Chapter 427: Another Shrine
Ishiro's desire to proactively cross the sea and provoke friction with the Kumo-nin, using offense to replace defense—the specific operations and the grasp of the scale were arranged by the experienced Senior Saka. Ishiro had no intention of interfering from the beginning. As for how the other countries would react, it was even less of a concern for him.
Just as he had analyzed before, since they had chosen to tolerate Iwagakure's annexation of the Land of Waterfalls, they would be even less likely to have an extreme reaction if he were to start a conflict with Kumogakure.
Unless, of course, Iwagakure were to suffer a great loss in the conflict.
For example, back when a large number of Konoha's Root elites were lost in the Land of Rain, the news was deliberately spread by Iwagakure as: a large number of Anbu died in battle. After that intelligence was confirmed, it was immediately followed by suppression of Konoha's Anbu by all parties.
Ishiro believed that with Saka at the helm, such a major failure would not occur. As for small skirmishes, the other countries would not care.
After delegating his official duties, Ishiro once again conducted special training for his three disciples.
Sōkai's situation was special. The continuous advancement of his Sharingan made his strength improve at a rapid pace. Next, he just needed to learn genjutsu step by step and adapt to the abilities of his Sharingan.
The little girl, Chiga, under Ishiro's deliberate guidance, had begun to develop in the direction of a sensory ninja. Her training was divided into two parts. One was the study of conventional sensory methods, which included various means of tracking, reconnaissance, and intelligence analysis. As the Tsuchikage, Ishiro often used the convenience of his position to arrange for her to intern at various special agencies. So, although Chiga's growth in combat was not obvious, her professionalism was already beginning to show.
The other aspect was the practice of her special blood-sensing ability. In this regard, Ishiro's ideas were rather peculiar. Besides training how to determine the detailed position of an enemy, he also taught her how to use this sense to assist in combat. For example, in absolute darkness, by sensing blood, she could determine the enemy's position and fight. Ishiro was experienced in this area; his Mind's Eye had this function, so he was a natural at guiding her.
Finally, there was Sasagawa Ayumi. Ishiro's training for him was almost completely hands-off. Earlier, although he had the materials obtained from the Kurama clan member, Ayumi had been groping his way forward almost entirely on his own. Later, although Ishiro had obtained the Super Beast Scroll ninjutsu scroll from Orochimaru, he himself had no talent for drawing, nor did he know the jutsu. So, all he could do was provide suggestions and guidance on the general direction.
However, Ayumi was very moved, because he had been present when Ishiro had exchanged for this ninjutsu from Orochimaru. The thought that he was practicing a ninjutsu that Ishiro had specifically traded for him from one of Konoha's Sannin made him feel very apprehensive, afraid that he would perform poorly and disappoint him. Although Ayumi didn't know the true value of the gravity space that Ishiro had given up, seeing the gains that Lord Third and Senior Takumi had made inside, he knew that that place was definitely not simple. So, although he received the least guidance, he was the most grateful to Ishiro among the three.
When the training for the three was only halfway through, Ogura Saki suddenly came to find him.
It turned out that a strange incident had occurred in the Land of Earth recently.
A remote mountain village had suddenly reported that the nearby mountains were haunted. In the ninja world, this was not a big deal. Everyone's first reaction was that a ninja was doing something that ordinary people could not understand.
And coincidentally, in that haunted place, a fierce battle had just taken place not long ago. A jonin-level rogue ninja had, for some reason, appeared nearby and had been recognized. With Iwagakure's intensity in cracking down on rogue ninja, this kind of thing was naturally dealt with as soon as it was discovered.
The advisory council had dispatched three Anbu squads to hunt him down as soon as they received the news. The mission was not difficult. The three squads' strength completely overwhelmed the opponent, and they easily completed the mission. It was just that the commotion during the battle was a bit big. An Anbu jonin had used an A-rank earth jutsu, changing the terrain of that mountainous area.
At the time, there was nothing unusual. But in the days following the battle, more than one villager had seen ghost lights appearing. The village chief thought that the rogue ninja might have an accomplice who hadn't died, so he reported it to Iwagakure again.
Iwagakure's efficiency was very high, and the Anbu set out again quickly. But this time, it was not smooth. After searching, they found nothing. The Anbu members had also seen the so-called ghost lights. At first, they also thought it was a Fire Release jutsu, but after getting closer, it didn't seem like it.
After investigating for several days and finding nothing, the Anbu returned to the village and made a report.
This time, the advisors paid some attention. In response to this situation, they dispatched Ogura Saki, the elite jonin who had developed Blaze Release.
Saki went to investigate and came to a conclusion: there seemed to be something buried underground in that mountain area. She had not gone alone; an Earth Release ninja had accompanied her. At that time, she had wanted to use an earth jutsu to dig it open directly. But the moment the ninja had cast a B-rank earth jutsu, the wandering flames had shown an abnormal fluctuation.
After some hesitation, Saki did not use force but had the ninja dig a winding downward passage along the mountain's contours.
As a result, the party discovered a buried, abandoned shrine dozens of meters underground.
As Ishiro's disciple, Saki knew that Natsuki and Katsumata were currently studying a shrine. Having some understanding of this kind of ancient and strange existence, she took a brief look and found that this shrine was also unusual.
Not daring to act rashly, her first reaction was to come back and report to Ishiro.
Ishiro was a little surprised. Have my fortunes turned these past two years? Why do I keep having these kinds of opportunities?
He wasted no words and, using his Porcelain Release, took Saki, his three currently training disciples, and the two Tailed Beasts and set off. Since it was just within the Land of Earth, he didn't even need to apply to the council, just had the Anbu notify them.
Following Saki's guidance, Ishiro's party soon arrived at the mountainous area.
Since using a large-scale earth jutsu would cause an accident, Ishiro did not show off in front of people but nodded at the two Anbu guarding outside, then walked into the passage with his four disciples.
After walking through the long tunnel, the group came to a relatively spacious space.
Under the illumination of Saki's Blaze Release, Ishiro clearly saw the situation of this space. From the layout, it was indeed a temple. In terms of scale, this temple was much larger than the one he had moved back from the Land of Grass.
Due to being deeply buried, the temple was relatively well-preserved. All sorts of sacrificial items were still inside, and there was even a complete human skeleton. From the scattered posture of the skeleton, it should have been a believer who was worshiping a deity.
Finally, Ishiro's gaze fell on the center of the temple, on the altar that was more than half a person high.
Unlike the last shrine, which had a statue of a monk in the center, the altar of this temple enshrined a jar.
Even from such a distance, Ishiro could detect an unusual aura in that jar. It wasn't particularly terrifying, but it was filled with a sense of strangeness.
And around that jar, floating blue flames would appear and disappear from time to time.
He figured these were the ghost lights mentioned in the intelligence report.
The scene was indeed a bit strange, but Ishiro had seen a lot and was not surprised.
He signaled for the others not to approach, while he himself created a shadow clone and slowly walked over.
The shadow clone circled the jar twice and found that apart from the flames that appeared and disappeared out of thin air, there was nothing else unusual.
Finally, at the signal of the main body, the shadow clone used a Five Elements Seal on the jar.
It worked. Ishiro was overjoyed. Because as the seal was applied, the surrounding blue flames were all extinguished at once.
Ishiro and the others had been a little worried at first, but now they all breathed a sigh of relief.
The shadow clone picked up the sealed jar, and nothing unusual happened.
But at this moment, Ishiro's main body shouted, "Not good! Everyone, get close to me! Prepare for battle!"
...
Time returns to a few minutes ago, in a cave far from this shrine, where Obito Uchiha and Black and White Zetsu were.
"Black Zetsu, can that shrine you set up fool the Tsuchikage?" Obito asked.
Black Zetsu grinned. "Don't worry. I am the embodiment of Lord Madara's will. Fabricating a fake ruin is a small matter."
That's right, the ruin they had discovered was a trap set for him by Obito.
However, how could Obito know that Black Zetsu had no intention of creating a fake ruin? That ruin was real.
With the knowledge of having lived for over a thousand years, Black Zetsu knew too many secrets of this ninja world. If he could train, and if the power Kaguya had left him wasn't finite, he wouldn't waste these things. He would have long since taken the things in these ruins to improve his own strength.
Black Zetsu had lied to Obito, saying that he had set up a fake ruin. In fact, he had just chosen a suitable one from the secrets he knew to lure Ishiro into the bait. Of course, for this, Black Zetsu had also taken great pains, even taking into account the existence of Ogura Saki, the developer of Blaze Release. The rogue ninja from before had been arranged by him.
The ninja world was not an isolated world. In the long river of time, from time to time, there had been invasions by foreign creatures. For example, the Shinigami, Jashin, and other strange life forms, as well as Mōryō; these were not native to the ninja world. Even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was an alien.
The existence enshrined in the temple they were now seeing was one such being.
So, the ruin was real. Black Zetsu had only placed a little bit of his own Yin Release body on that jar to act as a sensory medium.
To prevent Obito from becoming suspicious, Black Zetsu changed the subject. "Obito, why don't you pull in Konoha and the other four great hidden villages to act together? The success rate would be much greater."
"Hmph, that would only expose us in front of the five great villages. At that time, would they deal with the Tsuchikage first, or would they deal with me first?" Obito snorted coldly.
However, his attention was indeed diverted, and he no longer dwelled on the matter of the fake ruin.
Obito chatted with Black and White Zetsu for a while longer. Suddenly, as if he had sensed something, Black Zetsu grinned. "He's taken the bait."
Obito laughed loudly and waved his hand. "Act!"
(End of Chapter)
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