"Not only do you want to steal my credit, but you dare to take my spoils of war? You're practically begging to die!"
Yoru Umino's eyes glinted with cold, murderous intent. If it weren't for Koharu Utatane's political influence and Maki Utatane's privileged background, he would've sliced him down already, sending him straight to the Pure Land to meet the Sage of the Six Paths.
Maki Utatane, that pampered Persian cat, had the audacity to try snatching food from a tiger's mouth without weighing his own worth.
The credit for wiping out the Sand Village's puppet corps and the promotion to Konoha's Jonin rank didn't matter much to Yoru Umino. But these Sand ninja puppets? Those were non-negotiable.
Especially Ebizo's mirror matrix puppets—top-tier puppets even more advanced than Tetsusai's mechanical shield puppet.
No wonder such powerful defensive puppets could withstand the devastating power of a dust explosion.
If the shockwave from the dust explosion hadn't been so intense and prolonged, Ebizo might not have been so badly injured.
"If I can convert all these mirror matrix puppets into mecha puppets, forming an army of one won't just be a dream!"
With his Wind Breathing Technique improving daily and his genjutsu training boosting his mental strength, combined with the Gluttony Technique, Yoru could now sustain 15 shadow clones at once.
If he had enough mecha puppets, he could equip all 15 shadow clones with them, truly becoming a one-man army.
"No wonder the Scorpion of the Red Sand could destroy an entire nation single-handedly. The Red Secret Technique is unmatched in group battles."
Once these mirror matrix puppets were fully converted, his strength wouldn't just double—it'd increase tenfold, at least.
Using his sonar radar jutsu, Yoru personally handled the cleanup, collecting the puppets while his subordinates tidied up the battlefield. Soon, the area was cleared.
Yoru's hands-on approach resulted in zero casualties, starkly contrasting with Maki Utatane's performance.
This unintentional move earned him even more respect from his subordinates.
But Yoru wasn't just being a caring leader. By personally cleaning the battlefield, he could pocket the valuable puppets and scattered parts before anyone else.
Once the battlefield was cleared, his subordinates were all smiles, praising their generous commander.
The Sand ninja puppet corps had barely fired a shot before Yoru obliterated them with a dust explosion. Since they'd been deep in enemy territory, their logistics supplies were plentiful.
Yoru only took the high-value puppets, leaving the Sand ninja's custom kunai, headbands, and puppet medals to be turned in. The rest of the spoils, he distributed among his subordinates.
They'd barely had to lift a finger and still got a haul of weapons and supplies—no wonder they were thrilled.
Half a day later, Konoha's reinforcements finally arrived—a full 500-strong ninja legion.
The commander was an old acquaintance, Shikazo Nara, with Dingbo Akimichi and Kyu Yamanaka as his deputies. Though Danzo Shimura wasn't the most competent, he clearly understood the importance of the left flank of the Shinano Forest defense line, sending a third of the River Country's forces.
Shikazo Nara had rushed over at full speed, expecting a fierce battle. Instead, they were greeted with a victory feast.
Though the celebration was simple, with everyone sitting on the ground, it was a rare treat.
Eating fish and meat on the front lines was a luxury.
For the lower- and mid-tier ninjas, a hot meal was something they hadn't had in ages.
They'd braced for a brutal fight, unsure if they'd survive, only to find no battle, a hot meal, and even some spoils to take home.
Yoru was especially generous to the mid- and high-ranking officers, distributing the kunai and puppet medals—originally meant for the village—to the reinforcements' leaders.
These items might not be worth much money, but their political and merit value was immense.
Back in Konoha, those kunai and puppet medals would serve as proof of valor, perfect for bragging over drinks and boasting about war exploits for nights on end.
"Yoru, I knew I wasn't wrong about you."
This time, Shikazo Nara didn't pat Yoru Umino's shoulder. Instead, he raised a cup of tea, treating him as an equal.
With the merits from this battle, Yoru's promotion to Jonin was a done deal.
Hayama Shirakumo, who'd been by his side, would likely also be promoted to Jonin, and several veteran Chunin could become Special Jonin.
Shikazo noticed how Hayama deferred to Yoru. If he could win Yoru over, he'd secure not just two Jonin votes but also the loyalty of a chunk of front-line ninjas.
Yoru Umino was no longer some insignificant nobody—he was a real power player now.
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Plus, Yoru was aligned with the Hokage's faction and on good terms with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. With their support, he'd solidify his standing.
"Yoru, stay here and hold the fort with your troops. Your Jonin title will be approved soon."
Shikazo explained the ins and outs of Konoha's Jonin policies. The front-line commander, Danzo Shimura, didn't have the authority to promote him—only the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, could sign off on it.
So, Yoru's Jonin title would take some time to finalize.
Even if the title wasn't official yet, Shikazo made sure Yoru's real authority was secured.
Front-line defense posts were highly coveted, and Shikazo was happy to nudge Yoru into the role of commander of the Shinano Forest's left flank.
As for Maki Utatane, his desertion in battle was basically confirmed, so Raidou Namiashi, who'd performed well, could take his place.
Having given Yoru so many perks, Shikazo started probing about what forbidden jutsu Yoru had used to wipe out the Sand puppet corps.
But before he could dig deeper, Root ninjas showed up.
Even with Shikazo's influence, he knew this was Danzo's doing and made an excuse to drop the topic.
"This is my newly developed S-rank forbidden jutsu: Dust Release: Multi-Layered Infinite Explosion Array Annihilation Vector Zero. I'm willing to turn it over to the village."
Yoru handed a prepared scroll to the Root ninja.
The Root ninja hadn't expected Yoru to hand over such a powerful forbidden jutsu so easily. Lord Danzo was right—Yoru Umino truly embodied the Will of Fire.