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"Light Release: Laser Beam!"
With both hands forming a cross, Aotu Taro concentrated an immense sphere of light energy, crackling with faint explosions and vibrations. After a brief moment of gathering power, a massive laser beam surged forth, brimming with overwhelming chakra energy.
"Earth Release: Ultra-Thick Mud Wall!"
The Iwagakure ninja facing Aotu Taro wasted no time, immediately summoning a thick circular earthen wall for defense.
The beam struck the mud wall with precision. Instead of creating a cloud of dust, it burned through like a red-hot iron rod plunged into solidified lard. Within moments, a large hole was melted through the thick wall, and the beam reached the ninja hiding behind it. Agonized screams echoed briefly before falling silent.
Seeing the enemy neutralized, Aotu Taro exhaled in relief. He reached into his tool pouch, grabbed a handful of coagulant powder, and hastily pressed it against the deep gash on his shoulder.
"Damn it! Another inch deeper, and it would've hit the bone. Where did that lunatic come from, so relentless!"
Surveying the battlefield, Aotu Taro's heart sank. Nearly half of his comrades were already down, yet the enemy continued their relentless assault without fear of death. Enraged, Aotu Taro's eyes widened, and he raised his twin blades, charging back into the fray.
"Boom!"
Another explosion from an explosive tag tore through the air. The heavy wooden doors of the Rain Shadow Tower splintered into pieces. Rō and Kagari barely had time to draw their weapons before they were swept away by the surging mob, disappearing without a sound.
At this moment, Nōshin Kongō, standing on the third floor, stared at the dark mass of people flooding in. His tongue felt numb, his legs trembled, and he cursed inwardly, Yura, damn you! Where the hell are you with reinforcements? I'm neck-deep in shit here, and you're still not back?
Frantically patting himself down, he realized he didn't even have a kunai on him. Great, now he couldn't even defend himself, let alone commit honorable seppuku. His only option was to jump out the window.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He quickly stripped off his white robe and purple hat, tossing them out the window. Grabbing handfuls of old dust from the window ledge, he smeared it all over his face and clothes. In moments, he transformed into a filthy, unkempt figure.
As the mob surged closer, Nōshin Kongō didn't hesitate. He leapt down the stairs, blending into the crowd like a drop of water into a river, "disappearing" amidst the chaos.
Apart from his slightly cleaner clothes, slightly rounder figure, and slightly healthier complexion, he was indistinguishable from the rioters. Seeing that no one paid him any attention, Nōshin Kongō breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good thing I'm quick-witted!"
But then a thought struck him. Wait, I can't stay here! If Yura arrives with reinforcements and sees me like this, they'll mistake me for a rioter and cut me down. No, I need to get out of here!
He steadied himself with chakra, bracing against the crowd's push, and began maneuvering towards the first-floor exit.
As he retreated, Nōshin Kongō noticed something peculiar. The mob seemed to form a giant whirlpool spreading in all directions. Strangely, the center of this whirlpool wasn't his Rain Shadow office or the archives but the second-floor kitchen and cafeteria.
Passing by the second-floor reception room, he saw a group of people frantically fighting over the few fruits and snacks meant for guests. The frenzy resembled chickens scrambling for a handful of scattered grain—biting, clawing, cursing, and brawling.
These are rioters? They look more like starving beggars. Doesn't the Dawn organization feed them? Bunch of useless trash. Just wait until I have the upper hand again—you'll regret this!
"Lord! Lord! A group of Ame ninjas is attacking from behind—huh?"
Kijima, covered in blood and wielding a spiked club, burst into the Dawn's temporary command tent, ready to report. But as he lifted the flap, he was shocked to find the tent completely empty.
"Mr. Higashi Iwa? Lord Kintai? Lord Momotai? Where is everyone?"
Kijima called out the names of the strategists and other key figures, bewildered. The frontlines were locked in a stalemate, and now a group of Ame ninjas was attacking from the rear. How could all the organization's leaders vanish at such a critical moment?
Wait, where did they go? The feeling was eerily familiar, like when he was a child stealing chickens but leaving feathers in the neighbor's yard.
Looking at the bloodied spiked club in his hand and his blood-stained black cloak, Kijima suddenly realized. Panicking, he dropped the club, tore off his cloak, and bolted out of the tent like a gust of wind.
Meanwhile, on a nearby abandoned tower, Higashi Shinin stood with a group of ninjas, observing the battlefield.
"Ah, what a pity. I was too hasty. I didn't expect that coward Nōshin Kongō to actually strike back. If the situation weren't so urgent, I'd have dealt with him first. Have all our people been evacuated?"
"Thirteen casualties, but the rest are here," a ninja reported.
"Good," Higashi Shinin nodded slowly. "The price was steep, but the outcome is acceptable. Have you confirmed the results?"
"Yes, sir. All the workshops at the ninja tool factory have been destroyed. The warehouse inventory has been looted, and we eliminated twenty of their factory guards."
"That's what worries me the most," Higashi Shinin sighed. "You're part of Lord Ōnoki's elite guard, yet you struggled against a standard Suna ninja unit. This shows how formidable Suna's forces are. Let's hope our sacrifices buy us some time in the larger war. Let's go; we're done here."
With that, he vanished in a flicker, followed by his team.
Under Yura's command, the Ame ninja "regulars" swiftly quelled the massive riot. However, the aftermath was devastating. Nearly half the riverside factories were destroyed, substantial stockpiles looted, and the loss of personnel required significant reparations. This left Yura deeply frustrated.
When Jinghang received the detailed report, he refrained from blaming Yura or Yashamaru. Instead, he praised their decisive actions and emphasized the importance of compensating the fallen ninjas and workers while restoring production. The shortfall in military supplies could be covered by the Moon Lake New District Industrial Park.
On the other hand, Nōshin Kongō was seething. The riot had reduced his meticulously renovated Rain Shadow Tower to a bare shell. His charming secretaries had been swept away by the mob, and his humiliating escape left him fuming. Enraged, he launched a ruthless campaign of purges and massacres against the Dawn organization and the refugee population.
The corpse of Myōwa Tarō, the Dawn leader, was exhumed and displayed in the Rain Village square. Tens of thousands of "rioters" were executed along the banks of the Shule River, their blood staining the waters red. Heads rolled for nearly three months until the war between Suna and Iwa diverted attention.
No one noticed the three small figures who, during the quiet nights, stood silently before the hanging corpse in the Rain Village square, unwilling to leave...
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