Chapter 146

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Yoei planted firmly on the ground, Kyōmu rested one hand on the hilt of his katana while the other lay on his knee as he sat slanted on a large rock, observing the busy Leaf Shinobi without any intention to intervene.

It wasn't about maintaining an idol façade; Kyōmu was contemplating how to conduct the upcoming defense battle.

Today's battle had seen the Sand Shinobi's fighting spirit burst forth, especially Pakura's death in exchange for his, which sounded an alarm for Kyōmu.

If Pakura was prepared to go to such lengths, what about Chiyo?

Clearly, she was.

"Chiyo, how would you try to make a final stand against me?" Kyōmu pondered, but recalling his past life's memories, he couldn't find more detailed information.

Chiyo was famous for her poison, the Puppet Brigade, medical ninjutsu, and a sacrificial reanimation technique that involved giving one's life for another.

As for other desperate measures, Kyōmu had no clue.

"With Yoei's Guardian's Angel, I'm not worried." Kyōmu stood up, sheathing Yoei at his side. "Everyone, take a break. I'll handle the night watch."

"Lord Kyōmu, you should rest most of all."

"Yes, Lord Kyōmu, you should really rest. We don't mind."

"Lord Kyōmu, all we can offer is our lives, we…"

"Shut up." Kyōmu's quiet command halted further discussion. "Follow orders; don't overthink."

The Leaf Shinobi stopped talking and, after casting a long look at Kyōmu, returned to their makeshift shelters to curl up and fall into a deep sleep.

Many things went unsaid.

As long as Kyōmu was leading by example and charging ahead, even if they knew the mission was akin to a suicide mission, these people would willingly embrace it.

What they despised and resisted most wasn't death itself but the lip service of those who talked about sacrifice for this or that but never joined them in the face of death.

"No comparison, no harm, no superiority." Kyōmu went to the ramparts, looking towards the direction of the Leaf Village. "When I return with victory and the people's hearts, it will be time for those old debts of yours to be repaid!"

With Yoei cradled in his arms, Kyōmu stood alone on the rampart like a flag planted firmly there.

He alone was like a fortress.

"It's Kyōmu himself on guard." A Sand Shinobi scout muttered under his breath, "And he's alone."

"He won't last long like that."

"I know, but it's just that…"

The words of admiration were hard for the Sand Shinobi to express; after all, Kyōmu was the enemy. But not saying it didn't mean they didn't think it.

"Those high-ups in the Leaf are nothing but parasites!" a Sand Shinobi spoke out angrily. "If Kyōmu was ours, we'd give him whatever he wanted. Why should he put up with this nonsense here?"

"Do you think we should…"

"I think it's feasible!" The eyes of a Sand Shinobi intelligence officer lit up, but then his expression darkened. "Let's leave it to Lady Chiyo to decide; I doubt it'll work."

The Sand knew about the suppression Kyōmu faced from the Leaf higher-ups, and this wasn't a secret among the Cloud, Rock, and Mist villages either.

But with the Hidden Leaf Village's significant background, even if there was major internal strife, there were always other rising stars to take over. Moreover, Kyōmu was fiercely loyal, making any attempt at defection practically impossible.

The news quickly reached Chiyo's ears.

Defect Aragami Kyōmu?

Are you stupid?!

"Continue with the night raid plan as usual, but there's no need for a real attack. Just harass Kyōmu, prevent him from resting well."

Chiyo employed a fatigue strategy, intending to wear Kyōmu down properly.

"Nice plan."

On the rampart, Kyōmu suddenly drew his blade, its light flashing and striking far away, beheading several Sand Shinobi who had crept close in stealth.

"I can hold out against you for seven days and nights. Don't believe it? Just try me." Shouting aloud, Kyōmu once again cradled his blade and stood motionless on the ramparts.

His valor was like that of a one-man army, unmatched.

With Kyōmu's warning and since the Sand Shinobi were only there to harass, not really attacking but just keeping him from sleeping, the situation persisted into the early next day.

The Sand launched a major attack again, but Bunpuku and the One-Tail, did not participate.

According to Kyōmu's guess, Shukaku must have been severely beaten by Ichikishimahime. It wasn't that Shukaku was afraid, probably Bunpuku, the old guy, couldn't take it physically.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

Fire Release: Flame Technique!

Still those two simple C-rank ninjutsu, but when used by many, their power was overwhelming, not inferior to Kyōmu's solo use of the Great Annihilation Flame Technique the previous day.

Swipe.

Blue Flame: Skyline!

With one swing, the incoming fan-shaped massive flames were split by Kyōmu into two, like cutting the flow, sending the flames to either side without harming the Leaf Shinobi behind him.

His clothes rustled in the wind, his face illuminated red by the flames, Kyōmu stood like a giant in the fire.

"Victory!"

The cheers were louder than the previous day. Kyōmu wasn't very tall, but his towering figure was firmly imprinted in the hearts of the Leaf Shinobi and most of the Sand Shinobi.

Such a person, truly unfortunate to have as an enemy.

But the Sand's attack did not stop.

Along with the battlefield compound ninjutsu, there were numerous shuriken-level exploding tags; the rampart defenses had already collapsed.

Earth Release: Earth Flow Ramparts!

Kyōmu, together with his comrades, created another defensive barrier, and then he leaped out alone, charging towards the Sand Shinobi army with a single sword.

Some could block him, but Kyōmu could choose to avoid battle, specifically targeting to kill groups of middle and lower ninjas with a single slash.

Chickens, indeed, are easier to slaughter with a butcher's knife.

Unexpectedly, Chiyo remained composed throughout, showing no intention to intervene.

This immediately set off alarm bells in Kyōmu's mind, and he became highly vigilant.

While guarding against Chiyo, Kyōmu did not cease his unilateral slaughter of the Sand's forces; the more he killed, the easier it was for his comrades in the rear.

And when Tsunade arrived with reinforcements, encircling them would be even easier.

In just a moment, Kyōmu turned the tide in the Sand army, his blade and wind blades clearing a large open space.

Bodies floated everywhere, the blood of the Sand Shinobi mixing with the soil to form reddish-brown streams that slowly gathered in the lower areas of the terrain.

The man-slaughterer seemed inadequate; a war god was more fitting.

And Chiyo, at that moment, finally chose to act!

With a sudden raise of her hand holding a white scroll, ten pristine puppets appeared in the air.

Her fingers twitched slightly, and Chiyo displayed her elegance; the ten puppets quickly formed a cubic shape, enclosing both Kyōmu and Chiyo in the middle.

Looking around, Kyōmu saw four puppets in front, four behind, and two above.

Danger!

He tried to retreat, but Chiyo followed closely, her fingers dancing rapidly, and the ten puppets kept pace. The next second, the abdomens of all ten puppets opened up, releasing a tremendous burst of chakra.

White Secret Technique: Ten Directions Barrier: Seal!

Hiss.

The dark red barrier sealed both Kyōmu and Chiyo inside, looking similar to the Leaf's Four Red Suns Barrier.

Both were dark red, and both were covered with red barrier flames, difficult to break from the inside, but not a challenge for Yoei.

Everything made of chakra was like a paper tiger before it.

"Old Lady Chiyo, this is your resolution?" Kyōmu quickly understood, "Using those Sand Shinobi's lives to lure me in deep, just to play this trick?"

Chiyo remained unflustered, "My life is not as precious as those old fossils of the Leaf. An old thing like me, trading for one of the futures of the Leaf, it's a worthwhile deal.

And the sacrifice of those comrades will not be meaningless.

Look up; now it's time for you to make a choice…"

Puff.

Kyōmu didn't leave Chiyo much time to talk, mercilessly, Yoei's blade pierced her chest.

Twisting it, Chiyo's organs were shattered.

Kyōmu did not said anything; instead, after pulling out his blade, he swung it, beheading Chiyo. But at the same time, everything around them changed.

Swish.

The sound of papers fluttering echoed, reminiscent of counting money. Kyōmu suddenly looked up.

Explosive tags, densely packed explosive tags.

They originated from the abdominal cavities of the Puppet Brigade, not merely filled with explosive tags, but stuffed with sealing scrolls.

The internal mechanisms of the puppets continuously turned, dumping the explosive tags in heaps, instantly filling the entire barrier with them, burying Kyōmu inside.

It was hard to imagine how many explosive tags were needed to fill a rectangular barrier measuring thirty meters long, fifteen meters high, and thirty meters wide, and just how powerful the explosion would be when fully packed.

"Old crazy lady, you're really going all out, nearly up there with Konan!"

Kyōmu thrust Yoei forward, but as the blade was about to slice through the barrier, he suddenly stopped his movement.

While Yoei's blade could cut through any defense made of chakra, Kyōmu could escape if he broke the barrier, but what about the Leaf Shinobi at Kikyō Castle behind him?

The Sand Shinobi army, at this moment, was rapidly fleeing, not even looking back, clearly aware of the immense power of the explosion that would follow.

A Tailed Beast Bomb?

Child's play in comparison.

"You're really spending a fortune." Kyōmu spat a thick glob of phlegm towards Chiyo's headless corpse. "Is this all of the Sand Hidden Village's explosive tag reserves?"

As Kyōmu made the decision not to destroy the Ten Directions Barrier, allowing the 1.35 million cubic meters of explosive tags to remain confined within, chaos erupted on Kikyō Castle above.

It was a dilemma.

Piercing the barrier meant that the explosive force of the tags would disperse outward, leveling Kikyō Mountain in an instant.

Kyōmu could escape, using either the Five Pronged Seal or his speed, and he could even potentially save a few people in the process.

But what then?

"Lord Kyōmu!" Leaf Shinobi were sprinting towards him.

"I can't die!" Kyōmu shouted back, "You could all die a dozen times over and I still wouldn't be dead!"

There was no time left for the Leaf Shinobi and Kyōmu to exchange words, or even for five seconds to pass from when Chiyo initiated her suicidal tactic.

Boom!

The rectangular barrier suddenly expanded upwards, the two white puppets responsible for sealing the top were blown away by the powerful internal shockwave, accelerated to several times the speed of sound. With the exit now inclined, the remaining four walls of the seal stayed firmly in place, preventing the shockwave from spreading.

But inside the seal, a high-pressure, high-temperature, high-energy state now reigned supreme.

Survival was impossible; below the Six Paths, no one could survive under such conditions.

Had faith collapsed?

Perhaps. The Leaf Shinobi rushing over were stunned, gazing at the spectacular yet tragic scene as if their bodies had lost their supports, suddenly kneeling on the ground.

"Lord Kyōmu!!!"

"Why do you mourn? Isn't that bad luck?"

"Lord Kyōmu?!"

The wailing stopped abruptly as the Leaf Shinobi saw a completely bare Kyōmu, not finding it awkward but rather seeing him as a figure comparable to the divine.

Facing certain death, others had made similar choices before Kyōmu, though not all had the same outcome. But who could say the survivors weren't heroes?

"Lord Kyōmu, you truly are a miracle!"

"I know, I know." Kyōmu smiled weakly, "Stop rubbing up against me, get me some clothes, hurry!"

Kyōmu had never imagined that he would need to burst out of his clothes twice in two days. If he had known, he would have prepared extra clothes sealed in a scroll.

But in the previous explosion, not only the sealing scroll but even Kyōmu's body had been shattered.

If not for relying on Yoei's Guardian's Angel, he wouldn't have been so intact.

"Already died twice, huh..." Kyōmu muttered to himself, "What else do I have to fear?"

"Lord Kyōmu, you are my hero, truly majestic..."

A female medical ninja stepped forward, draping clothes over Kyōmu, sincerely admiring him.

Before Kyōmu could respond, the other Leaf Shinobi burst into laughter, nearly reaching the clouds.

"Lord Kyōmu needs another three or four years for that!"

"So even the majestic Lord Kyōmu has things he's not good at!"

"Ha, ha, ha!"

"I thought Lord Kyōmu was already a real adult, but it turns out..."

The laughter continued unabated, as if using this method to release the tension and despair they had felt just moments before.

Being able to joke like this indicated a level of camaraderie that was exceptionally 'solid'.

But Kyōmu was not amused. What was all this about? Someone just provided him with clothes and expressed admiration, did they really need to make such a fuss?

And what's wrong with being ten? Were they already developed at that age?

Besides, in three more months he would be eleven, and his body should be developing. Who needs to wait three or four years?

Who are they looking down on?

"Keep laughing, and tomorrow you'll all be on the front lines!" Kyōmu, frustrated and embarrassed, waved Yoei threateningly.

"Yes, Lord Kyōmu!"

"You really going?"

"Ready to die for Lord Kyōmu!"

Kyōmu paused for a moment, then waved dismissively, "Alright, alright, I get it. Go find the scale mail blasted away by the explosion. Who knows where that thing ended up after such a huge blast."

At his command, the Leaf Shinobi quickly scattered.

From this day forward, an undying war god would officially shine across the entire Sand Shinobi battlefield.

Tremble, for your days of peace are numbered.

(End of Chapter)