Chapter 542: Kagumi vs Yuan Shi!
Chapter 542: Kagumi vs Yuan Shi!
"Stop!"
A voice rang out from above.
Everyone looked up towards the top of the Water Shadow Tower.
There, a figure wearing a Water Shadow hat, surrounded by a large number of ninjas, appeared on the rooftop.
The Fifth Mizukage, Kagumi, had arrived.
"Mizukage-sama!"
"Mizukage-sama!"
...
Her appearance greatly excited the Mist Ninjas who were desperately holding their ground.
They were all prepared to sacrifice themselves to protect the village.
Now, in this desperate survival, their emotions were indescribable.
"Elder Yuan Shi, why did you betray the village?"
Kagumi, with her forces, jumped down from the tower, landing in front of the rebel ninja forces, and asked in an amplified voice.
"Betrayal?" Yuan Shi's voice rose sharply as he shouted, "The real traitors are you!"
"You, who have surrendered to the Heavenly Castle, have completely lost the dignity of the Mist Ninjas!"
"And you've also betrayed the Great Lord!"
With chakra-enhanced voices, everyone in the surrounding area could hear them clearly.
From this display alone, anyone could tell that Yuan Shi was undoubtedly a staunch conservative at this moment.
One who would rather return to the cruel, internal struggle of the past than embrace change, and who was solely dedicated to serving the noble class.
"Is that so!"
"Do you think that by surrendering to the nobles and the Great Lord, you've gained dignity?"
"In the past, how many of us died daily fighting over those meager resources?"
"When was the last time we had new clothes, or a decent meal?"
"Will the Great Lord provide these for us?"
Kagumi refuted while taking a step forward, her aura growing stronger.
As she reached the center of the standoff, she raised her voice, chakra-enhanced, and questioned, "Do you want to take the village back to the times when merely surviving was a luxury?"
Her words were not just a question but a reminder and an explanation.
Indeed!
Even if the rebellion succeeded, it would only bring them back to the old days. What good would dignity do then?
Moreover, the Heavenly Castle had never insulted them, so how could they have lost their dignity?
"Hmph, no matter what you say, it won't erase the fact that you've betrayed the Mist Ninjas!"
Yuan Shi seized the conversation.
This was a typical case of resorting to nonsense when out of arguments.
Because everyone knew that what Kagumi said was indeed true.
The Great Lord and the nobles were not willing to sacrifice their own interests to support the ninjas.
In their eyes, ninjas were merely dogs they kept, and letting them survive was already a favor. How could they possibly allow them to live well?
"Teacher, have you truly surrendered to the Great Lord and the nobles?"
Kagumi questioned Yuan Shi.
Although she didn't know he was a 'spy', she sensed something amiss and could guess his identity.
Now, she had to maximize his value to justify his sacrifice and dedication.
Asking this question was to deliberately implicate the Great Lord and the nobles.
"That's right. The Great Lord and the noble lords have promised that if I can reclaim the Mist Hidden Village, I will become the Mizukage, and they will support the village!"
Yuan Shi wore an expression of 'pride', as if surrendering to the Great Lord and the nobles was something to be proud of.
In the past, perhaps no one would have found it wrong, but now they felt a sense of shame.
Surrendering to the Great Lord and the nobles, the benefits were meager, and the cost was too high.
Without comparison, there would be no harm.
If not for the Heavenly Castle, they might have considered it decent treatment, but now they didn't care at all.
This was evident from the Mist Ninjas' self-defense against the rebel ninja's attack.
They didn't want to return to their old way of life.
"You are the true traitors of the village!"
Kagumi accused, labeling Yuan Shi and his group.
While their conversation seemed normal, it had an underlying purpose.
It was to make the villagers understand that this incident involved not only the conservative Mist Ninjas but also the nobles and the Great Lord supporting them from behind the scenes.
Only then, in the future, would the Heavenly Castle gain 'popular support' in eliminating the traitorous Mist Ninjas and the nobles.
With the objective achieved, it's time to close the net.
"Stop blabbering, you traitor," Yuan Shi initiated the attack, and the rebel ninja forces behind him surged forward, charging at the enemies in front of the Water Shadow Tower.
Inside the tower, three figures were observing the battle below through the windows.
"Shouldn't we help them?" Tetsu no Hi, eager for action, turned to Uchiha Shizuka, who was standing beside him.
She was the leader of this mission, and both Tetsu no Hi and Inabi no Hi had to follow her orders.
They had no objections to this arrangement.
Whether it was her status or strength, she could easily overpower the two of them.
"No, keep observing!" Uchiha Shizuka shook her head in disagreement.
She wasn't one to act recklessly and naturally understood the mission's focus.
The goal was to have Kagumi, the Fifth Mizukage, personally suppress the rebellion, ensuring she firmly took control of the Heavenly Castle without any room for retreat.
During this process, they would refrain from intervening and even keep their identities hidden.
"Alright!" Tetsu no Hi suppressed his eagerness to fight.
As an Uchiha, he naturally craved battle, but he would also obey orders.
From their vantage point, it appeared that the rebel ninja forces outnumbered the other side by almost half.
However, as the fight ensued, it became evident that the larger group was at a disadvantage, and it wasn't Kagumi's Mist Ninja who were struggling but the rebel ninja forces.
The reason was apparent.
Yuan Shi did indeed hold Kagumi back, but the others couldn't stop the ferocious Mist Ninja.
The defending side even turned into the attacking force.
"Everyone, fight in squads and maintain tight defenses on the flanks! Don't give them any opportunities!" Ao skillfully commanded, and the eye patch over his right eye was removed, revealing the Byakugan of the Main House, with bulging veins indicating its active state.
While the Byakugan provided combat enhancements, its greatest utility was on the battlefield, especially for command! It was like having 'God's Eye' open, making leadership a breeze.
So, despite his impressive combat skills, Ao refrained from fighting and focused on leading during this critical moment.
Although they were slightly outnumbered, their morale and cohesion were far superior to the rebel ninja forces, which were assembled from various factions.
"Release!" Chojiro swung his Twin Sword Flounder, launching a light ball that blasted several rebel ninja away.
Chojiro, usually shy, demonstrated in this battle why Kagumi had chosen him as her bodyguard.
Strength!
Despite his young age, his abilities were astonishing, and his proficiency with the Twin Sword Flounder gave him a stronger feel in battle.
This was also a characteristic of the Flounder, which could enhance weapon power through slaughter.
Even Jonin could be easily knocked away, unable to withstand the attacks.
Skyfall Hero!
Facing such a formidable opponent, there was no one in the rebel ninja forces who could stand against him.
Inside the Water Shadow Tower, Uchiha Shizuka suddenly spoke up, "Something's wrong!"
Indeed, the situation seemed a bit too one-sided.
Even if the opponent had previously relocated Chou Ei Shigen and his Yun Ren forces, and Uchiha Shousuke's garrison had gone on patrol, Yuan Shi and the rebel ninja forces should have been more than enough to capture the New Mist Hidden Village.
However, while the Daimyo and the nobles were greedy, it didn't mean they were foolish. Even if they were, there would undoubtedly be 'smart' advisors by their side, ensuring they had backup plans.
At the very least, they wouldn't rely solely on Yuan Shi, an old man with limited time left, as their strongest fighter.
He had prestige, but that didn't guarantee a reliable combat ability.
Just then, a figure abruptly appeared on the rooftop of a nearby three-story building, overlooking the battlefield below.
His presence immediately drew a lot of attention.
Dressed in a blue kimono with a brown fringe covering his left eye, he held a bubble wand.
He didn't seem like someone who should be on a battlefield.
However, someone recognized him.
(End of Chapter)
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