Grant Them Destruction!

Swish!

Yamanaka Fū flicked the blood from his Tachi.

Watching the flames consuming the mountain stronghold die down, he frowned. "When is Lord Shinji coming for us?"

Aburame Ryoma sat on a large rock, watching a tiny insect crawl across his finger.

His expression was gentle. He said nothing.

Torune, meanwhile, searched the stronghold for houses still intact. When he kicked open a wooden door, a trace of shock entered his usually impassive eyes.

A group of naked women had been penned up like livestock in a place that looked like a pigsty, their bodies caked with filth.

Their eyes were vacant.

Not one of them so much as lifted an eyelid when Aburame Torune kicked the door in.

They were like...

A pile of logs thrown together.

He instinctively looked back at Nara Rokuyuki.

Rokuyuki was wiping his Tachi on a bandit's corpse.

He paused when he saw Torune's look.

He walked over, peered inside, then quickly shut the door with a bang.

He waved Aburame Torune away. "Stand back."

Aburame Torune frowned slightly. He said nothing, but the question was clear in his eyes.

"They won't survive..."

Aburame Torune went still for a moment.

Then he lowered his head and walked away without a word.

"Hah..."

Rokuyuki took a deep breath and formed Hand Seals. "Fire Release: Earthenware-Baking Technique!"

Whoosh—

Flames erupted inside the house.

They spread outward, growing with the wind until the entire house had burned to ash...

The others watched coldly. No one objected.

In Root, they had seen many people like this.

They had their own judgment about who could survive. Death was the kindest choice for these women, who were no longer capable of choosing for themselves.

"That's done."

With his back to the ashes, Rokuyuki said calmly, "Find somewhere to rest. We'll