Cruel as a Ferocious Beast

Uzu Hidden Village's walls came crashing down.

Cloud Ninja charged through the breach in the walls.

The Spiral River, which ran through Uzu Hidden Village, had barricades at both points where it passed through the village walls. Water could pass through, but ships could not without permission.

The barricades were destroyed by the Mist Ninja, who leaped from the Great River into the village.

The village's southern bank was home to ordinary villagers, merchants, laborers, and the like.

The Cloud Ninja and Mist Ninja set every house ablaze, dragged the villagers from their homes, and butchered them one by one.

With this bloody method, they told the Uzumaki Clan that if they did not obtain the supreme Sealing Jutsu, they would not stop tonight.

Having learned the crucial intelligence that Konoha had not sent reinforcements, the Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja became even more unscrupulous.

Yagami lowered his binoculars and turned his head slightly, glancing in Danzo's direction.

Danzo's side remained utterly quiet.

The three Captain Commanders and two Advisor Assistants said nothing. Still as withered trees, they waited for Danzo's order.

Yagami was somewhat puzzled. Shouldn't Konoha have rushed to rescue Uzumaki Kushina, with her as their priority?

The number of Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja was enough to fight Konoha in a localized war. Any later, and Uzumaki Kushina would be taken away or killed.

Just then, a barrier suddenly appeared within Uzu Hidden Village!

Four Violet Flames Formation!

A rectangular Four Violet Flames Formation rose on Uzu Hidden Village's northern bank, enclosing most of the area there.

The formation's dark violet radiance looked almost solid beneath the surrounding firelight.

The Uzumaki Clan was not only skilled in Sealing Jutsu, but also in barrier ninjutsu. Or rather, barrier techniques were a special type of Sealing Jutsu.

One reckless Cloud Ninja leaped into the air, holding his ninja blade in reverse, and viciously stabbed it into the barrier.

He was too impatient; his body collided with the barrier as well, and he was burned to death.

The Four Violet Flames Formation was scorching hot. Any living creature that struck it would swiftly be carbonized by the violet flames.

Seeing this, the Mist Ninja unleashed a combined Water Release.

With the Great River running through the center of the village as their water source, the Water Release consumed very little chakra.

A torrent like a collapsing mountain and overturning sea crashed into the Four Violet Flames Formation.

Wave after wave was scorched by the Four Violet Flames Formation, producing even more water mist.

The water mist blotted out the sky and moon, instantly engulfing all of Uzu Hidden Village.

Judging from the scale of the water mist, the Four Violet Flames Formation possessed enormous energy and was extraordinarily resilient.

No wonder Danzo was so calm. So he knew Uzu Hidden Village's trump card.

Uzu Hidden Village's Four Violet Flames Formation could hold out for some time.

Under normal circumstances, as long as they held on until Konoha's reinforcements arrived, Uzu Hidden Village's crisis could take a turn for the better.

Unfortunately, this could no longer be judged by normal circumstances.

Yagami wondered whether the Uzumaki Clan would despair after learning Konoha's true attitude.

What a pity for the villagers outside the Four Violet Flames Formation.

The slaughter by the Cloud Ninja and Mist Ninja advanced from the village outskirts toward its center.

Wherever there was firelight, there was the Shinigami.

Yatagarasu swept through the sky, but it did not know how to strike back. Its attacks would only hasten the villagers' deaths.

Spirit Turtle opened its enormous maw and exhaled a fierce gale, blowing away the water mist hanging over the village.

The water mist thinned considerably, and Yagami could see clearly again.

Through his binoculars, Yagami saw the Cloud Ninja and Mist Ninja send representatives to negotiate with the Uzumaki Clan inside the Four Violet Flames Formation.

Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation stood Uzu Hidden Village's leader, also the Uzumaki Clan Head. Clenching his teeth, he spat out each word: "Konoha and Uzu Hidden Village! We will definitely repay you twofold!"

Kirigakure's representative was Suikazan Fuguki. Carrying the Great Sword: Samehada on his shoulder, he said:

"Konoha may retaliate against us, but whether your Uzu Hidden Village will get that chance depends on your choice.

Let's make a deal. Hand over your secret Sealing Jutsu, and we'll leave immediately.

Don't try any tricks. The deal will only be complete if I can use Sealing Jutsu to seal that enormous Spirit Turtle.

You'd better hurry, or all the villagers of Uzu Hidden Village will die.

If you refuse, then I can only obtain your Sealing Jutsu from your corpses.

A tiny Uzu Hidden Village actually dared to covet the Three-Tails of our village. Will you covet Kumogakure's Two-Tails someday as well?

What, do you think you're Hashirama Senju, wanting to collect all the tailed beasts?

If we can't have the Sealing Jutsu, then your Uzumaki Clan is even less qualified to have it."

Not far away, Uzumaki Yuka listened to the argument at the barrier while looking up at the sky.

This Four Violet Flames Formation covered too large an area; it had no ceiling.

If the situation became critical, she was responsible for using White Spear Heron to send Princess Kushina out.

Watching the villagers outside being slaughtered one after another, Uzumaki Yuka felt as if her heart were being twisted apart.

Among them were the older sister who sold breakfast, the uncle who pushed a cart to make deliveries, and the elderly grandmother who often sat in the street corner basking in the sun.

Those people, so vivid in her memories, were dying outside one after another.

To exert pressure, the Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja deliberately drove the villagers to the edge of the barrier and killed them there.

Thick blood flowed across the ground. Upon reaching the Four Violet Flames Formation, it turned into blackish-gray mist.

All civilians hated ninja. Whenever ninja killed, they were as cruel as savage beasts.

What ninja trained in was the art of killing, including both the ability to kill and the mindset to kill.

Uzumaki Yuka shut her eyes in pain, but the screams continued without end.

The Uzumaki Clan did not want to abandon the villagers outside either. But the enemies had appeared too suddenly, and there were simply too many of them.

The reconnaissance ninja squads stationed around Uzu Hidden Village's perimeter had been exposed to the Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja by spies.

The enemy had pinpointed every reconnaissance squad and attacked them simultaneously.

Only after the enemy blasted down the city walls did Uzu Hidden Village discover the attack amid the chaos.

The number of Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja was unimaginably large. Perhaps they had prepared for the possibility that Konoha would appear.

All they could do was hope Konoha discovered the Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja early, and that the ninja sent for help relayed the information to Konoha as soon as possible.

Just which spy had leaked Uzu Hidden Village's outer defenses?

Mountaintop.

Yagami saw a hint of chaos erupt below the mountain.

An Anbu Squad led two Uzumaki Ninja into the barrier.

One Uzumaki clansman rushed excitedly toward Danzo.

"Lord Danzo! Konoha really knew in advance that the Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja would launch a surprise attack on us!

Please quickly lead the Konoha Ninja and save our village!"

He was so excited. He had never expected Konoha to have come so close to Uzu Hidden Village already.

The other Uzumaki Ninja, however, was drenched in sweat.

He uneasily studied the barriers around them. If he was not mistaken, this was an Invisibility Barrier.

Why had Konoha's people set up an Invisibility Barrier here instead of entering the village directly?

Yagami roughly guessed Danzo's intentions and drew a Kunai from his Ninja Tool Pouch.

Should he show off a little in front of his superior?

After thinking it over, he decided against it.

If he entered Danzo's field of vision, that would be terrible.

Captain Commander Yomi personally made a move, instantly killing one Uzumaki Ninja.

Almost at the same time, the Black Gorilla Squad Commander struck and killed the Uzumaki Ninja who had been acting furtively and constantly scanning the Invisibility Barrier.

From beginning to end, Danzo did not even shift his gaze.

His Four-Tomoe Sharingan remained fixed on Uzu Hidden Village.

Thanks to Candle of Gloom, ArGo, and Silver Black Iron for their recommendation vote support~