In the current ninja world, due to Hatake Kusuo's influence, a number of sword-wielding ninja had emerged. The Land of Iron was ecstatic and had even sent people to learn from him, but due to the chaotic times, they had failed to meet him. The time it took for him to rise to fame was too short. A few years were definitely not enough to produce a group of swordsmanship experts, especially experts capable of wiping out Konoha's entire outer guard. An organization of this level was nearly on par with a village's Anbu Black Ops.
"Who could they be? Are there any clues to be found in the ninja world?" Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, having lived for so long, knew where to start.
Tsunade shook her head. "The ninja world is a mess, very confusing. There's no information about this. Their appearance feels like they materialized out of thin air. It's too bizarre."
"I think we should dispatch people to investigate immediately," an Anbu captain stepped forward. "A force of this level couldn't have remained unknown for long. They must have left some traces in the ninja world. Moreover," the captain's face grew heavy, "their objective is very important. To strike at us, Konoha, first—the confidence and the conspiracy behind it are worth our deep consideration!"
"Alright!" After considering all opinions, Tsunade made a decisive move and sent out a large number of personnel outside the village.
Masked figures, using swords, powerful...
...
On a cliff on the outskirts of Konoha.
"Sir!" A sword-wielding ninja wearing a flame-patterned mask stepped forward respectfully. "We have successfully completed the mission. Everyone outside the village has been eliminated, and we left one survivor to report the news as instructed."
The man he addressed also wore a mask, this one with a spiral pinwheel pattern, and had a formidable physique.
"Well done. Take them and withdraw for now," the man said faintly.
After the others had left, the man took off his mask, revealing a face with a long,狰狞 scar.
"Lord Kusuo... your subordinate truly doesn't understand your objective. To strike at your own village... sigh!" Morino Ibiki let out a long sigh, a complicated look in his eyes.
This small team was under his command, composed entirely of war orphans. They had been infused with mature Hashirama Cells and taught a rudimentary Breathing Style. Lord Kusuo had named them the "Demon Slayer Corps." To conceal their identities, they wore different masks based on their respective Breathing Styles. To avoid their sword techniques being too similar to Lord Kusuo's, the styles used by the Demon Slayer Corps were mostly altered, cruder versions. While their power was greatly reduced, their physical abilities were substantially enhanced. Coupled with the Hashirama Cells, wiping out Konoha's outer guards was a simple task.
But why did Lord Kusuo order this? Morino Ibiki couldn't figure it out.
A familiar throb emanated from deep within him—a signal from Hatake Kusuo. Sensing the direction, Ibiki rushed back to the village, heading for the Hatake clan grounds.
"Sir, you summoned me." Pushing open the door, Ibiki saw Kusuo sitting cross-legged in the living room, his sword resting horizontally on his lap.
"How did it go?" Kusuo asked, looking at him directly.
"Sir, your objective has been fully achieved. I have also withdrawn the Demon Slayer Corps to a safe location," Ibiki replied respectfully.
"Mm," Kusuo said faintly. "Are you wondering about my motive for doing this?" he asked suddenly. Although there was no blame in his words and his tone was as calm as ever, Ibiki felt his blood run cold and his body tense up.
"Your subordinate wouldn't dare!" he exclaimed, bowing low with a deferential attitude.
Kusuo waved his hand. "You don't need to be so formal. Just be at ease. As for my objective, you will know in the future. In short, I have no ill intentions towards Konoha, nor will I harm it. For now, I am just making the name of the Demon Slayer Corps known. This is only the first step. There will be a second, and a third, until the Demon Slayer Corps is famous throughout the ninja world."
As Kusuo spoke of his future plans, Ibiki listened with a pounding heart. Yet, Kusuo's tone remained as calm as still water.
"Yes, sir!" After Ibiki saluted, Kusuo dismissed him.
He was alone in the room once more. Hinata and the others had gone out to practice their Breathing Styles.
In truth, attacking Konoha was merely to make the village aware of the Demon Slayer Corps' existence. To truly make a name for themselves in the future, he would have to rely on Hinata, Shion, and the others. This was because Naruto and Killer Bee were being so heavily protected that even with his status, he couldn't find any information about their location. No matter how good his relationship with the village and Tsunade was, he couldn't personally inquire about such matters.
The only way was to use force to put the village in a dangerous situation, forcing them to seek help from Naruto, who would be training to become a perfect Jinchuriki. That way, it would be easier for him to obtain the chakra of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails.
"Sigh! If only Obito wasn't so useless, I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble." Kusuo felt a sense of helplessness. He had really worried himself sick over Obito!
According to the current timeline, Orochimaru should have been long gone, but he was still alive and well. Kabuto, on the other hand, seemed to be doing quite well, likely having learned senjutsu. The aliens parasitizing Jigen were still accumulating energy and wouldn't awaken for a while, but the activities of the organization Kara were not far off. Establishing the Demon Slayer Corps, a team capable of contending with them, was precisely for this reason.
Time. Everything was a race against time. A sense of urgency grew stronger in Kusuo's heart.
Picking up his sword, he stood up and walked out to the waterfall in Konoha. The area had effectively become his private training ground, and no one dared to approach. Under the waterfall, several graceful figures were gritting their teeth, enduring the torrent of water crashing down on them from dozens of meters above. There was not a single trace of chakra fluctuation; they were enduring it purely with their physical strength. Hinata, Shion, and the others, while learning the Breathing Style, were also actively exploring ways to improve further with Kusuo. The current experimental version was being used by the ordinary members of the newly formed Demon Slayer Corps.
"Flower Breathing, Third Form: Peonies of Futility!" a delicate shout was heard. Hinata's body produced massive afterimages as blue chakra surged, made even more terrifying under the enhancement of her Rinnegan. The entire waterfall was moved by her power.
"Ha!" With a single palm strike, like a thousand flowers blooming in the heavens, she shattered the falling water into a spray of blossoms that filled the sky. The droplets then suddenly condensed, turning into a rain of water needles that blanketed the area.
CRASH!
The earth shook. A single strike had caused the ground to tremble as if an earthquake had hit. The tiny, grain-sized water needles, upon hitting the ground, created a tremor-like shockwave! And this shockwave even spread to the heart of Konoha!
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