"Naruto: My Ninja Skills"Chapter 165: The Western Wind Breaks
Yūshin's final few clones "exploded" in truly devious positions.
By this point, the Ishikawa coalition forces had spotted the Fireflies' final rallying ground.
The area was relatively open, with central trees cleared away—it looked like a suitable place for battle. However...
Acid mist still lingered around the perimeter, meaning the enemies couldn't freely launch encircling attacks from all directions. They could only assault the Fireflies through the "misty corridors" deliberately left open for them.
At this stage, the enemy still held numerical superiority, yet the forces they could simultaneously deploy were severely restricted.
The battle had progressed to this point with the Ishikawa forces constantly being led by the nose. Most enemies felt incredibly frustrated... Honestly, why turn warfare into this? Shouldn't ninja duels just involve drawing blades and getting it over with?
This battlefield "micro-management"—wasn't it somewhat unreasonable?
Such thinking was understandable but rather self-centered... Seven hundred against one hundred, and you still want direct confrontation?
Heh, if the numbers were reversed, Yūshin would gladly engage them in frontal combat—whoever resorted to schemes and tricks would be the grandson.
Though many enemy ninja were battle-hardened veterans, they'd never encountered this style of warfare: strict terrain reliance with precise, mechanical continuous maneuvering, firmly maintaining initiative while attempting to eliminate them through movement.
The gap in team coordination and cooperation abilities was astronomical.
Such troop maneuvering did present certain difficulties, but Yūshin truly hadn't expended much effort... With so many Nara ninja in the front-line forces, after minimal cultivation, they became excellent staff officers and commanders.
This was the Fireflies organization's exceptionally high "personnel development rate"—did the Ishikawa possess such development rates?
The final stage's mist dispersion again eliminated another portion of enemy ninja. Conversely, regardless of process difficulties, the Ishikawa coalition ultimately succeeded in driving the scattered Fireflies ninja to one location.
All strategies exhausted, all pre-planted traps depleted—finally came the moment for direct confrontation...
However, on the "narrow mountain paths" the Fireflies had reserved, ninja like Hatake Sakumo and Nara Hideyuki stood at the formation's forefront.
Continuous wailing echoed. At this moment, the Ishikawa coalition had actually suffered over fifty percent casualties. Comparatively, the Fireflies' greatest cost was merely Yūshin's lost clones and substantial chakra.
Judging by casualty rates, the Ishikawa ninja should have chosen withdrawal. However, having finally cornered their enemies into a desperate situation, how could they willingly retreat... Half their people dead with no achievements, then choosing retreat at this moment?
No one could accept such results—unless they'd come not to wage war but to deliver warmth to the Fireflies organization.
Kill! Besides continuing the war, they had no second option.
Yet this played perfectly into the Fireflies ninja's hands.
Unable to restrain themselves, the enemies finally charged along Yūshin's planned route toward the Fireflies ninja... These people had been rattled beyond composure, able to display at most seventy percent of their full strength. What more was there to say?
These Ishikawa coalition ninja might not even remember that the Fireflies still had a "reserve force" that hadn't entered the battlefield.
When enemies pressed forward along the narrow path, Yūshin appeared behind them with elite ninja.
No need for words—just start stabbing.
A nearby ninja glimpsed Yūshin forming hand seals, causing his face to involuntarily tremble. His somewhat tense throat produced increasingly high-pitched, hoarse sounds:
"Lord Yūshin, there's no need to use Boil Release here. The battlefield can now be left to us... Your technique's range is too vast. With enemy and ally forces currently clustered together, friendly fire becomes likely."
Due to the overly horrifying sights witnessed along the way, even their own ninja had developed some aversion to Yūshin's techniques... Honestly, this wasn't their fault.
Yūshin's gaze swept across everyone, seeing expressions of lingering fear on all faces, so he reluctantly withdrew his supernatural powers.
"Very well. Everyone be cautious—we haven't achieved victory yet."
Victory? Heh, these enemies were merely hot-headed now, charging forward mindlessly. After charging a while longer, they'd again be dominated by fear... The psychological shadows created by large-scale biochemical carnage scenes weren't so easily dispelled.
Even the Fireflies organization's people couldn't help feeling pity for their enemies, let alone the enemies' own feelings.
After all, the Ishikawa coalition was merely a temporarily assembled force. If warfare proceeded smoothly, everything would be fine; but if not, various problems would surface.
Yūshin didn't use acid mist but charged into the battlefield for close combat with enemies.
Under front-and-rear attacks, enemies quickly shed their impulsive emotions. They first regained clarity, then panicked.
Yūshin and the reserves' entry immediately boosted their own ninja's morale tremendously. This positive-negative contrast caused battle spirit to ebb and flow, placing enemies in even more disadvantageous circumstances.
Never mind previous schemes and tricks—now the Fireflies had someone famous putting on a "White Fang Grand Stage—come if you dare" performance. Who could withstand that?
"Lord Hideyuki, catch!"
The Nara ninja who'd just received Yūshin's small gift from another battlefield immediately seized the opportunity upon seeing Nara Hideyuki, tossing the scroll to him.
Nara Hideyuki unrolled the scroll and immediately understood something.
He formed hand seals, extracting the stored contents from the scroll.
However, this corpse proved somewhat difficult to control. After employing Shadow Imitation Technique plus chakra threads—several methods combined—he finally controlled this "puppet" to begin engaging enemies.
"C-Clan Leader?"
"You..."
"Ah!"
Ishikawa Suijin's appearance became the final straw that broke the camel's back. Under front-and-rear attacks, enemies finally began collapsing.
They abandoned opponents and scattered in flight, some even panicking and rushing into acid mist that had mostly dissipated... Clearly, if they'd persisted a bit longer until the mist completely cleared, battlefield conditions would have favored them. Yet they collapsed.
Yūshin secretly sighed, seemingly feeling sorry for the enemies... Well, he was deceiving himself again.
As if he wouldn't replenish acid mist when environmental conditions changed.
"Lord Yūshin, enemies are fleeing in defeat."
"Lord Yūshin, we've achieved victory!"
Yūshin drew his longsword, swung it forward, then shouted loudly to everyone:
"Pursue! Don't let these people easily return to the plateau! Daring to bare fangs at the Fireflies requires paying a price!"
"Show no mercy to enemies! We're not engaging in slaughter but striving to carve out peaceful space for the future Land of Fire!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The Fireflies ninja's morale could still climb higher. Ninja inherently don't avoid killing, but if killing could be endowed with more significant and positive meaning, they'd hack with tremendous enthusiasm—six strikes per second would be effortless.
Yūshin believed that with enemies lacking even their supreme commander, forces originally held together solely by his personal prestige had completely lost organizational cohesion. Under such circumstances, if his side didn't conduct bold pursuit, that would indicate Yūshin's leadership thinking had problems.
In places far from the Land of Fire, Fireflies ninja were indeed swinging blades for the Land of Fire's sake... At this moment, others remained unaware of the battle situation here.
Only Yanagikawa witnessed everything.
Combat continued for a full day and night. Due to Hyūga ninja presence, the Fireflies' pursuit efficiency was exceptionally high.
Finally, perhaps only sixty to seventy people successfully escaped back to the plateau.
But warfare hadn't ended even at this point. Yūshin left the wounded to rest in the forest while reselecting forty ninja in decent condition, unhesitatingly inserting into the Northwestern Plateau's heartland.
After reaching the plateau, he roughly divided the forty into six teams, each assigned one Hyūga ninja, additionally allowing Hatake Sakumo and Nara Hideyuki to operate independently.
Gathering several temporary team leaders, Yūshin began assigning subsequent combat missions:
"Everyone, our mission is extremely simple—not attacking specific ninja clans for equivalent retaliation, but maximally intercepting liaison messengers between different ninja clans... At this time, their communications will definitely be abnormally frequent."
"Don't engage enemies head-on—just eliminate messengers."
"Lord Yūshin, what's the purpose? Actively helping block news of their defeat?"
"That's unrelated. Originally, the major ninja clans here were imitating us in forming alliances. However, their first combined battle resulted in near-total annihilation, making mutual trust difficult now."
"Naturally, wise individuals will still attempt communication, striving to restore some trust levels. However, we cannot allow this..."
"Without thinking, escaped ninja cannot describe specific defeat processes. They'll blame teammates for failure, primarily targeting the Ishikawa Clan's leader."
"Since they distrust each other, let's allow this distrust to ferment a while longer..."
Mm, fermentation—Yūshin absolutely loved fermentation.
"Lord Yūshin, though we can snipe ninja, communication methods like summoning beasts are impossible to completely sever..."
Someone felt Yūshin's plan had flaws. However, this time Yūshin didn't need to speak—Nara Hideyuki shook his head and provided explanation:
"Some matters can only be clarified through face-to-face communication. Written correspondence isn't necessarily effective and might even backfire."
Only face-to-face meetings achieved maximum efficiency and accuracy in information exchange. During communication, one could experience each other's emotions. If both sides intentionally controlled the pace, situations would develop favorably.
This was an effect secret letters couldn't achieve.
Yūshin nodded, acknowledging Nara Hideyuki's words, thinking many matters originally couldn't be explained clearly through phone calls or messaging—face-to-face meetings were necessary.
"Everyone, mission duration is half a month. After half a month, we reconvene here... Now, operations begin—scatter!"
Honestly, Yūshin thought somewhat far ahead, often finding weak points others wouldn't notice and conducting targeted operations with minimal personnel and resources, thereby achieving small-investment, large-return results... Consequently, this made him appear rather devious.
However, he was definitely different from Senju Tobirama. As the saying goes: "Those who understand me say I'm worried; those who don't understand me ask what I seek."
...
Not even half a month was needed. After merely ten days, Yūshin's actions achieved anticipated results.
The plateau's ninja clans began fighting each other.
Different ninja clans waging war was something that happened constantly in the past—what significance did Yūshin's actions have?
Don't forget: present times differed from the past. Previously, ninja clans beating each other's brains out was inconsequential, but now was the crucial period for major ninja clans to gather like-minded individuals and establish ninja alliances.
Honestly, coldly standing aside equaled seeking death—after all, not advancing meant retreating. As for continuing ninja warfare, this counted as "the day grows late and the journey far, acting against the times."
When other regions were forming ninja groups, only the plateau continued ninja warfare... Heh, one step slow, every step slow.
Who knew whether Iwagakure would still emerge, or what this "Iwagakure" and certain entities replacing Iwagakure would be, and when exactly they'd be established?
Yūshin had merely defeated seven hundred people. Honestly, this casualty number wasn't particularly exaggerated, yet this event's timing was too unfortunate.
A tiny deviation leads to enormous errors.
Well, relationships between plateau ninja clans proved even more fragile than Yūshin had imagined.
Since they'd started fighting, this announced Yūshin's assigned mission had achieved complete success ahead of schedule.
While heading to the rendezvous point, Yūshin encountered Nara Hideyuki approaching from another direction. Both wore identical expressions—exhaustion mixed with relief.
Walking along, Yūshin sensed someone observing them.
He and Nara Hideyuki said nothing, directly capturing the observer front and back.
"You are... Hm? Kujii Clan ninja?"
After recognizing the opponent's identity, Yūshin silently released his grip. Fortunately, he reacted quickly—otherwise, these two unfortunate souls would have "died in foreign lands."
"Could it be... Lord Yūshin of the Fireflies?"
"That's me. Why are you appearing on the plat... Never mind, I understand. Be careful—fighting here is extremely intense."
"Yes, Lord Yūshin, we understand."
Yūshin waved his hand, indicating they should leave.
After they'd gone far, he quietly muttered:
"Their reaction was quite quick."
The Fireflies had achieved victory in the Battle of Yanagikawa. The Ishikawa clan leader was dead, their ninja alliance scattered—this news had apparently spread.
Defeat and renewed chaotic warfare meant the plateau could hardly quickly produce new ninja alliances. During such power vacuum periods, this was an excellent opportunity for external forces to expand here.
Kujii Retto was a clever man who naturally couldn't let such opportunities slip away.
"We won, yet the Kujii Clan gets to pick the fruit?"
"Pick fruit? No, no, this can't be called picking fruit—this is called 'joining in the grand endeavor.' I'm grateful to them."
"...Ah, I seem to understand. Lord Yūshin truly has far-reaching vision."
"We don't covet this land anyway, right?"
What does far-reaching vision mean?
If you expand through aggression, you'll face counter-retaliation someday. Yūshin wouldn't participate in subsequent matters—rather, Kujii Retto had actively taken over this "hot potato."
Yet could Kujii Retto not see through such simple logic?
He naturally understood, but precisely because he understood too well, he wouldn't suppress his ambitions...
Otherwise, in which direction should his "Land of Wind" develop?
🔥 Want to read the next 50+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]