Chapter 121: 117: Ambiguous Meeting With Ayane
"Nice to meet you, Chiba Shiraishi-san. This is our first face to face meeting"
Seated on the stage the priestess Miroku spoke. Her voice was very distinctive. When she spoke, the surroundings became hush.
"Indeed, Miroku-sama"
Shiraishi responded. He sat upon a cushion prepared by a maid who had since left, displaying an attitude that was neither overly humble nor arrogant.
Previously, they had only communicated via letters, sent by General Tu. This was their first in-person meeting.
"You are here now. What's the matter?" Miroku inquired.
"There are some urgent matters I need to discuss with Miroku-sama. I've prepared a plan. Please take a look"
Without wasting time, Shiraishi directly said his purpose of coming.
He was about to approach and hand over the scroll to Miroku when she raised her palm. The scroll floated up and landed in her hand.
Seeing this, Shiraishi couldn't help but smile. Miroku's abilities.... seem interesting.
Miko opened the scroll, calmly scanned its contents. After reading, a rare strange look appeared on her face.
"Miroku-sama, what are your thoughts?" Shiraishi inquired.
"While I may not understand everything, I can sense that if these plans come to fruition, they could significantly improve the lives of the people in the Land of Demons. Please proceed, Shiraishi-san."
"Thank you very much for your trust."
"You're welcome. I merely hope for the lives of people in this country to get better."
Miroku added, her gaze shifting to the scroll's content.
Repairing roads, building schools, and promoting education were among the plans.
Miroku believed that if Shiraishi needed an asylum status from the neutral Land of Demons for any covert or illicit activities. She didn't have a problem if he was acting on the best interests of the people,
"By the way, there is one thing. Could Miroku-sama help clear my doubts?" Shiraishi asked, interrupting Miroku's thoughts.
"Please, go ahead."
"It's about Mount Myōboku."
Shiraishi's expression became more serious. Initially, he had regarded the Holy Land of Mount Myōboku as inhabited by toads practicing sage arts.
However, through the incident with Minato, he had witnessed the immense power and heritage of this sacred place. Even the act of reversing life and death was possible. Shiraishi realized that he needed a deeper understanding of this holy land's abilities.
"I know very little about the happenings there. But one thing to note is that the leader of Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage, possesses the same power of foresight as us. In fact, when it comes to prophecy, he surpasses us in comprehensiveness and omnipotence."
Miroku stated. A solemn look appeared on her face for the first time.
"The Great Toad Sage?" Shiraishi hadn't heard this title before, nor of the existence of the Great Toad Sage.
"It is said that the Great Toad Sage is a toad that has lived for over a thousand years. According to priestess records, it once shared a life-and-death connection with the ancestor of the ninjas, the Sage of Six Paths."
Shiraishi felt like this conversation had veered into the realm of fairy tales.
"A toad that's lived over a thousand years without dying? That's enough to send chills down one's spine. Mentioning the Sage of Six Paths sounds like something from a fairy tale" Shiraishi thought.
Mythical stories are usually fictional characters formed by humans through various artistic interpretation.
"Shiraishi-san.... you don't believe it?" Miroku asked.
"Well, it's not that I don't believe it, but the sudden jump of the topic to the Sage of Six Paths felt like a fictional character"
Shiraishi answered honestly.
"In this world, there are many extraordinary phenomena that could not be understood with human understanding. The Great Toad Sage may have taken notice of you."
"Taken notice of me? What does that mean? I've never had direct contact with the toads on Mount Myōboku.
Miroku's astonishing words made Shiraishi slightly stunned.
"No contact is needed. Predicting the future involves peering into one's destiny. Sometimes, we priestesses have dreams about the future, and those dreams unfailingly come true as in the dream. However, Shiraishi-san, you don't have to be too pessimistic. Please remain optimistic when facing the unknown"
Miroku said this, still wearing a gentle smile.
It was clear that she was accustomed to dealing with such matters. Issues like life and death can't disturb her.
Shiraishi stared at Miroku in silence, feeling that her words weren't exactly comforting.
He rose from his seated position with a sigh.
"Fate? Although I'm not inclined to believe in such strange things, I will pay attention to them. Thank you, Miroku-sama, for your advice."
Mount Myōboku? What a troublesome existence. If he were to confront Konoha's forces again, he would have to address this thorn in his side first. Otherwise, it would continue resurrecting the fallen he had killed, making things extremely tricky.
"Then, I'll take my leave, Miroku-sama."
"Please, go ahead."
"By the way, if my troublesome identity is exposed, wouldn't it cause trouble for the Land of Demon?"
"Don't worry; in this world, there are responsibilities that only the priestesses can fulfill" Miroku replied.
Shiraishi nodded, realizing that whatever duties the priestesses had, they must be quite troublesome. These duties might also be related to the Land of Demon' status as a neutral nation. He decided not to delve into it too deeply, focusing on increasing his power during the ongoing war.
.....
The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.
The battle broke out early in the morning.
The sound of clashing kunai and shuriken echoed across the rainy battlefield.
Ninjas clashed, and their frantic screams filled the air, blending with the pervasive scent of iron. That scent wasn't from the rain but from the blood spilled on this grim battleground.
Explosions from exploding tags and ninjutsu assaults, along with the heart-wrenching cries of those meeting their final moments, created a cacophonous symphony of war.
The sky was dark and dense with the extremely thick dark clouds gathered, oppressive clouds, suffocating those beneath.
Lifeless bodies littered the ground, a testament to the brutality of this conflict.
Weapons stained with blood, craters created by explosive tags, and flashes of explosions filled the landscape.
Water bombs, fireballs, lightning and earth walls, and sharp wind blades roared like savage beasts.
This was the grim reality of ninja war.
"Earth Release: Great Moving Earth Core!"
An Iwagakure Jōnin performed a seal, summoning a large area of earth that formed a figure which flew through sky, hurling Konoha ninjas into the air before spewing stones from its gaping maw.
As the stones soared, they expanded, mercilessly striking the Konoha ninjas moving through the air, causing them to scream in pain.
"Kitsuchi is quite capable. Then I can't lag behind here."
Another Iwa Jōnin with an explosive mane followed suit, creating a small earthquake that left Konoha ninjas unsteady on their feet.
"It's Gari of the explosion release"
"Haha, how happy. Am i already so famous?"
Gari chuckled, hearing the panicked shouts of Konoha ninjas. He leaped forward, triggering a series of explosions that sent several numbers of Konoha ninjas flying.
He moved through their ranks like a force of nature, wreaking havoc among the Konoha troops.
Then, suddenly, a massive shadow plummeted from the dark clouds.
The thunderous impact echoed behind the explosive Iwa Jōnin.
Dozens of Iwagakure ninjas were obliterated in the thunderous explosion.
Sand and stones flew, the ground quaked, and countless cracks were etched into the earth.
Even the body of Gari felt the ground tremble, and he, too, quaked in fear as he looked at the behemoth before him showing a look of terror.
It was a huge toad, as large as a hill. The Iwa ninjas who were crushed below had been reduced to puddles of gore.
An attack from such a height was more devastating than any ninjutsu.
"Cough!!"
Gari was bloodied and battered, retreated from the dust and debris. He gazed at the Konoha ninja on top the head of the huge toad—Jiraiya, one of the Sannin.
"It appears things have become a tad troublesome"
Gari muttering to himself. Although being one of the Sannin was considered a mark of failure, for most ninja, it still signified an apex level of power.
Gari quickly withdrew. His abilities alone were insufficient to take on Jiraiya.
This man required at least several Jōnin and hundreds of Chunins to handle the massive summoned beast.
"Why do human wars always involve me? You, Jiraiya, must you summon me every time for battle?"
The huge toad summoned by Jiraiya, known as Gamabunta, puffing on a huge pipe as it glanced disdainfully at the ninjas below.
"Sorry, Bunta, but Konoha cannot afford to lose this war" Jiraiya responded. He understood the gravity of their situation.
If they failed here, the Iwa ninjas could infiltrate the Land of Fire, coordinating with the Suna on the other side to attack Orochimaru's forces. This would lead to heavy losses for the Konoha ninja left behind, with any survivors being mercilessly hunted down by the Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
"I Know"
As Gamabunta spoke, his mouth bulged, and he immediately spit out a large amount of oil, which poured out from the sky.
Simultaneously, Jiraiya formed hand seals, spitting out a massive fireball from his mouth.
"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya unleashed the fireball, which mixed with the oil cloud, creating a sea of flames that engulfed the Iwagakure ninja.
Even amidst the rain, the fire attack remained relentless.
"Don't underestimate us, Konoha ninja! Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!" Kitsuchi shouted.
Enduring the losses of Iwa nins by the side, he struck the ground with on of his palm, and an imposing iron wall erupted, intercepting the combined attack of oil and fire.
Releasing such a massive amount of chakra left Gamaunta's breathless, but he stared defiantly at Jiraiya, refusing to yield.
"This guy's quite powerful"
Gari remarked as he joined Kitsuchi.
"After all, he's one of the Hokage's disciples" Kitsuchi nodded.
"Hmm.... If they join forces... Gari of the explosion release and Kitsuchi, the Tsuchikage's son... they're both troublesome ninjas" Jiraiya muttered to himself.
Jiraiya also realized that he didn't have the luxury of time to deal with the rest of the Konoha ninja.
Leaving aside the Kitsuchi, Gari was an elite Jōnin who had gained fame in Iwagakure, he possessed formidable capabilities.
,.......
The intense war erupting among the three ninja villages of Konoha, Suna, and Iwa immediately sent shockwaves throughout the world.
The small nations sandwiched between them had once again become a battlefield, and the scale of this war far exceeded that of the previous ninja war.
In contrast, the Land of Demon, located far from the battlefield, remained secluded and untouched by this war.
"Are we dealing with bandits?"
Ruri seemed uncertain about Shiraishi's intentions.
Facing her doubts, Shiraishi nodded and explained, "Indeed, while the Land of Demon hasn't been directly impacted by the war, our domestic situation isn't entirely stable. There are many thieves aound remote, uninhabited villages. We need to eliminate these thieves as swiftly as possible. This map records their locations."
Shiraishi took out a map of the Land of Demon, marked with numerous red circles signifying areas infested with bandits.
"Why not give these missions to your subordinates?"
Ruri asked, her interest piqued only when facing enemies of equal strength.
Shiraishi, however, had different plans. "No, we're not just dealing with bandits. We're building roads."
Ruri raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Building roads? Isn't that a easy job?"
Shiraishi clarified, "Many of the roads in the Land of Demons are in poor condition. While ninjas may can move on them without issue, ordinary people face difficulties, especially during rainy days. This is a massive amount of work."
Even with the entire organization's workforce, this project would be time consuming. Nevertheless, it was a necessary effort for the sake of future convenience.
"But what's the point of all this?"
Ruri asked with a hint of frustration. Her true interest lay in increasing her strength rather than mercenary or construction work.
"Of course It serves a purpose. Developing infrastructure like roads is essential for fostering trade, education, and more" Shiraishi said.
"I see, I'll just do it."
Resigned, Ruri left with a displeased expression.
Seeing her leaving with a displeased expression, Shiraishi sighed he was also helpless, because his organization had limited manpower.
Suppressing bandits was the first step to stabilize the Land of Demon internally. Simultaneously, road construction was essential for future progress.
There wasn't time for him to rest.
Wanting to connect the new road to every city, every village and town in the Land Of Demon, the workload isn't insignificant.
Fortunately, ninjas can use various tricks to shorten the time for the project, otherwise the huge amount of the project was really scary.
Compared to building roads, taking care kf bandits was easier work..
With the bandit suppression and road construction underway, Shiraishi's organization could shift its focus to education, further enhancing the people's ideological understanding.
"Shiraishi-kun, I'm here to find you"
Ayane's voice came from behind her.
Shiraishi suddenly felt a familiar, elastic sensation on his back as Ayane embraced him from behind.
"Hey, don't sneak up on me like that"
"What's the matter, I just saw Ruri, she seems to have gone out with anger..."
Ayane said with a smirk, "In other words,, there are only the two of us here now, right?"
There was an expectant gleam in her eyes
Shiraishi ignored her expectations and glanced at her.
"Have you finished your work?"
Ayane released him and spoke with a distressed tone,
"Your assignments are so boring and it's because they're so boring that I couldn't bear to stay. It's not like my absence matters much. Besides, I'm clueless about road construction, so I left General Tu in charge."
"You should still fulfill your responsibilities; you're the face of the Hyuga clan. By the way, there's nothing wrong with your mother, right?"
Shiraishi then recalled.
When Ayane left the Hyuga Clan, she knocked her mother unconscious from behind and she was transported here.
Ayane twirled a lock of hair absentmindedly and responded with a nonchalant smile, "That woman... She initially cried, urging me to apologize and return, claiming that the main family would forgive me. What a stupid woman."
"Is it okay to say that about her? She is your mother after all."
Shiraishi asked.
Ayane explained, "If she weren't my mother, I wouldn't care about her life or death. Don't worry; she's a reserved woman. She won't speak out; she'll only silently resent me. She's a typical Hyuga clan member."
After hearing her explanation, Shiraishi decided to overlook Ayane's comment and return to work. He needed to get the development plan for the Land of Demon back on track as soon as possible.
"Shiraishi-kun, it's okay to take a break once in a while. We have some free time now, and Ruri isn't here. How about we visit the hot springs? You can always resume work afterward. Besides, I've never experienced the hot springs in the Land of Demon. Let's try it together"
Ayane hugged him again, speaking in an ambiguous tone.
Her alabasters seemed to want to burst out from her clothing.
"This is an office; let's be more professional. My eyes...."
Shiraishi urged, feeling a tingling sensation in his nose.
Was this the power of an S-level esoteric forbidden jutsu?
This esoteric ninjutsu seemed rather indecent.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Ah, is Shiraishi-kun in there? Its Miyoko, and I've brought the materials you requested. Huh? The door seems unlocked, so I hope you don't mind if I come in"
Uchiha Miyoko's voice called from the other side.
With a turn of the doorknob, Miyoko, dressed elegantly, entered the room. She wore a bright smile, seemingly in good spirits.
However, her expression froze as she found Ayane pressed against Shiraishi in a compromising position.
"Well, Shiraishi-kun, what's going on here? Did auntie come at an inappropriate time?"
Miyoko asked with a hint of disbelief.
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