Chapter 178: The Sudden Descent of the Chidori

A sky-blotting plume of dust shot up toward the heavens as thousands of Iwa-nin surged forward like a raging torrent along the winding mountain roads toward the south. The booming rumble echoed between the mountains, and the serpents, rats, and other creatures, sensing the danger in the air, cowered deep in their burrows.

Not long after Wenya and the others had mobilized, the Third Tsuchikage gave the command: over 6,000 Iwa-nin began their march southward.

The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, revered as the "Two Scales," led the campaign himself at the venerable age of seventy. However, age had not been kind to him—his body was no longer as it used to be. His chronic back pain had worsened over the years, affecting his ability to move freely.

Now, as the Iwa-nin set up camp to rest, Ōnoki lay face down on a field cot, a grimace of pain on his face. His personal medical-nin worked on his back, massaging it to alleviate the pain. This affliction had plagued him for years, and there was no real cure. Surgery was too risky for someone his age, and powerful medications couldn't be used. Massage was the only temporary relief available to him.

Outside the tent, Kitsuchi patiently waited. When the medical-nin finally exited, Kitsuchi called, "Tsuchikage-sama, I have a report."

He waited another five or six seconds before Ōnoki's tired voice called out from within, "Kitsuchi? Come in."

"Tsuchikage-sama?"

Kitsuchi entered the tent and looked at his father, lying on the cot. A trace of worry crossed his face. "Is your back still hurting?"

"It's better," Ōnoki replied, sighing. "It's the same old thing. It hurts, but it won't kill me anytime soon, so stop looking like you've lost a parent. How's the situation outside? No issues with logistics?"

"I personally inspected everything. The supplies are sufficient."

"That's good! I should've gone myself, but my back... it just won't cooperate. And the morale? How's the army's spirit?"

"Morale... is high."

Kitsuchi sounded somewhat disheartened as he said this. 

As a leader of the anti-war faction in the village, he had long realized he was in the minority. The Iwa-nin, despite their lack of resources, feared poverty and hunger far more than death. Even though they knew Konoha was powerful—having defeated their ancestors repeatedly—the promise of Fire Country's abundant resources outweighed their fear of death.

"You fool! I don't know where you picked up this soft-heartedness!" Ōnoki spat, clearly frustrated. If it weren't for Kitsuchi's overly compassionate nature, his support in the village would have been much stronger, and Ōnoki wouldn't have had to cling to his position as Tsuchikage even at the age of seventy.

In fact, with Kitsuchi's lineage and strength, he would have been a strong candidate to succeed as the Fourth Tsuchikage. The problem was his pacifist ideas, which ran contrary to the village's mainstream. He believed that war with Konoha was a bad idea, which meant that many couldn't accept the thought of him as the next Tsuchikage.

"This is what you taught me, father, to value my comrades," Kitsuchi replied evenly, silencing Ōnoki, who turned red with frustration. Before he could erupt in anger, Kitsuchi swiftly changed the subject. "Father, have we received any word from Kurotsuchi?"

"...No, she hasn't caught up to the doctor yet."

"Good, that's good."

"Good? You fool! Are you hoping that spy escapes?" Ōnoki growled. If Kitsuchi weren't his son, such a comment would have landed him in prison.

"I just don't want Kurotsuchi to get hurt."

Kitsuchi remained calm. "Father, why did you agree to such a ridiculous request from Kurotsuchi in the first place?" Though his face didn't change, the suppressed frustration in his voice was clear. He had been deeply upset by the decision.

"You wanted to train her, but sending her after a spy? And this doctor, Suzuran, is suspected of being a walking priestess... It's madness! With her current abilities, Kurotsuchi will only be a burden. If she causes the mission to fail, it might destroy her confidence."

Ōnoki looked at his overly anxious son and couldn't even muster the energy to be angry anymore.

"What if she fails? If Kurotsuchi can't handle that, she might as well stay home forever. Don't underestimate my granddaughter; she's much tougher than you think."

"But..."

"No buts. If you have nothing else to report, get out and do your job. You're making my back hurt more with all this worry!" Ōnoki groaned, his tone final.

Kitsuchi hesitated but eventually bit back his concerns. His father had pulled the "back pain" card, and there was nothing he could do but leave the tent, suppressing his worry for his daughter. As the deputy commander of the army, he now had to shoulder more responsibility in Ōnoki's place.

Once Kitsuchi was gone, Ōnoki lay back down on his cot and let out a long sigh.

This foolish son of mine! Does he really think he's the only one who knows how tough Konoha is? Ōnoki's thoughts drifted back to his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, who had taken him to Konoha to negotiate for an alliance. That was when they encountered Uchiha Madara. The plan to ally with Konoha fell apart, and both he and his teacher were severely wounded. If not for his teacher's desperate escape, they would have perished there.

Since that day, Ōnoki had known how terrifyingly powerful Konoha was. Even after the deaths of Hashirama and Madara, the defeats in three Great Ninja Wars had taught him that the foundation those two had built for Konoha was immense. Even without them, Konoha remained a towering force.

As for why he was still leading his people into war despite knowing how formidable Konoha was... Hah! If it were truly his decision alone, he would've been removed as Tsuchikage long ago. War with Konoha was not his desire—it was the desire of the people of Iwagakure. They craved the fertile land and wealth of Fire Country.

The Land of Earth, despite its vast expanse and mineral resources, was barren. The few farms they had could not even feed their own population. Each year, they had to import grain from the Land of Fields, the Land of Waterfalls, and even Fire Country. And even then, many still starved due to the corruption of the daimyō's officials.

The people of the Land of Earth had long coveted the wealth of the south. Over time, this desire had turned into aggression. From the ninja academy students to the great clans, all yearned for the riches of Fire Country.

Ōnoki had tried to change this over the years, but every attempt failed. The root of the problem was simple: the Land of Earth could not support its growing population. 

Every ten years or so, when the population exceeded the country's capacity, Ōnoki had no choice but to resort to war.

War, even in failure, served to cull the population. And so, the Iwa-nin had repeatedly waged war.

"We do not seek war... but we have no choice but to pursue it," Ōnoki muttered, his old, clouded eyes filled with sorrow and pain. Each time he sent his village's youth into battle, his heart ached. But as the Tsuchikage, he had no choice. He had to be strong. He was the anchor of Iwagakure, the one who could not falter.

He had to be as unyielding as stone to carry the hopes of the Iwa-nin.

————

Yakushi Nono's resilience was beyond what Wenya had expected. Despite being surrounded by three jōnin, she stubbornly held her ground. Wenya and his comrades loomed nearby, ready to strike at any moment, adding to the psychological pressure on her. Yet, even with all this, she continued to endure.

Looking at her desperate resistance, Wenya's instincts told him that this "Doctor Suzuran" was indeed Konoha's fabled "Walking Priestess." But at this point, the information didn't matter. What mattered was capturing her alive. And that, as he well knew, was no easy task.

Capturing a jōnin-level spy proficient in medical ninjutsu and poison? Wenya hadn't ordered his men to swarm her, fearing she might resort to suicide if cornered. If she had some kind of sealing jutsu implanted in her brain, even her corpse would be useless.

Thus, he had no choice but to play a dangerous waiting game. One side clung to the hope of escape, while the other aimed to wear her down, looking for an opening to capture her.

It was a battle of attrition, a strategy both sides were fully aware of.

However, the Iwa ninjas had the advantage of both numbers and strength. In a war of attrition, they held the upper hand. Yakushi Nonō swallowed another self-made ration pill, feeling her chakra surge again inside her body while the chakra pathways began to throb with pain. She knew the end was near.

She had reached her limit.

Ration pills could only extract a finite amount of chakra. No matter how much she improved them, it was impossible to break the world's rules. If she exceeded the set limit, she wouldn't die on the spot, but it wouldn't be surprising if she were bedridden for a month or two.

"Is it over?"

For the first time, a sense of long-repressed despair arose in Nonō's heart. The Iwa ninjas were well-prepared and outnumbered her. After all, she wasn't a combat-type ninja. The only reason she had lasted this long was that they intended to capture her alive. Otherwise, she would have been killed long ago!

She had held on, hoping for reinforcements from her village.

But...

The reinforcements had yet to appear.

Her hope had been gradually worn down by the passage of time, and disappointment grew stronger and stronger. She began to mock herself for her naïveté. She knew better than anyone the nature of the village's Anbu and Root. Placing her hope in them had been a foolish mistake.

Even though Danzo was dead, who knew if his successor might be even worse?

At least...

If Danzo were still alive, he would have found a way to silence her! Unlike now, where even the people meant to kill her were nowhere to be seen...

At that moment, Yakushi Nonō suddenly noticed a shadow blocking the setting sun. A large bird-shaped silhouette loomed over her.

Wait...

Was it a bird?

"Watch out! It's Konoha reinforcements!"

Nonō heard Bun'ya's shout. The Iwa ninja who had been guarding her and keeping her on high alert was now looking up at the sky. The next moment, she saw a dazzling streak of lightning shoot down from above, striking five meters to her left.

Instinctively, she became even more cautious.

Who could say this wasn't just a trick by the Iwa ninjas to make her drop her guard and create an opportunity for them to get close to her... Wait, why was there a Mist ninja?

Nonō saw a young girl wearing a Mist headband, wielding what looked like two ceremonial swords, force one of the Iwa ninjas attacking her to retreat.

At that moment, not only was Nonō briefly stunned, but the Iwa ninjas were just as confused!

They had expected Nonō to be waiting for reinforcements, something Bun'ya had anticipated as well. That was one reason he hadn't personally joined the fight. He had been wary of Konoha reinforcements. And sure enough, the reinforcements had arrived. But why were they Mist ninjas instead of Konoha ones?

Chidori!

The sound of a thousand birds chirping tore through the air, grabbing everyone's attention. They watched as another bolt of blinding lightning shot down from the sky. It was so fast that by the time they adjusted to the light, they saw another Iwa jonin, who had been attacking Nonō, with his chest pierced.

A hand crackling with lightning pulled back, and the warm corpse collapsed to the ground. A severed arm followed suit...

Nonō finally noticed that beside the white-haired young man was a black-haired girl. It was this girl who had cut off the third Iwa ninja's arm.

"You guys..."

Nonō remained on guard, wanting to confirm their identities.

"We're here to save you," the black-haired girl said, glancing at her. The red Sharingan in her eyes gleamed, and for a moment, it felt as though it could pull in Nonō's very soul. Nonō immediately felt a wave of relief. It was the Sharingan—Konoha reinforcements, no doubt!

Of course, there was no way to confirm whether they were here to kill her, but at least she didn't have to commit suicide to avoid being captured by the Iwa ninjas.

"Damn it! They got away!"

Ringo Ameyuri glanced at the bodies and severed limbs on the ground, grumbling in frustration. She hadn't managed to land a hit from the start and was falling behind Kakashi and Chisao!

"Ameyuri, without your help distracting the Iwa ninjas, we wouldn't have succeeded so easily," Kakashi said sincerely.

Had it not been for Ameyuri's Mist ninja identity shocking the Iwa ninjas and causing them that moment of hesitation, Kakashi wouldn't have been able to guarantee he could take out a jonin-level Iwa ninja in a single blow. That Iwa ninja's luck had been particularly bad. His Earth Release Hardening Technique was so refined that not even Captain Bun'ya could have killed him in one strike.

But unfortunately for him, he faced Kakashi, who had developed Chidori, a lightning technique with extreme piercing power. It was second only to the Third Raikage's Hell Stab: One-Fingered Assault. Not only was its piercing ability extraordinary, but its speed was so great that Kakashi needed the Sharingan to assist with targeting.

In this round of battle, Kakashi came out victorious, eliminating a jonin-level Iwa ninja.

"Two Uchiha? No... You're that Hatake Kakashi, the son of Konoha's White Fang." Bun'ya recognized Kakashi. As the only son of the famous White Fang, Hatake Kakashi was a genius who became a jonin at twelve and had unexpectedly acquired a Sharingan. He was a priority target for intelligence in every village.

Bun'ya glanced at Kakashi and Uchiha Chisao. Just a glance.

Few in the ninja world dared to stare directly at the Uchiha's Sharingan for long.

"All units, attack immediately. Do not let the target escape." After avoiding Kakashi and Chisao's gazes, he immediately gave the order. These Konoha reinforcements were unusual. It was one thing for a genius like Kakashi to show up, but why were there Mist ninjas here?

Bun'ya didn't believe Ringo Ameyuri was some ruse created by the Konoha ninjas. His sharp eyes recognized the Thunder Swords she wielded. Normally, Iwa and the Mist village had no reason to interact. However, the mutual death of the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage had left a deep-seated grudge between them.

Ōnoki had never relaxed his intelligence gathering on the Mist village, and even though Mist's internal conflicts made espionage difficult, the unique designs of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were well known. After seeing even a hand-drawn picture of them once, it was hard to forget.

As Bun'ya's mind raced, trying to figure out why the Mist ninjas were collaborating with Konoha, he fiercely launched an attack on Kakashi. This time, he didn't hold back, choosing not to conserve chakra and engaged from a distance with ninjutsu.

Earth Release: Rock Bullet!

The hulking man, as large as a bear, tilted his head back and spat out a walnut-sized rock that grew to the size of a human head mid-air. It shot like a cannonball, smashing into the giant black eagle in the sky, sending black ink splattering down.

"Bihō!"

Bun'ya shouted, "Find the fourth one who's hiding!"

Though his rugged exterior belied it, Bun'ya was keenly observant. He had never let Kakashi, Chisao, or Ameyuri take up all of his attention. In fact, from the beginning, he had noticed the black eagle in the sky and had quickly deduced that it wasn't being controlled by them.

"Understood!" Uesuiru Bihō responded with a deep voice.

This cautious man had not participated in the attack on Nonō. Bun'ya had kept him in reserve as a hidden card. Now that the situation had escalated, he revealed his ace. Swarms of bees flew into the sky, forming clusters of yellow-and-black clouds.

At the same time, however, new clouds appeared in the sky—black ones. Upon closer inspection, they were swarms of black bugs. Juri, who had yet to reveal herself, muttered softly, "A bug user? How interesting! I've sparred with Ryōma-sama enough times. Let's see how you compare to him!"

She picked up her brush and began painting swiftly on a blank scroll.

Countless ink-colored bugs flew from the scroll. Under Juri's control, they swarmed the bees. The bugs she created weren't as strong as the mutated bees cultivated by the Uesuiru clan, but after practicing against Aburame Ryōma numerous times, Juri had developed a strategy for dealing with them. She didn't expect her ink bugs to defeat the bees.

Instead, she ordered them to launch self-destructive attacks.

The splattering ink covered the bees' wings, slowing them down. What was just a bit of ink to a human was enough to significantly hinder the flight of bees.

With their flight speed reduced, the bees were now prey to the relentless ink bugs.

(End of Chapter)