"Hey, got any more smokes? I just ran out."
A chubby ninja patted his empty cigarette box, looking toward his companion.
"Here, take this. But it's my last one, so don't ask for more. I need it to get through the night."
A tall Iwagakure ninja pulled a crumpled cigarette from his jacket pocket and handed it over.
The chubby ninja didn't mind its condition. He took it eagerly, lit it, and took a deep drag, closing his eyes in bliss as he exhaled slowly, savoring the moment.
"Man, guarding this building is so boring," the chubby ninja complained, his face full of discontent.
"Boring? You should be thanking your lucky stars. You're just a chunin, and you've been assigned to guard the Tsuchikage's Office. Do you really want to be sent to the front lines as cannon fodder?"
The tall ninja couldn't help but mock him.
The chubby ninja fell silent, taking another puff from his cigarette. He knew the truth. The Tsuchi-Rai Frontline was a bloody meat grinder. A lowly ninja like him wouldn't last three days there, and he had no intention of throwing his life away.
Suddenly, the chubby ninja noticed something strange—his tall companion collapsed to the ground without warning. Startled, he reached out to help him, but before he could react, he felt a cold sensation on his throat. Instinctively, he touched his neck, only to feel a wet, warm liquid.
A surge of hot blood gushed uncontrollably from his throat. He tried to scream, but only gurgling sounds escaped. His strength drained rapidly, and his body grew colder with each passing second. Finally, he collapsed, unable to hold himself up any longer.
In his final moments, he felt a pair of hands lift him by the armpits, dragging him into the bushes near the building. Through his fading vision, he saw a dozen black-clad figures darting silently into the Tsuchikage's Office.
The leader of the group muttered, "It seems Iwagakure really is running out of manpower. The mighty Tsuchikage's Office doesn't even have rotating sentries or hidden guards…"
"Stick to the plan. Spread stone resin everywhere and set up explosive tag traps. I want them to pay a heavy price for trying to save this place!"
A black-clad ninja gave low-voiced instructions as the thirty-odd ninjas scattered throughout the building.
"So, this is Iwagakure's Village Core Stone, huh? Doesn't look like much to me."
The black-clad ninja examined a stone placed on a ceremonial altar on the first floor.
"Hmm, might make a decent pickling stone," someone quipped.
That night, the Tsuchikage's Office in Iwagakure was engulfed in flames. The raging fire soon alarmed the entire village. Almost all the remaining Iwagakure ninjas rushed out to extinguish the blaze, only to discover that water was useless against the fire. They resorted to Earth Release techniques to bury the flames, but this triggered a series of explosions. The blasts partially collapsed the Tsuchikage's Office, killing and injuring several rescue personnel.
The next morning, as villagers cleared the wreckage, they discovered that the faces of the statues of past Tsuchikages had been defaced with red paint, spelling out the words: "Blood for Blood."
Even more humiliating, the Village Core Stone, a symbol of Iwagakure's Will of Stone, was missing. In its place was a Damascus ninja blade bearing the emblem of the Hourglass Group, stabbed mockingly into the altar.
Maki, a former member of Sunagakure's Anbu, had proven his exceptional skill in special operations. Leading a handpicked team of thirty-six elite jonin from the Regular Army, he executed a daring night raid on Iwagakure. Using underground tunnels to infiltrate the village and avoid detection by sensory ninjas, they wreaked havoc on Iwagakure's highest administrative building. While the operation caused limited physical damage, the symbolic humiliation was immense—a slap in the face that Sunagakure delivered with precision.
"I must say, Maki, this was a job well done. But what's the point of bringing me this useless rock all the way back here?"
Jinghang, the Kazekage, held the stolen stone in his hands, examining it with a mix of curiosity and disdain.
"Lord Kazekage, you may not realize this, but this is no ordinary rock. This is Iwagakure's Village Core Stone, a symbol of their Will of Stone!"
Maki spoke with a tone of pride, as if presenting a treasure.
"Oh, give me a break. Who knows where that old fossil Ōnoki picked this up from?"
Jinghang smirked, unimpressed.
"Still… it might have some use after all," Jinghang said, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
That afternoon, a new public restroom opened in one of Sunagakure's bustling marketplaces. Despite his busy schedule, Kazekage Jinghang personally attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. To the confusion of the gathered villagers, he gave a grand speech praising Maki's recent "heroic achievements."
Then, to everyone's shock, he dramatically tossed the so-called Village Core Stone into the toilet pit with a loud plop. The crowd erupted into laughter, clapping and cheering at the absurd spectacle.
From that day forward, the public restroom became a local sensation, attracting a constant stream of visitors. People lined up outside, some even walking across the village just to use that particular restroom. The stall with the stone-filled pit became especially popular, remaining in use 24/7. Even after the restroom started charging fees, it continued to thrive.
The incident gave rise to a running joke across the ninja world:
"The Will of Stone? Just a stinky, hard rock in a public toilet."
Scene Transition
"Outrageous! Jinghang, that insolent brat! How dare he burn down my Tsuchikage's Office!"
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, slammed his palm on the table, knocking over a teacup. Tea spilled everywhere as his sparse hair seemed to bristle with anger.
"Please, Lord Tsuchikage, calm down. The building and personnel losses were minimal. It's just… the Village Core Stone was stolen…"
Higashishinin tried to console Ōnoki, carefully picking up the spilled teacup.
"You don't understand! A Sunagakure squad infiltrated our village and set fire to the Tsuchikage's Office. Do you know what this means? It means our rear defenses are utterly hollow! It means the village's security is a joke! It means our wives and children are no longer safe! How can our soldiers on the front lines fight with peace of mind knowing this?"
Higashishinin hadn't considered these implications and now realized the gravity of the situation.
"Summon Akatsuchi. Have him lead the reserve forces back to the village to bolster our defenses," Ōnoki ordered, his tone resolute.
"But, Lord Tsuchikage, those 2,000 reserves are our last mobile force. If the battlefield shifts, we'll have no counterattack capability left!" Higashishinin protested.
"Counterattack? We'll be lucky to hold our ground! I've made my decision. No more arguments. What's the status of our arrangements in Amegakure?"
"They've agreed to cooperate, but they're asking for manpower… and funding," Higashishinin replied cautiously.
"How many people? How much money?" Ōnoki asked directly.
"Not many—twenty to thirty will suffice. But the funds… they're asking for fifty million ryō."
"Give them the money! As for the people…"
Ōnoki paused, then stood abruptly.
"Take my personal guard!"
"Yes, sir. I'll handle this personally and ensure Sunagakure's operations in the Land of Rain are disrupted!" Higashishinin pledged.
"One more thing—give this to Akatsuchi to take back to the village."
Ōnoki rummaged around before picking up a rock that had been used to weigh down a tent. Dusting it off, he handed it to Higashishinin with great solemnity.
"This is…?" Higashishinin asked, puzzled.
"Oh, I brought the real Village Core Stone with me to prevent any mishaps. The one in the village was just a fake."
Ōnoki smirked, feigning wisdom.
"Ah, as expected of you, Lord Tsuchikage. Truly foresighted," Higashishinin said, his voice full of admiration.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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