Analyzing the Ninja World Starting from Konoha

Chapter 169 What a vicious plan!

call-!!!

The violent suction force instantly swept across the entire battlefield, forcibly pulling in the surrounding trees, boulders, and even the ninja tools scattered on the ground.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed, and he immediately plunged his Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's staff) into the ground to barely steady himself.

However, to Hiruzen Sarutobi's surprise, Chiyo's target was not him at all.

The real danger of this move lies not in the absorption!

The large amount of sand and debris sucked into the formation by the tornado, after being frantically compressed inside the puppet, burst out from the back of the formation like heavy machine gun fire, shooting towards Qingye in an overwhelming manner!

Whoosh whoosh—!!

The dense, whooshing sound was chilling.

"Holy crap? This thing can be used like that?!"

This unexpected counterattack also surprised Aoba slightly.

I never imagined that the "Three Treasures Absorbing Collapse" technique could be used in this way.

In the original work, wasn't this technique supposed to absorb and seal things away?

How can it be used as a shotgun?

Surprised as he was, Qingye reacted extremely quickly. The sand gourd behind him instantly spewed out a large amount of yellow sand, forming a thick sand wall in front of him, blocking all the sand and stone projectiles that were shot at him.

Taking advantage of this opening, Ebizo quickly signaled to retreat, and then threw out several specially made smoke bombs, which slammed hard onto the ground.

boom! boom! boom!

A series of explosions rang out, and thick purple smoke instantly burst open across the battlefield, obscuring everyone's vision.

"Wind Release—"

Several Konoha ninja used Wind Release to disperse the smoke.

When the view returned, there wasn't a single Sand Village ninja left on Mount Kikyo.

Apart from the mess left on the ground and some Sunagakure corpses that they couldn't take with them, Chiyo, Ebizo, and the remaining Sunagakure troops had retreated completely like the tide under the cover of smoke.

After a brief period of deathly silence.

Suddenly, a deafening cheer erupted from Mount Kikyo!

"Ooo ...

"We won!!"

"We've defended the village!!!"

The Konoha ninjas who survived the ordeal erupted in deafening cheers, their faces beaming with excitement and joy.

They used their own flesh and blood to successfully resist the enemy's invasion, protect their village, and safeguard their homes!

With a few leaps, Aoba arrived beside Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around and looked at the excessively young face in front of him, his eyes filled with undisguised satisfaction and admiration.

He stretched out his calloused hands and patted Qingye's shoulder heavily.

"Thank you for your hard work, Aoba. If you hadn't arrived in time, Konoha would probably have faced a disaster today."

"Lord Hokage, you flatter me."

Faced with Hiruzen Sarutobi's praise, Aoba simply smiled faintly and then shook his head, "Even if I hadn't come, Sunagakure's conspiracy would have had no chance of succeeding."

His gaze swept over the group of veterans on the battlefield, his expression filled with genuine respect, and he spoke earnestly.

"With so many predecessors standing up for the village and risking their lives to protect it, how could a mere Sand Village possibly set foot in Konoha?"

""

Aoba spoke calmly, his tone revealing a matter-of-fact certainty: "Besides, Konoha is also my home. Protecting my home is no big deal, it's just what I, as a Konoha ninja, should do."

Upon hearing this, many of the older generation of ninja clan elders who were resting nearby turned their gazes toward him.

The old man from the mountain clan also showed a gratified expression, and then nodded meaningfully.

The old patriarch of the Nara clan stroked his beard, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

The elder of the Hyuga clan narrowed his Byakugan slightly, and a rare hint of approval appeared on his usually cold and hard face.

These old guys who have lived most of their lives, what kind of people haven't they seen to become clan leaders and elders? Aren't they all shrewd and capable?

How could one not tell whether Aoba was being deliberately modest or genuinely humble?

Aoba's words were neither humble nor arrogant; they acknowledged their contributions while also stating his own position, which sounded extremely pleasing to them.

If their previous opinion of Aoba was more of an appreciation for a rising star and an acknowledgment of a powerful and talented ninja.

Now, they have come to regard Aoba as one of their own, a capable, responsible, and humble junior.

In fact, Aoba was not lying.

He knew very well that even without his presence, Konoha would still achieve final victory in the Battle of Kikyo Mountain, only at a heavier cost.

Konoha's strength is undeniable; if these old guys fight to the death, Rasa will definitely not come out on top.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Aoba with a mixture of relief, admiration, and a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

After a moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"Aoba, what you just used—was that Lava Release?"

Upon hearing the Hokage's question, the surrounding elders also perked up their ears. Bloodline limits are no joke; they are the foundation upon which a ninja clan stands.

The scene where Aoba suddenly used Lava Release to defeat Rasa was so shocking that everyone wanted to know the answer.

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

Aoba nodded. After all, using Lava Release in public on the entire battlefield was impossible to hide.

Instead of trying to cover it up and causing more suspicion, it's better to face it honestly.

"Back when I was on the front lines in Iwagakure, I fought against the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Rōshi, several times. During the battles, I unintentionally came into contact with the Tailed Beast chakra released by Rōshi."

"I originally wanted to study what the Tailed Beasts were, but I unexpectedly figured out how to use Lava Release. However, I'm not very proficient at it yet, and I can only say that I've barely mastered it."

That's half true and half false.

The samples are real, but he obtained them through premeditation and planning.

As for "accidental discovery," that's just pure modesty.

Even with the auxiliary chip, which is practically a cheat code, it still took him many years to master it.

Aoba spoke lightly, and was indeed being modest.

"Okay! Okay!"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but say "good" twice, his joy undisguised.

As the Hokage of Konoha, no one understood the difficulties and risks of fusing bloodline limits better than him.

It's not just a matter of talent; it seems to require a bit more luck too.

Don't ask, the answer is that too many people in Konoha died trying to replicate the First Hokage's Wood Release.

Aoba, surprisingly, mastered Lava Release solely based on the chakra samples he collected and his own research.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.

Since Aoba was able to use Lava Release in actual combat, it proves that he has already mastered this power to a basic extent!

What does this mean?

The Yamashiro clan may be about to rise to prominence starting with Aoba's generation!

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, and as long as Aoba continues to grow and branch out, a brand new bloodline family will be born in Miyo!

Having another bloodline limit is like having another trump card.

This was incredibly good news for the village, which was in the midst of a devastating war.

Just then, an ANBU ninja suddenly appeared beside Hiruzen Sarutobi and knelt on one knee.

"Hokage-sama! We've discovered a hidden cave on the north slope of Mount Kikyo, and there are many children inside!"

"child?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed, and he immediately realized that things were not so simple.

Sunagakure's goal is Konoha, so why bother bringing along a group of children?

Unless, of course, these children have inherent value.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned serious: "Lead the way!"

Several former ninja clan leaders also looked surprised and suspicious. After exchanging glances, they followed in unison.

Seeing this, Aoba followed.

On one hand, he was curious; on the other hand, he had already vaguely guessed what was going on.

Led by the secret agents, the group quickly arrived at a cave located on the back of the mountain.

The cave entrance is cleverly concealed by boulders and vines, making it difficult to find without careful exploration.

Aoba followed behind the crowd, looking around the cave.

The cave walls were covered with fresh excavation marks, and the soil still smelled damp. It was obviously dug out hastily, probably by Sunagakure when they were hiding in Kikyo Mountain.

The cave was not very large, and several ANBU ninjas held torches to illuminate the surroundings.

Hundreds of children huddled in a corner of the cave.

Some of them had already woken up and were huddled in the corner, trembling, their little faces full of fear and confusion.

Some were still unconscious, their bodies still smelling of numbing drugs.

A few older children were crying quietly, but dared not make a loud noise.

Upon seeing a group of strangers walk in, the sober children instinctively shrank back, like frightened little animals.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the children, and his face instantly darkened.

He had already realized something.

The youngest here looks no more than three or four years old, and the oldest looks no more than seven or eight years old.

At this moment, the secret service immediately took the initiative to report the situation.

"Lord Hokage, we have already conducted memory searches on some of the children. These children were forcibly abducted from various villages and towns by Sunagakure during their raid on western Fire Country!"

The ANBU paused, then continued, "Furthermore, our initial examination revealed that without exception, all of these children possess the aptitude for chakra refining and have the talent to become ninjas!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes suddenly sharpened.

He instantly understood Sunagakure's intentions.

If Rasa hadn't retreated in such a hasty manner, these children would have been brought back to Sunagakure without anyone noticing.

In a decade or so, these children with the blood of the Land of Fire will be brainwashed into the sharpest blades of Sunagakure, turning them against the Land of Fire.

"What a vicious plan!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered a curse under his breath.

But right now, how to settle these children has become a thorny issue.

They came from different villages, and their homes had likely been reduced to ruins in the Sunagakure raids, and their loved ones may have already perished.