HSU: Ch. 335

Masashi met with the envoy from Suna in his office.

The identity of this envoy alone was enough to show Suna's "sincerity."

"Baki, the last time you came to Konoha was during the Chunin Exams, wasn't it?" Masashi nodded toward him. "I hope you don't mind that I'm only seeing you now. As you can see, we're quite busy at the moment. Most of the people in this building are still working overtime."

"I wouldn't complain," Baki lowered his head. "It's an honor that you would agree to meet me at all."

"There's no need to be so polite between allies," Masashi said. "Konoha's nights are colder than Suna's. Have some tea to warm yourself. This is a special blend from the Fire Daimyō's estate. You've come all this way. A few cups of tea won't hurt."

Baki nodded, accepting the steaming cup handed to him by Masashi's secretary. He took a small sip and began to think about how he could persuade Masashi to take action.

Normally, persuasion begins with the other party's needs. But Masashi had no needs that Suna could fulfill.

"Suna has been weakened for many years. Our current situation is dire. We urgently need Konoha's support. We also hope to preserve as much of our strength as possible so that we can fulfill our duties as your ally."

"You overstate it. To call yourselves 'weakened,' I fear the Kazekage is being too modest. Ame may appear strong on the surface, but its foundations are hollow. In the end, the victory still belonged to Suna, did it not? If Konoha were to intervene now, that would be blatant favoritism."

"You've been to Suna yourself. Long ago, we had no choice but to adopt an 'elite-only' system. Our number of ninjas is now less than half of what it was in the Third Kazekage's era. Scarcity of supplies prevents us from training enough new ninjas. We're already doing everything we can just to defend our borders."

"So is the Kazekage showing pity for his subordinates, or is he afraid of Nagato?" Masashi waved a hand dismissively. "I've had the honor of dealing with the Kazekage several times, and I remember him well. With such an outstanding leader, I have no doubt that Suna will one day return to its former glory."

"With you in Konoha, we don't dream too big. But as for Nagato, he wields the legendary Rinnegan. Aside from you, I fear no one has the confidence to face him."

Masashi sighed, "Even if you flatter me like that, I can't convince the Hokage to go to war with Ame for your sake. I'm the head of the ANBU. I can only act on behalf of the village. If that's all you came to say, I'm afraid this meeting won't accomplish much."

No, if you go yourself, that's enough. Baki couldn't help but think so.

He wondered if Masashi knew that, in Ame, his name was even more feared than in Konoha. Every time he went to the Land of Rain, he would grind the Ame ninjas' faces into the dirt. To them, he was someone both hated and feared.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

"According to our intelligence, Oto has also begun to move. They've formed an alliance with Ame. According to the alliance treaties, allied movements should be reported to the alliance leader."

"That's an interesting piece of information," Masashi said, showing some interest. "Everyone knows who leads Oto, and that he's a member of Akatsuki. So, you're saying Akatsuki and Ame have joined forces?"

"Yes. The Kazekage has already had direct contact with Akatsuki. They've made it clear they stand with Ame."

"How can you prove that?"

"They killed one of our jonin."

That was indeed solid evidence. But it still wasn't enough to justify Konoha taking military action, or for him personally to leave the village. Masashi thought it over. Since he couldn't completely quash certain people's attempts to push him toward that chair, he might as well take a page from Jiraiya's book. He did have a family, so staying away for long periods wasn't ideal, but the position of Hokage required formal procedures. If he went through the motions properly, he could find a legitimate reason to leave the village.

But that reason had to be airtight.

After all, only by following the rules himself could he make others follow them.

He didn't reject the idea of being Hokage out of false modesty. He just believed it was more practical to spend that time improving his personal strength. If even after all that he still ended up becoming Hokage, well, he would accept it. After all, he was a member of this village.

Rationally, he wasn't surprised that people considered him a candidate for Hokage. He was already entangled in too many people's interests and expectations.

So he decided to give Baki a little push.

"Personally speaking, I'm actually on your side," Masashi said, meeting Baki's eyes. "But you have to give me a reason, one that's good enough."

Baki understood. But he hesitated. After all, someone from Suna had already cut down their own Kazekage. If he bad-mouthed his own leader again, people might start to think that in Suna, whoever they hate most is who they make Kazekage next.

That would just be ridiculous.

"It seems you haven't thought it through," Masashi said with mild disappointment.

Baki's bottom line, it seemed, was too rigid.

If even talking was too hard for him, he was bound to suffer for it. How could such a vast desert produce such an honest man?

"No, I came prepared." Baki gritted his teeth and decided to abandon his bottom line. As the most loyal subordinate of the Fourth Kazekage, he believed in his leader's magnanimity.

"To tell you the truth, the Fourth Kazekage rose to power rather suddenly, and his strength is somewhat inferior to his predecessors..." Once the words were out, he felt as if some invisible chain had been broken. "If he were to face Nagato, he'd surely perish, and then Suna would fall into internal chaos."

After that speech, his forehead was drenched with sweat.

Masashi, after hearing him out, decided that this reasoning was barely acceptable. He couldn't push the poor guy any further. Look how nervous the honest kid already was. That was probably his limit. Push him more, and he might just explode.

Bang!

A loud thud echoed through the office. A fist slamming on the desk. It startled Baki so much that he nearly jumped.

Several ANBU instantly appeared in the room, glaring at Baki like predators. In an instant, the air was filled with a clear "Just give the order, and we'll take his head" tension.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" Masashi scowled. "The Kazekage is one of the Five Kage! To insult him is to insult the Hokage as well! Provoking the order of the Five Kage is behavior that cannot be tolerated!"

The ANBU silently backed away.

Their new commander really was hard to describe.

They all felt a bit awkward.

"Get Itachi here," Masashi ordered.

One ANBU vanished immediately.

Masashi stood, walked over to Baki, and his face smoothly shifted into a friendly smile.

"My apologies, but I'll have to trouble you to accompany us to the Land of Rain."

"Really?" Baki was stunned, almost overwhelmed with relief.

He noticed the word Masashi had used. "Us."

That meant the mission was officially accepted. The task the Kazekage had given him was finally complete, even if a bit roughly.

"Of course," Masashi continued. "I hope Suna will understand our intervention. After all, this is no longer just a matter between Suna and Ame. Nagato of the Rain must give an explanation for his inappropriate actions that threaten the Five Kage system."

"Understand! We completely understand!" Baki nodded repeatedly.

Just then, someone knocked on the office door.

"No need to knock, just come in," Masashi called.

The door immediately swung open, and Itachi strode in, alert and composed. He looked at Masashi, and before the latter could say anything, Itachi spoke with a solemn expression, though his eyes glimmered with a faint, almost cheerful light.

"They're all dead."

What on earth...

"It's like this," Itachi said, already taking out a report. "Some ninja groups that had originally sided with Suna, but saw things turning against them, recently began sneaking into the Land of Fire. They've been causing trouble for border towns and ignoring Konoha's laws. For the sake of the nation's peace, this afternoon I..."

"Alright." Masashi waved his hand. "Spare me the petty details. Gather your men. We're heading out."

"Yes. Where to?"

"The Land of Rain," Masashi said at first, then turned toward Baki. "It is the Land of Rain, correct?"

Baki's face flushed red.

"Well, actually, we've lost a few areas as well."

Ah, so the front line had already been pushed back.

In other words, they'd be using Suna to defeat Suna.

"Then it's still the Land of Rain," Masashi said to Itachi. "We leave immediately. Notify everyone at once. Assemble at the west gate."

"Yes!" Itachi's eyes blazed as he dashed off, moving so fast he seemed to vanish.

"Have someone report to the four former Hokage while I go ahead," Masashi said to the remaining ANBU. Then he grabbed Baki by the shoulder, and in an instant, they were gone from the office.

For Baki, the world spun wildly, and when his vision cleared, he found himself standing outside Konoha's west gate.

He staggered slightly as he landed, steadied himself, and glanced at Masashi, still dressed in his yukata.

"There's really no need to rush that much. You'd have had time to change clothes."

"It's fine. Everything I need, I have backups for," Masashi replied, rolling up his sleeves.

Baki noticed the cloth bands around his wrists, each inscribed with sealing formulas.

Seeing that, Baki wisely kept quiet.

After a short wait, shadowy figures began darting toward them from the night.

They were the members of the Special Operations Unit.

Itachi arrived first, followed closely by the others.

Baki couldn't help twitching at the corner of his eye.

The assembled formation before him wasn't just disciplined. Anyone with a shred of battlefield experience could tell: these were elite soldiers, true war-hardened ninjas.

"Thank you all for coming out so late," Masashi addressed the group. "Our target is Ame. But unless I give the order, or an Ame ninja crosses into your engagement zone, do not attack them first."

"Yes!" the Special Ops members responded in unison.

"Good. Then let's move out."

Masashi led the Special Operations Unit openly out of Konoha's western gate. After all, he was going to mediate a conflict, not assassinate anyone. Still, given how awful the world's outdoor environment was, it was only reasonable for him to bring some manpower along.

Naturally, the news that Masashi himself was personally leading Konoha's assassination squad westward spread. Even while he was still within the Land of Fire, spies from all factions were already straining every nerve to make sure this information reached every corner of the shinobi world.

Masashi was already notorious enough. Now, with Konoha's so-called "Killer Squad" in tow, the buzz hit the absolute limit.

These days, nobody called Konoha's ANBU by their official name anymore. Everyone just called them the Killer Unit. Whenever these guys went on a mission, someone always ended up dead. Their leader, Itachi, was simply nicknamed the Killing Demon. Everyone believed that guy was a psycho addicted to slaughter. Even his own Uchiha clan, known for their heavy killing intent, couldn't stand him and simply banished him to the ANBU to indulge his bloodlust. As everyone knew, Uchiha ninjas either served in the Police Force or as jonin. What self-respecting Uchiha would join ANBU?

The Uchiha were classic "I-can't-live-without-showing-off" types. Asking them to fight while wearing masks was practically torture. Though Masashi was technically in the ANBU too, he was there as a leader, so he didn't have to wear one. But now, this ANBU commander, who by all rights should've been sitting comfortably in his office, was heading out personally, taking along the infamous Killing Demon himself.

For a time, attention toward this ANBU squad in the shinobi world surpassed even the war between Suna and Ame.

---

At the border of the Land of Rain, numerous Ame ninjas were on the move.

Their single mission: track down Masashi and Konoha's Killer Unit.

In fact, the Killer Unit's trail was considered even more important.

Masashi was a "Great Demon King," but at least he could talk. That "Killing Demon," though, was a complete lunatic.

If he slipped into their country, who knew when he might suddenly snap and start murdering people?

But finding such a squad was no easy task.

When Tobirama first created the ANBU, he limited its numbers to under a hundred for a reason. He had designed it as a cutting force, not an army. Even for ninjas, once the headcount grows too large, you can't stay hidden anymore.

The Ame ninjas patrolling the Fire-Rain border were mostly veterans recently recalled from the Suna front. The confidence they had built against Suna was quickly doused by a cold bucket of water when they faced Konoha. They wouldn't cross the border, and that was entirely thanks to the Uchiha Killing Demon's reputation. He would hunt down any ninja who crossed without Konoha's permission like a mad dog. Even if the intruder fled back home, he'd still chase them.

For two full days, the Ame ninjas had been searching along their side of the border. By now, Konoha's forces could easily have entered the Land of Rain.

The land was drenched in a torrential downpour. Sheets of heavy rain crashed from the sky, each drop thick enough to kick up a smoky mist where it struck the ground.

From time to time, lightning flashed across the sky. Silhouettes of Ame ninjas flickered within the curtain of water. Even they weren't literally born to live in rain. In this kind of storm, their work was miserable, and most had already huddled inside watchposts.

These watchposts dated back to Nagato's era.

On a hillside, a young Ame ninja stared out into the roaring storm, grumbling under his breath.

"Captain, maybe Konoha isn't even coming for us."

"Don't question orders from above," replied the captain, an old veteran who'd survived since Hanzō's time. He envied these young men for being born into easier days, but he had no comment on their overconfidence.

"How long do you think until we defeat Suna?" the young ninja asked eagerly. "I really want to get back to the front lines."

"Don't underestimate the ninjas of the great nations," the captain advised. "Back in Hanzō's day, everyone thought the same when we went to war against them."

"Don't worry. I won't be reckless. But I believe the great nations won't always be great." The young Ame ninja's eyes burned with passion, and the captain couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy for that spirit.

"Of course. We all hope that day will come. For now, it's rest time. Get some sleep. We'll take over the next watch soon."

"Captain, did they give us a time limit?"

"Of course not. Because Konoha will come," the captain said. "You kids haven't met the White Ghost. You don't know his style. He always prioritizes suppressing Ame. Our orders are clear: if we encounter him, treat him with utmost respect."

Seeing his subordinate's dissatisfaction, the old captain sighed and pulled the young man over to the fire.

"Don't be angry. The times have changed. That's why there are people like Nagato-sama and the White Ghost, people stronger than entire villages. For them, wiping out a village isn't about difficulty, it's just a matter of rounding everyone up first. So, the outcome of our war with Suna depends entirely on whether Nagato-sama and the White Ghost can negotiate peacefully."

The young Ame ninja fell silent, dazed.

Suddenly, he felt like all his efforts were meaningless.

Then...

"Judging by your voice, you really are getting on in years."

The sudden voice shattered the stillness of the outpost, startling every Ame ninja present. Yet none of them moved, because each and every one of them now had a gleaming white blade or kunai pressed to their necks.

Somehow, a group of Konoha ANBU had slipped into the watchpost without a single one of them noticing.

The Ame ninja captain lowered his gaze. Reflected in the smooth, snow-bright steel before him was the face of the man standing behind him.

He recognized that face instantly.

"Konoha's Killing Demon..."

Behind him, Itachi's expression did not change, though inwardly, he disliked that title very much. But he didn't blame them. After all, they did not possess the Will of Fire. And so, he could forgive their ignorance.

"Where are our sentries?" the Ame ninja captain asked.

His eyes shifted toward another figure in the room, the one who had spoken earlier.

The White Ghost, Masashi. There wasn't a single ninja in the entire shinobi world who didn't know that name. There were fewer than ten Ame ninjas inside the post, but an equal number of guards were stationed outside.

"Relax, they're all alive," Masashi said, crouching down in front of the Ame ninja captain. "I'm here to find Nagato. You should know where he is, right?"

"I'm just an ordinary chunin. I don't even have the qualifications to meet Nagato-sama."

"Oh, I believe you really don't know," Masashi said with a small shake of his head. "But that excuse you just gave me? Pretty weak."

He gestured for his Special Operations team to lower their weapons. Their initial restraint had been only to keep these men from panicking. Otherwise, someone might've died.

"Then what about Konan?"

"The Lady Saint is at the front lines," the Ame ninja captain answered quickly. "If you wish to see her, I can contact her right away. We were ordered to welcome you, actually."

"Such a grand welcome, huh?" Masashi chuckled.

This kind of over-the-top formality from the Ame ninjas only confirmed his suspicion: Nagato really wasn't in Ame right now.

Just then, the door opened, and a new figure stepped in. The newcomer's Suna ninja uniform immediately drew wary looks from every Ame ninja present.

"Ame is also Konoha's ally," the Ame ninja captain said uneasily. "You mustn't believe Suna's words too easily..."

He was starting to get annoyed. He recognized this person too, which meant he had to talk again.

If only he hadn't.

Baki gave him a brief glance. A chunin? Never seen him before.

He ignored the man and turned to Masashi.

"If that's the case, let's head straight to the front lines."

"Nagato isn't there. If we show up at the front, it won't look good," Masashi said, shaking his head. "As this Ame ninja mentioned, both Ame and Suna are Konoha's allies. We can't appear to favor either side."

Baki was baffled.

Didn't you just say in the office that you personally sided with Suna? How did you flip this fast?

Damn it, the Kazekage was right. If the White Ghost ever becomes Hokage, he'll be the most ruthless Kage in history.

"So," Masashi said calmly, "we'll head to the Land of Wind front line."

Baki was completely thrown off.

"Didn't you just say..."

"What I mean," Masashi explained, "is that it'd be inappropriate for us to appear in either army's camp. But if we go to the battlefield itself between them, then there's no issue. We'll be right in the middle, neutral ground."

Baki blinked in realization.

Ah, so the White Ghost is actually a good man. I misjudged him.

Seems like the Kazekage's words weren't very reliable after all. He was way cooler back at the mines.

"Allow me to guide you," he volunteered immediately.

"Who else could lead the way if not you?" Masashi said with a sigh.

Then he turned back to the Ame ninjas.

"Friends of Ame, please inform Konan that I have come to mediate between both sides. I ask that she kindly grant me this courtesy. Oh, right..." Masashi tapped his temple. "Sasori is the central figure in this whole conflict. Please have her bring him along as well. I'm not taking sides here, but this matter did wound Suna's pride. For the sake of peaceful coexistence in the future, it's best we settle everything openly and once for all."

"Understood."

The Ame ninja captain had a thousand things he wanted to say, but right now, he couldn't say a single one of them.

Outside, the torrential rain poured down endlessly. It would easily wash away any trace of blood.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Masashi said politely, nodding to everyone in the watchpost before leaving with Baki and his Special Operations team.

Only after a long while did the Ame ninja captain and his subordinates step outside. There, slumped by the doorway, lay their comrades, the sentries who had been stationed outside.

One by one, they checked them over.

The Konoha ninjas had actually been quite courteous. They hadn't even dumped the bodies roughly on the ground.

"Wake them up and send the signal," the Ame ninja captain sighed. "We need to report this back immediately."