Ni pressed both hands against the ground, her fingers forming seals with precision. Black and intricate summoning symbols spread rapidly across the floor. Watching her movements, Shinnosuke scoffed, his face full of disdain.
"Summoning a creature to fight for you? Are you overestimating your own strength?"
Summoned beasts were battle partners for shinobi, but Ni was far from the only one who could use them. The hall was packed with dozens of elite Hidden Waterfall shinobi, many of whom had their own summons. More were on their way. In total, Ni would soon be facing hundreds of enemies, each accompanied by formidable summoning beasts.
Yet, she merely smirked at Shinnosuke's arrogance. There was no need to waste words on a frog at the bottom of a well. What Shinnosuke failed to understand was that her bloodline limit made her the undisputed queen of summoning.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of deafening explosions erupted as thick white smoke engulfed the room. The shinobi barely had time to register the noise before they felt the entire structure tilt beneath them. The ground trembled violently.
A monstrous turtle, its massive shell large enough to shatter the palace walls, materialized in the center of the hall. As it shifted its weight slightly, the floor cracked beneath it, and the entire palace groaned in protest.
Many of the Hidden Waterfall shinobi stumbled, struggling to maintain their footing amidst the tremors.
Then, another beast emerged—this time, a giant two-headed dog. As soon as it appeared, both heads snapped forward, their jaws crushing several unfortunate shinobi who had been too slow to escape. Blood splattered as bodies were torn apart in an instant.
From beneath the ground, a gigantic pangolin burst forth, its armored body tearing through the earth, catching its enemies completely off guard. Chaos erupted as the battlefield turned into a slaughterhouse.
Meanwhile, Ni stood gracefully atop the back of a massive hawk, soaring high above the destruction. From the sky, she looked down upon the Hidden Waterfall Village, her expression calm and commanding.
"This should be enough," she murmured. "Consider this my greeting gift."
With one hand on her hip and the other holding a whip, Ni exuded an air of effortless dominance. She was not a mere warrior, her strength lay in coordination, in controlling the battlefield through her summons.
As the summoned beasts wreaked havoc below, she swiftly formed another hand seal.
"Release."
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
More explosions rang out as the giant beasts vanished one after another in bursts of smoke. Then, without a second glance, Ni turned her hawk and soared into the distance, leaving only one final message for Shinnosuke and his men.
"In three days, Lord Kakuzu will arrive in person."
"Damn it!" Shinnosuke clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in frustration as he watched her retreating figure. The destruction was too severe to cover up. There was no way to keep this a secret anymore.
Kakuzu's ultimatum had been delivered. Now, Shinnosuke had no choice but to respond.
There was no sleep for him that night. He immediately gathered his subordinates for an emergency meeting.
Inside the dimly lit war room, one of his men hesitated before offering a suggestion.
"Lord Shinnosuke… we should fight him head-on!"
It was an obvious statement, but it resonated with Shinnosuke's own thoughts. He had no intention of relinquishing his position as village leader. If Kakuzu wanted to take over, it would be a fight to the death.
However, another advisor spoke up, his tone more measured.
"Lord Shinnosuke, you are still the official head of Hidden Waterfall Village. We should use that status to our advantage."
Shinnosuke furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"
"Kakuzu is notorious throughout the ninja world. He is strong, but his arrogance has made him many enemies. If we appeal to the Five Great Nations, we may be able to rally support. With their help, Kakuzu would be forced into a defensive position."
Though the man had spoken cautiously, the meaning was clear: Kakuzu was simply too powerful to fight alone. If Hidden Waterfall Village stood no chance against him, then their best option was to involve the greater shinobi world.
Shinnosuke knew this was a gamble. The Five Great Nations had little reason to care about a small village's internal struggles. However, given Kakuzu's reputation and his strained relationships with multiple factions, there was a slim chance that at least one of the Great Nations would see him as a threat worth neutralizing.
Taking a deep breath, Shinnosuke made his decision.
"Prepare the letters. Send envoys immediately. Use carrier pigeons to ensure swift delivery. I want messages sent to all Five Kage."
As the night stretched on, Hidden Waterfall Village prepared for war.
Three days later, on a narrow forest path outside the village, two figures walked side by side.
Kakuzu led the way, his imposing presence exuding an aura of cold determination. Ni followed slightly behind, the wind tugging at the long coat draped over her shoulders.
The forest around them was eerily silent. No birds sang. No insects buzzed. Even the trees themselves seemed to sense the impending storm.
Ni glanced up at Kakuzu. "Kakuzu-sama, are you sure we don't need reinforcements?"
She was referring to their allies. With their added forces, their strength would be undeniable.
At her question, Kakuzu's piercing gaze shifted toward her. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"The others are needed elsewhere," he said. "As for whether we have enough strength—"
He turned his eyes toward the Hidden Waterfall Village, his expression unwavering. The words in his mind were simple, yet absolute:
"If they can attack, so can I."
She had never even heard of this place. Kakuzu's goal in coming here had nothing to do with him.
Hearing Kakuzu's decisive words, the trace of worry on Ni's face gradually disappeared. The confidence in Kakuzu's demeanor brought out dimples on her cheeks. She wasn't entirely sure if Kakuzu could take on an entire village by himself, even if it was just a small one. But as long as Kakuzu believed he could, she was willing to trust him. After all, from the moment she and Kakuzu had met, their fates had been tightly intertwined.
Ni wrapped her coat around herself a little tighter and quickened her pace to match Kakuzu's. To be honest, Takigakure was quite an interesting place. Unlike other villages that needed to build walls for protection, Takigakure had a natural barrier. One had to pass through a waterfall to enter the village. If Takigakure were stronger and stationed guards here, it could become an even more formidable force.
But for now, the lack of guards worked in their favor. Kakuzu and Ni crossed the waterfall effortlessly, eventually reaching the outskirts of the village. This was the very edge of Takigakure's territory.
The scene before Kakuzu was quite a sight to behold.
Outside the village, not a single civilian was in sight, yet the area was packed with shinobi. A rough estimate put their numbers at over a thousand—likely the entirety of the Land of Waterfalls' fighting force. The stakes were high. Whether Shinnosuke could maintain his rule over the village depended on this battle, and he was prepared to risk everything.
Kakuzu gazed at the thousand unfamiliar faces before him, a smirk appearing at the corner of his lips.
"I haven't set foot here in thirty years... Looks like most of them don't even recognize me anymore."
"But that's fine. Let me help this place come back to life."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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