Nara Dogu carefully scanned their surroundings, afraid that someone might overhear Akimichi Shan. He hurriedly warned him,
"Don't say too much. You'll be in trouble if you let something slip. This whole business is suspicious. The people from the Land of Earth would never be late when they're the ones asking the general for a favor—not the other way around! And yesterday, Teacher Sasuke sent word that the Uchiha Clan seemed to be making a move, apparently with the general as their target too. The Uchiha Clan... even our teacher is too wary to provoke them!"
Yamanaka Saura let out a long sigh and said with a bitter smile,
"I've heard that a year ago, the Uchiha Clan wiped out the Haguro Clan. Then, just weeks ago, they slaughtered shinobi from the Togakushi, Haguro, and Fuma Clans, and used their overwhelming momentum to deal a heavy blow to the Senju Clan, forcing the surviving members to leave the Land of Fire. If such a powerful clan is really targeting the general, then even if Teacher Sasuke comes in person, he might not be able to do anything!"
Nara Dogu knew that if they ran into one or two Uchiha shinobi, they were confident they could kill them. But the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan was terrifying. At most, they could handle one or two of them.
"We've been entrusted with a task, so we have to see it through. Since we serve Akiyama Nobunori, we must do our utmost for him. Forget it. This isn't something we should concern ourselves with. Besides..."
"What's wrong, Saura?"
"Speak of the devil!"
Nara Dogu's voice suddenly cut off. Akimichi Shan looked at him in confusion and asked what was wrong. Yamanaka Saura seemed to have noticed something too. He followed Nara Dogu's gaze and saw a man dressed in black with red lining, the sleeves marked with a red-and-white Gunbai emblem. Then the thick fog seemed to lift, and ten more men in the same clothes emerged one after another. The man at their head had a Bashosen strapped to his back. His gaze swept over the three of them, making them shudder. The chill of being watched by a demon god made all three shiver at once.
"Shinobi from the Sarutobi Clan!"
A voice suddenly rang out behind them. The three spun around and assumed defensive stances. Mingye stood a meter away, sensing their chakra before shaking his head.
"You're not shinobi from the Sarutobi Clan!"
The three stared intently at Mingye's expression. He spoke with his eyes always closed, but even without meeting his gaze, Nara Dogu couldn't help explaining himself to the figure who had suddenly appeared behind them without a sound.
"I'm Nara Dogu, of the Nara Clan, a shinobi clan that serves the Sarutobi Clan."
Mingye raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected to run into a grandfather-generation member of Ino-Shika-Cho here. Then he chuckled and said,
"Ah! A clan with secret techniques. So you're one of those small clans protected by the Sarutobi Clan. You're lucky. I don't want to make enemies of the Sarutobi Clan right now. Take a break. This has nothing to do with you."
"..."
The three fell silent. Mingye couldn't be bothered to say anything more. He turned toward the defensive line where Madara was and gestured for him to let the three go. Then he vanished into thin air right beside them. Watching Mingye disappear without a sound, Yamanaka Saura finally breathed a sigh of relief. His voice trembled as he said,
"He's strong!"
Madara's gaze alone had terrified them, leaving them trembling all over, but they had still retained a shred of fighting spirit. Even knowing they would die, they would have fought for their cause, loyal to the end. But Mingye's sudden appearance had left them unable even to think of fighting. He had appeared behind them, and even a split second would have been enough to kill all three. Nara Dogu let out a long sigh, dropped down beside a large tree, and leaned against it to gaze up at the gloomy sky.
"We're just too weak!"
Akimichi Shan tightened his grip on his iron staff and looked in the direction Madara and the other Uchiha were slowly departing. In a heavy voice, he asked,
"Should we go after them?"
Nara Dogu let out a long, bitter sigh as he looked at Akimichi Shan, whose whole body was tense. He knew the other man had completely lost his will to fight and was only asking to help them both relax. But Madara's gaze and Mingye's sudden appearance had made it feel as though a mountain were pressing down on them, leaving them barely able to breathe. Forcing a smile, he teased,
"Akiyama Nobunori is as good as dead. Do you want to go die with him?"
"..."
"Get back to work, you lot! Why are you standing around here? Why haven't those three dogs sent word yet? Damn it, I'll cut their pay again this year!"
Honda Kamesuke angrily berated the servants around him. Just then, he felt a chill behind him. He turned and saw Mingye. Though he hadn't seen the Uchiha Clan crest, he recognized Mingye as a shinobi and immediately cursed at him.
"You dogs are taking your sweet time. Are you people from the Land of Earth always this slow when dealing with us? Do you not want to do business anymore...?"
As he finished the last word, the long blade in Mingye's hand had already pierced Honda Kamesuke's throat. Mingye couldn't see the shock and terror on the man's face. He caught Honda Kamesuke's limp body and spoke into his ear,
"Have you ever felt what it's like to be torn apart by dogs? Maybe I can't give you a taste of that deep, exquisite pleasure, but a snake bite hurts too. Go on, give it a try!"
In an instant, Mingye used reverse summoning to bring Honda Kamesuke to the edge of the black snake-filled pool in Earth Dragon Cave. Mingye opened his eyes; his pupil-less eyes seemed able to see Honda Kamesuke's expression. He shoved him into the sea of snakes, then vanished at once. Though he couldn't hear the man's miserable screams, Mingye could imagine just how different his VIP treatment must have been.
Mingye reappeared only seconds later, back where he and Honda Kamesuke had been standing. Hundreds of samurai had formed ranks, and more than a hundred shinobi stood on either side of the cave entrance.
"Shinobi of the Uchiha Clan!"
Akiyama Nobunori's voice came from inside the cave, seemingly mocking Mingye for overestimating himself. Mingye didn't respond. He spoke as if to himself,
"Colluding with an enemy nation, selling prohibited goods, and secretly meeting with spies from the Land of Earth to build a bridge connecting the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire, all so you can lead shinobi from the Land of Earth into the Land of Fire and use the enemy's strength to conquer the entire country. You're willing to turn the whole Land of Fire into a battlefield. Does a man like that deserve to die?"
"Hmph! You've got quite a tongue. Why don't you join me instead? Whatever that brat Sato can offer you, I'll give you ten times as much!"
Mingye lowered his head, the corners of his mouth lifting as though apologetically, and replied,
"I wouldn't dare accept."
"Then you're asking for death!"
Akiyama Nobunori's face was cold as he spoke. Before his men could move, a cold voice sounded again from above the cave.
"Kill yourself. Don't make me do it."
"Who's there?!"
"Attack!"
A shinobi standing beside Akiyama Nobunori quickly darted forward to stand guard. As soon as he saw the face of the man with the Gunbai on his back, he launched an attack. Madara didn't even move. More than a dozen Uchiha shinobi appeared behind him, leapt down from the mountain, and charged into the crowd.
Enma suddenly appeared in front of Mingye, his savage claws stabbing straight at him as if to tear him in half. Mingye vanished in an instant. A venomous snake appeared in his place, dodged Enma's attack in midair, then twisted its S-shaped body around and coiled around Enma's arm before biting down.
Enma seemed immune to snake venom. He reacted quickly, tearing the snake from his arm. Another figure appeared behind him.
"Transform!"
At the command, Enma transformed into a long staff and swept at Mingye. A whip appeared in Mingye's hand, and he lashed it toward the man. But the staff's force was so overwhelming that it ignored the whip's strike. Seeing this, Mingye vanished again to evade the attack.
"Is this the Sarutobi Clan's reply?"
When Mingye reappeared, he was already standing silently behind the man. He asked mockingly,
"猿飞渡参见阁下!族长之命!我死则善!"
Sarutobi Wataru coldly introduced himself. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he couldn't understand why he couldn't sense even a trace of chakra from Mingye.
"Then die."
Mingye didn't waste any more words. A shinobi prepared to die—this was the Sarutobi Clan's test, and the answer they needed. With Sarutobi Sasuke's ambition and talent, he would surely know what choice would bring the greatest benefit to his clan. He would also understand why Mingye had gone to meet him. From the moment Mingye had entered the Sarutobi Clan's camp, Sarutobi Hiruzen had probably already guessed what Mingye and the Uchiha Clan were planning.
"Come and try!"
Mingye raised his hand and lashed out with the whip again. Sarutobi Wataru dodged, leaving a deep whip mark in the ground. Enma transformed back into a staff and extended it like a spear, thrusting at Mingye. Like a spirit in the rain, Mingye vanished from Sarutobi Wataru's sight once more.
"Damn it!"
Sarutobi Wataru heard a snake's hiss and suddenly realized that Mingye's first two disappearances had both seemed connected to snakes. Cursing, he swept the staff across the ground, scattering hundreds of snakes from the puddles. But just as Sarutobi Wataru was about to kill more snakes, a cold gust came from behind him. He instinctively dodged to the side, but as he did, the whip—and its handle—swept across his field of vision.
"Sage Art: Dragon Prohibition Martial!"
Mingye appeared silently behind Sarutobi Wataru and pressed a palm against his spine. Enma changed into claws and stabbed toward Mingye's chest. Mingye sneered and vanished again, making Enma's attack miss.
"Wataru, are you all right?"
"My chakra! Damn it, he sealed my chakra!"
"But this won't kill you, will it? Since you're a shinobi of the Sarutobi Clan, I'll spare you. Besides, I don't want you to hold a grudge when you submit to the Uchiha Clan. Withdraw!"
Before you continue