"Master Chiriku, I've long admired you."
The ruthless man, dressed in Anbu and who had severely injured and rendered unconscious by Asuma in a single encounter, actually greeted him with great politeness...
This stark contrast in behavior almost made Kazuma and the others suspect that Chiriku had already betrayed the Daimyo and become an inside agent for Konoha...
Chiriku had the same question, but out of the cultivation and discipline of a Buddhist disciple, he responded politely and humbly:
"I dare not presume to call myself a master. May I ask what brings you here today? Also, the unconscious man is my friend, a ninja from Konoha. Could you please take him away to treat his injuries?"
In just a few words, Chiriku demonstrated his smooth and tactful way of handling things. Although he noticed that Naoki Senju was wearing Konoha Anbu attire, he was not sure where the outfit came from, so he only mentioned it briefly and did not dare to bring up the background of the Third Hokage.
Making the enemy back down would be ideal, but what if it solidified their resolve to kill him? Chiriku dared not gamble with such a risk of placing his hopes on someone else.
Naoki Senju glanced at Asuma, who was completely unconscious at the center of the standoff, and shook his head:
"I regret that Asuma cannot be handed over to Chiriku yet, but I can promise that I will not kill him for the time being."
Unlike Chiriku's smooth-talking nature, Naoki Senju's words revealed a strong sense of confidence and domineering, giving the Twelve Guardian Ninja a strong sense of pressure.
In Kazuma's eyes, Naoki Senju was a thoroughly evil individual who would seriously endanger the peace and harmony of the Land of Fire, second only to Konoha in terms of the degree of harm he posed.
At the same time, Chiriku understood Naoki Senju's unspoken message: 'I know Asuma is the Third Hokage's son, but his life and death are still in my hands.'
Seeing that negotiations were futile, Chiriku didn't say much more, adopting a stance to face the Thousand-Armed Murder, while also reminding his incompetent teammates who were watching the show:
"Sir, please forgive me, all of you come at me together!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the Senju- Armed Guanyin's fist condensed and, under Chiriku's control, attacked Naoki Senju's back at an extremely tricky angle. However, since Naoki Senju could see Natural Energy, Chiriku's attack was naturally futile.
Although the others were somewhat reluctant to be dragged into Chiriku, they couldn't just slink back to the daimyo's mansion now that things had come to this. So, Kitane, who was on good terms with Asuma, carried the heavily injured Asuma away under the cover of his teammates, while the others cooperated with Chiriku to restrict Naoki Senju's range of movement with Ninjutsu.
" Earth Release · Earth Style Wall."
" Earth Release Technique: Earth and Stone Shuriken "
The Earth Style Wall blocked the retreat, the Earth and Stone Shuriken's mud restricted their mobility, and combined with the supposedly undefendable "Welcome - Thousand-Armed Murder" from the Chiriku, this was originally a perfect combination.
But everyone forgot Asuma's warning: the enemy's greatest strength wasn't their ghostly speed or their unstoppable power, but their Wood Release!
Under everyone's watchful eyes, while dodging the incoming Thousand-Armed Murder, Senju Naoki Senju clasped his hands together in a puzzling gesture that left everyone bewildered. Was he surrendering?
But the next second, the Twelve Guardian Ninja regretted their earlier thought.
" Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees "
The safe environment they had always lived in made them forget that this forest was actually aggressive. As the thick branches and roots around them began to wriggle, the flower buds at the top of the canopy bloomed.
In Chiriku's perception, the surrounding Natural Energy was more active than ever before, but this was not a good sign, as it meant that the power of Wood Release might exceed their expectations.
Lightning Release: Earth Flow.
The leaping blue lightning struck the surrounding Wood Release, but caused no real damage, only leaving a tiny, insignificant char...
Nauma was using Lightning Release, couldn't help but widen his eyes. As a wandering ninja, Lightning Release: Earth Flow was the highest-level Ninjutsu he had stolen from Kumogakure, yet it hadn't caused any damage to Wood Release...
"This is the Senju Clan's Wood Release? It's effective?" Seito, one of the Lightning Release Four-Man Squad, even dispelled the Ninjutsu he was only halfway through forming Hand Seals.
" Lightning Release: Lightning Binding Jutsu "
Kitane threw out his Chakra staff, setting up Lightning Release barrier around him to block the Wood Release attack, thus buying himself a chance to catch his breath.
However, the sealed space wasn't very large; twelve people could barely stand inside, making it very crowded.
Chiriku, positioned at the very edge, scanned his surroundings and, after careful observation, said:
"The retreat from the west is only about two hundred meters. If we move fast enough, we should be able to escape."
"Then let's retreat immediately. The enemy's strength is beyond our capabilities. After retreating, let's ask Konoha for help," Kitane, carrying Asuma on his back, analyzed calmly.
But these words touched Kazuma's heart. Ask Konoha for help? Why should a daimyo ask a bunch of treacherous retainers for help?
Do you think we can still retreat? Even if we do, do you think we'll have a chance to wait for reinforcements?
Kazuma, his face grim, shattered everyone's unrealistic fantasies. He then gave the unconscious Asuma a deep look before continuing:
"Since we can't overcome Wood Release, let's deal with the caster first. We are the Twelve Guardian Ninja who protect the Daimyo, and we absolutely cannot shirk our responsibility to protect him!"
Kazuma's speech did indeed stir the blood of some people, but a few were unmoved, such as Chiriku, who was exchanging glances with the Lightning Release Four-Man Squad. Since they couldn't defeat him, they had to find an opportunity to escape with the unconscious Asuma.
But none of them realized that real danger was imminent. Pale yellow pollen drifted from the blooming flowers, and the Lightning Release was completely unaffected by it. Even the Daimyo's residence nearby was within the pollen's reach...
Have you two finished talking?
The appearance of Naoki Senju outside the sealing barrier caused everyone's hearts to leap into their throats, except for the already somewhat deranged Kazuma.
"You madman who attacked the Daimyo's residence! The Daimyo and the Twelve Guardian Ninja will not let you get away with this!"
He didn't take Kazuma's shouts and impotent rage to heart. After scanning the expressions of the eleven people, Naoki Senju Naoki Senju that the time was probably right.
" The Twelve Guardian Ninja are ostensibly the direct guard established by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, but in reality, they are a ragtag group of wandering ninjas. The Daimyo is just using you as an excuse to cut Konoha's financial allocation."
"Shut up! You are not allowed to insult His Excellency's name!"
Before anyone else could react, Kazuma reacted violently, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and its fur standing on end.
This time, Naoki Senju fixed his gaze on Kazuma, and after looking him over for a few moments, said:
" Kazuma was born in a village near the Fire Temple. Growing up, he became a wandering ninja, often going hungry. In his thirties, he was recruited by the Daimyo and joined the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Because of his wandering experiences and the special nature of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, he harbored resentment towards Konoha. He believed, in a biased way, that the Land of Fire did not need two 'Jades,' so your dream is... to destroy Konoha and the Hokage."
When these secrets hidden deep in Kazuma's heart were brutally exposed to the light of day by Naoki Senju, Kazuma's last psychological defenses crumbled, and he collapsed to the ground, utterly dejected.
The way everyone looked at Kazuma changed, especially Chiriku. He had thought Kazuma disliked Konoha simply because of his stance, but he never expected that Kazuma would actually plot to destroy Konoha...
But this isn't the end. Naoki Senju went to such lengths; his target couldn't possibly be something as trivial Kazuma or the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
"Since you believe the Land of Fire only needs one 'Jade', then I will help you achieve that goal."
Kazuma, who had fallen to the ground, suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at Naoki Senju.
"You traitor! You actually dare to attack the daimyo! Stop him! Stop him!"