Chapter 75: A Man Among Men

Moonlight Gale was still living with Yakushi Ryo, receiving treatment to make up for years of physical depletion. Shiraki was curious to see just how far this guy could go after adopting an ascetic lifestyle—could he really surpass White Fang?

After exactly two days of recuperation, Onoki was already urging Shiraki to set out. The two watchtowers had held out against repeated assaults, and casualties were rising by the day.

But this time, Shiraki didn’t plan to take too many people along. First, he figured that if Iwagakure’s regular troops couldn’t take the towers, what could a motley crew like theirs possibly accomplish? After all, when it comes to breaching towers, psychological tactics trump brute force; the essence lies in a single word: “stealth.”

Second, he was worried about the prisoners here starting a riot—chakra-suppressing drugs weren’t always reliable.

“This time, I won’t be taking too many people. Voluntary basis only—anyone who wants to join me, step forward,” Shiraki called out.

Instantly, the crowd took a synchronized step back, leaving only a handful of slow-reacting fellows exposed.

“Excellent, you few will do. One, two, three, four… don’t run, I see you. Twenty people—add me, Kakuzu, and Vice Commander Kurotsuchi. Let’s move!”

…

Near Watchtower One, smoke and the stench of blood hung thick in the air.

In just two days, a bloody grinder had formed around the tower, both sides feeding in more and more men. Iwagakure had lost over five hundred shinobi; Konoha’s losses were fewer, but still close to a hundred.

Currently, the frontline commander for Iwagakure was a man named Higashishinin, but the real assault was led by Han, the Jinchuriki of Five Tails. As soon as Kurotsuchi arrived, she automatically took over the command position.

“What’s the current situation?” Kurotsuchi asked.

“Kurotsuchi-sama, Konoha has established a defensive line anchored on the watchtower, with about two hundred people. The shinobi themselves aren’t much of a concern; the main problem is the ballistae atop the tower—truly formidable. Their effective range is a thousand meters, and they’re operated by members of the Hyuga clan, making their accuracy terrifying. Many of our best ninjutsu users have been sniped by a single bolt before they could even unleash their techniques,” Higashishinin said, shaking his head in frustration.

“Of course! Each shot takes out a shinobi,” Shiraki thought to himself. All twelve chakra ballistae from Watchtower Four were stashed away in the restaurant’s corner, but they were meant for city defense—an individual couldn’t operate them unless they were superhumanly strong.

Kurotsuchi had tried firing a few shots herself; with chakra infused, their power increased. At the highest setting, they could easily pierce a Mud Wall from five hundred meters away.

Shiraki had even sold one to Onoki for five million ryo, letting their technicians dismantle and analyze it.

“They really are troublesome ninja tools. Who’s commanding Konoha now?” Kurotsuchi asked, stroking her chin.

“Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Dingza,” Higashishinin reported solemnly.

Shiraki whistled—finally, some familiar faces, and three at once.

“So it’s them… this could be a problem,” Kurotsuchi frowned deeply. These were the true heirs to the Ino-Shika-Cho legacy, all sons of their clan leaders, exceptionally gifted and powerful. They were the backbone of the new generation, famous on the battlefield, second only to Minato Namikaze as a team.

“There’s more bad news…” Higashishinin drew a deep breath. “Yesterday, we lost over two hundred men charging under heavy ballista fire. We finally reached the base of the tower… only for Minato Namikaze to arrive as reinforcements. Our entire line collapsed…”

“Dual-front reinforcements? That’s a headache,” Shiraki muttered, rubbing his temples.

Sigh… All three of them sighed in unison. Everyone knew Minato was unstoppable; if worst came to worst, they’d have to abandon the mission.

“Kid, I’ve got a great idea,” Deidara sidled up to Shiraki, whispering.

“Oh? You have a good idea?” Shiraki perked up, and the other two looked up sharply as well.

“Drink a bottle of cola—think about the problem while you drink, and your head won’t hurt as much,” Deidara grinned, producing a can of Konoha-captured soda from his mouth.

“Oh, you’re a lifesaver,” Shiraki said, hugging Deidara happily.

“…” Kurotsuchi remained expressionless.

*Burp…* Shiraki gulped down the cola and let out a long belch, his headache gone. He glanced around the command tent and asked Higashishinin, “Where’s your Jinchuriki, Han? I don’t see him.”

“Him? Why would you want to find that oddball?” Higashishinin replied with thinly veiled disdain.

“Weirdo?” Shiraki was even more puzzled. Han was his comrade-in-arms, after all—wasn’t it inappropriate for the commander to refer to his own village’s Jinchuriki as a freak?

“Yeah, Han’s always been strange—never fit in with us,” Kurotsuchi agreed.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Whether it was Gaara, Yugito, Killer Bee, or Naruto, none of the Jinchuriki had ever been treated fairly in their villages. It seemed the entire shinobi world instinctively despised Jinchuriki.

“I’m just curious—I’ve never seen a Jinchuriki before,” Shiraki said.

“They’re all freaks. If you’re looking for him, you’ll probably find him by the river,” Higashishinin waved him off.

“Then you guys keep working on the plan. I’ll go talk to Han,” Shiraki said, leaving the command tent.

In the world of the Hokage, everyone was so kindhearted—how could there be such a thing as a freak? If you touched their hearts, you’d find they were all adorable in their own way.

…

By a small stream, a tall man clad in full metal armor was squatting down, hammering and polishing a damaged part of his suit.

At that moment, the system issued a task.

“Mission acquired: Kill, abduct, kidnap, humiliate, seduce and then abandon the Jinchuriki.”

“Reward: Hero skill draw, gold, and experience.”

“What the…? To suggest something so outrageous right from the start… Do I really seem like that sort of person?” Shiraki groaned, his head aching.

“Paragon of virtue, you can always choose not to do it! I just hope you won’t end up saying ‘how wonderful’ in the end,” the system scoffed.

I must endure humiliation for the greater good!

“Hey, you must be Han, right?” Shiraki walked over and greeted him.

Han gave a thumbs up, lifted his metal hat, revealing half his masked face, and said nothing—he simply tapped his armor, on which a large, ornate character for “Han” was engraved.

“Hah? Han?” Shiraki didn’t expect Han to be a kindred spirit.

“It’s Han—as in ‘manly man’ Han!” Han replied in a muffled voice from behind his iron shell.

“I saw your awesome armor from afar and had to come over. You must be Han!” Shiraki beamed in admiration.

“Armor… awesome?” Han cocked his head in surprise. Everyone in the village called him the weirdo who hid in a tin can—this was the first time someone had called his armor cool.

“Of course! Steel and armor are the eternal romance of men!” Shiraki gave a big thumbs-up.

“Romance…?”

“That’s right! Only real men understand the tenderness of iron and steel!” Shiraki flashed a dazzling smile.

A man despised by his fellow villagers.

A man rejected by his shinobi comrades.

A man with a passion for armor.

What could be easier to lure than this?

I will become an even greater kidnapper than Orochimaru!