After saving the little girl, Shiba Seika turned his head and left Yahiko with a meaningful remark.
"True cruelty isn't standing by while someone dies. It's giving them false hope, then letting go and running away when the abyss comes."
The little girl didn't understand. She tilted her head in bewilderment, looking adorably confused.
But Yahiko understood.
Shiba Seika was mocking him for playing the good guy in everyday life, only to lack the courage to step forward when it mattered.
The words stung Yahiko's cheeks red, but he had no way to argue back. He could only hug the little girl he'd saved and remain silent.
Then Shiba Seika raised one hand, clenched it into a fist, and shouted, "Attack!"
At his words, the villagers in the front row, all holding pitchforks, retreated as one, even blocking the people behind them.
What Yahiko didn't know was that, apart from the bewildered little girl in his arms, the villagers who had stood at the very front today and shouted the most heatedly had all been given a heads-up beforehand.
Now that Shiba Seika had given the word, they immediately knew their task was done, and withdrew without hesitation!
Then came a deafening BOOM!
The ground beneath the Iwagakure Ninja in front of them collapsed all at once with a thunderous crash!
"What?! Aaaah!"
Caught off guard, the Iwagakure Ninja cried out in alarm, then screamed.
Iwagakure specialized in Earth Release, and altering terrain had always been one of their strengths. They hadn't expected to be the ones taught a lesson this time.
Shiba Seika opened with a move that ripped up the ground, dropping them all into a pit.
Then the raised fist opened, closed again, and snapped its fingers!
"Snap~"
BOOM!!
A far more earth-shaking roar erupted alongside the