Only the Blind Believe in Alliances

Sand and dust carried the stench of blood, hanging stagnant in the canyon before dawn.

Deathly silence was the only echo left after the slaughter.

Xuan's perception had long since pierced this physical darkness. He could "see" the elite force several hundred meters away sweeping toward them with unstoppable momentum.

Their chakra fluctuations were steady and condensed, like unsheathed blades. The two auras at the forefront were as imposing as mountains—undeniably Kage-level.

"They're here." Inside the cave, Xuan's voice was utterly calm.

The imitation core in his palm, forged from black mist and iron sand, flickered rhythmically, emitting residual chakra traces of the Third Kazekage convincing enough to pass for the real thing.

This was bait he had carefully prepared, a trap that would make any sensory ninja believe without question.

Chiyo Saori stood at the cave entrance, her red hair swaying lightly in the breeze. Her gaze was sharp as a blade, fixed tightly upon the "core" in Xuan's hand.

"You plan to use it as bait?" Her voice was cool, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Xuan nodded slightly without looking up. His gaze seemed to pierce through the rock wall, watching the approaching enemies.

"The real core has been sealed away by my 'rules,' but the higher-ups of the Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Leaf Village won't be able to tell real from fake. All they know is that this thing must never fall into my hands." He paused, amusement touching his voice. "Your task is simple. The moment they deploy their barrier, use your puppets to sever their connection with the rear units and destroy the formation's supports. Afterward, I'll let you witness for yourself what power beyond the rules truly means."

Chiyo Saori's brows drew together.

"I'm not your pawn," she stressed. It was the last pride of a genius puppeteer.

"A pawn?" Xuan finally looked up. In those deep eyes, stars seemed to form and perish. He let out a low, cold laugh. "Then tell me, do you have a better choice now? Return to the Hidden Sand Village as the failure of this mission, be repeatedly interrogated and investigated by Elder Chiyo and those higher-ups, and ultimately be stripped of all authority until you become nothing but a symbolic puppet? Or stay here and join me in forging an Iron Legion that obeys only our commands and is bound by no village?"

Those words struck Chiyo Saori's heart like a heavy hammer.

She was not an innocent girl ignorant of the world. She knew Xuan was telling the truth.

The blame for this mission's failure would inevitably fall upon her, the sole "survivor."

If she returned to the village, glory would not await her—only endless suspicion and punishment.

Silence spread through the oppressive air.

After a long while, she drew a deep breath, and the struggle in her eyes hardened into resolve.

"I only believe in the results I see."

"You will see them." A confident curve touched Xuan's lips.

The wind through the canyon suddenly turned shrill.

"The target is ahead! Prepare to seal them in!" A booming shout shattered the silence as the allied forces appeared at the canyon entrance.

The leading jonin held a precision chakra detector, its needle wildly pointing toward Xuan's cave.

Two Kage-level ninja in advisers' robes stood to either side like guardian statues, their cold eyes sweeping every inch of the surrounding rock walls.

"Listen up, whoever's inside! Hand over the Third Kazekage's core, and we can guarantee your safety! Otherwise, this will be treated as a joint declaration of war against the Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Leaf Village!" The resounding voice echoed through the canyon, carrying unquestionable authority.

Before the words had even faded, Xuan slowly stepped out from the cave's shadows.

He deliberately suppressed his aura. His face was pale, his steps unsteady, and he carefully held the ominous "iron sand core" in his hands.

He played the part of a weak fugitive to perfection.

"The core... I can return it," Xuan said hoarsely and weakly. "But I need an absolute guarantee of safety."

To the leading jonin, this was merely the struggle of a man at the end of his rope.

He had no intention of negotiating. The emergency order had made it perfectly clear—forced retrieval!

"No more nonsense!" He sharply waved his hand. "Form up! [Adamantine Sealing Chains Formation]!"

At the command, the surrounding ninja swiftly spread out and took up key positions.

The two Kage-level advisers formed hand seals at once, their hands creating intricate afterimages before their chests.

In an instant, golden chakra chains spread from beneath their feet, carrying the terrifying aura of sealing all things. They rapidly linked together into the outline of an enormous barrier, intending to lock down the entire area!

Now!

A cold gleam flashed through Chiyo Saori's eyes as the ten fingers hanging at her sides suddenly twitched!

"Puppetry Technique: Machine-Light Shadow Escape!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With three thunderous explosions, three pitch-black spider-shaped puppets burst out from beneath three rock layers where she had planted them in advance!

They were not the combat puppets she normally used, but special models modified specifically for destruction and surprise attacks.

Like three streaks of black lightning, the puppets shot forward at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow, precisely pouncing upon the three most vulnerable support nodes before the barrier could fully form!

"Rip—!"

Sharp chakra threads infused by Chiyo Saori coiled around the puppets' claws. They did not attack the ninja; instead, they targeted and sliced through the sealing talismans that had only just begun to glow!

"What?!" The ninja responsible for maintaining the formation were horrified.

The golden barrier flashed for less than half a second before collapsing amid violent chakra turbulence!

The barrier was shattered before it could even take shape!

This was the exact moment Xuan had been waiting for!

As the enemy faltered for a split second in shock and confusion at the barrier's destruction, the weakness in Xuan's eyes vanished, replaced by bone-chilling coldness.

Three tomoe spun rapidly within his left eye, instantly connecting into a bizarre six-pointed star pattern!

The Mangekyō Sharingan opened!

"Genjutsu: Ashen Realm Prison!"

An invisible wave of ocular power instantly enveloped the entire canyon.

In every enemy's perception, the world suddenly sank into darkness. All light vanished, and everything around them became a prison of ashes burning with black flames. Endless despair and terror rose from the depths of their hearts, leaving them fatally stunned in the real world.

That fleeting fraction of a second was enough to decide life and death!

Xuan abruptly turned over his right palm. The iron sand core serving as bait exploded in his hand, but rather than dispersing, it transformed into countless black specks under the control of an invisible force!

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"

Using his own power, he had perfectly replicated the Third Kazekage's signature ninjutsu!

The black iron sand became a deadly rainstorm, pouring down upon the two Kage-level advisers trapped in the genjutsu with greater speed than bullets and sharper piercing power than steel needles!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Their protective chakra armor was as thin as paper before this terrifying iron rain.

The two Kage-level powerhouses could not even break free from the genjutsu before countless grains of iron sand pierced the vital chakra points in their limbs, instantly cutting off the flow of chakra and pinning their rigid bodies in place!

At the same time, a battered figure darted out from behind Xuan like a ghost—it was the wreckage of Crow, controlled by Chiyo Saori!

She seized this fleeting opportunity. A poisoned blade sprang from Crow's chest and pierced straight through the heart of one Kage-level adviser from behind!

Their coordination was flawless!

The other Kage-level adviser forcibly broke free from the genjutsu through sheer willpower. Seeing his companion die, his eyes filled with terror as he turned without hesitation to flee.

But Xuan had no interest in pursuing him. He merely raised his right hand casually and gave the ground a light sweep.

"Wood Release: Earth-Running Roots!"

"Bang!"

The hard ground suddenly split apart. Several thick wooden roots, like living giant pythons, instantly coiled around the fleeing man's legs, binding him firmly in place and leaving him unable to move!

He walked slowly over to the Kage-level adviser pinned to the ground, whose face was filled with disbelief, then slowly crouched down. His right palm, covered in black patterns, gently pressed against the man's forehead.

An ominous black mist flowed from Xuan's palm into the other man's body.

"Devouring complete. Chakra gained: +89."

"Analysis complete. Secret technique extracted: [Adamantine Sealing Chains Formation: Basic Barrier Logic]."

The icy prompts sounded in Xuan's mind.

He rose to his feet and turned back toward Chiyo Saori, who was slowly recovering from her shock not far away.

The wreckage covering the ground, the corpses of two Kage-level powerhouses, and the captive bound by Wood Release silently testified to the overwhelming battle that had just taken place.

"Now," Xuan's voice returned to calm, yet carried an irresistible authority, "do you still think I survived by luck?"

Chiyo Saori stared at the hellish scene before her, especially the bizarre Wood Release and the black mist dissipating from Xuan's palm. At last, she understood that this man's power had long surpassed the limits of her comprehension.

She remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly, but her gaze was utterly firm. "I can help you create the 'machines' you want, but I have one condition—I must have absolute technical autonomy."

Hearing those words, a satisfied smile finally rose to Xuan's lips.

"Welcome to my empire."

He turned and looked beyond the canyon, where a faint pale glow had appeared along the horizon.

He could feel the Ten-Tails' violent, chaotic chakra continuously rising at the heart of the distant battlefield, while that will from above the moon, belonging to Kaguya, was also beginning to flicker into existence.

"Madara Uchiha wants to weave a false lie of peace with the Infinite Tsukuyomi," he murmured, his voice seeming capable of traveling with the wind and sand to the ends of the world. "And I... will use iron and fire to reshape the order of this world."

The wind stopped.

Yet the scent of slaughter did not fade. Instead, it tangled with the cold, damp mist before dawn, becoming thick and pungent.

The imitation core Xuan had casually discarded still emitted faint chakra fluctuations amid the deathly silence, like a poisonous bait tempting others into corruption, quietly awaiting the next hunters drawn by the scent of blood—or... the vultures that came to clear the battlefield.