Chapter 9: Old Tales of Cloud and Thunder, Three Men Make a Tiger
The campfire crackled, casting a glow against the wilderness night.
Amid the rustling of leaves, faint cries and distant chaos seemed to echo.
The three sat silently around the fire.
Uchiha Setsuna glanced at his teammates, his expression grave as he spoke: "The real danger of this mission stems from a sudden development."
"Half a month ago, the Blood Pond Clan submitted a plea for clemency to the Land of Lightning's daimyo for the third time."
"But the daimyo's envoy was ambushed and killed en route, their head cashed in at the underground bounty exchange."
"The daimyo was furious and decided to keep the Blood Pond Clan imprisoned."
"Desperate and with no way out, the Blood Pond Clan secretly contacted Kumo."
"Kumo agreed to liberate them. In exchange, the Blood Pond Clan will join Kumogakure, becoming one of their kekkei genkai families."
Uchiha Seiichiro frowned, puzzled. "Isn't the Blood Pond Clan already a kekkei genkai family of the Land of Lightning? How'd they strike a deal like this with Kumo?"
Takanotsume shook his head slightly. Having read the original story, he had a guess.
During the Warring States era, a Blood Pond Clan daughter married into the Land of Lightning's daimyo family as a concubine.
But soon after, the daimyo died of illness, and the daughter faced jealousy and slander, dragging the entire clan into exile in Hell Valley.
To put it bluntly, the Blood Pond Clan had risen to near-nobility status and had no interest in lowering themselves to join Kumo's ranks of fighters.
They'd rather rot in Hell Valley, clinging to the hope of eventual pardon and a return to their aristocratic status in the Land of Lightning.
Now, with that hope shattered and no future in sight, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and join Kumo's barbarian ranks.
Kumo, for their part, was thrilled. With the Ninja World War looming, the Blood Pond Clan was a valuable asset.
Who's to say that envoy's death wasn't Kumo's doing?
Realizing this, Takanotsume saw the whole affair with newfound clarity, like clouds parting to reveal the sun.
Great Elder Setsuna didn't elaborate for Seiichiro, only saying solemnly: "All you need to know is that Kumo is the greatest threat now."
"Our top priority is reaching Hell Valley safely and linking up with the Uchiha stationed there."
"Night's falling soon. Seiichiro, you and Takanotsume take turns keeping watch. Set up perimeter traps."
"That's all. Go."
Setsuna waved dismissively, giving Seiichiro his orders.
Seiichiro, left without answers and saddled with grunt work, grumbled under his breath as he got up.
But Takanotsume's eyes lit up, and he asked: "Why not travel through the night?"
"In a situation like this, shouldn't we get to Hell Valley as fast as possible?"
Seiichiro shot him a scornful look, sneering: "That's absurd!"
"Kid, have you even read the ninja code?"
"Want me to recite it for you? Rule one: ninja should avoid marching at night to prevent ambushes."
[Uchiha Seiichiro has scorned you.]
Takanotsume shook his head inwardly at the floating text.
Sure, that was the rule, but sticking to it meant setting out again in the morning.
Wouldn't that just let Kumo's ambushers wait in vain?
He'd left the village for three things: fighting, fighting, and more fighting!
And Takanotsume wasn't pulling this idea out of nowhere.
With a grin, he stood up: "Context matters, right?"
"It's pitch-black tonight, can't see a thing. Forget ambushing, I couldn't even find toilet paper out here. Plus, we're Uchiha—what's there to fear?"
His confidence stemmed from the Uchiha's kekkei genkai, the Sharingan.
Even in total darkness, the Sharingan's dynamic vision and ability to detect chakra flow made Kumo's ambushes a non-issue for Uchiha.
If they pulled this off, Setsuna and Seiichiro could likely break through Kumo's planned defenses.
And him, Takanotsume, without an awakened Sharingan?
He'd have no chance of surviving a fight like that!
Perfect—he could gloriously bite the dust!
Hearing this, Setsuna's eyes flicked upward, glancing at the piling clouds in the sky.
Seiichiro, meanwhile, let out a cold laugh.
He stepped forward, grabbed Takanotsume's collar, yanked him close, and hissed in his ear: "Uchiha Takanotsume, let me tell you one more time—"
"Because of you, I got dragged into this messed-up mission!"
Seiichiro gritted his teeth, his gaze icy, his tone dripping with disdain: "Who do you think you are?"
"You think you're fit to question the ninja code written by the Second Hokage?"
"Do you know how many Konoha ninja die every year because they ignore the code?"
His words fell, and the air grew still, the wind and clouds frozen.
Takanotsume met Seiichiro's cold, furious eyes calmly.
After a pause, he replied evenly: "Seiichiro-senpai, ninja climb walls because it's the easiest way."
"But if jumping over takes more effort—"
"For a ninja, smashing through the wall is just as valid."
Takanotsume smirked, swatting Seiichiro's hand away, and said coldly: "You've got it backward."
With that, a deafening, crisp sound exploded in Takanotsume's ears.
[Clang!]
Hot springs often form in riverbeds within valleys, and the Land of Hot Springs, famed for its springs, is a rugged land of towering mountains and deep gorges.
Traveling from the Land of Fire to the Land of Hot Springs meant moving from hills to highlands.
The deep valleys between the mountains were the only path across the Fire-Hot Springs border.
At this moment—
Behind a narrow pass, under a large tree, two ninja dressed in Kumo gear, long blades on their backs, were casually roasting meat.
A younger Kumo ninja, Moroi, frowned and asked: "Ramii-senpai, Dodai-senpai, aren't we being a bit too lax?"
"Moroi, you're too tense," Ramii, the older one, said calmly, passing him a roasted rabbit leg before explaining: "We've got Hot Springs ninja scouting ahead."
"If anything happens, we'll get a signal right away."
"Besides, the Uchiha aren't made of iron. They've been traveling all day, exhausted. Knowing danger's ahead, they won't stick their necks out."
"Rest up. The Uchiha sent Setsuna, that old relic. Tomorrow's gonna be a tough fight."
"We need him dead here to ensure the Two-Tails jinchūriki can wipe out Hell Valley's garrison."
Moroi glanced at their trio, thought it over, and relaxed.
One elite jōnin, one jōnin, and him, a special jōnin.
No matter how you sliced it, taking down an aging Uchiha was a sure bet.
And none of them were pushovers.
Ramii, a veteran jōnin, had survived from the Warring States era through the Second Ninja World War's peace talks. He'd witnessed the Gold and Silver Brothers' Nine-Tails transformation and endured countless brutal battles, still standing strong.
Dodai, an elite jōnin, one-eyed and sporting a black cap, was the Third Raikage's right-hand man. With his Lava Release kekkei genkai and recent role as examiner for the "Lariat" technique, he was in his prime, bordering on Kage-level strength.
And Moroi, a special jōnin, was the first captain of Kumo's Barrier Corps and the designated successor to its leader. His sealing techniques, inherited from the Uzumaki Clan, could immobilize even a jōnin caught off guard.
The three were among Kumo's finest!
This lineup could handle another jōnin squad with ease.
For the Blood Pond Clan's integration into Kumo, the village had gone all in!
The moment that hawkish Uchiha leader arrived, he and his team would be buried here!