Chapter 175: Shikaku's Decision
The soul issue was easy enough to handle. The Yamanaka Clan had never pretended to be paragons of virtue; in the current village battlefield, simply snatching an enemy ninja to offer the Shinigami was straightforward. They felt no psychological barrier to performing such an act.
However, when it came to the matter of the Third Hokage, Inoichi hesitated now that the critical moment had arrived.
If they had a year or even half a year, the Yamanaka could fully support Danzō's ascension. Danzō would take over the ANBU, integrate some of his Root ninja into the official ranks, and the Yamanaka could absorb the rest. Everyone would get what they needed; a happy outcome for all involved.
But that wasn't feasible now. The timeframe was too short, and Danzō's reputation was too tarnished. A month wasn't enough time. Should the Yamanaka Clan switch targets at the last minute?
The selection of the new Hokage, the Yamanaka Clan's interests, and the collective interests of the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance were all intricately intertwined. Inoichi knew his own limitations; he was primarily an intelligence chief, lacking the broader strategic vision and decisiveness required. In this moment, he needed Shikaku's wisdom.
At the very least, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio needed to present a unified front on this matter.
"Hold on a moment," Inoichi conveyed. "I need to discuss this with your Uncle Shikaku."
"...Alright," Ino replied. "The Shinigami's perception of time is different from ours, but I can't stall for too much longer either."
Ino began making random, elaborate gestures towards the Shinigami, buying time.
Externally, this manifested as the Third Hokage, having used Shadow Clones to seal the First Hokage, Second Hokage, and Fourth Kazekage within them, now gripping Orochimaru's soul. However, because his own stamina was nearly depleted, the pulling motion seemed incredibly slow.
The Third Hokage attributed this to his own age and frailty, having expended too much chakra in the preceding battle. Having already initiated the summoning, there was no turning back. He could only grit his teeth and focus all his remaining strength on ripping Orochimaru's soul out as an offering to the Shinigami.
Meanwhile, Inoichi used his Sensing Transmission ability to connect with his long-time partners, Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chōza.
He explained the situation on his end, deliberately omitting any mention of the Mind Disturbance Technique – a secret not even known to Yamanaka Rino, let alone shared with allies, no matter how close their bond.
Inoichi deftly employed the art of shifting blame, vaguely suggesting this was a contingency put in place by the First Hokage himself, who supposedly wished for Ino to save the Third.
Don't question it; just accept that the First Hokage was venerable, profoundly wise, and a master strategist.
After all, none of these ninja, now in their thirties, had ever met the First Hokage personally. Konoha also had a history of embellishing the legacies of its past leaders. And now, with the First Hokage sealed by the Shinigami, it was quite literally a case of the dead telling no tales. Anything could be claimed.
The First Hokage's esteemed name indeed managed to distract the two clan heads.
Having addressed the First Hokage narrative, Inoichi steered the conversation back: "Time is critical, Shikaku. You must decide. Do we save the Third Hokage right now, or not?"
His unspoken implication was, Who should we support as the next Hokage? But voicing that directly was too difficult.
Truth be told, Shikaku's personal relationship with the Third was quite good, and the friendship between the Ino-Shika-Cho clans and the Sarutobi Clan had deep roots. But friendship was one thing; adults, more often than not, prioritize interests.
Did the Third Hokage and Danzō consider friendship when dealing with the descendant of Uchiha Kagami?
Ninety-nine percent of Shikaku's focus instantly shifted to calculating the pros and cons. The Otogakure Genin he was fighting looked utterly bewildered. What the hell? This is the leader of Konoha's Jonin Commander division? My grandma moves faster than you! Are you throwing this fight or what?
Akimichi Chōza's attack power also dropped by ninety percent almost instantly.
Seeing their clan heads suddenly holding back, the Nara and Akimichi ninja quickly followed suit. Though the Yamanaka head wasn't present, seeing their allies ease up, they figured they might as well do the same.
The ninja from the three clans began to fight half-heartedly, which in turn influenced the Hyuga, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans.
Hyuga Hiashi, a renowned expert at crushing weaker opponents, who had been felling enemy shinobi with single palm strikes, noticed something was amiss. Scanning the area with his Byakugan, he couldn't understand why the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had drastically reduced their intensity. No matter, the Hyuga Clan would follow their lead!
His movements became as slow and deliberate as the Tai Chi practiced by elders in a park. Despite the pile of eight Sand and Sound ninja corpses beside him, he somehow found himself locked in a seemingly endless struggle with the ninth enemy shinobi.
Even the Sarutobi Clan ninja began to ease off. Clan Head, Lord Hokage, didn't you always tell us to keep a low profile? Well, we're showing you low profile right now!
Shikaku quickly made his decision. They needed to pull the Third Hokage back from the brink. If the man lived for just one more month, the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance could make necessary preparations and strategic arrangements in advance, preventing chaos and safeguarding their clans' interests from potential losses.
Inoichi had even bluntly asked Shikaku if he planned to use this opportunity to take a step forward himself. Shikaku refused flatly. He had the seniority, the connections, and the decisiveness, but becoming Hokage? He wouldn't do it. That job was far too exhausting!
The three clans cemented their agreement: they would continue to support the Hokage, regardless of who that might be.
"A month is sufficient! Save him! Pull the Third Hokage back!" Inoichi immediately relayed the decision to Ino.
Ino began preparing her next round of 'negotiations' with the Shinigami, simultaneously urging them to capture a prisoner quickly. She already had a target in mind: Orochimaru's subordinate named Sakon was perfect. One body housing two souls – that would surely be an appealing gift for the Shinigami.
"Sakon? Right, understood." Shikaku received the message. Then, under the bewildered gazes of Hyuga Hiashi and the other clan leaders, he launched a ferocious assault!
Hiashi was completely baffled, wondering what madness had possessed the Ino-Shika-Cho clans today. Seeing them suddenly attack with full force, he had no choice but to intensify his own offensive. With a single palm strike, he instantly killed the Otogakure ninja he had been 'fighting' for over thirty exchanges.
Sakon, as one of the Sound Four and a crucial subordinate of Orochimaru, possessed considerable skill. Yet, facing the unified assault of over twenty Jonin from the Ino-Shika-Cho clans swarming him at once, he stood no chance.
Before he could even process what was happening, he was pinned to the ground and savagely beaten by a crowd of elite ninja. Then, trussed up like a captured animal, shoulders wrenched back, he was bound tightly with ropes and dragged away.
With Jirōbō having already been crushed by Ino earlier, the remaining two members of the Sound Four stared at each other, dumbfounded. They hadn't even seen clearly what happened, and their comrade was just... gone? Was this Konoha Village or a den of bandits? How were they so damn proficient at kidnapping people?
A Yamanaka Jonin brought the captured Sakon to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino wasted no words. She took the Shinigami Mask and pressed it onto Sakon's face. A second later, the being with two souls lost all signs of life.
The Shinigami seemed quite pleased with the new plaything Ino had procured for it, casually juggling the conjoined souls of Sakon and Ukon in one hand.
Developing a sliver of fondness for its "intellectually challenged" friend, the Shinigami produced a new mask and a ninjutsu scroll from within its robes and handed them to her.
The previous mask had been more of a temporary artifact. This new one was a permanent tool for summoning the Shinigami. And the ninjutsu scroll, naturally, contained the technique: the Reaper Death Seal.