Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

“Brother Sunagawa, take these scrolls with you too. The Land of Water is rich in seafood, much better than the poor Land of Earth. There’s nothing to gain in the Land of Earth.”

Before setting off, Masato gave Sunagawa several sealing scrolls he had found from his underlings. He had a premonition that the Mizukage's large force would be in the Land of Earth, so they wouldn't get much loot. The Land of Water, where Sunagawa was going, was his home turf, and how much he could get this time depended on Sunagawa.

"...And what about you? The Land of Earth has quite a lot of things too."

Sunagawa, curious about the sealing scroll that Masato handed him, asked, "This kid seems to have a special fondness for the Land of Water. How can he be so sure that they can make a fortune there?"

"The only valuable things in the Land of Earth are its ores, but we won't use them anyway. I'll think of something else later..."

Shinto doesn't care about the way; the Mizukage and his main force are over there, how could he possibly compete with them?

"Okay, let's go!"

Sunagawa thought about it and realized that the Land of Earth didn't have many valuable things, just minerals. But they wouldn't have any use for the minerals; money was the last thing they needed. So he stopped talking, put away the ninjutsu scroll, and left with the twenty-odd Jonin behind him.

.......

"Masato, the border of the Land of Earth is just ahead. It's really empty inside. But it's strange that we can't see a single Iwa ninja."

Two weeks later, on the border of the Land of Earth, a Jonin subordinate of Masato looked at Masato with the eyes of a super genius who was indeed prescient. However, he was also curious that the Land of Earth was so weak inside that it was impossible for the border to be undefended.

The Earth Shadow's head isn't calcified.

"It's strange. Be careful, everyone. These Kage are all from the Shadow Sect. Who knows if that Tsuchikage has any backup plans? Put on your Iwa Ninja headbands. Let's go..."

After putting on his prepared Iwa ninja headband, Masato said, looking at the undefended border of the Land of Earth, "If the Tsuchikage hadn't gone completely insane and actually deployed all his forces to the front lines to fight the Uchiha, then the Kirigakure might have already arrived. Those ninja who were on defense would have been wiped out. The first possibility is still manageable; they might still be able to gain some advantage. But if it's the second possibility, the area ravaged by the Kirigakure would probably be completely destroyed, leaving not even ashes..."

"Masato, something's strange up ahead. There are traces of water-style escape techniques. It looks like they just left not long ago..."

Just then, an experienced Jonin touched the soil on the ground, smelled it, and said...

"Damn it! It must be a Mist Ninja! You guys go back and tell Aunt Chiyo, I'm going to check what's going on..."

Hearing traces of Water Release techniques, and knowing the people hadn't gone far, Masato said to those around him, "In this situation, the Mizukage Zetsu has arrived with a large force. These few hundred of us trying to steal the spoils is just asking for trouble. Let's wait a few years until he's fully developed before we talk. For now, we should play it safe. He can fly, so it's easy for him to escape. If these Sand Ninja follow and get caught, they'll really be asking for death."

"this....."

Those around him exchanged glances upon hearing Masato's words. They had been sent by Chiyo not only to accompany Masato to the Land of Earth to reap benefits, but also to protect him. Now that Masato was telling them to leave, things were in a difficult position...

"Don't worry, I can fly. Even the Mizukage can't catch me. There are too many of us, so we're too conspicuous. I'm a small target on my own."

Seeing the hesitation on their faces, Masato explained.

"Well then, be careful yourself."

The Jonin next to Shinto thought for a moment, then nodded, and turned to leave with his group of underlings.

........

"Holy crap!! The Mizukage is planning to move! That's ruthless.....! σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

After everyone left, Shinto sped up, the scenes he saw along the way making his scalp tingle. These Mist Ninja were too damn ruthless. Wherever the Mist Ninja had passed, there were horrific scenes everywhere. They even demolished people's houses, probably to prevent them from hiding secret compartments... No wonder the Tsuchikage wanted to fight him to the death. This Mizukage was too damn cruel.

Upon finally getting closer to the group of Mist Ninja, it became clear that this Mist Ninja contingent was incredibly large, almost matching the size of their own Sand Ninja force. Did the Mizukage and Tsuchikage have a grudge? To raid a base with so many people, and there were probably another group on the shore carrying supplies...

52. Where did this Iwa ninja brat come from?

"Quick! Hurry up, we've finished here, go over there..."

"Hurry, hurry, time's up, let's get to the next place..."

"What are you looking at? My sister is the Mizukage's girlfriend! Be careful, or I'll get the Mizukage to make things difficult for you! Hurry up and get moving!" (▼へ▼メ)

In a small village in the Land of Earth, the place was in complete disarray, with villagers dead or wounded. A handsome young man wearing a Mist Ninja headband secretly put a sealing scroll full of things into his ninja tool bag, then pointed at the surrounding Mist Ninjas and arrogantly bumped into them!

Shinto followed the Mist Ninja all the way through the Land of Earth, marveling at the Mizukage's skillful command of his troops. He figured the Mizukage had done this many times before. They never spent more than five minutes moving from one place to another. These Mist Ninja were incredibly efficient, each one a highly trained elite. In five minutes, they could wipe out one or two small villages in the Land of Earth, leaving nothing behind. Moreover, the Mizukage was a shrewd man; he knew that raiding towns would inevitably lead to leaks, so they targeted villages instead. After all, what country doesn't have bandits and robbers? Even if the villages were discovered, people would assume it was the work of some thieves. This tactic was a classic lesson in raiding.

In order to observe the Mizukage's tactics up close, he disguised himself as a Kirigakure ninja and infiltrated the team. And it has to be said that he has gained a lot along the way thanks to the Mizukage.

After all, in a group of more than 10,000 people, who would notice that there is suddenly one extra person?

"Who is this blond brat? So arrogant. Is he a full-term baby? Isn't the Mizukage a bachelor? When did he get a girlfriend?"

A nearby Mist Ninja was furious at being verbally abused, but considering that the other party was likely the Mizukage's brother-in-law, he didn't lash out but instead asked his Hozuki clan companion.

"I'm just a lowly underling, how would I know about the nonsense going on in front of the higher-ups? Judging from the kid's confident demeanor, he must be..."

The Hozuki clan's outer henchman, who was said to be full-term, stroked his chin uncertainly and said that he had only seen the Mizukage a few times a year, so how would he know if the Mizukage had any secret girlfriends? Those high-ranking officials were called single dogs, but they were just ordinary villagers. Which high-ranking official in the village didn't have a few golden houses?

Last time, I heard that the first and second elders of the Hozuki clan almost caused the clan to split up because of a girl. In the end, it was only after the Mizukage took his girl away that the incident was resolved. Moreover, looking at how arrogant this blond kid is, would he dare to be so arrogant if he didn't have the Mizukage as his backer?

When the people around heard the Hozuki clan say this, although they were very annoyed by this arrogant blond brat, they realized that he might really have someone protecting him, and they couldn't afford to offend him.

........

"Lord Mizukage, something terrible has happened! News has come from the village that a group of people are robbing our land like we are. Although they are few in number, they are very strong and incredibly fast. They have robbed many of our places!!"

Just as the Mist Ninja in the Land of Earth had finished another round of looting, and the Mizukage, the leader, was beaming with joy as he watched his underlings return laden with spoils and prepared to head to the next location, a member of the Hozuki clan hurriedly ran up to the Mizukage and said something.

"What?! I ran into a fellow traveler?! Who is this person?! (?д?)ノ"

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, his previously beaming face instantly turned red with anger. When the war broke out and he saw that the ugly, bandaged Tsuchikage Mu had actually sent out all his forces to fight Konoha, his clever mind immediately devised a perfect plan. He would first raid the Land of Earth, which was internally vulnerable, before going to fight Konoha. Even if they couldn't defeat Konoha, Kirigakure would still profit. If they won against Konoha, Kirigakure would take off, and he would definitely be the greatest in Kirigakure's history. So, while everyone's attention was focused on Kirigakure as they prepared for war, he was also actively preparing. When Kirigakure set off, he took advantage of the fact that the focus was on Kirigakure and that the Land of Water was separated by a vast ocean, allowing him to cross the sea, bypass the Land of Lightning, and raid the Land of Earth.

In his mind, his plan was absolutely perfect. No one in the entire ninja world would have expected him to pull such a stunt. Even Tobirama Senju, that old schemer, wouldn't have thought of it. After all, the Land of Water is not an ordinary distance from the Land of Earth. Even that ugly Tsuchikage who had a grudge against him would never have imagined that he would choose to come to the Land of Earth to raid at this time.

But he never expected that someone would have the exact same idea as him. Because they wanted to fight the overlord of the ninja world, Konoha, not only did he come, but he also brought almost all the village's elites. He thought that because of the geographical location of the Land of Water, they didn't need to guard their homes. So the head of the Suigetsu clan, his Hozuki clan, and even the head of the Kaguya clan came along. Although there were still people in the village, it was similar to the Land of Earth. Now, a group of people who sounded like his underlings were all well-trained experts robbing his home. This was truly a case of "competitors being wary of each other"!

But who could it be?

Smaller ninja villages can be ruled out first; even if they were emboldened by the water tank, they wouldn't dare to try and profit from the Land of Water. The remaining four major ninja villages are all possibilities. Konoha might be trying to prevent him from entering the fray, so they sent someone to the Land of Water to cause trouble and delay him. Sunagakure and Kumogakure are also possibilities. Kumogakure is closest to the Land of Water, so it wouldn't be surprising if they wanted to profit from the war. Ever since that kid with the Sunagakure title "Golden Lion" became famous, he automatically categorized Shamon and Chiyo as being on par with the cunning Tobirama Senju.

"I don't know. All our men who went there died. We only know that the enemy was very strong."

The younger brother said.

"Damn bastard! We have to go back right now, quick!!"

After the Mizukage finished his angry rant, he immediately ordered a return to the rescue. After all, his hometown had been stolen, and he would be a sinner in the history of his village. Even if he conquered Konoha, it wouldn't matter, because their roots were in the Land of Water!

"Good heavens!! You...you...a bunch of Kirigakure bastards, despicable, vile, shameless, worse than animals, how dare you cause trouble in our Land of Earth while we're at war with Konoha! A bunch of beasts! I'm reporting to the Tsuchikage, you're finished!!! (▼he▼メ)"

Just then, a blond kid with a somewhat handsome face and wearing an Iwa ninja headband suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He looked furious and pointed at a group of Kirigakure ninja who were stunned by the spray, wondering where this Iwa ninja boy had come from. After spraying them with the spray, he immediately took to the air and flew towards the border.

"Oh no! Chase after him! We can't let him go and report this!!"

At this moment, the water-sprayed figure immediately reacted and roared, chasing after the blond-haired brat who was rushing towards the border in the air.

They are now in the center of the Land of Earth. If that ugly bastard Wu comes back to block them, they won't be able to go back to save their home!

But seriously, where did this Iwa ninja brat come from...? o(▼皿▼メ;)o.

53. Hozuki Gengetsu: Why are all the Iwa ninja so despicable?

"Hey kid, don't run away!! Water Gun Technique! ヽ(`д′)?"

"You bastard Mizukage, how dare you bomb me? I'll tell the Tsuchikage, you're all dead!! (╬◣д◢)"

On the map of the Land of Earth, Shinto, while dodging Hozuki Gengetsu's water guns in the air using Observation Haki, kept spraying water at him. In his mind, he gave the future Third Hokage Sunagawa n+1 bad reviews. Hozuki Gengetsu had more than 10,000 people in the Land of Earth for so long without being exposed, while this bastard only had a thousand people and had only been in the Land of Water for a short time? And he was exposed already.

If he hadn't been exposed, he could have been a lone wolf among the bastard ninja of the Mist, instead of being chased by Hozuki Gengetsu like this now. (▼へ▼メ)

If Hozuki Gengetsu were to leave to go back and save his family, the future Third Hokage would definitely be cornered. He didn't know if the future Third Hokage would be alright, but those thousand-plus people would definitely be doomed...

So, after learning that the future Third Hokage had been exposed, he immediately changed into the disguise of an Iwa ninja and dragged Hozuki Gengetsu to the Tsuchikage Mummy's side, hoping that, like in the original story, they would fight each other and go to the Six Paths to sign in.

If Hozuki Gengetsu and the Tsuchikage Mummy hadn't died, the plot would have taken a completely different turn, unlike the Naruto storyline he was familiar with. Who knows what changes might have occurred then?

"Don't you dare run away, you little beast! ヽ(#`д′)?"

Hozuki Gengetsu was so angry at the Iwa ninja boy who dodged his water cannon that he was about to burst his blood vessels. For so many years, ever since he got his first blood at the age of thirteen, no one had dared to talk back to him like that. Back then, the ugly Tsuchikage Mu called him a bastard and he was turned into a mummy. He never expected that he would be talked back to by an Iwa ninja boy!

Why are all the Iwa ninja so despicable?! (▼he▼メ)

"Damn it! If you've got the guts, you'd be born a few decades later, and I'd fight you one-on-one, taking you down with both hands and feet! I'm going to tell the Tsuchikage what you've done, you despicable bastard, and have him kill you! I never imagined the Mizukage could be such a despicable beast. Even a piece of char siu would be better than you...!" (「▼皿▼)

In terms of fighting prowess, his mastery of domineering aura is still lacking, and he's a bit apprehensive about fighting Hozuki Gengetsu. But when it comes to verbal sparring, before the savior is even born, he's the boss!

While unleashing a barrage of attacks at Hozuki Gengetsu, who was still chasing him below, he flew with all his might towards the battlefield where the Iwa ninja and Uchiha were fighting.

Although doing this feels somewhat unfair to his Iwagakure comrade, for the sake of the thousand people on the Land of Water, the Tsuchikage's mummy died a glorious death, so it's all worthwhile. At worst, when they return, they can have the future Third Hokage build a temple for him, so that the thousand people and their descendants can visit it during festivals...

"Water-based iron cannon technique! You wretched little beast, I'll kill you... ヽ(#`д′)?┌┛〃?"

Hozuki Gengetsu was furious, his killing intent soaring to the heavens. If he had previously wanted to kill this Iwa ninja brat because he didn't want him to inform that ugly bandaged man, now he was completely consumed by rage at the brat's outburst. The war could be lost, but this Iwa ninja brat must die!

"Come on, you bastard! You old codger with one foot in the grave and all your eyebrows gone, and you can't even kill a newbie like me? Did your First Hokage lose his mind to let you inherit the Mizukage title? All you can do is bully the weak. Go and fight our Tsuchikage! I'll beat you to a pulp, you despicable, shameless, and vile bastard..."

Seeing that his verbal attacks seemed to be having an effect, and Hozuki Gengetsu looked determined to kill him, he dodged another water bubble and continued to spew water. He was an expert at luring monsters. In his previous life, as a game enthusiast, luring monsters was just a basic skill. Moreover, luring monsters like Hozuki Gengetsu was much more satisfying than those mindless bosses in games!

"That despicable little beast....(「▼皿▼)"

Hozuki Gengetsu was going crazy. He realized that even after decades, he couldn't out-argue a young Iwa ninja who looked to be only ten years old. When did Iwa ninja become so talented?

You know, he's never lost a verbal battle with that ugly, bandaged guy...

"Lord Tsuchikage! Something terrible has happened! News has come from the country that the Mizukage has led a group to our Land of Earth, looting and killing indiscriminately. They've slaughtered almost half of our villages... Our young man discovered this, and now he's hunting him down with tens of thousands of men!"

The spectacular scene of tens of thousands of people chasing a mere Iwa ninja on the map of the Land of Earth naturally caught everyone's attention. When they saw that the chasing Iwa ninja was the Second Mizukage and a group of Kirigakure ninja, someone immediately realized something was wrong and began investigating. What they found was shocking: the Second Mizukage and his Kirigakure ninja had wreaked havoc on almost half of the villages in the Land of Earth, and now they were even brazenly chasing their boy on their own territory. So... they immediately reported to the front lines, since the Mizukage and his men couldn't possibly defeat them! They could only hope that the boy who had found the Mizukage and survived being chased by him for so long was their chosen one, destined to live, but he didn't get to be rescued by the Tsuchikage.

After all, he survived being chased by the Mizukage and tens of thousands of Kirigakure ninja for so long. He's a genius child!

"Snapped!"

"What?! That little whitebeard bastard! I'm going back to Onoki with my men to catch up. This time I'm going to tear that despicable little whitebeard to shreds! (*｀皿′*)??"

On the front lines, the Tsuchikage Mummy, who was preparing with his disciple Onoki to launch another attack the next day to completely wipe out the Uchiha clan, was instantly enraged upon hearing his subordinate's report. His murderous aura surged, and he slammed the table in front of him to pieces. After angrily speaking to his short disciple beside him, he flew out of the tent and headed towards their Land of Earth, cursing Hozuki Gengetsu's ancestors countless times in his mind.

Everyone agreed to fight against Konoha together, but this bastard is still so despicable, actually taking advantage of the fact that no one was guarding his house to steal it! Thinking of the massacre of almost half of the villages in the country, the Second Tsuchikage's heart was bleeding. Compared to the blood feud with his family, the grudge of being beaten up by Madara had already been forgotten.

This time, I'm going to kill that bastard Hozuki Gengetsu no matter what! (╬￣皿￣)=○

And... most importantly, there's that boy my little brother mentioned who was being chased! He survived being pursued by a short, white-bearded guy and tens of thousands of Mist Ninja—that's some serious talent! He might even be a prodigy! Now, the future of Iwagakure looks bright!

54. Lord Tsuchikage! Kill this bastard!

After reading the information on Konoha's "White Fang" Sakumo Hatake and Sunagakure's "Golden Lion" Masato Miyamoto, the Tsuchikage felt a pang of jealousy. It wasn't for any particular reason, but because it seemed that their village hadn't found anyone who could compare to these two kids. Child prodigies were the future of their village!

Both Konoha and Sunagakure have produced two super-genius children. He had previously discussed this topic with his disciples, saying that Iwagakure seems to have suffered a talent drought; since Onoki, they haven't produced a single top-tier genius. How can they compete with Konoha and Sunagakure in the future?

Now that such a genius has suddenly appeared who can evade the pursuit of Hozuki Gengetsu and tens of thousands of Kirigakure ninja, we can't let such a brave young man die!

"What did you just say? The Mizukage and tens of thousands of Mist Ninja are chasing after a boy from our village? When did our village get a genius boy? (⊙_⊙)?"