41. Ishigami Hara's Will To Fight

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The main reason why Uchiha Madara emerged was naturally because of Ishigami Hara. He possessed both the Byakugan and Sharingan bloodlines, something even with Madara's vast knowledge, he had never encountered. Such a person could only be described as a miracle in the ninja world.

The Hyūga and Uchiha clans were not mortal enemies, but they had clashed numerous times during the Sengoku period, so their relationship was far from amicable.

Given this history, it seemed almost impossible for someone to inherit the blood of both clans.

Yet, this situation had now occurred, and with Ishigami Hara shrouded in mystery, it naturally drew Uchiha Madara's attention.

At this time, Uchiha Madara had just transplanted his Mangekyō Sharingan and was actively seeking his next move. The appearance of someone as unique as Ishigami Hara led him to wonder if he could be of use.

Thus, Madara's journey took on a different purpose.

Ishigami Hara, for his part, had anticipated this possibility, but at the moment, his focus was not on Uchiha Madara.

He had detected the chakra of several Amegakure Shinobi. Though their numbers were few, they were spread out, indicating that they had been lying in wait or had been stationed there for some time.

From this, Ishigami Hara deduced that the Amegakure Shinobi had likely gathered intelligence on Konoha's camp long before.

After pondering the situation for a moment, Ishigami Hara made his move, appearing swiftly on a thick tree branch.

"Who!?"

A man hiding behind the tree was startled, reflexively throwing a kunai as he dodged.

Ding!

With a flick of his finger, Ishigami Hara released a burst of chakra, deflecting the kunai and sending it flying into a nearby tree trunk.

"Don't be nervous."

Ishigami Hara pointed to his forehead protector, addressing the man, "I came here with Lord Orochimaru."

The startled man was a Konoha shinobi stationed as a sentry. Always on high alert, he had reacted immediately. However, upon seeing the Konoha forehead protector, his tension eased. When he finally got a good look at Ishigami Hara, surprise overtook him.

Ishigami Hara's handsomeness was legendary throughout Konoha. Given his appearance and age, the sentry easily identified him.

"Are you... the most beautiful man in Konoha?" the man blurted out without thinking.

"Ahem."

Even someone as composed as Ishigami Hara couldn't help but cough awkwardly at that title. Being called that was truly embarrassing for him.

Every time he heard that name, it brought back unpleasant memories, particularly of his childhood, where he was constantly overwhelmed by the extreme reactions of women who saw him. It was hard to suppress the frustration!

This was one reason why Ishigami Hara remained so cold. If he had a softer demeanor, he feared those women might overwhelm him even more.

"I'm Ishigami Hara, here under the order of Lord Orochimaru. 

I found Amegakure Shinobi about two kilometers away.

There are eight of them, likely two teams.

Take this information back and tell Lord Orochimaru to prepare early and take precautions.

I suspect that Sunagakure will launch a surprise attack on the camp in the coming days."

The man was shocked when he heard this and asked, "Where are they?"

Ishigami Hara replied, "Don't alert them for now. Wait for Orochimaru's order."

"I understand."

Without hesitation, the man left quickly, eager to report the news.

After everyone had left, Ishigami Hara sat cross-legged on the tree branch, waiting quietly.

Orochimaru's next order didn't surprise Ishigami Hara. Instead of telling him to eliminate the two Amegakure Shinobi teams, Orochimaru had someone bring him a new defense map.

This made Ishigami Hara understand Orochimaru's strategy—he wanted to lure the Amegakure Shinobi into attacking.

Ishigami Hara expected that the rear camp had already made necessary preparations. Though morale was low, things would definitely shift with the arrival of Orochimaru and Nawaki.

Especially Nawaki's presence—it could play a critical role at this time.

However, these matters were not Ishigami Hara's concern. As time passed, he became increasingly vigilant.

The reason was the appearance of a special chakra nearby. It was very well hidden, and even with Ishigami Hara's advanced perception, he could only vaguely sense its presence without pinpointing its exact location.

This led Ishigami Hara to suspect the presence of White Zetsu.

There were more than one White Zetsu. In his perception, there were over ten of these chakra signatures scattered within a two-kilometer radius, quietly hiding.

With so many White Zetsu present, Ishigami Hara didn't need to guess—Uchiha Madara was clearly interested in him.

...

Time passed as Ishigami Hara remained on high alert. Two days went by in the blink of an eye. During this time, he explored the area and became familiar with the surrounding terrain.

As he anticipated, the Amegakure Shinobi made their move. A large number of Amegakure Shinobi entered his perception range—hundreds of them, coming from the north, directly heading towards the Konoha camp.

Ishigami Hara smirked slightly, raised two fingers, and looked in a specific direction.

Suddenly, there was fire and smoke, followed by a loud explosion.

Swish!

In an instant, Ishigami Hara disappeared, reappearing dozens of meters away. After a few swift leaps, he headed towards the source of the explosion.

However, as he moved, his eyes shifted, seemingly focusing on something. Simultaneously, he asked Uchiha Izuna in his mind, "Did you sense a special chakra fluctuation?"

Uchiha Izuna responded bluntly, "You blocked my chakra, I can't feel it."

Upon hearing this, Ishigami Hara released Uchiha Izuna's chakra control, but Izuna's response surprised him.

"I don't sense anything. Are you getting too nervous?"

Ishigami Hara nodded slightly, but quickened his pace.

"Nervous? Perhaps."

Uchiha Izuna remarked, "The commotion here must have already caught the camp's attention. Isn't this what you intended?"

Ishigami Hara responded, "The Amegakure Shinobi aren't hard to deal with, but if Hanzō of the Salamander comes in person, it will put a lot of pressure on the people here."

"You actually care about that?" Uchiha Izuna asked, surprised.

"No, you've misunderstood. I'm only concerned that my fight with Hanzō of the Salamander might be interrupted by others."

Soon, Ishigami Hara found the Amegakure Shinobi team, and the battle began immediately.