Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 364 Illusion Showdown
Using the money that should have been used to compensate the Uzumaki clan of Konoha to curry favor with and win over the powerful Land of Waves was, for the shrewd Hiruzen Sarutobi, a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.

This not only reduced the actual expenditure on the "disobedient" Uzumaki clan of Konoha, but also used the remaining 20 million to do a great favor for the Land of Waves, a potential powerful ally. It also eased the rift caused by the Uzumaki incident, demonstrating Konoha's "generosity" and "vision".

However, in Umino Sasuke's opinion, this stunt was utterly stupid.

As the behind-the-scenes boss of the Land of Waves, he felt no joy at all receiving the 20 million ryo draft "aid" from the Konoha government.

The Uzumaki clan has already settled in Konoha, so they are, after all, one of our own. Giving them money, even if it doesn't enhance their strength or sense of belonging, is like keeping the money in Konoha – it's like the meat rotting in our own pot. Ultimately, it strengthens Konoha's overall strength.

Now, Hiruzen Sarutobi, for the sake of some vague "diplomatic friendship," has sent his already meager and precious funds beyond the borders to the neutral and potentially huge Land of Waves. Apart from making the Land of Waves' merchant treasury a little fuller, what substantial benefit does this bring to Konoha itself? How much genuine support from the Land of Waves can it gain in return?
In the past, in order to end the war as soon as possible, they did not hesitate to sacrifice their most important ally, the Land of Whirlpools. Now, for the sake of so-called "diplomacy," they do not hesitate to cut back on compensation for their own ninja clans in order to appease foreign countries.

This short-sighted, opportunistic approach, lacking strategic resolve and internal cohesion, once again made Sasuke Unno doubt about Hiruzen Sarutobi's political wisdom and magnanimity.

"As expected, one's perspective determines one's potential. Hiruzen Sarutobi is only fit to play these low-level power games within the small territory of Konoha."

Sasuke Umino casually tossed the 20 million ryo draft into a drawer, his face devoid of any joy, only a cold sneer.

This windfall was certainly a boon to the development of the Land of Waves, but the political philosophy and shortsightedness of Hiruzen Sarutobi reflected in it made him even more worried about the future of Konoha, and even felt a little disgusted.

This "better to give to friendly nations than to domestic slaves" approach is a prime example of self-destruction.

What good is it to give precious funds to a neutral and potentially powerful foreign force for the sake of some vague and wishful "diplomatic friendship"? It only benefits the enemy and chills the hearts of one's own people.
Especially considering that during the time he fought valiantly to support the Land of Whirlpools, Hiruzen Sarutobi actually negotiated peace with Sunagakure in order to end the war as soon as possible and consolidate his own power.

The thought of this made it hard for Umino Sasuke to contain his anger.

Konoha clearly held an overwhelming advantage on the front lines in the Land of Wind. He and Hatake Sagumo had previously joined forces to almost cripple the elite forces of Sunagakure, and even the One-Tailed Jinchuriki, Bunpuku, became a prisoner.

The Konoha army's advance was aimed directly at the heart of the Land of Wind. Internal conflicts within Sunagakure intensified, with the voices of the surrender faction growing louder. The village was barely holding on, supported only by a few hawks like Chiyo and the pitiful pride of the Third Kazekage.

Given the situation at the time, as long as Hiruzen Sarutobi did not forcibly recall him and Sagumo Hatake, or even just send them back to the front lines of the Land of Wind, there would be no need to launch a large-scale attack. Simply applying pressure would have been enough to force the resource-depleted and panicked Daimyo of the Land of Wind and the high-ranking officials of Sunagakure to completely collapse, sign a humiliating treaty, pay huge war reparations, and even cede border land.

What a glorious victory that was! It was enough to allow Konoha to firmly suppress Sunagakure for the next decade or so, completely eliminating the threat from the southwest.

But what did Hiruzen Sarutobi do? In order to extricate himself as soon as possible to deal with potential internal power challenges, and in order to enjoy the political halo brought by "ending the war" as soon as possible, he actually took the initiative to stop the offensive, impatiently started peace talks, and even gave up all the gains that were almost in his hands.

In Sasuke Umino's view, the final ceasefire agreement was nothing short of a humiliating treaty that betrayed the country and insulted the souls of the fallen Konoha ninja. The Land of Wind didn't even have to pay a single penny in war reparations, and the strategic advantage that countless Konoha ninja had gained with their blood and lives was so easily abandoned by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Damn politicians!" Umino Sasuke couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

If it weren't for the complex power dynamics within Konoha's ninja clans, requiring Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo as "swords" to counterbalance and weaken them, and to teach them to take the blame, Sasuke Umino would have loved to immediately unite all the disgruntled forces and oust this old politician, the Hokage.

Upon receiving news that Danzo had returned to Konoha from the front lines in Takigawa, he temporarily abandoned his impulsive thoughts. Without Danzo, the hawk, to counter Hiruzen Sarutobi's "dove" tactics in the village, the resources left by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, would likely be squandered by this so-called "strongest Hokage." Now, with Danzo, who also had similar erratic behavior, at least the situation was balanced.

Fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi, under the influence of Sunagakure's negotiator Toyoshiro, released Shokuren Pakura unconditionally ahead of time, ostensibly to show Konoha's sincerity and promote peace talks. However, he wasn't completely foolish. He held onto Bunpuku, the most important card, and insisted on waiting until the treaty was officially signed before allowing Sunagakure to redeem him.

Although Sasuke Unno was dissatisfied with Sunagakure's redemption of Bunpuku, he understood that it was a necessary move to maintain the balance of power in the ninja world established by Hashirama Senju. Konoha could not possess the strongest tailed beast while also holding onto the One-Tailed Beast for an extended period, as that would undoubtedly trigger collective panic and an attack from the other four great nations. What angered him was Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude; instead of using this trump card to extort money from Sunagakure, he seemed "eager to get rid of it."

He had no ill feelings towards Monk Fenfu himself, and even felt a little respect and a slight guilt because of his memories of the original work. If it weren't for his great battle with Monk Fenfu, which caused Monk Fenfu's body to be overworked, this kind old monk should have been able to live for another ten years or so. Now, Monk Fenfu was exhausted and was only kept alive by the One-Tailed Shukaku in his body desperately supplying chakra.

Sunagakure was in a hurry to redeem him simply to retrieve the strategic weapon, the Tailed Beast. Konoha could have made a fortune from this deal, but Hiruzen Sarutobi made it seem like a freebie from a signed contract.

Sasuke Umino suppressed his anger, and his eyes regained their calm and profound expression.

Well, compared to letting the major ninja clans of Konoha continue to leech off the village and hinder its development, Hiruzen Sarutobi will inevitably suppress the major ninja clans in order to consolidate his position as Hokage. He still has some value for now, so let him play one last role. It won't be too late to remove him from power once he has weakened the ninja clans' influence.

Of course, the most crucial point is that we are still at war, and changing commanders in the midst of battle is a major taboo in military strategy. It can easily trigger internal strife and damage the overall interests of Konoha. Moreover, it is far more prudent and efficient to sideline a Hokage in name only than to overthrow him and redistribute power.

Sasuke Umino kept calculating in his mind: "Among the elders, Akimichi Torifu-senpai and Elder Ashina clearly support me. Koharu Utatane has been shifted the blame many times and is no longer loyal to Hiruzen Sarutobi, so there is a possibility of winning her over. Shimura Danzo is an ambitious man and has never been a true loyal dog of Hiruzen Sarutobi; on the contrary, he wants to replace him."

If handled properly, it seems that creating a fictionalized version of Hiruzen Sarutobi is not a difficult task.

The reason why Hiruzen Sarutobi's position as Hokage was so secure in the past was because of the support of Mito, the strongest Jinchuriki in the ninja world, and the fact that his three Kage-level disciples commanded troops and controlled multiple powerful departments.

Now, the three legendary Sannin of Konoha are disaffected, Tsunade is basically considered one of their own, Orochimaru is engrossed in his research, Jiraiya is holed up in the Land of Rain teaching his disciples, and the frontline military command has been largely divided between Umino Sasuke and the veteran Jonin.

As for the departments with real power, they were constantly eroded by the elders and various ninja clans. Crucially, after the Mitokado Homura incident, Hiruzen Sarutobi's prestige plummeted, and the foundation of the Hokage position was shaken.

Hiruzen Sarutobi has clearly realized the crisis and has already begun to take action.

He had made up his mind that after the war ended, he would "sharpen his blade" again, sharpening the "dirty blade" of Shimura Danzo's Root to suppress the ninja clans; using Hatake Sagumo as a "fast blade" to maintain external deterrence; and at the same time, he would also find a way to firmly grasp Umino Sasuke, the sharpest and most dangerous "scythe," and preferably make him as tainted as Danzo, losing his clean reputation, and no longer able to threaten his position as Hokage.

Thus, a wicked plan to "kill two birds with one stone" took shape in his mind.

Currently, the ceasefire agreement with Sunagakure is being explicitly resisted by Koharu Utatane and Torifu Akimichi, who denounce it as "treason." They are in need of a person in charge to sign it. Since Koharu and Torifu are unwilling to get involved, let the rising star and highly respected Sasuke Umino do it!

If he agrees, he will tarnish his own image. Signing the treaty by himself will inevitably provoke dissatisfaction from the soldiers on the front lines and the radicals in the village, cracking his perfect image and making him easier to control in the future.

If he doesn't agree, it would be seen as disobeying orders, indicating that he "cherishes his reputation," is unwilling to be second to anyone, and has ambitions to become Hokage. This would be a good opportunity to suppress his arrogance and even accuse him of disregarding the overall situation.

No matter what choice Umino Sasuke makes, Sarutobi Hiruzen will benefit from it.

Soon, the Hokage's order reached Umino Sasuke, who was helping Uzumaki Ashina select and reorganize the directly subordinate Anbu.

"Let me, as Konoha's plenipotentiary representative, go to the border of the Land of Rivers to sign a ceasefire agreement with Sunagakure and be responsible for handing over the One-Tailed Jinchuriki?"

Sasuke Umino looked at the command scroll, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, but his heart was filled with icy coldness. As expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi had started using such despicable probing tactics.

However, he shifted his gaze from the Hokage's insidious and calculating order back to the training ground.

At this moment, the atmosphere in this newly built Uzumaki clan training ground was far more tense than the undercurrents in the Hokage's office.

All twenty-eight members of the newly formed First Battalion of the Anbu directly under the Grand Elder were present. A small portion of them came from various clans in Konoha, while the rest were elite ninjas selected from commoner ninjas. They exuded a fierce aura and had sharp eyes.

The captain is Ikkaku Umino, a veteran Jonin with outstanding achievements from the Iron Wall Legion. He has earned the title of "Konoha's Raging Waves" in the ninja world by summoning the semi-complete form of Umibozu. The three company commanders are Kurenai Yuhi (First Company), Ryuka Uchiha (Second Company), and Mokuta Aburame (Third Company).

At this moment, the second company commander, Uchiha Ryuka, slowly rotated his crimson three-tomoe Sharingan, staring directly at Umino's corner with the arrogance and scrutiny unique to the Uchiha clan, without any attempt to conceal his gaze.

"Captain Ikkaku!" Uchiha Ryuka's voice carried an extremely obvious provocation. "I have long admired the name 'Konoha's Raging Waves.' I am not very talented, but I have been able to awaken the Three-Tomoe technique for many years. I would like to ask the Captain for his skills so that the team members can witness the Captain's prowess firsthand!"

These words sound grand and dignified, but in reality, they are just expressions of dissatisfaction.

Everyone present knew perfectly well that while Ikkaku Umino was strong, he relied more on Umibozu. His own strength was only barely at the threshold of an elite Jonin. Facing an Uchiha elite who had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan and had comprehensive abilities, his chances of winning were extremely low.

If Umino Ikkaku is defeated, or forced to summon Umibozu to win, his prestige as captain will be greatly affected, and he may even lose his position. Umino Ikkaku's expression was solemn, his hand on the hilt of his sword, clearly preparing to fight, because he could not back down.

Just then, the First Company Commander, Yuhi Maku, stepped forward and stood in front of Umino Ikkaku.

With a gentle yet firm smile, he said to Uchiha Ryuka, "Captain Ryuka, sparring is a good thing. However, I have personally witnessed the strength of the Captain, and I am ashamed to admit that I am no match for him. Especially when he summoned Lord Umibozu, the immense power he possessed was beyond human resistance. I think Captain Ryuka wouldn't want Lord Umibozu's imposing figure to disturb the peace of Konoha because of a sparring match, would he?"

His words, seemingly meant to reconcile, were actually a barrage of provocations against Uchiha Ryuka: You challenge the captain? Fine! But if the captain goes all out and summons Umibozu, can you handle it? Don't summon him? Winning then isn't a sign of skill; it just makes it seem like you've forced the captain to hold back in the village. Moreover, he cleverly labeled Uchiha Ryuka as "unwilling to confront Umibozu."

This was precisely the strategy that Umino Sasuke had discussed with Yuhi Shinku in advance.

Through her connection with the Kurama clan, Yuhi Shinku had already secretly sided with Unno Sasuke, and now she naturally had to give her full support to Unno Ikkaku.

As expected, Uchiha Ryuka was enraged. His three-tomoe jade rings spun faster as he coldly said, "What do you mean by that, Captain Yuhi? Do you think I, Uchiha Ryuka, am not worthy to fight Captain Ikkaku? Or is it that the captain only relies on summoning beasts? Since Captain Yuhi speaks so highly of Captain Ikkaku, why don't we have a spar first, so I can warm up!"

He was successfully provoked into anger by Kurenai Yuhi.

"In that case, I'll exchange a few blows with Captain Ryuuka. Please go easy on me," Yuhi Shinku replied, her hands already forming hand seals.

The battle broke out instantly.

There was no earth-shattering clash of ninjutsu; an eerie silence fell over the arena.

As the two stood facing each other, their eyes met, and at that instant, their invisible mental energy fields seemed to collide.

Uchiha Ryuka was quite confident in his Sharingan genjutsu. The three tomoe spun wildly, and the powerful ocular power transformed into invisible shackles, instantly invading Yuhi Shinku's consciousness and unleashing the Sharingan's unique and powerful genjutsu, Shiranui.

However, just as Shiranui's illusion was about to take shape and imprison Yuhi Shin's spirit, a glint flashed in Yuhi Shin's eyes, and she directly unleashed a counter-illusion.

"Magical Rebirth: Mirror Image!"

This illusion not only possesses powerful defensive capabilities, but it can also be reversed, turning against the opponent's illusion itself.

To everyone's eyes, Uchiha Ryuka's body trembled slightly, and the rotation of his Sharingan showed a barely perceptible pause. A look of astonishment flashed across his face, clearly not expecting that his genjutsu would be so easily blocked by his opponent, and even rebound to some extent.

The fighter plane is fleeting.

Kurenai Yuhi pressed her advantage relentlessly, giving Ryuka Uchiha no chance to adjust. Then, an even larger, more subtle, yet silent spiritual power spread out.

"Magical Universe: All Things in the Universe!"

This is not a simple illusion that makes people entangled in trees, but an advanced illusion improved from the Magic Tree Binding Kill.

Under the control of Yuhi Shinku, Uchiha Ryuka's three-tomoe Sharingan seemed to transform the entire training ground into an endless primeval forest. Countless giant vines and trees, like living monsters, coiled around him from all directions, not only binding his body but also directly entangling and oppressing his mind!
What's even more terrifying is that the mental impact contained in these illusions is extremely solid, even interfering with his Sharingan's normal observation of chakra.

Uchiha Ryuka frantically activated his Sharingan, attempting to see through the genjutsu and analyze the chakra flow. However, Yuhi Shinku's genjutsu had already surpassed the level of simply relying on visual deception, employing a large amount of mental interference and attack. The Sharingan could "see" the anomaly, but it was difficult to instantly "analyze" and "break" this high-level genjutsu that combined direct mental impact.

He felt as if he were stuck in a quagmire, his movements became sluggish, and his thoughts began to become chaotic. He tried to activate the Sharingan's power to break the illusion, but found that even his chakra manipulation was greatly interfered with.

"Damn it!" Veins bulged on Uchiha Ryuka's forehead. He pushed his Sharingan to its limit, finally managing to find a tiny opening in the genjutsu. He then unleashed a burst of chakra: "Release!"

boom!
The illusion shattered, and Uchiha Ryuka staggered back two steps, his face pale and his breathing rapid. Clearly, breaking the illusion had exhausted his mental energy and eye power. He looked at the kunai on his neck in disbelief, his heart filled with bitterness.

At this moment, Yuhi Shinku had already moved onto Uchiha Ryuka and placed a kunai on his neck.

The entire room fell silent, then erupted in gasps of surprise.

"Captain Yuhi actually used genjutsu to suppress the three-tomoe Sharingan?!"

"How can this be?!"

"That's incredible! Even the Uchiha's genjutsu suffered a huge loss!"

"The title of Konoha's number one illusionist is indeed well-deserved!"

Watching this scene, Umino Sasuke's eyes revealed admiration. He said loudly, "Captain Crimson's genjutsu has already reached the threshold of Yin Release. It is exquisite and unparalleled, and impossible to defend against. If one does not possess the absolute power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, or a powerful secret technique specifically designed to counter genjutsu, there are very few people in the ninja world who can withstand your genjutsu combo without a scratch."

"Your Excellency, you have given me a reward."

Kurenai bowed slightly, her gaze toward Sasuke Umino filled with a hint of surprise and doubt. When she had just cast her genjutsu, she could clearly sense that Sasuke Umino's spirit was like a bottomless, icy pool. When her genjutsu wave swept over him, it did not cause the slightest ripple, as if the genjutsu had been completely ignored.

This cannot be explained by ordinary illusion resistance. Could it be that Lord Umino is also proficient in extremely profound illusion magic?

Little did he know that while Umino Sasuke's genjutsu skills were high, they were not top-tier. His immunity mainly stemmed from the absolute control over mental energy and extremely powerful mental strength brought about by the Spirit Transformation Technique, coupled with his profound understanding of Yin-Yang Release, making it virtually impossible for conventional mental attacks to shake his consciousness.

Even with Itachi Uchiha's Tsukuyomi, Sasuke Umino was confident that he could forcefully break free using the "soul astral projection" characteristic of the Spirit Transformation Technique, or violently break it with the power of Yin-Yang Release. Of course, this level of soul confrontation would inevitably be extremely dangerous, and even if successful, he might suffer damage.

At this time, Yuhi Shinku defeated Uchiha Ryuka, which undoubtedly greatly consolidated Unno Ikkaku's authority. In addition, Aburame Mokuta also favored Unno Ikkaku, so Unno Ikkaku's position as captain was temporarily secured.

However, simply "stabilizing" is far from enough. What Umino Sasuke wants is to completely subdue this power, especially to suppress Uchiha Ryuka's arrogance.

He looked at Uchiha Ryuka, whose expression was constantly changing, and Yuhi Shinku, who, despite winning, still harbored doubts about him, and smiled faintly: "Shinku, Ryuka, you are both quite strong, as expected of Konoha's elites. However, there are still some shortcomings. How about this, the two of you come at me together, and I will give you some pointers."

Uchiha Ryuka, already seething with anger, laughed even harder upon hearing this: "Fine! Since Squad Leader Umino has such an interest, I shall have to offend you! Captain Crimson, let's all learn from your skills, sir!"

Kurenai Yuhi nodded solemnly, as he was trying to test Sasuke Umino's abilities.

Both were highly experienced in combat, and with just a glance, they instantly achieved a tacit understanding of cooperation.

"Magical Universe: All Things in the Universe!"

"The art of shackles and cangues!"

The two unleashed their strongest genjutsu simultaneously, and a visible mental distortion field instantly enveloped Umino Sasuke. The endless forest entanglement of Yuhi Shinku and the mental confinement power of Uchiha Ryuka intertwined to form an extremely terrifying composite genjutsu attack. Even a Kage-level powerhouse could be caught off guard and fall victim to it.

However, Sasuke Umino, who was at the center of the storm, didn't even blink. The complex genjutsu that was enough to drive an elite Jonin to the brink of mental collapse was like a gentle breeze blowing across a hill to him, having no effect whatsoever. His eyes were crystal clear, even with a hint of amusement.

"The essence of genjutsu is the use of Yin Release. It's quite limited in its effectiveness against people whose mental strength far surpasses yours or who have special resistance," Umino Sasuke's voice rang out calmly, as if he were lecturing in class. "Now, watch closely."

Before he could finish speaking, his figure suddenly blurred.

(End of this chapter)