Hanzo double-checked the intel.
If it hadn't come from one of his most trusted operatives, he would've thought someone was playing a prank on him.
Could it be that I, Hanzo the Salamander, am falling behind the times?
"Getting old, huh? These young folks sure know how to have fun," Hanzo sighed, unable to picture the scenario.
Even if the rumors were likely false, who cared?
At this point, even if it was all a lie, the Third Kazekage's reputation was already tarnished beyond repair!
After all, it was your Sand Village that first spread the word, saying that Yagami Takuya of the Leaf used a genjutsu to control you.
Given that you were supposedly under a genjutsu, isn't it reasonable that you might've done something... outlandish?
Bang!
Chiyo slammed her hand on the table, fuming.
"There's no way this is true! Lord Kazekage would never do something like that. Even if he did say he was under a genjutsu, it's obvious they're just trying to overhype this Yagami Takuya kid. And now, the Leaf is seizing the opportunity to smear our Kazekage's name."
"Spread the word—no one is to discuss this matter any further. Also, contact the camp in the Land of Rivers. We need Lord Kazekage to clear up this misunderstanding as soon as possible."
If these rumors continued to spread, not only would the Third Kazekage's reputation be ruined, but the Sand Village's name would be dragged through the mud as well.
The Daimyo was already displeased with the Sand Village. Hearing these rumors would likely send him into a rage.
Meanwhile, in the Sand Village's command post in the Land of Rivers, the entire camp was covered in iron sand.
One could only imagine how furious the Third Kazekage was.
In the days that followed, the Third Kazekage's reputation took a nosedive, but the Sand Village's attacks on the Leaf grew more frequent and intense.
Hatake Sakumo was feeling the pressure.
Yet, amid the complaints, he couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the Third Kazekage digging his own grave.
Even if the Sand Village came forward to debunk the rumors, this incident would stick to the Third Kazekage for the rest of his days.
He'd be forever nailed to the pillar of shame.
From then on, whenever someone mentioned the Third Kazekage, this disgraceful incident would inevitably come up. Even Yagami Takuya's name would be dragged through the mud as people reminisced about it.
Under the gloomy, rain-soaked sky that had persisted for days, Nawaki couldn't hold back his complaints.
"I think walking into the battlefield right now is a terrible idea."
"If you have a problem with it, you should take it up with our grand commander," Takuya retorted, causing Nawaki to fall silent.
Despite his high status, Nawaki wasn't Tsunade—he didn't dare to openly criticize Danzo.
"It was a decision made by the command post after some discussion. It's not fair to blame just one person," Minato countered with a smile.
Their squad had been pulled from their post at the outpost. The reason?
Some jonin felt it was a waste for a squad like theirs to be stationed at an outpost.
With Takuya's abilities, he could be on the front lines, taking down more enemies and doing more for the cause, rather than being holed up in one spot, guarding a relatively insignificant post.
After some deliberation, the squad was reassigned to reinforce the front lines.
In recent days, the Sand Village's attacks had grown more frequent and intense. Combined with the pressure from the Stone and Rain Villages, the frontline forces were stretched thin.
The camp had no choice but to continuously send out squads to provide reinforcements.
Takuya, Minato, and Nawaki were among those sent as reinforcements.
"Master, there's an ambush in the forest ahead," whispered Snowy, who was nestled inside Takuya's raincoat, peeking out to warn him.
Minato and Nawaki immediately tensed up.
In the past few days, it was thanks to Snowy's warnings that they had avoided several large groups of enemies, taking down more than a few squads in the process.
"Which village are they from?" Takuya gestured for them to take cover, and the three quickly concealed themselves.
The Land of Rain might have its faults, but aside from the constant downpour, it was an ideal place for hiding or setting up an ambush with its dense forests.
"They're from the Stone Village," Snowy confirmed.
When it came to sensing, Snowy was an expert. Never underestimate the sensory abilities of a tailed beast.
Snowy's sensing abilities far surpassed Takuya's.
Stone Village ninja, huh?
Takuya narrowed his eyes and signaled Minato and Nawaki to move with him, circling around to the side.
These guys are sneaky!
The Stone Village ninja had used Earth Style jutsu to hollow out a space underground to hide in.
To prevent anyone from sneaking up behind them, they'd even set up a number of hidden traps.
If they hadn't known in advance that the enemy was lying in wait, they might've walked right into a trap.
But just because you're hiding underground doesn't mean you're safe.
You Stone Village ninja aren't the only ones who can use Earth Style jutsu.
"Lock the door and unleash Nawaki!"
After clearing the surrounding traps, Takuya motioned for Minato and Nawaki to join him.
The two moved cautiously, and Nawaki whispered, "Takuya, where are they hiding?"
Takuya put an arm around Nawaki's shoulders and pointed to a slightly raised area outside the forest.
"See that spot? They're right under there. If they like hiding underground so much, let's help them stay there."
"This is my specialty!" Nawaki grinned, sneaking closer and quickly forming hand signs.
"Earth Style: Crumbling Earth Core!"
Rumble rumble!
The ground began to quake, and before the Stone Village ninja hiding below even knew what was happening, rocks started collapsing around them, burying them alive.
"Get ready for a fight!"
Simply burying the enemy wasn't enough. The Stone Village ninja were masters of Earth Style jutsu, with plenty of tricks to escape being buried alive.
Takuya charged forward, with Minato pulling out his kunai and following close behind.
Takuya's prediction was spot on.
Seconds later, rocks split apart in the gaping hole left by the collapsed ground, and a few battered figures scrambled out.
Unfortunately for them, Takuya and Minato were ready and waiting.
"Ugh...."
Desperate to avoid being buried alive, the Stone Village ninja used their jutsu to escape the partially filled underground space.
But just as they leaped out, before they could even land, Takuya was already on the attack.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
Gathering a significant amount of chakra in his throat, Takuya unleashed a torrent of flames from his mouth. The fire coalesced into a dragon, which barreled toward the Stone Village ninja who had just emerged from the underground space.
The Stone Village ninja's minds went blank. Before they even touched the ground, they were engulfed in flames, incinerated in an instant.
The smell of charred flesh filled the air as several bodies plummeted from the sky.
Clutching his kunai, Minato glanced at Takuya with a somewhat resentful expression.
Can you stop doing this? Every time, you end the fight so quickly that I don't even get a chance to touch the enemy. The fight's over before I can even lift a finger.
At least Nawaki got to do something useful, but me? I didn't even get a piece of the action.
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