Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Chapter 188 Unrivaled Courage in the Entire Army

The unusual commotion from Konoha naturally did not escape the notice of Kumogakure, not to mention that they had to cross so many small countries, such as the Land of Hot Water, the Land of the Moon, and the Land of Frost.

The Hidden Cloud Kingdom has its own intelligence network in these small countries, so it is impossible for an army of tens of thousands to set out quietly.

Several hours later, at dawn.

"What? The Konoha army has been mobilized? It might even be that old monkey leading the army himself?" The Third Raikage, who had just returned to command the village, slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

The mess left by the Eight-Tails' rampage needs to be cleaned up, the villagers who are in a state of panic due to the repeated attacks need to be appeased, and there's also Shinichi Higashino, who's hiding somewhere and could reappear at any time to stab you in the back. All of these things require someone who can stabilize people's hearts to be in charge of the village.

His son, Aize, led three thousand elite troops, along with two thousand men led by Trui who had returned to the Land of Lightning, to continue hunting down Shinichi Higashino and his men.

Just now, an urgent report came from the front lines.

The main force of Konoha in the northeast has been mobilized in full force and is crossing the border, fiercely attacking the Land of Lightning.

"Has Hiruzen Sarutobi gone mad?"

The Third Raikage instinctively wanted to curse, but he stopped himself when he thought of Shinichi Higashino.

This guy who killed two of his "brothers" and brought huge losses and shame to the village—although he wished he could tear that kid to pieces, he had to admit one thing because of this.

Shinichi Higashino's talent is simply too high, and he is extremely important to Konoha.

If this Shinichi Higashino is one of their Kumogakure members...

The Third Raikage could almost immediately imagine how much he would cherish and protect him. Let alone leading 10,000 people to rescue him, even if he were alone, he would dare to charge into the enemy ranks and even personally cover the rear, fighting against an army of 10,000 for him.

Such a genius is the pillar of the village for decades to come, an invaluable treasure.

He's only eleven years old, and he's already accomplished this.

What about in ten years? What about in twenty years?

That's why his killing intent boiled even more. The more that old monkey Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to save him at all costs, the more it proved that this kid absolutely could not be allowed to live!

"Send the order to Tsuchikage," the Third Raikage shouted, "tell him to immediately establish defensive positions within the Land of Frost. I will immediately use the Heavenly Delivery Technique to reach the front lines."

He paused briefly, then continued issuing orders: "At the same time, order Ai to return to the village immediately. The village needs him to defend it. The task of hunting down Higashino Shinichi is to be handed over entirely to Troy!"

"yes!"

Several staff members turned and left the room. The Third Raikage stood there, his gaze passing through the gradually brightening sky outside the window. A new day had begun.

Half an hour later, in the center of Kumogakure, near the temporary Raikage's office, a burst of white light shot out as the Third Raikage used the Heavenly Delivery Technique to head to the front lines, preparing to personally confront the overwhelming Konoha army.

Just over an hour after the Third Raikage left, Shinichi Higashino and his team, who had been hiding somewhere, suddenly reappeared and launched another attack on Kumogakure.

However, this time, the commotion was much smaller.

This cunning young man seemed to know that although Yunyin did not have a top expert in charge at this time, its strength was obviously not as weak as it was last time.

Therefore, they did not attack the core area, but only destroyed a few newly built temporary outposts and some houses on the periphery.

After causing some chaos, Shinichi Higashino, before the Cloud Village ninjas could surround him, led his team and once again transformed into an elusive gust of wind, disappearing into the mountains and forests.

The attack was short and the damage was limited, but it was extremely humiliating, and it was another resounding slap in the face to Yunyin.

This naturally enraged Ye Yue Ai, who later returned to the village, but there was nothing she could do about it.

The news quickly reached the ears of the Third Raikage, who had arrived at the front lines and was discussing defenses with Tsuchikage. He was in the same boat and could only order Troy to intensify their search efforts and find the person at all costs!

He then focused all his attention on the upcoming Konoha army.

That afternoon, the vanguard forces of both sides clashed fiercely on the border of the Frost Kingdom.

The Leaf Village forces came with great force, but the Cloud Village was no pushover either. Although most of their village's logistics and medical systems had been destroyed, the logistics and medical systems of this frontline army were not a problem, at least not for the time being.

As a result, the battle quickly evolved from tentative contact into a fierce tug-of-war.

For three days, the fighting continued unabated, with both sides clashing repeatedly in the hills, valleys, and rivers of the Frost Kingdom, and the number of casualties steadily rising.

The supreme commanders of the two armies, Hiruzen Sarutobi, hailed as the "strongest Hokage of all time," and the Third Raikage, known as the "strongest spear and the strongest shield," personally clashed on the battlefield several times.

The clash between two top-tier ninjas shook the earth and became the most eye-catching focus on the entire battlefront, yet it failed to easily break the stalemate.

While the main forces of Konoha and Kumogakure were locked in fierce battle in the Land of Frost, another, even more unpredictable battle of pursuit and counter-pursuit was unfolding in the vast heart of the Land of Lightning.

Under the unified command of Troy, and integrating the previous two thousand search troops with the three thousand elites left behind by Yotsuki A, a total of five thousand Cloud Village ninjas, they spread out like a giant net, following all suspicious traces, and launched a close pursuit of Higashino Shinichi and his troops.

However, five thousand people sounds like a lot, but scattered among the mountains and valleys of the Land of Thunder, they are as thin as paper.

The First Battalion is like the wind in the mountains, leaving visible traces but leaving no trace. They always manage to find a gap to slip out before the encirclement closes in, or concentrate their superior forces to launch a swift and thunderous short attack on isolated units when the Cloud Hidden Army has to split up due to pursuit.

The 5,000-strong army not only failed to capture Shinichi Higashino and his men, but also suffered more than 100 casualties within three days.

On the third day of the pursuit, Troy seemed to have finally forced Shinichi's battalion into a valley only fifteen kilometers away from Kumogakure through a series of carefully laid interception lines.

Upon receiving the news, Ye Yue Ai immediately led her elite troops from the other side to prepare for an encirclement.

However, just as the attention of the Hidden Cloud Village was completely drawn to the valley, Shinichi Hidden Cloud Village reappeared outside the village at some unknown time and launched another surprise attack on the now-empty village.

It turns out that Shinichi Higashino was never forced into the valley. The "Shinichi Squad" that was chased into a dead end by Troy was just an illusion created by Shinichi Higashino and his team members' shadow clones.

Meanwhile, the real Shinichi Higashino had already led his team on a long detour, taking advantage of the fact that the Hidden Cloud Village was focused on the pursuit, and once again reached the edge of the Hidden Cloud Village.

The makeshift Raikage building was smashed to pieces by a single blow, and the newly recast Raikage statues of past generations were also broken into several pieces in the flames.

By the time Yozuki Ai and Troy abandoned their prey in the valley and frantically rushed back to the village, Shinichi's army had already vanished without a trace.

In just four days, they entered and exited Cloud Hidden Village four times!

Under the leadership of Captain Shinichi Higashino, the Shinichi Battalion, a unit that had not yet received an official designation, sometimes broke into smaller units to infiltrate and penetrate, and sometimes gathered together to launch a focused attack. Every action was like dancing on the edge of a knife, and every attack precisely timed the gaps in the enemy's reaction.

In the heart of the Land of Lightning, a land that reveres martial arts and is renowned for its military strength, and in front of the Hidden Cloud Village, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, known for its "lightning offensive."

They perfectly executed a textbook example of lightning guerrilla warfare that drew the attention of the entire ninja world!

The news swept through the entire ninja world like a storm.

Whether it was Iwagakure, which had not yet officially entered the fray, or Kirigakure, which was watching from the sidelines, or the various small countries and ninja villages, for a time, it seemed that the entire ninja world's attention was focused on that land where thunder never ceased.

There, a boy named Shinichi Higashino, in an almost artistic way, shockingly demonstrated to the entire ninja world what true blitzkrieg is!

This series of humiliating blows finally enraged the Cloud Village.

At that very moment, a secret letter sent by the Iwagakure faction through special channels was placed on the desk of the Third Raikage at the front lines.

No one knows the contents of the letter, but after reading it, the last trace of hesitation in the Third Raikage's eyes disappeared, replaced by a resolute determination to gamble everything.

He immediately issued an order that shocked all the frontline commanders: the northwestern border legion, which had been closely monitoring the Land of Earth and guarding against Iwagakure taking advantage of the chaos, was to immediately carry out a large-scale withdrawal!

Only a symbolic small force was left to maintain basic vigilance, while all other elite troops were turned around and joined the encirclement and suppression of Shinichi Higashino!

This is not enough.

The Third Raikage also initiated a large-scale mobilization order for wartime genin. More than 70% of adult genin, regardless of their previous basic tasks in the village, were now incorporated into the search and pursuit sequence to work with the core troops to hunt down and eliminate Shinichi Higashino.

Although the mobilized genin were all adults and were only responsible for cooperating with the chunin and jonin, this also meant that in this great war, Kumogakure became the first of the three participating ninja villages (fire, lightning, and wind) to officially send a large number of genin to the front-line combat missions. Together with the previous search team from Troy, the total number was more than 10,000!

Regardless of the cost, leaving no room for maneuver, and even at the risk of leaving the northwest defense line vulnerable, we are determined to completely trap and strangle that Konoha ninja named Shinichi Higashino, along with his ghostly troops!

For a moment, Shinichi Higashino, the legendary boy who had been moving freely in and out of the enemy country's territory for the past few days, seemed to be finally facing an inescapable predicament.

The Land of Fire, Daimyo Prefecture.

"I absolutely adore Shinichi Higashino!"

The daimyo of the Land of Fire slammed the documents in his hand onto the table, laughed loudly, stood up, and paced back and forth in the spacious study, unable to hide the smile on his face.

He walked around twice, then couldn't help but pick up the intelligence report again and read it carefully. His eyes lingered on phrases such as "entered and exited Kumogakure four times", "statues of successive Raikage were destroyed", and "Raikage Building was smashed twice". The more he read, the more relieved he felt.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the main protagonists of each Shinobi World War are the major ninja villages, and it seems that the officials of various countries, especially the heads of state like the Daimyo, have little to do with it.

However, the outcome of each major battle directly affects their fundamental interests. If there is anyone in the entire ninja world who least wants to fight, it must be the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

The Land of Fire possesses the most fertile land and the densest population in the ninja world, as well as the most prosperous commercial network and the most stable output...

We have everything we need; we've long since passed the stage of needing to accumulate wealth through war and plunder.

Even if we win, how much profit can we squeeze out of those impoverished neighboring countries?

If they lose, they will lose a fertile land; the risk and reward are completely disproportionate.

Other countries may be so poor that they need to use war to divert attention from conflicts or seize resources, but the Land of Fire does not.

The daimyo of the Land of Fire desires stability and peace most of all.

As long as the situation remains stable, his territory can continue to operate, and wealth can be continuously produced and accumulated.

Once war breaks out, no one knows what kind of waves it will stir up, what kind of variables it will cause, or even shake the foundation of the country. He will have to keep spending money, spending money, and spending money again!

Therefore, the remarkable victory achieved by Shinichi Higashino's surprise force in the heart of enemy territory has significance far beyond the military level. It dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the Hidden Cloud Village, greatly relieved the pressure on the front line, and may even shorten the war cycle, allowing the situation to return to stability more quickly, which is exactly what he wanted to see.

"Good! Good! Good! I'm going to reward him handsomely!"

The daimyo of the Land of Fire exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row, then abruptly stopped and looked at his old steward, Munemasa, who stood with his hands at his sides.

"Zongzheng, what do you think about bestowing a title upon this genius ninja of Konoha...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the daimyo of the Land of Fire realized his mistake, stopped talking, and realized that he had gotten too excited.

It is against the rules to officially appoint a ninja; to date, the Land of Fire has only officially appointed one ninja.

That's Tsunade. That's because she is the eldest granddaughter of the First Hokage. Her investiture symbolizes the unbreakable alliance between the Land of Fire and Konoha, and has significant political importance.

Even when Tsunade was officially appointed, she had just been born and was not yet a ninja.

Thinking of this, the Fire Kingdom said no more, turned around and went back to his desk, spread out a specially made imperial gold-patterned paper, picked up his brush, dipped it in thick ink, and four powerful and majestic characters leaped onto the paper.

He was the bravest soldier in the entire army.

He put down his pen, examined the still-wet imperial edict for a moment, a look of satisfaction in his eyes, and then looked up at the Imperial Clan Court.

"Zongzheng, properly frame this calligraphy, prepare imperial wine and gifts, and personally lead a group to the northeastern front. Hmm... we'll see how things go then."

"Yes, Your Highness, this old servant understands."

The old steward, Munemasa, who had served the daimyo of the Land of Fire for many years, immediately bowed and accepted the order, understanding the meaning behind the daimyo's words.

While Shinichi Higashino's achievements are dazzling and astonishing, shaking the ninja world, he is still in the heart of the Land of Lightning, surrounded and pursued by countless elite Kumogakure troops. No one can guarantee whether he will return alive.

It is said that the Hidden Cloud Village is now completely enraged, and even genin have joined the search team.

If, by the time he arrives at the front lines, that legendary young man has already led his troops to break through the encirclement and return in triumph, then this reward, which is full of honors, especially the imperial inscription "The bravest in the entire army," would naturally belong to Shinichi Higashino himself.

This is not only a well-deserved crowning of the young hero, but also a demonstration of the Land of Fire's official stance of valuing talent and merit towards Konoha Village, and a political investment and personal gesture of goodwill towards Shinichi Higashino.

With Shinichi Higashino's extraordinary talent and remarkable achievements, he will surely become a powerful figure standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world, and may even become a figure like the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi.

At the same time, Shinichi Higashino is very likely to become Hokage in the future, so it is necessary to show goodwill in advance.

However, if upon his arrival he receives devastating news that the young hero has not returned successfully but has perished on enemy soil, then these royal wines and treasures will be given to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as a consolation to the fallen heroes and a gesture of sympathy for the loss of Konoha. As for the inscription of the extraordinary gift, it will not be necessary, nor can it be, shown to anyone again.

"Oh, right." The Daimyo of the Land of Fire remembered something else and specifically instructed, "When you see the Hokage, please be sure to convey my greetings to him and tell him that no matter how the situation develops in this war, the Land of Fire will stand firmly on the side of Konoha and provide full support. Konoha ninjas, just fight with all your might, and the country will take care of everything in the rear."

"This old servant will remember Your Highness's words and will convey them to you without missing a single one."

Zongzheng bowed deeply again, his expression respectful, and then quietly withdrew from the study.