Chapter 34: Aburame Torune
The white-haired young man's name was Hatake Kakashi. His father was the late Konoha legend known as the White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. Currently, he served as a student under the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato. During the recent battles against the Stone Village in the north, he'd inherited a Sharingan from his fallen teammate, Uchiha Obito, creating the first precedent for a non-Uchiha to legally possess the bloodline limit.
In short, this teenager was famous.
Of course, in Hyuga Ritsu's mind, Kakashi's appearance on the eastern front meant far more than simple reinforcement. The hidden hand manipulating events from the shadows of the shinobi world had likely already begun pulling strings behind the scenes.
At the end of the day, this war between Konoha and the Mist Village struck him as nothing more than a stage constructed by that mastermind to achieve some ulterior purpose. Otherwise, it was nearly impossible to explain why the Mist kept throwing themselves into battle despite repeated defeats. Even after their famous Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been decimated, they persisted with the tenacity of a dog refusing to release its prey, as if determined to fight Konoha to mutual destruction.
"Weakness itself is a crime," Ritsu murmured under his breath.
Kakashi's movements stiffened for just an instant before returning to normal. Silent as a scarecrow standing watch over rice fields, he led Ritsu to a tent.
"Torune-sama, I've brought the Hyuga clan head as requested," Kakashi reported from outside the tent.
"Hyuga clan head, please enter." A muffled voice emerged from within.
Stepping inside, Ritsu found the tent nearly empty of furnishings. Just a single table, a single chair, and sitting in that chair, a man dressed entirely in black. A hooded coat concealed most of his features in shadow.
His name was Aburame Torune, a master from Konoha's famous insect-wielding clan, skilled in using bugs as weapons in combat. He also served as one of the Hokage's advisor Shimura Danzo's most capable assistants. His reputation in the village was poor at best. Rumor had it that even his own Aburame clan wanted little to do with him.
But regardless of his reputation, it didn't change the fact that he currently held the position of deputy commander on the eastern front, second in authority only to Orochimaru himself.
"Deputy Commander Aburame, what can I do for you?" Ritsu addressed him formally.
He called Orochimaru "senpai" because of their connection through Hiruko-sensei. Though they weren't particularly close, at least they had some relationship. But Aburame Torune was a complete stranger. They'd had no prior interactions whatsoever, so naturally Ritsu maintained courteous, official distance.
"Hyuga clan head, the Mist's current counteroffensive has been extremely fierce. Many squads have suffered casualties during combat, leaving their formations incomplete and unable to continue executing missions effectively. Therefore, we need to disband the understaffed squads and reorganize new teams."
"We're hoping to integrate your clan's newly arrived reinforcements into these formations. After all, having Byakugan users significantly reduces squad casualty rates."
Aburame Torune skipped any small talk and went straight to business.
"Acceptable," Ritsu nodded.
It was a reasonable request, both emotionally and logically.
Hyuga clan members were typically distributed across different squads to maximize the Byakugan's tactical advantages. Having Hyuga shinobi cluster together served no real purpose and would be a complete waste of resources.
Besides, spreading clan members across multiple squads helped ensure they wouldn't face targeted malice during missions. Those qualified to team with Hyuga clan members were usually shinobi from other prominent clans or genius-level talents from civilian backgrounds.
Common cannon fodder squads didn't have the qualifications to be paired with Hyuga clan members.
This was precisely why the Hyuga clan was considered one of the village's foundation stones. In contrast, the Uchiha clan's Sharingan lacked this kind of tactical utility. It could dramatically enhance an individual's strength, but in terms of importance to the village as a whole, it fell far short of the Hyuga clan's Byakugan.
"However, I'd like my clan's two elders to assist in arranging my people's assignments," Ritsu stated his condition.
Though he wasn't worried about Aburame Torune plotting to harm his clan members, maintaining proper vigilance was still necessary.
"That's appropriate. With the two elders' counsel, we should be able to make more reasonable arrangements." Aburame Torune didn't hesitate, agreeing immediately.
If Ritsu had requested to participate in this work personally, Torune would have refused without hesitation. But just the two Hyuga elders? There was no reason to object.
His objectives on this front were crystal clear.
Danzo-sama had ordered him to eliminate Hyuga Ritsu specifically, not other members of the Hyuga clan. Furthermore, Orochimaru had warned him not to create chaos that would disrupt the front lines.
Therefore, he could only target Hyuga Ritsu himself. No interference with others.
"Hyuga clan head, though I apologize for this, we have an extremely difficult mission that requires your personal attention. Originally we hoped to find someone else to execute this task, but currently we simply don't have anyone qualified available. The situation is urgent and leaves no room for hesitation..."
"So I must trouble you to make this difficult journey."
Aburame Torune's words were polite enough, but his voice remained flat, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. He sounded like someone reciting a pre-written script.
"Sounds like I don't have the option to refuse."
"We've truly been forced into an impossible corner. Orochimaru-sama said he could go, but without him guarding the main camp, if the Mist attacks we'll suffer devastating losses. We can't rule out the possibility that this very situation is part of a Mist plan to lure the tiger from the mountain."
"So what exactly is this mission?"
"Reinforce the Stone Drum Mountain defense line."
"The fighting there is that intense?"
"The Mist has launched an all-out assault regardless of cost. Once Stone Drum Mountain falls, behind it lies nothing but endless plains and forests. Fighting the Mist there, we'll have no terrain advantage. And if the Mist manages to plunder and occupy several cities, the Daimyo's court will be shaken. Every one of us will face severe consequences."
Shinobi warfare was still warfare at its core. The fundamental nature didn't change just because you added "shinobi" as a prefix. Killing, burning, and pillaging remained the war's main themes.
The Mist shinobi invading the Land of Fire couldn't possibly maintain perfect discipline. After all, the root cause of war was resource imbalance. Konoha and the Land of Fire were being attacked from all sides not because of hatred, but simply because they occupied the best territory and the most abundant resources.
Therefore, Konoha shinobi had established defensive lines along numerous strategic points across the long coastline, firmly blocking the Mist's main forces from penetrating deep into the Land of Fire's heartland with its seemingly endless plains and forests.
"How many people am I taking?"
Ritsu asked the question.
But Aburame Torune remained silent, offering no answer.
Realization dawned on Ritsu, and his brow furrowed. "Just me alone?"
"Not quite. There will be one other person accompanying you, Hyuga clan head."
"Who?"
"Uchiha Shisui."
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