Chapter 123: Does This Lineup Even Need a Disguise?

A corner of Kusagakure. Inside a dilapidated house, a girl huddled in the corner, eating discarded food she had scavenged. Her hair was a striking crimson red—an unmistakable trait of the Uzumaki clan. Deep underground, Kyoichi remained hidden. At that moment, the door was abruptly thrown open, and a man strode in. "Someone's injured. You, come with me to the hospital." "Can I at least finish eating first?" She asked timidly. "This garbage… Hurry up! What happens to the injured if we wait for you to eat? If you don’t listen, we’ll throw you out, and then you won’t even get to eat trash!" He barked viciously. "Yes!" She had no choice but to set her food aside. She knew that if she delayed any longer, the food she had painstakingly found would likely be trampled into the dirt. This village… For outsiders, survival was unbearably difficult. She couldn’t help but think of her days in the Land of Whirlpools. But it was all in the past—there was no going back. Following behind the Kusagakure Ninja, she was just about to step outside when— She suddenly sensed a surge of chakra rising from underground. Just as she was about to react— A second figure materialized inside the room. His hair was the same striking red as hers. The moment he appeared, his hand shot out, seizing the Kusagakure Ninja’s throat, executing some kind of secret technique. She froze. Red hair. A clansman? Impossible! She found it hard to believe, yet deep inside, a glimmer of hope took root— Could he really be one of her own? "What’s your name?" "Uzu… Ori. My name is Oriri," she answered softly. Kyoichi nodded. Ignoring the Kusagakure Ninja he held by the throat, he let out a gentle sigh. "Our clan was forced to flee years ago. Not many of us have had good lives since. Would you like to come with me?" "Of course!" Her eyes lit up. She wasn’t sure if this man was truly from the Uzumaki clan, but at the very least, she could feel his kindness. He saw her as a person—not just a tool for healing. That was enough. The Kusagakure Ninja struggled desperately, but his stamina and chakra were steadily being drained away. Eventually, even his resistance grew feeble. The efficiency of the chakra absorption technique had improved slightly—it could now convert forty percent. Unfortunately, this Kusagakure Ninja was only a Chūnin. There wasn’t much chakra to extract. Kyoichi’s shadow clone had only recovered partially, still far from full strength. But then— "Why are you taking so long? Are you seriously waiting for her to fin—" Another one appeared outside. The moment he reached the doorway, he sensed something was wrong. Oriri’s eyes were far too bright—nothing like someone being forced to go to the hospital. But— Too late. A hand closed around his throat and dragged him inside. "What’s going on in there?" A commotion erupted outside. However— By the time they rushed in, all they found was a body slumped in the corner. "Chakra drained… dead." "After them!" The Kusagakure Ninja were furious. Oriri was a rare, invaluable medical asset. With her, Kusagakure could save many more of their wounded shinobi. And now, she had been stolen from them. This could not stand! They immediately gave chase. Soon, they spotted a red-haired man carrying Oriri and another Kusagakure Ninja, flickering away into the distance. The man turned back for a brief moment— His gaze was cold, brimming with killing intent. In that instant, they hesitated to pursue. Only after a couple of seconds did they snap out of it and rush forward. But when they finally caught up, all they found was the corpse of their comrade. A red-haired ninja. The Uzumaki clan? A cold sweat ran down their spines. An Uzumaki had come, taken Uzumaki Oriri, and left. Thankfully, they had only just captured her. If they had used her for too long… the grudge would have been far worse. They hurried back to report to the village chief. The chief was livid—Oriri's abilities were invaluable to him. He would rather lose three or four teams of ninja than let her be taken. These idiots… Then, something felt off. He had kept Oriri's existence a secret. Yet, Konoha had shown up in the morning, and by the afternoon, she had been taken. Could this be Konoha’s doing? "Move out! We’re going to see the Hokage!" He couldn’t hold back any longer. They needed to meet—so why not today? --- Konoha’s Camp News of the Kusagakure Ninja chief’s arrival quickly reached the Third Hokage, who naturally would not ignore it. However— The Kusagakure Ninja chief’s question made the Third Hokage frown slightly. "Hokage-sama, is Konoha really planning to withdraw?" "Hmm…" The Third Hokage nodded, feeling displeased. Though they were both village leaders, Konoha was undeniably the stronger force. Throughout this war, Konoha had done nothing to mistreat Kusagakure. This attitude was far too aggressive. "Hokage-sama, we in Kusagakure lack the strength to stand against both Konoha and Iwagakure. We only wish to survive—but what Konoha has done is simply too much!" The Kusagakure Ninja chief clenched his fists, barely suppressing his anger. The Third Hokage frowned. "By the way, where is that Jōnin who visited Kusagakure earlier?" "He went on a mission to the Land of Earth." "Really?" "This is a classified Konoha mission. I doubt we've reached the point where we must report to you." The Third Hokage’s gaze turned cold. This Kusagakure chief… Something was off! "I hope your ‘classified mission’ is real. Otherwise, I can’t help but be suspicious—this morning, he was wandering around my village, and by the afternoon, someone was taken from us." With that, the Kusagakure chief left without further discussion. This was an open confrontation now. The Third Hokage furrowed his brows. Who could have shaken this man’s composure so badly? He suddenly felt curious. As for Kusagakure’s grievances? The Third Hokage wasn’t worried in the slightest. If Kyoichi wasn’t responsible, then Konoha wouldn’t be blamed. If he was responsible, then there wouldn’t be any evidence left behind. He trusted Kyoichi’s skill. --- In the shinobi world, strength alone could settle many disputes—often without the need for proof. However… Kusagakure clearly wasn’t strong enough for that to apply. Which meant… They needed evidence. Otherwise, no one would believe them. More importantly, they didn’t dare reveal exactly who had been taken. Because what if a powerful Uzumaki survivor really did exist? That was too dangerous to expose. Kyoichi hadn’t received a signal from his clone yet, but he was confident that his shadow clone had already escaped danger. And right now, it was probably traveling alongside the Uzumaki girl. He thought to himself. Both of them were strong. Crossing borders unnoticed wouldn’t be an issue. Upon reaching the previous hideout, Kyoichi sensed a large number of Iwa-nin in the area. Among them… was Gari’s chakra. After locking onto his location, Kyoichi pulled out a crystal ball and began refining chakra. "Haven’t you already found him? Why use that technique?" "Just trying it out." The next moment, the crystal ball revealed the scene ahead. Inside a fortified rock structure, Gari was pacing restlessly, clearly waiting for something. Kyoichi and Jiraiya exchanged a glance. They both knew exactly what he was waiting for. Intel. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Information on Kyoichi. "It’s a shame we don’t know how Iwa transmits their intel. Otherwise, we could disguise ourselves and sneak in for an assassination," Jiraiya sighed. "This lineup… needs a disguise?" Kyoichi smiled. Jiraiya blinked, then asked, "You’re not seriously thinking about just charging in, are you?" "You draw their attention. I go in and kill him. Simple as that." Why bother with disguises? Even without Sage Mode, Jiraiya was still one of the strongest shinobi alive. And while Kyoichi wouldn’t claim to be stronger than Jiraiya, he certainly wasn’t weak either. If he could find just one opening, he had a shot at taking down Iwa’s demolition squad leader. Maybe even dealing a major blow to Iwagakure. "Alright!" Jiraiya didn’t hesitate. With that, the two moved in. --- It was nighttime— A dark, windy night. Perfect for killing. A thick mist began to spread. At first, no one paid it much attention. But soon, an Iwa-nin sensed something was wrong. "This is Hiding in the Mist Technique!" "Stay alert!" "Prepare to defend!" Orders were given swiftly and efficiently. However… They never expected— The next moment, the sound of crashing waves filled the air. There was no river nearby. Where was the tide coming from? As they hesitated, a roaring tsunami surged through the canyon entrance like a waterfall from the heavens. "Defend! Now!" Panic set in. It had been years since they’d seen Water Release on this scale. Fortunately, Iwa had plenty of veteran shinobi who reacted quickly, immediately forming Earth Release barriers. However… They soon realized— A high-pressure water jet suddenly pierced through their stone walls. A single sweeping strike— The floodwaters crashed in, overwhelming the defenses. The Iwa-nin retreated rapidly, setting up layer after layer of barriers, but just ceding that initial ground had already cost them dearly. Gari surveyed the wreckage of his base, his expression dark. "Earth counters Water"? Bullshit. If this was what "Earth counters Water" looked like, then he’d eat a mountain. The dense chakra mist had disrupted their sensory abilities, leaving them unable to pinpoint what was happening. And then… A voice echoed through the air. "Who do you think I’ll kill this time?" "Tch. Posturing again. Your Water Release is strong, sure, but all it does is disrupt our formation. Where’s your partner? Or are you alone this time…?" Gari created an Earth Clone, making it speak from another location to divert attention. But Kyoichi wasn’t falling for it. He was already using Iwagakure’s own techniques to sneak toward Gari’s real location. The one speaking? That was just Jiraiya, imitating his voice. Soon, Kyoichi got close. But he stopped moving forward. Because ahead— Someone else was hidden in the rocks. Then— Boom! A deafening explosion erupted above. The entire mountain shook. Even hidden within the rock, Kyoichi could feel it. Then, through the vibrations, he heard a familiar grumbling voice. "Jiraiya, you’re making me do this again?" Gamahiro! Perfect… Kyoichi quietly refined his chakra. A moment later, heat radiated through the rock. The fire had burned away the mist—but that wasn’t a problem. Because… The moment had come! Kyoichi surged forward toward Gari. The instant he emerged near the surface, Gari sensed the threat and immediately swung his fist downward. Explosion Release: Landmine Fist! The rock beneath him detonated. However— Kyoichi was completely unharmed. A layer of coarse fur, an icy armor, and a hardened black earthen spear effect covered his body. If that could break through his defenses, he would eat a mountain. And the moment he appeared— He drew his swords. Twin blades flashed—one infused with Lightning Release, crackling with energy. The other charged with Wind Release, its edge razor-sharp. Two-Sword Style: Flash Strike. Gari thought he had stepped back fast enough, his hands already forming seals— But— He hadn’t moved at all. Instead, he simply stood there. Whoosh! A figure flickered past him, disappearing into the night. The next moment— A head fell. Tumbling down the mountainside.