Chapter 79: The Old Man of Iwagakure (Patreon)

Northwest of the Land of Rain, in Iwagakure of the Land of Earth.

Surrounded by high mountains and hills, the village boasted natural fortifications like the impenetrable Sky Barrier, forming its natural defenses. At a glance, the village's buildings were primarily forged from rock, presenting a deep gray hue.

And now, within Iwagakure's hospital, a constant stream of groans and wails could be heard.

"Aiya, my back! Gentle! Be gentle! Ah!"

"Tsuchikage-sama, please be strong! It'll be over soon!"

On a hospital bed, several nurses held down the limbs of a short old man, while a large, muscular head nurse pressed down on his lower back.

"It's easy for you to say! I... Owwwooo!!!"

Crack!

With a crisp sound, the short old man, who had buried his face in the pillow, suddenly raised his head, letting out a howl mixed with pain and relief.

"Done."

The head nurse clapped her hands with practiced ease. She looked down at the old man lying on the bed, a somewhat helpless smile on her face, her tone tinged with reproach. "Tsuchikage-sama, please stop moving around so much."

"The back injury from your last sprain hasn't fully healed. We asked you to rest quietly in the hospital, but you refused. We advised you to rest properly at home, but here you are, sprained again just a few days later. You really don't take good care of your body."

If she hadn't said it, no one would have believed that this old man, lying face-down on the bed, groaning and feeling rather sorry for himself, was none other than Iwagakure's Third Tsuchikage.

As the grandson of the First Tsuchikage and the direct disciple of the Second Tsuchikage, his strength was formidable, earning him the reputation of "Ōnoki of Both Scales." He was a master of Earth Style ninjutsu and could wield the Kekkei Tōta, Particle Style, which surpassed even Kekkei Genkai.

Unfortunately, even he could not escape the erosion of time.

"What do you know?"

Feeling his dignity had taken a hit, Ōnoki's large red nose wrinkled. He straightened up with a dissatisfied huff. "I... I'm not even fifty yet! I'm at my peak! A minor injury like this is nothing!"

"Iwagakure can't function without me! You... Oww!"

Ōnoki was still loudly complaining, but the brawny head nurse paid him no mind. She simply secured his lower back with a stiff board, eliciting another pained yelp from the old man.

"Yes, yes, Tsuchikage-sama. Who in all of Iwagakure doesn't know that? You are our pillar," the head nurse said, placating him.

She pursed her lips, turning the old man over. She cautioned, "But you must take your body seriously. You have too many old injuries. As you get older, they'll all start to flare up one by one. If you sprain your back again, this problem will follow you for the rest of your life. It will have a significant negative impact on both your daily life and your ability to fight."

Ōnoki grunted unhappily but stopped arguing. He lay obediently on the hospital bed, saying impatiently, "Fine, fine. I'll just rest in the hospital for a while."

"Mhm." The head nurse nodded in satisfaction, grinning. "Tsuchikage-sama, let me help you to the restroom."

"W-wait! I don't need to go to the restroom right now!" Ōnoki's expression changed, a look of panic crossing his face. "Even if I did, I can still go by myself!"

"Be good, Tsuchikage-sama. You can't move right now."

"No, no! I can use ninjutsu! You know the Light-Weight Rock Technique, don't you? I can fly!"

"I'm not a ninja. I don't know anything about Light-Weight Rock or Heavy Rock techniques."

Knock knock.

A somewhat heavy knock sounded at the door. The head nurse instinctively stopped. Ōnoki immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly called out, "Come in!"

Although she didn't show much outward reverence for Ōnoki, that was merely a doctor's concern for her patient. The head nurse naturally knew her place and tactfully left the room.

Thud.

A very burly figure walked in, accidentally bumping his head against the doorframe as he entered. Rubbing his head, he looked at Ōnoki on the bed and asked in a deep, muffled voice, "Father, how is your body?"

The newcomer wore a red ninja cap and a red tight-fitting combat uniform, with a brown jōnin chainmail vest over it. His build was tall and powerfully built, and his large nose was the spitting image of Ōnoki's.

This was Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi.

"ANBU intelligence?"

Ōnoki took the scroll from Kitsuchi's hand while still lying on his stomach. After scanning it, his brow furrowed tightly.

"Hyūga Kumokawa? Of the Hyūga clan?"

His tone was filled with surprise. "No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi could integrate the Konoha clans so cleanly and react so decisively. So, there was a Hyūga clan member working with him."

"Tsk tsk, just listen to this... 'If our heads are already in the tiger's mouth, reason cannot pull them out.' And this was said by a mere boy..."

Ōnoki clicked his tongue in amazement as he read the detailed proceedings of the Jōnin Council. Yet, a flicker of envy and jealousy passed through his eyes.

"A Hyūga clan member who doesn't focus on taijutsu but instead trains in ninjutsu... truly rare. That's not a choice just anyone can make. And to have achieved a level of skill, with a temperament that's also solid enough..."

Konoha truly was a land blessed with talent. Just when one thought Konoha was facing a talent gap, teetering on the brink, a young person would always jump out to turn the tide, propping up the collapsing edifice. Barring any accidents, this boy named Hyūga Kumokawa would soon appear on the battlefield with even greater strength. Given Konoha's rich repository of ninjutsu and secret techniques, as long as you could demonstrate your value and talent, there would always be a technique suitable for you.

The former Sannin of Konoha, the former Minato Namikaze, now Hyūga Kumokawa... who would it be next?

Looking at the image of Hyūga Kumokawa in the intelligence report, at that handsome face with gentle smile, Ōnoki turned his head to look at Kitsuchi beside him. Comparing goods makes you want to throw the inferior one away. The difference in image was just too great.

Thinking this, Ōnoki slapped Kitsuchi on the head, making him scratch his head in confusion. Ōnoki continued reading, but his frown deepened.

"The Abyss in the Land of Hot Water... power to alter terrain... a suspected monster that has broken its seal..." he muttered, reading the ANBU-collected intel on the scroll.

Only when he saw that both Kumogakure and Konoha had secretly sent people to the Land of Hot Water did Ōnoki close the scroll, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

If it were only Kumogakure, it wouldn't mean much. Those brainless brutes always swung their clubs whether there were dates on the tree or not. But now, even Konoha had chosen, during this critical period on the verge of war, to temporarily allocate personnel to form a team and head to that place in the Land of Hot Water. That could only mean there was something truly valuable there.

"Father, do we need to do anything?" Kitsuchi asked timely.

Ōnoki nodded, then quickly shook his head. "We do. But we can't be the ones to do it."

"Those brutes from Kumogakure chase after our people like they're sworn enemies the moment they see them. What's the big deal? We just killed their Third Raikage..."

Grumbling through gritted teeth, he took a scroll from his robe and handed it to Kitsuchi. Kitsuchi opened it and, seeing the names on it, couldn't help but show a slight surprise.

"Kakuzu... the Gen'yū... the Hamyā... the Jashin Cult... and various bounty hunters and teams, large and small..."

Kitsuchi looked up at Ōnoki. "Father, are you planning to hire these bounty hunters to investigate the situation in the Land of Hot Water?"

The Gen'yū had a significant reputation in the black market. They claimed no village or master, undertaking tasks for money with the motto "take money, solve problems." They were known as "Ninja Hunters."

As for Kakuzu, known as the "Undying," his mission completion rate in the underground black market was nearly one hundred percent, with several achievements of killing A-rank missing-nin and Jōnin.

As for the Jashin Cult, it was an extreme religious organization native to the Land of Hot Water itself.

Kitsuchi wouldn't underestimate bounty hunters. Since they had earned their reputations, it meant they each had their own skills. The black market was inherently a mixed bag, with all kinds of people, but no one there was a saint. Those who could survive and thrive on that platform, earning loud reputations, were inevitably individuals with countless bloodstains on their hands.

"These bounty hunters and teams all have their uses. They are experienced veterans with plenty of combat experience."

Ōnoki stated plainly, "As long as the money is sufficient, even for a near-suicidal mission, they will flock to it. If used well, they can bring us considerable benefits."

"I don't just want them to investigate the Land of Hot Water. I'll also have them scout the Land of Rain to get a clear picture, so we can join the war accurately when the time comes."

Even the honest and straightforward Kitsuchi expressed no opposition to his father's words. He merely nodded, tacitly agreeing with Ōnoki's approach. If Iwagakure ninja were sent, they would likely be targeted by both Kumogakure and Konoha, with an extremely high probability of being wiped out. It was better to leave such a dangerous task to bounty hunters who worked for money. For Iwagakure, success or failure only meant a loss of some money.

The resources needed to cultivate an elite Jōnin were far more expensive than hiring a Jōnin-level missing-nin.