132. The Kirigakure Concluded: The Sealing of Ties

132. The Kirigakure Concluded: The Sealing of Ties

After he parted ways with Mei, Hikari was returning to his temporary quarters. His path took him through the labyrinth of hidden trails leading to one of the secret complexes located in the high, steep hills surrounding Kirigakure.

The location was strategically chosen for its seclusion and the natural defense provided by the terrain.

As he moved silently, blending with the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun, Arata Yuki suddenly appeared beside him.

The young Yuki patriarch's presence was unexpected, and his approach was marked by a respectful demeanor.

"I apologize for interrupting your journey, Hikari-san...", Arata began, his voice carrying a hint of urgency mixed with respect, "Could we perhaps talk for a moment?"

"Of course, we can talk.", Hikari responded, gesturing towards the summit of the nearby hill, which offered a panoramic view of the village and a degree of privacy from potential eavesdroppers.

Together, they ascended the hill, the quiet around them only broken by the occasional rustle of leaves underfoot.

As they stood overlooking Kirigakure, Arata thoughtfully asked Hikari, "Are you and your remaining clansmen planning to leave soon?"

Hikari nodded affirmatively, his gaze lingering on the distant horizon. "Yes, we will be departing shortly," he confirmed, his voice carrying a note of finality.

Arata nodded, then continued, "The global situation is indeed complex with the ongoing world war. I suppose you'll seek to build further merits elsewhere, as you've already achieved your objectives against Kirigakure on behalf of Konoha on this frontline."

"Indeed, there are other fronts where we need to assert our efforts. The situation requires us to be adaptable and strategic...", He stated, confirming his ongoing role in the war.

As they continued their conversation from there, it was clear that something else was on Arata's mind. After a pause filled with small talk, he finally voiced his deeper concern, his expression earnest.

"Hikari-san, have you decided who you will have the Three-Tails sealed into? Or are you considering taking it back to Konoha now, and you changed your mind?"

His tone and urgency in his question indicated that he was personally interested in the matter, likely seeing it as a means to augment his own strength.

Many days passed, and the Six-Tails was already sealed into Mei Terumi, yet there was still no word about the Three-Tails from Hikari, leading Arata to speculate.

Hikari offered a slight smile, recognizing the opportunity to assert a strategic upper hand. He had anticipated this conversation before and decided to play it to his advantage, so he waited so long regarding the Three-Tails matter.

However, he and the rest of the village's higher-ups were truly busy and focused more on Mei's matters.

"Well, I haven't settled on a specific individual yet..." he replied, maintaining an air of casual deliberation. I'm still inclined to find someone from within this village to host it, though."

Arata, feeling the need to formalize his request, pressed further, revealing the depth of his ambition and desperation, "If I may be so bold, I'd like to offer myself as the host for the Three-Tails...",

"If granted this strength, I assure you that my loyalty and that of my clan will be solid as a rock. We would be at your call, ready to assist with any challenges you face, be it here or even within Konoha's internal matters, should you require.",

His plea was a clear indication of his concern for the survival and future influence of his clan, especially now that they had lost so many of their members in the previous fight and were part of a weakened Kirigakure, more vulnerable to external threats from other great shinobi villages than ever before.

Hikari then appeared to deliberate next for quite a while; however, internally, his mind was already set on giving Arata that power for quite a while.

He also long recognized that Kirigakure, in its current state, was extremely vulnerable to the ambitions of the larger shinobi villages.

In such a precarious position, only a ninja with an existing foundation of considerable power, like Arata, could truly benefit from—and maximize—the formidable force of a tailed beast.

As Hikari made his way there, his mind was occupied with the broader strategic landscape of the ongoing world conflict.

Despite the progress made here, a significant presence of their Hyuga-led forces and elites would still be required near the Land of Water to deter any potential retaliation from Kumogakure, the only possible and most likely threat to Kirigakure at this moment.

It was quite reasonable for Konoha to maintain a military presence in newly acquired territories from the Land of Water like their previous only continental part or their former proxy, the Yugakure, considering the Hokage's Faction likely underestimated the extent of the agreements Hikari had secured in Kirigakure.

They probably viewed the ceasefire as tentative and fragile. Consequently, maintaining some forces in the region wouldn't raise eyebrows—it would align perfectly with Hikari's intentions to safeguard it until it stabilized more.

The main challenge next for Hikari was deploying his forces to other conflict zones to accumulate more strategic victories, particularly after his significant achievements in Kirigakure.

While official permission to reassign his troops might be difficult to obtain, Hikari considered moving a select group of elite units without formal approval.

Such actions, although bold, were unlikely to draw public criticism if they resulted in saved lives and strategic advantages.

Nevertheless, the groups he intended to assist would need to welcome his involvement. Given the circumstances, the Sunagakure's Southern Front, managed by his Uchiha allies and beyond the direct influence of the Hokage's faction, presented a strategic opportunity for further engagement.

This front was the most logical next step for Hikari and his team. It aligned with their broader objectives while operating outside the immediate control of Konoha's central leadership.

Not to mention that, by the looks of it, Konoha kept losing the most there, and Hikari urgently needed to try to help his allies from the Uchiha clan.

As Hikari reflected on his recent actions, he also acknowledged the potential repercussions of his newfound visibility in the shinobi world.

His direct defeat of the Mizukage, a significant and unmistakable display of power, was bound to ripple across the global shinobi community.

Previously, he had operated more covertly, but now he anticipated that various factions and powerful individuals might become aware of his capabilities, potentially leading to increased scrutiny or even direct opposition.

Despite these concerns, Hikari considered the numerous advantages his actions had secured, which far outweighed any potential drawbacks.

Among the less obvious benefits was the successful acquisition of critical resources during the chaos of battle.

A covert group of Hyuga clan members, most loyal to him, from his Third Lineage, had been tasked with and managed to obtain cell samples from Toru Kaguya during the previous chaos successfully.

Additionally, they had captured one of the elusive White Zetsu, who had spied on the entire happening from afar, as Hikari accurately predicted, and whom those members were tasked to be always on the lookout for during the entire chaos as well, all around the Kirigakure, both of which were now a route to his main laboratory in Konoha to Hinome.

With a hint of anticipation, Hikari thought about the potential future breakthroughs these samples could facilitate.

They represented the key components needed to propel their experiments on bloodline enhancement to unprecedented levels. So, they now had all the 'ingredients' secured.

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A/N: Sunagakure part starting!