Aren't You the God of Shinobi Who Fights Evenly With Anyone?
"Vermin!"
Uzumaki Jun looked speechlessly at Kakuzu, who stood up, dusted himself off, and then...
Instantly teleported away with a Body Flicker Technique!!
What a smooth series of actions!
But...
You keep boasting to newcomers about being the God of Shinobi who fights evenly with anyone, yet...
When you actually see the real God of Shinobi who fights evenly with anyone, you chicken out like this?
And you claim you left the stove on??
Damn it!!
You don't even know how to cook. There's no such thing in your house!
Watching Kakuzu disappear, Uzumaki Jun shook his head helplessly and turned his gaze toward Madara's direction. Last time, when Madara joined Uzushiogakure, he hadn't informed Kakuzu about it. He didn't expect Kakuzu to still recognize Madara despite his old age.
And...
Now that Madara is in a wheelchair, why are you still so scared?
When it comes to being formidable in old age...
You win!!
"How should the script proceed now?" Uzumaki Jun curled his lips into a faint, amused smile, narrowing his eyes as he murmured, "I wonder what Madara will do?"
Since things have already derailed, he might as well sit back and enjoy this grand drama with Madara's involvement.
Perhaps it'll be even more interesting. Besides, this is Uzushiogakure. Uzumaki Jun could confidently say, "Go ahead and cause chaos, it's fine."
As long as he remained in Uzushiogakure, no real problems would arise!!
However...
Uzumaki Jun glanced sympathetically at the Kiri-nin side, where a chubby man with a righteous expression stood at the forefront of all the Kiri-nin, ready to sacrifice himself. He murmured, "Good luck!!"
With a big shot like Madara crashing the scene, even he, the director, couldn't refuse.
So, how the plot would unfold from here...
Even he, the director, had no idea!
You'd better pray for yourself!
...
"Grandpa Madara, something seems to have happened ahead," Uchiha Mikoto, pushing the wheelchair, frowned as she looked ahead and said to Madara, "There are many Uzu-nin surrounding the area. Should we take a detour?"
With so many Uzu-nin gathered, it was obvious they were on a mission. It was best not to interfere.
And those voices...
"Hostages? Kiri-nin?" Uchiha Mikoto looked puzzled at the Uzu-nin forming an encirclement. "This is Uzushiogakure. Where did Kiri-nin come from?"
Unless...
Uchiha Mikoto seemed to recall something. Having stayed in Uzushiogakure for so long, she had learned a few things, especially regarding the Kiri-nin...
They were often brought up by Uzushiogakure's citizens as after-dinner gossip!!
A group of shameless, despicable Kiri-nin had broken into homes to steal, but they were discovered by the brave and righteous Uzu-nin. After a fierce battle, all the Kiri-nin were captured alive.
Had these Kiri-nin escaped??
"Let's go take a look," Uchiha Madara, who seemed to have guessed something, said expressionlessly in a calm tone. "All this noise late at night is truly irritating."
He...
Just wanted to find a quiet place. Why was it so difficult?
...
"Are you ready or not?" Pakkun Jūzō brandished his fruit knife and roared. "Otherwise..." He glared fiercely at Yōya, whom he had knocked unconscious. "He'll die because of you Uzu-nin!"
"You Uzu-nin must take responsibility!!"
"Almost, almost," Yūketsu held a paper megaphone and shouted. Then, he turned to Team Leader Komaki. "Should we make our move now?"
"It's about time," Komaki stroked his chin and said with a frown. "According to the script Jun-sama provided, a pro-Uzushiogakure Kiri-nin should step forward next. But..."
Looking at the Kiri-nin ahead...
Who would it be?
"It seems you don't care about the hostage," Pakkun Jūzō, seeing the Uzu-nin still unmoved, realized they had been tricked. Recalling Uzushiogakure's leader, that young boy with Kage-level strength, if he arrived, they would truly be doomed. His expression turned ruthless as he gripped the fruit knife and roared, "Then don't blame me for being merciless."
That kid was too strong, especially with his space-time ninjutsu. If he really showed up, all the Kiri-nin here would be finished. In that case, might as well...
Pakkun Jūzō narrowed his eyes dangerously at Yōya, whom he held in his left hand...
Stab him!
To send a warning to all rogue ninja across the shinobi world...
Betrayal leads to nothing.
However...
"Don't do this," Hoshigaki Fuguki shook his head and said. "We still have a chance."
If you kill him now, how will he betray them later? How will he lead the Kiri-nin to join Uzushiogakure?
Are you trying to ruin everything?
So...
"We must never give up so easily," Hoshigaki Fuguki declared righteously. "Even though here we have food to eat, a place to sleep, lavish meals every day, aside from the workload... cough being a bit excessive, there's nothing else wrong."
"Even if we return to the village, we'll have to keep killing, completing missions, with half our earnings taken by the village, suffering under the Mizukage's oppression, living in hardship."
"It's nothing like life in Uzushiogakure—free and joyful."
"But we still love Kirigakure."
"Even if now, because of our escape, we're anxious, mentally exhausted, displaced, and possibly doomed..."
"Believe me..."
"There's still hope!!"
"Light is just ahead!"
Hoshigaki Fuguki tightly grasped Pakkun Jūzō's right hand, staring intently at him as he said, "We must never give up."
It wasn't time yet. The Kiri-nin needed to feel hopeless, utterly desperate, before Hoshigaki Fuguki could step forward. Only then would the Kiri-nin willingly follow him to Uzushiogakure.
And...
With so many Kiri-nin under his command, he might even become a battalion commander like Yōya, reaching the peak of life.
So...
"Even if we're doomed, about to be blown to pieces by Uzushiogakure's explosive tags and ninjutsu, annihilated without a trace," Hoshigaki Fuguki said with clear determination, "Even if we won't rest in peace after death, our wives might remarry, our sons bullied, our houses confiscated, our elders left uncared for."
"But..."
"We are Kirigakure shinobi. We must never surrender to Uzushiogakure, letting that despicable nation assign us jobs, marry, buy houses, have children, and live happily ever after."
"We must never do such a thing," Hoshigaki Fuguki shouted loudly. "We must never surrender to Uzushiogakure."
"We are Kirigakure shinobi!!"
Hoshigaki Fuguki looked at Pakkun Jūzō with clear eyes...
"Believe me!!"
"..."
Believe my foot.
Pakkun Jūzō looked at Hoshigaki Fuguki speechlessly. Can you just stop talking?
Now I fully sense your loyalty to Kirigakure, your unwavering will of the Water. It's just...
For some reason, after your speech, those Kiri-nin who were wavering and had no family ties in the village now wanted to surrender even more.
So...
Pakkun Jūzō steeled himself, ready to stab Yōya and force the Kiri-nin into a corner.
"No!" Hoshigaki Fuguki quickly clung to Pakkun Jūzō, shouting, "I..."
"What the hell?!"
Before he could finish, a curse escaped his lips.
What was going on?
Why were all the surrounding Kiri-nin collapsing unconscious?
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
Director, this script is wrong!!
The climax was just about to begin. I was about to lead the Kiri-nin to surrender!
Why did you all faint?
Unless...
The Uzu-nin over there never received the script and, growing impatient, decided to eliminate them all?
Realizing this, Hoshigaki Fuguki's expression changed instantly. He quickly released Pakkun Jūzō, who was struggling in his arms, jumped out, and waved at the Uzu-nin, shouting, "No, no... Don't shoot, I'm..."
However...
Before he could finish...
Hoshigaki Fuguki's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground...