"Control!"
As over a hundred tribal ninjas began to wail in the sea of fire, a roar from Yuki's side echoed from the stone wall.
In an instant, a whole host of figures appeared on the stone wall that had been deserted before. These figures included men, women, and even children. What they all had in common was a murderous look on their faces, and they were holding bows and arrows.
Throwing Kunai and Explosive Tag are definitely expensive items that this remnant clan cannot afford, but that does not mean they have lost their ability to attack from a distance without using Ninjutsu.
In fact, the reason this group of remnants chose this place as their settlement was precisely because they were optimistic about its resources, especially the abundance of wild animals and poisonous insects!
Although the Yuki clan did not inherit the essence of Yuki's combat techniques, it does not mean that they are a clan neglected by Yuki. On the contrary, Yuki values every member of his clan, regardless of whether they can awaken Ice Release.
Having witnessed the downfall of countless powerful clans, the Yuki, as the foundation of their lineage, did not pass on their most refined ninjutsu techniques to ordinary clan members in order to protect their combat skills. Instead, they taught them many auxiliary skills, such as survival techniques after the clan suffered great calamities, the manufacturing techniques for various common weapons, and special methods for clan members to contact and reunite if they were scattered.
It was no accident that Yuki was able to become a powerful clan in a country before; it was not something that could be determined by a powerful bloodline.
For example, this group of remnants is using these inherited auxiliary techniques to protect themselves.
No Kunai? No problem. There's plenty of fine wood here, perfect for crafting excellent bows. Animal sinew, with its moderate toughness and strength, makes the best bowstrings. Together, you can make powerful bows. Even without metal, the abundance of hardwood here allows for the production of even more wooden arrows...
No Explosive Tag? That's no problem either. This place is full of poisonous creatures, deadly toxins that won't be much less lethal than Explosive Tag.
These powerful bows and poisoned arrows have now become weapons for reaping lives...
"Don't let a single one escape! Fire arrows! Shoot them all!"
With a loud roar, the sound of bowstrings being plucked echoed all over the stone wall!
Several hundred remaining members of the tribe, disciplined and divided into layers, began shooting at the tribal ninjas in the sea of fire in waves.
The deadly poison, which kills instantly upon contact with blood, proved to be just as powerful as Explosive Tag in this environment.
"Pfft... Pfft..."
One poisoned arrow after another pierced the bodies of these tribal people. The next moment, their faces turned black, and they collapsed with a thud, letting the flames engulf their bodies.
Even if it doesn't hit directly, just a graze will have an immediate effect. At most, the victim will run a few steps and then collapse to the ground like a drunkard. Even if they don't die immediately, they will be burned alive.
Using grease to start a fire, and then shooting with poisoned arrows, the remaining tribesmen killed nearly half of their own forces without losing a single member!
Chief Mona's eyes were blazing with fury, and the rest of his followers were equally enraged!
If it were an ordinary fire, a single Water Release would easily extinguish it. However, this sea of fire was ignited by grease. Yuki was renowned for his Wind Release and Water Release. Even though he was only from the Yuki clan, this leader truly did not believe that in such an environment, it would be impossible for these hundreds of followers to survive a battle of esoteric arts.
Since I'm going to die either way, I might as well not waste my Chakra...
"Well..."
Trembling, a surge of venomous fire began to rise within the leader.
"I originally intended to spare your lives, but since that's the case..."
He let out a piercing roar.
"Pass down the order: wipe out the village! I don't want any of these people. Brothers, charge in and do whatever you want. Kill all the men, torture all the women to death, it doesn't matter!"
This order, once given, finally drove the troops, who were already on the verge of madness from the death of their compatriots, to the brink of madness, and they no longer had any intention of holding back.
Surrounding the camp, separated by raging flames, the tribal ninjas' initial roars gradually gave way to an eerie silence. Their bloodshot eyes were fixed on their people still burning in the inferno. No one made a move, even though they could easily extinguish the fire. Yet, each seemed to be clinging to the hope that some of these people were still alive, that they could rise and escape the flames.
Unfortunately, they were disappointed. The deadly poison that Yuki few months was not something that could be a mere coincidence. The men trapped in the sea of fire were unable to rise again; instead, they were consumed by the flames and eventually turned into clumps of black matter...
"Put out the fire!"
The leader's voice was chillingly cold; he issued the order to massacre.
"All-out attack! Raze the village!"
While a bloody battle was raging in the valley, outside the valley, on the main road that the tribal army had traversed, leading straight to the valley entrance, large groups of people appeared once again, rapidly approaching the valley.
If someone were to approach and take a closer look, they would discover that this group numbered in the hundreds, dressed in the standard Anbu of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and the markings on their bodies indicated their identity— Konoha Ninja!
Is this the place?
As the distant valley came into view, the leader, a young ninja, waved his hand, and the ninjas who had been moving at high speed stopped in rows, their movements chillingly synchronized...
What is that?
Removing his mask, the boy frowned. He had followed the route provided by the Kirigakure, but what was with that clearly manned camp at the valley entrance? If the remnants of the Yuki clan could display such an aura, they wouldn't be considered a remnant clan.
"Call over our friends from Kirigakure."
He said to the ninja beside him.
"Yes."
The ninja responded and disappeared. Soon after, he reappeared with another ninja wearing Kirigakure Forehead Protector.
"Lord Qi, what are your instructions?"
"This is a question from the Mist Ninja of the Kirigakure 'Anbu," the muffled ninja asked.
What is that?
Qi Yi pointed to the camp at the mouth of the valley in the distance. Even here, one could feel the stench of blood, despite its small size. In particular, a large, blood-red flag was erected high on the largest tent, with a ghost face painted on it.
"They are from a tribe."
The Mist Ninja replied,
"Judging from their banners, they are the Demon Mask Group have already surrendered to the Daimyo's Residence. They are considered a mid-sized tribe. Oh, right..."
He added,
"This tribe has a grudge against Yuki."
"Are they the fence-sitters mentioned in the agreement?"
Qi laughed, but his voice was icy cold.
"That's exactly right..."
The Mist Ninja bowed slightly. The boy before him gave him a familiar scent, a scent just like that of the Mist Ninja...
This scent made him, unusually, show respect to a Konoha Ninja on the land of the Land of Water.
"Very good, the weeds need to be cut down."
Donning his mask again, Qi addressed the ninja force behind him, comprised almost entirely of members of the "Root" organization, which he had brought from Konoha, and issued his first battle order since arriving in the Land of Water.
"Move out, leave no one alive, kill them all."