Hyūga Shigeo walked forward, smiling faintly, his tone almost apologetic.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, truly. Lord Akahoshi brought two hundred Star Ninjas all the way here to pledge allegiance to me, and yet such a misunderstanding occurred. You called to wake me up, and I—acting on instinct—kicked you. My apologies, truly."
If not for wanting the others from Hoshinin Village to witness Akahoshi's true nature, Shigeo would've killed him outright. To strike from behind—he dared!
Akahoshi's face twisted with rage. Stinking and filthy from head to toe, whatever clever speech he'd prepared on the road vanished from his mind.
Avoiding the stench, Shigeo asked calmly, "Lord Akahoshi, you've come to join us, yes?"
Akahoshi's eyes flashed coldly. He tossed aside his soiled cloak, replying with feigned irritation, "Yes, let us into the village already. I need to wash this filth off."
He strode toward the gates of Nanmo Village. As he walked, his thoughts churned. Those Five Great Villages were fools! he sneered inwardly. Attacking Nanmo with banners and declarations, sending letters of justification before battle—what kind of invasion was that? Victory doesn't need ceremony. Methods don't matter, only results.
He had already surveyed the place from afar. This village isn't large—barely a thousand, maybe fewer. Once I'm inside, I'll unleash an explosion, activate the Peacock Method with the star's power, and wipe it all out. Then Nanmo will be mine.
The thought made him laugh aloud. "Hahaha!"
Behind him, his two hundred Star Ninjas exchanged uneasy glances but followed.
Then—suddenly—a row of Nanmo ninjas appeared, blocking their way.
Shigeo's cool voice came from behind them. "And where do you think you're going? The Nanmo Ninja Village trains independently. We're not like your Hoshinin Village. If you wish to join us, you'll need to show some sincerity."
He raised one finger.
Akahoshi frowned and turned. "Lord Shigeo, this is lacking in sincerity. If you weren't ready to accept us, why summon us to the Ink Village? We were fine in Star Village."
"Fine?" Shigeo's eyes narrowed. "Don't forget, Bear Country now belongs to me. Do you really think I'd let a band of traitors live within my borders?"
"You—"
"Enough talk," Shigeo said coldly. "Your so-called star has harmed too many. I will not allow it into my village. Hand it over."
The words froze every Hoshinin in place. Their "surrender" had been a ruse, and now the enemy demanded their sacred meteorite? Without it, Akahoshi couldn't use the Kujaku Myōhō (Peacock Method).
Snarling, Akahoshi leapt back to his troops. "What are you waiting for? Attack!"
Over a hundred Star Ninjas scattered, while a dozen children surged forward. Akahoshi raised the meteorite high and shouted, "Kujaku Myōhō!"
In an instant, violet chakra flared from the star, linking to each child. Their faces flushed red, then pale, then black; veins bulged, eyes widened, and reason vanished. They launched into the air, flying straight at Shigeo.
From behind, the adult Star Ninjas gasped in awe.
"Our ninjutsu… it's evolved to this level! No wonder Lord Akahoshi said we would win this battle!"
"Yes, they're different from those ordinary shinobi of the Great Nations! Look at them—that's the true Peacock Method!"
They were too blinded by excitement to see the truth: the children's skin had begun turning pitch black.
The dozen young warriors surrounded Shigeo, their purple chakra whipping through the air like claws.
He sidestepped, magnetic energy surging from his palm. Jiton (Magnet Release) erupted outward, shattering through the ground, while bolts of Raiton (Lightning Release) crashed from above.
In one fluid motion, he struck without hesitation.
Though infused with the Peacock Method, the children suffered from the meteorite's backlash—their bodies convulsing, movements erratic. Two were struck by lightning, tumbling to the ground, curling into trembling heaps.
Nanmo's medical-nin rushed out, pulling the fallen children to safety.
The others, enraged, screamed and attacked again.
Their chakra-fueled fists fell like rain, purple energy blazing across the air. Several children were already near collapse, their eyes dim, their lives burning out like dying candles.
Shigeo frowned. While dodging, he summoned ten Mokuton (Wood Release) clones—each bearing the Rinnegan (Samsara Eye).
"Banshō Ten'in! (Universal Pull!)"
The technique activated simultaneously from all ten. The children were dragged through the air, suspended helplessly. Their Peacock chakra flared, trying to resist, but the Rinnegan's gravity was absolute.
The wooden clones caught them and began absorbing their chakra.
As the meteorite's corruption drained from their bodies, the dark blotches on their skin began to fade.
Several lost consciousness, collapsing in the clones' arms.
"Don't stop! Get up and kill him!" Akahoshi howled, face twisting in rage. "Kill him!"
He turned to his troops, kicking them forward. "Why are you hesitating? Attack! Kill him!"
Holding the meteorite aloft, he screamed, "Do it!"
"Lord Hoshikage!" one of the Star Ninjas cried, pointing. "They're saving our children!"
Indeed, Nanmo's medical-nin had carried the unconscious youths to safety, already treating them.
Akahoshi's face darkened to madness. "Who cares if they live or die? To achieve greatness, one must ignore such trifles! To conquer Ink Village, to rule Nanmo, sacrifices must be made! A few dozen children are nothing! If ruling the ninja world cost half its people—I'd pay it gladly!"
(End of Chapter)
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