Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 165: Sage of Six Paths: Suddenly Gained a Whole New Lineage of Descendants

The Next Day, Land of Lightning, Kumogakure

The Fourth Raikage casually glanced through the report just delivered from Sunagakure. With a calm tone, he remarked:

"Sunagakure is finished."

"Isn't that conclusion a bit too hasty, Raikage-sama?"

A dark-skinned young woman standing nearby spoke up—Mabui.

Despite being only fifteen, Mabui was already a well-known figure in Kumogakure, considered one of the most promising chunin in the village. She had mastered the secret teleportation technique unique to Kumogakure—Heavenly Transfer Technique—and was renowned for her exceptional organizational and administrative skills.

The Fourth Raikage valued and nurtured this gifted subordinate.

"Heh, they've lost their symbol as a great ninja village—their tailed beast. And now even the face of their village, the Kazekage Tower, has been burned to the ground. What right do they have to call themselves one of the Five Great Nations?"

Though the specific details of Sunagakure's losses were still being compiled, the Fourth Raikage could already imagine the carnage.

The number of ninja who had died to quell Shukaku's rampage was undoubtedly massive. But more importantly, Shukaku was gone.

The value of thousands of ninja couldn't compare to a single tailed beast!

Mabui's brow furrowed slightly at this revelation.

"Even the One-Tail was taken?"

She had heard about the attack on Sunagakure but hadn't realized the tailed beast had been stolen.

For Sunagakure, this wasn't just a simple loss—it was devastating.

As Mabui processed the information, the Raikage handed her the full report.

"Shukaku's gone, and a bunch of old fools are dead, including Chiyo's brother. That old crone Chiyo must be fuming right now."

Shukaku stolen, the Kazekage Tower toppled, over a thousand ninja dead, and internal rebellion brewing…

Mabui skimmed the report, quickly understanding why the Raikage had come to such a grim conclusion.

Sunagakure's losses were catastrophic, and the fact that only a handful of enemies had caused such devastation highlighted the village's weakened state.

Especially now, with the Land of Fire looming.

"Raikage-sama, this situation couldn't be more advantageous for the Land of Fire."

Mabui lowered her gaze as she spoke.

"Their internal turmoil has already been resolved. If they decide to invade the Land of Wind, there's no way the Wind Daimyō or Sunagakure could stop them."

While part of Sunagakure's forces were under the Wind Daimyō's command, without the support of elders like Ebizō, the daimyō couldn't fully control the remaining ninja.

According to the intelligence, the recent attack on Sunagakure had already triggered rebellion among its ranks.

And with Shukaku gone, Sunagakure had lost its greatest deterrent. To the Land of Fire, it was ripe for the taking.

"Still, this isn't entirely bad for us," Mabui added.

"I know." The Raikage nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with calculation.

"The daimyō will make his decision soon."

For years, the Land of Lightning's Daimyō had maintained a good relationship with Kumogakure.

But with the Land of Fire now abandoning the one-country, one-village system, the once-stable dynamic between the Raikage and the Daimyō had grown strained.

Fortunately, they had devised a solution that could satisfy both parties and preserve their alliance.

Now, the chaos in the Land of Wind provided the perfect excuse to push the Daimyō toward action.

"How's the preparation going?" the Raikage asked.

"Everything is ready."

Mabui produced a scroll and pulled out a document.

"The government model in the Land of Demons is particularly insightful. Although the Daimyō lacks the priestess's divine status, as long as we frame his actions as sacrifices for the nation's good, we can elevate him to a symbolic and revered position."

That's right—their solution was to model the Land of Demons. By elevating the Daimyō's status, they could resolve the tension between him and the Raikage.

The core issue of the one-country, one-village system was the conflicting authority between the Daimyō and the Kage. Their solution was to resolve that conflict by boosting the status of one party while limiting their actual power.

Under this plan, the Daimyō would become a ceremonial figurehead, revered but with minimal actual authority. Meanwhile, the Raikage would consolidate both military and governmental power, ensuring a unified and efficient system.

The Raikage nodded but frowned slightly.

"Not enough. Do we have any legendary figures we can tie to the Daimyō? Something to further enhance his divine image? If he's going to relinquish power, we need to reassure him thoroughly."

Mabui's lips curled into a faint smile, as if she had anticipated this question.

"How about the Sage of Six Paths?"

"The Sage of Six Paths?"

Mabui explained calmly, "Among all the legends in the ninja world, the Sage of Six Paths has the widest recognition. While figures like the Shinigami are also revered, their existence is more nebulous."

"Besides, we have the Amber Purifying Pot, said to be passed down from the Sage himself. By engraving the Daimyō's lineage onto the pot and fabricating a connection to the Sage, we can establish a credible narrative."

The Raikage's frown relaxed into a satisfied smile.

"Then it's decided. From now on, the Daimyō's lineage will be that of the Sage of Six Paths!"

Of course, the Amber Purifying Pot had once belonged to Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who claimed to be descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.

But who cared about their claims? Kumogakure had never officially recognized them as such.

As far as the Raikage was concerned, the pot was a Kumogakure treasure.

And now, Kinkaku and Ginkaku were no longer descendants of the Sage—they were merely stewards of the Amber Purifying Pot on behalf of the Daimyō's lineage. Because the Raikage said so.

"Once the power transfer is complete, I'll send forces to support the Land of Wind. Begin preparing for war—and inform Iwagakure."

"Yes, Raikage-sama."

Mabui bowed and exited the room.

---

Iwagakure

Sitting in his office, Ōnoki scowled as he listened to Kitsuchi read aloud the message from Kumogakure.

"Support? That brat Raikage is just looking to profit from the chaos—just like his father."

"Even so, his point is valid. If we let the Land of Fire act unchecked, it'll put us in a difficult position," Kitsuchi said, glancing over the letter.

His gaze lingered on one particularly shocking piece of intelligence, his lips twitching slightly.

"Sunagakure practically handed the Land of Fire a justification for invasion."

Ōnoki raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Kitsuchi sighed.

"Apparently, Sunagakure ninja stormed the Konoha Embassy and massacred everyone inside…"

"Out of rage over seeing Shukaku's Sharingan, I presume?"

Ōnoki snorted. "They lost their minds, huh?"

But his expression quickly darkened as he tapped his fingers on the desk.

"Do you really believe that's the truth?"

Kitsuchi hesitated.

Ōnoki leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes narrowing.

"Konoha's envoy was Koharu Utatane. Even in her old age, she wouldn't have been so easily killed. It's suspicious that she couldn't even escape the chaos. Curious, isn't it?"

"You think it's a setup?"

"No… Koharu doesn't have the guts for such schemes."

Ōnoki didn't elaborate further, steering the conversation back on track.

"If the Land of Fire truly aims to annex the Land of Wind, Kumogakure alone can't stop them. We'll need to act together to put pressure on the Land of Fire. Start the preparations."

"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage."

(End of Chapter)