Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand Chapter 93: Chaos in Amegakure (Part 3)

"Hold the line! Hold the line! Don't let them tear down the outer wall!"

Yashamaru roared frantically, his voice hoarse and unrecognizable from his usual calm and refined deanor. Wielding his ninja blade, he led the charge, fighting like a madman. Behind him, countless factory workers in blue uniforms, ard with Damascus short swords they had produced themselves, desperately barricaded the iron gates of the weapons factory. On the other side of the gate, waves of black-cloaked Akatsuki mbers surged forward, wielding various weapons and relentlessly trying to break through.

From an aerial view, the scene resembled a black flood crashing against a blue dam, wave after wave, threatening to overwhelm the defenses at any mont.

Countless oil barrels, set ablaze, were hurled into the factory grounds. Each impact unleashed a sea of fire. Fortunately, the factory had prepared for such attacks. For every flaming barrel that landed, Sand ninja adept at controlling sand imdiately extinguished the flas, preventing significant casualties. However, the thick, choking smoke that billowed from the unburned barrels stung their eyes and throats, leaving them coughing and teary-eyed.

"Sir, should we intervene?"

A ninja from Iwagakure turned to Mr. Higashiishi for guidance.

Higashiishi surveyed the chaotic battlefield and shook his head. "Not yet. This is just the beginning. From what I can see, the defenders are rely factory workers from the Hourglass Group. The factory's actual guard force hasn't even moved yet. Let's wait. It's clear they won't hold out much longer."

As if on cue, the factory gates finally gave way under the relentless pressure. With a deafening crash, the iron barrier collapsed, and countless black-cloaked attackers sward inside. They began slaughtering the workers and setting the buildings ablaze. The "blue uniforms" fought back valiantly, wielding their ninja blades and engaging the invaders in a brutal lee.

To Yashamaru, this chaotic skirmish was nothing more than a clash of amateurs. Yet, with the sheer scale of the battle and the ferocity of the attacks, even he, with all his chakra reserves, could only do so much.

The Akatsuki forces attacking the factory numbered in the tens of thousands. Ever since receiving news of their leader, Myōwa Tarō, being assassinated, the organization had been like a cauldron of boiling oil into which salt had been thrown. Myōwa Tarō's devout followers were incensed, their eyes bloodshot with rage, determined to raze the Hourglass Group to the ground.

Adding to their ranks were countless uninford civilians and refugees, swelling their numbers to nearly thirty thousand. In contrast, Yashamaru had managed to scrape together only five thousand workers, using up the Hourglass Group's ergency funds. With such a disparity in numbers, they could only rely on the factory's defensive terrain to hold their ground.

"Deputy Manager, the mob is overwhelming us! We can't hold this position any longer. We need to retreat!"

Covered in blood and wielding two ninja blades, Nakamura reported to Yashamaru. His body was riddled with wounds, bleeding from multiple places.

"Alright. Inform the others to fall back to the cannery. There are defensive fortifications there. And before we leave, set the fuel depot behind the rear gate on fire. Anything that can buy us ti is worth it," Yashamaru ordered through gritted teeth.

With Yashamaru's command, the "blue dam" finally collapsed. Countless black-cloaked attackers poured into the weapons factory, cutting down anyone in their path and setting everything ablaze. It was as if demons from the depths of hell had been unleashed upon the factory.

"Take care now. Don't let the door hit you on the way out,"

Konjin Nōshin, the Rain Village's leader, watched with amusent as Yura stord out of the office in a fury. Lighting a cigarette, he exhaled a perfect smoke ring and smirked.

"Realized the pot is made of iron, huh? Even you have to co crawling to eventually."

As the leader of Agakure, Konjin Nōshin was well aware of the Akatsuki organization. After all, a group of their scale couldn't operate unnoticed. However, his spies within the Akatsuki had reported that, while the group occasionally criticized him, their main target was not him but the Hourglass Group entrenched along the Shule River. This information put him at ease.

After all, wasn't it beneficial to have a force capable of counterbalancing the Hourglass Group?

Although he owed his position to the Hourglass Group's financial support, that didn't an he intended to remain their lackey forever. Over the years, the Hourglass Group had exploited Agakure, draining its resources and wealth. If not for his fear of the Sand Village's influence, would Yura, a re upstart, dare to boss him around? Ridiculous!

Moreover, Konjin Nōshin had ambitions of his own. He knew that the Hourglass Group had profited imnsely from the wars, earning a fortune from Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Konohagakure. The two million ryō they paid him monthly was rely a pittance. This uprising presented a golden opportunity.

With the Sand Village currently embroiled in a war against Iwagakure, they wouldn't have the capacity to intervene in Agakure. Most of the Hourglass Group's formidable factory guard force had already been redeployed. If he played his cards right, allowing the Akatsuki to weaken the Hourglass Group before stepping in to "restore order," he could seize the entire operation for himself.

And what of the Sand Village's retaliation? A joke. He would claim he was rely suppressing a dostic uprising. The seized assets? Well, those were reclaid from the rioters. If the Sand Village wanted them back, they'd have to pay. Or, if they wanted to take them by force, they'd have to reckon with his new ally.

Yes, Konjin Nōshin had already established contact with key figures in Konohagakure. By offering them a share of the profits, he could ensure their support. Would the Sand Village dare to make a move then? Let them play in the desert while he consolidated his power.

Outside the Rain Village's administrative building, Yura stood fuming, his face dark with anger. His two bodyguards, sensing his foul mood, wisely kept silent.

He had arrived at the Rain Shadow's office at dawn, hoping to secure Konjin Nōshin's assistance in suppressing the uprising. Instead, he'd been kept waiting for two hours, only to be t with evasive answers and empty platitudes.

Even when he explicitly reminded Konjin Nōshin of the financial support the Hourglass Group had provided—two million ryō monthly, no less—the Rain Shadow had simply turned away, refusing to engage further.

"Playing dumb after spouting official nonsense, huh? Fine. I don't get it—if the Hourglass Group falls, won't you be next? At least we have the backing of the Sand Village and Lord Jinghang. What do you have? Nothing!"

Yura clenched his fists, seething. "Once this ss is over, I'll report this bastard to Lord Jinghang. He needs to be dealt with!"

But for now, the uprising was already in full swing, far exceeding initial expectations. Without Agakure's military support, the factory workers and ninja under the Hourglass Group's command couldn't hold the line.

The Group's transition plan was only halfway complete, and the core components of the weapons factory had barely been relocated. Even if the rebellion was eventually quelled, years of hard work by both Lord Rasa and himself would likely be ruined.

As Yura stewed in frustration, he spotted a group of refugees begging outside the Rain Village's administrative building. An idea suddenly struck him. Turning to his two bodyguards, he asked,

"Are the soup kitchens at the east and west ends of the factory still operating?"

"Yes, sir, but with today's chaos, I doubt anyone from the Group will be running them," one of his guards replied.

"How many people are gathered there now?"

"Plenty. Between the two sites, there must be at least eight to ten thousand. They've set up a large number of makeshift shelters."

Yura's face lit up with excitent.

"Co here, both of you. I have an important task for you. Listen carefully..."

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