Becoming the Tsuchikage in the Naruto World

Chapter 270: The Match Begins

Ishiro could see that among the six, Ogura Saki, Takumi, Tatsunori Nakata, and Hanpei Haraguchi appeared more nervous. All four of them valued the title of Tsuchikage greatly and didn't want their teacher to lose the title because of them.

At the same time, the four also wanted to prove themselves through the match and not let down their teacher's guidance.

On the other hand, Shinya Matsutani and Dai Shimoyama seemed much more relaxed. Dai probably knew from Uzumaki Yumi that Ikura wasn't very keen on the Tsuchikage position now, while Shinya was truly just carefree.

However, there wasn't much of a tense standoff between the two sides.

The six were actually very familiar with each other. Ever since being taken as disciples by Ishiro and Ikura, they had subconsciously regarded the others as their own kind. In addition, Ishiro and Ikura would occasionally entrust their disciples to the other's care, so the six were actually much closer than their other peers.

Ishiro and Ikura looked at each other and smiled, with no intention of counseling them.

In fact, there was no need for counseling. After seeing the attitudes of Ishiro and Ikura, the six naturally realized their teachers' mentality. They knew that neither of them valued the title of Tsuchikage very much.

Thus, after the initial nervousness, everyone gradually relaxed. As if returning to the time when they had just graduated, the six began to talk and laugh.

In a relatively relaxed atmosphere, this dinner gathering came to an end.

Ishiro said to the six, "During this period, you six have no other missions. First, get familiar with your original teammates again. Understand the changes in everyone over these years, then think about tactics and prepare well for the upcoming match."

"However, don't be too nervous. Just treat this match as a stage to prove yourselves. After all, the Daimyo and Lord Tsuchikage will be watching. In addition, there will be many high-ranking officials and rich merchants, so this is a good opportunity, an opportunity to prove yourselves to the entire ninja world."

"Yes!" the six answered in unison.

Among the six, Ogura Saki's reply was the loudest. She was the one who most wanted to prove herself in the match.

Over the next few days, important figures from various fields within Iwagakure arrived one after another, and the village became more and more lively.

However, this time Ishiro was not as idle as during the previous Chunin Exams. Ōnoki had assigned Ishiro a mission: to identify if there were any intelligence ninjas from other countries among the figures who had come to watch the match.

This mission was actually chosen by Ishiro himself because his trip to the Land of Waves not long ago had caused a change in his Mind's Eye. At that time, Ishiro was tracking Obito and had no time to examine this change. Now, after a year of reviewing and improving, Ishiro had finally mastered the change in his Mind's Eye.

The Mind's Eye had two changes. First, the breadth of his perception ability had increased. The original perception range of his Mind's Eye was only about three hundred meters. After this change, its perception range suddenly increased to nearly 1000 meters.

This change greatly surprised Ishiro. One had to know, with the linear distance tripling, the increase in perception ability was more than just three times; it was at least a factor of 10.

This kind of tenfold increase was, as far as Ishiro knew, of only one type: the evolution from a three-tomoe Sharingan to a Mangekyō Sharingan. The ocular power of the Mangekyō Sharingan was definitely more than ten times that of the three-tomoe.

Combining this with the fact that the change in his Mind's Eye happened exactly when Obito awakened his Mangekyō, Ishiro guessed that his Mind's Eye, perhaps like the Sharingan, was some kind of ability from a certain sage in the mythological era.

It was just that under normal circumstances, this kind of ability was passed down through bloodline, while Ishiro's Mind's Eye was awakened under accidental circumstances.

This kind of ability inherited from the mythological era had the potential to evolve after triggering a certain condition, the most common being the Uchiha clan's Sharingan upgrade.

Perhaps Ishiro had hitched a ride on Obito's Mangekyō. When Obito's Sharingan upgraded, Ishiro's Mind's Eye also upgraded along with it.

There were only three sages in the mythological era: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, and the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother. Ishiro couldn't be 100% sure from whom the Mind's Eye was inherited.

But based on Iwagakure's records and speculations related to the Tenseigan, the existence that the Mind's Eye communicated with should be the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths.

The second change was the strength of his perception ability. Ishiro had tested it. Now, even if a ninja used a jutsu to suppress their chakra fluctuations, Ishiro could accurately sense the opponent's strength.

It was precisely because of this ability that Ishiro had accepted this mission at the high-level meeting.

If someone used Ishiro's method of infiltrating Konoha to infiltrate Iwagakure, they would definitely not escape Ishiro's perception.

However, Ishiro staked out the village entrance for seven consecutive days but did not catch a single intelligence ninja.

"I wonder if I misjudged, or if no intelligence ninjas have infiltrated at all," Ishiro sighed to himself.

"The latter is more likely. The village should already have intelligence ninjas from other villages. Without a special target, other hidden villages generally won't send additional ninjas to take risks."

Just as Ishiro felt that this mission would be fruitless, a large procession slowly approached Iwagakure.

With just one glance, Ishiro recognized them.

"The Daimyo has arrived," a ninja beside Ishiro also recognized the identity of the newcomer and then said to Ishiro.

Ishiro was disguised as a gate guard. The ninja on duty with him knew this, so after seeing the Daimyo, he immediately asked Ishiro for instructions.

"Normal reception," Ishiro said without much thought.

After a while, the Daimyo's party arrived at the village entrance.

The Daimyo naturally didn't need to register upon arrival, but his attendants did. Of course, the Daimyo had special privileges; Iwagakure couldn't make the Daimyo wait too long at the village entrance just to check his attendants.

Ishiro and his partner just briefly inquired about the personnel configuration of the Daimyo's party and then let them pass.

After the registration, Ishiro said to one of the Daimyo's guards, "Senior, please allow me to show you the way. Lord Tsuchikage is waiting for the Daimyo."

The Daimyo did not speak upon hearing Ishiro's words, but the guard nodded. Having a ninja show the way made the Daimyo's status appear more noble, which was a good thing.

The ninja on duty with Ishiro was first stunned by his words, then he inconspicuously collected his expression. He knew that Ishiro must have discovered something.

Ishiro had indeed discovered something. The number of ninjas in the personnel configuration submitted by the Daimyo did not match what Ishiro had sensed. The number of ninjas Ishiro sensed was three more—three Jonin.

Ishiro wasn't sure if these three were deliberately hidden by the Daimyo or if ninjas from other villages had infiltrated. Considering the crowd and prying eyes at the village entrance, Ishiro didn't want to make a scene.

Leading the group to the entrance of the Tsuchikage Building, the ninjas guarding the building were first stunned; they hadn't received a notice that the Daimyo would be coming at this time.

Just as they were about to inquire, they saw Ishiro inconspicuously make a series of hand signs. The ninjas of this squad exchanged a look and cleared the way.

Ishiro led the Daimyo and two guards into the Tsuchikage Building, while the others remained at the entrance.

By this time, Ōnoki had already received news of the Daimyo's arrival. Although he was puzzled, considering that Ishiro was guarding the gate, he quickly realized that there was a problem.

The unflustered Ōnoki, along with Ikura and the other two, welcomed the Daimyo into the conference room.

After entering the conference room, the Daimyo first looked at Ikura, then asked Ōnoki, "Is Ishiro not in the village?"

Ōnoki didn't speak but looked at the transformed Ishiro.

With a poof, Ishiro dispelled the Transformation Jutsu and returned to his original appearance.

The Daimyo was somewhat surprised, not understanding what Ishiro was doing. His two guards, however, reacted quickly. One of them quickly said, "Advisor Ishiro, has something happened?"

Ishiro nodded and said, "Daimyo, I sensed that the number of ninjas in your entourage is three more than on the list. Considering your safety, I took the liberty of inviting you to the Tsuchikage Building."

"Yonosuke?" The Daimyo turned to the guard who had just spoken with a surprised look, wanting to know if he had arranged it.

A layer of fine sweat immediately broke out on the guard's forehead. Not daring to hesitate, he immediately spoke, "Daimyo, it was not my arrangement. We did not conceal the number of our ninjas."

Ōnoki spoke up, "Then some ninjas must have mixed in. Ishiro, you and Yonosuke go and handle it together."

"Yes," Ishiro acknowledged.

The head of the Daimyo's guard, Yonosuke, looked at the Daimyo. The Daimyo nodded in agreement.

Then, Ishiro and the other left the conference room. Not long after, the two returned. Ishiro reported, "Lord Tsuchikage, it's been handled. The three are all Jonin, likely the work of Konoha. They have now been sent to the interrogation department."

Ōnoki nodded, looked at the Daimyo sitting opposite him, and asked, "Daimyo, do you want to send someone to participate in the interrogation?"

The Daimyo thought for a moment and felt it was necessary to send someone, at least to find out how the other party had infiltrated. So he nodded.

With the matter handled, and since the Daimyo had already arrived, the two parties, who were originally supposed to meet in the afternoon, officially began their meeting.

"Tsuchikage, when will the match begin, and in what format?" the Daimyo asked. He had participated in Iwagakure's Chunin Exams before, but this was the first time seeing a match between Jonin, and he was somewhat curious.

Ōnoki said, "It will begin tomorrow morning. The competition format is three-on-three, and the venue is in a stone forest to the west of the village."

The Daimyo said, "Very good. Iwagakure has never been as strong as it is now. Tsuchikage, you have done very well."

Ōnoki nodded, pointed at Ishiro and Ikura, and said, "Both of them are outstanding ninjas, and their strength is no less than mine. I believe the village will become even stronger under their leadership."

The next day, on a grandstand capable of holding tens of thousands of people, created by an Earth Release jutsu cast by Ishiro with B-rank Sage Art, a sea of people surged, with waves of cheers rising one after another.

Directly in front of the stand was a huge area enclosed by a transparent barrier.

After most of the audience had arrived, Ōnoki and the Daimyo appeared together on the highest level.

After the two were seated, the six contestants also entered the competition area from two different directions.

Ikura stood by Ōnoki's side, and Ishiro stood by the Daimyo's side, both acting as guards.

Seeing everyone enter the field, Ishiro began to introduce the six contestants to the Daimyo.

This was deliberately arranged by Ōnoki the night before. If the Daimyo was pleased, perhaps they could get another large allocation of funds.

Iwagakure's overall strength was still in a phase of steady ascent, a time when a large amount of funding was needed.

Especially because of the various research projects brought by Ishiro, each of which consumed a large amount of resources.

For example, the training of Sage Jutsu. In these two years, Ishiro and Ōnoki had practiced Sage Jutsu at least once a day, and the ninja cat Dango had been training in Sage Jutsu for over half a year.

In addition, various research projects such as genjutsu, sealing jutsu, Lightning Release, hand seals, medical ninjutsu, summoning jutsu, the Byakugan, the Sharingan, the White Zetsu clone, the piece of the Ten-Tails' body, and the Uchiha Gunbai were all constantly burning money.

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