Chapter 37: Eve of the Final Battle
The next day, Kael's team arrived at the northernmost city in the Land of Hot Water—Freyal City. Located far north in the Shinobi World, the city experienced frigid temperatures year-round, which meant it had always been sparsely populated. But the Jashinists' last remaining stronghold in the country, arguably their headquarters, was hidden within this very city.
"Captain Watanabe, have all the residents of this city fled?" Kael asked, standing on the Wind Eagle's back and looking down at the empty streets below, a puzzled expression on his face.
Watanabe Musashi's face twitched, and his expression darkened. He remained silent. The atmosphere instantly became heavy and oppressive. Rei, sitting beside Kael, felt like she could barely breathe. She stole a glance at Watanabe's grim face, confused. Captain Watanabe usually looks stern, but he's actually a kind uncle. Why does he suddenly seem so scary...?
From his silence, Kael understood. The casual look on his face vanished, replaced by a stony mask. He lowered his gaze to the lifeless city below, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
"W-what's wrong, Kael-nii-san?" Rei couldn't bear the suffocating tension any longer and asked in a trembling voice.
"Everyone in this city... is probably dead," Kael stated flatly, his tone as casual as if he were discussing dinner plans.
"W-what?! ...H-how is that possible?" Rei's eyes flew wide, her chestnut pupils trembling uncontrollably.
"Nothing's impossible. This isn't the first time you've witnessed the Jashinists' inhumanity..." Kael's voice was ice-cold. He suddenly realized he shouldn't be taking his anger out on a child. Taking a deep breath to calm the murderous rage boiling in his chest, he gently patted Rei's head. Looking down at the girl who barely reached his shoulder, a hint of apology flickered in his eyes. "Sorry, my attitude just now probably scared you. Don't worry about it," he said softly.
Rei's face was pale, but she forced a smile. "It's okay, Kael-nii-san..."
"Good." He nodded and turned to look at Inoshita, whose face was equally grim. His gaze then shifted to the silent Watanabe Musashi. "Captain Watanabe, what's our next move?"
"All of the village's shinobi will converge on Freyal City. Right now, all we can do is wait," Watanabe replied evenly.
"Understood." Kael nodded. So, this is it. The final showdown between the Hidden Hot Water and the Jashinists. A complex mix of emotions washed over him. After this battle, either the Jashinists would be crippled and vanish from the Land of Hot Water, or the Hidden Hot Water Village would suffer a crushing defeat, forced to retreat and hide, helplessly watching as the Jashinists continued their slaughter.
Kael's squad was the first to arrive at Freyal City. Over the next three days, other squads of Hidden Hot Water shinobi began to arrive, gathering with them outside the city walls. It was the first time Kael had seen so many shinobi from his village together. Some of them still wore blood-stained bandages, which made him frown.
In a grove of trees, over thirty Hidden Hot Water shinobi, including Kael's squad of eight, were gathered. Rei, the medical-nin, was tending to one of the injured. Even the basic Healing Jutsu was incredibly effective for both external and internal injuries, far better than ordinary medicine.
Several squad leaders stood respectfully before Watanabe Musashi, reporting something. They were too far away for Kael to hear, and his mind was elsewhere anyway.
The Hidden Hot Water Village can't develop because it lacks an economic foundation. To cultivate more shinobi, the academy needs to be expanded. More students mean more teachers, which puts a huge strain on the village's finances. No wonder the entire academy only has six instructors. The other shinobi have to constantly run missions just to support their families and cover daily expenses.
It takes more than just a chakra extraction manual and a few scrolls to raise a ninja. Shuriken, kunai, exploding tags—anything related to shinobi costs an absurd amount of money. Not to mention the ninja from the clans in the major villages, who are nurtured with the best resources from birth, even given special medicines to speed up their chakra cultivation. We commoner shinobi have nothing compared to that...
Becoming a ninja allows you to earn money through missions, but a small, unknown village like the Hidden Hot Water probably doesn't get many high-ranking missions throughout the year. Even the merchants and nobles within our own country prefer to hire shinobi from major villages like Konoha.
He sighed, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. If I were the leader of the Hidden Hot Water, the first thing I'd do is break the Feudal Lord's economic stranglehold. With money, many problems cease to be problems. The second thing would be to break the major villages' monopoly on missions within our country and build up our village's reputation. What's the point of having money if all the potential clients and even our own homegrown shinobi end up going to other villages?
It's a nice thought, but I'm not the leader, and I don't have the power. It's just wishful thinking. Even if I were asked to do it, I don't have the motivation right now...
Kael chuckled softly and shook his head, clearing his mind.
Just then, Rei finished her treatment and walked over to him, Goldie perched comfortably on her head. Kael had ordered Goldie to stay by Rei's side and protect her whenever they were outside the village. He had wanted to assign a summon to protect her for a while, but none of his other creatures were really suitable for close protection. An earthworm, a hedgehog, a beetle, flies—no girl would like any of those. And the Wind Eagle was essential to his own combat strength. Goldie, however, with his array of annoying skills, was perfect for the job.
Kael smiled, about to say something to Rei, when someone called his name.
"Kael, come over here."
What does Watanabe Musashi want? Kael wondered but turned and walked toward him anyway.
"What is it, Captain Watanabe?"