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JST Chapter 174: The Tobirama Fortress Descends
🕑 Added 2025-02-08 22:37:10 +0000 UTCSlowly, all the Kiri-nin present knelt on one knee on the ground. Their gazes rose to Kazuki, who was standing on the shoulder of Tobirama's Chibi puppet. In his eyes was expectation, fear, and above all, hope.
Kazuki calmly clasped his hands together, and an immense amount of greenish chakra began to concentrate in them, compressing into a resplendent orb of light.
With a slight movement, the green orb rose into the sky, floating gently above those present. The warm light radiated throughout the place, enveloping the wounded and filling their exhausted bodies with a renewing energy that reawakened life in them.
"Hoshigaki Kisame, Terumi Mei, Momochi Zabuza, and Kaguya Jinzaburo." Kazuki pointed at them one by one as he said, with a calm smile, "I give you three days to reorganize the Root Division in Kirigakure. Teach these new members the meaning of the Will of the Root… and, of course, the Will of Fire."
After a brief pause, he added, "After that, we will go together to reclaim our Kirigakure. Understood?"
"Hizashi, take charge of gathering the root members with the new recruits. Talk, get to know each other. We are all part of the same family now."
Mei and the others accepted the order with enthusiasm. Ironically, those who were once considered missing-nin now proudly assumed their new roles. Their attitude was haughty, as they explained the benefits and privileges of belonging to the root.
"Kazuki, are you going to become the Mizukage?" Tobirama asked, a complex expression on his face. He stared at the chibi puppet of himself lying motionless at the side, and said weakly, "The honor of the Uchiha Clan... I never thought something like this could be so useful. Tell me, how many times have you sworn an oath using its name?"
Kazuki shrugged, letting out a light laugh. "How many times? I've forgotten… But, if you want, I can swear it again. Tobirama, I swear on the honor of the Uchiha Clan that I will revive you one day."
Tobirama shook his head, feigning disdain, but there was a glint of joy in his eyes.
Kazuki rolled his eyes. Some people may have a lifetime of experience, but inside they are still so childish…
'The Kirigakure issue must be resolved before a full-scale war breaks out in other regions. I still have a lot to do...' He paused, musing, 'Shisui, Asuma, Might Guy, and Duy in Konoha, along with Obito and Black Zetsu in Iwagakure… they are all key pieces in this game.'
As his thoughts wandered between strategies and next objectives, his gaze fell on Tobirama.
'Having him watching me all the time… this is starting to be a problem.'
'I need to find a way to block his perception. What excuse can I use…'
...
Three days later.
The Kirigakure army that had invaded Konoha had already been completely reorganized thanks to the coordination of Mei and several members of the Root.
The result was smoother than expected.
Backed by the guarantee of the Uchiha clan's honor, the Kiri-nin began to accept their new reality.
Faced with an unresolvable crisis, people tend to look for justifications.
And with strength as overwhelming as Kazuki's, it was clear that they couldn't resist.
Especially after experiencing for the first time the power of the Tobirama No. 1 Bombs, the Flying Troops, and the new ninja tools, they realized that even Konoha's collective strength was something that could not be underestimated.
From the personal strength of the leader, through the collective power, to the strategy, the difference was like an unbridgeable abyss.
Hozuki Gengetsu's unique ninjutsu that Kazuki used to defeat his enemies provided a perfect excuse for the Kiri-nin.
Looking at it closely, with Shikotsumyaku, Ice Release, and the secret techniques of the Hozuki clan, the clashes between Kazuki and the Third Mizukage could be interpreted as an internal conflict over the position of Mizukage.
As for other details... the Kiri shinobi instinctively chose to ignore them.
Meanwhile, the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was organized.
The sword Hiramekarei was given to Hozuki Mangetsu, while Samehada passed into the hands of Kisame.
The Kubikiribocho and Kiba swords remained with Juzo Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki, who proved to be quite obedient.
The remaining swords, Nuibari and Shibuki, were assigned to Mei and Jinzaburo, while Kabutowari was left to Zabuza.
Thus, under Kazuki's command, the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was finally established.
Although, from Kazuki's perspective, only the combination of Kisame and Samehada could be considered truly effective, the other people played a role of something is better than nothing.
However, these weapons had a symbolic meaning. Since the time of the First Mizukage, these swords were a symbol of power in Kirigakure, and now that Kazuki was redistributing them to form a new generation of wielders, the message behind this act was clear.
Because only the Mizukage had the right to decide the fate of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist!
The reason Kazuki is relatively patient with the Kiri shinobi is because of the final reward he could obtain from the Heart of Kirigakure: Ocean Contract talent.
In order to activate this final reward, the first thing was to gain the absolute loyalty of these shinobi. Depending on the circumstances, Kazuki would consider whether it was necessary to execute some kind of unexpected twist to bring the emotions of the Kiri-nin to a new level...
In this world, where the Otsutsuki clan could invade at any moment, moments of compassion and trust were a luxury; only power was paramount.
"Comrades!" Kazuki's voice echoed across the ice platform. He wore the dark blue uniform of the Uchiha clan, and with a determined gesture he pointed towards the sky. "Together, we will take back our Kirigakure!"
Below the platform, a crowd of shinobi—a mix of former Kiri-nin and Root members—were lined up. Though divided in origin, they now responded in unison: “Together with Kazuki-sama, we will take back the Kirigakure that belongs to us!”
Kazuki nodded in satisfaction, formed a seal with his hands and sent an order: "Fortress Tobirama! Prepare for descent!"
The former Kiri-nin looked at each other in confusion.
A moment later, a black spot appeared in the sky, gradually becoming larger and larger...
But a few moments later, a black dot appeared on the horizon, rapidly growing into a gigantic shadow.
A colossal warship, with a width of hundreds of meters, loomed in the sky as if it wanted to eclipse the sun.
"Wha... what's that?" Kisame's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he stammered in disbelief, "Is that a ninja tool too?"
Mei and Jinzaburo stared in amazement at the immense fortress.
It wasn't so much that the Tobirama fortress was so striking, but that its very presence represented the clash of a new era against an old generation.
At this point in history, technology in the shinobi world was still rudimentary. Something as advanced as the Tobirama Flying Fortress was completely unimaginable to them.
Although the Land of Sky had existed, it had been only a fleeting anomaly.
Thanks to the ruins of that nation and with the resources and manpower of Konoha, Orochimaru and Kazuki had recreated a war machine capable of shocking the shinobi world.
That was the difference between a small nation like the Land of Sky and a war power like Konoha.
The same technology, when supported by infinitely greater resources, produced completely different results.
The Tobirama Fortress descended majestically, landing on the ground blackened by the flames of Amaterasu.
Kazuki slowly advanced towards the flying fortress.
Behind him, the ancient Kiri-nin followed with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. The gigantic creation filled them with wonder.
Inside the imposing flying fortress, the clanking of tools working tirelessly echoed from every corner. The reinforced steel walls reflected the light from the chakra lamps that illuminated the enormous hangar. Dozens of shinobi moved with military precision, fine-tuning every detail as they prepared the Tobirama series bombs.
At the center of the activity, explosive clay birds, modified into ninja tools, were being checked one by one, while a specialized team carefully loaded the Tobirama series bombs into their compartments, ensuring each one was properly fitted. The constant hum of gears and pulleys filled the air, accompanied by the firm orders of each squad's root leaders.
In another section of the hangar, a group of shinobi gracefully descended from above, propelled by ninja tools that allowed them to fly. Wing-like devices folded behind them.
Once they landed, the shinobi began to detach themselves from their flying tools. The wings retracted with a soft mechanical click, and the devices were carefully placed on inspection tables.
Agile fingers ran over every gear and joint of the wings, looking for signs of wear or failures that could be fatal in the heat of battle.
A few steps away, other shinobi worked on their ninja sniper tools. The poisoned metal needles reflected light with a menacing glow as the snipers loaded their rifles. Each senbon was inspected before being carefully placed into the magazines.
At the center of this bustling scene was the command center, where some members of the Yamanaka clan and the Kurama clan wore helmets with numerous cables connected to the control center. They were coordinating operations and processing information from the different battle fronts.
Off to the side, Nara Shikaku, accompanied by other members of the Nara clan, were frowning as they discussed while filling out papers with notes and diagrams.
In every corner of the ship, everyone performed their tasks efficiently and synchronously, with a fluidity that almost seemed like art.
For the old members of the root, this scene was normal, as they had always worked this way.
But for the Kiri-nin, accustomed to the chaos and mistrust sown by the Blood Mist era, this was completely new.
