NOVEL WEB Chapter 116: Slaughter of the Valley
"Captain. Approaching units, estimated… 500." Hinata said calmly through the radio. Her Byakugan saw from as far as 10 kilometers away as she focused only on her front view from the sky.
"In position." Tsuyu sent the order for all. After 2 days of waiting, their waiting bore fruit.
***
The hundreds of shinobi move in sparse distances between them, using body flickered moving as squadrons of 10 lead by a captain. But as they reached the valley with a narrower path, they stopped using body flicker and marched honestly due to the terrains.
The sensors at the front did detect anything and lead the way. Of course they didn't, the explosives were above their heads, not below.
"...The last unit crossed the trap line." Hinata muttered.
Tsuyu had an evil grin on her lips hearing that. "Let's begin! On 3!"
"1! 2! …3!"
Boom! Boom, boom, boom!
"W-what's happening!" The shinobi below the valley looked up to the sides of the mountains, the whole ground shook like an earthquake was shaking the land. Explosions instantaneously destroyed and crumbled the mountain sides, creating rolling earth and rocks to fall down towards them in the next second.
"Don't panic! Retreat!"
The army wanted to flicker back quickly but explosions began from behind them, large pieces of rocks fell and already crushed ten of their shinobi into mush.
"Damn it! Earth Release-"
Various ninjutsu and techniques were unleashed to stop the falling rocks and push their way forward. But a figure suddenly descended a hundred meters in front of them with a flash of shadow.
Dust rolled from the presence as it landed.
Don't think of escaping, Kumongrels!
Collapse Release: Abyssal Ground! Pitch black crystal-like ground spread from beneath her palms she slammed onto the ground, spreading towards their front covering a hundred meter area in front of her at fast speed.
"What is this technique!" The tens of shinobi at the front were forced to kneel and pulled by heavy gravity descending on them. They have nowhere to run, trapped in the narrow path.
"Captain…! We can't move…!" Some of the soldiers shouted in fear, looking at the figure crouching down and holding them with the strange technique.
"It's Konoha shinobi…! How could they be here!" One of them shouted seeing the Konoha symbol on the headband of the figure.
The real Tsuyu standing on top of the ridge had a little smile. Two shadow clones on her sides helped her create the dark sphere of condensed Earth Release Rasenbakudan on her palm.
She threw it down the valley almost casually. The tens of people look up, feeling a terrifying amount of chakra above them, arriving at the group of close to 20 people.
"Die." She whispered coldly. The dark sphere cracked little by little as it fell. Light escaped little by little, until the sphere couldn't contain it anymore.
Blast!
Light of chakra exploded in that instance, accompanied with tremor and the sound of falling rocks crushing and killing those who escaped at the front. Following the same tactic, she cleared up the ones that failed to be buried, attacking from above with the rest through air strike, while her shadow clones held on ground.
***
"Hinata." Tsuyu called for a report seeing the valley turned into a place of burial.
"Tens of them managed to escape… But most of them were caught. Half of them still had a living signature." Hinata observed through the meter's thick burial ground. They were still shinobi after all, so even if they were crushed and buried alive they were hard to die like this.
And Tsuyu won't just let them have time to bury themselves out.
"Hm~ Stay away. I am going to finish them."
"...Yes, captain." The trio responded and flickered away. Though, they wondered how she was going to finish the job. They thought they had done enough…
"You two have your feast." She muttered, with Reibi and Nue inside of her already crazed expression on them feeling the negative chakra from those hundreds of food.
She stood at the center of the burial place, gathering a massive amount of chakra within herself, the demonic patterns from her Curse Mark spreads on her body and face, the sclera of her eyes turned black, her iris turned into a luster of flickering red and purple with a slit pupil with access to 9 tails chakra, Cursed Mark, Reibi,and Nue's. Massive chakra fluctuation appeared visibly, the mixture of dark, purple and red chakras around her was like a chaotic mess intertwining.
Collapse Release: Great Abyssal Ground!
Like an infection, the pitch black loose rocks and dirt beneath her crumbled and compacted into pitch black earth, crushing those beneath alive.
The sound of muffled screams can be heard as the darkness spreads along the valley hundred of meters long. Blood seeped out of the ground, turning them into ground dark-red, with puddles of blood along the path forming slowly… turning into small streams.
People beneath had their bones and flesh crushed little by little by gravity, killing them painfully.
The dark chakra from their pain and suffering flowed like small streams toward her, as if she herself was bathing in the massacre she committed.
"Hahaha…" She let out an accidental laughter from the dark chakra running in her veins as those two fed on them.
But in the trio's vision, it's as if Tsuyu had become a devil who enjoyed the slaughter.
In a matter of minutes, Hinata saw all the life signals die out.
"...It's… clear, captain." She spoke shakily through her radio as the three came down to regroup.
"Ha… Good. I used quite a lot of chakra. Let's have a rest shall we?" Tsuyu revealed the demonic smile still on her expression, her appearance made the trio shake in fear. The curse mark receded, the chakra fluctuation on her disappeared, letting her devil face turn to normal.
Ino held herself with her hands, still terrified , feeling the dark, evil, cold, domineering chakra from Tsuyu. It was more than she revealed back in hell's camp…
Tsuyu turned to look at the landscape, nodding in satisfaction. She hoped her performance was satisfactory.
She didn't know Tsunade was trembling reading the report after half an hour of receiving them.
Close to 500… she… just her squad…
Tsunade felt shocked and complicated. Even if they were caught off guard from traps, to eliminate and kill close to 500 with two days of preparation seemed unreal in her ears. But then again, she was the jinchuriki… with the amount of chakra she possessed, if she wield it effectively, it's more than possible.
To think she already reached this level… has she reached Kage level?
***
"What did you say…?" A felt his ears buzzing hearing the report.
"477 of our unit died while marching… only tens of them escaped…" Darui carefully read the report. It's unbelievable in his eyes as well. But he had to report it.
"How…" A's arms were trembling, his eyes turned bloodshot, his face almost turning red from blood rushing to his head. It was almost unreasonable they died deep within Land of Lightning territory, while marching at that.
"It was a squad of Konoha flying units… They caught them off guard, placed traps and crumbled the mountains surrounding the valley. We had a close witness… but her description is… a little off."
Darui took the second page attached to the report.
It was a sketch and description of a 'demon', with comments and descriptions gathered by various witnesses. Chakra amounts to that of a bijuu, no, more sinister than a bijuu. Inhuman. Evil. That she laughed at their slaughter. A river of blood flowed across the valley from her feet.
A felt chills on his back reading the reports from the survivors on the encounter of that demon. Mysterious technique turning the ground pitch black, binding them helplessly through increased gravity.
A look at the sketch, a distorted face with a smile carving reaching her ears, revealing her fangs. Eyes similar to that of a snake, with demonic markings all over her face. Red or purple eyes, with blonde hair. A demon in a little girl's body of about 11 or 12.
A Kumo shinobi with a jutsu to hide even from Byakugan perception witnessed everything closely, surviving by staying still right on the edge of the mountain… till now she couldn't forget the scene and was sent to a mental asylum. Some accused her of being caught in a genjutsu, because her description was too unbelievable. That such a person that could laugh like a devil while committing slaughter couldn't possibly come from Konoha out of all places.
Konoha… What kind of evil did you unleash?
"Darui, classify this 'demon' as an S rank threat. Pass the sketch to all captains and commanders. Me and Killer B will personally kill it once she appears."
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Tsuyu didn't know her achievements during Slaughter of the Valley would give her the moniker 'Demon'.
***
Danzo had smiles on his face reading the report. Tsuyu was truly a rising star. The Military Councils all give their comments and praises. To kill close to 500 shinobi with only 4 people and 2 days of preparation was almost too demonic.
"Danzo-sama, your disciple is truly amazing!" One of the older Jonin praised Tsuyu genuinely.
"Hm. I did nothing much. I only gave her a path, and she walked on her own. She's a genius, a monster much like her father."
Danzo revealed it casually.
"Her father? Danzo-sama… who is it? Could it be…?"
"Hm. It seemed you must have guessed from her appearance. It is indeed Minato's daughter." Who else had blonde hair and blue eyes inside Konoha other than Minato? It was almost stupid no one said it out loud yet.
"Minato's daughter…! To think he had a daughter like her! Konoha wouldn't lose! If only she knew Flying Raijin like him!" The older Jonin was almost too excited.
"Oh. She does." Danzo let out a small amused huff.
"What!? Oh my god!" The older Jonin almost jumped from his seat, trembling in excitement.
Danzo decided to reveal it to unite Konoha and gave them hope. Besides, it would collapse the enemy's morale once the news spreads. Her identity was safeguarded for her safety. But now, her strength had reached a degree that she no longer needed it.
The news of Tsuyu's achievement spreads in Konoha and around the army. That daughter of Minato led a squad of 4 to kill 500 shinobi of Kumogakure.
***
"Naruto… you… you are Lord 4th's son?" Sakura asked carefully, hearing the rumors going around.
"H-huh? Sakura-chan… how did you…" Naruto was shocked hearing the question.
Yamato as an ANBU already knew, so he didn't speak. But he's surprised Naruto seemed to already know of his parentage. But then again, with his appearance it wasn't that far-fetched to think about it and perhaps Tsuyu told him.
"Dobe, you never bothered to tell us?" Sasuke crossed his arms, feeling a little dissatisfied that his friend kept that hidden.
"Well… it was a village secret. My dad's had too many enemies so… the village kept my identity a secret…"
Sakura's and Sasuke's expressions turned a little somber. Sasuke especially, felt it was all unfair for Naruto.
"You are the son of the Hokage, but…" Sasuke wanted to make a comment about Naruto's early life, but he shut his mouth since Naruto must have felt worse as he lived through it himself.
"It's okay! I know there's a reason for it. Besides, it's not bad anymore. Haha…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, feeling sheepish that his little secret got exposed. He didn't want to brag or anything, and that he wanted to make people know himself as Naruto, not as the son of his dad.
"But how did you guys know?" Naruto finally remembered why Sakura asked.
"They say your little sister did quite an achievement. Her squad killed close to 500 shinobi using a trap." Sasuke muttered. His voice filled with awe and respect. As expected of someone who could make even Itachi run away.
"...500?" Naruto felt shaky hearing the numbers. Compared to her slaughter of civilians, this news was still better. Though, Naruto felt her strength has surpassed what he could reach. Or even if he had the strength… he didn't know if he could kill hundreds that easily…
"She's really amazing…" Sakura sighed in admiration. She may have felt a little scared of Tsuyu when she was serious, but she admired her deeply, wanted to be a strong Kunoichi just like her.
"...Yea… she's… amazing…" Naruto said weakly. He looked around, hearing people talking about her. That she's the daughter of Lord 4th, that Konoha had a new hero. That she's a genius comparable to her father, talking about her with hope in their eyes as if she would shine as much as the Hokage of the past.
He felt his heart heavy. He's the son of Minato too… but… at this moment…
No one looked in my direction…
***