Chapter 88: The Fall of Kusagakure!
In the dense forests of the Land of Grass, Haruta and his team advanced in a defensive formation toward Kusagakure.
Their previous battle hadn't left them with any significant injuries.
Although Sasori and Kakuzu had been troublesome, they had the misfortune of encountering two overpowered individuals at their current stage.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was absurdly powerful for this era.
Not that Konoha lacked counters—after all, with someone like Tobirama Senju in history, the village had plenty of experience handling such threats.
Look at the future: when Sasuke unlocked his Mangekyō, he first went after Killer Bee, then crashed the Five Kage Summit, and got beaten down every time.
Just because someone had a Mangekyō didn't mean they were invincible. Sure, its abilities were formidable, but countermeasures existed.
For example, facing an even stronger opponent… or simply outlasting them.
After all, stamina was a big weakness for Mangekyō users.
As for Sasori, Shisui's prior battle experience with him made things much easier. Since they had fought before, Shisui already knew a lot about his techniques.
And Haruta? He was just outright broken.
With Wood Release, Flying Thunder God, and additional enhancements from Curse Seals and Yin Release, not to mention his absurd physical prowess—
Plus, he had intel on Kakuzu. With such an advantage, beating Kakuzu to death wouldn't have been surprising.
In short… those two were just unlucky.
"Still, I need to figure out how to keep paying Kakuzu in the future."
As they traveled, Haruta contemplated his next steps.
He didn't have that much money to pay Kakuzu every month—but Konoha did!
Haruta had always believed that their special operations team needed a good number of outsourced personnel to handle various tasks.
At the very least, they needed informants, right?
300,000 ryo per month might seem like a lot, but for a core member of Akatsuki? It was definitely worth it.
As for the possibility of Kakuzu double-crossing them?
That was a problem for later. Worst case scenario, Haruta would personally send him off next time.
For now, Haruta wasn't even worried about Kakuzu.
The real jackpot? Obito, who had practically gifted him something invaluable!
"The body of a White Zetsu…"
Thinking about the sealing scroll in his ninja pouch, Haruta couldn't help but feel delighted.
Of course, he had no intention of injecting White Zetsu's cells into himself.
He wasn't a true Senju. Though he was improving in that direction, he understood the vast difference.
White Zetsu's body was derived from Hashirama's cells. Even with Madara and Black Zetsu's modifications, it was still highly dangerous to ordinary humans.
Haruta wasn't about to gamble on that. He lacked the innate compatibility of the Senju and didn't possess a Mangekyō like the Uchiha to balance it out with Yin-Yang Release.
Besides, there was no guarantee that White Zetsu's cells didn't still contain remnants of Asura's chakra—after all, Hashirama had been dead for ages.
"Still… researching it could be valuable. And who knows? Maybe I could use it to gain favor with the right people in the future."
Haruta was already making plans. He didn't know how the Uchiha's future would unfold, but if someone trustworthy sought his help, he might just lend a hand.
And with his "teacher" Tsunade back in Konoha… who knew what other experiments could be attempted?
"What are you thinking about, Haruta?"
As he was deep in thought, Yugao suddenly whispered beside him.
"We're almost there. What's our next move?"
"We're close?"
Haruta looked up at their surroundings, then smiled.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about our next steps. But with all of you here, I'm not worried."
"Let's focus on the mission."
Kakashi had no interest in watching these two flirt, so he quickly changed the subject.
"We're probably going to face quite a bit of trouble. We need a solid strategy."
"Yeah, we haven't done much yet," Tenzo added. Though the mission had been smooth so far, something felt off.
As a former Root member, he wasn't used to this kind of laid-back work.
"Exactly. We should take some action."
Even Itachi nodded. He had his own mission from his father and didn't want to slack off.
"Oh?"
Haruta was pleased to see his teammates eager to contribute. He then asked curiously,
"But for a place like Kusagakure, wouldn't it be easier to just keep pushing our border forces forward?"
"...Are you trying to start a war?"
Kakashi was momentarily stunned by Haruta's suggestion but quickly realized something.
"Wait… you want to force them to loosen their internal defenses?"
"Exactly. This mission isn't as difficult as it seems."
Haruta nodded. They had plenty of reinforcements this time, and it would be a waste not to use them effectively.
Besides, Haruta wasn't just after Kitsuchi.
If he wanted more freedom in his operations, then…
Blowing things up to increase the mission's strategic value was part of his plan.
"Since we have additional support, let's think bigger. We should aim for what benefits Konoha the most."
"The best benefit for Konoha?"
Yugao looked at Haruta in confusion, and even Shisui leaned in curiously. They were all too familiar with this look on his face—it reminded them of their mission in Sunagakure.
"Right. What's the biggest value of a small country to the great nations?"
Haruta asked calmly, and Tenzo scratched his head.
"I remember you mentioning that their main value is providing mission contracts?"
"Exactly. Mission quotas."
Haruta nodded approvingly, while Kakashi's expression twitched.
"Wait, wait… You're not planning to do something to Kusagakure, are you?"
"Doesn't it seem like we're far from enough? And aren't you worried about the serious consequences this could bring?"
"Of course I know that Grass Village has Iwagakure backing it."
Haruta shrugged.
"Besides, Lord Danzo has provided intelligence—Kitsuchi is currently inside Grass Village. On top of that, we need to investigate the research projects being conducted there.
No matter how we look at it, we're bound to clash with Grass Village. Since that's the case, why not merge all these tasks into one?
By using the investigation as a pretext, we can break through Grass Village, capture Kitsuchi, and obtain intelligence while forcing the village into negotiations with Iwagakure.
As long as we avoid recklessly killing Iwagakure's top fighters, there's always room for maneuver.
Furthermore, Sunagakure is Konoha's ally, and Onoki has always wanted to push further south. If Suna cooperates even a little, I believe the Third Tsuchikage would be willing to negotiate."
At this point, Haruta paused, though he silently added a thought in his mind:
Besides, I can still make use of Danzo…
By having Lord Danzo step in and spin some nonsense with Ebizō, they could squeeze some benefits out of him. Then, even if Onoki was reluctant to negotiate, he'd have no choice.
Additionally, Haruta could subtly hint to Kitsuchi about Danzo's influence in Sunagakure, ensuring that word reached his father.
As for how the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage would ultimately view this matter—that had nothing to do with Haruta.
After all, he was just a "worker," right?
Though Haruta left these words unspoken, what he had already said was enough to plunge Kakashi and the others into silence.
Yuugao and Tenzo might not have grasped the full picture, and Itachi had turned into a silent observer—either because he didn't have the qualifications to speak or simply didn't wish to.
But Kakashi and Shisui immediately understood—this was a plan to use Sunagakure to put pressure on Iwagakure, forcing Onoki to the negotiation table while taking a slice of the action in the Land of Grass!
The key to it all seemed to be how they would capture Kitsuchi.
Just thinking about it made their scalps tingle. Their gazes toward Haruta subtly shifted.
Shisui was somewhat accustomed to it—after witnessing the Pakura incident and hearing Haruta's many "stories," he had grown desensitized to such maneuvers.
But Kakashi was a bit stunned—wasn't Haruta taking things a bit too far?
In such a short period, he had linked together the Land of Grass mission, the mission concerning Obito, and even leveraged his previous assignment in Sunagakure—all for Konoha's benefit?
What kind of training does the Hokage's advisor put his people through?
"But… you haven't told us how we're going to do it, have you?"
Though shaken and feeling like something was off, Kakashi hesitated briefly before asking directly.
"We only have six people, whereas Iwagakure has far more. Even if Grass Village is occupied with border tensions, they still have a number of shinobi within the village.
Wait—you don't mean to involve the other ANBU squads, do you?"
"As expected of Captain Kakashi, you think just like me!"
Haruta immediately put on a flattery-laden expression.
"This operation was never meant to be a solo mission. We have numerous squads backing us up.
Since that's the case, why not make full use of this advantage to achieve our objective?
Everyone is working for Konoha's benefit, so I doubt they'd just sit back and do nothing, right?"
Kakashi fell silent. Aside from the belatedly added "Captain" from Haruta, it was also evident that this guy genuinely intended to escalate the situation.
ANBU launching a surprise raid on Grass Village—just thinking about it was terrifying. If the mission failed, things would get extremely messy.
"Should we… report to the Hokage first?"
Kakashi hesitated, lowering his voice as he spoke. This immediately caused a hint of dissatisfaction to appear on Haruta's face.
"Captain Kakashi, speed is paramount in warfare. We've already taken down those guys, but who knows if they'll report back? Unexpected variables could arise at any moment.
Moreover, once a soldier is in the field, they don't necessarily have to follow orders to the letter. The key is to complete the mission as quickly as possible!"
As he spoke, Haruta looked seriously at Kakashi.
"Captain Kakashi, please make a decision quickly. We don't have much time left."
With that, Haruta gestured toward the distant silhouette of Grass Village, which was slowly coming into view.
"..."
Kakashi was speechless. He finally understood why Haruta suddenly started calling him "Captain."
If this whole thing fails, he's planning to pin the blame on me, isn't he?!
---
Inside Grass Village, Kitsuchi frowned as he scanned his surroundings, feeling a strange sense of unease.
He couldn't pinpoint why he felt this way.
Leading the operation to "scam" Konoha was naturally his job—he couldn't let his father personally handle it, after all.
"But… are those Akatsuki members really reliable?"
Kitsuchi admitted that Akatsuki's people seemed capable, but the problem was… they were targeting someone who had captured the Fourth Raikage!
Even if the Fourth Raikage wasn't as strong as his father, who had still managed to fight against ten thousand shinobi for three days and nights before finally exhausting himself to death.
As the son of such a legendary figure, the target couldn't be easy to deal with—he was still a Kage, after all!
"Forget it, I'll just wait for news."
Kitsuchi sighed in frustration.
Just then, he noticed a newly formed Grass Village shinobi squad hastily departing the area, looking quite anxious.
"Isamu, what's going on?"
Confused, Kitsuchi turned to his companion, Isamu, for answers.
Isamu was a young Jonin from Iwagakure—strong and intelligent. He had been assigned to assist Kitsuchi on this mission.
"Konoha's border forces are moving again."
Isamu's gaze followed the departing Grass shinobi as he quietly explained.
"Their forces seem insufficient, so they're requesting reinforcements."
"Tch, their so-called defense force…"
Kitsuchi scoffed at the mention of these small-country ninja villages. He had always held a certain disdain for them.
Except for Amegakure.
Honestly, the reason why the great nations hadn't outright annexed these small villages was quite simple—
For one, having buffer states was useful. It was better than fighting on their own soil whenever war broke out.
Secondly, these minor villages were useful dumping grounds—whether for criminals, mercenary missions, or training grounds for young shinobi.
This was what they called a "win-win" situation.
If I win twice, doesn't that still count as a win-win?
And as for their so-called defenses? They were a joke.
"There's something else—you should know this."
Isamu suddenly lowered his voice.
"ANBU recently detected a major battle within the Land of Grass. The scale of the destruction was immense.
Grass Village is investigating, and our ANBU have also been deployed. This incident seems to have made them quite nervous."
"Really?"
Kitsuchi frowned. Could Akatsuki have already clashed with Konoha?
Suddenly, an ominous feeling crept up on him.
Could Akatsuki have already lost?
Thinking through the possibilities, he couldn't come up with a clear answer. Sighing, he muttered:
"As expected, external organizations can't be trusted. Let's wait and see."
His gaze drifted toward Grass Village, irritation flickering in his eyes.
The Grass shinobi were polite on the surface, but they were clearly hiding things. There was even an undercurrent of hostility toward them.
Even though they had clarified that their presence had nothing to do with Grass Village's research and was solely aimed at Konoha…
They still acted this way.
"What's their deal? We've already explained everything."
"Unless… they really are experimenting on Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines?"
"Bunch of lunatics."
Muttering under his breath, Kitsuchi turned and walked toward Iwagakure's encampment, Isamu following beside him.
At that moment, however, both of them suddenly froze.
Not just them—many others looked around in shock.
The ground had begun to tremble.
Strange chakra ripples were spreading.
And then—
"Look over there!"
Someone shouted.
A short distance away, countless vibrant green shoots were breaking through the earth.
Kakashi's scalp tingled—he truly had no solution.
Reporting back to Konoha and waiting for approval would take time, but the problem was that if Akatsuki managed to pass on intelligence, it would delay their window of opportunity.
If Iwagakure was merely trying to gauge their movements without immediate action, their plan would fail.
And if they failed to capture Kitsuchi, they would have no way to further investigate the organization and gather more information on Obito.
But if they proceeded without reporting, it felt reckless and improper.
Yet—
After careful consideration, he finally gritted his teeth and made a decision—
They would act first and deal with the consequences later. Haruta had already captured the Fourth Raikage before, so grabbing the Third Tsuchikage's son this time didn't seem like a big deal, right?
"Besides, it's to figure out Obito's situation—he's far too dangerous right now."
With the decision made, the rest was relatively simple.
Kakashi was responsible for coordinating with the border defense forces, having them make some obvious deployments and shifts to aid their operation. Since their mission already had support from these forces, such a request wouldn't be denied.
Meanwhile, Haruta and Shisui handled communications with the ANBU squads following behind them, ensuring reinforcements could be called in at any moment.
"All right, it's about time we move."
Haruta glanced at the five people beside him. After a brief moment of thought, he spoke.
"This time, we're breaking the usual team formation. Shisui, you and your little brother will form a team. You'll be in charge of reconnaissance and cleanup.
Since you both specialize in genjutsu, you can quickly gather intelligence and pinpoint our target. For those we can't eliminate outright, you can subdue them with genjutsu. No problem, right?"
"No problem."
Shisui and Uchiha Itachi both nodded, though Itachi glanced at his older brother, then at Kakashi, who remained silent.
It seemed like the real squad leaders should be these two, shouldn't they?
"Kakashi-senpai, you'll team up with Tenzo and approach from the flank to locate the target. No issues?"
Haruta turned to Kakashi and the others, continuing,
"I'll team up with Yugao. We're already teammates, so we have good synergy."
"I have no objections."
Kakashi nodded but couldn't help but think, So now I'm not "Captain" anymore?
"Me neither. Don't worry, Haruta."
Tenzo also nodded with a smile—he was eager to get started.
Yugao remained silent but was clearly motivated. At some point, she had realized that during missions, she had somehow become the "idle" one.
Though she admitted that their opponents were often overwhelmingly strong, she had still undergone rigorous ANBU training.
"If that's settled, let's move."
The moment Haruta's words fell, the team swiftly departed, heading for their pre-planned ambush point.
"Haruta… are you sure this is okay?"
On the way, Yugao couldn't help but ask, a hint of concern in her voice.
"You're worried about the consequences? Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Haruta chuckled. What they were about to do was rather extreme—attacking a small shinobi village outright.
No one could predict if this would bring unimaginable repercussions to Konoha, but Haruta remained confident.
After all, there were Uzumaki clan members in the Land of Grass!
Plus, given the issue with Uchiha Obito, as long as they didn't indiscriminately kill Iwagakure shinobi, everything would still be negotiable.
"Relax. I captured the Fourth Raikage before, and nothing bad happened, right?"
"I wasn't talking about the village… I meant you."
To his surprise, Yugao lowered her head slightly and muttered softly.
"…"
Haruta's expression turned a little strange, but a moment later, his smile grew wider.
He remembered—Yugao was a deeply devoted person.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Slowing down slightly, Haruta reached out and tapped Yugao's forehead. But with her mask in the way, the sensation wasn't quite right.
"Don't forget, I have the Flying Thunder God Technique. I can leave at any time—and not just me, I'll take everyone with me."
Haruta wasn't just boasting. With the Flying Thunder God, he could move freely as he pleased.
As long as he didn't choose to sacrifice himself like Minato, it would be incredibly difficult for him to die.
"We're here. This time, I'll leave my back to you."
Silently arriving at their ambush point, they quickly eliminated a few Grass shinobi on patrol.
Haruta smiled at Yugao before turning his gaze toward Grass Village, now within reach.
At this moment, the village was notably understaffed. Many of its shinobi had been drawn away by Konoha's border forces, making Haruta's mission much easier.
"It's almost time."
Checking the clock, Haruta began focusing his chakra.
The moment the designated time for their attack arrived, he wasted no time in forming seals!
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
Boom!
In an instant, a massive surge of chakra poured into the ground, and countless verdant green sprouts burst forth!
The sprouts intertwined into vines, and in no time, towering trees erupted wildly throughout Grass Village!
Haruta wasn't the only one—on the other side, Tenzo used the same jutsu.
Though his Wood Release wasn't as formidable as Haruta's, even a "lifeless" version of the technique still carried immense power.
In the blink of an eye, two dense forests had sprung up within Grass Village, leaving both the Grass and Iwa shinobi utterly dumbfounded!
"What's going on?"
"What happened?"
"What the hell is this?"
The Grass shinobi were in complete panic—they had no idea what was happening.
While they were still confused and disoriented, the forest near Haruta suddenly came alive.
Countless vines shot out, ensnaring and lifting shinobi into the air!
"Ahhh!"
"Damn it! What is this thing?!"
Screams echoed as the vines continued their relentless assault, capturing shinobi and binding them to the trees.
At the same time, they began to drain chakra from their captives, causing the forest to grow even larger and stronger!
"It's Wood Release! Konoha's shinobi are here! Run!"
Compared to the disorganized Grass shinobi, Iwagakure's forces reacted more efficiently. The moment they sensed something was wrong, they immediately began retreating.
But by then, Haruta had already charged in with Yugao, and Kakashi's team was making their move as well.
"Damn it… have the Konoha shinobi lost their minds?!"
Kitsuchi's expression darkened. He never expected Konoha to be so aggressive—attacking an entire village without hesitation!
And what shocked him even more was that he was starting to understand why his father feared Wood Release so much.
Seeing the vines rampaging through the village, snatching up shinobi and draining their chakra, he felt a chill run down his spine.
This truly is a jutsu designed for war…
"Hmm?"
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly sensed something. Almost instinctively, he turned around—just as a whistling sound reached his ears.
A kunai?
Kitsuchi's sharp eyes immediately recognized what was flying toward him.
But before he could react, Isamu—standing beside him—suddenly went pale.
"Move! It's the Flying Thunder God!"
Buzz!
Before Isamu could even finish speaking, a masked figure flickered into existence right before them.
The figure glanced at Kitsuchi, then turned to Isamu.
In that instant, an overwhelming presence radiated from the masked ninja—so seamlessly blended with nature that it was almost surreal.
His speed was like lightning—so fast that Kitsuchi couldn't even register how he moved.
And in the next moment—
Boom!
A deafening explosion of force erupted, sending a shockwave directly at Kitsuchi, forcing him to stumble backward.
Isamu, however, took the full impact head-on—his entire body was sent flying. He crashed into a building within Grass Village with immense force.
Boom!
The building caved in as Isamu smashed through it, the shockwave scattering nearby shinobi. The entire structure now teetered on the verge of collapse.
"You're Kitsuchi?"
Kitsuchi's face darkened. But just then, the masked figure spoke, flipping open a small booklet as if confirming something.
"You look older than your photo… but whatever."
"Who are you?"
Despite the situation, Kitsuchi maintained his composure.
The masked ninja chuckled.
"I'm an ANBU from Konoha. I'm here to invite you to visit our village."
"Invite me?"
Kitsuchi glanced at the sprawling forest, heard the screams of the Grass shinobi, and thought of what happened to the Fourth Raikage. His expression soured.
"You call this an invitation?! This is how Konoha treats its guests?"
"Mm."
The ANBU nodded.
"If you cooperate, everything will be fine. If not…"
"Then I'll have to extend my invitation—by force."
"Kakashi-senpai, it looks like Haruta has made his move."
On the other side, Tenzo panted slightly as he observed the Wood Release technique in action. He glanced at Haruta's Wood Release from afar and couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
They had used the same jutsu, yet Haruta's effect was far superior to his!
Still, he wasn't jealous—just impressed. Turning to Kakashi, he asked,
"Should we move in as well?"
"Yeah."
Kakashi nodded, surveying the chaotic scene in Grass Village. Then, he asked in a low voice,
"Can you do the same as Haruta? Bind them all up or expand your Nativity of a World of Trees to cover a larger area?"
"Uh… that's a bit difficult for me, Kakashi-senpai."
Tenzo scratched his head awkwardly.
"I've explained it a few times already, I—"
"All right, I get it."
Kakashi shook his head.
Tenzo really had explained it multiple times, but he still couldn't help but feel envious.
With such powerful Wood Release, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble!
But now wasn't the time for such thoughts—they still had their own mission to complete.
"Prepare to move. But before that—"
Kakashi took out a signal flare from his pocket and fired it into the sky.
This flare was the signal for the remaining ANBU squads to join the battle. Once they saw it, they would immediately take action.
Watching the flare ascend, Kakashi sighed inwardly.
"Let's just hope this doesn't spiral out of control..."
---
"Itachi, the target is over there."
Amidst the chaos inside Grass Village, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi had disguised themselves as Grass shinobi, blending into the panicked crowd.
Their mission was to gather intelligence on Grass Village's experiments and see if there was anything of value.
That meant they weren't supposed to engage immediately—they needed to infiltrate the enemy ranks first. And now, they had locked onto their target: the leader of the Grass shinobi!
"You cover me. I'll capture him and extract the information. Be careful."
Shisui assessed the situation. The Grass leader was surrounded by numerous guards, making this a tricky approach.
However, with Haruta already making his move, they couldn't afford to lag behind. Even if it meant a direct assault, they had to act.
"Isn't this too risky?"
Itachi voiced his concern, but Shisui shook his head.
"Trust me. I have a plan. Get ready."
The moment he finished speaking, Shisui dashed forward.
Itachi sighed.
His very first mission had already turned into something this intense—completely beyond his expectations.
But now wasn't the time for hesitation. Watching Shisui approach the target, he took a deep breath and activated his Sharingan.
As soon as Shisui reached the ideal range, Itachi swiftly pulled out several shuriken and hurled them toward the enemy's position!
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Flames enveloped the shuriken, turning them into burning projectiles.
The shuriken scattered like falling petals, raining down toward the Grass leader!
"Watch out!"
"Enemy attack!"
The Grass shinobi guarding their leader reacted instantly, positioning themselves to block the attack.
But in doing so, they inadvertently exposed their leader's back—right in front of Shisui!
Seizing the moment, Shisui accelerated, silently appearing behind the Grass leader and yanking him backward.
"Hm?!"
Sensing something was wrong, the Grass leader turned around, ready to fight.
But what he saw was a pair of glowing red eyes—
"Sharingan..."
His expression twisted in horror.
But before he could react, a strange force surged through his mind, overwhelming him.
---
"Bastard!"
Kitsuchi was completely bound by Wood Release. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break free.
All he could do was curse.
Not far away, Haruta stood watching him leisurely, which only infuriated Kitsuchi further.
That damned teleportation jutsu—Flying Thunder God—was driving him mad.
Even though he never saw Haruta throw a kunai, the guy still seemed to be everywhere, launching attacks from all directions.
The entire fight had been one-sided.
If it weren't for his mastery of Earth Release and the defensive techniques he had used to shield himself, he might have already been beaten to death!
But in the end, none of it mattered.
Haruta had still subdued him with Wood Release.
As Kitsuchi felt his chakra steadily draining, all he could do now was hurl insults.
"You're the real bastard here!"
Haruta shook his numbed hand, muttering in irritation.
"Is your Earth Release only for defense? What happened to offense?
Or is this just Iwagakure's style? Do you guys only know how to turtle up?"
"Shut the hell up! You don't know what you're talking about!"
Kitsuchi snapped, even angrier than before.
"Oh? But isn't it true? You're curled up like a damn turtle. And your village does the same thing."
Haruta smirked as he continued mocking him.
"You guys harden up like a rock—so what else are you but turtles?
You hire outside mercenaries to do your dirty work while you sit back and hide. Isn't that Iwagakure's signature move?
That assassination squad that ambushed us earlier—you guys hired them, right? Typical."
"Then what about you? You've been dodging and running this whole fight! Is that Konoha's style? If you've got the guts, let me down and fight me like a real man!"
Kitsuchi was getting desperate. He wasn't good at verbal sparring, and Haruta's taunts were getting under his skin.
But the moment those words left his mouth, he regretted them.
He knew perfectly well that complaining about an enemy's "underhanded" tactics just meant he wasn't strong enough.
He just couldn't take it anymore.
Haruta's fighting style reminded him too much of Minato's—back during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, where his father had no choice but to surrender.
The helplessness, the frustration of not even being able to hit the enemy—it was infuriating.
And yet, despite everything, Haruta clearly wasn't trying to kill him.
If he were, those Wood Release bindings wouldn't be holding him in place—they would be skewering him.
"Tch. Didn't your father ever teach you that history is written by the victors?"
Haruta tilted his head, genuinely looking confused.
That expression made Kitsuchi feel even worse.
Then, Haruta suddenly nodded as if something clicked.
"Ohhh, I get it now. This is why Iwagakure still doesn't have a Fourth Tsuchikage."
"Y-you—!"
Kitsuchi's face turned red with anger. He was being humiliated again!
But this time, Haruta didn't give him a chance to retort.
Bending slightly, he listened to the sound of his Wood Release expanding, the growing trees swallowing more shinobi with every second.
He smiled.
"Alright, Lord Kitsuchi. It's over.
Oh, and one more thing—"
He leaned in slightly.
"Welcome to Konoha."