Everyone, Go to Sleep

It was all over. After slaughtering the ninjas and confirming that the scroll in her hand contained the forbidden technique Earth Grudge Fear, Yura nodded in satisfaction. This trip had ended perfectly.

Meanwhile, the battle within the village continued. Sensing the negative emotions rolling and tangling together from that direction, Yura smiled faintly.

She had no interest in watching any further. The village's conflict had nothing to do with her anymore, no matter how it ended.

Turning around, Yura left with Aoi, the Qian Gui Clan's last remaining descendant.

"Do you have any plans? Are you still planning to stay in the village?"

Yura asked along the way.

"Uh..." Aoi thought for a moment before saying, "I don't know."

"Then, would you be interested in becoming my subordinate?" Yura asked casually.

"Yes, Lady Yura." Aoi bowed obediently. After witnessing Yura effortlessly and decisively cut down monsters like the clan head, along with so many clansmen, Aoi had fully understood just how powerful Yura was.

"Then go into hiding in Sunagakure," Yura said. "When I need you, I'll summon you."

"Yes, Lady Yura," Aoi replied.

"By the way, are you interested in Earth Grudge Fear?" Yura asked.

Eh, was she really being this generous?

Not knowing how to answer, Aoi remained silent.

Seeing this, Yura did not bring it up again.

The Qian-Gui Princess she had just cut down reminded Yura of a female ninja named Fū. Born in Sunagakure, Fū later defected to the Land of Fire and became one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. She was a special ninja who had abandoned human form and used her hair as her true body. She could practically be called a monster. With chakra of five natures and an immortal body, she resembled another version of Kakuzu in every way.

The Shinobi World was not very large. The Senju and Uchiha had been one family a thousand years ago, and most shinobi clans were related in one way or another, their origins all tracing back to the same ancestor.

If their ninjutsu was connected, then whether it was Kakuzu or Fū, each had obtained only part of the forbidden technique Earth Grudge Fear.

It was already strange for some old high-ranking official to carry a forbidden technique scroll around with him, and it had just so happened to be picked up by Kakuzu. If that was the case, Yura seriously wondered what exactly she had been busy with lately.

"Lady Yura?" Aoi asked hesitantly.

"Go on." Yura casually dangled a promise before her. "I'll see how you perform."

"Ha! Lady Yura!" Aoi immediately perked up. She craved power.

After parting ways with Aoi outside the village, Yura gave Takigakure one last look beyond the waterfall before heading toward Lucy.

So where should the next stop be?

Yura pondered the question.

"Hey! Big monster!" When Lucy, who had been waiting for nearly a day, saw Yura, she excitedly jumped up and waved repeatedly. "Are you done with everything?"

"Mm." Yura nodded and smiled faintly. "Let's go, Little Monster. Next stop, the Land of Earth."

Yura wanted to learn a flight-capable escape technique. She glanced enviously at Lucy soaring freely through the sky. The only place that met her requirements was Iwagakure. Joining Iwagakure while she was at it would not be bad either.

Facing the afternoon sun, Yura left with Lucy.

Within Takigakure, the battle continued. The entire village had fallen into civil war, split into two sides fighting each other.

Kakuzu supported neither side, but he was no fool. He specifically targeted the weak, especially the old men and women. His hatred for those stupid, incompetent village elders was higher than the heavens and deeper than the sea. Relying on his massive chakra reserves, he cast large-scale ninjutsu without the slightest restraint. His body, hardened by Earth Release: Earth Spear, charged recklessly through the fleeing elderly, and he could not help letting out wildly delighted laughter that drew countless eyes.

But at that moment, the village's top combatants had no time to deal with him.

Two Jonin, one dressed in black and one in blue, fought each other fiercely. The battle was incomparably intense, and the nearby lower- and mid-ranked ninjas did not dare get involved.

After dealing with the Qian Gui Clan's Jonin, Mochizuki Gen, now free to act, began a ruthless slaughter. He turned a blind eye to Kakuzu's presence.

Amid this delicate situation, Kakuzu froze as he looked at the scroll that had fallen from an old man he had just killed.

With quick hands and sharp eyes, he snatched it up and stuffed it into his pocket before continuing his self-absorbed battle.

At some unknown point, the victor was decided.

The last male Jonin of the Uji Clan lay spread-eagled atop a building rooftop, coughing blood as he looked clearly at the black-clad, masked ninja before him.

"You won, Hayabusa. You brat... you were hiding something after all..."

Half-kneeling on the ground, Hayabusa panted violently.

"It's over, Masato."

"Hayabusa, I saw it. The God Tree's light was truly warm... so warm..." Masato answered irrelevantly as he gazed up at the village's rocky ceiling. The light gradually faded from his eyes as he said, "I'm tired, Hayabusa... Are you tired too?"

"The village still has a future. This is not the time to say we're tired, Masato."

"Then I wish you... victory in battle... Hayabusa..." His eyes finally lost focus completely. Hayabusa stepped forward and gently closed them for him.

Most of them had already been killed. Mochizuki Gen swept his gaze over the surroundings.

The higher-ups had all been slaughtered, and most of the ninjas from the four clans were dead as well. It was time to end this.

Come, Huan!

Mochizuki Gen looked at the village ninjas watching him in fear as a signal flare exploded in the sky.

For a moment, his mind went hazy. He seemed to hear a baby crying. That was his child, born in Takigakure and destined to grow up in Takigakure.

Kakuzu stopped moving and looked strangely at the man.

From the distance came repeated whooshes of bodies breaking through the air with Body Flicker. Leading a group of ninjas, her red scarf fluttering in the wind, Huan appeared. Looking at Mochizuki Gen, surrounded by so many village ninjas, she clenched her teeth against her lip.

Lord Gen...

"Lord Gen, Kakuzu, as Jonin of the village, what are you doing?"

Kakuzu's eyes suddenly widened.

"Are you trying to betray the village?!" Tears shimmered in Huan's eyes as she demanded in a deep voice.

The ninjas who had followed Gen in rebellion stared at him in confusion. No, Lord Gen, this wasn't what you said beforehand.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!!!" Mochizuki Gen threw back his head and laughed madly, one hand pressed to his forehead. "What village? What betrayal? I merely followed my own will! I merely craved the slaughter of ninjas! Huan! A yellow-haired little girl like you! What do you know of what it means to be a ninja?!"

A ninja was someone who could endure all pain.

Standing in the corner, Kakuzu's expression was ugly and strange. He could not shake the feeling that he had been set up.

"You slaughtered our comrades in the village without cause, everyone!" Tears rolled down Huan's cheeks as she shouted, "Mochizuki Gen! Kakuzu! As the head of the Hero Clan, I absolutely will not allow you to act so recklessly!!!"

"Enough nonsense!" Mochizuki Gen looked at Huan and said calmly, "Come! Defeat me! Then I'll acknowledge your qualifications to lead Takigakure! Only the strongest ninja is worthy of becoming a village leader!"

"I see..." Huan lowered her head and drew her sword. "Then I have no choice but to fight you to the death!"

The air suddenly grew heavy. Ninjas in every direction stopped fighting and watched the scene.

The next second, Huan moved. She flashed forward and thrust her blade straight ahead, so fast she seemed like a phantom. The sword pierced through his chest, and bright blood dripped from the tip before falling to the ground.

Mochizuki Gen looked down at Huan, who had buried her head against his chest and silently wept as tears streamed down her face. He struggled and screamed.

"How... could this be?! You actually... broke my ocular technique...!!!"

The ninjas erupted in an uproar. Everyone had seen how powerful Mochizuki Gen was. No one could even raise a blade before him, much less launch a proper attack. The instant they intended to attack, they would immediately die to their own attack. He had been terrifyingly powerful, an invincible man.

After a long moment, the ninjas burst into thunderous cheers.

Watching this, Kakuzu's mouth twitched, while the ninjas who had followed Gen wore expressions as though the sky had fallen.

No, brother, you just died like that? What about us?!

Was Huan really that strong?

Kakuzu watched Huan warily. He had seen Gen's battle and did not dare provoke him lightly. This woman was powerful!

The village truly hid dragons and crouching tigers!

Huan's body trembled. In the distance, Hayabusa quietly watched the scene and listened to the thunderous cheers. Gen fell forward, leaning against Huan as he weakly whispered, "Huan, stay your course. Turn the village into a peaceful Pure Land. And finally, be careful of... Yura..."

"I understand... Lord Gen..."

Leaning against Huan, Gen's corpse collapsed limply.

Huan did not dare move. She could not move. She let him fall, then after a long while, drew her ninja blade and shouted sharply, "The chief culprit has been executed! Why haven't you surrendered at once?! What? Do you want to try dying once?!"

As her words fell, weapons clattered to the ground one after another. For a moment, both sides of the battle surrendered without prior agreement.

Seeing this, the two sides looked at one another, both somewhat bewildered.

Kakuzu silently took a step back.

At that moment, Huan's sharp gaze swept toward him. "Kakuzu! What are you trying to do?!"

If possible, Huan did not want Kakuzu to leave. He was one of the village's only remaining high-level combatants.

Kakuzu said nothing. He simply turned around and ran!

The ninjas stirred restlessly, unsure whether to pursue him. They looked eagerly at Huan, hoping to atone for their crimes.

"Kakuzu! You can't escape!" Huan only shouted fiercely, but her feet did not move at all.

Hearing that, Kakuzu ran even faster.

Huan merely watched, doing nothing. Tears shimmered in her eyes.

It was all over.

Under the God Tree's warm radiance, Takigakure welcomed a new beginning. Ninja corpses lay everywhere, strewn across the ground. By the window of the main building's meeting room, Kusanagi Kyoka lowered her head as though sleeping peacefully, utterly unable to move. On the roof outside, a Qian Gui Clan man covered in fist marks lay on the tiles, sleeping soundly as well.

Gen lay sprawled on the ground, an expression of relief at the corner of his lips.

The ghost who should have died in the Warring States Era long ago could finally go home. His clansmen were waiting for him.

Sitting at the edge of the roof, Hayabusa watched the scene. Behind him lay Masato, his childhood companion and friend through life and death.

Only at the moment of death had this man finally put down the disguise he had maintained his entire life. The smile on his face was simple and sunny.

Only now did Hayabusa truly understand this special friend.

"Tired, are we? Everyone, go to sleep."

His gaze softened as he looked toward his younger sister, Huan, at the center of the crowd.

"Do you still remember me, Huan..."

Seeing Hayabusa's gaze, Huan silently formed the words from afar.

Big brother...

Beneath his mask, Hayabusa's lips curved faintly.