When news of the new Hokage's ascension reached the front lines, the ninjas who were fighting valiantly were struck dumb. Some members of the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan angrily smashed their helmets, some frontline ninjas collapsed to the ground in despair, and the light in the eyes of many more was completely extinguished. The village they had risked their lives to protect on the front lines had been seized by someone behind the scenes, who led an elite army to become Hokage.
The first thing Hiruzen Sarutobi power was to implement his "peace plan." The envoy he chose was none other than his most trusted ally— Mitokado Homura.
On the day of departure, Mitokado Homura wore a magnificent suit, standing out from the surrounding ninjas. Hiruzen Sarutobi provided him with a full three hundred of the most elite ninjas, including many Kage and Elite Jonin, all of whom were seasoned veterans. The gifts they carried were even more extravagant—chests of treasure, and even precious Ninjutsu scrolls.
" Homura, buy some time. Try to meet the demands of the Oni Clan as much as possible. This mission concerns the survival of the Shinobi World; we must succeed." Hiruzen Sarutobi personally saw them off, his tone solemn, "Tell the Oni Clan if they are willing to cease hostilities, the three northern provinces of Takitetsuda will be theirs."
Mitokado Homura nodded, his face slightly pale, but more so with an excited anticipation of completing a great mission: "Don't worry, Hiruzen, I will certainly not fail in my mission."
The procession set off in a grand procession, heading towards the legendary rift connecting the human world and Hell in the Land of Land of Iron. The closer they got to their destination, the more numerous and densely packed the Oni Clan became, the colder the air grew, and the sky turned an eerie dark red, blocking out even sunlight. The vegetation on the ground had long since withered, leaving only twisted branches, like countless skeletons reaching towards the sky. The Oni Clan, knowing they had come to sue for peace, did not stop them.
At the entrance to the Land of Iron's Hell, there was a massive rift hundreds of meters long, its bottom unseen. Black mist billowed from within, carrying a strong stench of blood and sulfur. Countless skeletons were scattered on the ground around the rift, layer upon layer, their number unknown.
"Stop!" A shadow ninja at the front of the group suddenly raised his hand, his voice trembling, "Look... what's that..."
Following his pointing finger, everyone looked and saw several enormous, twisted figures slowly emerging from the black mist. Some had bull heads, some were covered in scales, and some had long tails. Their scarlet eyes gleamed in the darkness, emitting chilling roars.
"It's a Demon King! Prepare for battle!" the Jonin the group shouted. The ninjas quickly formed a battle formation, their Kunai and Ninjutsu beginning to gather Chakra.
However, these ghost kings merely lingered at the edge of the rift, showing no intention of attacking them, as if... waiting for something to descend.
Suppressing his fear, Mitokado Homura shouted into the depths of the rift, "I am Mitokado Homura, an envoy of Konoha, sent by the Fifth Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to negotiate peace with you! We bring our utmost sincerity and generous gifts, hoping to meet with you, the emperors of the Oni Clan!"
His voice echoed before the empty crevice, only to be quickly swallowed by the black mist, without any response.
"My lord, how about we..." A ninja was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by a deafening roar.
"Roar—the sound of a dog's bark shakes the soul!"
The black mist suddenly exploded, and an indescribable, terrifying pressure came from the depths of the rift. The three hundred elite ninjas instantly felt as if they were being crushed by an invisible boulder, and many of them knelt down on the spot, blood spilling from the corners of their mouths.
Ten enormous figures slowly rose from the mist. Some were hundreds of meters tall, their bodies composed of solidified magma, spewing out scalding lava with every breath; others resembled giant octopuses, their countless tentacles waving in the mist, each tentacle covered in sharp teeth; still others were entirely covered in black armor, green venom flowing from the gaps in the armor, wielding giant axes capable of cleaving mountains...
These are the Ten Great Ghost Emperors of Hell. They haven't even fully revealed their true forms; their projections alone are enough to change the color of heaven and earth.
When Mitokado Homura nervously explained his purpose and mentioned his willingness to cede territory from the three northern kingdoms to sue for peace, the Ten Great Ghost Emperors suddenly burst into earth-shattering laughter.
"Hahaha! Humans, what joke are you making? What use are we to your land!" The Ghost Emperor, made of blood, spoke, his voice like the simultaneous roar of countless people, "Land? We need your land? We only need your souls and flesh!"
"The strong prey on the weak; this is the law of Hell, and a lesson you humans should understand!" The octopus-like Ghost Emperor waved its tentacles, each tentacle's eye fixed on Mitokado Homura. "You can't beat us, so you think you can survive by groveling and begging for peace? How laughable!"
"Go back and tell that Hiruzen Sarutobi," the Ghost Emperor, gripping his giant axe, said coldly, "Tell him to wash his neck and wait! We will crush your defenses, raze your village to the ground, and drag everyone into Hell!"
Mitokado Homura's face turned deathly pale. He wanted to say something more, but an invisible force grabbed his throat and lifted him up.
"You guards are quite interesting." A Ghost Emperor engulfed in black flames licked his lips. "I'll treat you to some snacks for now."
As soon as he finished speaking, the black flames suddenly surged, instantly engulfing the three hundred elite ninjas. Screams rose and fell, but quickly ceased. Those battle-hardened experts had no chance to resist the Ghost Emperor; they were burned to ashes by the flames, their souls absorbed and becoming nourishment for the Ghost Emperor.
Mitokado Homura watched all of this unfold, terrified out of his wits, and lost control of his bladder and bowels.
"Keep him alive," the leading Ghost Emperor said coldly, "Let him go back and report, let those ninjas know what the consequences of resistance are."
A tremendous force struck, Mitokado Homura was thrown out of the crevice like a rag doll. His limbs were forcibly torn off and then reattached by some strange force, and his entire body was frozen by the Hell cold, exposing the flesh beneath. He didn't even have the strength to scream; he could only writhe on the ground Insect One.
The black rift was once again shrouded in mist, as if nothing had happened. Only the increasingly strong stench of blood in the air foreshadowed an even more terrifying storm to come.
After an unknown amount of time, the Oni Clan threw the barely alive Mitokado Homura back to the Konoha's defenses. When this "messenger," tortured beyond recognition, was carried back to Konoha, everyone was stunned.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window, gazing at the gloomy sky outside, his fingers trembling unconsciously. He knew that his peace-seeking plan had not only failed completely and resulted in a loss of prestige, but might also... have personally pushed Konoha into an abyss of no return.
Meanwhile, on the front lines of the Land of Fire, the ninjas, having learned of the unforeseen events at home and the failure of their peace negotiations, had seen the morale of the Konoha Ninja plummet. On the northern horizon, countless black shadows were gathering, accompanied by increasingly despairing roars.
Is the Shinobi World really doomed?