Chapter 32 Future Plans
Perhaps it was because he had come to terms with things, Shiroshi found that his mood improved significantly after returning.
His enthusiasm for research had been boosted considerably, and he could spend the whole night in the laboratory without any issues.
Setting aside personal matters, these past few days had seen significant progress in his research.
Due to an unexpected discovery, the potion processed with natural energy was now replacing chakra within the bodies of mice as life energy. More and more of these mice were surviving, and they were larger than ordinary mice, brimming with vitality. Most importantly, none of them had died suddenly so far.
According to the instrument readings, this benign state of growth could accompany these mice throughout their lives. They wouldn't experience sudden death before their natural lifespan ended.
The processed natural energy could replace chakra as the life force, allowing these creatures to function normally.
—Therefore, it was time to initiate new human experiments.
That's right.
Shiroshi's ultimate goal was not to change mice.
The final phase of this experiment was meant to be applied to human subjects.
It was to help Ayane break free from the cage, so that when she left Konoha, she wouldn't be vulnerable to the Hyuga clan's manipulation.
Even though there was an important stage yet to be completed in experimenting on mice, it was the replacement of chakra with the original natural energy.
Currently, the natural energy replacing chakra in the mice was processed.
But Shiroshi, who had identified the core issue, had great confidence that he could quickly pass through this phase.
The next step was to begin a new round of human experiments.
Unlike the experiments involving the fusion of natural energy, this experiment was fraught with danger.
A slight misstep could result in death.
So, how to minimize the risk... In other words, Shiroshi's bottom line was that, even in the event of failure, the experimental subjects should be able to survive.
This was the primary issue to address.
Shiroshi found it strange that although he didn't experience much discomfort when actively killing someone, he hesitated when it came to human experiments.
This was probably because playing with life was something he found thoroughly distasteful.
But this was the only path Shiroshi knew that led to true science.
Whether it was medical science or other types of science, many times, inhuman human experiments were used, and these sciences progressed because of them.
The medical ninjutsu of the shinobi world was no different; it gained prominence in the shinobi villages on the basis of numerous sacrifices.
The appearance of guidelines for human experimentation was merely meant to provide a slight consolation to the mental well-being of the executors.
Regardless, this was all about manipulating the lives of others.
It was a different psychological activity from directly taking someone's life.
"What's the matter, Lord Shiroshi?"
A research assistant, seeing Shiroshi standing idle by the experiment table, asked.
"Nothing, just thinking about some trivial matters."
Shiroshi shook his head.
Thinking so much wouldn't make him abandon the work he currently held in his hands.
So, minimizing the risk for the next round of human experiments was the most meaningful and valuable thing.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Shiroshi. He looked at the five experimental assistants who were helping him in the laboratory and asked them seriously:
"By the way, do you want to become ninja?"
A silence fell over the atmosphere in the laboratory.
After a while, one of the experimental assistants stuttered and asked, "The meaning of ninja... is that..."
"It means learning ninja skills, like ninjutsu and such."
Shiroshi explained offhandedly.
"Can we...?"
They seemed a bit fearful and lacking in confidence.
"Of course, you can. Your current physical condition is better than many active ninja. Even if you specialize in Taijutsu, you can reach the level of a Chunin within a few years, or even surpass it."
Shiroshi knew where these people lacked confidence.
Initially, they were just a group of ordinary bandits, having no systematic training, let alone ninja skills.
Now, after the improvement with natural energy, not considering actual combat experience against real ninjas or tactics, at least in Taijutsu, they were no weaker than standard Genin level.
To reach Chunin level within a few years or even higher was truly incredible.
But natural energy could achieve this.
This was the marvel of natural energy.
The method of absorbing natural energy that he had developed was all based on creating another development system suitable for human growth.
Although this system was still in its infancy, with many incomplete parts, it was enough to be immensely beneficial.
"How about it? Do you want to truly work for me? I can provide you with a certain level of freedom, and even allow you to live better in this world. Even if you were ruthless bandits in the past, you still want to protect your parents and families, right?"
This sentence, like a knife, cut deep into the hearts of the five.
The face of one of them became complex, as if recalling some unpleasant memories.
"We five actually come from a village, and our homeland is the Land of Rain."
"The main battlefield of the previous war?"
Shiroshi had heard about that place, a land where it rained all year round.
It was referred to as the "Crying Country."
Being wedged between the Fire, Wind, and Earth nations, he could imagine the lives of the people there when major conflicts broke out between the great nations.
Like a human hell.
"Yes. A few years ago, the ninja who came to our village didn't kill us, but they took all of our livelihood resources – food, winter blankets, even occasionally commandeering our houses..."
Yet living a humble existence, a humble existence.
In this entirely warmth-devoid world, everyone struggled desperately to survive.
If someone took your belongings, you'd take from those weaker than you.
It was all for the sake of survival.
"At the beginning, we were more than twenty people, but sometimes the tasks were too perilous, and many companions were killed... actually, there's no complaint. Everyone fought for survival. We didn't feel regret, nor did we think of it as a righteous act, we were just fighting to survive..."
The speaker's eyes dimmed, even their expression grew numb.
Living in a world where you could barely make ends meet... no, where your country and family were trampled upon, survival already took all your strength; there was no need to blame yourself.
Pressured by the powerful, if you didn't want to die, you could only step on the weaker, seizing food from them.
Dying was just bad luck, not worth complaining about.
To keep living was to keep surviving, until bad luck took your life.
"This is the current state of the shinobi world. It seems the books I showed you earlier have been somewhat useful."
Hearing this from Shiroshi, the five exchanged bitter smiles.
Compared to their initial fear, they now had more respect than fear for Shiroshi.
"How do you choose? I have some inconvenient matters that need you to take care of."
"We're willing to serve you."
The five bowed to Shiroshi in succession.
Their behavior was quite expected.
For survival, for better survival, and for the suffering family back in the Land of Rain, if they didn't choose to join Shiroshi's faction, there was only the path of continuing to be experimental subjects.
"Hmm." Shiroshi nodded, then continued, "I can stay in Konoha for another month. During this time, I'll do my best to help you build some foundations. After that, I'll arrange for you to go to another place. I have something very important for you to do."
—Gathering information outside.
Especially from the countries of the Land of Demons and the Land of Iron.
Now he needed to make some plans for the future.
In the shinobi world, these two countries have never been affected by war, maintaining a permanent neutral status.
Especially the Land of Demons; due to its immensely unique position, it was even safer and more concealed than the Land of Iron, and it wouldn't attract too much attention.
Before leaving Konoha, it was necessary to establish a stable foothold.
Furthermore, in the shinobi world, being alone could lead to disadvantages.
With the training system that wielded natural energy, if there was more time, reaching at least the Chunin level, if not Jonin, would be simple.
And most importantly, he had a very wealthy friend.
In this world, money could solve most problems.
Making these five experimental assistants obedient to his ideas went smoothly, although they had very few choices, and regardless of what these people were thinking, Shiroshi wasn't particularly interested in their psychological activities.
With their bodies transformed by natural energy, theoretically, they could be called 'superhuman'. Their natural lifespans and even the degree of delayed aging would be much greater than that of ordinary people.
To put it more simply, even at the age of sixty, as long as they paid a bit more attention to maintenance, their physical condition wouldn't decline much, and they could continue working.
Moreover, these five individuals were currently in their twenties, with more than thirty years left to provide services.
This was just the first batch; there would be more people joining later.
It had to be said that natural energy was indeed a very good thing.
Although it couldn't yet compare to chakra in terms of universality, in terms of physical enhancement, it had completely exceeded chakra.
Large-scale production of body technique type ninjas was possible, and with several years of systematic learning, reaching at least the Chunin level was not difficult.
At most, their combat style might be relatively monotonous; compared to standard Chunin, they might seem somewhat disadvantaged.
Because most Chunin couldn't specialize solely in physical techniques; they also knew other ninjutsu and genjutsu, enabling diverse tactical coordination.
But that was enough as well.
The use of natural energy was based on its universality; even ordinary people could undergo modification.
Shiroshi believed this was the truly terrifying aspect of natural energy.
Ninjas were powerful because chakra didn't possess universality in making most people strong.
The largest beneficiaries were only a tiny fraction.
But natural energy was different; it could elevate the lower limit of human potential. Due to a lack of useful data comparison, Shiroshi couldn't say for sure if the upper limit of natural energy surpassed that of chakra.
In terms of average values, chakra was inferior to natural energy.
Since he had decided to make good use of the strength of these five individuals, Shiroshi naturally wouldn't skimp on them.
He would teach them training methods for physical techniques, chakra refinement methods, and even some simple ninjutsu.
Shiroshi also wasn't worried they would expose any issues.
The natural energy that had settled in their bodies wasn't obtained through proper training methods; it had been directly injected into their bodies as a reagent, greatly enhancing their overall physical qualities.
In other words, these five individuals had a foundation for training in physical techniques but couldn't refine natural energy themselves.
Because from the very beginning, Shiroshi hadn't intended to casually provide such a thing to his subordinates.
Maybe in the future, but at this stage, these five individuals weren't enough for Shiroshi to trust.
For this reason, even if he allowed them to leave in a month's time, he needed to leave some special marks on them.
Afterward, Shiroshi hastily concluded his work in the laboratory, entrusting those five individuals to act as working tools here, while he returned to the surface and went back to his room to rest.
…
The next day.
Shiroshi entered Rui's room to discuss matters concerning the five individuals.
"Establish an organization?"
Rui looked at Shiroshi with a puzzled expression.
Seeing Rui's confusion, Shiroshi provided ample reasons. He said, "Yes. I believe it's a plan that needs to be implemented. As my research continues to expand, especially with the Sage techniques experiments, there's a likelihood of uncontrollable accidents occurring. You should know how powerful the rampage of Sage techniques can be."
Rui nodded seriously.
She had personally experienced that feeling. Despite the sturdiness of the underground laboratory, although it could withstand some energy impacts, encountering an excessively powerful rampaging force could still cause trouble and attract attention.
"This is how I see it. We can establish an organization on the outside. When necessary, we can conduct experiments outside. After all, making a commotion within the village can easily attract certain people's attention."
"Is this the only reason?"
"And also, currently the relationship between your Uchiha clan and certain high-ranking individuals in the village isn't good. Although the Hokage has promised that no more accidents will occur, you wouldn't believe such words, would you?"
Upon hearing Shiroshi's counter-question, the cold smile on Rui's face confirmed this point.
She didn't believe the Hokage's words at all.
While she had somewhat revised her opinion of the Hokage lineage before, now it seemed that some Uchiha clan members were overly naive.
Their pride and arrogance in their power, their disdain for schemers.
The Konoha of today wasn't the same as the Konoha of the past, and the Uchiha clan wasn't the same as it used to be.
The reason the Uchiha clan was powerful now was because of the Sharingan, a bloodline limit, not the people themselves.
For this reason, the chance the Hokage offered her to view the Sealing Scroll, Rui had no intention of complying with their manipulation and viewing the Sealing Scroll again.
Though Shiroshi felt a bit regretful when he heard Rui make this decision, if he were to advise her not to act on impulse and agree to the Hokage's conditions, to once again select an advanced ninjutsu from the Sealing Scroll, she might have fiercely beaten him up.
This was Rui's way of handling things.
She wouldn't accept compensation that seemed nearly pitiful and charitable.
If she accepted the Hokage's proposal, it would mean erasing the debts and grudges of this incident. Neither side could mention this matter again, completely glossing it over.
However, for Rui, this matter wasn't yet concluded.
Ignoring the Hokage's compensation, Rui would use her own means to seek justice. This was something Shiroshi had long anticipated.
From the start, what she wanted wasn't compensation.
A great person once said, when a thought doesn't pass through, find ways to make it pass through.
And the only way to make Rui's thought pass through wasn't the Hokage's apology and compensation, but to retaliate against the Root Anbu.
Sometimes, the fixation of power can be so dreadful.
"We can't guarantee whether similar incidents will happen again in the future, or being misled in missions with incorrect intelligence. That's why we need to establish our own organization, whether it's for gathering intelligence or doing other things, it will be very convenient. We might even arrange spies in the ninja world and eliminate Root operatives executing missions outside. I suppose you're quite interested in this kind of thing?"
In both Shiroshi's and Rui's eyes, Root operatives were no longer comrades; they were enemies.
Especially with the Hokage's biased actions, it was truly hard to be convinced.
Indeed, Rui started showing interest in this idea.
Shiroshi had his own goals, which she wasn't too eager to know, but seeking revenge against Root was something she was very enthusiastic about.
"One more thing, your aunt and uncle, they're frequently traveling outside for trade, often hiring other ninja or samurai... although they're reputable mercenary groups, when push comes to shove, these people can't be relied upon. We can personally provide them with high-quality and trustworthy protection to prevent accidents."
Again, Rui nodded, agreeing with this point.
Her parents, Uchiha Sosuke and Uchiha Miyoko, did indeed have such issues.
The reason Shiroshi discussed this matter with Rui was solely because he trusted her.
In matters of trust, as long as it passes the test, many problems can be easily solved.
The most important point is—she's quite wealthy.
Lately, Shiroshi had completed over a dozen challenging missions due to his procrastination, but the combined rewards amounted to just over one million ryo.
For setting up an organization with a sufficient scale to provide him research services, this amount of money wouldn't even make a splash, let alone a sound.
Not to mention the various necessities of life, as well as the substantial capital needed for territorial expansion—such an organization requires significant funds.
Listening to Shiroshi speaking a long string of words before her, Rui casually responded with, "Tell me, how much money do you need?"
Shiroshi coughed and said, "I'm not too well-versed in this area, but I believe for initial development, it would require an investment of at least a few hundred million ryo. So, I think it's better to discuss such a significant financial investment with your aunt and uncle."
"No need for that. I can decide on this amount of money myself. Over in the Land of Tea, I have a few mines in my name that can be sold or at least provide some money."
Hearing this, Shiroshi wasn't sure how to continue the conversation.
"Hold on, mines and such, why have I never heard you mention them?"
After realizing, Shiroshi quickly asked this question.
"It's not something worth boasting about. So, you don't need to worry about the financial aspect. Moreover, it's not a big deal. The annual military budget of Konoha is more than this. To establish an organization that combines intelligence, research, and even the training of armed personnel, we'll need several billion ryo at least."
Although Shiroshi was the one who initially proposed the organization, he suddenly felt that when it came to establishing an organization, Rui was much more professional than he was.
"However, have you thought about where to establish the organization?"
Rui asked this question.
Certainly, the organization's base couldn't be established within the borders of the Five Great Nations. These five countries represented power and wouldn't let uncontrolled forces roam freely.
If an organization were to be established within the borders of these five countries, it would inevitably face a destructive blow.
Therefore, they had to start with smaller countries.
"The Land of Demons or the Land of Iron... Which one do you think is better?"
"Neutral countries?"
Neither the Land of Demons nor the Land of Iron could be considered large countries. The ninja world only had five great nations.
But not all small countries were classified as neutral.
For example, the Land of Rain, the Land of Rivers, the Land of Grass, or the Land of Whirlpools that was wiped out a few years ago... although they were small countries, they carried the risk of being conquered by larger nations.
Hence, among many small countries, the Land of Demons and the Land of Iron stood out as being particularly unique.
Especially the Land of Demons.
It was an unnamed country.
The highest ruler of the country wasn't a feudal lord, but an entity known as the 'Shaman.'
This country believed in shamans and held a certain degree of mystical charm.
Rui had also heard that the ruler of the Land of Demons—the Shaman, possessed extremely unique power, purportedly capable of foreseeing the future.
Whether this was true or not, there was no unanimous consensus.
Regardless, the Land of Demons was indeed the most unique country in the ninja world.
Its ruling system was unlike most other nations in the ninja world.
"Yes, a neutral country can provide a secure identity and won't be affected by warfare."
"The Land of Demons then."
Rui said.
Shiroshi looked at her, eager to hear her reasoning.
In fact, both the Land of Iron and the Land of Demons were similar. Based on proximity, the Land of Iron was slightly more suitable.
"My parents mainly work there. Due to their business dealings, they have some connections with the authorities of the Land of Demons. They might be able to provide some conveniences."
"Shaman?"
Shiroshi remembered Rui mentioning that her parents worked as merchants in a small country far west of the ninja world.
And the Land of Demons was located in the far western region of the ninja world.
The only inconvenience was that the distance between the Land of Demons and the Land of Fire was extremely far.
Even with all their might and continuous travel, it would take over three days to barely reach it.
If only there were airplanes. But Shiroshi could only wish for it.
Considering the current technology in the ninja world, there might be flying tools, but they couldn't be commonly used and were prohibitively expensive.
"Regarding the Shaman, I don't know much either. Later on, I'll have them gather information about the Land of Demons and some details about the Shaman."
"That would be great."
Aside from the somewhat distant journey, Shiroshi was quite satisfied with the unique circumstances of the Land of Demons.
Ninjas had already seen a lot. What kind of existence would a Shaman be?
Possessing the ability to foresee the future, he really wanted to witness it.
...
A month's time, neither long nor short, had unknowingly passed by.
Afterward, Shiroshi had also visited the Hyuga Clan and invited Ayane out. He also mentioned the matter of the organization. She didn't show any emotional turmoil and said words like 'As long as it's Shiroshi-kun's decision, I will support it unconditionally.'
Sometimes, Shiroshi really couldn't understand the thoughts of girls.
Perhaps this was due to the onset of adolescence.
The undergarments and kimono he had kept hidden in his room weren't directly handed over to Ayane during this opportunity, as she wouldn't accept them now.
Although she was still as obedient and well-behaved as before, in certain aspects, she became quite stubborn. Shiroshi thought this was also a type of growth that intrigued him.
What would her future be like? After breaking free from the cage, would she leave him and seek the true freedom she yearned for, becoming completely independent... finding her own path...
After all, she was the ninja he had educated with his own hands.
There was some degree of indulgence, or perhaps pampering, in her unreasonable and capricious ideas.
He hoped she would follow him all her life and also wished she could attain complete freedom, do what she liked without concerning herself with her 'master's' feelings.
This state of mind was indeed complex.
—As for the establishment of the organization, the preparations progressed relatively smoothly.
Firstly, the organization's base was chosen to be in the Land of Demons, located far west in the ninja world.
Shiroshi didn't need to personally go there for observation. By controlling those five individuals, he could use them as his eyes and hands.
Even if he were to go to the Land of Demons, it would be many years later.
At present, there was no need for him, as the person in charge, to rush there.
After a month of basic training, those five individuals barely grasped the foundational ninja skills. The next step was to apply these skills in practical combat.
Two days before their break ended, the training had already concluded. Rui was responsible for transporting them out of Konoha. Then, her ninja cat would handle the communication between both parties.
The destination those five individuals were going to was only one—The Land of Demons.
Upon arrival, someone would instruct them on what to do next.
—The laboratory had returned to its quiet state, with only Shiroshi working there.
Compared to a month ago, the issue of replacing chakra with natural energy as a life source was essentially solved.
The results were somewhat incredible, but Shiroshi had to believe in the answer he had verified—
That was, in some aspects, natural energy was extremely similar to chakra!
One could even say that after undergoing a series of processing procedures, natural energy could be transformed into an energy source similar to chakra.
Based on computer statistics, the degree of similarity was over ninety percent.
The reason it couldn't be a hundred percent identical was due to technological limitations. There were still many aspects Shiroshi couldn't comprehend, things that seemed inexplicable.
In other words, processing natural energy to this level was already the limit.
To proceed further would require special 'equipment.'
Shiroshi had no clue about this 'equipment' at the moment, whether it existed or not was unknown.
Shiroshi thought that this might be coincidental.
Because natural energy came from the world of nature.
Chakra, on the other hand, resulted from the fusion of human physical and spiritual power.
Essentially, they were entirely different and unrelated.
The only connection between them was the integration of Senjutsu and chakra.
Natural energy was akin to the chakra of nature, distinct from human chakra.
So, this unexpected discovery might truly be coincidental.
Originally, he just wanted to process natural energy as a substitute for chakra as a life source. But the more he researched, the more contradictions, issues that completely violated common sense, arose one after another.
"What's this all about..."
Shiroshi let out a wry smile.
Honestly, Shiroshi was truly at a loss.
Although the experiments to verify the relationship between chakra and natural energy didn't need to be carried on, as far as resolving the issue with the caged bird was concerned, it was almost at its end here.
Furthermore, he was really clueless about it.
Because the trail of research came to a halt here.
Shiroshi felt like there was a firmly closed door in front of him, and the answers were behind that door.
No matter whether through brute force or any other method, he couldn't budge that door even a bit.
Shiroshi was helpless about this.
He had no choice but to give up further exploration.
For things he had no leads on, Shiroshi couldn't fabricate something out of thin air.
If there were new clues in the future, he could continue to investigate. But now wasn't the time to focus on such matters.
Soon, he would be heading to the battlefield again.
...
At the beginning of October, the two-month vacation ended, and today was the day they were heading to the front lines.
Shiroshi, Rui, and Ayane rendezvoused at the entrance of Konoha Village.
Not long after, an ANBU member appeared, handed over two documents to Rui and Ayane, then disappeared.
"Chunin appointment letters?"
The two documents were identical in form, special appointment letters for raising a ninja's rank.
Naturally, the recipients of this rank promotion were Rui and Ayane.
"Boring."
With the strength of a Jounin she already possessed, Rui wasn't particularly satisfied with this Chunin position.
Ayane smiled and put the appointment letter away, seemingly not concerned about this matter.
When she graduated from the ninja academy, her strength was already close to that of a Jounin. Now, after half a year had passed, and with nearly two months of training in natural energy, her strength had steadily advanced to the Jounin level.
"Let's go."
This time, they were going to the front lines as a trio.
There weren't any specific instructions from above, just that the three of them should quickly head to the front lines and meet up with their captain, Sakumo Hatake.
To be honest, having not seen Sakumo for two months, Shiroshi was indeed starting to miss him a bit.
Moreover, Sakumo's resolute and determined way of doing things was something Shiroshi admired.
Most importantly, he was excellent at taking care of his teammates.
In many missions, Sakumo would prioritize the safety of Shiroshi's team before deciding whether to continue pursuing the enemy or not, placing his teammates' safety as the priority.
This way of thinking became evident when they were fighting against the Sand Ninja forces before.
Shiroshi felt that Sakumo was a true ninja who strictly adhered to the Will of Fire's principle and acted accordingly.
Perhaps this was the kind of individual the First Hokage had initially hoped for.
A village tied together by the bonds of comradeship, protecting every fellow villager within it - this was the ultimate embodiment of the Will of Fire.
Even if Sakumo might not necessarily have the qualifications to become a Hokage in the future, he was a model ninja who carried the Will of Fire forward.
This is how Shiroshi saw it.
Although Shiroshi wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the Will of Fire.
…
They met Sakumo on the second day at 9 AM when Shiroshi's team arrived at the Leaf camp on the frontlines of the Fire Country.
There wasn't much change here compared to before, but if there was any difference, it was that the atmosphere had become even more tense.
However, in the last mission to sever the Sand Village's supply line, despite Shiroshi's team's "failure" due to Konoha's interference, Sakumo had executed the mission extremely well on his side.
Single-handedly, he had destroyed the Sand Village's crucial supply point, which had led to a decline in the intensity of their attacks lately.
"In other words, as long as we endure this winter, Sand Village might collapse on its own?" Shiroshi asked.
It was now early October, and the weather was gradually getting colder, especially by December, when the Fire Country and the River Country would plunge into the bitter cold of winter.
If the Sand Village's ninja couldn't withstand this winter with their limited resources, the situation would become extremely unfavorable for them come early spring.
"That's generally correct, but we can't be sure if Sand Village will really retreat. We can only say it's a likely possibility," Sakumo nodded.
With insufficient supplies, launching a final ferocious attack to create an opening into the Fire Country was a viable option for the Sand Village. After all, the Third Kazekage was leading the charge, so complete preparation was necessary.
The more critical the situation, the more attention needed to be paid, making sure the Sand ninja didn't find any opportunities.
"So, what's the task assigned to our squad?"
"It's the same as before, locating and eliminating isolated Sand ninja units to indirectly alleviate pressure on the main battlefield," Sakumo answered.
He was well aware of the limits of his own ninja abilities. He lacked broad-scale ninjutsu attacks, and all his strength came from taijutsu and swordsmanship.
Thus, he could be troubled by enemies with widespread ninjutsu attacks. However, on the other hand, his instantaneous body flicker and swordsmanship were unparalleled.
If one couldn't keep up with his speed and lacked a defensive measure against his White Fang Short Swords, the difference between being killed by him in one strike or a few strikes was the only distinction.
This point was well understood by Shiroshi's team.
He was a ninja with both clear flaws and advantages.
He was suitable for small-scale team battles. In large-scale battles, his strength could actually be limited because he had to consider many more factors on the frontlines, like evading shurikens and explosive tags coming from unknown directions. If he encountered many comrades in danger, deciding whether to save them or not was also a matter worth serious consideration.
As a result, his swordsmanship would become hesitant and dull, unable to unleash his full power.
Sakumo had no complaints about this.
Ninjas are assigned tasks based on their abilities and personalities. He was best suited for actions like these. Just like how the Three Ninja couldn't handle his work, he couldn't handle theirs.
"You've just arrived today, so rest here for a day. We'll start the mission tomorrow morning."
"Understood."
Before leaving, Sakumo said to Shiroshi, "Oh, I almost forgot to mention, Shiroshi. If you don't have anything to do, you can go to the medical camp. The medical ninjas here on the front lines are still in short supply. Even if it's just for a day, it can relieve some of the pressure there."
"I understand."
Shiroshi nodded and headed towards the medical camp.
While it was true that it could alleviate the pressure on the medical unit, Shiroshi also knew that Sakumo's words were more of a comfort. Even though he could ease some of the burden, the medical situation was far from being effectively addressed by his temporary presence.
Helping patients was indeed the duty of medical ninjas, and Shiroshi had no reason to decline.
However, from his perspective, the scarcity of medical ninjas in Konoha was due to flawed understanding and implementation strategies. Konoha only began prioritizing medical education a few years ago due to Tsunade's proposed medical reform.
Initially, Konoha hadn't given much importance to medical reform. In their eyes, allocating resources to combat-strong medical ninjas was less important than cultivating more combat-oriented ninja to strengthen the village's power.
Yet, after the immensely brutal Rain Country War, they realized that allocating resources to combat-oriented ninjas led to high casualty rates. This prompted the enforcement of mandatory medical ninjutsu classes in ninja schools.
Shiroshi was among the first batch of medical ninja experiment class members, so he was acutely aware of how lax Konoha had been in nurturing medical ninjas.
If it weren't for Tsunade's reform proposal, Konoha might not have given medical ninjas the attention they deserved even now.
(PS: In the original work, there seemed to be a mention that when Tsunade proposed the medical reform, all the high-ranking and senior ninjas, including the Third Hokage, weren't interested in her proposal. Only Jiraiya supported Tsunade, possibly because he was interested in Tsunade...)
Upon arriving at the medical camp, Shiroshi heard the painful cries of wounded patients. The smell of disinfectant mixed with blood wafted into his nose. Due to limited space, some patients had to lie outside for rudimentary treatment.
The rule of the Konoha medical team was to prioritize treating critically wounded ninjas first, then attend to those with minor injuries, as resources allowed.
Here, Shiroshi also spotted Tsunade. However, he didn't go over to chat. Tsunade was busy using medical ninjutsu to treat patients.
Shiroshi explained his purpose to the deputy commander there, who was pleased. Having an additional medical ninja at this time meant rescuing a few more injured. Especially when it was the medical ninja specifically assigned to Sakumo's team, a student from the first batch of medical experiment class at the ninja school. There's no way their medical ninjutsu could be too shabby.
So, he quickly assigned Shiroshi over a dozen patients with minor injuries, along with some medical supplies, urging him to get to work.
Shiroshi found a vacant area, laid down his supplies, and saw many injured Konoha ninjas lying there. He was accompanied by three other medical ninjas, the eldest being in their thirties and the youngest a few years older than Shiroshi.
Even though they were all medical ninjas, there was no communication among them, or rather, there was no time for it.
Shiroshi focused intently on using Healing Jutsu, efficiently treating the wounds of these patients.
During the treatment process, Shiroshi also engaged in conversation with the patients, alleviating their stress and facilitating better treatment.
"All done. Just rest well for the next two days."
"I recognize you. You're a member of Sakumo's team, the Jounin squad, right? Your medical ninjutsu is impressive."
The healed Konoha ninja spoke kindly to Shiroshi, offering praise.
"No, compared to the senior ninjas, I still have a lot to improve."
In response to the compliment, Shiroshi simply smiled modestly.
After all, compared to the medical ninja of Tsunade's caliber, he had a lot of room for improvement.
From early morning until the evening darkness fell, Shiroshi finished his medical work.
As most of the tents had been taken over by the medical team, there were still some patients who hadn't been assigned to tents. When Shiroshi returned to meet up with Rui and Ayane, he was given a piece of empty ground for resting.
At dawn the next morning, at around 5 AM, while the sky was still dim, Shiroshi's team was already awake.
Some Konoha ninja were still sleeping, while others patrolled the outer perimeter of the camp, sensing ninja presence and primarily monitoring for any Suna ninja or Hyuga Clan ninja.
When Sakumo came to find them, Shiroshi's team was fully prepared with soldier pills, detoxifying potions, shurikens, explosive tags, sealing scrolls, medical kits, and more, fully equipped without any omission.
As the only auxiliary medical personnel in the team, Shiroshi's task was to carry as many supplies as possible. His backpack also contained emergency food and water sources.
The next tasks for Sakumo's team could be said to have no specific content.
Eliminate enemies upon encountering them, provide assistance to comrades when needed, and disrupt any chance encounters with the Sand ninja's transport units by causing destruction.
It was like how the Sand Village had dispatched elite squads to cause chaos within the Fire Country before. It was meant to divert Konoha's attention, even making the frontline Konoha ninjas cautious about their movements.
…
Sakumo's team's mission this time was the same.
Penetrating deep into the Land of Rivers, even into the territory of the Land of Wind, they were tasked with performing acts of sabotage behind enemy lines. Sakumo's team was to adapt and act according to the situation on the ground.
The higher-ups granted Sakumo's team a considerable amount of autonomy, which also indicated that this mission carried a high level of danger.
Not to mention Shiroshi and Ayane, Rui was already eager for action.
After the previous battle, her ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu had grown significantly. Furthermore, her Sharingan had progressed to the third tomoe form.
This growth was clear, and Sakumo was satisfied with it, believing that he couldn't underestimate Rui as she is now.
November, mid-month.
Land of Wind, Hidden Sand Camp.
The Third Kazekage's face darkened as he looked at the intelligence reports brought by his subordinates. In the past month, several Sand ninja squads on patrol missions in the Land of Rivers had been wiped out by enemies.
"Konoha White Fang!"
The Third Kazekage slammed his fist on the table, his eyes burning with anger.
Even without looking at the details in the reports, he knew who was responsible for these actions.
Aside from the White Fang of Konoha, there wasn't a single Jounin among the ranks of Konoha that could match this level of terrifying annihilation speed.
The speed was so swift that it seemed like a tornado, leaving no grass to grow, uprooting everything in its path.
Whether they were Jounin squads, Chunin squads, or even Genin squads, they were all annihilated without a trace, showing no mercy.
Apart from the renowned White Fang of Konoha, the Third Kazekage couldn't think of any other Konoha Jounin capable of such actions.
Among his most trusted puppet forces, two elites had also been annihilated by a squad led by the White Fang in the Fire Country's borders, and their corpses still remained in Konoha's hands.
The forces the Sand Village could muster were not significantly superior to Konoha's. The only variable was the Kazekage himself and the yet unused trump card — Shukaku.
The poison-based strategy crafted by the Sand Village had been dismantled by Konoha's ninja, Tsunade.
Direct confrontations posed no problem for him, but the overall quality of Sand ninja was lower than that of Konoha, and the shortage of medical ninjas within the camp contributed to a slightly higher death rate compared to Konoha.
Now with the added nuisance of the White Fang squads harassing the rear, the next steps for Konoha...
As expected, not long after, a Jounin came in to report that there was movement in the Konoha camp. Almost a thousand ninja were departing the camp and moving toward their direction.
However, upon crossing the border into the Land of Wind, Konoha's force of a thousand stopped moving, as if they were just here for a brief outing.
But the Third Kazekage understood that Konoha intended to pressurize the Sand Village at the frontline, creating an opportunity for White Fang squads to attack.
If the Sand Village chose to relentlessly chase after the White Fang squad, Konoha's main force would then approach from the front.
"Is that fellow Bunpuku still refusing?"
The Third Kazekage looked at a senior Sand ninja, his expression grave.
"He's not agreeing. No matter how we try to persuade him, he refuses to utilize Shukaku's power. He said that he hopes that you, as the Kazekage, value peace and cease the war for the sake of the Sand Village's betterment."
The senior ninja responded.
"Is ending the war truly for the Sand Village's betterment?"
The Third Kazekage looked in the direction of the Land of Fire.
The land there was more fertile than the Land of Wind, and Konoha's genius ninja were numerous: White Fang, Sannin, Jiraiya...
The ninja clans included the Inuzuka, Yamanaka, and Aburame clans, and other prominent clans such as Sarutobi, Shimura, and Inoichi.
Even more formidable were the most well-preserved ancient bloodline clans in the ninja world, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, which were also within Konoha.
With such a formidable lineup, the Third Kazekage felt a heavy burden at the thought.
Now, while Konoha hadn't fully recovered from the Rain Country War, was the best time to raid resources within the borders of the Land of Fire. Waiting until Konoha regained its strength would make gaining any advantage exceedingly difficult.
As Konoha grew stronger, it exerted increasing pressure on surrounding countries and ninja villages.
Continuing on this path, with Konoha becoming more and more potent, the Sand Village's space for survival would continue to shrink.
All they could do was continually cut military expenses and reduce the number of ninja, all the while watching Konoha's ninja population grow larger and their military funds become more abundant, a dominating force within the ninja world.
By that time, the Sand Village would be entirely struggling beneath Konoha's dominance.
The Third Kazekage didn't want to see that for the Sand Village, even if Konoha grew stronger, the fight had to continue.
As long as they could weaken Konoha's power, the Sand Village could breathe a sigh of relief and find hope in its revival.
Without war, they couldn't even glimpse a shred of hope.
Therefore, the philosophy of "valuing peace" held by the jinchuriki of Shukaku, Bunpuku, was righteous from a personal perspective, but between nations, there was no right or wrong, only strong and weak, only gain and loss.
"He is not suitable for this ninja world. While Shukaku within him is very docile, there's no risk of going berserk without active stimulation. But it also means that the Sand Village can't use this weapon. Weapons that can't be used represent the greatest sorrow in war. It seems we need to find another jinchuriki..."
Hearing these words from the Third Kazekage, the senior ninja's face showed surprise.
"Kazekage-sama, is that...?"
"Rest assured, I'm just mentioning it casually. After all, transferring a Tailed Beast is a major decision and must be determined through high-level meetings."
The Third Kazekage said this, but it didn't ease the senior ninja's anxiety.
"What should we do now?"
This senior ninja sighed helplessly.
This was the Sand Village's greatest difficulty.
Compared to Konoha, not only was there a gap in overall quality, but even among the elite ninja, the Sand Village was nowhere near as strong as Konoha.
The presence of just one White Fang from Konoha was already causing them great distress. Allowing such a dangerous ninja to operate in their rear for sabotage was making the Sand ninja exceedingly fearful.
Many Sand ninja recently were reluctant to take on tasks like patrolling the Land of Rivers.
In the face of the White Fang, many Sand ninja were already growing fearful.
"I have a plan for this. This is a private letter from Iwagakure's Daimyo, Ohnoki. He will support us in secret."
"That Tsuchikage? Honestly, I don't recommend cooperation between you, Kazekage-sama, and the Tsuchikage."
"This is our only opportunity."
The Third Kazekage stated.
Saying so, he sat down at his desk, and after writing two letters, he handed them to a trusted senior ninja nearby, saying, "Send one letter to Konoha's commander, Orochimaru, and have one of the patrol teams deliver the other letter to Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo."
"This is..."
The senior ninja looked at the Third Kazekage in confusion.
"Carry on."
"Yes."
Despite the confusion, the senior ninja proceeded to carry out the task.
"All of this is for the well-being of the Sand Village... Konoha..."
The Third Kazekage murmured softly, a sharp edge of determination flashing in his eyes.
…
Western region of the Land of Rivers.
At the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers.
Sand ninja from the Land of Wind who were supporting the Land of Rivers would pass through this route.
Sakumo's team of four members was here to execute an annihilation strategy.
Eliminate every single Sand ninja encountered on sight.
After wiping out a squad, they would quickly disengage, avoiding any unnecessary engagements, and find a hidden spot to conceal themselves. After some time, they would strike again.
Leaving aside Sakumo, who was already a well-known Jounin, Rui and Ayane were also upper-level ninja with unique bloodline limits. The three of them brought incredible destructive power.
Shiroshi only needed to provide minor support from the rear of the team, like using smoke bombs infused with poison or throwing explosive tags.
During periods of non-combat, he would make medicines using local materials, such as soldier pills and antidotes. After all, the Sand Village's puppeteer weapons often carried potent poisons, and even accidental contact could be dangerous.
This approach increased the longevity of Sakumo's team in battle.
This morning, they had annihilated a squad of six Sand ninja.
It might seem like a small number, but since they had taken on this mission over a month ago, they were in combat every day. They kept fighting, and every day, there were Sand ninja casualties in their wake. Added up, it would be over a hundred by now.
Sometimes, when luck was on their side, they would come across convoys moving from the Land of Wind to the Land of Rivers. They would burn the already scant supplies of the Sand Village, then create chaos with Rui's large-scale Fire Release techniques before fleeing, avoiding being trapped by larger enemy forces.
If fewer pursuers followed, their team would turn and annihilate the pursuers.
If more pursuers came, they would use their exceptional agility to lead them on a merry chase around the Land of Rivers.
For the Sand ninja, it must be an agonizing choice whether to chase or not.
Chasing them might lead to their deaths, but not chasing meant Sakumo's team would continue causing havoc, attacking Sand Village's patrol squads and their supply convoys.
With Rui's Byakugan, they didn't need to worry about hastily setting up formations for battle. When facing large-scale forces, they could simply break out from the weakest point.
In terms of breakout abilities, with Sakumo leading the charge, they could move freely within the Land of Rivers.
"Alright, we've scavenged enough here."
Shiroshi thoroughly searched the six corpses on the ground.
There were one Jounin, three Chunin, and two Genin.
In the blink of an eye, without Sakumo needing to step in, Rui and Ayane had annihilated them all.
While Sakumo played the most significant role, without the assistance of the three of them, the operation wouldn't have been nearly as smooth. The ongoing supply issue alone would have been a big headache.
Sakumo nodded and began moving.
Shiroshi and the other two followed closely, their movements incredibly swift.
In this way, they raced along the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers.
Resting when tired, consuming dry rations, drinking water, then hitting the road again.
It was around three o'clock in the afternoon when, within Ayane's Byakugan field of vision, a squad of four Sand ninja appeared.
Sakumo didn't hesitate. Following their usual pattern, they prepared to engage this group of Sand ninja.
"Strange," Ayane commented.
"What's strange?" Rui asked, looking at her.
"There should be a sensory ninja in this team. They sensed our presence but haven't fled or prepared for combat."
Upon hearing Ayane's observation, the other three slightly furrowed their brows.
"They seem to be deliberately waiting for us to approach," Ayane said uncertainly.
"Is there an ambush or trap around?" Sakumo asked.
Ayane carefully surveyed the area and shook her head.
Not only was there no trap, but these Sand ninja hadn't even activated their chakra. It seemed they didn't intend to use long-range ninjutsu for attack.
As they neared, one of the Sand ninja broke away from the group and rushed toward them.
At Ayane's signal, Sakumo halted, and Shiroshi and Rui also stopped in their tracks.
Before long, the Sand ninja appeared before them in a flash.
He didn't make any aggressive moves. Instead, he took out sealed envelopes from his ninja tool pouch.
"Lord White Fang, these are letters from our Kazekage. Please have a look."
The other ninja acted in a professional manner.
Ayane nodded at Sakumo, indicating that the letters were safe. There was no poison or flowing chakra detected in these letters—just ordinary correspondence.
Sakumo walked over, received the letters from the Sand ninja's hand, and opened one of them to quickly scan its contents, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I understand. I will personally verify this matter," Sakumo said.
The Sand ninja nodded and disappeared from Sakumo's presence.
"Sakumo-sensei, what does the letter say?" Shiroshi and the others gathered around, curious about the contents.
Sakumo didn't hide anything, spreading the letter open for them to see.
At the top of the letter were three words: "Peace Accord."
It was a signal from the Third Kazekage, indicating their intention to halt the war with Konoha.
"Is this letter trustworthy?"
"I don't know. Let's see what Orochimaru says. If he agrees, the war will end. If not, we'll continue with our mission. Until we receive official orders, the mission is on hold, and we don't need to attack the Sand ninja anymore."
After Sakumo finished speaking, he looked into the distance with a profound gaze.
(Chapter End)