If They'd Acted This Way Earlier, Would Kusagakure Have Betrayed Them?

"Sigh, not much to show for it!"

Jiraiya sighed.

"Our losses are minimal, so we're not at a loss."

Kyohiko smiled.

In this battle, they committed all their elites to the fight from the very beginning, while the opposing side, although having many Jonin and Chunin, lacked top-tier elite ninjas.

Like Ōnoki and Kitsuchi, none of them are here.

Post-battle inventory revealed that almost none of their ninjas had died; most were injured in the process, the most serious injuries being those caused by explosions, but none were life-threatening.

In comparison, Iwagakure suffered considerable losses.

Faced with top-tier speed-type ninjas who have mastered Lightning Style, the ninjas of Iwagakure simply don't have a good solution.

"That's true."

Jiraiya nodded with a smile.

Their losses were indeed not significant.

also...

He couldn't help but look at Minato.

"I didn't expect you to have secretly learned Kakashi's techniques."

Minato Namikaze chuckled but offered no explanation.

Kakashi, on the other hand, said, "It wasn't stealing, it was exchanging knowledge. The captain also taught me a lot of tips and tricks about the Body Flicker Technique and the Rasengan."

"Only when everyone improves together can the team and the village become stronger."

Kakashi said, glancing at Kyohiko beside him.

This is Kyohiko's philosophy.

One person's strength is unlikely to have a significant impact; only through mutual exchange and improvement can the benefits of developed skills be maximized.

For example, Rasengan and Eight Inner Gates.

While they may not be able to fully unleash their Ninjutsu, it's certainly wrong to be so protective of their secrets.

Kakashi explained to Minato, Jiraiya paused for a moment, then patted his hair, his voice becoming much softer.

"I know, I was just joking."

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly—

More than two years ago, when he first met Kakashi, the boy was a young Chunin who had become withdrawn and difficult to be accepted by others because of the death of White Fang.

But now, he has grown into a mature ninja who understands teamwork and cooperation and is willing to accept others.

However.

Ironically, as the "Teacher," he himself didn't play much of a role. It was mostly Kyohiko's mediation and influence that helped Kakashi emerge from his past gloom.

Jiraiya sighed inwardly.

"Take a rest."

"I'll go help with the treatment; at least I can heal some of the basic injuries."

Return to the outpost on the edge of the Land of Earth.

Ōnoki leaned against the wall, carefully examining the intelligence report in his hand.

Iwagakure has spies in the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers, but not every piece of intelligence can be gathered in detail, and many Anbu Ninja may miss some clues.

He carefully examined each Intelligence Scroll.

After looking at it for a long time, Ōnoki felt heavy-hearted.

"Father, how are you?"

The Kitsuchi moved with care.

The old man glanced at him and said, "Can't you use your brain and take a look for yourself?"

Kitsuchi chuckled.

He couldn't understand these intricacies and could only be a listener or a henchman at best, which was what Ōnoki was most dissatisfied with about him.

To some extent, the fact that Ōnoki is still the Third Tsuchikage is largely due to the lack of successors in the village.

He sighed softly.

"Kitsuchi, you... never mind, take a look at this one."

Ōnoki tossed the scroll to Kitsuchi.

Kitsuchi took the book and looked at it several times, then scratched his head. "Orochimaru's work?"

"If Orochimaru were here, would the Third Kazekage have charged in like that? Also, the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release allows him to fly; just that alone would make it impossible for Konoha to stop him from leaving."

Ōnoki understood the advantages of flying very well.

Like him.

If you can't fly, being surrounded and attacked by a force like Konoha's would result in more than just a sprained back.

"Does Konoha have a way to counter Magnet Release?"

Kitsuchi quickly realized the key point.

As long as it doesn't involve too many twists and turns, and he just focuses on Ninjutsu and combat, he can grasp it quickly.

Ōnoki nodded.

His guess was the same.

Konoha used the Third Kazekage Third Kazekage's most prized Magnet Release as bait, luring him into a trap that ultimately led to his tragic death on the border of the Land of Fire.

How similar they are!

Ōnoki frowned. "The person who designed the Third Kazekage must have come to our side!"

"Then it's unlikely to be Orochimaru."

The Kitsuchi answered directly.

Ōnoki paused slightly, looking at him. "Why?"

"Who's going to clean up the mess in Sunagakure after he leaves? The Third Kazekage Sunagakure, but not all the ninja were killed. They can't just abandon it, can they?"

The Kitsuchi replied in a strange tone.

This principle should be very simple!

Ōnoki was stunned.

This line of thinking is simple, but it does make some sense.

He couldn't refute it.

"So, Orochimaru really didn't come, and someone else was the one who plotted against the Third Kazekage."

Ōnoki clutched his lower back and carefully sat down.

After a long period of contemplation, he connected the events with the people in his mind.

The affairs of the Land of Grass.

The war in the Land of Wind.

And now, they have been attacked.

The common point is not Orochimaru or Jiraiya, but that they were in the same squad as Minato Namikaze.

According to intelligence, their entire team was involved.

Minato Namikaze?

Ōnoki tossed the scroll aside and fell into deep thought.

He had met Minato Namikaze once; the guy had brought a corpse to his door, and he was powerful, assertive, and intelligent.

Then, he couldn't help but mutter curses under his breath.

"Jiraiya his thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually taught such a treacherous disciple!"

"Jiraiya, you didn't even tell me about this attack?"

Wuwei was very dissatisfied.

"Wuwei, Wuwei don't misunderstand. I acted on a whim, which is why I suddenly made my move."

Jiraiya explains.

He then laughed and said, "The harvest was not bad. Ōnoki took a Rasengan, I don't know how badly he was injured, but we killed dozens of Jonin Chunin."

"War... I never expected that you, Jiraiya, would initiate a war."

Wuwei laughed.

Based on his understanding of Jiraiya, Jiraiya was closer to Hiruzen Sarutobi, prioritizing stability and peace.

Previously, Jiraiya's actions had always been in line with the concept of Wuwei.

But today...

This was truly unexpected.

Jiraiya chuckled, "This is a plan!"

No one is wary of an honest person.

Wuwei shook his head.

plan?

"Jiraiya, I've been dealing with you for years. You're only fooling yourself with that."

Someone reminded me.

Jiraiya knew he couldn't hide it from them.

In his early years, Wuwei stationed at Hozuki Castle and frequently dealt with ninjas from various countries. He had some contact with him and, although they weren't exactly friends, they knew each other quite well.

"My Teacher already tried to achieve peace through compromise, and what was the result? Even Asano Yu is now jumping in to join the fight against Konoha!"

Jiraiya's gaze was icy.

Although Wuwei was the leader of Kusagakure, he had to admit that Jiraiya was right.

Those in the Kusagakure who advocated for war believed that, given Hiruzen Sarutobi's personality, even if their cooperation with the Iwagakure failed, as long as they admitted their mistake, the Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi would still accept them back.

This is equivalent to having another way out.

If it's a sure thing and you can't lose money, why wouldn't you do it?

As it turned out, Konoha changed its flag, and everything changed.

"Furthermore, the sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can withdraw from the Land of Grass, so we don't keep bothering you with our work and disrupting your missions."

Jiraiya said with a smile at the end.

Wuwei nodded.

"Thank you, I understand."

Upon leaving the Konoha Ninja base and returning to the village, Wuwei was immediately surrounded by elders and Jonin who came to inquire about his situation.

They were all eager to know Konoha's attitude.

Konoha is truly different now!

"Don't worry, Jiraiya launched the attack to end things quickly so we can get back on track."

Wuwei glanced around, forcing a smile. "Don't worry, everyone go and train."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave.

Wuwei sighed softly.

If Konoha had acted this way earlier, Kusagakure probably wouldn't have had so many fools willing to follow Asano Yu to their doom.

And now.

Reviving the Kusagakure will be much more difficult.

After treating many of the Medical Team's internal injuries, Kyohiko lay down to rest and recover his energy, and took a look at the system.

[Under your leadership and planning, Konoha demonstrated its strength, killing dozens of times more enemies at minimal cost, effectively deterring the ninjas of Kusagakure.]

[Reward: Water Style: Water Wave Upgrade]

The notification had already been there.

However, at that time, Kyohiko was busy running away and checking the casualties on his own side, so he didn't have time to look at the reward.

"Water Wave."

The next level up is the "Grandmaster" level.

Kyohiko merged his memories and examined them carefully.

Grandmaster level...

Upon reaching the Grandmaster level, the Water Wave can highly concentrate water flow and, based on Water Style and High Pressure, incorporate Chakra of other attributes to achieve different nature transformations.

for example--

By incorporating Wind Style, the Water Wave can become faster and sharper.

This is also the prototype of Water Severing Wave.

To master Water Severing Wave, one must thoroughly study Water Wave turbulence.

However, Kyohiko has very few techniques related to "Wind Style," so the effect of this Water Wave is not good and falls far short of the level of Water Severing Wave.

It's mainly another kind--

Based on the original "water," it is transformed into a special liquid that is close to viscous fluid, thereby retaining the powerful effects of Lightning Style while maintaining a high degree of cohesion and compression.

The principle is very simple.

The sugar syrup is quite viscous, allowing it to deform and possessing strong adhesion.

This is the principle Mizuame Nabara.

Kyohiko had previously attempted to study this, but without success. However, the direction of the "Grandmaster" level Water Wave changes merged the two together.

"Give it a try."

He Hand Seals and then spat out a thin, special jet of water.

Snap!

The high-speed jet of water clung directly to the tree trunk, instantly enveloping it.

Kyohiko frowned slightly.

It's still the same as always, not quite what he imagined.

Perhaps I'm using it incorrectly!

I didn't incorporate the nature transformation of Lightning Style just now.

He thought for a moment, then tried forming the Hand Seals again.

This time, he increased the Chakra input, making the liquid more viscous.

After being spat out, the water stream almost transformed into a whip, while high-frequency vibrating Lightning Style Chakra spread forward along the viscous water column.

The next moment--

Snap!

With a sudden flick of the water whip, it left a deep welt on the tree.

It's quite powerful.

Kyohiko's eyes lit up, and he continued to try, increasing the dosage.

Three times, four times...

After trying it more than ten times, he gradually got the hang of it.

He spewed it out again.

The viscous liquid, carrying high-frequency vibrations and concentrated Lightning Style Chakra, lashed out at the distant tree trunk in an instant.

At the same time, the highly concentrated Chakra explodes instantly using techniques derived from "Strength of a Hundred".

Even Kyohiko had to try many times before he gradually mastered this method.

Kara!

With a cracking sound, the tree snapped, and the upper half of it fell over.

Kyohiko nodded in satisfaction.

Good!

Unfortunately, this simple fusion is far from comparable to Storm Release; even after incorporating numerous techniques, it only reaches a level of considerable power.

certainly.

This technique seems more useful than ordinary Water Style for dealing with flying enemies.

in particular.

The only difference between the ordinary Water Wave and the Sticky Water Wave is a Hand Seals; one hand Hand Seals can be used to change its properties.

but.

His attack attracted the attention of a nearby squad.

Gaku Inuzuka and Dōtō Akimichi looked at the scene, then turned to Kyohiko.

"Testing Ninjutsu?"

They didn't have much interaction with Kyohiko, but through their former teammate Minato Namikaze, they knew a little about him and were aware that Kyohiko was an extremely intelligent genius.

The fact that the opponent can master Wood Release is a testament to this.

They looked at the viscous liquid remaining on the tree trunk and wondered—

New Ninjutsu?

They breathed a sigh of relief.

"Be mindful of safety and potential impact."

"Yes, I'll take care of cleaning it up."

Kyohiko nodded.

Then, he went over and used his Chakra to break down the sugar.

The two nodded and led their men to continue patrolling, but they kept talking as they walked.

"Tang Dong, did you see clearly?"

"It looked like Water Style, but I couldn't see it clearly, so I'm not entirely sure."

Dōtō Akimichi answered.

Gaku Inuzuka nodded. "A special kind of Water Style, very viscous. I feel like Kyohiko might be conducting research specifically to deal with Ōnoki?"

"Possibly."

Dōtō Akimichi nodded.

Then, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Kyohiko's style is so different from Lord Jiraiya's. I initially thought he might be a bit reckless, but after today, I think he's not reckless, but rather... how should I put it?"

"Being prepared?"

The others added their comments.

"Yes, yes!"

The four of them walked along, whispering to each other.

They kept their voices down, but Kyohiko had good hearing and could still hear them even from a distance.

He smiled only after the patrol had gone far away and could no longer hear them.

It's certain that preparations are complete.

If you rush in without proper preparation, what's the difference between that and suicide?

but.

Kyohiko was still very happy that they didn't see him as a brute.

He is preparing to continue his experiments and research.

Beside her, Kurenai Yuhi leaned against a tree, smiling, and said, "How does it feel to hear others praising you?"

How did you know I was listening to them?

Kyohiko chuckled to himself.

Kurenai Yuhi said, "Because you didn't even notice that I was already here."

Then, she Body Flicker Technique next to Kyohiko.

After observing for a while, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Kyohiko, do you know what I admire most about you?"

"It's definitely not my talent."

Kyohiko answered.

Kurenai Yuhi shook her head and said, "Even though you're already very strong and powerful, you're still tirelessly motivated to become stronger, and there's no end to it."

"This is because I can still see room for improvement. If I reach a point where I can no longer see room for improvement, my mindset might change."

Kyohiko sighed.

Kurenai Yuhi shakes her head--

She couldn't understand that mindset.

For her, just learning what she's currently learning already takes up a lot of her time.

"By the way, I came to you because I wanted you to review this outline and see if it's appropriate to give it to Tsunade- Teacher."

"Because you also know Medical Ninjutsu, therefore..."