The silent air made Shibuki feel a sense of oppression.
Shibuki gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on Yuto and Konan:
"I can tell you how the 'Hero Water' came to be, but you must promise to protect everyone in Takigakure and not harm them."
"Shibuki!"
Fu looked toward Shibuki's direction and shouted out.
Seeing Shibuki treating them like villains, Yuto couldn't help but glance at Konan beside him and shrugged helplessly.
"As the leader of Takigakure, there's something you still haven't understood to this day."
Yuto looked at Shibuki with an indifferent gaze.
Shibuki's eyes widened in confusion, clearly not understanding Yuto's meaning, but he still maintained a posture ready to fight to the death.
"If I truly wanted to harm you, no one in your entire Takigakure could stop me. Eradicating your village wouldn't take me much time."
Yuto's voice echoed slowly, and as the words fell, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body.
The formidable energy wave swept through the surroundings, causing Shibuki, who wasn't far ahead, to involuntarily retreat several steps.
Feeling Yuto's indifferent gaze, Shibuki's entire body began to tremble.
Shibuki swallowed hard; just from that one glance, he had the feeling that his life no longer belonged to him.
Meanwhile, Fu, who was bound by the Adamantine Sealing Chains, couldn't help but show a horrified expression on her face.
"Fu, he's not lying. Don't try to use force against this person."
"If he has any demands, agree to them as much as possible. Otherwise, your Takigakure will be instantly annihilated by this person."
A familiar voice suddenly echoed in Fu's mind.
Chomei, the Seven-Tails!
Hearing this voice, Fu's face showed a hint of joy, and she quickly said:
"Why couldn't I summon your power earlier? And who exactly is this guy in front of us?"
Chomei was silent for a moment before its voice echoed again in Fu's mind:
"Don't try to provoke him."
After Chomei finished speaking, its voice disappeared again, no matter how Fu responded, Chomei's voice did not return.
In Fu's mind, Chomei was quietly lying in a cage, its eyes flickering slightly.
At this time, it was better for their Tailed Beasts not to get too involved.
Fu was slightly stunned; she actually detected a hint of fear in Chomei's voice.
So even beings like Tailed Beasts had things they feared?
Yuto's aura suddenly disappeared as if it had never appeared before.
Extending a finger, he lightly pointed in Fu's direction, and the Adamantine Sealing Chains that had been binding her instantly vanished.
Fu quickly jumped up from the ground and flashed to appear beside Shibuki.
"Now, let's discuss this transaction."
Yuto looked at the tense expressions on their faces and smiled lightly.
"A transaction? What transaction?"
Shibuki and Fu exchanged glances, looking at Yuto with suspicious expressions.
"Trade the thing that allows you to create 'Hero Water' for peace in Takigakure."
Yuto smiled lightly, wearing an expression as if he was doing it for their own good.
"What? Are you Kirigakure trying to annex Takigakure!"
Yuto's words were straightforward, so Shibuki naturally understood.
Yuto shook his finger and explained softly: "Not annexation, but as an ally of Kirigakure."
Just as Shibuki was about to speak again, Fu stepped forward and said to Yuto:
"Who are you in Kirigakure, and why should we trust you!"
Yuto raised an eyebrow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He didn't like wasting words, especially with those weaker than him.
His fingers moved slightly, and the chakra within Yuto's body began to circulate rapidly.
At this moment, Konan, who had been standing beside Yuto without speaking, suddenly spoke:
"Because you no longer have a choice. The new structure of the Ninja World is about to be rebuilt."
"In this great transformation, small Hidden Villages will be the first to be cleansed, and as a Jinchuriki, you will not only become a target, but your entire Takigakure might be completely destroyed because of you."
Konan paused slightly, her voice rising with a powerful aura as she looked at Fu and Shibuki and continued:
"To truly gain peace, one must possess sufficient power. Without such power, allying with a Great Hidden Village is the best choice."
Yuto glanced at Konan in surprise, shrugged lightly, and dispersed the chakra he had been circulating.
Whether it was Takigakure or the other numerous small Hidden Villages, the moment the three of them were resurrected, there were only two paths left.
One was destruction, the other was allegiance.
No other choice, this was the tragedy of small Hidden Villages.
Perhaps not just small Hidden Villages, even the Five Great Hidden Villages, in the upcoming situation, if they were careless, might face the danger of complete annihilation.
Hearing Konan's words, Fu fell silent. She might not understand the situation in the Ninja World, but she could tell that Konan was not lying.
Beside her, Shibuki's eyes showed a struggle. The Hero Water was not only what his father had left him but was also akin to the heritage of Takigakure.
At the same time, this thing was used to protect Takigakure. For a moment, conflicted emotions flashed in Shibuki's eyes.
Thud! Thud!
At that moment, a hurried and sparse sound of footsteps came from a distance.
Several ninja wearing Takigakure forehead protectors were seen rushing toward them from afar.
At the front of this group of ninja was an elderly man with some gray hair in his hair.
Seeing this old man's figure, Shibuki and Fu's eyes lit up simultaneously.
"Grandpa!" Fu said with a look of surprise.
"Elder."
Shibuki also showed a respectful expression on his face.
The moment this old man appeared, his gaze fell on Yuto and Konan, while also glancing at the bound villager and the deceased Suiken.
In a few leaps, this group of ninja had arrived beside Shibuki and the others.
The old man had a kind expression on his face, reaching out to gently stroke Fu's head.
Then, he nodded slightly to Shibuki and sighed:
"Suiken, indeed chose this path in the end."
After speaking, the old man turned to look at Yuto and the others:
"We agree to all the demands you two have just made."
As the old man's words fell, Shibuki and Fu's expressions changed.
(End of Chapter)
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