I @#%$...
Hearing the noise, all the Kiri-nin turned their heads in alert. Seeing the densely packed Uzu-nin in front of them, they trembled.
Damn it!!
This tactic again.
Do the Uzu-nin only know how to gang up on people??
Do...do you dare to fight one-on-one??
"Kiri-nin ahead, please release your hostage and surrender your weapons," an Uzu-nin shouted through a paper megaphone. "Otherwise, we will be forced to take drastic measures."
"I say we just attack directly," Keita yawned and said. "For a shinobi, getting stabbed once or twice is no big deal."
Especially this traitor...
He has a wife, a daughter, and a job—practically at the peak of life.
Meanwhile, he...
Only has a girlfriend.
Stabbing him twice is going easy on him.
"We can always send him to the hospital for emergency treatment afterward."
Komaki shrugged helplessly. "No choice. Orders from above. We have to follow procedure."
"There'll probably be a report tomorrow, so everyone, stay sharp!"
"We must show Uzushiogakure the excellent spirit of the Uzu-nin."
He found it troublesome too!
But he had just received a secret order from Lord Jun, so they had to follow protocol.
In his opinion...
These Kiri-nin should have been sunk into the ocean back then. Then they wouldn't have to deal with this mess now.
However...
Hearing that this would be in the newspapers, all the Uzu-nin immediately straightened up, putting on their best faces. They nudged their comrades beside them and whispered, "I remember you brought a small mirror. Let me borrow it."
"Alright, alright." Seeing this, Komaki said helplessly, "Let's finish the mission quickly. Today is Uzushiogakure's festival!"
If they timed it right, they might still make it to watch the fireworks with their girlfriends. After all...
He was almost thirty. It wasn't easy finding a girlfriend—he couldn't let her slip away now.
"Understood!" The Uzu-nin's eyes sharpened. "Mission will be completed."
"Fine." Komaki shook his head. "Go and shout at them one more time."
These Kiri-nin...
Were completely stunned.
...
Sure enough...
Seeing that the Uzu-nin weren't making any rash moves, the Kiri-nin's eyes lit up. It seemed their guess was correct—as long as they had a hostage, these Uzu-nin wouldn't dare act.
Immediately...
"Listen up, Uzu-nin," Pakkun Jūzō shouted fiercely, pressing a fruit knife against Yōya's neck. "Stay back."
"Otherwise, this trai—cough..." He couldn't call him a traitor now. If he did, the Uzu-nin might just kill Yōya along with them.
So...
"Don't come any closer!!" Pakkun Jūzō waved the fruit knife and yelled. "Or this hostage will die because of you!"
"Pakkun Jūzō, please remain calm," the Uzu-nin said, raising their hands. "Stay calm. Do not harm the hostage. We won't make any sudden moves."
"If you have any demands, release the hostage first, and let's discuss this properly."
"Shut up!" Pakkun Jūzō roared. "All of you, shut up!" He pointed the fruit knife at them. "We won't listen anymore."
"Prepare an unmanned ship for us, along with fresh water and food."
Pakkun Jūzō's expression twisted viciously as he snarled, "Once we've left, we'll release the hostage."
"If you don't comply..." He waved the fruit knife threateningly near Yōya's neck. "Don't blame us for what happens next."
"Calm down, calm down." The Uzu-nin quickly tried to placate him. "Please stay calm. Let us discuss this first."
"We hope you can guarantee the hostage's safety."
"Hurry up!" Pakkun Jūzō brandished the knife menacingly. "Or else..."
"We'll all go down together!"
...
"Not bad." Keita patted Yūketsu, who had just put down the paper megaphone after negotiating with the Kiri-nin. "Looks like you'll definitely make it into the papers tomorrow!"
"It's nothing." Yūketsu smiled and shook his head. "What do we do now?"
"Are we really going to prepare a ship for them?"
Hearing this, Keita rolled his eyes. "Don't be naive. We'll probably just rush them all at once soon."
They want a ship?
That's a joke!
Lord Jun had already made it clear last time—since the Kiri-nin and Kirigakure didn't want them, he'd take them.
So...
These Kiri-nin weren't going anywhere.
At this moment...
"Hurry up! Have you finished discussing?" Pakkun Jūzō frowned, glancing at the sky. If they waited any longer, something unexpected might happen. He shouted, "Get everything ready, or else..."
"We'll take action!!"
"Calm down, calm down!" Yūketsu grabbed the paper megaphone and shouted. "We will never abandon any citizen of Uzushiogakure. Your demands..."
"Will take a little more time."
"We've already sent someone to prepare. We hope you can guarantee the hostage's safety."
"Otherwise..."
"You won't get anything."
Want a ship to escape?
Sorry, orders from above—not a single one leaves!
However...
"I...I..." Hearing the Uzu-nin's words, Yōya's eyes reddened with emotion. He shouted, "It's fine! Fire—ah, I mean, attack!"
He was just a traitor, yet the Uzu-nin were willing to compromise for him. This...
Was truly unbelievable. In the shinobi world, no one would ever do this. Usually, they'd...
Just kill the hostage along with the enemy!
"Brothers of Uzushiogakure, don't worry about me. Attack!"
This wasn't bad either...
If he died now, he'd probably be recognized as a hero, right?
Then Hanaka and his daughter would receive support from the nation and live a good life. He'd heard that heroes' children got S-rank honey every month. And once he became a hero...
The neighbors wouldn't look at them with disdain anymore. Hanaka never said anything, but he could tell she was still uncomfortable.
So...
"Fire—cough, I mean, attack!"
"..."
Keita and Komaki exchanged glances. This Yōya...
Was overdoing it!!
Way too over the top.
"Maybe we shouldn't save him." Keita sighed. "Since he's saying this, let's just attack."
"Orders from above." Komaki shook his head. "Don't mess around."
"Fine." Keita pouted. "What a hassle."
They wanted to attack too!
But the situation didn't allow it...
Seeing the Uzu-nin still hesitating, Yōya opened his mouth again, about to urge them to attack when...
Thud!
Pakkun Jūzō suddenly slammed the hilt of his knife against Yōya's neck. Fire—fire your ass!!
If he died, how were they supposed to escape?
With a wife and daughter, why was he so eager to die?
If he wanted death so badly, they'd just take him back to Kirigakure later!
Satisfied, he glanced at the unconscious Yōya...
"Uzu-nin, are you done preparing?" Pakkun Jūzō growled. "No more stalling."
He knew that red-haired brat could use space-time ninjutsu.
If they waited any longer and that kid showed up...
They'd really be done for.
So...
"I want to see everything now!"
"Or else..."
...
"Grandpa Madara." Uchiha Mikoto frowned as she looked at the surrounding scenery. "What are we doing here?"
There was no one around, just trees everywhere. What were they doing in such a remote place at night?
The shopping district was much better!!
Not only was there food, but there were also plenty of places to have fun.
Why did Grandpa Madara suddenly bring her here?
"Just walk when I tell you to." Madara said indifferently. "No questions."
The shopping district was too lively for him, an old man who'd spent over a decade in a cave. Since he'd just eaten, he figured he'd take a stroll.
"Wait."
Suddenly, Madara frowned and pointed in a direction. "Go that way."
Over there...
Something seemed to be happening?
...
"Not attacking yet?" Kakuzu watched the Kiri-nin in the distance. "What a nasty habit."
Why did this brat enjoy toying with people so much?
"What nasty habit?" Uzumaki Jun smiled. "This is all for Uzushiogakure's development."
Just look at how many defectors and rogue shinobi had joined in recent years. It proved...
Uzushiogakure's reputation was spreading!
"Tch." Kakuzu scoffed. "In my opinion, with your strength, you should've just forced the other villages to submit long ago."
"You don't understand." Uzumaki Jun shook his head. "Taking it slow means fewer problems later."
If he forced them to submit through sheer power, it would only be superficial. Sooner or later, there'd be unrest.
But this way...
After some time, everyone would just be citizens of Uzushiogakure.
If Uzushiogakure drew too much attention now, the drawbacks would outweigh the benefits.
This way was much better—less trouble.
"Just wait a little longer, and we'll..."
But before he could finish...
"Holy shit!!" Uzumaki Jun's eyes widened. "Why is Madara here??"
Shouldn't Madara be eating tofu pudding right now? What was he doing wandering around?
Please don't let anything go wrong!!
"Who's here?" Kakuzu frowned, raising his binoculars to look in the direction Uzumaki Jun was staring. Then...
He slowly lowered them and said expressionlessly, "I just remembered I left the stove on at home. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
That old man...
He thought he'd seen him before!!!