Three days later.
On the road leading from Hidden Cloud Village to the Land of Hot Water.
A black dragon-like column stretched endlessly forward.
One thousand ninja, uniformly dressed in dark combat uniforms, with kunai pouches hanging at their waists and long and short blades strapped to their backs.
As the force advanced, clouds of dust billowed into the sky.
At the very front of the formation, Yugito Nii's long hair fluttered in the wind.
The aura of the Hidden Cloud ninja startled birds from the roadside trees into frantic flight.
Occasionally, passing merchants caught sight of the force and immediately hid by the roadside, their faces pale.
Even the farmers working the nearby fields stopped what they were doing and stared from afar, their eyes filled with fear.
This force had made no effort to conceal its movements.
Or rather, from the very beginning, they had never intended to hide.
Yugito's gaze swept toward the figure walking at the front of the formation.
Darui.
This young dark-skinned ninja was one of the Fourth Raikage's bodyguards and also the deputy commander of this operation.
He possessed a tall frame, sturdy muscles, and short black hair standing upright strand by strand. A lazy smile permanently hung at the corner of his mouth.
The young man always looked as though he had never fully woken up.
Yugito looked at his back, her expression complicated.
On the surface, she was the commander of this operation.
The intimidation of a Perfect Jinchuriki alone was enough to make any opponent tremble.
But only she knew that before departure, Mabui had secretly sought her out.
"Lady Yugito, Lord Raikage asked me to inform you that the true commander of this operation is Darui."
At the time, Yugito had merely raised a brow without speaking.
Mabui continued:
"Lord Raikage said that Hidden Cloud needs strength, but it also needs wisdom."
"Darui has that potential, but he still requires experience."
"In Lord Raikage's eyes, this expedition against the Uchiha is something with victory practically guaranteed."
"Not only is it an excellent opportunity to build prestige, but once he returns, it will naturally justify placing him in a higher position."
After listening, Yugito had only given a calm "Oh."
She understood the Raikage's intentions.
Hidden Cloud revered strength.
And a ninja capable of standing independently needed military achievements, prestige, and the ability to prove themselves at critical moments.
Applying pressure on the Uchiha carried low risk and high reward. It was practically a tailor-made opportunity to gild Darui's reputation.
Now, looking at Darui's slow and unhurried manner, Yugito finally could not help furrowing her brows.
She stepped forward until she was walking beside him.
"Darui, are you really planning to just swagger all the way there with everyone moving at this snail's pace?"
Darui turned to glance at her, that trademark lazy smile still hanging from his lips.
"And how does Lady Yugito think we should move?"
"We should conceal our movements and suddenly appear once we reach the outskirts of Hidden Gento Village."
"Only by catching them off guard can we truly intimidate them."
"With the way you're making such a spectacle of this, by the time we arrive, they'll be fully prepared."
Darui smiled and replied unhurriedly:
"Lady Yugito, do you think we came here to wage war?"
Yugito froze briefly.
Darui continued:
"This isn't war. It's intimidation. Negotiation. Making them understand that Hidden Cloud isn't easy to provoke."
"If we snuck there, even if we frightened the Uchiha, nobody else would know."
"And if they don't know, they won't fear us."
He paused, his gaze becoming meaningful.
"I want the entire Shinobi World to know that Hidden Cloud Village is moving against Hidden Gento Village."
"The faster and farther the news spreads, the more panic the Uchiha will feel."
"Once their Clan Head receives the news and sees one thousand ninja advancing in overwhelming force, he'll finally understand what he's facing."
Yugito remained silent for a moment.
Looking at Darui's youthful face, she suddenly realized something.
This wasn't merely about intimidating the Uchiha. It was a performance meant for the entire Shinobi World.
Hidden Cloud needed to establish its authority. It needed an opportunity to make everyone understand that "Hidden Cloud's share of the cake cannot be touched."
Yugito relaxed.
She suddenly understood.
This Darui was the successor personally chosen by the Raikage.
A smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
"I finally understand why Lord Raikage values you so highly."
Darui did not answer. He merely smiled.
Yugito said nothing further.
She suddenly realized that this young man's style of conduct was becoming more and more like the Fourth Raikage's.
At first glance he seemed rough and careless, yet beneath that exterior he was actually extremely calculating.
The force continued onward.
News of Hidden Cloud Village mobilizing its troops rapidly spread throughout the entire Shinobi World.
Darui had done it intentionally. The army never concealed its movements and even deliberately passed through several prosperous towns.
The overwhelming momentum of one thousand ninja was quickly gathered by the Anbu of various nations, bounty station ninja, and countless spies before being transmitted at incredible speed through every available channel.
"Hidden Cloud Village has mobilized its forces! One thousand elite ninja led by the Two-Tails Jinchuriki are heading straight for the Land of Hot Water!"
"Their target is Hidden Gento Village! The Uchiha's newly established village is about to be destroyed!"
Every nation prepared to watch Hidden Gento Village's downfall.
After all, the total number of mission commissions throughout the Shinobi World was almost fixed.
If Hidden Gento Village gained more commissions, then the number of commissions received by the other nations would inevitably decline.
It wasn't that they didn't want to change the situation.
They simply feared the strength of the Uchiha and did not dare make a move.
Now that the strongest of the great ninja villages, Hidden Cloud, had taken the initiative to strike first, everyone eagerly prepared to watch the spectacle.
No one believed the Uchiha could withstand Hidden Cloud Village's assault.
...
At the same time, Hidden Leaf Village.
Homura Mitokado pushed open the Hokage Office door with a trace of satisfaction on his face.
"Hiruzen, it's done!"
Hiruzen raised his head and set down his pipe.
"You mean the Chinoike clan?"
"Exactly!"
Homura Mitokado sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.
"The seal on Hell Valley has been released, and the Chinoike clan has seen the light of day again."
"It's just… after being sealed away for so many years, their population has declined severely. There are only a little over a hundred clansmen left."
He sighed.
"If I hadn't stepped in, another ten years or so and that ninja clan probably would have vanished from the Shinobi World."
"But I've already confirmed it myself. Their Kekkei Genkai, the Ketsuryugan, is indeed formidable."
"When it comes to manipulating blood, they possess unique abilities."
"As long as they're given a few years to recover and rebuild their population, they'll absolutely become a force that cannot be ignored."
"More importantly, I believe they're no weaker than the Uchiha at all!"
Hiruzen nodded, a trace of satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
"Bring their leader to see me."
Homura stood up and waved toward the door.
A middle-aged man walked in from outside.
His frame was thin, and his skin rough at a glance, clearly someone who had spent years living in a harsh environment.
Deep lines were carved into his face, and his gaze was sharp and gloomy, like a starving wolf that had been caged for far too long.
Although his clothes had been replaced with new ones, his movements still carried the restraint and wariness of someone long imprisoned.
This man was none other than the current Chinoike clan head, Chitose Chinoike.
The moment he entered, he dropped to his knees and bowed low, his forehead pressed against the floor.
"Chitose Chinoike greets Lord Hokage."
His voice was hoarse, yet filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Looking at the kneeling man, Hiruzen spoke gently.
"You may rise. I've already heard about what the Chinoike clan suffered."
"The Uchiha abused their power and trapped your clan within Hell Valley for so many years. It was truly excessive."
Chitose stood up, hatred nearly overflowing from his eyes.
"Back then, over nothing more than a trivial matter, they sealed my clan inside that cursed place called Hell Valley!"
"There was no fertile land there, no clean water source. The clan could barely survive…"
His voice trembled.
"Over the years, our clan has declined from several thousand people to barely over a hundred today!"
"The Chinoike clan will never forget this hatred and vengeance, not for generations to come!"
Hiruzen sighed and spoke bitterly:
"I too saw through the Uchiha's true nature long ago."
"Rest assured. I've already forcefully expelled the Uchiha from the Hidden Leaf."
"If your Chinoike clan is willing to join the Hidden Leaf, I can arrange residences for you and allow your clan to rebuild."
"The district left vacant by the Uchiha can be used to settle your people."
Chitose's eyes instantly lit up.
On the journey to the Hidden Leaf, he had witnessed the prosperity of this village.
Wide streets, orderly houses, bustling markets, and crowds of people flowing endlessly through them…
These were things the Chinoike clan would never have dared dream about in Hell Valley.
If the Chinoike clan could also live here…
"Lord Hokage…"
His voice choked with emotion.
"You… you're truly willing to accept us?"
Hiruzen nodded.
"The gates of the Hidden Leaf will always remain open to those who share the same ideals."
Chitose knelt once more, his voice filled with gratitude.
"The Chinoike clan is willing to devote itself to the Hidden Leaf! We are willing to die for Lord Hokage!"
Hiruzen waved his hand, signaling for him to rise.
"Go now. Settle your clansmen first."
"If you need anything, feel free to come to me."
Chitose thanked him profusely before rising and leaving.
After the door closed, Homura sat back down and took a sip from his teacup.
"Hiruzen, there's something else."
"What is it?"
Homura set down his teacup, a schadenfreude-filled smile appearing on his face.
"On the way back, I received intelligence. Hidden Cloud Village has mobilized its troops."
"One thousand elite ninja, led by the Two-Tails Jinchuriki Yugito Nii, are advancing toward the Land of Hot Water in overwhelming force."
"Their target is the Uchiha's Hidden Gento Village!"
Hiruzen froze for a moment.
Then a trace of barely concealed delight appeared on his face.
"Heh heh…"
"Gento Uchiha thought himself clever, believing he could live freely after fleeing the Hidden Leaf."
"Well now, Hidden Cloud is about to teach him a lesson."
He laughed quietly, his voice filled with satisfaction.
"After leaving the Hidden Leaf, no one is going to treat the Uchiha like children."
"Just wait and enjoy the show."
"Looks like Hidden Gento Village is going to be destroyed not long after its founding."
"Pass down the order. Have the Anbu closely monitor all developments within the Land of Hot Water."
"I have no intention of missing the sight of the Uchiha suffering misfortune."
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