As soon as the Kiri Ninja left to carry out the order, many of the remaining shinobi erupted with hatred toward the Mizukage.
Once revered as the powerful and supre leader of Kirigakure, he now lay half-dead in a pit—a re puppet being manipulated.
It was the Mizukage who had turned the village into the infamous Village of the Bloody Mist.
With no way to confront the true mastermind behind his control, the Mizukage himself beca the target of their resentnt.
In their eyes, he bore the bla for his own downfall.
In this world, weakness is the original sin.
If the Mizukage had been stronger and avoided being controlled, would Kirigakure have been in a better state?
Anyone can kick a dog when it's down, and with the Mizukage nearly killed by Kawakaze, now was the perfect ti to exact their vengeance.
"Kill him."
"Kill him."
Voices rose from the crowd as several Kiri Ninja, emboldened, began inching closer to the pit where the Mizukage lay.
Genji chose to remain silent, standing by without interfering.
He neither encouraged nor prevented the actions of his fellow villagers.
Whether the Mizukage lives or dies, it's Kirigakure's decision to make, Genji thought.
What mattered more to him was the ergence of new, capable young leaders. Only then could Kirigakure begin to recover from its current state. This was what he had been hoping for all these years.
Kawakaze, anwhile, observed the scene with detached interest, his attention still scanning for signs of Zetsu.
But there was no trace of him.
Perhaps he's simply that good at hiding, Kawakaze thought. Or maybe he has no intention of protecting this puppet Mizukage at all.
"You guys go ahead," Kawakaze said, gesturing invitingly toward the Mizukage as he stepped aside.
To him, it made little difference whether he killed the Mizukage himself or left it to the villagers.
"It's just a pity about the Tailed Beast," Kawakaze muttered to himself, walking away.
With the current state of things, summoning the Tailed Beast again wasn't an option, and leaving it in Kirigakure would undoubtedly be troubleso.
"Attack!"
A bold Kiri Ninja shouted, rallying the others.
A large group of ninjas leapt into the deep pit, aiming directly at the Mizukage.
Kawakaze stood to the side, amused by the spectacle. Watching the Kiri Ninja surround and attempt to kill their own Mizukage would undoubtedly make for an interesting story to share later.
"Haha~ Today, I've lost," ca a mocking voice from the pit.
"But if you think killing my puppet will be that easy, think again."
A violent burst of crimson Chakra erupted from the pit, blowing the Kiri Ninja away.
Before their eyes appeared a massive, one-eyed turtle. Its back was covered in sharp barbs, and three nacing tails swayed behind it.
Its enormous scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan glead ominously, larger than a human's head.
The Mizukage's body was too severely damaged to be useful anymore, so Madara had taken direct control of the Three-Tails Isobu instead.
For him, it was just another puppet to manipulate.
"It's the Three-Tails!"
"Everyone, be careful!"
The Kiri Ninja quickly retreated to a safer distance. Staying close to a Tailed Beast was clearly unwise.
This left Kawakaze as the closest person to Isobu, though the Kiri Ninja didn't seem inclined to refuse any potential assistance from him.
Isobu glanced briefly at Kawakaze before looking away.
Madara understood that engaging Kawakaze in this form would be even more dangerous. Wood Release was the natural nesis of Tailed Beasts, much like the Mangekyō.
Since Kawakaze showed no imdiate intention to attack, Madara decided to focus on teaching the Kiri Ninja a lesson instead.
Even when a tiger is injured, it should not be underestimated or bullied.
With a sudden burst of force, Isobu leapt out of the pit, his stubby four claws landing with a thunderous bang.
The impact shook the ground, and Kawakaze felt the tremors beneath his feet.
Behind him, Isobu's three tails swung violently, generating a loud wind as they lashed toward the Kiri Ninja.
The crimson Chakra surrounding Isobu radiated an aura of pure malevolence.
"Water Release: Thousand-Mile Water Formation Wall!"
A massive water wall rose instantly, ford by the combined efforts of a large number of Kiri Ninja. It barely managed to block Isobu's tail.
"Barrier Team, go first," Genji ordered, watching the situation unfold.
Seeing that Kawakaze had no intention of intervening, Genji had no choice but to take charge.
Still, his pride prevented him from directly asking for Kawakaze's help—after all, Kawakaze was an intruder.
Several Kiri Ninja jumped out of the ranks, surrounding Isobu with visibly nervous expressions.
Their barrier techniques might have worked against a wild Tailed Beast, but they were now up against Isobu under Madara's control. The outco was clear.
Before the Barrier Team could even get into position, Isobu swept them away with ease.
They never had a chance to demonstrate their skills.
"The Kiri Ninja really aren't very good," Kawakaze remarked as he observed the scene.
At least when it ca to this Barrier Team, they were nowhere near the level of Konoha.
"Elder, I've brought the person," said the Kiri Ninja who had been sent earlier, now returning with Nagato in tow.
"Sensei," Nagato was ready to fire off a sarcastic remark, but the mont he laid eyes on Kawakaze, the words vanished from his mind.
A sense of joy spread across Nagato's face, and a wave of warmth filled his heart.
His Sensei had really co to save him.
"Co here. I'll take you back," Kawakaze said with a smile, waving for Nagato to approach.
He dared anyone to stop him now.
"Okay," Nagato replied, stepping toward Kawakaze.
Isobu glanced at Nagato but didn't dare to make a move.
Kawakaze noticed the look of unwillingness in Isobu's eyes, and a satisfied grin crossed his face.
This is exactly the effect I wanted. Seeing, but unable to act—it will drive you mad.
"Are you okay?" Kawakaze asked, checking Nagato's condition.
"There's a seal on your body. Let's back and have soone release it for you," he added.
Seeing that Nagato hadn't lost any weight, Kawakaze surmised that his disciple hadn't been treated too poorly.
"Good," Nagato replied, nodding obediently. In front of Kawakaze, he quickly reverted to his usual compliant self.
"Then you fight. I'll leave first," Kawakaze said with a smile, waving at Genji as if to say goodbye.
He had no intention of interfering further. Let the Kiri Ninja deal with Isobu themselves—there was nothing for him to gain by getting involved.
"Just as well. There's no need for Kirigakure to exist anymore," Madara muttered through Isobu.
Frustrated by the Kiri Ninja's earlier actions, Madara decided to retaliate. If he couldn't defeat Kawakaze, he could at least crush these insignificant minions.
Opening his mouth, Isobu began gathering a massive amount of Chakra.
A high-density Chakra ball rapidly took shape—it was a Tailed Beast Ball.
"Lord Kawakaze!" Genji shouted desperately.
"If you help us, we'll agree to any conditions you have!"
Genji's voice trembled as he pleaded, terrified that Kawakaze might vanish the next second.
It was a desperate gamble, and Genji wasn't even sure if Kawakaze could block the Tailed Beast Ball.
But they had no other choice.
If the attack landed, Kirigakure would be obliterated in an instant.
"My services don't co cheap," Kawakaze said with a sly smile.
This is getting interesting! he thought.
Isobu was proving to be quite amusing. Even in the face of destruction, it could still provide him with an opportunity to profit.
"Okay, all right," Genji replied hurriedly, his tone growing more anxious as the Tailed Beast Ball continued to grow.
The Kiri Ninja had already begun evacuating the lower-ranked ninja in the area. Staying behind would only increase casualties when the attack landed.
Isobu rolled its single eye, casting a sidelong glance at Kawakaze.
You're a Konoha ninja—what do you care if Kirigakure lives or dies? Madara mused internally, frustrated by Kawakaze's interference.
"You said it yourself—don't bla if I'm not polite when you change your mind later," Kawakaze warned, laying down his terms clearly.
There was no room for negotiation, and he wanted to make sure there would be no backtracking.
"I'll keep my word," Genji replied resolutely.
As soon as the words left Genji's mouth, the Tailed Beast Ball shot out of Isobu's mouth.
"It's useless now," Isobu said with a maniacal laugh.
Even if the Tailed Beast Ball were blocked, the destruction it could cause at such close range would still be catastrophic.
At the sa ti, Isobu lashed out with its tails, attacking the nearby Kiri Ninja.
"You stay here," Kawakaze said to Nagato before vanishing from sight.
In an instant, Kawakaze deployed a Space-Ti Barrier with Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder, and the Tailed Beast Ball disappeared from everyone's view.
The Kiri Ninja watched in stunned silence, unfamiliar with such a technique.
A few seconds later, a deafening explosion roared in the distance.
The Tailed Beast Ball had been relocated.
Reviews
All reviews (0)