At the Red Sand Clan's compound, blood stained the ground red, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.
Hoshino stood alone in the clearing, his body enveloped in an earthen-yellow Tailed Beast Cloak that radiated a suffocating pressure.
Around him, dozens of corpses lay scattered in every direction.
They were all elite ninja of the Red Sand Clan: Jonin, Special Jōnin, Chunin... not one had been spared.
Blood flowed from their bodies, gathering into little rivers that dyed the entire ground red.
Akasuna Retsu's throat bobbed as he said in a trembling voice, "Th-this... how is this possible...?"
His gaze swept over those familiar faces, and an indescribable fear and anger welled up inside him.
The elite ninja who had remained at the compound all belonged to his faction, but now they had all died at Hoshino's hands.
"Hoshino!!!"
Akasuna Retsu roared, fixing his eyes on Hoshino as he demanded, "How exactly did my Red Sand Clan offend you, that you would do this?"
Hoshino slowly raised his head and looked at Akasuna Retsu with cold eyes.
That cruel smile still lingered on his lips, as if the slaughter just now had taken no more than a flick of his hand.
"You didn't offend me, but you stood in my way! Hizuki, your minute is up. I'll take it from here."
At Hoshino's words, a trace of unwillingness flashed in Hizuki's eyes, but she knew she was in no condition to keep fighting.
The backlash from Blaze Release had pushed her body almost to its limit.
Blood continued to spill from the corner of her mouth, and she had little Chakra left.
She slowly retreated behind Hoshino and said in a low voice, "I'll leave him to you."
Hoshino nodded slightly and looked coldly at Akasuna Retsu.
Akasuna Retsu's expression turned extremely grim.
Although he had held the upper hand in his fight with Hizuki, facing Hoshino now filled him with a fear unlike anything he had ever felt before.
The Tailed Beast Chakra radiating from Hoshino made him feel as though he were facing a vicious beast from ancient times, one he simply could not fight.
"Hoshino... what exactly do you want?!" Akasuna Retsu took an involuntary step back, trying to put some distance between them.
Hoshino did not answer. He merely smiled coldly, and his figure vanished from where he stood.
"So fast!"
Akasuna Retsu's pupils contracted sharply. He could barely follow Hoshino's movements.
The next second, Hoshino was already in front of him, his fist carrying the violent power of Tailed Beast Chakra as it smashed straight toward Akasuna Retsu's chest.
"Wind Release: Wind Wall!"
Akasuna Retsu formed Hand Seals almost on instinct, trying to block Hoshino's attack with a wall of wind.
But the wind wall tore apart beneath Hoshino's fist as though it were made of paper.
Boom!
Hoshino's fist slammed down hard. A sharp pain shot through Akasuna Retsu's chest, and the sound of his ribs breaking rang out clearly.
His body flew backward like a cannonball and slammed into a distant wall. The wall collapsed instantly, sending rubble flying in all directions.
"Pfft!!!"
Akasuna Retsu spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale in an instant.
"Clan leader!"
In the distance, several surviving Red Sand Clan ninja saw what had happened and let out roars of grief and anger.
They rushed forward recklessly, trying to save Akasuna Retsu.
Hoshino glanced at them, and particles of Iron Sand instantly formed several spears that pierced straight through the ninja.
"Ah!!!"
Screams rang out as the Iron Sand spears pinned the ninja to the ground, their blood staining it red.
Akasuna Retsu raised his head with difficulty and looked at the devastation around him, his eyes full of despair.
Even if he survived today, he would not remain clan leader for long!
"You... you monster..."
Akasuna Retsu struggled to his feet amid the rubble, the sharp pain in his chest making it almost impossible to breathe.
Hoshino gave him no chance to catch his breath. His figure vanished once more.
The next moment, he was behind Akasuna Retsu, his palm slicing like a blade straight toward Akasuna Retsu's shoulder.
"Ah!!!"
Akasuna Retsu let out a scream as Hoshino's palm severed his left arm, sending blood gushing out.
"Akasuna Retsu, it's time you paid with your life."
Instead of pressing the attack, Hoshino turned to Hizuki and said calmly, "It's your turn."
Hizuki nodded and slowly walked up to Akasuna Retsu, violet-red flames burning in her palm.
"Akasuna Retsu, this is what you owe me."
"Stop!"
Rasa's voice came from the distance.
But Hizuki did not stop. Violet-red flames surged from her palm and blasted straight into Akasuna Retsu.
The searing heat swallowed his body in an instant.
"Ah!!!"
In the blink of an eye, Akasuna Retsu's body had turned to ash, scattering on the wind.
Hizuki stood where she was, the hatred in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a trace of relief.
"At last... it's over..."
She murmured softly, her body swaying slightly as though she might collapse at any moment.
Hoshino walked to her side and reached out to support her by the shoulder, then turned toward the direction the voice had come from.
"Lord Kazekage, you're late!"
In the distance, a golden figure approached at great speed.
Rasa's gaze swept over the corpses covering the ground and Akasuna Retsu, who had been reduced to ash. His brow furrowed deeply as golden Gold Dust began to surge around him.
He had thought Hoshino would not go too far, that at most he would kill a few people to teach them a lesson.
But he had not expected him to go this far.
"Hoshino, do you know what you're doing?"
Rasa said sternly, "I told you before, the Red Sand Clan's power structure is complicated. Do you think killing all the ninja at the compound means the Red Sand Clan is gone?"
"So what, Lord Kazekage?"
Hoshino released the Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak, and the earthen-yellow Chakra Cloak gradually dissipated, revealing his somewhat pale face.
Seeing that Hoshino was not continuing his attack, Rasa breathed a small sigh of relief, though he also felt a trace of annoyance.
Not long ago, the boy had been his to handle as he pleased, yet now he dared to show such disregard for the bigger picture.
"Hoshino, do you even understand the Red Sand Clan?" Rasa asked, looking at Hoshino seriously.
"Isn't that why I'm waiting for you to tell me?" Hoshino said with a smile.
Seeing how he was like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water,
Rasa took a deep breath and said patiently, "The Red Sand Clan existed before the village was founded. It contributed greatly to the village's founding and earned the First's deep trust."
"That's why it holds a special position in the village, much like the Uchiha Clan in Konoha. Its influence reaches into every part of the village."
"The Anbu, the council of elders, civilian ninja, the border garrisons, the nobility-you can find their influence almost anywhere you can think of."
"The Black Scorpion Clan and the Night Sand Clan can't compare to the Red Sand Clan. Do you understand?!" Rasa could not help roaring.