Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 177 Go! Proclaim our existence to the world!
The border of the Land of Hot Water, the camp of the Hidden Cloud Village.

The air was thick with the stench of dampness and sweat, as well as the stench of blood that seemed to have seeped into the soil.

The tent was dimly lit, with only a single lamp casting a halo of light to dispel the darkness.

The Cloud Village ninjas were resting on makeshift beds, some lying down and some sitting, their tired faces illuminated by the flickering light.

No one spoke, only heavy breathing, the occasional sound of turning over, and barely audible sighs.

Tomorrow, we'll be heading back to the battlefield.

This thought weighed heavily on the hearts of every Cloud Village ninja, like a heavy shackle.

War-weariness spread like a plague through the air, silently eroding the will of these Cloud Ninja.

Just then, a figure suddenly sat up on the mat in the corner.

"Ho! Ho!"

Like a drowning person being pulled to the surface, he gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently, large beads of cold sweat soaking the messy hair on his forehead and sliding down his pale cheeks.

Those bloodshot eyes were filled with unspeakable terror, and the pupils trembled incessantly with fear.

Nightmare!

That nightmare again!

In his dream, he returned to that scorched earth stained with blood, heard deafening explosions, heard his comrades' shrill screams before they died, and heard the muffled sounds of kunai and weapons piercing flesh!

He saw again those pairs of eyes wide with resentment before they died, countless eyes staring at him as if they wanted to drag him into hell!

In the final moments of his nightmare, he saw it again—the figure appearing in the thunderclouds, holding up the lightning; he saw countless comrades reduced to charred remains; and the Konoha ninjas surrounding him…

"Nurui...Nurui!"

A deep, concerned voice sounded from the side. As if still not fully recovered from a nightmare, Nuruyi slowly turned his head with empty and unfocused eyes.

Looking at his companion's familiar face, his mind gradually cleared, but his body began to tremble, and he could not utter a sound.

Because he remembered.

Tomorrow, he really will be returning to the front lines.

Everything he experienced in that nightmare will happen again.

Thinking of this, fear, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled tightly around his heart, making him feel suffocated.

He wasn't always like this.

He was once an elite Chunin of Kumogakure. He was young, passionate, and fearless. He felt extremely honored to be able to go to the battlefield and kill enemies for the glory of Kumogakure!
Every charge into battle, every bloody fight, filled him with excitement!

However, the war lasted too long.

So long that he lost count of how many people he had killed.

So long that he lost count of how many familiar companions had fallen beside him, turning into cold corpses.

So long that every time he left the battlefield, the deafening sounds of fighting, the scene of blood and flesh flying everywhere, and the desperate and resentful eyes of his comrades and enemies before their deaths would appear in his dreams.

Those scenes were like maggots clinging to his bones, gnawing at his nerves day and night!

His pride in courage was worn away by repeated brushes with death.

His once-boiling passion turned cold and numb after witnessing his comrades perish time and time again.

Until that day, the appearance of "Hyuga Kumokawa" completely destroyed everything.

I witnessed hundreds and thousands of Cloud Village ninjas turn into charred remains by that one attack...

I witnessed with my own eyes Lord Samui, the commander, kneeling on the ground and screaming in agony...

Witnessing firsthand the helpless roar of Lady Yugito Nii, the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails...

From that day on, Nurui felt only a deep-seated fear of the Konoha ninjas and the war, as well as a profound disgust and despair for the endless killing!

He didn't know when the war would end.

All he knew was that every day on the battlefield, he could become one of the countless unclaimed corpses on the battlefield!

"Nuruyi, are you alright?"

Seeing Nuruyi's face as pale as paper and his eyes unfocused, the Cloud Village ninja frowned and reached out to pat him on the shoulder.

However, just as his hand was about to touch Nurui.

"No! I don't want it!"

Nurui recoiled violently as if bitten by a venomous snake, his hoarse growl distorted with fear, and his eyes flashed with an almost insane fear and resistance!
"I don't want to go to the battlefield anymore! I want to go home! Yes, I want to go home!"

He kept muttering to himself, then suddenly threw off the blanket and stumbled to his feet.

Ignoring the astonished and worried looks of his companions, and the questioning glances from the other awakened ninjas, he staggered out of the crowded tent like a madman!

The icy rain instantly soaked through his thin clothes, and the biting cold made him shiver, but it could not extinguish the flame of fear in his heart!

I can't go!

I can't go to the battlefield anymore!

I will die!

I'm definitely going to die tomorrow!

And so, a crazy idea grew wildly in his mind, which was on the verge of collapse!

escape!
leave here!

Leave the front lines!

He stumbled and ran through the camp, the rain blurring his vision, rushing towards the tent in the center of the camp!
"Stop! Nurui! What are you doing?"

From in front of the tent came the anxious shouts of the Cloud Village ninja, accompanied by the sounds of others trying to stop them.

But Nurui paid no heed. Fear had completely consumed his reason. Like a cornered beast, he unleashed his last strength and smashed open the heavy tent flap!

The tents were brightly lit and filled with warmth.

The Cloud Village frontline commander sent to replace Samui was a Jonin with a cold face and a scar.

He was sitting at a simple wooden table, studying a map carefully by the light of the lamp.

The map was covered with markings representing the enemy's and our own positions, and next to it was a transfer order stamped with Lei Ying's seal.

Nurul's sudden intrusion shattered the silence inside the tent.

The Cloud Village Jonin subconsciously looked up, his gaze falling on Nuru.

Seeing his subordinate, who was soaking wet, pale-faced, and trembling violently like a frightened bird, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He recognized Nurui; after all, there weren't many Cloud Village ninjas skilled in Earth Release ninjutsu.

But Nuruli didn't look like this in his mind.

"Nurui." The Cloud Village Jonin's voice was deep and carried an undeniable authority, "You have trespassed into the command tent, you..."

Pfft!
Before the Cloud Village Jonin could finish speaking, Nuruyi's knees buckled and he knelt heavily on the cold ground!

He looked up at the Cloud Village Jonin, rain and tears streaming down his face, his eyes filled with pleading and undisguised fear.

"My lord, I beg you!" Nuru's voice was hoarse and trembling. "Transfer me to logistics, to the transport team, to the medical corps, anywhere is fine, just don't send me to the front lines again!"

Upon hearing this, the Cloud Village Jonin's gaze instantly turned icy. He looked up at the crowd gathered outside the tent and already had a guess in his mind.

He knew, of course, that the war had dragged on for too long and that more and more Cloud Village ninjas in the camp were growing weary of the war.

The fact that Nurui was able to break into his tent may well have been a test by others.

Nuruli simply did what others dared not do.

But the more this is the case, the less we should let him have his way; otherwise, if we open a loophole, the morale of all the Cloud Village ninja will waver.

"Nuruyi".

The Cloud Village Jonin slowly stood up, looking down at Nuru, who was kneeling at his feet, trembling like a leaf.

“Here.” His voice was completely flat, calm and indifferent to the point of being chilling. “There are no deserters here.”

"No, no! I'm not a deserter, I just... I just..." Nuruyi shook his head incoherently, "I, I really can't go on! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!!"

Fear overwhelmed him like a tsunami, and in his collapsing mind, an even more insane and extreme idea emerged.

Injuried!

You can go home as long as you're injured!

Once you become a wounded soldier, you won't need to go to the battlefield!
The moment this thought entered his mind, it instantly occupied all his consciousness.

Then, Nuruyi suddenly drew his ninja sword from his waist, the blade gleaming coldly under the lamplight!
Under the watchful eyes of the slightly narrowed pupils of the Cloud Village Jonin, and the gazes of the Cloud Village ninjas outside the tent, Nuruyi gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with one hand, his eyes flashing with madness, and with all his might, he chopped down at his own palm!
puff! !
A sound like a sharp blade cutting through flesh and bone rang out, and scalding blood instantly gushed out from the severed hand!
It splashed onto the cold ground, onto the hem of the Cloud Village Jonin's trousers, and onto Nuru's own face, which was instantly contorted and ashen white from the intense pain!

"Ugh!!!"

Nuru let out a heart-wrenching scream. The immense pain made his vision go black, and his body trembled violently as if his bones had been removed!
But he stubbornly refused to collapse. Instead, he raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the Cloud Village Jonin, a morbidly twisted smile on his face:

"Sir, I'm injured. I can't go to the front lines anymore. I can go to logistics, right? Right!"

His voice was broken and intermittent due to the excruciating pain, filled with humble pleading and a sliver of expectation, as blood gushed out, staining the ground beneath him.

Inside and outside the camp, there was a deathly silence.

Only Nuru's heavy, painful breathing and the "drip-drip" sound of blood dripping to the ground struck everyone's hearts like a death knell.

The Cloud Village Jonin stared at the severed hand on the ground, and at Nuru's face, which had lost all color due to blood loss and excruciating pain. His shock and doubt gradually turned into anger.

"Have you said enough?"

His tone was icy and cold as he looked at Nurui and said, word by word, "You've said enough, go and get your wound bandaged!"

"Then, rejoin the team and prepare for tomorrow's battle."

"In our Hidden Cloud Village, there are only heroes who die in battle, not cowards who run away!"

These words shattered the last glimmer of light in Nuruyi's eyes, instantly freezing the madness, hope, and pain within them into utter despair.

why why……

I am simply disgusted by this meaningless death, and weary of this endless war and killing.

I don't want to be a hero, I just want to go home.

Finally, Nuruyi slowly lowered his head, and the despair in his eyes gradually turned into resentment.

------

The land of water.

As the only one of the five major powers that is far from the mainland and consists entirely of islands, its territory is scattered across a vast sea area. The main islands are relatively large, surrounded by countless smaller islands and reefs.

The island has a complex and diverse topography, including rugged coastlines, deep fjords, dense forests, and steep mountains. This terrain serves as a natural barrier and ambush point, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Significantly influenced by the ocean, the climate is humid and rainy, and it is shrouded in dense fog all year round with extremely low visibility. This unique natural environment is an important reason why the village of ninjas is named "Kigakure" (Hidden Mist).

Due to its island nature, it has limited interaction with other countries, which has shaped its unique culture and relatively closed policies to some extent.

This closed policy was most stringent during the reign of the Third Mizukage, and was later overthrown by the current Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, and others.

However, several years after becoming the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi's originally gentle nature became unpredictable.

Not only did he reinstate the Third Mizukage's policy of isolation, but he also purged the bloodline clans who had once followed him, turning Kirigakure into a "Village of Blood Mist."

Even the graduation exam at the Ninja Academy was no longer a display of ability, but a brutal battleground where classmates killed each other, completely extinguishing the last vestiges of ninja compassion.

The ninjas of Kirigakure are like cold weapons whose edges have been worn away and whose souls have been extracted, leaving only numb killing intent and absolute obedience to orders.

The Kaguya clan, an ancient family known for its bloodline limit "Shikotsumyaku" and its fanatical battle maniacs, naturally also teetered on the brink of collapse amidst the bloodshed in Kirigakure.

They feared the blades of Yagura Karatachi and the Anbu ninjas, yet their inherent warlike and madness prevented them from remaining dormant.

While the Uchiha clan in Konoha was in turmoil, the even more fanatical Kaguya clan was also preparing for a rebellion.

Deep within the Kaguya clan's territory in Kirigakure, in a dungeon.

There is no thick fog here, only darkness that is heavier and more despairing than thick fog.

In this deathly darkness, a small, thin figure huddled in a corner.

He looked to be less than ten years old, with long, dry, gray hair like straw. His clothes were worn and thin, and his skin was pale and bloodless, with visible blue veins under his skin.

His grayish-white pupils lacked the innocence and naivety of a child, instead displaying a bottomless, stagnant emptiness and dullness.

Crack! Crack!
He held a pale, hard bone tightly in his hand, using it to carve on the rough stone wall, the stone dust falling with a sickening sound.

He is carving a face.

A blurry face.

He didn't know whose face it was; he just carved it instinctively, as if that would dispel his loneliness.

He had forgotten how long he had been locked up here.

He didn't know why he was locked up here.

He only remembered that his name was Kimimaro.

He wasn't even sure if his surname was "Kaguya".

Because the eyes of those people looked at him were filled with deep fear, as if he were some kind of monster that would devour its prey, and also with intense greed, as if they were looking at a priceless treasure.

But there wasn't a single trace of warmth.

"monster……"

"arms……"

"The Corpse Bone Vein..."

These are the words he hears most often from his tribe. He doesn't understand their meaning, but he can sense the coldness and alienation they convey.

Clang! Crash!
A heavy metallic scraping sound broke the deathly silence of the dungeon, followed by the ear-piercing sound of the iron door being violently flung open.

The rusty iron gate was suddenly pulled open from the outside.

A blinding, cold light suddenly pierced the darkness, instantly dispelling the shadows in front of Kimimaro and stinging his eyes, which were accustomed to the darkness.

Kimimaro subconsciously raised his arm, covering his eyes with his tattered sleeve, and cautiously opened his eyes to look in that direction.

A tall figure blocked the doorway, casting a huge shadow against the light, completely enveloping Kimimaro.

"Kimimaro."

The man's voice was icy, carrying an unquestionable command, with a hint of barely perceptible fanaticism: "The time has come to use you!"

Upon hearing this, Kimimaro paused for a moment, slowly lowered his arm, and tried to adjust to the glaring light, his gray eyes fixed on the figure at the door!
But in those empty, numb eyes, an indescribable excitement and longing welled up.

Do you need my help?
Do they need me?

The sense of fulfillment called "need" drove Kimimaro's loneliness, even causing him to ignore the cold, commanding tone in the other person's words.

"What do you need me for?" Kimimaro's voice was hoarse.

"As weapons." The Kaguya clan member looked down at Kimimaro, a mad smile slowly spreading across his lips. "Fight for our Kaguya clan!"

"Don't think about anything, just kill all the Hidden Mist ninjas that appear in front of you!"

"Kill them all..."

Kimimaro repeated blankly, not understanding what it meant. He only knew that someone needed him, that someone needed his strength.

So, he took one last look at the unfinished stone carving of the face on the wall, then turned around without hesitation and followed the tall figure, step by step, out of the dungeon that imprisoned him.

In the palm of his hand, a sharp, white bone spur silently pierced his skin and slowly grew out.

He was not afraid of death, nor was he afraid of the darkness.

He was simply afraid of being treated as a useless person and abandoned in a deserted corner.

As long as I am needed by people, as long as I have a reason to exist, even if I am just being used by people, even if I die, it doesn't matter.

This is Kimimaro's "obsession".

------

The Land of Fire, the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Thunder, the Land of Water...

In this world of constant war and conflict, countless resentments and obsessions exist, and tragedies unfold in every corner every moment...

"The constant death and cries of war, the unsettled pain and hatred..."

"These are the fuel that allows us to grow."

In the Hueco Mundo Palace, which is independent of the ninja world, the 'Kage' sat on a stone throne and looked down at the three figures kneeling on one knee below, each with a different posture, and said this.

"Go."

He slowly stood up, his robes, formed from shadows, flowing and billowing, and said with a smile, "To announce our existence to the world."

As soon as the words fell, the space in front of 'Shadow' was torn apart as if a curtain had been ripped open.

Immediately, he took a step forward.

(Still 11,000 words, please vote for me! The room without air conditioning is so hot. I had no money for food, so I boiled some water to fill my stomach. The moment the water boiled, tears started streaming down my face. Waaaaah, now there are two boiling pots in the house QAQ)

(End of this chapter)