Chapter 41: The Weight of a Name
In the rocky confines of Iwagakure, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, floated slightly above his chair, peering at the intelligence report through narrowed eyes. "As expected of Konoha," he grumbled, his voice a low rumble. "They always have a new monster crawling out of the woodwork. This 'Akatsurugi,' Kagami's disciple... to kill a Kumo elite and a perfect Jinchūriki... Now the Third Raikage himself is on the hunt. I wonder if the boy will survive."
An elder standing beside him scanned the same document. "It serves our interests for Kumo to be entangled with a powerful enemy like Konoha. And if the Third Raikage has taken the field personally, I do not fancy Akatsurugi's chances."
Ōnoki gave a curt nod. Whatever the outcome, the Third Raikage was a force of nature. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode had rightfully earned him the titles of the "Strongest Spear" and "Strongest Shield." A protracted war between Cloud and Leaf was the best scenario for the Stone.
Dismissing the thought, Ōnoki shifted his focus. "What is the status of our encirclement of the remaining Mist ninja?"
"We have them cornered in a southern town in the Land of Rain," the elder replied confidently. "Without reinforcement from Kiri, we can mop them up within a month."
Ōnoki's gaze drifted to a large map on the wall. "Reinforcements from Kiri won't come easily. They are isolated across the sea. To reach the Rain Country, they would either need to cut a deal with Konoha—which Sarutobi would never allow through the Land of Fire—or take a long, convoluted route. This time, we will make the Mist bleed."
His analysis was correct. In Kirigakure, a pall of frustration had settled. They had three potential routes to reinforce their trapped forces, all of them bad.
The first, a direct path through the Land of Fire, was a non-starter; Konoha would never permit it.
The second, through the Lands of Hot Water, Rice, and Frost into the Land of Grass, was shorter but passed through a warzone where Konoha and Kumo were currently clashing.
The third route involved a long naval arc around the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Tea to reach the Land of Rivers, only to find that the Sand and Leaf were also at war there.
They were trapped by the conflicts of others. The news about some Konoha ninja named Akatsurugi was glanced at and promptly discarded. It was a Cloud problem, not a Mist one.
In Sunagakure, the reaction was more measured. The Second Kazekage, Shamon, reviewed the dossier with a strategist's eye. This "Akatsurugi" was a problem, but currently, he was Kumo's problem. Still, a shinobi of that caliber couldn't be ignored. He immediately dispatched a covert team to the Land of Hot Water with orders to gather every scrap of intelligence they could on the man. Knowledge was a weapon, and they needed to be armed.
Back in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the report, his pipe momentarily forgotten. He's grown to this extent?
He knew what a "perfect Jinchūriki" meant. Defeating one was a feat he wouldn't be certain of accomplishing himself. And now the Third Raikage was personally hunting the young man. A deep melancholy settled over Hiruzen. He couldn't afford to lose a combat asset of this magnitude, not with the village fighting on two fronts.
"Send a message to Danzō," he ordered, his voice firm. "He is to dispatch a team to assist Akatsurugi and facilitate his return to Konoha, by any means necessary."
An ANBU operative bowed and vanished in a Shunshin.
On the border with the Land of Lightning, Danzō Shimura was locked in a stalemate with Kumo's forces. The battles had been fierce, but Akatsurugi's behind-the-lines campaign had been a godsend, eliminating key Cloud elites and taking immense pressure off his lines. Without those losses, holding the front would have been far more costly.
"Lord Danzō," a ninja announced. "A message from the Hokage. The Third Raikage is hunting Akatsurugi. We are ordered to send support and retrieve him."
Danzō's face remained an impassive mask, but internally, he scoffed. Support? With what? His forces were stretched thin just holding the line. He gave a dismissive wave.
"Sir, are we not going to provide support?" asked the man beside him, Nara Shikafumi, his pineapple-shaped hair seeming to droop with the weight of the situation.
Danzō's smile was bitter. "Shikafumi, look around. Do you see any spare energy?"
Shikafumi sighed. He understood better than anyone. They had already been forced to send reinforcements to the struggling front in the Land of Rivers. If not for Akatsurugi's solo war against Kumo's elite, their position would be untenable.
"I believe Lord Hokage's concern is valid," Shikafumi reasoned. "We have few high-end combatants left. This Jonin, Akatsurugi, single-handedly eliminated Yoshino Kaze, Kujōgawa, and the Jinchūriki Kokaki. If he were deployed to the Wind Country front, he could be decisive. The Kazekage has already taken the field there."
Danzō knew he was right. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were being pressed hard by the Second Kazekage. Even with Akimichi Utsumi's support, they could only barely hold. Unless Hiruzen himself went, no one could match a Kage. Akatsurugi's presence could tip the scales, potentially freeing up enough forces to finally break the Cloud.
But that was a future hope. The present reality was grim.
"Very well," Danzō conceded. "Ino–Shika–Chō. Send Yamanaka Aota and his team. Their mission is to locate Akatsurugi and guide him back to our lines. That is all we can spare."
Nara Shikafumi nodded. It was a token effort, sending a reconnaissance team against the might of the Third Raikage. But it was the only card they had left to play. Their hope now rested on Akatsurugi's own cunning and will to survive.