Chapter 51: Will of the Rock
"…Still no progress in capturing that man called Aizen Sosuke?"
"Yes, Lord Ōnoki. Konoha has assigned a large number of elite shinobi to protect him. Our operatives couldn't even get close."
Half-kneeling before a small, hunched figure, the Rock Ninja lowered his head respectfully, his voice tinged with unease.
"Our forces suffered heavy casualties during the Battle of the Library. We've been forced to infiltrate Konoha gradually, disguised as merchants through caravan routes. Even then, we can only stay for short periods before withdrawal. There's simply no opportunity to make direct contact with Aizen."
"From the information gathered so far," the operative continued cautiously, "Aizen Sosuke rarely appears in public. He has his own defense division within Konoha, composed of shinobi personally selected and trained under the Sandaime's orders. Reports even confirm that the yellow haired jōnin, Minato Namikaze—the one you instructed us to monitor closely—is among Aizen's personal guards. There are many potential weaknesses in their formation, but none we can safely exploit."
"I see."
Ōnoki leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he skimmed through the scroll in his hand.
So be it, he thought. If it fails, it fails.
The old Tsuchikage tossed the report aside with a flick of his wrist, his expression sour. The ninjas from the operations department bowed again before quietly leaving the office to resume their assignments.
Left alone, Ōnoki turned toward the window, watching the endless sea of stone and mountain beyond the village. Beneath his outward calm, unease churned deep in his chest.
For all his pride, the Third Tsuchikage carried a deep-rooted fear of Konoha—a fear born long ago.
He still remembered the day vividly. He had been young, barely thirteen, accompanying his master—Mu, the Second Tsuchikage—to Konoha to propose the Earth–Fire Alliance. They went with hopes of peace, of mutual strength, of a united future between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire.
Then, they met him.
Uchiha Madara.
That encounter became a nightmare that scarred Ōnoki's soul forever.
Madara rejected the alliance without hesitation—and then, with terrifying ease, defeated both master and student. Ōnoki had barely survived. Mu had nearly died.
Even though Madara later betrayed Konoha and waged war against it with the Nine-Tails at his command, the humiliation and fear of that encounter never faded.
The scars of that battle were carved not into his flesh, but into his memory.
And now, decades later, Konoha's overwhelming might once again loomed over the world.
The reports from the front lines were terrifying.
The Blut Vene had turned ordinary shinobi into near immortal soldiers. Those who wore the Blut Vene could only be stopped by jōnin level opponents—and even then, only barely. They fought relentlessly, their enhanced Taijutsu rivaling even the elite.
Worse still, the armor amplified physical capabilities and allowed users to employ devastating, self destructive combat techniques without hesitation.
Ever since Konoha had introduced the Blut Vene, the other villages had been drowning in anxiety and dread.
If this continued, in four years the combined armies of the other great nations would be exhausted—broken beyond recovery.
They had no choice but to act.
The jōnin could still fight, but they were few in number. The average shinobi stood no chance. As the news of the Blut Arterie and Blut Vene spread, panic turned to desperate collaboration. The four great ninja villages formed a secret pact: seize the technology—or destroy Aizen.
The result of that plan was the Battle of the Library.
Though not a perfect victory, the outcome had been unexpectedly fruitful—the discovery that Aizen's research archives were hidden in Konoha's underground library.
If Konoha completed full deployment of the Blut Vene while the others still lagged behind, the next war would not merely be another conflict. It would be the final war—a unification war to end all others.
And no one could withstand Konoha's might.
Even Genin equipped with the Blut Vene could slaughter platoons of trained shinobi. A single battalion of those soldiers could sweep through nations. The balance of power was crumbling.
Thus began the desperate race against time.
Death itself seemed to be chasing the shinobi world forward—an invisible hand forcing every village to act, to evolve, to fight for survival.
Fear of death was the most primal instinct of all, and none could escape it.
"What about the Fourth Kazekage? Still no response?" Ōnoki asked coldly.
A faint voice echoed through the room.
"It's already here."
From the small glass sphere at the center of the Tsuchikage's desk, a hazy image flickered to life.
The figure of a tall man appeared within—the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, successor of the Magnetic Release and current leader of the Sand Village.
Tasked with restoring his nation's power and maintaining the Rock–Sand Alliance, Rasa was one of the few Kage deeply involved in the scientific development of new ninjutsu.
Unlike most who focused purely on destruction, Rasa studied technique itself—refining chakra control, energy flow, and material transmutation. He was one of the few shinobi who understood both combat and theory at the level of a true Kage.
Although he lacked the temperament of a scholar, Rasa still flipped through the document on his desk, his tone steady as he addressed the visibly frustrated Tsuchikage before him.
"I was reviewing this communication technique Aizen developed," Rasa said. "It's called Kuro. As long as I maintain my chakra flow, we can continue our discussion indefinitely."
Ōnoki raised an eyebrow. "That's part of his research?"
"Of course."
Rasa's expression hardened. "Aizen Sosuke's research isn't limited to the Blut Arterie and the Blut Vene. His research ability is monstrous. If necessary, he must be eliminated immediately."
His voice grew grim, the faint static of the chakra projection flickering in the room.
"The materials we recovered are likely copies. But what's disturbing," he continued, "is that they're written and formatted as books—dated, cataloged, and prepared for public release. That means Aizen planned to make them available to the entire shinobi world within one to three years. They're not drafts—they're completed works."
Ōnoki's frown deepened.
"Even so," Rasa went on, "the contents are shocking. They cover everything from chakra classification and the link between chakra and human cells to theories about chakra's will and the fundamental principles of ninjutsu itself. He even included data on genetic enhancement, bloodline refinement, and preliminary research into Wood Release."
He paused before lowering his voice.
"Aizen theorizes that chakra across this world is structured like a vast signal network—with one core signal tower at the center, surrounded by countless auxiliary relays. If the core tower activates, every other chakra source would respond instinctively and follow its command. It sounds insane—but from a ninjutsu research perspective, it would eliminate inefficiency entirely."
Ōnoki scowled. "And the Blut vene?"
Rasa nodded. "It integrates external natural energy directly into the body's meridians. With only minor adjustments and our own regional methods, we can reproduce our own version of the Blut Arterie. The real problem…" His tone tightened. "…is time."
"Time?" Ōnoki's face darkened.
"Konoha needs only three months to equip their entire military force. We, on the other hand, have no spies left inside their ranks. We're running out of time."
Ōnoki slammed his hand on the desk, his voice heavy with anger and urgency.
"We're losing soldiers every day! They have an endless supply of shinobi wielding those cursed suits! We can't keep up! Is there any faster solution?"
Rasa hesitated. "…There is one."
Ōnoki's eyes narrowed. "What method?"
"Technology sharing," Rasa said. "We must release certain secret techniques to the general shinobi population—teach the uninitiated clansmen the hidden arts. It's the only way to keep pace once the Blut Vene becomes widespread."
Ōnoki's face turned pale. "You're suggesting we force the clans to reveal their hidden jutsu?"
"There's no other option," Rasa replied firmly. "Even if every Sand puppet were equipped with Blut Vene, we'd still be outnumbered."
His tone carried the weight of conviction, and perhaps resignation.
"You know how Konoha behaves when it's dominant," he said. "You remember what Uchiha Madara was like when the First Hokage reigned. And now—there is no Hashirama Senju to restrain them."
Ōnoki's beard trembled as he clenched his fists. "Damn it… damn it all!"
He knew precisely what such an order meant. His reputation would crumble. The clans would resent him. His authority would fracture.
But what choice did he have?
He remembered how terrifying Konoha had been during its golden age—how their unity, discipline, and overwhelming power had crushed all who opposed them. There was no Hashirama now. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen—the Third Hokage—remained.
And he was no "kind fool."
Hiruzen was a warrior and a scholar—a man who would use Konoha's technological supremacy without hesitation. The Blood-Moving and Still Blood Suits were not just armor—they were symbols of Konoha's will to dominate.
Ōnoki knew how the coming months would unfold.
Konoha's border forces were already on alert, their outposts alive with movement. If the time came when Konoha unleashed its fully armed army, no one would be able to stop them.
Once the jōnin witnessed the Blood Armor's power for themselves, every genin and chūnin would begin adapting their teamwork and combat tactics accordingly.
And three months from now…
They would face an army of tens of thousands—each soldier capable of reducing mountains to dust and plains to molten glass.
It was a nightmare brought to life.
Yet, amid the despair, a faint glimmer of hope still remained—a fleeting mercy granted by time itself.
A small window. A final chance.
Rasa's voice cut through the silence. "It's time to decide."
Ōnoki's gaze was heavy. Then, with a weary sigh, he picked up his brush and began writing.
"…You're right."
He pressed the ink against parchment, his voice low but resolute.
"By order of the Joint Operations Command—summon every ninja possessing secret techniques or bloodline limits."
His brush moved steadily across the paper.
"In the name of collaborative research, they will be compensated and integrated into the Immovable Joint Ninjutsu Research Institute. Their duty will be to share knowledge, develop countermeasures, and distribute the results to the front lines. They will stand as the first wall against Konoha's advance."
When he finished, the old Tsuchikage leaned back in his chair and whispered to himself:
"Everything is for the Will of the Rock. I have no regrets."
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