Waiting for the Evil Ghost is Only Iron and Fire

"Boom!"

A deafening roar echoed through the mountains, rocks, and forests, sending smoke, dust, and debris flying. What a commotion.

The massive explosion startled everyone in the settlement. Over a dozen ferocious-looking men gathered, chattering amongst themselves.

"Damn it?! What was that?" "What exploded? Someone's attacking us, aren't they?" "Nonsense! With Master Dinghong here, who would dare?" "What if it's a ninja... What do we do then? I don't want to die yet. I've only been comfortable for a few days, and I haven't even had a few bites of fresh meat..."

These men huddled together, their expressions varied, but their words were surprisingly unified.

Suddenly, a deep voice boomed from a noticeably more luxurious house in the center of the settlement.

"Enough! Silence!"

Responding to the voice, a bald man in a robe emerged from the house. He was the Master Dinghong they spoke of.

Raising a pair of sinister, narrow eyes, Dinghong scanned the gathered crowd and spoke in a low voice.

"Who is on duty today?" "It's... it's Magan, and the Buddha-servant you chose." Someone from below replied. "Did you sound the alarm as usual?" Dinghong pressed further. "The previous shift reported. The current shift wasn't due yet. There was movement just now, and we didn't hear any alarm." The person who answered lowered their head, their voice trembling slightly.

Hearing this, Dinghong narrowed his eyes, a wave of panic washing over him.

This is bad... have we been targeted already? As he thought this, Dinghong's expression changed, and he began to give orders. "You few, hurry to the storeroom and bring over those consumables and livestock. Move quickly!"

The bald man pointed at a few relatively sturdy men, his voice chilling. "Yes, yes... we..." The men pointed at stammered, about to move. "No need for such trouble. Stop right there."

A crisp young voice echoed in everyone's ears, ethereal yet carrying a terrifying chill.

A stern-faced young man strode forward, followed by someone a head taller than him.

Both men simultaneously removed their simple half-face masks, revealing faces that suppressed a Dotō.

"Stay right here and prepare to die in agony."

Seeing this, Dinghong's eyelids twitched wildly, unease and inexplicable fear filling his chest.

Such a young brat... not even covering his face anymore? This is bad. The bald monk's face turned ashen, and he quietly took two steps back.

"What are you looking at? It's time for your offering!" Dinghong waved his hand, beginning to incite them. "Fear not death! Those who die for this shall be my Buddha's soldiers in the next life! The time for great enlightenment has arrived!" "Those who overcome this tribulation! Shall ascend to bliss!!"

Upon hearing this, dozens of burly men exchanged glances. They looked at each other. Except for a few faces filled with fanatical smiles, the rest were filled with fear and doubt.

"Shhh~"

To Uchiha Kai, everything happening in the field was an unbearable racket. The young boy put his index finger to his lips and whispered.

"Bang!"

Accompanied by a muffled thud and white smoke, a [Shadow Clone] appeared beside the boy. It bowed, bent its knees, and gathered its strength.

The next moment, it shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging into the crowd.

"What?! It really is a ninja!" "Gah! How can we fight back?" The crowd wailed.

But it was useless. The [Shadow Clone] was like a wolf among sheep. Its eerie [Sharingan] flickered, striking left and right with lightning speed.

"Crack!" An ugly strong man had his spine forcefully snapped. He collapsed on the ground, writhing and gasping.

The [Shadow Clone] retracted its leg, twisted its body, and dodged a pincer attack from two men, causing them to collide and become dizzy.

"Creak~ Snap..." The [Shadow Clone]'s large hand descended.

"Ugh... Ahhhhh! Ugh ahhh...!"

A strange cracking sound echoed. A man holding a [Kunai] let out a pig-like cry. His shoulder was crushed by the [Shadow Clone]'s expressionless hand, his arm hanging limply like a rag.

"Don't kill me! Please don't kill me... I was forced... they forced me... Ahhhhhh!" The man screamed in agony.

Listening to the wild dog's barking, Uchiha Kai's mood improved slightly. The anger in his chest finally had an outlet.

"Pfft..." A [Kunai] pierced the man's eye socket. After stirring it, it took the life from the person beneath.

The [Shadow Clone] straightened up, wiped the blood splattered on its temples, and revealed a terrifying smile.

"Ugh... No, monster!" "What's with those eyes?!" "This guy is an evil spirit! A demon!"

The crowd surrounding the Shadow Clone began to retreat, their faces filled with unconcealed terror, their weapon-wielding hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Bang!" The Shadow Clone suddenly exploded into a cloud of white smoke.

"They're all ordinary people, no Ninja," Uchiha Kai whispered. "Let's move."

"Alright," Morino Kei's eyes revealed a raging fury as he grit his teeth and replied.

The next second, Morino Kei's palms moved up and down.

Ram-Unicorn-Ox-Snake.

"Earth Style: Earth Style Wall!"

Morino Kei roared, the Chakra within him beginning to surge madly, pouring out without any restraint.

"Rumble~"

A piercing roar surged and leaped, the crowd in the field panicking, only feeling the ground beneath their feet begin to shake.

The next moment, earth and stone churned upwards, transforming into stone walls that enclosed the dozens of bandits present.

"What?" "We're going to die..." The bandits were in a state of panic.

"Damn it... Ninjutsu of this scale? How is that possible?!" Master Dinghong's pupils shook violently, his mouth agape in shock as he gazed at the stone walls that had suddenly sprung from the ground.

"Run... Run now... Such a young little monster... Let alone the fact that I can't beat him at all, even if I could..." The man's eyes swept around, feeling as if people were silently watching him from all directions.

"There must be some old monsters hiding and watching me... Damn it, I hope this group of trash can hold them off for a while longer, running is going to be tough..." Master Dinghong's eyes darted around as he began to consider his options.

"Right... the hostages! This kind of brat must care about hostages. If I can get to that place and grab a few livestock as hostages, maybe there's a chance."

At this thought, Master Dinghong's gaze turned fierce, and he casually grabbed a fanatic man beside him and threw him in front of the two, his arm strength surprisingly astonishing.

Seeing the man flying towards him, Uchiha Kai did not dodge. With a flick of his hand, Zhulu was unsheathed.

Meeting the slash, the thrown bandit was split into a headless corpse along the blade.

Watching Master Dinghong climb and flee on the stone wall, Uchiha Kai revealed a gentle smile.

"Master Dinghong, we hit it off immediately... Why the rush to leave?"

Before his voice even fell, over a dozen Shuriken flew out, reaching Master Dinghong's back in an instant.

With the metallic objects behind him, Master Dinghong hurriedly blocked, but in his panic, a few Shuriken still grazed him, cutting open several wounds on his arms, blood oozing from the cuts.

"I appreciate your kind intentions, young friend, but I cannot refuse such hospitality. This old monk will take his leave first!" Enduring the pain, Master Dinghong turned and began to climb the wall again.

The young man's gaze was icy, but he made no further move, actually allowing Master Dinghong to escape.

Stepping on the rising Earth Style Wall, the young man's gaze was cold, his black tomoe spinning within the crimson, emitting an eerie light.

The light flickered and twisted twice, and a portion of the people in the field strangely lowered their heads, then stiffly picked up their wood choppers and iron forks.

The next second, they swung them at the people beside them, muttering something as they attacked, as if they had seen their own enemies.

"F*** your mother! I knew you weren't dead! I'll chop your head off this time! Let's see how you live?!"

"Old man! Living is a burden, and dying doesn't bring peace! Then I'll kill you again!" Voices like these rang out, as if they mistook the people around them for someone else.

"Open your eyes, Ah Da! I'm your brother! Why are you chopping me?"

"Don't kill me... Don't kill me! I really didn't mean to get involved with your wife..."

The field descended into chaos, shouts of anger and pleas for mercy filling the air. Morino Kei felt a stirring and wanted to say something but held back.

Uchiha Kai watched coldly, forming several hand seals.

Snake-Ram-Monkey-Horse-Tiger, Great Fireball Technique.

A massive fireball slammed into the corner of the cage, and it wouldn't be long before it turned into a sea of fire.

In the boundless heatwave, the livestock tore at each other.