Chapter 158: Half the Country's Wealth
"What a grand maritime defense fortress! It truly is an impregnable defense," Sasuke sighed, observing the river from the observation deck. The fortress, built into the mountain, was a natural pass almost impossible to directly assault.
At that moment, a subordinate approached his clone disguised as Baizhan. "Master Baizhan, Master Fuguki has ordered that the loot be moved to the ships and sent back to the country first, just in case."
Sasuke's radar revealed that Fuguki and the others had already retreated to the large ships in the river. He was a little regretful; his plan to trap them inside had been thwarted by Ao's caution. Kirigakure's perception ninja, though initially deceived, had eventually detected the clones' anomalies.
Fuguki, having received Ao's report and fearing a trap from the "White Blood Demon" and the dreaded "watermelon skin" (Duy), had decided to retreat to the safety of his ships. However, his greed prevented him from abandoning the enormous loot they had plundered: hundreds of millions of ryo in gold, jewels, and military supplies. Furthermore, they had captured the local population, young women as currency and strong men to sell to the mines.
"Then, move it," Sasuke's clone nodded. If Fuguki wanted to escape, so be it. Sasuke also wanted that loot. But more than the gold, he valued the enormous ocean-going ships, a testament to the Land of Water's advanced shipbuilding industry.
Ao finally finished loading the loot. "Master Fuguki, loading is complete. Can we depart?" he asked, but then suggested: "Why don't we first annihilate the Konoha ninjas in the fortress and then leave?"
"Ghost, do you think that 'watermelon skin' has entered the fortress?" Jūzō interrupted, nervous. Raiga, beside him, also shivered.
Just as Fuguki hesitated, a deafening roar was heard.
The entire world seemed to collapse. The maritime defense fortress, excavated within the mountain itself, suffered a cataclysmic explosion from its interior. The mountain cracked, collapsed, and slid into the river, blocking the water's course and creating a massive wave that crushed the fleet. The large ship loaded with loot was split in two by the falling rocks.
"What kind of forbidden technique is this?" they screamed, terrified.
"We received a report from Konoha..." Fuguki whispered, his face pale. "The Dust Release: Zero-Kill Arrow Uninterrupted Multiple Explosion Array. I thought it was an exaggeration... but it's real. The White Blood Demon... truly wields a forbidden technique capable of destroying the world."
"Run!" he shouted, terrified. Faced with such power, he no longer thought of fighting. He ordered the sailors to break away the remaining ships and abandon that dangerous place. At that moment, not even the brave Ao objected.
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