"Secret techniques..."
Kyōichi was still pondering Ice Release.
He had acquired the Ice Release kekkei genkai, but it didn't include secret techniques like Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
Of course.
Deriving it wouldn't be difficult, but the question was whether it was necessary.
He thought for a while.
It wasn't necessary!
Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals wasn't weak, but it was too simplistic. He could achieve high-speed movement on his own.
Instead of spending time on that, it was better to think about how to integrate it into his own system.
For example.
Combining movement, light-based genjutsu, and ice mirrors.
Kyōichi began to brainstorm.
However.
Before long, Kyōichi had no more time to think about it.
Yamanaka Inoichi arrived.
"Kyōichi-sama, this is the intelligence we've extracted from Kurosuki Raiga mind so far. There's nothing more."
He sighed softly.
There were too few people here, and without him sending the information back to the village, they couldn't dig out much more.
Kyōichi took the report.
The Yamanaka clan could extract intelligence from the dead, but death still had a significant impact. Much of the information was fragmented.
At a glance.
There were three key points.
Silent Killing Technique, Hidden Mist Technique, and intel on the Sandaime Mizukage.
"The Mizukage is gravely ill and won't live past a year."
Kyōichi pondered thoughtfully.
The Sandaime Mizukage's illness had been mentioned earlier by Hōzuki Mangetsu, but Kurosuki Raiga's information was more detailed.
"Based on the intelligence I just obtained from Kurosuki Raiga, Hōzuki Mangetsu is aiming for the Mizukage position."
"Him?"
It wasn't that Kyōichi looked down on Hōzuki Mangetsu.
From the limited intelligence, it was clear that this guy had been the one pushing to attack Nagano Mountain, trying to imitate his own tactics without properly analyzing the enemy's situation. He was almost as reckless as that other guy.
As for Yagura.
Kyōichi thought for a moment, then said, "Inoichi-senpai, do you think Yagura might have already returned to the village?"
"Returned to the village?"
Shikaku was momentarily stunned. "It's possible. The Hōzuki clan wants to vie for power, and this is his chance to strike back."
"How's the situation in the north?"
"Kumogakure has deployed troops in the Land of Rice. Skirmishes continue. The Daimyō of Land of Rice has sent a formal plea for aid."
The Daimyō of the Land of Rice?
Konoha currently didn't have much spare capacity to deal with Kumogakure, especially since Kumogakure wasn't fighting alone—they were allied with Iwagakure.
Not only the north, but the western front was also under significant pressure.
Moreover.
Whether the Daimyō of the Land of Rice was sincere was still questionable.
Kyōichi ignored it. This wasn't his jurisdiction. Knowing no reinforcements would come sufficed.
"As for Kirigakure, I think we can stall for a while. They will definitely choose to negotiate peace."
Inoichi said.
The Five Great Shinobi Villages varied in strength, but after years of fighting, Sunagakure was now at the bottom, and Kirigakure wasn't much better. The Seven Swordsmen were their top-tier fighters.
Yet even they fell effortlessly to Konoha—
With only three men!
Such a feat would force Kirigakure to reconsider.
If wise, they'd cease hostilities.
Kyōichi pondered for a while, then shook his head. "We can't stall. Right now, Kumogakure and Iwagakure haven't launched a full-scale attack. Once they do, Kirigakure's attitude might change drastically. We must secure a complete victory!"
"What do you mean?"
"We won't wait for their peace terms. We'll force their surrender!"
Kyōichi's tone brooked no argument.
The Land of Water wasn't weak.
Aside from the forces Kirigakure had already deployed lay the Hōzuki, Yuki, and Kaguya clans. A full-scale war might prove indigestible.
But.
Once the other two villages attacked, and Kirigakure came to negotiate peace, the terms would be completely different.
They couldn't afford to be complacent.
Shikaku thought it over and finally nodded.
He had to admit.
Kyōichi's reasoning was sound.
Kirigakure was waiting for the right moment. Negotiating now versus later would result in completely different terms.
Konoha couldn't hesitate.
For someone as young as Kyōichi to consider things so thoroughly was truly impressive.
Thinking carefully.
This kid seemed to have something to say in every field now.
It was almost unbelievable!
He admired Kyōichi inwardly while also pondering.
Since Kyōichi's stance was so firm, but he hadn't made a move yet, he was clearly waiting for...
The police force?
No.
In his mind, he recalled the day Might Duy opened the Seventh Gate and unleashed a taijutsu technique that resembled a "ferocious tiger."
He was waiting for Duy!
His guess was correct.
Duy's physical condition had actually recovered today, but his body needed prolonged rest to avoid lasting damage.
Kyōichi didn't want to gamble with his future.
So.
What harm was there in giving Kirigakure a few more days?
...
Northwest, Amegakure.
In the place where Hanzo resided, a man with orange hair, cloaked in a hood, entered.
"Yahiko, how's the situation?"
"Hanzo-sama, Iwagakure hopes we won't interfere in their war with Konoha, and they guarantee they won't take action against us."
Yahiko said respectfully.
Hanzo fell silent.
He was weighing the pros and cons. If he agreed to remain neutral, Amegakure would remain unaffected by the war.
But.
What about the future?
Both Konoha and Iwagakure were formidable.
He sighed, once again feeling a sense of helplessness. After a long while, Hanzo turned around and asked, "What do you think?"
"Hanzo-sama, I think we should agree."
Yahiko said.
Hanzo looked at him, then continued, "Have you thought about Konoha? Danzo is not someone to be trifled with."
"I have!"
Yahiko nodded, but he didn't change his stance. "By not getting involved, we gain three benefits. First, Amegakure gets a chance to recover. Second, with the surrounding countries in turmoil and us at peace, many people will migrate to the Land of Rain, increasing our population."
"Hmm?"
He paused, and Hanzo looked at Yahiko curiously.
Yahiko took out a map.
It depicted the distribution of the shinobi world.
"Third, without experiencing the pain of war, the smaller villages won't support our idea of unity. Only by letting them experience war and suffering will they unite with us."
Yahiko's tone was firm.
In his mind, he recalled the words Kyōichi had once said.
During this time, Yahiko had been thinking about how to change the current situation, and this war had made him fully understand those words, giving him a glimmer of hope.
Hanzo fell silent.
He wasn't unaware of Yahiko's ideals.
In fact, when Yahiko had first pledged his loyalty, he had said he admired Hanzo's vision and wanted to contribute to his ideals.
Hanzo had thought it was just an excuse to curry favor.
Amegakure didn't have many geniuses.
So, he had allowed Yahiko and the others to stay, giving them official shinobi status.
But he hadn't expected...
Yahiko truly wanted to help him achieve his vision of peace.
"Peace... I had almost forgotten about it myself. I didn't expect someone to still remember."
Hanzo sighed.
It was too distant.
But.
He had to admit, Yahiko's words made sense.
Only by experiencing the pain of war would the smaller villages unite. Otherwise, they would think the war had nothing to do with them, and they could just side with a major village when the time came.
That mindset was laughable.
He thought for a long time, then said, "What if, by then, Iwagakure and Konoha decide to join forces and deal with us first?"
"Then we'll side with Sunagakure!"
Yahiko said, "Sunagakure is the weakest now, almost no different from us. By siding with them, we can retain the most power, and they will need our strength."
"Go ahead."
Hanzo said no more.
Yahiko was overjoyed and quickly bowed in thanks before rushing out of the office.
After a long while.
Hanzo stood up and walked to another place.
Someone was waiting for him.
"Hanzo-sama, have you made your decision?"
"We can't afford to provoke you, but we also can't afford to provoke Iwagakure. So, Amegakure will not take sides in this war, but we can trade weapons and explosive tags with you."
Hanzo stated his decision.
Danzo was momentarily surprised, then sneered, "Still clinging to your old ideals?"
"I'm just tired. I don't want to be involved in these wars anymore. As for my ideals..."
Hanzo chuckled mirthlessly.
"who hasn't been young and naive? Danzo, you can leave. The weapons trade can be discussed with my subordinates."
Hanzo waved his hand in farewell, then disappeared.
Yes.
He also thought Yahiko was young and naive.
But who hadn't been naive?
Once upon a time, he too had wanted to take on the Three Great Shinobi Villages single-handedly.
Danzo narrowed his eyes and didn't linger.
The outcome was somewhat unexpected.
But Amegakure remaining neutral was better than them siding with Iwagakure.
...
Kyōichi received another reward.
Not much.
Just a common Water Release technique.
The category was "Practical Training."
He racked his brain but couldn't figure out where the reward had come from.
"The students have grown and know how to repay their teacher. Touching."
Kyōichi mused.
It was the thought that counted.
But he only reflected briefly. Kyōichi already had a considerable arsenal of techniques, so a regular Water Release reward meant little.
It was better to practice the Hidden Mist Technique more.
Of course.
Not just him.
This technique was really practical. According to his plan, the entire village should learn it. The more people who mastered it, the better.
Not just the Hidden Mist Technique, but the Silent Killing Technique as well.
The Hidden Mist Technique was manageable, but the latter was more challenging—easy to learn but hard to master. Otherwise, Zabuza's Silent Killing Technique wouldn't be so famous.
For the past couple of days, Kyōichi had been focused on compiling training materials.
Finally.
"Inoichi-senpai, gather all shinobi with Water release affinity. We'll teach them the Hidden Mist Technique and these training methods."
"This... Yes!"
Inoichi himself was also a Water Release user. In fact, he had been practicing the technique these past few days and had made some progress. But when he looked at the scroll Kyōichi handed him...
Its depth astonished him!
The scroll was very detailed, outlining many techniques for the Hidden Mist Technique, more comprehensive than what they had extracted from the Seven Swordsmen.
Then, Kyōichi handed him another scroll.
This one was for the Silent Killing Technique.
"This isn't complete yet, but they can start memorizing it. They don't need to master it right away, but they should at least know how to counter it."
"Yes!"
Inoichi took the scrolls and left.
Kyōichi didn't bother trying to earn rewards from this. The jōnin were too sharp, and the Hidden Mist Technique was only a C-rank technique. As long as one had mastered Water Release nature transformation, it wasn't that difficult.
The reward for personally teaching it would only be slightly more than just compiling the materials.
his time was better spent elsewhere.