Sasuke nodded slightly.
This was exactly the result he wanted; ideally, it would lead to a complete break between the Red Eyebrow Army and the resistance forces, forcing them to seek the protection of the Shinobi Alliance.
However, these things cannot be rushed.
Although the Red Eyebrow Army did not follow the scorched earth policy like other resistance forces, they also regarded the Shinobi Alliance as their enemy, and would fight to the death if they encountered each other.
After all, Heavenly Martial XIII paid the price with the lives of the royal family and hundreds of thousands of civilians.
This will convince the entire continent that the Shinobi Alliance is here to carry out an act of extermination.
Now, if someone said that the Shinobi Alliance's only goal was to destroy the empire, and that everyone's lives would actually improve, probably no one would believe it.
As night deepened, the campfire in the camp flickered, illuminating the weary yet resolute faces of the martial artists.
Sasuke stepped out of the tent, a cold wind ruffling his black hair. He squinted slightly, his gaze sweeping over the distant Kakkō.
Naruto was already waiting outside. When he saw him come out, he immediately went up to him and asked, "How did it go?"
"I'm going to see the leader tomorrow," Sasuke said briefly. "The plan to the Shinobi Annihilation Alliance will hasten the Red Eyebrow Army's decision."
Naruto was silent for a moment, then frowned slightly and asked, "How do you plan to persuade her?"
Sasuke did not answer immediately, but instead glanced sideways at the center of the camp.
Several warriors from the Red Eyebrow Army were sitting around a campfire, discussing their plans for the day in hushed tones.
Their tone lacked fervor, revealing only weariness and anger—anger at the atrocities committed by the Shinobi Annihilation Alliance and at this endless war.
"She's not stupid," Sasuke finally spoke, his voice low and calm. " The Red Eyebrow Army has survived this long not because of passion and impulsiveness, but because of their ability to assess the situation."
Unlike other resistance organizations, the Red Eyebrow Army has always prioritized civilian protection as its core strategy.
In the three border states, the region that was the first to fall, the Red Eyebrow Army established a comprehensive shelter system. Strongholds were built around villages, and warriors assisted in farming, forming a pattern of coexistence between the military and the people.
This is one of the reasons why the Red Eyebrow Army has survived to this day without being wiped out by the Shinobi Alliance.
"But they hate the Shinobi Alliance just like they hate the Empire. To get them to let go of their hatred, we need to consider..."
"Hate?" Sasuke sneered. "Hate is a luxury. Only those who survive have the right to talk about hate."
" The Red Eyebrow Army now faces two choices: either be wiped out as traitors by other resistance forces, or be purged by the Shinobi Alliance. But if they voluntarily surrender, at least they can gain leverage in negotiations."
Naruto opened his mouth, as if he wanted to refute, but in the end he just sighed.
"But why should they believe you?"
Sasuke's lips curled into a slight smile. "Because I'll make them believe this is their only way out."
A light mist enveloped the campsite in the early morning.
Sasuke stood outside the tent, watching the Red Eyebrow Army warriors begin their day's training.
"Are you ready?" the deputy leader's voice was rough and powerful. "The road to headquarters is difficult; we need to set off before noon."
Sasuke nodded, his gaze sweeping over Naruto, who was playing with the child.
After leaving the campsite, the two continued along the mountain path.
The roadside grass was still covered with morning dew, shimmering in the sunlight. The deputy leader walked ahead, occasionally turning back to describe the situation along the way.
"We've been walking this road for over a decade,"
The deputy leader pointed to the faint smoke rising from distant chimneys, "Those villages are our eyes and ears. The moment anyone from other factions appears, the news reaches us immediately."
Sasuke noticed that the villagers along the way would greet the deputy leader, and some children even ran over to give him some freshly picked wild fruit.
This close relationship between the military and the people is the key to the Red Eyebrow Army's ability to stand firm on the border.
Three days later, the two crossed the last mountain ridge, and a bright and open view suddenly appeared before them.
A village built against the mountain appears in the valley, with seemingly ordinary farmhouses scattered on the hillside in a well-organized manner.
However, Sasuke astutely noticed that the village's layout subtly resembled a defensive formation, with concealed lookout posts positioned at each high vantage point.
"We've arrived." The deputy chief pointed to an inconspicuous stone house in the center of the village. "That's the chief's residence."
Upon entering the village, Sasuke noticed that the atmosphere here was completely different from other places.
Although the villagers lead ordinary farming lives, everyone's eyes are exceptionally vigilant.
Several elderly farmers, who were drying grain, seemed to be doing so casually, but they were actually keeping a close eye on the activity at the village entrance.
Two guards stood in front of the stone house and bowed respectfully upon seeing the deputy leader.
The deputy leader whispered to Sasuke, "The leader is waiting for you inside! Remember, be careful what you say here, and don't offend the leader."
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, you'll find yourself in a spacious hall.
Sunlight streamed in through the high skylight, illuminating the model in the center of the hall.
A woman dressed in plain clothes is facing away from the door, intently adjusting the markings on the sand table.
"You've arrived?" The woman's voice was calm yet authoritative.
She turned around, revealing a face that, while not young, possessed a striking and commanding presence. There were a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, but her gaze was sharp as a knife.
Sasuke nodded slightly.
The leader of the Red Eyebrow Army, a woman who gave the empire a headache, looked just like an ordinary peasant woman.
The woman's gaze lingered on Sasuke for a moment, a slight smile playing on her lips. She slowly walked towards the tea table beside her, her plain sleeves swaying gently with her movements.
"I heard you performed exceptionally well in Blackwater Village. Seven top-tier ninja who Shinobi Annihilation Alliance didn't even have a chance to fight back against you."
Sasuke remained standing, only bowing slightly in acknowledgment.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled patterns of light on his austere profile.
The leader poured two cups of tea, the steam rising in the sunlight.
"Please sit down."
She pointed to the opposite side, "I'm curious, why have I never heard of experts like you at the border before?"
Sasuke slowly stepped forward and sat down at the tea table.
"We've been operating in states further north, and only recently moved south."
"Oh?" The leader pushed the teacup toward Sasuke, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Which northern province?"
Sasuke took the teacup, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim. " Cloud Province, a lone wolf, not affiliated with any power."
The leader chuckled softly, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
"Interesting." Her gaze shifted to the window, where several children were chasing and playing.
"At your age, with such skills, you should have been renowned throughout the region by now. Why would you want to join the Red Eyebrow Army?"
The leader smiled slightly and said in a relaxed tone, "Recently, a lot of news has come from other states, and one of them is quite interesting. Would you like to know?"
Sasuke said, "I'd like to hear the details."
The leader's gaze deepened, and the sunlight outside the window gilded her silhouette.
"Recently, many resistance organizations have discovered spies from the Shinobi Alliance."
"However, those organizations all met with misfortune later, wiped out by those damned intelligent puppets, but the message still got out."
"Very young, very strong, but with an unknown background, quite similar to you guys."
"So the leader suspects we're spies for the Shinobi Alliance?" Sasuke remained seated, his posture unchanged.
"Doubt? I'm certain you are!"
The leader, still seemingly unwilling to admit defeat, prompted Sasuke, " Clear Creek Town, the place where you first appeared, accompanied by twenty black-robed figures whose faces were obscured. Do you remember?"
Sasuke's fingers paused lightly on the rim of the teacup, then he slowly set it down, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Since the leader has already investigated this far... yes, we are indeed from the Shinobi Alliance."
Although he was currently in enemy territory and had no intelligent puppets to support him, Sasuke was confident that he could break through the encirclement.
After all, he didn't waste that year following Obito Uchiha in the Akatsuki; he had long been accustomed to navigating more dangerous situations.
Otherwise, how did he get those Mitsudomoe?
The leader's pupils suddenly contracted, clearly not expecting Sasuke to admit it so readily; her right hand was already on the short sword at her waist.
The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly, and the guards outside the windows gripped their weapons tightly.
"However..." Sasuke's voice remained calm and unhurried, "Has the leader ever considered why we've come here as spies?"
As he spoke, he slowly stood up, sunlight streaming through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on his cold, handsome profile.
The leader's hand holding the knife trembled slightly.
She could sense that the oppressive aura emanating from the young man before her was far more dangerous than any martial artist she had ever seen.
This is precisely the negotiation skill Sasuke learned in the Akatsuki: always make the other party realize that you hold not only bargaining chips, but also the power to overturn the table at any time.
Back then, Obito Uchiha used this method to make the entire Akatsuki both respect and depend on him.
"What do you mean?"
Sasuke's gaze swept over the guards poised to strike outside the window, but the corner of his mouth remained perfectly still.
"If the Shinobi Alliance truly wants to eradicate resistance forces like the Red Eyebrow Army, do they still need to send spies?"
"Five hundred puppets could level this valley in half an hour, not to mention the strategic weapons the Shinobi Alliance has already used—it would be a matter of moments."
The sunlight reflected a cold gleam in his dark pupils.
The leader's breath hitched, and he retorted, "Then what are you doing here? To amuse yourselves with our death throes?"
Sasuke suddenly turned around, the Mitsudomoe slowly rotating in his eyes. "Because the Shinobi Alliance asked us to assess whether civilian forces should exist."
"Should we submit and cooperate with the Shinobi Alliance to pacify the people, or should we perish and join forces with the Heavenly Martial Imperial Family?"
The hall was so silent that you could hear the candle wick popping.
The leader drew his sword three inches from its sheath, then laughed in fury, "Surrender? Utterly absurd! The blood of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Martial Capital hasn't even dried yet, and you dare..."
"There was no massacre, at least not by the Shinobi Alliance," Sasuke interrupted.
"You dare say those civilians weren't killed by puppets of the Shinobi Alliance?"
"It was indeed the Shinobi Alliance that killed him, but... never mind, see for yourself!"
Sasuke's dark pupils suddenly changed, and three Tomoe slowly rotated within them as he turned to look at the leader.
"Look carefully."
The leader felt a wave of dizziness and thought the other party was about to attack in a fit of rage. He tried to resist, but his body wouldn't obey him.
However, as the leader of the Red Eyebrow Army, she enjoyed great prestige in the three border states, and her martial prowess was almost on par with that of Martial Saint.
Otherwise, he would not have been able to lead the Red Eyebrow Army to survive the empire's numerous encirclements and suppressions.
She could break free from the Genjutsu's control in a moment, but for a strong person, that instant could decide the outcome.
Just when the leader thought he was going to die there, his vision suddenly distorted, and the tea table and sand tray dissolved like stirred paint.
When she could see clearly again, she was already standing on the Martial Capital, with burning streets beneath her feet.
"This is..."
"The final madness of Heavenly Martial XIII." Sasuke's voice came from all directions.
She saw the Jinwu Guard set fire to the granaries, and servants pouring poison into the wells. Further away, remnants of the army mingled with the crowd and charged towards the puppet legion, shouting " The Shinobi Alliance is massacring the city!"
"Impossible!"
The leader struggled to close his eyes, only to find that the Genjutsu had perfectly replicated even the sense of touch; the heat scorched his cheeks, and the smell of blood filled his nostrils.
With a wave of his hand, Sasuke changed the scene to the imperial palace.
As the Heavenly Martial XIII spoke to the Sword Saint, he said, "When the blood of Martial Capital has been shed, the people of the world will see clearly... the Shinobi Alliance was never here to rule, but to exterminate!"
The illusion shattered suddenly, and the leader staggered backward, knocking over the tea table. Cold sweat soaked her back, and the sound of the teacup breaking was particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.
"The evidence... these could all be forged!"
Sasuke took out a communicator, connected to the Shinobi Alliance Network, and played a video. The Shinobi Alliance Network's live feed appeared in the air.
The medical team is treating the burned civilians of Martial Capital, while the intelligent puppets are cleaning up the poisoned well water.
"Do we need to treat the wounded after a massacre?" Sasuke continued.
"There were survivors in the Battle of Martial Capital. If you'd like, I can apply to the Shinobi Alliance to take you there. Seeing is believing, after all."
The leader's fingernails dug deeply into his palms, his knuckles turning white from the force, as he stared blankly at the image suspended in the air.
Those images were the complete opposite of the truth she firmly believed in.
As a martial artist born and raised in this land, she had witnessed the empire's decay firsthand, yet she also deeply understood the value of this land.
The Red Eyebrow Army was established to protect the most honest people on this land, but that doesn't mean she really wanted to overthrow the country.
But what I'm seeing now...
Her gaze drifted unconsciously to the window, where several children were chasing and playing, their laughter clear and melodious.
Over the years, she led the Red Eyebrow Army across various regions, all to protect that smile.
If the Shinobi Alliance is truly as Sasuke says, perhaps... this is the only option to save more innocent lives, but her years of fighting instincts still warn her.
This is very likely an elaborate trap.
The leader slowly raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed on Sasuke: "If what you say is true, why didn't the Shinobi Alliance release this evidence to the public sooner?"
A complex look flashed in Sasuke's Sharingan: "Because what the Shinobi Alliance needs is not explanations, but results. When this land returns to peace, the truth will naturally come to light."
"The reason I'm telling you this is because I acknowledge the Red Eyebrow Army and want to give you a chance to survive, and also for the sake of the common people of this continent."
The leader remained silent for a long time after hearing this, and finally slowly put down the short knife in his hand, turned around and walked to the window, looking at the wisps of smoke rising in the distance.
That was the signal that the villagers were starting to prepare dinner.
At that moment, she seemed to see countless similar sunsets.
The warriors of the Red Eyebrow Army returned from their patrol; children gathered around the campfire listening to the elders tell stories, and women busied themselves preparing simple meals...