Chapter 190: 186: Isolation

Chapter 190: 186: Isolation

Land of Grass. March, early spring.

In a rare, uninhabited hilly region in the Land of Grass, the final battle between Konoha and Iwagakure began. Having lost a large amount of supplies, Iwa resorted to a desperate strategy.

Faced with Iwa's unrelenting offensive, the Konoha forces in the Land of Grass had no choice but to confront the onslaught head-on.

Perhaps, It appeared that Iwagakure had recognized the futility of delaying tactics against Konoha, especially with the emergence of the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato. And that was why they wanted to decide an outcome with Konoha.

On this day of battle, the once-clear sky was covered by ominous clouds, and the battlefield echoed with deafening explosions.

Ninjutsu releases caused the earth to crack, and fire and water releases intertwined, while the wind and lightning raged in the battlefield.

Amidst the intense combat, a yellow streak pierced through the heart of the Iwa army, plunging it into chaos. Whenever many Konoha ninjas crossed its path, the battle would soon be over.

The presence of that light was a signal for a personal battle.

At such an extremely extraordinary speed, any form of defense seemed weak and useless. Even the Iwa ninjas didn't anticipate that the Yellow Flash, who initially posed only a minor threat, would become such a formidable enemy today.

Their strategy of combined Earth Release attacks was unable to counter the Yellow Flash's ninjutsu.

His speed was already beyond human comprehension. In the eyes of Iwa ninjas, the Yellow Flash was undoubtedly the fastest ninja in the world.

The battle raged on for for a long time and ended with a resounding victory for Konoha, leaving corpses strewn across the battlefield.

Iwa's Gari of the explosive release was also killed in the battle, his life claimed by the Yellow Flash.

On the battlefield, the Yellow Flash was an unrelenting executioner of Iwa . Wherever his yellow light shone, death followed.

...

The day following the battle, Konoha and Iwagakure began to tally their casualties.

As the victors, Konoha had fewer losses than Iwagakure. One particularly shocking statistic revealed that almost two-thirds of the approximately 1,500 Iwa ninjas who died in this battle met their death at the hands of the Yellow Flash.

The deadly wounds inflicted by the special kunai and the distinct marks left by the Rasengan.

The data was extremely shocking.

Even the Konoha ninjas responsible for compiling the statistics found Minato's strength surprising, and it was evident that he had risen to the ranks of Konoha's elite. Rumors claiming his prowess surpassed that of the Sannin didn't seem entirely unfounded.

Following the battle, Minato emerged unscathed, save for a little dust on his clothes, and he still had more stamina and chakra, showing his capacity for further combat.

If the Iwa ninjas had not retreated in time, the outcome might have been different...

Even when calculated by the Konoha nin, this achievement seemed beyond the capabilities of a young man in his twenties.

"Minato has a significant flaw." Shikaku shared with his friends Choza and Inoichi.

Within a modest tent, only the three of them were present.

Shikaku voiced his concern with a rather cautious look on his face. Choza and Inoichi both looked at Shikaku incomprehensibly.

The recent victory over Iwagakure had relied heavily on Minato's power, and as a ninja, he appeared almost perfect. So why was Shikaku claiming Minato had flaws?

"I've just been reviewing Minato's battlefield achievements over the past years."

"Is there an issue? I don't think the battle records are inaccurate." Choza replied.

Shikaku shook his head and sighed, clearly troubled, "It's not that the battle results are false, but they are too real to be regarded as mere flaws. The current Minato reminds me of Hatake Sakumo."

The expressions of Choza and Inoichi changed.

Sakumo Hatake was one of the few names in Konoha that was forbidden from being mentioned. Not only was his name removed, but those of the other three members of the White Fang team as well. While many remembered, Konoha's leadership had issued orders to downplay the matter.

"Shikaku, could you clarify why you brought up Sakumo?" Inoichi asked puzzledly.

"Because Minato and Sakumo are very similar. They're both highly mobile ninjas, each equivalent to a one-man army."

"Is that a problem?"

"To a certain extent, it can be good. However, Sakumo was so powerful and even considered for the position of Fourth Hokage, yet his major flaw was...he lacked a team."

This statement might seem outrageous, but when Hatake Sakumo took his own life, the higher-ups managed to suppress all kinds of negative public opinions. It was also revealed then that Sakumo had an immense reputation in Konoha, but he lacked comrades and real influence, so the incident concluded with much ado but little action.

"You mean..."

"I had my suspicions before, thinking about why Minato, despite being a powerful ninja, has a weak team. Through Minato's extraordinary performance on this battlefield and a comparison with Sakumo's past, I found something in common."

"What's in common?"

"Solo performances." Shikaku maintained a serious demeanor.

Solo performances? Choza and Inoichi seemed to grasp the concept but remained uncertain.Ñøv€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

"They both excel at surprise attacks, and their individual power often renders the assistance of other ninjas unnecessary. They can accomplish missions solo. Before the raid on Iwa's supply point, Kakashi and we were tasked with blowing up the Kannabi Bridge to divert Iwagakure's attention. Minato singlehandedly raided all of the supply points and executed the mission perfectly."

Honestly, Shikaku didn't feel much of a participant in that mission, it was more like watching a performance. Minato's abilities allowed him to shine on his own. It wasn't a slight on his abilities but rather a simple fact: Minato's individual brilliance was blinding. Being outstanding without comrades to match could be a kind of sadness.

"Being too exceptional can pressure your comrades. At the same time, completing missions solo can make your comrades appear incompetent. Minato may be able to rely on his own strength to gain enough reputation, but such fame is like a house of cards. It may seem prestigious, but when it comes to actively participating in the village's major affairs, fame without real influence is meaningless."

If such a person were to become Hokage, they would be a mere puppet.

Choza and Inoichi had complex expressions as they understood Shikaku's message.

Back in the day, Hatake Sakumo needed three teammates to form the invincible White Fang team. But Minato took the one-man-squad to another level, functioning as a true one-man army. No one could keep pace with his movements. The ninja on his team could only feel redundant and inadequate.

Minato deserved his role in the two major operations that turned the tide for Konoha in the Land of Grass. However, every action he took was a one-man show. People could admire his strength, but they couldn't connect with him on a deeper level. Most ninjas couldn't truly relate to Minato. At best, he was seen as the second White Fang.

April.

The truce agreement between Iwa and Konoha ended without any compensation from Iwa to Konoha.

Subsequently, Kumo launched a full-scale war with Konoha, once again drawing attention from other ninja countries.

At the same time, the Land of Demons received a special guest.

In the Oni City, the First Military District, two people sat across from each other in a conference room. A tea table was placed between them, with warm tea, fruits, and pastries.

In this meeting room, only the two of them were present.

"I didn't expect you to come at this time. Are the internal affairs of Kirigakure already resolved?" Shiraishi asked, gazing at the man seated in front of him.

The distinctive purple pupils and the stitched wound beneath the left eye confirmed the identity of the other person - Karatachi Yagura.

Currently, they had entered into a preliminary cooperation, with more extensive collaboration planned after Yagura took control of Kirigakure. However, Yagura was still bound by various constraints, such as the Third Mizukage's suspicions and the group of Seven Ninja Swordsmen led by Suikazan Fuguki, which posed a direct threat to Yagura.

"How is that possible? This is a critical period. The Third Mizukage's health keeps deteriorating day by day, and we haven't yet decided on the next Mizukage. Those people led by Fuguki have been implementing the Blood Mist policy in the village, keeping me occupied." Yagura said, taking a sip of tea and expressing his recent worries.

"Would you like me to provide some assistance? For instance, helping you deal with Suikazan Fuguki...." Shiraishi asked, believing that Yagura had the capabilities to deal with the weakening Third Mizukage but might require support in handling Fuguki, who was in his prime and had several minions.

"Killing him wouldn't serve a purpose right now, but it may drive away the snakes hiding." Yagura shook his head. A determined gleam shone in his purple pupils, and he continued, "I've already identified the members of the Blood Mist faction associated with Fuguki. They're being backed by the Water Daimyo and nobles."

The one country, one village system had various agreements during its establishment. For example, the daimyo could not interfere in a ninja village's internal affairs under any circumstances. The selection of a Kage required the daimyo's approval but that was needed only after the village's internal election results.

Although the daimyo could express opinions regarding the Kage succession but the final decision rested with the ninja village.

Similarly, the ninjas from the ninja village must provide military support to repel invading enemies during times of national crisis. There were several other agreements of this nature.

The Water Daimyo had breached this agreement, so it could only be handled discreetly. If exposed, it would jeopardize the stability of the "one country, one village" system.

In such a situation, to protecting the ninja village's stability within their own domains, the other four major countries would inevitably censure the Land of Water's daimyo, making it a subject of public criticism.

Yagura wanted to use the evidence of the daimyo and nobles' interference in Kirigakure's internal matters to make them back down. If he didn't make them feel pain now, in the future they would resort to looking for ways to control Kirigakure using various excuses.

The Land of Water faced a dire situation where the daimyo and the ninja village couldn't trust and cooperate with each other.

To ensure long-term stability and security for Kirigakure in the future, impulsive actions were to be avoided. The true snakes had yet to reveal themselves, and prematurely displaying his strength would only cause these hidden snakes to retreat further into the shadows, exposing his intentions as a Reformist.

Hence, even though Yagura understood that allowing Fuguki and others to continue their disruptive actions in Kirigakure would gradually weaken the village's power, he chose to feign ignorance and even participate, all in anticipation of the right moment to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy and eradicate the root of the problem.

"Wouldn't Kirigakure suffer heavy losses?" Shiraishi frowned as he expressed concern.

Yagura responded with a smile, "That's a necessary price. Currently, I have the power to overthrow the Blood Mist Faction, but I can't reform the village entirely yet. The real enemy hasn't revealed themselves. I won't let Kirigakure be fall into the most terrible internal strife for the next ten years for a momentary satisfaction."

It was a matter of sacrifice, and Yagura intended to choose the path with the least sacrifice and the highest stability.

"How long do you think this will take?"

"It won't be more than three years. Honestly, without your help, I planned to start this year. Currently, I'm just playing the game, one that would show what real pain feels like to the nobles."

"That's understandable. After all, the previous war left the other four villages severely weakened. When we take action, even if Kirigakure faces a period of weakness, they won't have the capacity to intervene."

Less than three years, it may be a few months, a year or two years, but it wasn't a long period from his perspective,.

Yagura's approach appeared reasonable. Starting immediate actions would be unable to eliminate the core issues, resulting in prolonged turmoil within Kirigakure. This was something both Yagura and Shiraishi wished to avoid seeing.

"Iwagakure recently signed an armistice agreement with Konoha and they've withdrawn from the war. Now, only Konoha and Kumo persist. Who do you believe will win?"

"Konoha." Shiraishi replied without hesitation.

"It seems you have great confidence in the Yellow Flash. From what I've gathered, the Fourth Raikage's younger brother has also joined the battlefield. He's the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. If the two of them were to cooperate, the Yellow Flash may struggle to gain an advantage."

Yagura maintained an active intelligence network and closely monitored events with Kumo.

"Do you think Konoha will lose?"

"No.. from my perspective if Konoha wants to win, they will also have to pay a considerable price."

"What a cunning answer."

"While the duration of this Ninja War is short, the overall scale of the war surpasses that of previous Ninja World Wars. After that, the international landscape is likely to undergo significant changes. When do you plan to have the Land of Demons officially participate?"

Yagura then asked, looking at Shiraishi inquisitively.

Everything in the Land of Demons will be revealed either sooner or later, and it was impossible to sleep underwater forever.

"It is still under consideration. I need to find a suitable entry point."

Yagura rose from his seat and commented, "No matter which country you choose to begin with, the Land of Demons' neutral status will be revoked. I can assure you that Kirigakure won't interfere, and Konoha, being the farthest from the Land of Demons, won't be able to as well. However, with regard to Suna, Iwa, and Kumo..."

"Don't worry about that. It is your responsibility to infiltrate the other countries. We will handle the matter of the Land of Demons ourselves. But... since you're concerned, I'll give you my answer now. My decision has been made."

At some point, Shiraishi took out a kunai and he threw it. The kunai brushed past Yagura's ear and pierced itself into the wall behind him with a resonant clang.

Yagura turned to see an incredibly precise map drawn on the wall. The kunai had struck at the center of the largest territory in the world.

The Land of Wind,

"Thank you for your cooperation, Yagura-san."

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