Konoha's Mission Master

"Long time no see, Sister Qingshan."

The two hugged for about five seconds before separating.

"What business do you two have at Konoha Hospital?"

Reiko Aoyama suppressed her smile and asked the two questions.

“Onoki is dying. His wish is to have a simple conversation with him. I’m here to fulfill his wish,” Yakumo said.

"And you?" Reiko Aoyama asked Masako Mori.

"Me? I'll come and see how that bitch is recovering. If she still hasn't given up on that idea, I'll break her legs again."

Masako Mori's answer was also very direct. She did promise Yakumo that she would not harm Mei Terumi's life, but she did not promise that she could not take action. If she controlled her strength, lifelong disability would not be bad.

"..." Aoyama Reiko was speechless. She finally realized that Mori Masako's almost twisted possessiveness towards Yakumo was like that of a female leopard guarding its food.

"Aoyama-neechan, please keep an eye on her and prevent her from attacking Terumi Mei. Even if she's strong, she can't act recklessly like this," Yakumo said.

“No problem,” Aoyama Reiko replied immediately. She enjoyed opposing Mori Masako; as long as she could oppose her, it was something to be happy about.

"Then it's up to you."

Yakumo glared at Mori Masako, a hint of warning in his eyes. The Mori Masako he remembered would never be like this... Could it be a side effect of awakening the Otsutsuki bloodline?

The idea that bloodline influences the soul is quite common.

For example, the Uchiha clan inherited their ancestors' arrogance and aloofness, as well as their thirst for battle, while the core members of the Senju clan, like their ancestors, mostly yearned for peace and possessed kind and approachable personalities.

The two ancestors were...Indra and Asura.

The fact that the two have been fighting for thousands of years suggests that certain hereditary chakra can indeed influence the personality of its possessor, and the personality of the Otsutsuki bloodline may be pure plunder and evil.

"Okay, okay, I understand."

"I was just teasing you, why did you take it seriously?"

Masako Mori lowered her head, her tone somewhat aggrieved.

"That's good." Yakumo nodded and smiled.

The three then parted ways. Masako Mori and Reiko Aoyama went to see Mei Terumi in the medical room on the left, while Yakumo went to the right to see Onoki.

The iron security door was easily pushed open.

This is a rather high-tech medical room, and surprisingly, the air doesn't smell much of disinfectant, only... a faint fragrance, like a mixture of many medicinal herbs that have been burned.

This fragrance was something Yakumo had smelled in the daimyo's hospital room in the Land of Fire many years ago. It has a calming and soothing effect, allowing patients to have a good dream and nourishing their vital energy.

The ward contained only an iron bed and various life support devices.

Onoki lay on the bed, his body covered with electrodes, an oxygen tube in his nose, and needles for nutrition inserted into the back of his hand.

Although the room was brightly lit, Yakumo could still sense several dark shadows, shadows he knew well... shadows that represented death.

Onoki was indeed on his last breath.

On the soft cushion next to the iron bed, a man as big as a mountain knelt. His body was very burly and his shape was almost square. He was the eldest son of Onoki, Huangtu, who had mastered extremely high level of earth-style ninjutsu.

When Yakumo pushed him away, Koto opened his eyes. The two had met several times on the battlefield. Although they were complete strangers, they had seen each other a few times.

"You've arrived." Huang Tu stood up, his tone somewhat polite, but his eyes held a hint of resentment. The politeness was out of respect for Yakumo's strength, while the resentment stemmed from the fact that Yakumo had interrupted the nearly sixty-year-old tradition of Iwagakure.

This led to a subtle trend of reunification among several countries that had been divided for nearly a thousand years, achieving true unification.

But Huang Tu was still unwilling, unwilling to lose all his heritage, unwilling to accept that in the future they could only gain life by giving up their dignity.

“I’ve arrived. I know that Onoki wants to see me.”

Yakumo took a few steps forward, his right hand moving slightly. There was no hand seal formation at all, and several vines sprouted from the side of the bed, twisting together to form a rattan chair in Huang Tu's astonished gaze.

"I'll go out first, you two talk."

Huang Tu stood up and used the mechanism to help Onoki up from the bed, letting him lean against the soft cushion. The old man's body became even thinner, as if there was no muscle under his skin except for bones.

Yet his eyes were unusually bright and his spirits were high, a look that didn't seem like he was nearing his end. But... Onoki was now relying on a life support device just to breathe.

"You've arrived."

"Cough cough cough-"

Onoki's voice was very dry, as if he hadn't spoken for a long time; his voice was very soft and lacked strength.

"Then I'll go out first."

When Huang Tu looked at Onoki, a look of heartache appeared in his eyes. In just three months, his father, who was as strong as a pillar supporting the sky, had weakened to such a state.

"You can stay, after all, this might be the last time we see each other."

Yakumo placed his hand on Onoki's wrist, and his soul energy instantly swept over Onoki's body. There were no lesions in his body. As for his current weakness... it was only because he was determined to die.

Within Onoki's chakra, Yakumo sensed the intent of death, which is why the chakra actively devoured the body's nutrients, resulting in its current state. However, due to the feedback from the chakra, Onoki's spirit grew stronger.

"The last time? What do you mean?" Huang Tu asked in confusion. If it weren't for the fact that the person in front of him was hailed as the strongest in the ninja world, he would have already attacked him out of anger. These words sounded like a curse.

"He wasn't sick; he just wanted to die."

Yakumo continued.

“After he finishes his conversation with me, he will choose to end his own life and die completely.”

"He would be like this...on the verge of death because he himself didn't want to live."

Huang Tu looked at Onoki with some surprise. He never expected that his father's rapid aging was because he didn't want to live.

"Is what he said true?" Huang Tu asked.

“That’s right.” After being exposed by Yakumo, Onoki no longer intended to hide it. He removed the oxygen tube from his nose with some difficulty with his right hand, and at the same time, he pulled off the electrodes on his body and the needles on his arm.

At this moment, a rosy glow returned to Onoki's cheeks, as if he had suddenly returned to his normal state.

Back to light.

"Father, why are you like this..." Huang Tu hadn't finished asking when Onoki stopped him with a stern look.

"Are you planning to be a coward?" Yakumo asked.

Huang Tu clenched his fist in anger, but this time he chose to remain silent.

Onoki's heartache stemmed from the disbandment of Iwagakure, from the loss of independence of the Land of Earth, and from the fact that he had personally destroyed the Iwagakure that his teacher had established.

"The ninja world has entered a new era, and this wonderful new era has no place for an old man like me," Onoki said with a strong voice.

"So you choose to die? The Hidden Stone Village will lose a lot of influence after losing a Kage-level savior, and life in the Land of Fire will be ten times more difficult in the future. They need you... but you want to end it all with death," Yakumo said.

"Of course I know they need me, but I am a sinner. I destroyed the Hidden Stone Village that my teacher founded with my own hands." Onoki's tone was somewhat pained.

“Even if it wasn’t you, even if the First Tsuchikage were resurrected, Iwagakure would still be defeated. Even if you weren’t the Third Tsuchikage, and someone else took that position, the outcome wouldn’t change.”

"It's even possible that his choice to resist will make things worse, with more people dying in Iwagakure and more girls and boys losing their parents and families."

"What you did preserved the legacy of Iwagakure and reduced unnecessary casualties, but you believe you made a wrong choice and are suffering because of it, which led you to choose to end your own life, right?"

"......"

Onoki remained silent in the face of Yakumo's words, because what Yakumo said was exactly what he was thinking.

“But you knew you couldn’t die in vain, so you planned to let me witness your death, to show you some pity, and then use my influence to help you take care of Iwagakure, right?” Yakumo continued.

Onoki fell silent again, head bowed.

Yakumo pointed to his eyes and then said.

"Under those eyes, there are no more secrets in the ninja world."

.......

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Chapter 466 Onoki Awakens

After Yakumo exposed Onoki's thoughts, the ward fell silent.

Although Huang Tu felt a slight disdain for Yakumo's arrogant words, he truly couldn't understand how Yakumo knew his father's true thoughts.

Could it be that he understands his father better than he does?

“The unification of the five kingdoms is an inevitable trend that you cannot change,” Yakumo said.

"Of course I know, I'm just not reconciled!!"

Onoki clenched his fists, staring intently at Yakumo, his bright eyes filled with anger, like an enraged lion, though he was already emaciated and old.

The atmosphere in the ward became tense, and Onoki's anger emanated from him, causing powerful chakra to ripple outwards, making the curtains rustle like a hurricane.

"But it's no use. You can't overcome the trend. Your resentment will only remain resentment... You can't change anything."

Yakumo waved his hand gently, and his soul energy spread out, instantly calming everything down. The powerful chakra was forcibly pushed back into Onoki's body, leaving only Onoki on the sickbed, panting heavily.

"You...you came here just to make me angry?"

Onoki raised his head and said in a low voice.

"Of course not..."

“I’m giving you a second option,” Yakumo replied.

"What choice?"

"Since your death will not elicit pity, in other words... since it is meaningless for you to die like a coward, do you wish to continue living like a warrior?"

Yakumo sat up straight, a smile playing on his lips.

Actually, this is quite interesting. He exposed Onoki's idea and gave him a chance to choose again.

"......"

Onoki did not answer immediately; he had engaged in a long psychological struggle when he chose to die.

He didn't want to die like a coward, but he gave his death meaning, using it as a trump card to psychologically manipulate Yakumo.

He faced Yakumo three times and failed each time.

In the end, he risked his life to gain a chance at victory.

This plan is crazy, and equally perfect.