Chapter 400: Hatred is a Cycle
"What a peaceful day."
Amamiya Kenichi sat aboard the swaying airship, gazing at the mushroom cloud in the distance. He licked his lips.
He truly had not expected Little Fatty's explosion to be so shocking.
Even from this distance, the mushroom cloud rising into the sky was clearly visible. The most lethal shockwave was still spreading outward, making Amamiya Kenichi's airship rock violently back and forth. If they had not kept enough distance, he even suspected the airship might have been torn apart.
"This... what scale of Ninjutsu is this?!" Minato stared at the scene in astonishment.
His eyesight was excellent.
After that explosion, he had seen Hidden Mist Village, which had been thriving moments ago, nearly reduced to ruins.
Nothing remained visible.
How many people had died?
And why was the power so great?
Minato had seen an enormous figure suddenly appear. It should have been Hidden Mist Village's Three-Tails, yet even the Three-Tails had failed to withstand the blast.
"This isn't Ninjutsu," Amamiya Kenichi murmured, standing up and leaning against the railing as he looked at the mushroom cloud above Hidden Mist Village.
Nuclear weapons.
The crystallization of technology.
Their explosive power and radiation effects far surpassed thermobaric bombs. They were regarded as weapons capable of driving humanity toward self-destruction, and in truth, that description was not wrong.
It could even be said that if not for the deterrence of nuclear weapons and the strategy of mutual nuclear restraint, the next world war might have already broken out in his previous life.
Therefore, nuclear weapons were tools of humanity's self-destruction, but also tools used to maintain peace.
"However, achieving similar results every time won't be easy." Amamiya Kenichi licked his lips.
Hidden Mist Village had been ambushed by him this time.
Once the tragedy of Hidden Mist Village spread, the other Ninja Villages would definitely prepare more cautiously.
The next time they faced something falling from the sky, they might even directly send out a Jinchuriki to release a Tailed Beast and destroy it in advance with a Tailed Beast Ball.
If a nuclear weapon was destroyed before detonation, then it would indeed have no special effect.
"I wonder how many people in Hidden Mist Village are still alive now," Amamiya Kenichi sighed.
Under the atomic bomb's explosion, even Amamiya Kenichi did not know how many people in Hidden Mist Village could survive.
But it certainly would not be many.
This was also one of the points that had made Amamiya Kenichi hesitate. Initially, he had planned to use Hidden Mist Village and the Land of Water as places to replenish his reserve forces.
However, considering that he now possessed nuclear weapons, and that ordinary human wave tactics would be difficult to use against him, Amamiya Kenichi became much calmer.
Now, he only needed to arrange for ninja to investigate whether the Land of Water had sufficient uranium ore reserves.
Then another atomic bomb could be made.
With this successful experience, Amamiya Kenichi felt that he might be able to try other things, such as a hydrogen bomb.
However, making a hydrogen bomb was not an easy task.
Of course, the reward for such difficulty was astonishing. It could be said that the hydrogen bomb had essentially become one of humanity's most powerful technological crystallizations.
As for whether something even stronger existed, that was an unsolved mystery.
At least Amamiya Kenichi did not know.
And he did not want to know.
Because he understood that if he did know, it would most likely be when the next world war broke out.
"Suddenly, I feel like I'm a bit out of touch with the times," Minato sighed.
Amamiya Kenichi's mouth twitched.
That was far too modest.
Amamiya Kenichi was still very clear about the strength of these overpowered individuals.
For example, Uchiha Madara, especially Six Paths Madara at his peak, was an almost unsolvable existence. For technological civilization to defeat such a transcendent being, it would likely need to advance much further.
Although Minato was not as terrifying as Madara, he was still the Fourth Hokage. His strength had advanced by leaps and bounds after unlocking the Tailed Beast Cloak. He was also a powerful man who had dealt with Obito and sealed the Nine-Tails.
Naturally, his strength could not be underestimated.
"Brother Minato, you're being too humble." Amamiya Kenichi shrugged, then glanced at Hidden Mist Village.
His body swayed, and a Shadow Clone walked out.
After an atomic bomb exploded, it would produce radiation.
The radiation generated during the explosion would last anywhere from several dozen minutes to several hours, while some long-term radiation could persist for years.
No matter how one looked at it, Hidden Mist Village was now uninhabitable.
Furthermore, the surviving ninja inside Hidden Mist Village needed to be brought out for anti-radiation treatment.
Related books on nuclear physics had mentioned some basic anti-radiation treatment methods, but unfortunately, Amamiya Kenichi did not have those medicines.
However, those invaded by nuclear radiation would become excellent experimental subjects for Amamiya Kenichi's research into the impact of nuclear radiation on ninja.
That said, Amamiya Kenichi had no intention of going himself.
This time, he only sent his Shadow Clone to handle it.
After all, he did not know whether he himself would be affected by nuclear radiation.
A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall. That was the wisdom of the ancestors.
"I'll go take a look," Minato said.
Amamiya Kenichi had no objection.
After all, Minato was still a dead man in an Edo Tensei body, so it did not matter if he went.
"Damn it... cough, cough, cough... what kind of Ninjutsu is this?!"
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, spat out a mouthful of blood in a miserable state, then looked ahead in horror.
The Three-Tails was now breathing weakly, looking as if it was about to die.
One had to understand, this was the Three-Tails.
Yagura and the Three-Tails had a relatively friendly relationship, and he knew very well just how astonishing the old fellow's defensive power was.
Yet even against such a creature, that attack had nearly killed it.
There was also a strange smell in the air.
Yagura looked around.
He clenched his fists in grief and rage, his nails digging into his palms without him even realizing it. Blood slowly flowed down and dripped onto the charred ground.
It was gone.
Everything was gone.
Hidden Mist Village was gone.
The Hidden Mist Village that countless ancestors had spent their lives building had been completely annihilated beneath that terrifying attack.
The once-lively village was now utterly silent. Only occasional painful groans came from a few lucky surviving ninja.
Although they had survived, the high temperature had burned their skin and respiratory tracts, making every breath agony.
"Heavenly Demon! Ahhh!"
Yagura let out a mournful cry.
He had already confirmed that the ninja who survived inside Hidden Mist Village were basically those who happened to be shielded beneath the Three-Tails' enormous body.
As for whether there were any surviving ninja farther away, Yagura did not know.
But then, he suddenly turned his head and looked to the side with hatred.
Two ninja stood there.
"Heavy losses."
Amamiya Kenichi sighed as he looked at the tragic scene before him.
His heart did not feel good either.
These were all excellent soldiers. They should have become his subordinates and contributed to his unification of the Ninja World.
But unexpectedly, Hidden Mist Village now had only a few survivors, and most of them were in poor physical condition.
He did not even know if they could continue living.
"Konoha... Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze?! Is this your Konoha's doing?!"
Yagura instantly recognized the yellow-haired man in front of him.
After all, Minato's identity was extremely easy to distinguish.
That realization instantly ignited the anger in Yagura's heart, causing him to ignore even his injuries.
"Calm down, Yagura," Amamiya Kenichi said, waving his hand.
But his words were clearly useless against Yagura, who had just experienced the pain of his village's destruction.
Yagura directly activated Ninjutsu, only to be stopped by Minato.
Amamiya Kenichi, meanwhile, watched with interest as the trembling ninja of Hidden Mist Village struggled to stand and tried to fight him.
He also looked at the Three-Tails, which was now too weak to support itself and could only lie on the ground, slowly reverting to its original size.
Its condition was very poor.
Amamiya Kenichi could tell that the Three-Tails before him was dying.
Amamiya Kenichi remained indifferent.
He did not care whether the Three-Tails lived or died.
Or rather, the Three-Tails dying would be a good thing for him.
After all, if the Three-Tails died, Black Zetsu would be unable to create the Ten-Tails Divine Tree. At the very least, he would have to wait for the Three-Tails to revive.
And how many years would it take for the Three-Tails to revive?
Those few years would be enough for Amamiya Kenichi to crush Black Zetsu into oblivion.
"You're going to die," Amamiya Kenichi said as he looked at the Three-Tails, which had already lost half its head.
Its state was miserable, but its death was undoubtedly a good thing.
This was also why Amamiya Kenichi said transmigrators themselves were the greatest destroyers of the Naruto plot.
After all, as long as a transmigrator had a certain level of strength and killed a Tailed Beast, Black Zetsu's plan would be delayed.
The power of foresight was simply too terrifying.
"I don't fear death... but it hurts too much. Can you help me?"
The Three-Tails looked wearily at the man before it.
It knew this man was the one who had reduced it to this state, but it truly had no strength left to resist.
Resisting would only make it suffer more.
It would be better to die sooner and enter its revival period.
"That's naturally not a problem." Amamiya Kenichi rubbed his nose.
In the Three-Tails' current state, the only difference was whether it died sooner or later.
Life and death.
These were unavoidable topics for all living beings.
Fortunately, the Three-Tails could revive.
"But I need to use your Chakra for something..." Amamiya Kenichi was just about to extract a portion of Chakra from the Three-Tails when a burst of water vapor rushed toward him.
Huge trees erupted from the soil, blocking the Great Waterfall Technique.
Amamiya Kenichi frowned slightly and turned his head. It was a Ninjutsu cast by the surviving ninja of Hidden Mist Village.
They were looking at him with hatred.
"Feel pain, experience pain, accept pain, and understand pain, ninja of Hidden Mist Village."
Amamiya Kenichi showed a gentle smile.
Beside him, the Three-Tails looked at the large tree with a sense of relief.
Wood Release.
If it was Wood Release, then dying at this man's hands was not unacceptable.
At the same time, Amamiya Kenichi's Mangekyo Sharingan appeared in his eyes.
Under his Mangekyo Genjutsu, these ninja, whose bodies were already riddled with injuries, naturally could not resist.
They all fell unconscious.
"Those eyes!"
The Three-Tails looked at Amamiya Kenichi in shock.
It recalled the tragic experience of being casually captured and beaten like a pet by two monsters.
But now, those two monsters seemed to have merged into one.
"Then I'll send you on your way, Three-Tails."
Amamiya Kenichi smiled and extended his hand.
The Three-Tails calmly closed its eyes.
The strange energy in its body had been eroding it all this time.
Amamiya Kenichi glanced at Yagura.
Yagura was already at the end of his rope.
Although Amamiya Kenichi did not know how Yagura had temporarily separated from the Three-Tails, once the Three-Tails died, Yagura would inevitably die as well.
Amamiya Kenichi shook his head.
Wood Release pierced through the Three-Tails' body and began absorbing its Chakra.
At last, the Three-Tails went still.
Yagura also spat out a mouthful of blood and was pressed to the ground by Minato.
He raised his head and looked at the Three-Tails.
His old companion had now turned into a tree. Branches sprouted from its body, and beneath that large tree stood a ninja with strange eyes, looking at him.
Those eyes...
Those eyes!
Yagura lowered his head, his gaze still fixed on Amamiya Kenichi.
In the sky, dark clouds gathered, and a light rain began to fall.
Rainwater slid down the corners of Yagura's eyes, soaking the land that had given birth to him.
"What about these people?" Minato touched his face.
He felt a strange discomfort standing in this place.
It was truly odd.
His Edo Tensei body should not have such sensations at all.
"Take them away. Find any survivors and take them all away. Staying in this place will only lead to death," Amamiya Kenichi said calmly.
He was a Shadow Clone, but even so, he felt a strange sensation.
It seemed nuclear radiation actually had some effect on Shadow Clones.
But then again, even the Three-Tails had been affected.
Minato had no objections.
So, under the search efforts of Amamiya Kenichi and Minato, some lucky surviving ninja and civilians were urgently sent to the location of Amamiya Kenichi's main body.
After doing this, Amamiya Kenichi's Shadow Clone deliberately collected some of the Three-Tails' body tissue.
Then he took Yagura's corpse as well, because this Fourth Mizukage still had other uses.
In front of Amamiya Kenichi, death was never an end.
It was a beginning.
A new beginning.
Whether the other party was willing to cooperate was another matter.
"Then let's begin."
Amamiya Kenichi looked at Yagura's corpse, which had been delivered by the Shadow Clone, and smiled faintly.
"...Try to obtain some information from him. That will also make my actions easier."
His teacher's calm voice sounded from the phone.
Amamiya Kenichi acknowledged it, then hung up.
"Revive, Yagura."
.....
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