While Hui was meeting with Uzumaki Suihei, the news of his arrival in the Land of Whirlpools quickly spread. The various Anbu squads operating in the country swiftly relayed this information back to their respective villages.
Many higher-ups in different villages were taken aback. The name "Konoha's Ghost," which had been dormant for three years, had reappeared—and in the very place where they were plotting their next move: the Land of Whirlpools.
This complicated things.
When village leaders received the news, their first reaction was concern. Hui wasn't just known for his terrifying strength; his strategic mind was equally formidable.
Three years ago, during the Cold War, he had single-handedly tipped the scales in Konoha's favor.
"It looks like we'll need to send reinforcements," many concluded, realizing that the forces they had already deployed wouldn't be enough to handle the Konoha's Ghost.
While the decision-makers behind the scenes scrambled, the Anbu agents already in the Land of Whirlpools were the ones most immediately affected. Many of them had been involved in the Cold War and knew Hui's capabilities firsthand.
"I can't believe the Konoha's Ghost himself has shown up," one middle-aged ninja said grimly as he and his squad rested in a forest. His expression was dark, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes, as if recalling a memory that chilled him.
"Captain, is the Konoha's Ghost really that strong?" a younger ninja in his twenties asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
Ever since he joined the Anbu, he had noticed how the mention of the Konoha's Ghost made veteran members uneasy.
The captain glanced at the young ninja, his voice tinged with the weight of experience. "Strong? He's like a real ghost. You don't hear him coming, and before you know it, he's there, taking your life."
A cold shiver ran through him as he spoke, clearly recalling events that still haunted him. "Do you know why I became a squad captain?"
Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "It's because I was one of the few who managed to escape from Hui during the Cold War. We were part of a group of several squads, and we scattered to run. By sheer luck, Hui chased the others, and I survived. After that, I was promoted, and now, three years later, I'm a captain."
The captain's story left the young ninja speechless, his mouth slightly agape in disbelief.
"This... it sounds unbelievable. How can one person be so powerful?"
Another younger ninja chimed in, equally shocked by the revelation.
"Well," the captain said with a grim chuckle, "during the last Cold War, nearly sixteen hundred Anbu were killed. Over a hundred and fifty of those deaths were at Hui's hands. That's almost ten percent of the total casualties. And we're not just talking about ordinary ninjas—he killed two Kage-level shinobi, along with seven or eight elite jōnin, and over fifty jōnin."
His body trembled slightly as he recounted the statistics. When the villages received the reports, everyone had been left in shock, chilled by the sheer number of deaths caused by the Konoha's Ghost.
"That's why our village, Iwagakure, created the rule: if you encounter the Konoha's Ghost during a mission, you're allowed to abandon the task without punishment. Do you know why, despite the recent personnel cuts, there are still so many openings in our Anbu? It's because many of the older members refuse to face the Konoha's Ghost again."
The captain sighed, his words weighing heavily on the younger ninjas. As a veteran of Iwagakure's Anbu, he fully understood the terror of encountering Hui.
The mass exodus of older Anbu members following the war had created openings for many newer recruits, but they hadn't experienced the fear firsthand.
Listening to the captain's story, the younger ninjas were left speechless, a deep chill settling in.
They had heard bits and pieces of the legend surrounding the Konoha's Ghost, but they had never imagined the details would be this terrifying.
"I just hope we can make it through this mission alive," the captain said with a somber tone.
Although he had escaped Hui once before, he had no desire to face him again. If it were possible, he'd rather return to Iwagakure immediately—or even quit the Anbu altogether.
His words sent another wave of unease through the younger ninjas, making them feel a cold sweat trickling down their spines.
And it wasn't just the Iwagakure Anbu who were anxious. Other villages' Anbu agents were similarly unnerved by the news of Hui's arrival.
Many of the veterans began recounting the stories of the Konoha's Ghost to the newer members, explaining the formidable foe they now faced.
For those new to the Anbu, hearing the legends of the Konoha's Ghost left them feeling deeply unsettled. Some even started to regret accepting the mission.
However, not everyone was intimidated. Among the newer members, a few felt their spirits ignite.
They hadn't personally experienced Hui's power, so they lacked the instinctual fear that the veterans had. To them, Hui was a powerful ninja, but not an invincible one.
After all, no matter how strong a shinobi was, they weren't invincible. In the ninja world, strength wasn't always the deciding factor. A well-timed technique or an unexpected strategy could turn the tide in any battle, even allowing a weaker shinobi to defeat a much stronger one.
Many of these eager new Anbu had special abilities—unique jutsu or bloodline limits—that had allowed them to triumph against stronger opponents in the past. Why couldn't they be the ones to defeat the Konoha's Ghost?
If they succeeded, the fame and recognition they would earn would be boundless.
Thus, the Anbu agents in the Land of Whirlpools became divided into two groups: those who feared an encounter with the Konoha's Ghost and hoped to avoid him at all costs, and those who yearned to face him, driven by the desire to claim victory and make their mark on history.
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