Ryo Yagura suddenly turned his head sideways—the previous "Kato Miyone" was actually Fuu Akimoto using Transformation Jutsu to disguise himself.
He'd been with Fuu Akimoto the entire time since entering the Hidden Hot Spring Village. They really did have a fight.
So how exactly did this guy switch places with Kato Miyone?
At this moment, Fuu Akimoto's eyes toward the two Cloud Jonin were filled with intense killing intent.
If it hadn't been for Oshima Reina shoving Kato Eirei aside just now, she definitely would've died!
Right then, Sakumo swung his blade straight down at Ryo Yagura. The thundering sound resembled a furious dragon roaring.
"Dang!"
Yet Ryo Yagura didn't use his Lightning Release Armor to block directly. Instead, he raised in front of him the [Bloodthirsty Sickle of Three Moons] that Sakumo had previously handed over, producing a sharp metallic clang.
The violent power surged through the armor, shaking Ryo Yagura's palms painfully. He staggered backward several meters, but the [Bloodthirsty Sickle of Three Moons] that absorbed Sakumo's blow remained completely undamaged.
Seeing this, Ryo Yagura's eyes flashed with greed. This [Bloodthirsty Sickle of Three Moons] truly was an extremely rare divine weapon.
Its durability could even rival those few Sage-level treasures from their own Cloud Ninja Village.
But that was as far as it went. Immediately afterward, without hesitation, he leapt back into the crowd of Evil Cultists. Originally, the distance between both sides hadn't been far, and Sakumo had practically driven him right back to his own team's location.
Then, the Evil Cultists surged forward like a flood, instantly cutting off Sakumo's path mid-air.
"Get out of my way!"
Sakumo roared loudly. The Chakra Tanto in his hand became a god-slaying blade, instantly claiming several lives.
However, Ryo Yagura dashed wildly through the crowd, completely indifferent to the fates of those believers. Combined with their intentional dodging, he soon reached Tachiyama Shinsaburo.
The latter's eyes burned with eagerness as he eagerly snatched the [Bloodthirsty Sickle of Three Moons] from the former.
"Hurry up and leave! With our strength here, we can't defeat them!"
Ryo Yagura's face showed urgency; Sakumo was quickly approaching, and Fuu Akimoto was also charging toward them.
Even he wouldn't stand a chance if they teamed up.
Tachiyama Shinsaburo understood immediately, nodding briskly. Ryo Yagura grabbed his arm, and their bodies were enveloped in Lightning Release Chakra and transformed into a streak of lightning that shot away.
"Zhi zhi!"
Sakumo slashed his way through with his Chakra Tanto, nearly escaping the cultists' encirclement. At the same time, Fuu Akimoto burst in.
"Commander Akimoto, you should stay here. I will lead my squad to complete the mission from now on."
Sakumo glanced back—dozens of Hot Spring Ninja were fighting desperately against hundreds of Evil Cultists. They were badly outnumbered. Moreover, among those hundreds, not all were ordinary people; many were also ninja.
If both he and Fuu Akimoto left, those dozens of Hot Spring Ninja might suffer total annihilation right here.
Fuu Akimoto immediately came to a halt. After swiftly cutting down the two Evil Cultists beside him, he nodded at Sakumo.
"Go!"
Sakumo glanced at Junko Watanabe, Minato, and Yan Uchiha. They weren't in the thick of battle but were circling in from the flanks, heading toward him.
[Shua!] (The sound of sudden movement)
Sakumo quickly refocused, bursting out of the encirclement and dashing in the direction those two had fled.
Of course, Junko Watanabe and the others couldn't keep up with his speed, but they had access to Konoha's unique communication codes, so they weren't worried about losing him.
Fuu Akimoto turned his head. Originally aiming to pursue Tachiyama Shinsaburo and others, he temporarily suppressed his anger and let those two Cloud Jonin go—for now.
"Protect Lady well!"
He issued orders to a group of Hot Spring Ninja. Dozens of them took positions around Kato Eirei and Oshima Reina. At first, they had intended to execute that traitor on the spot, but she stopped them.
[Wind Release: Infinite Blade Storm!]
Huu! Hoo!
Centered on Fuu Akimoto, countless blades formed from powerful winds surged outward in all directions, impossibly sharp.
AAAAAGH!
Screams suddenly echoed continuously as dozens of Evil Cultists' bodies were directly sliced apart by Fuu Akimoto's Ninjutsu—limbs severed, blood splattering across the battlefield.
The Evil Cultists' eyes filled abruptly with terror, instinctively retreating backward.
Even if they were fanatics, they were still human. Seeing Fuu Akimoto cut down dozens in an instant had an immediate intimidating effect.
At this moment, within the crowd, two Cloud Jonin and one Chunin attempted a stealthy escape. However, Fuu Akimoto was already blocking their retreat path.
"Fuu Akimoto, you cannot attack us or your Hidden Hot Spring Village will face Cloud's wrath!"
These people had just witnessed Fuu Akimoto's battle against Ryo Yagura and knew they stood no chance, so could only rely on Cloud's reputation to possibly save their lives.
After all, Cloud was one of the Five Great Ninja Nations while the Land of Hot Springs and its Hidden Hot Spring Village were merely small nations with modest strength.
Generally speaking, they wouldn't dare harm representatives from the Five Great Ninja Nations.
When Fuu Akimoto heard this, his expression suddenly turned fierce. "You colluded with these Evil Cultists, bringing war upon my Hidden Hot Spring Village, almost costing my mother's life. This already has become irreconcilable hatred!"
It wasn't that he had lost his composure, but rather Cloud's actions had already crossed the Land of Fire's red line—Konoha's bottom boundary.
Matters concerning Cloud Village, the Third Hokage had long discussed with him, entrusting Konoha with handling them.
[Shua!] (The sound of sudden movement)
Then, he directly attacked, swinging his Longsword, targeting all three Cloud ninjas at once, determined to kill them all here!
...
Among dozens of Hot Spring Ninja, Oshima Reina avoided meeting Kato Eirei's gaze.
She couldn't accept that look, so somewhat impatiently said, "If you're going to kill me, do it now! Or are you planning to drag me back to the Hidden Hot Spring Village for a public spectacle?"
The Hot Spring Ninja nearby all showed displeased expressions. If not for Kato Eirei's orders, they would've already acted.
When she heard that, Kato Eirei slightly lowered her gaze and asked, "If you want to destroy the Hidden Hot Spring Village so badly, then why bother saving me just now?"
If Reina hadn't pushed her aside at that moment, Fuu Akimoto wouldn't have had time to save himself.
Oshima Reina didn't answer, but confusion filled her eyes as well. She hated the woman standing before her with all her heart.
Yet...why did she save her?
The next moment, each of the three Cloud Ninja was slashed with fatal sword wounds. Their eyes dimmed as they became lifeless corpses.
After that, Fuu Akimoto charged once more into the crowd of Evil Cultists. A grim determination showed on his handsome face.
"Today, all of you will die right here!"
...
...
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