The towering mountain peaks are hidden in the clouds and mist. From a distance, you can only see the huge black outline, which is daunting.
Unlike the shinobi villages of other major countries, which are either built on gentle sand dunes, plains, or flat coasts, Kumogakure Village belonging to the Kingdom of Thunder is a village built among mountains and ravines. Ninja Village.
In Ninja Village, the fighting sect has the most ninjas, and the folk customs are sturdy and advocating practical action and strength.
At the same time, it is the village with the most persistent pursuit of military power among the ninja villages of the five major countries.
Located on the training ground at the top of a mountain, the Fourth Raikage and his personal secretary Jōnin Mabuyi appeared here, accompanied by the escort Jōnin Darui, as well as seniors who were proficient in illusion, medical ninjutsu and sensory ninjutsu. Ren Xi also appeared here together.
These two people went to the Kingdom of Iron with the Fourth Raikage to participate in the Five Shadows Conference, which was enough to prove their strength and potential, and they were highly recognized by the Raikage.
"Is this the kunai gun developed by the military of the Kingdom of Demons? It looks no different from the weapons used by the Kingdom of Kong in the past."
The Fourth Raikage looked at the kunai gun in his right hand, which was a weapon developed by the army of the Kingdom of Demons. In his left hand, he held a slightly worn kunai gun, which was used by the Kingdom of Kong in the past. Tools of tolerance.
During the Second Ninja War, Kumogakure also participated in the elimination of the Kingdom of Kong, and also plundered many ninja tools belonging to the Kingdom of Kong.
"Actually, there are differences. The kunai gun developed by the Kingdom of Ghosts is not only light and durable, but also automatically attaches attribute chakra when fired, enhancing the speed and penetration of the kunai. The design of the bursts also It is better than the Kunai Gun of the past from the Land of Kong."
Mabuyi, standing aside, gave a pertinent evaluation.
"That's right. Jounin aside, if each genin and chunin are equipped with such a weapon, then the tactics used in daily battles will also be enriched."
With that said, the Fourth Raikage picked up the kunai gun developed by Kongo Kuni in his left hand and pulled the trigger. A kunai quickly ejected from the barrel and shot towards the target in the distance.
laugh!
The kunai stabbed into the target without any surprise, fixed on it, and trembled.
The Fourth Raikage said nothing, then put down his left hand, raised the kunai gun developed by the Demon Country's military in his right hand, pulled the trigger as before, and with a whoosh, the kunai in the barrel was fired faster. come out.
It did not pierce the target, but penetrated directly through the wooden target, pierced the wall behind the target, and took root on the wall, leaving a shocking scar at the place where it was pierced.
The power of the old and new kunai guns makes a decisive difference.
"It's a terrible weapon. If a genin holds it, it will immediately become a very powerful weapon."
Nozomi, the jounin who served as the Raikage's bodyguard, was amazed when he saw this scene.
This kind of powerful kunai was not a surprise to him.
He can achieve similar effects by attaching chakra to kunai, or even better.
However, if this kind of weapon is widely used by genin, the sacrifice rate of genin in battle will be greatly reduced.
It will change the tactics of hardcore level ninjas.
Jonin Darui, who served as the Raikage's guard together with Nozomi, put his hands behind his head and whistled, also expressing surprise.
Such an inconspicuous thing, the kunai fired has such a powerful penetrating power, if you are not careful, the jounin will be affected.
"Yes, this is the value of this ninja tool. It seems that the military of the Kingdom of Ghosts is looking for strong military power just like us."
Mabuyi nodded.
Judging from the popularization of such ninja tools by the Demon Country military, it seems that they have completed the reform of ninja tools ahead of schedule. Almost everyone in the military has ninjas. It can be predicted that the Demon Country military is eager for military development.
There are many similarities with the route taken by Yunyin Village.
The Fourth Raikage did not express an opinion, but threw the kunai gun in his right hand and flew towards Darui.
"Boss?"
Darui took the kunai gun and looked at the Fourth Raikage suspiciously.
"Darui, use this gun to attack me, and I will test how strong the penetrating power of this weapon can be."
The Fourth Raikage walked far away, using himself as a target.
"It's really troublesome..."
After scratching his head, Darui did not solve the problem. He held the kunai gun and pointed the gun at the Fourth Raikage without hesitation.
Even though the penetrating power of this weapon is very strong, Darui does not feel that such a toy can do any harm to Raikage.
Even without the use of lightning armor, Raikage's body is as hard as steel, and ordinary kunai cannot even penetrate his skin.
"So, I launched."
With that said, Darui pulled the trigger and fired the kunai carrying wind attribute chakra.
The sharp kunai cut through the air and directly hit the Fourth Raikage's right chest.
As a result, it sounded like it hit an iron block, and the kunai was bounced away.
"Ah, I knew it would be like this."
Darui was speechless, not surprised by the result.
The Fourth Raikage looked at his right chest. It couldn't be said that it was unscathed. There was just a very thin cut. It was really hard to detect if you didn't look carefully.
"It can actually leave a mark on my body. It's quite powerful."
The Fourth Raikage said without humility.
His ninjutsu was passed down from his father, the Third Raikage.
Although his body is not as strong as his father, the Third Raikage, who can fight tailed beasts in hand-to-hand combat, it is not something that can be injured by ordinary weapons and ninjutsu.
So far, except for the Hyuga clan's soft fist and the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato's Rasengan, no one can ignore his tough body.
If the thunder armor is attached, the body's defense will increase by one level again.
Most offensive ninjutsu can be ignored.
Coupled with his own speed, which is now the best in the ninja world, it is not difficult to defeat thousands of people on the battlefield.
After all, compared to the Third Ninja War, his strength has grown substantially, which is nothing compared to the same.
"Although Raikage-sama is very strong, please don't act recklessly like this. Let's forget it this time."
Mabuyi walked over and warned with a sigh.
"I'm just testing the performance of these weapons... Okay, I have a rough idea of the power of this gun. This time I only introduced two thousand, and some of them will be dismantled and studied by the research department to strive for self-sufficiency. The rest can be discussed , but when it comes to national defense, we must control our production channels.”
The Fourth Raikage made the final decision and approved of the Kunai Gun.
Part of it was put into the working ninjas and allowed them to test and use it, and the other part was handed over to the research and development department to penetrate the principles of kunai guns and strive to make their own kunai guns instead of relying on the country of ghosts.
"Yes. So, about another batch of flying ninja tools, do you want to test them?"
Mabuyi asked.
"Don't go to such trouble. I remember Tutai is in charge there. Just take out one or two pieces and hand them over to the R&D department for study."
The Fourth Raikage shook his head. Seeing the weapons here, he basically understood the specific positioning of these weapons.
It can change some of the tactics of today's ninjas, but it doesn't completely change it.
But as various countries begin to study such weapons, the model and tactics of future ninja wars will also undergo certain changes.
The Fourth Raikage could completely expect this kind of thing.
Mabuyi nodded and recorded the words of the Fourth Raikage.
"So, is there anything else you need to deal with next, Mabuyi? If not, then I will go practice."
The Fourth Raikage asked.
As a secretary, Mabuyi not only helps Raikage with countermeasures, but is also responsible for arranging Raikage's work schedule, greatly improving Raikage's office efficiency and striving to avoid wasting time.
"There are two things."
Mabuyi said at this time.
"What's up?"
"Not long ago, Jiraiya, one of the three ninjas of Konoha, sent a piece of information, hoping that we would be wary of a ninja named 'Ako' from the Demon Country's military. The other party seems to have the ability to eliminate chakra. I think This information is more important, so I wrote it down."
Mabuyi replied.
"Is the information reliable?"
The Fourth Raikage asked.
"Since the source of the information is that Sannin, it should be reliable."
"Then leave it to the intelligence department to handle it. Just compile the detailed report and show it to me."
The Fourth Raikage ordered.
"Yes. However, Sannin Jiraiya actually provided such information for free. It seems that Konoha is very wary of the Kingdom of Demons."
Mabui made such a judgment, and it was foreseeable that Konoha had indeed been on a decline since the Third Ninja War.
At the Five Kage Conference, the wanted order for traitors from the Demon Country was eliminated. This was also criticized by many people internationally, and its prestige was not as good as before.
On the contrary, because Kumogakure has always focused on the development of military power, both the number of ninjas and armaments and logistics have improved significantly after the Third Ninja World War.
Recently, the number of businessmen who come to Yunyin to entrust tasks has increased significantly.
Konoha's strength and prestige have declined, so it is natural for guests to go to other ninja villages to entrust tasks.
On the other hand, the ninjas of the Demon Country do not rely on mission entrustment for rewards, but they are not restricted by the mission system of the five major ninja villages.
As long as the Kingdom of Ghosts is not involved in the task entrustment business, then the share of the task market that belongs to the five major countries will still belong to the five major countries and will not be circulated to the outside world. Then, there is not much conflict of interest between Kumogakure and the Kingdom of Oni.
As for how the Daming Mansion of the Kingdom of Thunder handles it, that is their business.
When the Ninja Village was first established, it had been agreed that Kumogakure would only be responsible for national defense, and political matters were matters that the daimyo and nobles needed to consider. Whether it is seeking cooperation or sanctioning the Kingdom of Demons, it has nothing to do with Yunyin.
However, with the commercial strength currently displayed by the Ghost Country, the advantages of cooperation outweigh the disadvantages.
Therefore, Mabuyi thinks that Sunagakure's attempt to use the Five Kage Conference to put pressure on the Kingdom of Demons is a not very smart move.
There is no reason for Thunder Kingdom and Yunyin to become spear users in the hands of others.
"This is an internal matter within Konoha. We just need to wait and see what happens. So, what is the second thing?"
The Fourth Raikage asked.
Having said this, Mabuyi's face became a little more solemn, and she reported to the Fourth Raikage: "That is about the Raikage-sama's last request. The ANBU has found the target."
"Require?"
The Fourth Raikage touched his chin and had no reaction for a moment.
Mabuyi said: "It's about the secret technique of strengthening the human body's meridian system. Anbu has found such a thing. The Raikage-sama's external body is already strong enough. The only weakness in the face of Rou Fist is the inside of the body. It’s defective.”
"Is it true that you found it, Mabuyi? Tell me quickly, who has this secret skill?"
After hearing this, the Fourth Raikage's eyes lit up and he couldn't wait to ask.
"Sugino Country, a small ninja tribe called Sugi Village... In this village, there is an ancient secret technique inheritance. It is said that it can strengthen the meridian system and internal organs of the human body. If the practice is successful, Soft Fist will be effective against Raikage. The threat of adults will be greatly reduced.”
Mabuyi replied.
"Great! Prepare your manpower immediately and head to this place called Sugi Village. Anyone who dares to block the road will be crushed by me!"
When the Fourth Raikage heard this, his eyes flashed, revealing his determination to win.
◎
"Business seems to be a bit sluggish recently."
The white-haired man said to the owner of the tavern.
The tavern owner glanced at the white-haired man and replied: "Yes, because of the strong rise of the Demon Country, business in the western part of the Ninja World has become difficult."
"Is it so exaggerated?"
the white-haired man asked.
The tavern owner sighed, wiped the glass in his hand, and continued to answer: "It's so difficult to do, but you also know that the Ghost Country basically has a zero-tolerance attitude towards this part of the market. Not only the Ghost Country, but also the Ghost Country The underground markets in the Kingdom of Netherworld, the Kingdom of Bears, and the Kingdom of Snow near the country have also been severely impacted. Many strongholds have been directly destroyed. If this continues, the job of bounty hunters will become increasingly difficult. .”
The remarks may seem unrelated, but they are not.
The tavern is just a disguise, the essence here is an underground black market trading platform.
The guests who come to this tavern are all people with special identities - bounty hunters.
The composition of bounty hunters comes from rebel ninjas from various countries, wandering rootless ninjas, and wandering samurai who know how to use chakra.
This is a violent group that can do all kinds of bad things for money.
On the bright side of the ninja world, the five major powers are respected, but in the dark world, the underground black market is running rampant.
The relationship between the underground black market is complicated, and political figures from various countries, as well as big businessmen well-known in the ninja world, are all secretly funding it. Pay money to hire a bounty hunter to do some shady things for you.
So, the market took off.
The five major countries turned a blind eye to this.
But the emerging military power, Ghost Country, is different. Their country's top leaders have a zero-tolerance attitude towards the underground black market.
The underground black markets in the countries surrounding the Kingdom of Ghosts were hit at the same time and were attacked and destroyed by unknown persons.
It is self-evident which country is taking the lead behind this.
In the past, when the two great powers of Futu jointly divided the western part of the Ninja World, the current situation did not occur. As a result, the Kingdom of Demons had just emerged, and the underground black market in the western part of the Ninja World was attacked at the same time... Anyone with a discerning eye knows what is going on.
But facing the Kingdom of Ghosts, which defeated the Kingdom of Wind, the big guys on the platform could only roar loudly in their own rooms, but there was nothing they could do about it.
They were facing the Kingdom of Oni, which had defeated Kazekage, one of the Five Shadows of the Kingdom of Wind. According to legend, Uchiha Ruri summoned a towering giant and killed thousands of Sand Ninjas with just one blow. It only took a dozen swords to kill them. Cutting down thousands of Sand Ninja. The military leader of the Kingdom of Demons, Chiba Shiraishi, was even more terrifying. He killed tens of thousands of sand ninjas instantly with one ninjutsu.
The underground black market, which is just a trading platform, is naturally not qualified to collide with a military power.
Because of this, due to the severe damage in the western region, the recent income of the underground black market has been 20 to 30% less than the previous month.
The salaries of these staff members have also been slightly reduced.
"So, will the target's bounty also be adjusted?"
The white-haired man asked the question that concerned him most.
"That's not the case. If the bounty is lowered, most bounty hunters will be dissatisfied."
The tavern owner laughed.
"That's right. Okay, let's do some interesting tasks. I've been a little busy lately."
The white-haired man also smiled.
"The ability of Mr. Bugao's team is worthy of recognition. Speaking of which, since Mr. Kakuzu retired, the Xuan Yuans led by Mr. Bugao have become the signature hunters of our underground black market."
The tavern owner said in a respectful tone.
"Everywhere, our colleagues think highly of us."
The white-haired man——Insect Man smiled modestly.
"This is not necessarily true. The completion rate of bounty missions is close to 100%. The ninjas who hunt ninjas - Xuan Yuanzhong, but there are many big shots who appreciate your abilities. If you are willing to become a retainer of a certain famous person, you will definitely be a guest. "
The tavern owner smiled at the insect man, as if he was conveying a message to some 'big shot'.
The insect man shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Forget it, we are used to being free and loose. If we are controlled by others, we will be a little uncomfortable."
"That's right, Mr. Insect Man, it's not time to retire yet. However, I also want to give you a word of advice. It is difficult to have a happy ending as a bounty hunter in the black market. Mr. Insect Man, please think more about your future... Well, okay, let’s stop chatting here, there happens to be a task that needs to be handed over to the Xuan Yuans to complete.”
The tavern owner handed me a drink.
"Oh? What is it?"
Insect Man picked up the glass, took a sip of the wine inside, and narrowed his eyes.
"The person who issued the mission is an elder from Sugi Village. They entrusted the Xuan Yuans led by Mr. Mushio to take back their secret technique. The commission fee is 80 million taels."
"Eighty million taels? Do you actually need such a high bounty?"
When Insect Man heard the reward, his eyes widened slightly and he seemed a little surprised.
Even the Xuan Yuan people rarely receive such high reward tasks in a year.
Most of the bounty missions they accepted had bounty amounts of around 10 million to 30 million taels.
The mission reward of 80 million taels has not been received for more than a year.
In the Ninja Village's commission system, such a task is undoubtedly the highest S-level difficulty task that requires several jonin to complete.
"Although it's a bit unbelievable, this is indeed a bounty given by the client."
The tavern owner looked serious.
"It seems that the secret technique lost in Sugino Village is not a simple thing...or maybe it is not simple to snatch the object of the secret technique in Sugino Village."
Bug Man muttered.
The tavern owner nodded, leaned into the insect man's ear, and said something.
After hearing this, Chong Man's expression became more and more solemn, but he finally nodded in agreement.
Since their debut, Xuan Yuanzhong has never experienced defeat without a fight.
No matter how difficult the task is and how terrifying the enemy is, you should try your best.
◎
"Recapture the stolen secret technique of Sugi Nomura?"
In the hotel in the town, Chong Man, who had taken the mission back, discussed it with the other four members of the Xuan Yuanzhong.
The other four people are earth men who use earth escape ninjutsu.
A fire man who is good at fire escape ninjutsu.
A water man who is proficient in water escape ninjutsu.
and Kageo, who uses Yinjutsu.
Each of them is given a systematic technique. Although one person is not a powerful ninja, their strength lies in their cooperation.
To deal with most enemies, only four people are needed. Once they encounter a powerful ninja, Bug Man will use his blasting insects to blow up the enemy to death.
The danger of blasting bugs, even Jiraiya, one of the Sannin of Konoha, had suffered in this regard.
In the ninja world, there are only a handful of ninjas who can rival the three ninjas. Therefore, the Xuan Yuan people in the underground black market are feared by everyone and become the client's guests.
"Yes." Faced with Shadow Man's question, Bug Man nodded and continued: "I heard that some unidentified ninjas entered Sugino Country a few days ago. Their goal is to steal the legend passed down from generation to generation in Sugino Village. Some kind of secret technique. After a battle, the secret technique of Sugino Village was snatched away... The mission issued by the elder of Sugino Village is for us to retrieve the secret technique scroll stolen from Sugino Village."
"Then, who is the person who robbed Sugino Village's secret technique..."
"Kumogakure ninja."
The insect man slowly said this sentence.
The other dead people all frowned, sensing the difficulty of the matter.
In order to enhance his military strength, Kumogakure went around collecting secret techniques and forbidden techniques. This matter was not a secret in the ninja world.
However, out of respect for the Kingdom of Thunder, the other four countries only turned a blind eye to Kumogakure's actions and only verbally reprimanded him.
In this way, if there is really a powerful secret technique in Sugi Nomura, then it is not incomprehensible that it was found out by Kumogakure and was robbed.
This is Kumogakure's authoritarian style.
Because Kumo Gakure pursues power at all costs, the ninja villages in various countries have to expand their armaments to defend against Kumo Gakure.
"Who is the leader of Kumogakure?"
asked the native man.
The insect man shook his head and replied: "I don't know at the moment, but the ones who entered the Sugi Village to steal the secret scrolls that day were just a few jounin from the Hidden Cloud Village. They were good at swordsmanship and thunder escape, and they injured many people in the Sugi Village."
This result is normal.
The village of Sugi is just a little-known village that has been in decline for many years. The jounin of Kumogakure is generally a powerful martial arts faction, and the jounin of the small village is even more powerful. It's not strange that in such a declining small village, even a few Kumogakure jounin can't do anything about it.
After all, some ninja villages are really small and only require a few jounin to capture them.
The ninja power of the Sugi Village is not that weak, but it is not much stronger either.
"Then go investigate. Since you accepted the mission, even if the opponent is Kumogakure, you must complete the mission."
Water Man said.
This is indeed the truth when the insect man waits for the dead man to nod.
After all, it wasn't a head-on confrontation with a ninja village, but it wasn't impossible to just take back the secret scroll.
Moreover, if we find that we are outmatched by then, it will not be too late to retreat.
Facing an opponent like Yunyin, they didn't dare to be careless.
"In addition, after completing this task, the headquarters also commissioned a task."
The insect man said at this time.
"What mission?"
The insect man glanced at everyone and said: "The leader asked us to find the whereabouts of Tsunade, one of the three ninjas. It seems that we have something important to discuss with her. If there are no other questions, let's go."
After Insect Man finished speaking, he walked out of the guest room first, and the other four followed him, and began to chase the Kumogakure ninja who had stolen the secret scroll of Sugino Village with Insect Man.
