A Special Method of Defense

Hagane Maomori and the other "rebels" mentioned by Kubi Ichiro had all been imprisoned in a secret camp outside the village.

"Lord Takikage, this is the place." Kubi Ichiro pointed at a tightly sealed courtyard.

Ruri activated his sensory abilities and investigated. There were only a few weak chakra signatures inside, and they did indeed resemble those of the Hagane Clan.

"I heard this used to be the Kubisaki Clan's residence. Elder Kubisaki, please lead the way." Ruri was no fool. Kubi Ichiro had launched the coup, and his current goal was surely to make a move against him. If he had carelessly planted a pile of Explosive Tags inside, Ruri would be lucky to survive entering the place in one piece.

"You guard the outside. Lord Takikage and I will interrogate the rebels." Kubi Ichiro instructed his clansmen to watch the gate, then entered with Ruri.

After winding through several turns and who knew how many corners, Ruri finally reached the courtyard. There, he saw the utterly weakened Hagane Maomori and his clansmen, along with several non-clan shinobi, all tied up like dumplings with ropes.

Hagane Maomori, standing at the front, still had dried blood at the corner of his mouth. It seemed he had been beaten not long ago. When he saw Ruri, he appeared to want to say something and tried to rise.

Whoosh! Kubi Ichiro decisively threw a kunai, which stabbed into Hagane Maomori's thigh. Under normal circumstances, an attack of that level would have been deflected before it could touch him. But aside from being beaten by the Kubisaki clansmen every few hours, he had not even been given a sip of water, much less food. He had no strength left. Even with chakra, he had no fighting power.

"Lord Takikage, this man tried to ambush you. Should we kill him first to set an example?" Kubi Ichiro walked over to Hagane Maomori and stabbed him several more times with the kunai.

Ruri drove Kubi Ichiro back. Even if they were rebels, damn it, he should at least have some humanitarian spirit!

"Then please interrogate them first, Lord Takikage. My clan lost quite a few people, and their remains must be dealt with properly." Kubi Ichiro said no more. He shot Hagane Maomori a vicious glare before leaving.

Once Ruri sensed that Kubi Ichiro's chakra had completely departed, he took out some medicine and handed it to Hagane Maomori and several of the more seriously injured shinobi.

Hagane Maomori was too weak to speak. He glanced at the burly man beside him, and the man opened his mouth. "Lord Takikage..."

Ruri gestured for him not to speak. "I know the general situation. The Kubisaki Clan and the Tsuchigumo Clan were the ones who started the rebellion. Your injuries are serious too, so conserve your strength. Tell me about the situation in the village first."

"After you left, the Kubisaki Clan joined forces with the Fuma Clan and the Tsuchigumo Clan. The three clans launched their rebellion and killed many people immediately. Under the clan head's leadership, we did our best to resist, but we were still no match for them..."

Ruri frowned. The Fuma Clan had really participated as well? He had thought it was only the Kubisaki and Tsuchigumo Clans. He had not expected Kubi Ichiro to persuade two major clans to stage a coup in such a short time. It was truly a waste for someone like him not to work in diplomacy.

"Who led the Tsuchigumo Clan? Did they use any large-scale ninjutsu?"

"It was led by their clan head, Tsuchigumo Rihei. However, they only provided support from the side and did not make many moves."

Support from the side? Since the Tsuchigumo clan head was leading them, there was no way he could not meet the conditions to use Dofuten. If he had not used it, then he must have been waiting for an opportunity...

Ruri inwardly cursed. Weren't the people in this courtyard all shinobi who had resisted Kubi Ichiro's coup?! If Dofuten were used at this moment, it could wipe them all out in one stroke!

"Everyone, those of you who have recovered even a little strength, use your defensive ninjutsu and create cover! Hagane Clan shinobi, make steel walls—make as many as you can! Otherwise, you'll lose your lives!" After giving the order, Ruri hurriedly leaped onto the roof at the back of the courtyard, trying to investigate.

The moment he showed himself, a barrage of ninjutsu forced him back. It seemed his guess had been correct.

"Lord Takikage—no, I should call you a turtle in a jar instead. Have you figured it out? Forget it. Dead men do not need to understand things too clearly. How long can your prized ninjutsu hold out?" Outside the courtyard, Kubi Ichiro stood atop his giant lizard, gazing smugly at Ruri. In the sunlight, the metal support on his right leg looked especially dazzling.

Kubi Ichiro noticed Ruri's gaze. Losing that leg was the greatest humiliation of his life. Even if this coup succeeded and he took over Takigakure, it could never be erased. He wanted nothing more than to whip Ruri's corpse a hundred times after he died!

"You bastard, don't stop the ninjutsu! Do you think this is all the ninjutsu we have? That old bastard Rihei is still waiting for you!"

Still, it would probably be difficult to leave a complete corpse under that technique, wouldn't it? Kubi Ichiro looked at Tsuchigumo Rihei in the distance, who was gathering power, and smiled.

Under the barrage of various ninjutsu, Ruri had no choice but to retreat into the courtyard. The large-scale indiscriminate attacks blanketed the area, making it impossible for him to break through for the moment. Though he could have rushed out with the Seven-Tails' chakra and the Truth-Seeking Orb, he could not abandon these people.

None of them had participated in the coup, and they had protected the village. They were loyal either to him or to the Land of Waterfalls. By both reason and sentiment, he could not simply give up on them.

Earth Style: Earth Style Wall! Ruri's affinities were Wind and Lightning, and he was not skilled at defense. He had only learned Earth Style Wall in order to save his own life.

Earth Style Wall was not particularly powerful ninjutsu, but there were simply too many of them. Ruri unleashed dozens of Earth Style Walls in one breath, astonishing everyone around him.

Hagane Masamasa, the burly man beside Hagane Maomori, seemed to have understood that the enemy intended to wipe them all out. He said to Ruri, "Lord Takikage, this medicine is enough to let us recover some strength. We have the ability to protect ourselves too. Save some chakra and retreat with the clan head and those who cannot fight!"

Ruri's actions won the approval of the shinobi who had originally harbored some resentment toward him. The chakra consumed by dozens of Earth Style Walls was absolutely enough to let him escape on his own, yet he had not done so.

Ruri shook his head. The medicine could at most heal some superficial wounds. It was not some legendary stamina potion. They could only move around at best; they could not regain their combat strength. If he left, all of them would die.

Moreover, these people apparently did not understand the Tsuchigumo Clan's forbidden technique. Once a forbidden technique on Dofuten's level was unleashed, it was not something an ordinary shinobi could withstand.

Ruri still had plenty of chakra. Dozens of Earth Style Walls were merely a drop in the ocean to the Seven-Tails. With such vast chakra reserves, if he knew some advanced defensive ninjutsu, he might have been able to block Dofuten with ease.

After thinking for a moment, Ruri had a sudden idea and began forming hand seals.

Wood Style: Four-Pillar House Technique! A wooden house rose from the ground, leaving everyone stunned. Since when had Lord Takikage learned Wood Style?

Seeing the wooden house that had suddenly appeared in the courtyard, Kubi Ichiro, standing atop the lizard, was dumbfounded as well. Was that Wood Style?

Every second counted. One wooden house after another appeared in succession. Although the Four-Pillar House Technique was not a defensive ninjutsu, the houses were far sturdier than Earth Style Walls. Its only drawback was its heavy chakra consumption, but Ruri had the Seven-Tails' seal and lacked no chakra at all. With the wooden houses blocking the attacks, the Kubisaki shinobi's ninjutsu was no longer much of a threat.