numerous frictions between the Stone and Cloud Villages in recent years, and it was already commendable for him to treat the Cloud Village ninja with civility. As for maintaining respect throughout, that was simply impossible.

Tu Tai nodded slightly and followed, unbothered by the Stone Village ninja's attitude.

The Stone Village ninja wasn't fond of him, and he felt the same about them.

If it weren't for the highly concerning intelligence provided by the Stone Village, the Cloud Village wouldn't have attended a meeting hosted by them.

Following the Stone Village ninja, they soon arrived at a building guarded by numerous ninjas.

Tu Tai noticed that not only were there Stone Village ninjas, but also Sand and Mist Village ninjas, meaning that three of the Great Shinobi Villages were present, with only the Cloud Village missing.

"For the order of the meeting, only two escorts are allowed inside," the guiding Stone Village ninja reminded them.

"You two, follow me. The rest of you, wait here," Tu Tai instructed the two most powerful members of his squad.

Logically, the Stone Village shouldn't dare to cause trouble for the three Great Shinobi Villages simultaneously, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Having stronger escorts was always preferable.

Tu Tai entered the building and was led to a conference room inside.

Upon entering the conference room, the first person Tu Tai saw was Huang Tu sitting in the main seat.

Given Huang Tu's experience, it was somewhat inappropriate for him to preside over this meeting.

However, Huang Tu was the one who discovered the intelligence, so Daigo had advocated for him.

Despite his straightforward personality, he was still their child, and they couldn't let him suffer.

Tu Tai's gaze shifted to the right, where he spotted a delicate-looking female ninja with the Sand Village's forehead protector.

He immediately recognized her as Yekang, the renowned Blaze Style ninja from the Sand Village.

Noticing Tu Tai's gaze, Yekang gave him a cold glance in return.

The Cloud Village's sudden attack had caused great trouble for the Sand Village, and it had cost them dearly to drive the Cloud Village out of the Wind Country.

Tu Tai didn't mind; with the Sand Village's Third Kazekage missing and the village in disarray, it was the perfect opportunity for the Cloud Village to strike.

Tu Tai then shifted his gaze further to the right, where a stern-faced Mist Village ninja sat.

He quickly searched his mind for information and soon found it—Shui Yu, the leader of the Jonin class in the Mist Village.

"It seems that both the Mist and Sand Villages attach great importance to this intelligence," Tu Tai thought to himself.

Yekang and Shui Yu were both influential ninjas in their respective villages, and their presence at the meeting was a significant gesture.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Cloud Village, Huang Tu surveyed the room, recalled the draft in his mind, and then glanced at the documents before him. He began, "Since you are all here, I believe you share an interest in working together to eliminate Yuyu Mumu, crushing the ambition of Woodleaf's domination."

After speaking, Huang Tu's two Stone Village escorts began distributing documents to the representatives of each village.

"Regarding Yuyu Mumu's strength, I can assure you that there is no exaggeration. Here are photographs of the battlefield after his battles. Feel free to take a look," Huang Tu continued.

Eliminating Yuyu Mumu was a crucial objective of this plan, the most central goal.

It was unrealistic to think of annihilating Woodleaf together, even though the four villages had the strength to do so. The problem was that the four villages couldn't truly cooperate wholeheartedly.

Each of the Five Great Shinobi Villages had a profound heritage, which included some immensely powerful but less-than-humane ninjutsu.

For example, Woodleaf's Summoning of the Dead required sacrificing living people and was also an insult to the controlled deceased.

When Senju Hashirama learned of this ninjutsu, he ordered it to be sealed and prohibited.

However, this prohibition wasn't absolute; when faced with a life-or-death situation, concerns about humanity would be set aside, and protecting Woodleaf would be the top priority.

If Woodleaf were to fight with all its might, who would dare to challenge them? The alliance would naturally fall apart.

Therefore, from the beginning, Daigo's goal was simply to kill Mumu and suppress Woodleaf.

Tu Tai took out the photographs distributed by the Stone Village, and his pupils constricted.

To make the other ninja villages understand the severity of the situation, the Stone Village ninjas had taken the photos very seriously, capturing various angles and perspectives.

To better illustrate the extent of the destruction, many photos included a Stone Village ninja standing amidst the ruins, providing a human scale to the devastation.

Gazing at the scene that resembled a meteor bombardment, Tu Tai's expression turned solemn.

From the establishment of the first ninja village, Woodleaf, to the present, only a few decades had passed. Most ninjas still remembered the invincible warrior named Senju Hashirama.

With Senju Hashirama as a unique example, the combination of Wood Style and young super genius was indeed unsettling.

The Sand Village might not care, but for the Cloud Village, which aimed to replace Woodleaf's position, the emergence of a second Ninja God was absolutely unacceptable.

The Cloud Village had been in hiding for decades, and if another Ninja God like Yuyu Mumu appeared, they would be forced into another few decades of frustration.

"How do you propose we cooperate? We in the Cloud Village cannot stand by and ignore Woodleaf's atrocities!" Tu Tai said in a grave tone.

Yuyu Mumu had to be eliminated, even if it meant paying a slightly higher price. Otherwise, it would have a detrimental effect on the Cloud Village's strategy for the next few decades.

"Atrocities? Do you, the Cloud Village, have the right to use that word?" Yekang couldn't help but retort.

Moreover, Yekang had crossed paths with Mumu once and knew him to be an open-minded and magnanimous individual.

If she had known that this meeting was to discuss assassinating Mumu, she wouldn't have come.

While the Sand Village could take action against Mumu, she wouldn't be the one to do it.

"Your Excellency, don't let past hatred cloud your judgment. Remember why we are here today," Tu Tai said calmly without engaging in a rebuttal.

The primary task at hand was to eliminate Mumu, and other matters could wait.

"Hmph, it's not hatred that drives me, I just find your words amusing," Yekang sarcastically mocked him.

While it sounded nice for Tu Tai to calmly advise her to let go of her hatred, given that the Cloud Village had invaded the Sand Village and not the other way around.

Huang Tu felt a headache coming on. Just as he was about to mediate, a Sand Village ninja behind Yekang spoke up.

"Yekang, don't forget the village's mission," Yashamaru said with a smile.

He was sent by Luo Sha to monitor Yekang, both to prevent her from causing trouble and to step in and cooperate on her behalf when needed.

Yekang glanced at Yashamaru indifferently and remained silent.

She disliked Luo Sha, but she had a good impression of his brother-in-law and was willing to give him some face.

"Your Sand Hidden Village sure knows how to have fun," Shui Yu didn't expect there to be such entertainment at the meeting, as a bodyguard of the Shinobi representative voiced his opinion to the Ninja representative.

Yekang didn't respond, while Yashamaru smiled but remained silent.

Not wanting to push his luck, Shui Yu didn't continue the topic.

"It seems the Sand Hidden Village hasn't recovered from its internal strife. We made the wrong choice of opponent back then. If we had targeted the Sand Village, the outcome might have been different," Shui Yu thought to himself.

Naturally, Shui Yu felt a sense of regret for the current situation in the Mist Hidden Village.

Over a thousand ninjas had been captured by the Leaf Village, including Kokitsu Yakura, a potential candidate for the next Mizukage. This left the Mist Village in a very passive position.

"Cooperation is actually quite simple. Currently, our Stone Hidden Village's ninja forces are still facing off against the Leaf Village ninja forces in the Land of Grass, and Yuyu Mumu is among the Leaf Village forces there," Huang Tu began to explain their plan.

"We, the Stone Hidden Village, will act as bait and vanguard, engaging the Leaf Village ninja forces."

"The Leaf Village forces are weak. Without Yuyu Mumu's help, they would definitely not be a match for us. So, Mumu will certainly take action."

"Your villages only need to dispatch some elite teams to hide in the Land of Grass. Then, you can take this opportunity to surround and kill Mumu, ensuring he stays in the Land of Grass forever."

In truth, the Stone Hidden Village had already devised a detailed plan for the four villages to work together, but they needed to confirm the cooperation first before assigning tasks. Hence, Huang Tu revealed the core of the plan.

"We, the Cloud Hidden Village, are willing to cooperate," Tu Tai immediately expressed his agreement.

The Cloud Hidden Village had held high-level meetings regarding this conference, and the conclusion was to eliminate Yuyu Mumu at all costs and not give him any more chances to grow stronger.

"This cooperation is a significant matter. We need to seek the opinion of the Kazekage," Yashamaru said, not giving an immediate approval.

Luo Sha hadn't granted him the right to participate in the battle; he was only tasked with analyzing the feasibility and reporting back.

"I also need to report to the Mizukage," Shui Yu added.

The situation in the Mist Hidden Village was quite awkward. Even if the Third Mizukage had granted the authority, Shui Yu wouldn't dare make such a decision on his own.

"Then, let me provide some additional intelligence," Huang Tu said after some thought.

In Daigo's estimation, these major ninja villages wouldn't agree to the cooperation so easily.

Huang Tu's task was to clearly convey the danger posed by Mumu, creating a sense of crisis among the major ninja villages.

After the meeting, the representatives used various means to contact their villages and report on the meeting's outcome.

Yekang straightforwardly informed Luo Sha that she would not take on this mission.

Upon learning from Yashamaru that this mission had a high chance of success, Luo Sha readily agreed to Yekang's request.

There were plenty of dangerous missions; there was no need to give Yekang a risky task that could potentially earn her great merit.

If Yekang got lucky and managed to kill Mumu, her reputation would undoubtedly rise to the next level, which would be very unfavorable for him.

"The Cloud Village has agreed, and the Mist Village will most likely agree as well. This four-village alliance should go smoothly," Luo Sha nodded to himself.

In the past two years, the Mist Village had lost a Jinchuriki and five precious ninja swords to the Leaf Village, and they had recently suffered another defeat. Luo Sha couldn't believe that the Mist Village didn't seek revenge.

As for the Sand Village, Luo Sha wouldn't pass up the opportunity to take advantage of their neighbor's misfortune.

"The Leaf Village has no choice but to suffer this loss," Luo Sha couldn't help but smile.

This was the first time in the history of the Shinobi era that the four major ninja villages had united against a single ninja village.

Even if the Leaf Village was powerful, it wouldn't be able to withstand the alliance.

In terms of strength, the four villages had the advantage, whether it was their powerful individuals or ordinary ninjas.

In terms of intelligence, their covert alliance was unknown to the Leaf Village, while they operated in the shadows.

Luo Sha couldn't imagine a scenario where the Leaf Village wouldn't lose.

Perhaps only the resurrection of Senju Hashirama could resolve this situation.

With a true Senju, all the major ninja villages would have no choice but to comply.

On the other side, the Third Mizukage struggled to make a decision after receiving Shui Yu's report.

On one hand, there was his highly regarded junior and over a thousand Mist Village ninjas, and on the other, there was the opportunity to avenge their previous humiliation and deliver a crushing defeat to the Leaf Village.

The Third Mizukage wasn't naively optimistic, thinking he could strike the Leaf Village while rescuing their captured comrades.

While it was possible, the likelihood of success was low.

The captives might have already been taken to the Leaf Village.

Once they eliminated Yuyu Mumu, Kokitsu Yakura and the thousand Mist Village ninjas would either be killed by the enraged Leaf Village ninjas or become bargaining chips for exchange.

Rescuing so many ninjas from the Leaf Village would be a difficult task. If they couldn't beat them, killing a captive wouldn't be hard.

"Wait, I have another option," a thought flashed through the Third Mizukage's mind.

Why had he been so resistant to negotiating with the Leaf Village? Was it because he was determined to fight them? No, it was because the Leaf Village was using the large number of hostages they held as leverage, and signing a peace treaty would cause the Mist Village to lose a significant amount of wealth, leaving the Third Mizukage with neither wealth nor reputation.

If he didn't cooperate with the Stone Hidden Village and instead informed the Leaf Village of their plan, not only would the Mist Village avoid any losses, but Kokitsu Yakura and the others would be absolutely safe, and there was even a chance to retrieve the lost ninja swords.

The only downside was that the Stone, Cloud, and Sand Hidden Villages might have a sudden drop in their goodwill towards the Mist Village.

But upon further consideration, this wasn't an issue. The Mist Village had the Leaf Village as an ally, and if they became a double agent for the Leaf Village, the Leaf Village couldn't just stand by and let the Mist Village suffer.

In this way, Yuyu Mumu, the second God of Shinobi, wouldn't pose a threat to the Mist Village and could even become a great asset.

"As long as Yuyu Mumu can withstand the three villages' joint attack, this is the best choice," the Third Mizukage became increasingly convinced that he should abandon the dark path and embrace the light.

Although Yuyu Mumu was a Leaf Village ninja, the Third Mizukage had great confidence in him.

With the capture of Kokitsu Yakura and a large portion of the Mist Village's forces, the three villages' alliance might not be an impossible challenge.

At this thought, the Third Mizukage summoned the Yuan Shi from the Intelligence Division.

While he could ignore the opinions of others, he had to take the Yuan Shi's words into consideration.

The Third Mizukage shared his thoughts with the Yuan Shi, "Yuan Shi, what do you think the Mist Village should choose?"

"Use the cooperation as leverage and side with the Leaf Village," the Yuan Shi replied after some thought.

If not for the over a thousand captives, the Yuan Shi would have likely chosen to join the Stone Hidden Village in attacking the Leaf Village.

For the Mist Village, having those over a thousand captives meant that allying with the Leaf Village naturally came with benefits.

In a cooperation with the Stone Hidden Village, regardless of victory or defeat, the lives of those over a thousand captives couldn't be guaranteed.

By allying with the Leaf Village, there was a good chance of winning, and in the event of victory, the captives would surely be safe, and they could even gain the friendship of the Leaf Village.

Third Mizukage and Yuan Shi reached a consensus, and the resolution was quickly passed in the high-level meeting. While contacting the Stone Hidden Village to agree on the collaboration and deployment of troops, they also contacted the Leaf Village.

To demonstrate the Mist Hidden Village's sincerity, Yuan Shi volunteered to lead the team to the Leaf Village for cooperation negotiations.

Upon learning that the three great ninja villages had agreed to cooperate, Daigo personally went to the border town to preside over the meeting.

To ensure success, Daigo decided to take action himself.

Not only would he act personally, but Daigo also invited the Third Raikage, Third Mizukage, and Fourth Kazekage to join the operation.

The reason was that Yuyu Mumu's situation might prompt the Leaf Village to reinforce their troops, and since Yuyu Mumu possessed the Lightning God Technique, a large number of powerful ninjas were required to surround and kill him.

The Cloud Hidden Village's determination to eliminate Yu Sheng Mu Yue was no less than that of the Stone Hidden Village. The Third Raikage was the first to respond, stating that he would also be present.

The Third Raikage did not trust others; he wanted to personally kill Yuyu Mumu to eliminate any future threats.

Soon after, the Third Mizukage also responded, indicating that he would lead the Mist Hidden Village's elite assassination unit to the site for the assassination mission.

Seeing that all the other Kage were going, Roshi, who had initially planned not to go, changed his mind and decided to personally go to the Land of Grass to join the action.

If he didn't go when all the other Kage were present, it would seem like he lacked courage. As the only Fourth Kage among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Roshi felt he couldn't let the Sand Hidden Village down.

"It's probably the first time in the history of the ninja world that the Kage of the four great ninja villages have gathered to kill a single person," Daigo said with a smile.

The plan proceeded as envisioned, and Daigo was in high spirits.

Even if he had the potential of Senju Hashirama, as long as he hadn't truly become the second God of Shinobi, there was still a chance.

At this moment, Daigo was glad he had been unwavering in his actions against the Leaf Village since the war began.

If the Leaf Village hadn't been pushed to the brink, the village's leadership might have kept Yu Sheng Mu Yue's Wood Style hidden until he approached Senju Hashirama's level of strength.

To ensure that Yu Sheng Mu Yue stayed in the Land of Grass, Daigo spared no effort.

In addition to the main battlefield in the Land of Grass, Daigo strongly suggested that the Mist Hidden Village invade the southeast of the Fire Country again to draw the Leaf Village's attention and prevent the Leaf ninja forces in the Land of Grass from receiving too much reinforcement.

Similarly, Daigo also suggested that the Cloud Hidden Village send some personnel to operate in the Land of Rice Paddies, giving the impression that they hadn't given up on opening up the situation in the Land of Rice Paddies, thus diverting the Leaf Village's attention.

As for the Sand Hidden Village, Daigo didn't suggest they declare war on the Leaf Village, thinking it would be better if the Sand Hidden Village suddenly appeared and caught the Leaf Village off guard.

If the Sand Hidden Village declared war, then all four great ninja villages would be at war with the Leaf Village, which might put the Leaf Village on edge and lead them to reinforce their border forces.

As time passed, Daigo's arrangements were gradually put in place.

The Mist Hidden Village reappeared in the southeast of the Fire Country, and Cloud Village ninjas were active on the border of the Land of Rice Paddies.

Roshi, the Third Raikage, and other allies secretly entered the Land of Grass with their elite forces.

After everything was prepared, Daigo gave the order to the Stone Hidden Ninja Forces, addressing Reishi.

"Attack the Leaf Ninja Forces at all costs."

To maintain secrecy, Daigo didn't even go to the Stone Hidden Ninja Forces, giving the impression that he was still in the Stone Hidden Village.

Most of the Stone Hidden Ninja Forces were unaware that their village leader had arrived at the battlefield, except for a small number of high-ranking members.

The reason was simple: Daigo was worried that he might scare Yuyu Mumu away.

If Yu Sheng Mu Yue fled to a corner and quietly cultivated for a decade before reappearing, Daigo would truly be at a loss.

The full deployment of the Stone Hidden Ninja Forces from the Land of Grass directly to the Fire Country's defense line was a significant move that couldn't be hidden from the Leaf Village's intelligence ninjas.

"Something's wrong," Jiraiya said with a serious expression. "They retreated and avoided battle before, but now they're launching a nearly all-out offensive. Could they have received reinforcements?"

The Stone Hidden Ninja Forces in the Land of Grass had already approached with two thousand ninjas, and if they received another thousand-strong reinforcement, that would make a total of three thousand ninjas.

Such a formidable force, if directed at countries outside the Five Great Shinobi Villages, could conquer them within a short period.

"We also have reinforcements, and we have Teacher Mu Yue. We will definitely win!" Deidara expressed confidence in Yuyu Mumu's presence.

"Even with reinforcements, we still don't have as many ninjas as they do," Jiraiya quipped.

With reinforcements, the Leaf Ninja Forces in the Land of Grass numbered only fifteen hundred ninjas, fewer than the Stone Hidden Ninja Forces without reinforcements.

"Then let's ask the village for more help," Kakashi suggested.

He also trusted in Yuyu Mumu's strength, but it would be better to minimize the chances of unexpected events.

"I'll make the request, but even if they send help, they won't be able to arrive in time," Jiraiya said, his expression unworried.

Although they were outnumbered, Jiraiya was still confident, after all, that person was there.

"Don't worry, trust me, trust yourself, and trust everyone," Yuyu Mumu said, smiling as he patted Kakashi's shoulder.

As the central target of the operation, Yuyu Mumu received all the intelligence Enma had gathered.

Being targeted was within Yuyu Mumu's expectations, which was why he had waited so long after acquiring the Wood Style before truly demonstrating his strength on the battlefield.

Yuyu Mumu's genius reputation, combined with his Wood Style, would make the Leaf Village's enemies extremely cautious.

Aside from the Leaf Village itself, no other ninja village would want to see another Senju Hashirama appear.

Therefore, when fighting the Mist Hidden Village's forces, Yuyu Mumu intentionally held back and captured many Mist Hidden Village prisoners.

His goal was to make the Mist Hidden Village hesitate, reducing one opponent.

Yuyu Mumu was not afraid of facing the Third Tsuchikage or the Third Raikage alone, but if multiple Kage were present, along with elite ninjas, it would be too much for him to handle.

He didn't have enough chakra; Yuyu Mumu couldn't kill that many people before his chakra was depleted.

He could only use the Lightning God Technique to escape after his chakra was nearly exhausted.

"If it had been a little later, perhaps the Mist Hidden Village wouldn't have turned against us," Yuyu Mumu thought, sensing a quiver in his eyes.

Yuyu Mumu didn't know what his Byakugan would evolve into, as in the original story, the only advanced eyes related to the Byakugan were the Rebirth Eye in the theatrical version.

Everyone else had ordinary Byakugan, even the final boss, Kaguya Otsutsuki, whose Byakugan appeared no different from the ordinary Hyuga clan, but with stronger abilities.

It seemed that the Rebirth Eye required the combination of Otsutsuki chakra with a pure Byakugan.

His Byakugan was undoubtedly pure, but Yuyu Mumu had no idea where to find Otsutsuki chakra.

Nevertheless, evolution was a good thing; his chakra would definitely increase, although it was a pity that he couldn't double it like his disciples.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end