Ninja Ice House

Chapter 547 Power Contrast

Some seemingly similar titles are actually worlds apart in essence.

The original meaning of "臣" (chen) refers to submission and obedience, and is equivalent to a servant.

However, as time went by, the rules governing how people interacted changed, and "臣" came to mean a high-ranking servant, or an official of the monarch.

Don't worry about the original meaning or its specific name; instead, focus on its place in the social fabric.

For the Gusugi family, retainers are the senior management, second only to the monarch, and are the de facto winners in the upper class. They are not the same as the masses who can't even touch the hem of Gusugi Fukumizu's clothes or even see his back.

The level of status and power does not depend on what official title one holds or what position one occupies, but rather on how close or far one is from the source of one's power and influence.

What power could palace eunuchs possibly have?

It's all thanks to the king's trust, their proximity, and the ability to speak with him.

As for the powerful eunuchs known as "established emperors" during the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, who killed their masters and replaced emperors as easily as changing clothes, that was a special case during a special period. Imperial power was in the hands of others, and regional military governors held their own armies and established their own independent regimes. In essence, those "established emperors" were mouthpieces and spokespeople for local warlords, or figures acceptable to the public after compromises were reached. Without the support of powerful local warlords, these "established emperors" would fall, die, and have their families wiped out in an instant.

If we had to put it clearly, a powerful retainer like Togakushi Hinode was a subordinate official or servant, while Kaguya Kimimaro was his eyes, ears, hands, and feet; their roles were completely different.

If the brain doesn't give commands, and the eyes, ears, hands, and feet act independently, it's considered rebellion. These "executive organs" don't need to think; they just need to obey orders. In contrast, retainers need to contribute their talents and wisdom; they must be representatives of their class with independent personalities and initiative.

No matter how powerful Gu Shanbu Shui is, it is impossible for him to manage all the trivial matters of the world. He must have a group of capable assistants to manage the forces under his command and contribute or extract the most "nutrients" when needed.

Kaguya Kimimaro couldn't do this; she neither had the ability nor the will. Only Togakushi Hibiki could do it.

"Kimimaro, as a ninja and the last surviving member of the Kaguya clan, possessing the last remaining Shikotsumyaku (Corpse Bone Pulse), you can basically say that you've gathered the essence of several hundred years of your clan's power. You're a rare combat genius, capable of maximizing the power of your bloodline limit while maintaining a remarkably calm mind—a truly unique mutant. The ninja world won't allow such a flawless ninja to exist; it would incur the jealousy of the heavens. Your almost incurable bloodline disease is a flaw that fate forcibly assigned to you..."

In the original timeline, Kaguya Kimimaro possessed the Earth Curse Seal and was able to unleash its full power, greatly enhancing her strength. Under extremely unfavorable circumstances, she nearly wiped out the Konoha ninja pursuers and the powerful Sunagakure support team, including Gaara, which was simply outrageous.

It's worth noting that not long ago, Kaguya Kimimaro, despite being on the verge of death, played a crucial role in helping Orochimaru defeat the powerful Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. Even Orochimaru himself remarked that without such assistance, killing Rasa would have been truly difficult.

Even after falling from his peak, he could still participate in the battle between Orochimaru and Rasa, playing a decisive role. This shows just how terrifying he is when he possesses his full fighting power, without considering physical damage.

What are Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki doing at the same age?

Lightning Blade filled the air, and shadow clones ganged up on it?

Even with Gaara and the others, they were no match for Kaguya Kimimaro, who was on the verge of death and barely clinging to life.

It's important to understand that the Earth Curse Seal is no worse than the Heaven Curse Seal. The only difference between the two is the direction of the blessing. Essentially, they are at the same level, and the pressure and side effects they bring to the body are also similar.

Kaguya Kimimaro did not die from being drained by the cursed seal, but rather from a bloodline disease that flared up and was incurable.

The fact that even Orochimaru and Kabuto were powerless to cure this incurable disease shows just how serious Kaguya Kimimaro's congenital physical defect really was.

Even so, at the last moment, Orochimaru still considered using Kaguya Kimimaro as the next vessel for the Reanimation Jutsu. However, Orochimaru, seeking to play it safe, chose to wait for Uchiha Sasuke. The last successor of the Shikotsumyaku, who was wholeheartedly dedicated to Sasuke, held on to his last breath and resisted the pursuit of the combined forces of Sunagakure and Konoha, allowing Uchiha Sasuke to escape the pursuers and head to Otogakure.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

If he hadn't met Kosugi Bokusui, and if the young head of the family hadn't become a veritable "human god" with numerous means to prolong Kaguya Kimimaro's life, he would probably have died long ago.

Of course, the last Shikotsu Pulse successor who successfully survived the crisis already possessed a combat strength that far surpassed his original self in the original timeline. It's hard to say whether he could survive after Might Guy opened the Death Gate of the Eight Gates Formation, but Might Guy opening the fifth gate would definitely be no match for him, and even opening the seventh gate wouldn't guarantee a victory against this boy who had already transcended his own destiny.

"Jiraiya is an extremely well-rounded ninja with a few minor flaws in his personality, but almost no weaknesses in his combat power and overall qualities. If it's just a friendly sparring match, you could fight him for three days and three nights and still not be able to determine a winner. But if it's a life-or-death battle, you'll most likely be able to seriously injure him, but you'll definitely be the one who dies first."

After the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the Nine-Tails' attack on the village, the death of the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and the subsequent loss of its host and greatly reduced fighting power, Konoha Village still did not experience a Fourth Shinobi World War, nor did any other ninja village challenge its dominant position. The root cause was that the "Sannin" were almost all at their peak. Neither Orochimaru, who had "defected," nor Tsunade, the strongest medical ninja in the ninja world, possessed such formidable power.

Jiraiya's strength can only be truly appreciated by those of equal skill who have fought against him.

Despite having virtually no intelligence and being at a significant disadvantage on an away field, Jiraiya almost managed to turn the tide and defeat the Six Paths of Pain, but ultimately failed and managed to successfully transmit the intelligence.

This does not mean that Jiraiya was weak; on the contrary, it proves from another perspective that this "Toad Sage" was incredibly strong and resilient.

If it were one of the Five Kage or a top-tier ninja of the same level, such as Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki; Fu, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki; or Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, they would have been captured long ago, with almost no ability to resist and no chance of escape.

"If that's the case, then I'm afraid we'll have to use the power you bestowed upon us..."

"No, Kurama Yakumo can't hold on, and neither can the people in Konoha Village. They can't share that much pressure. Your complete release combined with the power of Yin-Yang Release is something that a tricky genjutsu space-sealing array can't simulate..."