"Oh?" Upon hearing Minato Namikaze speak, Haruto Saito turned around and looked at him. "You know this place?"
"This place… How far is it from Konoha Village?" Minato asked uncertainly. Due to his viewing angle, he couldn't see the mountain's full appearance.
"Around 130 kilometers, to the northwest of Konoha Village." Haruto replied.
"Then this must be Meiji Mountain." Minato confirmed, rubbing his tired, sleep-deprived face. He quickly added, "I learned about Meiji Mountain in both history and geography classes."
"It was in geography? And also in history class?" Haruto frowned. This was just an ordinary small mountain. If it was mentioned in geography, that would make sense, but if it was in history as well, then…
"Is there some historical significance to it?" Haruto asked again.
"Yes, there is." Minato nodded. "In the history book I'm currently studying, it's mentioned in Volume 3, Chapter 6, Section 12."
Haruto was stunned. This kid is a genius! He even remembered the exact volume, chapter, and section number.
Minato continued, "The reason it's called Meiji Mountain is because a powerful ninja clan once thrived here—the Meiji Clan. Their first-generation leader, Meiji Yamato, was an exceptionally talented and ambitious figure. He created numerous unique secret techniques and forbidden jutsu and even sought to conquer the entire Land of Fire… He spent twenty years expanding the Meiji Clan's territory by thirty times its original size."
"The Meiji Clan rose to power 640 years ago and was destroyed around 400 years ago. Although they only existed for a little over 200 years, they had a glorious history. At their peak, they controlled nearly one-fifth of the Land of Fire. Even the Senju Clan had to tread carefully around them. According to historical records, the clan that waged full-scale war against the Meiji Clan and ultimately defeated them was none other than the Hyuga Clan from our village. The Hyuga Clan entered its golden age after emerging victorious over the Meiji Clan."
"This mountain wasn't originally this low. During the final battle between the Hyuga and Meiji Clans, it served as the battleground. The intense battle flattened a significant portion of the mountain, reducing it to its current form. It originally had no name, but because it became the site of the Meiji Clan's downfall, later generations referred to it as Meiji Mountain, and over time, that name became official."
Despite Minato's exhausted demeanor, he spoke with clarity and impeccable memory.
Haruto was impressed.
What a scholar!
However, Haruto wasn't particularly interested in Minato's historical lecture. These kinds of stories were far too common in history! Countless ninja clans and samurai nations had once experienced their peak, their moments of glory, only to eventually meet their downfall.
If one were to talk about the most powerful clans in the ninja world today, the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha Clan from Konoha, as well as the Hozuki Clan from Kirigakure, would be among the top contenders. But if we looked back in history, there were even stronger clans. Many of them! Yet, they all followed the same fate—rising to greatness, then fading away into the river of history.
"Meiji Mountain…" Haruto muttered the name a few times while slowly walking around, sensing his surroundings.
"Oh, right! I remember another story about the Meiji Clan. I read about it in an extracurricular history book." Minato rubbed his nose as he spoke.
"What story?" Haruto asked without turning around.
"A treasure! The Meiji Clan's hidden treasure!"
The moment Minato said it, his expression turned strange, and his eyes widened as he looked at Haruto.
Crap!
That's exactly what Haruto came here for!
"What treasure?" Haruto abruptly turned to face Minato.
Minato's eyes were wide as he spoke slowly, "According to the history books… it's… the accumulated wealth of the Meiji Clan… spanning over 200 years… and it was never found… Back then, the Hyuga Clan extensively searched the entire region once ruled by the Meiji Clan… but they found nothing…"
Haruto's eyes gleamed with excitement.
The treasure card's random detection… was pointing to the Meiji Clan's treasure?!
Could it really be here?!
Haruto looked down at his feet. If that were the case, then the treasure must be hidden inside this mountain! Right beneath him!
Whoosh!
Haruto became a blur, flashing over to Minato's side. He quickly grabbed Minato and carried him down the mountain, putting him at a safe distance. Then, he immediately returned to the mountain, drawing out his Heavy Mountain Blade.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Thunderous roars filled the air, shaking the entire mountain as if an earthquake had struck. The mountain seemed to tremble as Haruto leaped around, swinging his blade and blasting it with Rasengan repeatedly.
He was smashing the mountain!
He was going to break it open to see what lay inside!
Rocks flew in all directions, dust clouds rolled like fog, and one deafening explosion after another filled the air. Haruto relentlessly attacked, becoming more and more excited. He knew it—he was about to get rich! Filthy rich!
The sky gradually brightened as dawn arrived.
Haruto, however, was becoming increasingly exhausted. Though this mountain wasn't massive, it was still large enough that a single peak wouldn't define it. More importantly, due to the intense battle centuries ago, the rock formations had been compressed and hardened over time. Breaking it apart with brute force alone would take him quite a while.
He suddenly missed Tsunade…
If only she were here as free labor… With her strength, she could demolish this mountain at least ten times faster than him.
"Hmm?" Just as he was about to swing his blade again, Haruto frowned and looked toward the northwest.
He sensed something small entering his perception range. A ninja beast! Haruto could feel the chakra fluctuations from the creature. Moments later, he sensed two individuals following closely behind, both moving at high speed.
One of them had an aura he was very familiar with. His expression instantly brightened!
In the dense forest, two figures and a beast were sprinting at full speed—a voluptuous woman, a young man, and a black-furred ninja dog.
They were rapidly approaching the battle-scarred Meiji Mountain.
The woman had already sensed the familiar chakra surging ahead. She quickened her pace and soon rushed ahead of the others, heading straight for the mountain's base.
Whoosh!
A black mist suddenly rose, and in the blink of an eye, Haruto appeared, clad in a black robe and wielding the Heavy Mountain Blade. He blocked the path of the two individuals and their ninja dog.
Tsunade came to an abrupt stop. The moment she saw Haruto, her face twisted into an annoyed expression. She glared at him and snapped, "You little brat! You dared to leave me behind and go treasure hunting alone?!"
Haruto glanced around and quickly understood the situation.
The dog was a ninja hound!
Tsunade had tracked him down using the ninja hound!
Haruto flashed a bright smile. "Well, you found me anyway. I knew you'd figure something out." He then turned to the young man beside her.
The man looked to be in his early twenties, of average height and slightly lean build, with two red marks on his face.
Name: Ken Inuzuka
Identity: Ninja of the Fire Nation, Konoha Village Defense Corps, Elite Guard.
Reputation: 4,789 points.
Affiliation: Neutral.
A scout-type ninja from the Inuzuka Clan of Konoha. Clearly, the black ninja hound belonged to him.
Who knows how Tsunade managed to bribe or threaten him into leaving Konoha to help her track Haruto down?