Chapter 710: Revival Jutsu
Chapter 710: Revival Jutsu
In the Wind Country, within the Hidden Sand Village.
The intelligence brought back by Nokami Sphere had caused a stir among the upper echelons of the Hidden Sand.
This was because, not long ago, they had been discussing how to deal with Shinshu.
"Fortunately, Advisor Kaizo is cautious; otherwise, the losses would have been severe," a middle-aged Hidden Sand upper-echelon with a white cloth wrapped around his head exclaimed.
"Indeed, Kousuke's strength is so formidable that we must be extra cautious when dealing with Shinshu," a bald and rather robust Hidden Sand member nodded.
The Hidden Sand leaders all felt a mix of relief and unease. Even as one of the Five Great Hidden Villages, the Hidden Sand would find it challenging to withstand the retaliation of the God of Ninjas, and decline was almost inevitable.
"We also need to be cautious of the Stone Hide Village. Based on their previous actions, they obtained this intelligence earlier than us but didn't inform us. Instead, they intentionally guided us to go to war with Shinshu."
At this point, the Hidden Sand leaders' expressions turned somewhat displeased.
Previously, they had found the Stone Hide Village's actions suspicious, willing to offer a large commission but not sending out any ninjas.
Now, it seemed that the Stone Hide Village didn't want Shinshu to develop and take their 'cake,' yet they also feared retaliation from Kousuke, so they planned to use the Hidden Sand, which also had territorial conflicts with Shinshu, to achieve their goals.
"Of course, we should be cautious, but I believe cooperation is necessary," Kaizo said after some thought.
Currently, the Ninja World was seemingly peaceful on the surface, but the underlying conflicts were even more exaggerated than during the Third Ninja World War.
The strongest Kousuke led the rise of Shinshu, challenging the existing Ninja World order.
Yu Sheng Mu Yue, with the stature of the God of Ninjas, had taken up the position of Fire Shadow, strengthening ties with the Mist Hide Village, appearing ready to ally with them to sweep through the Ninja World.
Kaizo felt that the current Ninja World was like a wooden barrel filled with explosive tags, poised for a colossal explosion at any moment.
The fact that the Stone Hide Village, which held an intelligence advantage, was proactively sharing information indicated just how tense the situation in the Ninja World was.
"Advisor Kaizo's words make sense. If the Stone Hide Village, the Cloud Hide Village, and we can truly unite, then whether it's to eliminate Shinshu or confront the Leaf Village and the Mist Hide Village, we'll be in a more comfortable position," the middle-aged Hidden Sand leader with the white cloth around his head agreed.
There was no doubt that the Stone Hide Village had intended to deceive the Hidden Sand, but from a strategic perspective, the Hidden Sand couldn't afford to sever ties with the Stone Hide Village, nor could they take retaliatory action against them for a long time.
"So, regarding the matter of our alliance, is there anyone who disagrees?" The Third Kazekage nodded and asked.
He also believed that the alliance was inevitable.
Seeing no opposition from the leaders, the Third Kazekage began discussing the specific members of the Kousuke assassination squad.
If the Hidden Cloud Village also agreed to the alliance, forming the Kousuke assassination squad would be the first major task of the three villages' joint effort.
...
In the Lightning Country, within the Hidden Cloud Village.
After listening to Earth Platform's report, the Third Raikage showed a look of surprise.
Ever since Enma's defeat, he had been curious about just how strong Kousuke was, but unfortunately, he couldn't obtain specific combat intelligence, making it difficult for him to make an accurate judgment.
However, the Third Raikage didn't suspect that Kousuke was on the level of the God of Ninjas.
Defeating Enma and being on par with the God of Ninjas were not the same.
There were few ninjas as strong as Enma in the Ninja World, but every decade or so, a few would appear.
As for Senju Tsunade, he was acknowledged as the strongest ninja in the Ninja World over the past few centuries.
As for more distant history, it was too far back to discuss.
"Could he have been secretly training in some hidden Shinshu location?" The Third Raikage speculated inwardly.
Normally, with such terrifying strength, even if one kept a low profile, there should be some legends circulating.
When Kousuke defeated Hanzo and became famous, the Hidden Cloud Village conducted a minor investigation into him but found nothing.
When news of Kousuke's defeat of Enma spread throughout the Ninja World, the Third Raikage ordered the Hidden Cloud's Anbu to investigate Kousuke thoroughly, but they still came up empty-handed.
Kousuke seemed to have emerged from thin air, as if he had popped out of a stone. Before his travels to the Rain Country to give lectures, the Hidden Cloud Anbu couldn't find any clues related to him.
This made the Third Raikage even more wary of Kousuke. A ninja becoming so powerful solely through training was astonishing.
Battles served as catalysts for ninjas, enabling them to grow faster, break through talent bottlenecks, and become as strong as possible.
Even Senju Tsunade had fought his way to becoming the God of Ninjas during the Warring States era.
"No wonder Daimoku was so generous with his intelligence; it's indeed a significant threat," the Third Raikage said, his expression turning serious.
The strength of a God of Ninjas alone was enough to disrupt the existing division of the Ninja World among the Great Hidden Villages.
If Kousuke became even stronger than Senju Tsunade had been, the outcome would be even more unpredictable.
"Raikage-sama, I think we should agree to the Stone Hide Village's suggestion. The Stone Hide Village, the Hidden Sand, and our Hidden Cloud Village should jointly form a research and assassination squad for Kousuke," Earth Platform suggested.
"Even if we form the assassination squad, as long as we don't take actual action, there will be no conflict with Shinshu.
But if we don't jointly form the assassination squad, none of the Great Hidden Villages alone can eliminate Kousuke. We can only watch as Shinshu grows under Kousuke's protection."
Earth Platform believed that forming the assassination squad had more advantages than disadvantages.
If the squad gathered enough intelligence and had a chance to kill Kousuke, they would take action.
If not, they would remain on standby and not suffer significant losses.
"Earth Platform, you're right. It's time for us to unite," the Third Raikage nodded after some thought.
Even the confident Third Raikage had to admit that in the current Ninja World, the strength of a single Hidden Village might not be sufficient.
After the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Cloud provided their responses, the joint meeting of the three villages was held again in secret.
The location remained the same—a western port town in the Lightning Country, chosen for its high level of secrecy.
They believed that no one would suspect that the Hidden Sand would go to the Earth Country, board a ship with the Stone Hide Village, and then travel to a coastal town in the Lightning Country for the meeting.
This time, there were some changes in the meeting's participants.
The Stone Hide Village was still represented by the captain of the Stone Demolition Squad, while the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Cloud sent more capable ninjas to demonstrate their importance.
The Hidden Sand was represented by the rather robust and bald upper-echelon member.
Sha Kong was not only the leader of the Jonin class in the Hidden Sand but also the son of the Second Kazekage, and he was a well-known Puppet Master in the Ninja World.
The previous representative, Nokami Sphere, became Sha Kong's deputy.
The Third Raikage appointed his son, the Fourth Aoi, as the Hidden Cloud's representative, with the original representative, Earth Platform, serving as his deputy.
During this meeting, the Stone Hide Village, the Hidden Sand, and the Hidden Cloud thoroughly exchanged opinions and officially established the Kousuke assassination squad.
The Assassination Force consists of three major squads, each led by a representative from the three Great Hidden Villages.
Additionally, an elder from the Hidden Stone Village serves as the Supreme Commander, while elders from the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Sand Villages take on the roles of Deputy Commanders.
The Hidden Sand and Hidden Cloud Villages had no significant objections to this arrangement.
Currently, the Hidden Stone Village possesses the most intelligence and has a cooperative relationship with the Shinshu, making it the primary intelligence force.
Moreover, the Supreme Commander is more of a nominal position without actual authority compared to the squad leaders.
To facilitate their operations, the three Great Hidden Villages secretly established the headquarters of the Son Ryouka Assassination Force in a hidden location on the border between the Earth Country and the Rain Country.
They also set up a branch of the Son Ryouka Assassination Force on the border between the Wind Country and the Rain Country.
Due to the distance, they did not establish a branch in the Lightning Country but instead constructed one within the Water Country, primarily staffed by Hidden Cloud Village ninjas, as an extension of the Son Ryouka Assassination Force.
The combined might of the three Great Hidden Villages is formidable.
With the collaboration of the Hidden Stone, Hidden Sand, and Hidden Cloud Villages, the largest and most powerful intelligence organization in the Ninja World has quietly emerged.
The Son Ryouka Assassination Force possesses an intelligence network beyond the imagination of ordinary ninjas.
The majority of the powerful intelligence ninjas from the three Great Hidden Villages have been reassigned to the Son Ryouka Assassination Force.
Although it is named the Son Ryouka Assassination Force, this department not only investigates the Shinshu but also keeps an eye on the Leaf Village and the Hidden Mist Village, although most of its efforts are focused on the Shinshu.
After all, this department is essentially a product of the three Great Hidden Villages' joint response to the current situation in the Ninja World.
While the three Great Hidden Villages secretly cooperate behind the scenes, the Cooperation Conference between the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone Villages, intended to divert attention, has also come to an end.
During this time, Chiyo had sought out Scorpion numerous times.
Although Scorpion claimed to be too busy to meet, he showed up every time to see Chiyo.
What broke Chiyo's heart was that Scorpion was willing to meet her but refused to listen to her pleas, stubbornly insisting on remaining with the Shinshu no matter what.
On the last day before leaving Six Paths City, Chiyo once again sought out Scorpion.
Despite being repeatedly and ruthlessly rejected by Scorpion, Chiyo remained determined not to give up.
As an elder of the Hidden Sand Village, a pillar of stability, Chiyo was well-informed about the village's affairs, even while residing in Six Paths City.
She was quickly made aware of the true strength of Son Ryouka, as well as the collaboration among the three Great Hidden Villages.
Upon learning this information, Chiyo became even more resolute in her efforts to persuade Scorpion to leave the Shinshu.
With the three Great Hidden Villages working together, Son Ryouka might be able to protect himself and his disciples with his formidable strength, but it was highly unlikely that he could safeguard the entire Shinshu.
Scorpion, having joined the Shinshu later, was likely to perish in the conflict between the Shinshu and the three Great Hidden Villages.
"Scorpion, leave the Shinshu. This place will soon become the most dangerous in the entire Ninja World," Chiyo said gravely.
The three Great Hidden Villages were not joking around when they acted together; this time, it felt more like a genuine collaboration than the joint siege during the Third Ninja World War.
"The most dangerous? Does that mean the Hidden Sand Village is going to wage war against the Shinshu?" Scorpion asked calmly, his expression unchanging despite Chiyo's words.
"Even more dangerous than that," Chiyo replied, emphasizing the danger without revealing the truth to Scorpion, a ninja of the Shinshu.
After all, she was still a ninja of the Hidden Sand Village and could not disclose such information.
"Oh, I'm not leaving," Scorpion said, his expression shifting slightly, but his decision remained unchanged.
Chiyo's gaze towards Scorpion held a hint of pleading.
If she could, she would even offer her own life in exchange for Scorpion's safety.
Why was Scorpion so resolute? Did their bond of blood mean less to him than the time he had spent in the Shinshu over the past year or two?
"My answer remains the same," Scorpion stated, his attitude unwavering.
At that moment, Chiyo wondered if the Shinshu had some undetectable hypnosis jutsu.
How else could Scorpion be so devoted to the Shinshu in such a short time that he was willing to die for it?
Of course, Chiyo knew this was impossible. If such a jutsu existed, Son Ryouka would have already used his strength to capture powerful individuals and hypnotize them.
"Scorpion has changed since I wasn't by his side," Chiyo sighed inwardly.
She had no idea what Scorpion had experienced after leaving the Hidden Sand Village, how he had spent these years, how he had joined the Shinshu, or how he had become close friends with Chojiro.
As Scorpion's grandmother, she felt like she had failed him, and it was no wonder he wouldn't listen to her.
"I'm developing a jutsu that can revive the dead. If it succeeds, Kousuke and the others can return to you. Even then, are you still unwilling to leave the Shinshu to ensure your safety?" Chiyo played her final card.
Initially, she hadn't planned to reveal the secret of rebirth jutsu.
First, the jutsu was still in development, and second, the cost and limitations would be significant.
But now, Chiyo couldn't afford to hesitate. She had developed this rebirth jutsu for Scorpion, and if he died, the jutsu would lose its meaning.
Upon hearing this long-forgotten name, Scorpion's pupils dilated, and his expression softened.
Kousuke was his father, who had died on the battlefield.
"It seems that this place will indeed become very dangerous. To make me leave, you're even willing to make up such a story," Scorpion said, his expression returning to its usual calmness.
As a research-oriented ninja, Scorpion understood that reviving the dead became more challenging as time passed. Resurrecting someone who had just died was not the same as reviving someone who had been dead for ten years.
"Scorpion, I'm not lying. I truly am developing a jutsu to revive the dead, and I've already made significant progress. The jutsu will succeed soon," Chiyo said, growing anxious as Scorpion remained unconvinced.
Chiyo persisted, pleading with Scorpion several more times, but he still wouldn't budge.
"Let's end this for today," Scorpion said, shaking his head.
Chiyo's lips moved, but in the end, she only sighed deeply.
"Take care of yourself, Scorpion."
After saying her final words, Chiyo slowly turned and walked towards the door, her posture becoming noticeably hunched.
"Grandma, farewell," Scorpion said softly.
He knew that Chiyo had his best interests at heart, but he couldn't leave based on a vague promise of resurrection.
"Be careful in the coming days. A Great Hidden Village might launch an attack on the Shinshu."
After Chojiro entered, Scorpion shared a portion of his conversation with Chiyo.
"Scorpion, rest assured. As long as I'm here, I won't let any harm come to you," Chojiro said sincerely, expressing his gratitude to Scorpion.
Scorpion pouted, "What do you mean by 'you'? I'm not a ninja of your Shinshu."
PS:
I couldn't find any information about Scorpion's parents, so I made up a name...
(End of Chapter)
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