Konoha Notes

Chapter 450 Dust and Bait

Faced with Orochimaru's immediate desire to start a war, Hiruzen Sarutobi, after failing to persuade him with words, calmly said, "If your achievement refers to the Impure World Reincarnation, then I already know."

Orochimaru's smile had not faded.

"Shuji-kun is really going too far." He stuck out his tongue and slowly licked his lower lip. "Can't you even leave me this little bit of fun? Did I deliberately tell you about the surprise in advance?"

“That’s a technique left behind by the Second Hokage,” Hiruzen Sarutobi corrected. “It doesn’t belong to you, Orochimaru.”

"It doesn't matter who it belongs to, Master Sarutobi," Orochimaru chuckled. "What matters is that the Second Hokage's technique remains in Konoha, merely shelved and considered taboo by mediocre people. They simply don't understand how to utilize its true value."

"enough."

A third voice abruptly interrupted their conversation.

“If you’re going to fill the first round with idle chatter between master and disciple, then continue.” Scorpion’s deep voice revealed undisguised annoyance. “If not, then have someone else take the stage, or start immediately. I have no interest in listening to this pointless debate.”

Orochimaru chuckled softly.

"You're really in a hurry, Scorpion-kun." He looked at the teacher. "Then let's begin."

"Hey, this isn't something you can decide unilaterally."

Darui stepped forward and stood to the side and slightly behind Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Best of five games, the order of appearance and the players should be arranged by each side."

Hiruko's tail swayed slightly, and Sasori was about to step forward when Orochimaru spoke first.

"Let's give this first round to the people of the Snow Country."

The scorpion stopped moving.

"Whatever. If you waste my time again..." The puppet's tail tip lifted slightly, pointing at Orochimaru, "I'll kill you."

Orochimaru shrugged indifferently and stepped back.

A snow ninja silently walked to the center of the open space.

He was thin and his whole body was wrapped in the dark, warm clothing of the Snow Country, with even his head covered by a thick headband, leaving only his eyes exposed.

“Then, our first representative will be this one.” Orochimaru stepped back to the Akatsuki members, his tone light. “I will give you ample time to observe, Sarutobi-sensei.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze fell on the Snow Ninja, lingering for a few seconds before he raised his hand in a gesture. The members of Konoha and the Allied Forces followed him, retreating a distance to create space for the battle.

"Intelligence summary." Darui lowered his voice and quickened his pace. "Akatsuki's core members number about ten. Nagato, who possesses the Rinnegan, and his partner Konan are not on the list. Kakuzu and Hidan are confirmed to be active in the southern islands. Zetsu, due to his characteristics, will most likely not participate in the competition directly."

"Those who might appear are Shennong, Madara, Sasori, Hiruko, and Orochimaru."

He glanced at the person opposite him: "The possibility of Madara participating while concealing his identity is very low. Sasori, Hiruko, and Orochimaru have all revealed their true forms. So, this one in front of us..."

“It could be other rogue ninjas they recruited,” Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, his gaze fixed on the scene, “or… it could be that Shennong who hasn’t shown up yet.”

They didn't think that the locals of the Land of Snow could produce Jonin capable of participating in battles of this level so quickly.

"I go."

The voice came from the left. Iwagakure Jonin Suma Shi stepped forward. He was about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, with neat, short black hair, a resolute face, and eyes that revealed the composure and confidence unique to Iwagakure ninjas.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him and slowly nodded.

"The primary objective is to determine the opponent's identity and capabilities, which requires careful consideration. If victory is not possible, self-preservation should be the top priority. The core task this time is to ascertain what other cards the opponent has up their sleeve."

"clear."

Suma walked to the center of the arena and stood about twenty meters away from the snow ninja. He did not immediately form hand seals, but instead pulled out two kunai from the ninja tool pouch on his side and held them horizontally in front of him.

A cautious opening move.

The snow ninja remained motionless, only her exposed eyes calmly watching her opponent.

Suma was moved. He didn't charge in a straight line, but rushed forward in an arc, throwing kunai alternately with his left and right hands!
The snow ninja's movements finally changed. With just a slight touch, he deftly dodged the kunai's trajectory with minimal motion.

Suma Shi did not approach rashly, but instead threw a few more shuriken.

At the same time, his hands quickly formed a hand seal, and he slammed both palms down on the ground!

Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm!

The rock and soil in the fan-shaped area in front of them rose up violently like waves, and the gravel and dust suddenly exploded, completely engulfing the location where the Snow Ninja was!

Succeeded?
Darui, who was watching the battle, narrowed his eyes. Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, frowned slightly.

The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

The place was deserted.

Suma Shi immediately scanned his surroundings, unleashing his full sensory awareness. There was no chakra reaction, no trace of movement, and even the aura had vanished completely.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept across every inch of the battlefield, but he found nothing. He turned his head and asked a Hyuga clansman behind him, "Tetsu, can you see anything?"

Hyuga Tetsu immediately activated his Byakugan, carefully scanning the battlefield, but his expression gradually became confused.

"No, Third Hokage, the opponent's chakra has disappeared."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank slightly.

In the arena, Suma Shi's forehead was beaded with sweat. Without further hesitation, he formed the hand seals once more.

"Earth Release: Earth Rising Spear!"

Dozens of sharp rock spearheads burst out of the ground haphazardly, covering a large area.

However, this indiscriminate attack still had no effect.

Where is that person? Underground? In the air? Or...?

Upon seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately shouted, "We give up..."

Just then, a glimmer of light appeared out of the shadows without warning.

White light.

The light magnified instantly in Sumashi's pupils.

There was no loud noise, no explosive impact.

Wherever the white light passed, rocks, sand, and even the figure of Sumashiki maintaining his hand seal posture vanished silently, as if erased by an invisible eraser.

"Dust Escape".

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the Snow Ninja whose appearance was still unreadable.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru simply smiled and said, "Is that so? Is it Dust Release? Is that what you think, Sarutobi-sensei?"

"However, there may be many ninjutsu in the world that can cause such destructive power. After all, the Land of Snow has been fighting against the Five Great Nations for a year."

“It’s reasonable to train some special ninjas, isn’t it?”

Hiruzen Sarutobi guessed the identity of the snow ninja.

Dust Release, and also a technique for concealing one's own chakra, Dustless Concealment.

These elements, taken together, point to one person. No, they point to someone who is already dead.

Second generation Tsuchikage - None.

He was reborn through the Impure World Reincarnation.

Then, he completely concealed his identity and appeared as an ordinary snow ninja.

His gaze passed over the silent Edo Tensei body and landed on the group of Snow Ninja behind Orochimaru. They were also silent, also heavily wrapped up, and only their eyes were visible.

How many people are inside? Are they all there? Or just a few?

But that's not the key point.

The key point is that Orochimaru chose this method.

Using Dust Release. Using this unique bloodline elimination technique, which offers no way to conceal one's identity. Using this attack that utterly annihilates...

He's extending an invitation.

No, he's coercing me.

If he doesn't participate, Orochimaru will continue to use these reanimated bodies, one after another, to ravage every Jonin of the Joint Affairs Bureau in their identities as ninjas from the Land of Snow.

And I have to play.

We must resolve the troubles we've created for the present and the future because of our past leniency.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked forward.

"In the second round, on the side of the Joint Affairs Bureau, the person who will be appearing is me."
-
On the coastline on the other side of the island.

Xiu Si sat on a rock, his fishing rod motionless.

The fishing float bobbed gently on the azure sea, occasionally lifted up and then falling back down by the surging waves.

"Your comrades are fighting."

"And they are dying."

Payne Tendo's voice came from behind him.

Shuji looked at the sea. The buoy sank again, this time for a little longer, but eventually it floated back up.

Payne walked to his side.

"We will win this match, and everything that follows."

"You're really quite confident," Shuuji said.

"This was inevitable; I found the path in the right direction."

Shuji gently lifted the fishing rod. The hook was empty; the bait had turned white from being soaked in seawater.

He took the bait, threw it into the sea, and then pinched a small ball of fresh bait from the jar at his feet and carefully threaded it onto the hook.

"So what?" He cast his line again, the line arcing through the air before landing a little further out in the water. "Are you here to declare victory to me?"

"I'm here to tell you that compromise is still possible."

Payne turned his head, his Rinnegan eyes staring directly at Shuuji.

"We have reached a consensus on our expectations for the future to some extent."

"Therefore, there is no need to waste the existing ninjas."

“Those excellent Jonin, those promising young people, don’t need to die in such meaningless tests.”

“I am willing to accept a compromise: only take the chakra of the tailed beasts and let those Jinchuriki live.”

The float bobbed slightly.

Shuji stared at the white dot for a long time, then a smile appeared on his lips.

"That's really... reassuring."

Then, he reached into his robes with his free left hand and took out a scroll no longer than the palm of his hand.

"This is the prize for the victory or defeat." Shuji held the scroll up in front of him. "The chakra of a tailed beast."

Payne's gaze fell on the scroll.

Which one?

He asked directly. Last year, through Yura's intelligence, they intercepted the transaction between Konoha and Kumogakure, but in the end they only obtained the Seven-Tails' chakra.

If Shuji uses the Seven-Tails' chakra again this time, then this match will be meaningless. And he will appear to be a fool who has been easily fooled.

“Of course it’s not the Seven-Tails,” Shuuji said calmly. “After all, you’ve already taken it from Takigakure, haven’t you?”

"It belongs to the Nine-Tails. It's also the only part of Konoha that can be controlled."

This is also what Akatsuki was able to obtain through the Impure World Reincarnation—Golden Horn and Silver Horn, two individuals who had consumed the flesh and blood of the Nine-Tails in their previous lives, possessed the ability to generate their own Nine-Tails chakra.

Using this as a prize can also ensure that Naruto will not become a primary target.

You might not need to eat the minimum guarantee, but it's still good to keep it.

Payne remained silent for a moment.

Shuji said, "I once said that when you start to prove that your path is feasible, the trade of Tailed Beast Chakra can be put on the agenda."

“During this time, you have indeed been practicing that path within your own capabilities. Regardless of whether I agree with the end of that path, you have kept your promise, and so will I.”

He gently tossed the scroll up and caught it.

“So, this is the payment,” Shuuji said. “The agreed-upon part.”

"but--"

He abruptly changed the subject, shifting his gaze from the sea to Payne.

"The path you're pointing to is now facing problems, isn't it?"

"I know what those Amegakure ninjas did. Amegakure had already reported to the secret service before accepting the commission."

"If problems arise even on overseas islands, what will happen to the five major powers?"

Payne did not speak.

He simply looked at Shuji, his Rinnegan reflecting the other's calm face.

“I chose to negotiate, Nagato,” Shuji said, “because we have too much.”

"The Joint Affairs Bureau, the cooperation among the five great ninja villages, the ongoing reforms, and those who have finally managed to settle down."

"And I am a very greedy person."

"I want to protect all of this, and I want to make the world transition smoothly to the next stage with minimal cost."

He paused, the smile fading from his lips.

"But this greed and this caution have their limits."

Payne finally spoke: "Such threats are meaningless to God."

“The pain I have endured far surpasses that of you. The despair I have witnessed is far greater than you can imagine. Death, destruction, loss… these words are simply part of the process for me.”

Shuji stared at him for a long time.

On the distant sea, a seabird swooped down, its sharp beak piercing the seawater, then flapped its wings and flew up again, carrying a struggling little fish in its beak.

“If threats really don’t make any sense to you,” he said softly, his voice almost swallowed by the sound of the waves, “you wouldn’t be someone I want to negotiate with, Nagato.”

"If that's the case, then this competition has absolutely no meaning."

Shuji stood up.

The fishing rod in his hand turned into wood chips and dissipated into the sea.

"And I no longer need to have any useless expectations."

The rhythm of the waves crashing against the rocks became more rapid, and the sound of the tide gradually changed from a regular gurgling sound to a deep roar.

"There's something wrong with what you said."

"what?"

“The deaths of those rogue ninjas were not because the path was flawed,” he said. “On the contrary, they proved what means are needed to maintain order.”

Payne turned away, not looking at the scroll in Shuuji's hand.

"The competition will continue." He had his back to Shuuji, his voice as calm as if he were stating the weather. "But I will consider what you said."

(End of this chapter)