Naruto: From Novice to Grave

Chapter 100 - No War on the Northern Front

With the Cloud Village gone, Konoha is relieved of its worries, and the Northern Second Command can now be dismantled.

That night, before leaving, Minato Namikaze discussed the matter with Hiashi Hyuga and the other Jonin, and then made a decision.

Early the next morning, Hiashi Hyuga led a group of Konoha ninjas who had been on the front lines and the wounded back to the village, leaving a certain number of branch family ninjas to go to the first command post as tactical support.

Hiashi Hyuga had no objection to this and readily accepted it.

In this battle, the Hyuga clan, as the main force, not only withstood the attack of the Cloud Ninja in the north, but also, under their command, basically wiped out this part of the Cloud Ninja.

He had already secured the credit he deserved and was content. There was no point in him staying on the front lines any longer, especially since it was even riskier than for other Konoha ninjas.

The Cloud Ninja isn't the only one in the ninja world eyeing the Byakugan of the main clan; no one would miss an opportunity.

Hiashi Hyuga was more clear-headed than Fugaku Uchiha. The Hyuga's position in Konoha was fixed, and the Byakugan would always be Konoha's strategic support. It was reliable and controllable, and no matter who was the Hokage, they would have to rely on their power, ensuring a stable income regardless of circumstances.

For this reason, Konoha has always promoted the Will of Fire, even ignoring the existence of the branch family system, and never mentioning this point.

He was well aware of the Uchiha's ambitions, but this was not something the Hyuga should actively pursue. At the same time, Hiashi also believed that Fugaku was wasting his time.

Why not just be a powerful clan in the ninja world? Everyone who becomes Hokage has to rely on the power of a major clan. Why do they have to climb to that position themselves and endure everyone's scrutiny?

The survival wisdom of his clan, which had survived for a thousand years in the ninja world, told him that if he wanted something, he should prepare and wait for the right time; forcing things would usually end badly.

Those powerful ninja clans that have been lost to history are proof of this.

Higashino Shin's group of ninjas who had just arrived at the northern front were naturally not among those returning to the village.

The next day, their squad joined the main force and headed to the Konoha Northern Command camp, located at the junction of the three countries of Konoha, Konoha, and Konoha.

Their mission was to replace some ninjas who had served on the front lines for too long.

The Third Shinobi World War was drawing to a close, and Konoha finally had the strength to rotate its forces.

The two locations were not far apart, and the troops did not need to rush. Maintaining a relatively slow marching speed, they arrived at their destination at noon.

When Shinichi Higashino arrived here, he was subjected to an extremely intense eye attack. Although the attacker did not have the Sharingan or the Blood Dragon Eye, he possessed a highly lethal eye technique in the ninja world.

【The Profound Meaning of Blood Ties: The Father's Gaze】

Inside the camp barracks, Higashino Jiro, who hadn't seen his son for some time, stared at him and said sarcastically, "Not bad, Shin. I'm so pleased. You've far surpassed me. You even dared to fight the Raikage one-on-one."

In fact, the father and son hadn't been apart for long. After all, the front lines weren't fighting every day, and occasionally some ninjas would be allowed to return to the village to visit relatives or recuperate.

At the speed of a Jonin, it wouldn't take too long to travel back and forth between the front lines and Konoha.

However, after several years of war, Higashino Jiro, who was nearly 30 years old, looked much more weathered than before. He had a scar on his left cheek that extended to his neck, which was left after the battle with the Iwagakure demolition unit.

He was almost blown up.

Even Jonin can lose their lives on the battlefield if they're not careful, let alone Chunin or even Genin.

Higashino Makoto shrugged. "There's nothing I can do, Father. I just said a few sarcastic things to that guy. Who would have thought that the Raikage would be so petty, resorting to violence when he couldn't win an argument? I can't just cower like a coward. Didn't you teach me from a young age that a ninja must have the courage to face battle head-on?"

"When I said that, I didn't tell you to face the village's Kage. Kage are dealt with by Kage-level people. What's shameful about a little brat like you cowering? It would be a joke if you died."

"I'm not dead, am I?"

"————"

Higashino Jiro suddenly got stuck, and then felt a little wistful.

Yes, his son not only withstood the Raikage's attack, but also emerged unscathed, earning the title of "Shield of Konoha" for nothing.

It's important to understand that it's very difficult for a ninja to make a name for themselves in the ninja world. He fought on the front lines for so long, and all he had was scars.

He sighed inwardly. He used to think that his son was a genius comparable to Kakashi, but now it seemed that he had misjudged him. His son's genius had exceeded his understanding.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel proud. He was indeed worthy of being my son. But then he thought about his duel with Raikage, which was really worrying. So he was torn between happiness and worry, and he couldn't fully release either emotion. He was feeling quite uncomfortable.

There was nothing to say for a moment.

"Alright, Jiro, isn't Makoto perfectly fine? He's been mature since he was little, he wouldn't do anything he's not sure of." Uzuki Yuwa advised, then looked at Higashino Makoto with an appraising gaze: "Not bad, Makoto, oh no, I should say Konoha Hero, 'Shield of Konoha,' oh my, now that I think about it, you have two titles."

"Uncle Xihe, let's forget about it, it didn't sound good."

"Oh? You still have complaints? A genius's mind is indeed different. Come on, genius, show us the amazing ninjutsu you developed yourself, and broaden our horizons."

"no problem."

These were all people closest to Higashino Makoto in the ninja world, located in the innermost circle of his definition of Konoha's comrades. Naturally, there was nothing to hide, and he immediately demonstrated them one by one, explaining the principles in detail.

Even when the Konoha F4 asked him before, he didn't hide anything. He said the same thing: anyone in Konoha who wants to learn can come to him, provided that you can learn it.

His foundation lay solely in the cultivation of special natural energy, a fact he never revealed to anyone.

He would never say anything until he had matured to a certain level; this was to protect those around him.

Higashino Jiro and Uzuki Yuwa were both Jonin, and while their eyesight might not be as good as Danzo's, it wasn't too bad either. They quickly discovered the problem.

All of Higashino's ninjutsu require an extreme level of control over chakra, which is beyond the capabilities of ordinary ninjas.

How am I supposed to learn this? It's like trying to learn it with my head! It's clear that ordinary people and geniuses are on different wavelengths.

Uzuki Yuwa suddenly felt that her hard-earned Jonin title wasn't so appealing anymore. Compared to Higashino Makoto's control over chakra, she felt like an idiot waving a knife around randomly.

But we can't be the only ones who suffer; we have to be foolish together.

He looked at the person leaning against the door and asked, "Hey, Brother Yunjian, after half a year as a Jonin leader, have you learned anything from your students?"

"You can't beat my disciple, but you can beat me? Moonlight Cloud said, 'Have you learned the Vacuum Sword technique I developed? If not, shut up.'"

Uzuki Yuwa: "————"

So annoying! Shifting the target, she teases her daughter: "Xiyan, you're not only my teammate, but also my teacher. What have you and Jifeng learned?"

Hayate, Evening Glory: "————"

Uzuki Yugao felt that she probably couldn't keep this father anymore, and she should just change her surname to Higashino, since it was only a matter of time anyway.

Higashino Jiro looked at his son with great satisfaction and said, "Shin has shown unparalleled control over chakra since he was a child. It's innate, so we shouldn't force it."

Let's focus on mastering the vacuum sword technique first. As for whether we can reach a truly high level, I doubt anyone can. Perhaps it's possible if future children inherit the talent.

Upon hearing this, Uzuki Yuwa's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, you're right."

He thought of the close relationship between Uzuki Yugao and Higashino Makoto, and was secretly pleased. Aren't the descendants of your Higashino family also descendants of my Uzuki family?

Blood earned!

Thinking of this, his gaze toward Moonlight Clouds unconsciously turned superior again, leaving the latter completely bewildered.

If our families weren't old friends, I would have drawn my sword and killed you long ago, you bastard.

After arriving at the northern front, Makoto Higashino joined his father's mobile patrol unit. After a few days, he found that it was even more relaxed than when he was on the eastern front.

Every day he either cultivates or wanders around the border.

The Hidden Stone Village and the Hidden Cloud Village suddenly ceased their fighting, seemingly unwilling to continue the war.

But that's impossible. The two sides have become sworn enemies because of the Third Raikage. Kumogakure won't stop until Onoki sheds enough blood.

The Leaf Village is on high alert, trying to avoid getting involved.

Under these circumstances, Minato Namikaze was ordered to return to Konoha, and the northern front was entirely left to Jiraiya's responsibility.

Higashino calculated the timeline and realized that Hiruzen Sarutobi was probably preparing for the latter to take over as Hokage.

In the Third Shinobi World War, although Konoha defeated all its opponents and was the biggest winner in the shinobi world, it paid a huge price and suffered heavy casualties.

Moreover, they didn't gain much benefit in the negotiations with Sunagakure, mainly because the other side was too poor. The Third Hokage was worried that pushing them too hard would hinder the path to peace.

The peace talks with Iwagakure have stalled, and Onoki has been dragging his feet on Konoha's not unreasonable demands, remaining completely unmoved by any persuasion.

During this time, some unpleasant rumors began to circulate in Konoha Village, and the ninjas and villagers accumulated a lot of resentment, needing an outlet for their anger.

The Third Hokage knew who was behind it, but instead of ordering a forceful suppression, he decided to take the blame for the villagers' anger and act as the pressure relief valve himself. He then resigned to pave the way for Minato Namikaze's rise to power.

As for the other contenders for the Hokage position—

His beloved disciple Orochimaru was handed over to Danzo under the pretext of restraining Root, which could be seen as a warning to Danzo about his petty tricks.

But things seemed to be developing beyond his control. Intelligence indicated that the two were getting along quite well, so there must be something they were hiding from him.

Jiraiya had no interest in politics and was only focused on promoting his disciple Minato to the position.

As for the runner-up, Uchiha Fugaku? If the intelligence from the front lines is accurate, he already has plans.

You like to make a name for yourself? I'll grant your wish.

Regardless, he trusted Tobirama's judgment: the Uchiha clan was a powerful force that could be used, but not as Hokage.