Pupu-pupu!
Blood splattered, and screams rose one after another.
Inside the mansion, the battle raged fiercely. The flashes of ninjutsu clashed violently, creating a chaotic and bloody scene.
Although the Uchiha clan had only a dozen elite ninjas fighting against Gatō's hundreds of subordinates, the fight was overwhelmingly one-sided.
Gatō's men were many in number, but in the face of the Uchiha's power, they were no match.
Some tried to escape the mansion, but whenever they approached the edge, the pursuing Uchiha swiftly cut them down.
Kurenai stood beside Genya, watching the slaughter unfold, feeling a mix of shock and awe.
She turned to Genya and asked softly, "Genya, do you need my help?"
Genya shook his head, his gaze cold as he scanned the surroundings. "No. You just need to guard the mansion. Don't let a single one escape. These people are all dangerous."
Kurenai nodded silently. Since her help wasn't needed, she would not interfere.
At that moment, Gatō stood aside, his legs trembling, his face pale.
He inhaled the bloodied air, watching his proud subordinates—his trusted aides—fall one by one, and his heart filled with fear and despair.
"This is… too terrifying… too bloody…" Gatō muttered, his eyes wide with panic.
He had never imagined that the gap between himself and the Uchiha clan could be so vast.
The subordinates he once considered strong were powerless before the Uchiha ninjas.
This battle was nothing short of a one-sided massacre.
Gatō's heart was heavy with regret.
He had been too arrogant before, believing he could contend with these great clans, even daring to dream of vying for control of the Land of Waves with the Uchiha.
But reality had given him a brutal slap.
If the Uchiha had wanted to destroy him from the start, he would have had no chance of resisting. They had simply chosen not to deal with him then.
Now, his reckoning had come.
"Lord Genya, all enemies in the mansion have been eliminated!"
At that moment, Uchiha Furin emerged from the mansion's main gate.
He was covered in blood, yet there wasn't a single scratch on him.
All of it was the blood of the bandits.
Clearly, this battle had been nothing more than an effortless slaughter for him.
The Uchiha behind him stepped forward as well, though some bore light injuries.
This simple skirmish had fully displayed the terrifying power of the Uchiha clan.
Kurenai watched the scene, utterly shocked.
She murmured softly, "Is this the strength of the Uchiha clan? No wonder the Hokage has always been wary of them."
Her mind began to wander. If the Uchiha clan continued to grow like this, perhaps they could truly become the guiding force of Konoha.
Yet even now, if the Uchiha were to control Konoha, it might not necessarily be a bad thing.
After all, with their power and influence, they could make the village stronger and more prosperous.
"Lord Genya, what should we do next?" Uchiha Furin approached Genya respectfully. "There are still many corpses inside."
He wanted to ask Genya how to deal with the battlefield—bury them or burn them. Both were merely different applications of a single ninjutsu.
Genya glanced at the corpses scattered across the estate and said lightly, "Burn them."
His tone was casual, as if the bodies were nothing more than inconsequential trash.
Gatō's face crumpled. Pointing at Genya, his voice shook as he shouted, "Demon! You are demons! You slaughtered so many people and now you want to burn their bodies! You have no humanity!"
Genya cast him a cold glance, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Demon? You call us demons? Then what are you? You sealed off the Land of Waves, exploited the civilians at will, and slaughtered the innocent. Weren't those your good deeds? Every person in the Land of Waves wishes to tear you limb from limb!"
His voice was icy and commanding, layered with accusation.
Gatō opened his mouth but found he had no words to reply.
He had once believed he controlled everything. Indeed, he had done as he pleased with the villagers, destroying families and homes.
He had enjoyed seeing them kneel before him, crying and begging for mercy. Yet now, which of the victims had become him?
"You are mistaken…" Genya continued when Gatō remained silent. "We are not demons. We are the reapers of demons' souls."
After speaking, Genya made a gesture toward Uchiha Furin.
Furin immediately understood and quickly formed hand signs with both hands.
A blazing fire dragon shot from his mouth, heading straight for the center of the estate.
The flames spread rapidly, engulfing the entire estate in an instant.
Amid the roaring fire, bodies crackled as they burned, and the air was filled with the smell of scorched flesh.
Everyone instinctively took a step back. Even seasoned ninjas could not help but feel uneasy in the face of such a scene.
Genya watched the burning estate, his eyes showing no emotion.
He turned to Gatō and said, "Now, it's your turn."
Gatō's face turned pale, and his voice trembled as he asked, "You… you're going to kill me?"
Genya shook his head and said calmly, "I will not kill you. Your fate will be decided by the civilians of the Land of Waves."
"What?!" Gatō's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Genya. "You… you're going to hand me over to those lowly civilians? Let them decide my life or death? No! That's absolutely impossible!"
Not far away, the villagers who were working in the fields had unknowingly gathered together.
"Old man, where is Master Tazuna, the bridge builder?" someone asked, looking at a hunched old man wearing a straw hat.
The land was not far from the shore. Now that Gatō monopolized the waterways, building a bridge was their only way forward.
If they could actually build the bridge, they could break Gatō's monopoly.
"He should be here soon," the old man with the straw hat said firmly, puffing on his pipe.
They had already been exploited too much by Gatō. Even if Tazuna couldn't make it, they would find another master builder.
"Do you think Gatō will kill the bridge master?" someone asked, voicing their concern. After all, Gatō had done too much to stop them from building the bridge.
At the mention of this, everyone's hearts sank.
"That shouldn't be possible!" the old man shook his head and continued, "Tazuna came from Konoha. I've explained the situation here to him. He should seek help from Konoha!"
"Konohagakure?"
When everyone heard that, hope instantly lit up in their eyes. "If Konoha steps in, then Gato really won't be able to make any more trouble!"
"Look… why is there fire over there?"
While the crowd was still talking, someone suddenly spoke.
"That seems to be the direction of Gato's place. Is his manor on fire?"
"That's great. Truly, evil meets its own end!"
"Heh… who would've thought Gato would face a day like this? Serves him right!"
"God spares no one!"
"Damn… if only that fire would burn Gato to death, that'd be perfect."
Everyone present wore relieved smiles. Over the years, they had suffered too much under Gato's oppression. Seeing this scene, their hearts couldn't help but loosen for the first time in a long while.
"Huh? Old man, where are you going?"
"I'm going to check if any villagers are trapped in the flames."
****
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