NOVEL WEB Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Prelude to the Great Tournament
Chapter 121: Prelude to the Great Tournament
In the snow-capped mountains bordering the Land of Fire, a group of fully armored samurai emerged.
The Land of Iron.
Long ago, the shinobi of the world had agreed never to target this nation. As a neutral country, it had avoided involvement in several ninja wars.
But this time, they no longer had the luxury of remaining neutral.
The shocking rift carved through the Land of Lightning was visible even from the mountains of the Land of Iron…
That kind of power was on an entirely different level.
It was nothing short of a divine miracle.
When emissaries from the Land of Fire requested the Land of Iron to send its strongest warriors to compete, General Mifune agreed without hesitation.
Even the so-called Demi-God Hanzo had never made him bow.
But…
Uchiha Kagami was a true walking disaster in the ninja world.
He possessed god-like strength, but none of the compassion of a deity.
---
In the Land of Marshes, the ongoing conflict against the Fire Hidden Village of the Land of Wind and the shrine maidens of the Land of Demons raged on.
When word of the tournament reached them, the demon Moryo withdrew its clay army and imbued its follower Huang Quan with a large amount of energy, ordering him to secure a spot in the tournament.
The Dragon Vein Crystal…
So it was that man who took the Dragon Vein all those years ago.
If I can claim the Dragon Vein Crystal, I can completely devour the shrine maiden!
Then…
Uchiha Kagami, you may guard the Land of Fire, but the rest will be mine!
---
In the Land of Waterfalls, the hidden village behind the great cascade stirred. Although surrounded by four major countries, its unique geography had kept it free from invasion.
Now, the shinobi of Waterfall moved out from behind their protective falls.
They hadn't been invited to the tournament, but…
The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki had been captured!
And now, it was listed as one of the prizes in this competition.
They wanted to negotiate and get their Seven-Tails back peacefully. If that failed, they'd align with the strongest faction they could, just to reclaim it.
The Land of Fire… was beyond unreasonable.
---
In the Land of Bears, the ninja village of Hoshigakure also took notice.
It was a small ninja village, yet every village leader had proclaimed themselves a "Hoshikage." While their star-based abilities didn't compare to the major villages' strength, this event presented a unique opportunity.
They didn't fully understand the value of something like Scorch Release techniques, but the chance to officially legitimize their "Kage" title…
If they could secure one of the final positions, the title of Hoshikage would gain true recognition.
Surely, their entire village working as a team could outmatch other smaller squads.
---
In the Land of Wind, Senju Hashirama shouldered a large backpack, his cheerful smile uncontainable.
"Tsunade, take care of the village while I'm gone. And try not to drink so much!"
"Yeah, yeah, just go already!" Tsunade waved him off impatiently.
That village held no sentimental value for her. It only dredged up painful memories.
Senju Tobirama traveled lightly, while Sarutobi Hiruzen carried a load of supplies. He was planning to bring some local specialties for his grandson, though his enthusiasm for the tournament itself was minimal.
Hiruzen often glanced enviously at Orochimaru, who was surrounded by three stunning snake princesses.
"Orochimaru! Stop wasting time and master our combined techniques. You must not lose to those two toad students!"
Orochimaru's expression turned impatient.
"Tianshin Hime, even Jiraiya took decades to learn. Demanding that I master it in just a few days is utterly unreasonable."
Orochimaru had indeed learned Sage Mode, but he spent most of his time pursuing immortality. In his view, Sage Techniques were merely a piece of a larger puzzle.
He'd already concluded that unless he abandoned his humanity entirely and fully embraced his identity as a snake, Sage Techniques wouldn't grant him eternal life.
If he had a choice, he'd prefer to remain human.
Of course, if that choice was taken away, becoming a snake was acceptable.
Tianshin Hime fell silent for a moment, then changed the topic.
"Orochimaru… what kind of man is Uchiha Kagami? I've never seen the White Snake Sage so wary of a human."
"Ah, Kagami…" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
This topic interested him greatly.
"He is, in my view, the perfect human."
"A true strongman."
"He possesses immense strength and an unyielding heart."
"An unmatched talent and an unwavering belief in himself."
"From his body to his spirit, he's a flawless whole."
"He is… the epitome of perfection."
Tianshin Hime frowned.
"I'm not asking you to sing his praises. I want to know if he has any weaknesses."
"How dare he threaten our sacred Dragon Earth Cave? I intend to teach him a lesson."
Orochimaru's smile faded.
"I wouldn't know."
"But as a favor to me, please revoke my status as a Dragon Earth Cave representative before you act against him."
…
"Are you really that scared, Orochimaru?" One of the snake princesses, who appeared in a loli form, chimed in.
Ichikishima Hime casually remarked,
"Dragon Earth Cave's techniques counter the Sharingan perfectly."
"Remember a hundred years ago, we even toyed with that guy—what was his name again? Tajima?"
"He was an Uchiha clan leader too."
Orochimaru didn't bother explaining further.
"You'll understand when you meet him."
---
In the Land of Lightning, after a grueling month of disaster relief, the Four Nations Alliance finally set out for the Land of Fire, exhaustion etched into their faces.
Uchiha Kagami's single attack had turned their long-studied chakra cannon into a joke.
It seemed all their years of effort had been meaningless.
Kagami hadn't even bothered to treat them as equals.
Onoki's expression was grim as he floated in the air. Although Chiyo had offered to craft him puppet limbs, he'd grown accustomed to his legless state, and it hadn't diminished his combat ability much.
Onoki, A, Rasa, and Yagura led their respective nations' elite shinobi. Their plan was clear: to divide into four teams and reclaim the prestigious titles that had been stripped from them.
It wasn't just a verbal revocation. Even their respective daimyo had officially rescinded the Kage titles.
Although Kagami hadn't explicitly demanded it… they were too afraid not to comply.
The Land of Wind and Land of Water's daimyo had died only a few years ago…
Some began to feel that calling Kagami the "Shinobi God" no longer sufficed.
---
In the Land of Rain, under the leadership of Pain, most of the Akatsuki members—excluding Tobi and Zetsu—decided to head to the Land of Fire. Konan and Nagato remained hidden.
Zetsu wanted no part in this. After careful consideration, Tobi also abstained.
He didn't care for the vanity of titles; his focus was on amassing power to revive the Ten-Tails.
Tobi remained in the Land of Rain to guard their home base, while Nagato agreed to go and promised to secure the Scorch Release scroll. After all, his partnership with Tobi had been mutually beneficial. Tobi had provided White Zetsu cells to restore his body's condition, and in return, he was allowed to claim one of the tournament's rewards.
Nagato's primary targets were the Scorch Release scroll and the newly added prize: the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.
Interestingly, they didn't plan to compete as a single team.
Pain's Six Paths would team up with Nagato and Konan.
Kakuzu and Sasori would form their own team, aiming to split the 20 billion bounty between them.
Kakuzu cared little for other rewards; he only wanted the money.
In fact, Kakuzu might have been the only one truly motivated by the monetary prize. Even minor factions like Hoshigakure prioritized the recognition of a Kage title.
---
From the Land of Frost, the Land of Fields, the Land of Rivers, the Land of Snow…
Rogue ninja who had survived in the shadows of smaller nations, along with intelligent monsters and spirits, began making their way toward the Land of Fire.
Even former Konoha defectors were among them.
The ninja world was stirring.
---
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