Chapter 463: Influence of Victory
Land of Water, Hidden Mist Village.
Mizukage Building, conference room.
Five high ranking officials sat in the spacious room, every face grim.
Konoha's leadership might be celebrating, but the Hidden Mist were burning with fury.
They had meant to exploit Konoha's situation and plunder a few benefits. Instead, they gained nothing and suffered painful losses.
Five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had fallen. Worse, the precious blades that had been specially forged for them could not be recovered. All five swords had been seized by Konoha.
To the Hidden Mist, the swords mattered even more than the men. If people died, replacements could be chosen. But without those blades, how could the next generation be selected at all?
And the most infuriating part was that the loss of five swordsmen was not even the worst blow.
They had lost a Three Tails jinchuriki.
The Three Tails had died outright, leaving the village with only the Six Tails jinchuriki until the Three Tails revived.
On top of that, Reiki and Mangetsu Hozuki, two well known powerhouses, had died on the battlefield and become stepping stones for Mugetsu's fame.
Compared to those losses, the casualties among the ordinary Mist ninja were not that high. Yagura's decisions had preserved the core of their forces.
"First, we discuss how to deal with Yagura," the Third Mizukage said, his face cold, as if he had already decided on a severe punishment.
The other officials exchanged subtle glances, unable to read his true intent.
Everyone knew Yagura was the Third Mizukage's favored candidate for the next Mizukage. They could not tell whether the Third Mizukage was truly disappointed and ready to discard him, or whether he was simply taking control of the discussion to ensure Yagura's punishment stayed within acceptable limits.
"Yagura betrayed the village's trust," the Third Mizukage continued when no one spoke. "He made repeated errors in major decisions and caused heavy losses. If he is not punished, what will the ninja in the village think?"
At those words, the officials understood. The Third Mizukage still had no intention of abandoning Yagura. He wanted a punishment that looked proper and just, while keeping Yagura alive as a future option.
"Although we lost, Yagura still served as a dutiful commander," Genji said after a brief pause. "He prevented our forces from taking catastrophic losses and preserved our strength. That will keep us from becoming even more passive going forward."
Genji did not want a fight with the Third Mizukage over the Fourth Mizukage position. The Hidden Mist were already in a bad state. More internal conflict would only drag them closer to collapse.
And Genji had no better candidate. Among Yagura's generation, Yagura was the strongest, and his overall qualities were solid. He remained the most suitable person to become Mizukage.
"The defeat cannot be blamed entirely on Yagura," the Anbu leader added. "We had a clear advantage at first. The situation turned when Reiki led the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and was defeated by Hayate Mugetsu. From favorable to unfavorable, it began there. Reiki bears heavy responsibility."
Compared to Yagura, who was still alive and could still become Mizukage, the deceased Reiki was a far more convenient scapegoat.
Since he was already dead, a little extra disgrace would not hurt anyone.
"Fuguki Suikazan and the others also handled matters poorly," the advisor added, smoothly shifting blame to the fallen swordsmen as well.
In a few short exchanges, Yagura somehow became the losing side's most valuable piece, while the failure was pinned on the inadequacy of Reiki and Fuguki Suikazan.
None of them mentioned Mangetsu.
Not because they felt pity, but because the Hozuki clan still held influence in the village, and their reaction had to be considered.
The Third Mizukage nodded, accepting the general direction of the discussion.
Yagura had both faults and merits, and the main mistakes, at least on paper, did not rest on his shoulders alone.
In the end, the decision was made.
Yagura would be stripped of all current duties and sent into Anbu service to contribute to the village and atone for his mistakes.
"The five ninja swords captured by Konoha must be recovered," the advisor said next. "They are the Hidden Mist's precious property."
Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the two most valued blades were Samehada and Hiramekarei. Now that both had fallen into Konoha's hands, how could anyone in the room accept it?
"Recovering the swords is certain," the Anbu leader said, "but the method is the problem."
He laid out the reality plainly.
"Either we send forces into the Land of Fire again and fight a major battle with Konoha until we defeat them. Or we negotiate and retrieve the swords through the signing of a peace treaty."
The Hidden Mist had initiated the war. Konoha would not return five legendary swords for nothing.
And Konoha was fighting on multiple fronts. If the Hidden Mist sought negotiation, then even with demands, as long as they were not excessive, Konoha might agree.
"Starting another war so soon is inappropriate," Genji said firmly. "Konoha's morale is high, ours is low. That imbalance is extremely unfavorable to us."
He had no intention of approving a thankless march into another disaster.
"We cannot sign a peace treaty," the Third Mizukage rejected at once. "The swords must be recovered, but not in such a humiliating way."
If they negotiated now, the story would become the Hidden Mist declaring war, losing, then begging Konoha for their swords. The shame would stain his entire tenure.
The Anbu leader fell silent. If war was unacceptable and negotiation was unacceptable, what remained?
"Next, we do nothing unnecessary," the Third Mizukage said after a moment of thought. "We wait and watch."
He believed that given Konoha's situation, even if Konoha held the upper hand, they could not invade the Land of Water. That meant the Hidden Mist could sit back and watch the tigers fight, quietly waiting for the right moment.
When Konoha showed signs of decline, the Hidden Mist would return and strike. If they won then, they would gain both fame and profit, and reclaim the ninja swords in the same breath.
As for the possibility of Konoha defeating every enemy and achieving total victory, the Third Mizukage did not even consider it.
After the meeting, Genji left the Mizukage Building with a quiet sigh.
This war had made the Hidden Mist's weakness painfully clear.
Even with two jinchuriki, neither the Three Tails nor the Six Tails had a perfect host. Neither could achieve a true full tailed beast transformation while conscious.
And the new generation was far behind Konoha's.
Konoha had Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, who could stand against the new A B combo of the Hidden Cloud. Konoha also had Hayate Mugetsu, who could kill a jinchuriki.
The Hidden Mist had no one of the same generation with that kind of reputation.
It was not only the youngest generation either.
Even among Yagura's peers, Konoha still surpassed them.
Aside from Yagura, who could be compared to one of the Sannin, Reiki and Mangetsu could not. And those two had been overwhelmed by Konoha's new generation, dying to Mugetsu.
"Lord Genji."
A bright voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Mei Terumi's eyes lit up when she saw him. "Do you have time? I ran into some trouble with my Water Release training."
"What trouble?" Genji asked with a kind smile.
Mei was a genius he had noticed during the joint Chunin Exams. He had always been optimistic about her future, believing she could become a pillar of the Hidden Mist's next generation.
Mei quickly explained the issue.
After thinking for a moment, Genji gave his answer. Though age had slowed his training, he had once been a famous Water Release master in the village.
"Thank you," Mei said, bowing with genuine gratitude.
"You must train hard," Genji said with a light chuckle. "Your opponents from Konoha have already made names for themselves on the battlefield."
Three of Konoha's four most famous young geniuses had participated in the same joint exams Mei attended. And Uchiha Obito had even lost to her once in the second round.
"My opponents in Konoha?" Mei repeated, thoughtful.
The Hidden Mist would not spread news of their defeat inside the village. Aside from Mugetsu, whose name was already echoing across the ninja world, Mei did not know the details of Obito's accomplishments.
"Kakashi," Genshi said. "And Guy, the Green Beast of Konoha. They were there with you in the exams."
He briefly recounted what they had done on the battlefield.
Mei's eyes widened, her mouth parting in shock.
She had always known Guy was strong. She had not forgotten the scene of him brutally beating Kisame's squad during the exams.
But she had never imagined Guy and his team would become this terrifying, actually driving back the Seven Ninja Swordsmen head on.
As a Mist ninja, Mei understood exactly what the Seven Ninja Swordsmen represented.
They were a special squad under the direct authority of the Mizukage, each one selected from among elite jonin, each equipped with a powerful sword.
She could not imagine what Kakashi's team had experienced in the time since the exams to reach that level.
Back then, Kakashi's side had still been evenly matched with Kisame's squad.
Mei felt a flicker of shame.
At times, she had been proud of her own growth.
But her former opponents had already climbed to a higher stage.
"I need to train harder," Mei decided, her resolve settling like steel.
…
Because of the decisive victory, and because Konoha deliberately spread the news to raise morale, information about Konoha's triumph over the Hidden Mist and Mugetsu killing a jinchuriki quickly swept across the ninja world.
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
Tsuchikage's office.
"The Hidden Mist actually lost a jinchuriki," Onoki muttered as he read the latest report, surprise flickering across his face. "Konoha's threat needs to be re evaluated upward."
In his estimation, the Hidden Mist should have tied Konoha down on the eastern coast for at least two years, slowly grinding down their strength.
"Raging Sun Hayate Mugetsu," Onoki repeated, turning the name over in his mind.
From the information available, Mugetsu would be difficult to deal with.
He not only had an exceptionally strong Flying Thunder God, but also powerful Fire Release. Even his Ice Release was not weak.
"We need to speed up our actions in the Land of Rain," Onoki said, his determination hardening.
Konoha's strength was too great. They needed more enemies pointed at Konoha, and quickly.
Mugetsu's Fire Release was strong, was it?
Then let Ninja Master Sosuke clash with Mugetsu, and see whether Mugetsu's flames could surpass the man known for the strongest Fire Release.
Konoha had four young geniuses. The Shinobi Sect had the mysterious, troublesome Nagato.
The more Onoki thought about it, the more he felt that forcing the Shinobi Sect and Konoha into each other's path was a very good idea.
Hidden Cloud Village.
Raikage's office.
"How did the Hidden Mist get beaten back so quickly?" the Third Raikage said, staring at the report in his hand, almost speechless. "Useless."
In truth, Kumogakure had never truly gone all out against Konoha. A large portion of their forces were attacking Sunagakure.
The Third Raikage's plan was straightforward.
Take advantage of Sunagakure's weakness, conquer it, then defeat Konoha in one decisive sweep. After that, they would deal with Iwagakure and become the undisputed strongest village in the ninja world.
As for the Hidden Mist, Kumogakure had little interest.
The Land of Water was an island nation, making warfare inconvenient. Defeating three of the Five Great Villages would already be enough to prove dominance.
"Still," the Third Raikage said, his mood lightening, "this also proves the Hidden Mist is not worth worrying about."
The Hidden Mist failing to consume Konoha's strength was disappointing, but the weakness they revealed meant one less obstacle on Kumogakure's path.
"Once Killer B becomes familiar with the Eight Tails' power, neither Raging Sun Hayate Mugetsu nor the Yellow Flash Minato Namikaze will be a match for our new A B combo," the Third Raikage said with absolute confidence.
After B's death, the next Eight Tails jinchuriki would be Killer B, the new partner of the A B combo.
Killer B showed remarkable talent as a host. The Third Raikage saw an even stronger future in him than in B.
His son, the Fourth Raikage A, was not much worse than himself. With a stronger partner beside him, the new A B combo had the potential to become the greatest A B combo in history.
Hidden Sand Village.
Kazekage's office.
"To achieve this while fighting on three fronts," Rasa muttered after reading the report, "Konoha is too dangerous."
The Land of Fire sat in an advantageous position, almost at the center of the continent, separated from most major nations by only one or two smaller lands or a stretch of sea.
If Konoha ever chose to attack Sunagakure, they would not need the kind of long supply lines Kumogakure suffered. They could pass through the Land of Rivers and strike directly into the heart of the Land of Wind.
Konoha had no reason to turn on Sunagakure while fighting three fronts, but Rasa understood one truth.
Today's stance did not guarantee tomorrow's.
For Sunagakure, the best outcome would be Konoha being battered by Iwagakure and others until Konoha's strength fell beneath Sunagakure's. Only then would Konoha become a truly comfortable neighbor.
"If Konoha keeps this momentum," Rasa thought, "Sunagakure must act."
When that time came, Rasa would rather seek peace with Kumogakure than risk war with Konoha.
After all, Sunagakure and Kumogakure were far apart. Sunagakure and Konoha were not.
Not only the great villages were collecting information.
Even Minato, commanding the Land of Hot Springs front, heard rumors about Mugetsu.
Minato felt a quiet sense of emotion.
When he first met Mugetsu, Mugetsu had only been a chunin instructor.
Now, just over two years later, Mugetsu had become the famous Raging Sun Mugetsu of the ninja world.
Minato and Kushina had taught Mugetsu sealing techniques to help him survive the chaos ahead.
Minato never expected Mugetsu to reach this level of fame so quickly.
Mugetsu's rise was too fast.
Before Minato became the Yellow Flash, he had already been a well known elite jonin. But Mugetsu went from chunin to jonin, then earned the title of Raging Sun, all within a little more than two years.
"Mugetsu has been on the battlefield for so long," Minato thought with a wry smile, "I wonder if Kushina has given the Anbu any trouble."
Mugetsu's cooking had a strange charm. Once tasted, it was impossible to forget.
Kushina used to argue with Minato, insisting she needed to eat Mugetsu's food, otherwise she would tie up the Anbu watching her and sneak out for a meal.
Minato understood her.
If he had the chance to eat Mugetsu's cooking, he would be tempted too.
Minato was simply more patient. When things became too troublesome, he would endure.
"But Mugetsu should be close to returning to Konoha by now," Minato thought.
High intensity combat exhausted both body and mind. Mugetsu had earned major merit repeatedly, so under normal circumstances he would return to the village to rest briefly before receiving new missions.
Driving the Hidden Mist back had eased Konoha's immediate crisis. And Konoha was not lacking combat power to the point of needing to squeeze every last drop from one man.
With that in mind, Minato wrote a letter to be delivered back to Konoha.
He and Mugetsu had not spoken in a long time.
When Minato was on the battlefield, Mugetsu was in Konoha.
When Minato returned to Konoha for a short time, Mugetsu was fighting on the eastern coast.
When Minato went back to war, he was assigned to another front entirely.
…
As Minato expected, after the Hidden Mist retreated, Orochimaru and Mugetsu returned to Konoha.
Only a portion of forces remained on the border, guarding against a sudden return attack.
To celebrate the great victory, Konoha held a special event for the eastern coast forces.
At the gathering, Hiruzen personally recounted the achievements of the campaign, offered condolences to the ninja who had fought there, and carved the names of the fallen onto the memorial stone.
After that came what every soldier waited for.
Rewards.
Mission contributions were settled. Ninja who met promotion requirements were advanced.
Obito was among the chunin promoted to jonin.
When Obito received his new ninja identification, his eyes nearly went wet.
It had not been easy.
Finally, he could shed the humiliation of being Mugetsu's only chunin disciple. Finally, Uchiha Obito could stand tall in rank.
And Kakashi could no longer use his jonin status to suppress him.
After all, jonin was the highest rank.
As Obito's promotion was confirmed, a familiar panel flashed before Mugetsu, displaying reward information.
.....
[Check Out My Patreon For Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]