Chapter 171
2-in-1-chapter
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"I should be the one asking that, Uncle Bun'ya. Why are you here with ANBU?"
Kurotsuchi might have been young, but she showed no fear.
Unlike other children her age, who would have been too frightened to speak before a senior like Bun'ya, she not only spoke but dared to ask in return.
"…I am pursuing a Konoha spy."
Bun'ya hesitated for a moment before revealing his mission. He knew very well that Kurotsuchi came and went freely from the Tsuchikage's office, and talk of secrecy was meaningless in front of her. He also wanted to know why she was here.
As he spoke, he cast a sidelong glance toward the corner of the room. Someone was hidden there—not their target, but an ANBU assigned to protect Kurotsuchi.
"Pursuing a Konoha spy?"
Kurotsuchi had learned of this two days ago, but why would the pursuit of a spy bring ANBU to Doctor Shiso's office? The clever girl's face turned pale. "Uncle Bun'ya, are you saying that Doctor Shiso… is a Konoha spy?"
"We cannot confirm it yet. We have no direct evidence that Doctor Shiso is a Konoha spy. However, this morning we verified the authenticity of intelligence previously sent back from Konoha through confessions of other captured spies. That intelligence also confirmed that the Walking Shrine Maiden from Konoha has infiltrated our village. Based on our investigation, Doctor Shiso is one of the suspects."
If it had not involved that legendary spy, the Walking Shrine Maiden, Bun'ya himself would never have personally led the hunt.
"…Doctor Shiso has not come to work. She was late today."
Kurotsuchi's face went even paler. If Doctor Shiso truly was a spy, then had she not betrayed the village? Just two days earlier, Kurotsuchi herself had told her that the village was about to launch a wide-scale hunt for spies.
She did not want to believe it.
But she could not bring herself to doubt Bun'ya either. He would not lie to her about something like this.
Still, the girl forced herself to remain composed as she answered Bun'ya's earlier question. "I injured myself this morning while practicing Earth Style: Hardening Jutsu, so I came to Doctor Shiso for treatment. We met two years ago. Her medical skills are exceptional. Since the medics in my family must attend to Grandfather, I usually come to Doctor Shiso whenever I am hurt."
"I see."
Bun'ya did not question her explanation. Even if she had lied, there was nothing he could do about it. He could hardly interrogate the Tsuchikage's granddaughter or send someone to forcibly read her memories. That was impossible.
He gave a hand signal.
The ANBU spread out, ransacking the office, overturning drawers and searching for any clue that might remain.
Kurotsuchi rose, stepping away from the desk and chair to give the ANBU space. She walked to Bun'ya's side and, holding onto one last shred of hope, asked, "Uncle Bun'ya, is the suspicion against Doctor Shiso really that serious?"
"…There are three potential suspects thought to be the Walking Shrine Maiden. We have already taken control of the other two. One turned out to be a Sunagakure spy, the other a wandering shinobi who had secretly slipped into the village. But Doctor Shiso… we still haven't found her."
Bun'ya spoke tactfully.
But the meaning was clear.
Whether Doctor Shiso was a Konoha spy or not, the fact that ANBU under his command had been unable to find her spoke volumes. That alone was enough to make her a prime suspect. There was still a small chance that she had simply fallen victim to misfortune, eliminated to obscure the truth, but that possibility was slim.
After all, this was Iwagakure.
For spies to slip past ANBU scrutiny was already remarkable. But for them to quietly eliminate a well-known figure inside the village would be beyond belief. If such a thing had happened, many ANBU would have to kill themselves in shame.
"Doctor Shiso… she has a congenital heart condition…"
"Kurotsuchi, from what I know, Doctor Shiso's medical skills are excellent. It would not be surprising for her to slip past inspections. Spies infiltrating the village is nothing unusual. Spies are like weeds: cut them down, and more always grow."
"There isn't a single weed that can survive in this village!"
Kurotsuchi retorted.
"That's true. You're right."
Bun'ya did not argue further. It was enough that she could hold herself together.
By then the ANBU had finished their search. The once-clean office was now a mess after their rough handling. They had torn through every possible hiding place, but found nothing.
"Nothing at all?"
Bun'ya frowned at their report.
They had already searched Doctor Shiso's residence and found nothing there. Now the office yielded the same result. Everything was too clean—so clean that not even the slightest trace of wrongdoing could be found.
But too clean was its own problem.
Nine times out of ten, someone this clean had something to hide. The tenth time, it meant they were hiding something far greater.
Bun'ya could already smell it.
The scent of prey of immense value.
"Let's go, Kurotsuchi. We need to report to the Tsuchikage. Doctor Shiso… is most certainly a big catch."
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Just as the other great shinobi villages had copied Konoha's systems—its academy, its medical corps—they had also copied the idea of the Hokage's administrative building, constructing their own Mizukage Building, Kazekage Building, and so on.
Compared to establishing academies or medical systems, erecting a building required little skill. Each village built their own structure according to their customs and environment, giving it a local character.
Iwagakure's Tsuchikage Building, for instance, was the tallest structure in the village. It leaned against the solid, barren mountain behind it, constructed entirely of stone. Its cylindrical body supported a conical top. From the village gate, one could clearly see the massive white banner emblazoned with the character for "Earth" hanging from it.
"Have the troops assembled?"
"Three divisions, six thousand strong, fully assembled. Equipment and supplies have also been distributed… but Father, are we truly going to war with Konoha?"
"Watch your words, Kitsuchi."
"Forgive me. That was out of line, Tsuchikage-sama."
Inside the Tsuchikage's office, father and son, who together held the reins of power in Iwagakure, discussed the coming southern campaign.
"Tsushikage-sama, the village still has not fully recovered. If we cannot achieve victory swiftly and the war drags into a protracted struggle, we will not be able to sustain it."
Kitsuchi lived up to his name—solid as earth. Unlike his short-statured father, he had inherited his mother's tall frame. His appearance resembled Ōnoki's in youth by nearly eighty percent, with the single exception of lacking the iconic large nose. His temperament was steady and plainspoken. Though he fought bravely, he was not one to seek out conflict.
Compared to the potential gains of attacking Konoha, he was far more concerned with the devastating losses the village would face if they failed. Iwagakure had been the undeniable loser of the Third Great Ninja War, and though diplomacy afterward had spared them from paying reparations, it had not erased the wounds.
In truth, Iwagakure's losses had been even graver than those of Sunagakure, which Konoha had nearly crippled.
The Yellow Flash of Konoha might have earned his fame across nations, but that reputation had been built largely on the bodies of Iwa shinobi. Any who encountered him, whether Jōnin or Chūnin, were wiped out in groups.
Especially the Jōnin.
So many had died that Ōnoki himself had been heartbroken, eventually issuing an order to abandon missions if they encountered the Yellow Flash.
But the order had proven futile.
To meet the Yellow Flash and hope to escape alive was nothing more than a fool's dream.
In short, the Iwa-nin truly suffered ill fortune. They had thought that after White Fang's suicide, Konoha would be easier to deal with, only to encounter the rise of Namikaze Minato, a star whose killing speed was faster than cutting melons and chopping vegetables. He routed the Iwa-nin completely. On the main battlefield they had held the advantage, yet in the end Konoha turned the tables and struck back from the brink of defeat.
It was a comeback snatched from the very edge of death.
The army of Iwa-nin under the command of Tōma Shibito had pressed the Konoha defense force led by Namikaze Minoru until only four remained, Minoru himself among them. At that moment, Namikaze Minato appeared through the Flying Thunder God Technique, and then—the Iwa-nin were annihilated.
The entire Iwa-nin army was crushed by Minato's strength alone. Even their supreme commander, the young genius Jōnin Tōma Shibito, only twenty-five years old and seen as a likely successor to become the Fourth Tsuchikage, was struck down by Minato in that battle. In the truest sense, the moment Minato appeared, Shibito was nothing more than a dead man walking.
That Shibito had been able, at the age of twenty-five, to command Iwa's main army spoke volumes. His personal strength and his ability as a commander were both of the highest caliber. Yet such brilliance had no chance to shine fully before being extinguished by an even brighter star.
And the losses did not end with Shibito.
Afterward, under Ōnoki's orders, Iwa launched a sudden assault on Kumogakure forces, though the two villages had no direct quarrel at the time. They dispatched five divisions, a force of ten thousand, intending to devour Kumo's forward army. Yet they had not foreseen the ferocity of the Third Raikage.
Reckless and unyielding, he chose to cover his men's retreat alone and face the 10,000 shinobis on his own.