Naruto: The Anbu Path to Kage Chapter 25 25: As Cruel as Beasts

The outer wall of Uzushio Village collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Kumo-nin charged through the breach.

The great river that crossed Uzushio Village had gates near the wall. Water could pass, but ships weren't allowed through without permission.

The Mist-nin destroyed the gate. Then, they leapt from the river straight into the village.

The southern bank of the village was ho to ordinary civilians—shopkeepers, laborers, commoners.

The Kumo-nin and Mist-nin burned every house they saw, dragging villagers from their hos and cutting them down one by one.

They used this brutal massacre to send a ssage to the Uzumaki Clan: If we don't get the top-level sealing techniques, we won't stop tonight.

Mist and Kumo had learned sothing crucial—Konoha wasn't sending reinforcents. That made them even more reckless.

Yako lowered his binoculars and tilted his head slightly, glancing toward Danzo.

Danzo's camp remained deathly quiet.

Three unit captains, two senior aides—not one person spoke. They were as silent as withered trees, simply waiting for Danzo's orders.

Yako frowned. Shouldn't Konoha be doing everything it can to rescue Princess Kushina?

There were enough enemy forces to launch a full-scale local war against Konoha. If they waited too long, Kushina would either be captured—or killed.

Just then, a barrier suddenly appeared within Uzushio Village.

Four Violet Flas Formation!

On the northern bank, a massive rectangular Four Violet Flas Formation rose, enclosing most of the northern zone.

The dark violet glow of the barrier shimred in the firelight, almost solid.

The Uzumaki Clan were masters of not only sealing arts, but barrier techniques too. In fact, barriers were a special kind of sealing technique.

One rash Kumo-nin leapt into the air, ninja blade reversed in hand, and stabbed down hard against the barrier.

Too impatient, he also slamd into it bodily—and was instantly incinerated.

The Four Violet Flas Formation had an extrely high temperature. Any living creature that touched it would be carbonized by the purple flas almost instantly.

Seeing this, the Mist-nin unleashed a combined Water Release.

With the village's central river as a source, their chakra cost was minimal.

Waves like crashing mountains slamd into the Four Violet Flas Formation.

Steam erupted where water struck the flas, shrouding the village in a dense mist.

The mist blanketed the sky, plunging Uzushio Village into darkness.

Judging by the scale of the mist, the barrier's power was trendous and incredibly durable.

Yako thought, No wonder Danzo is so calm. He must have known about this trump card.

The Four Violet Flas Formation would buy them ti.

Normally, they just had to hold out until Konoha's reinforcents arrived—then Uzushio Village would have a fighting chance.

But this isn't a normal situation anymore.

Once the Uzumaki Clan realizes Konoha's true stance… will they fall into despair?

Pity about the villagers outside the barrier.

Kumo-nin and Mist-nin were advancing inward, slaughtering as they went.

Where the fire spread, death followed.

The Eight-Winged Crow swept through the sky, unsure how to respond—any attack risked causing more civilian deaths.

The Spirit Turtle opened its massive mouth and blew out a violent gale, dispersing much of the lingering mist.

The mist thinned. Yako could see clearly again.

Through the binoculars, he saw the Kumo-nin and Mist-nin had sent representatives to negotiate with the Uzumaki inside the barrier.

Inside the Four Violet Flas Formation stood the village leader—also the clan head—his jaw clenched as he growled:

"Konoha and Uzushio Village will make you pay twice over for this!"

The Mist representative was Hozuki Fugu, carrying the massive Sahada on his shoulder.

"Konoha might retaliate," Fugu said, "but whether your village survives long enough to see it depends entirely on your choice."

"Let's make a deal. Hand over your secret sealing techniques and we'll leave imdiately."

"Don't play gas. I'll only consider the deal done if I can use those techniques to seal that giant Spirit Turtle."

"You'd better hurry. Otherwise, your villagers will all die."

"And if you refuse… I'll take the techniques from your corpses."

"Little Uzushio Village dared to covet our village's Three-Tails. What next, the Two-Tails of Kumogakure?"

"What are you, Hashirama Senju? Planning to collect all the Tailed Beasts?"

"If we can't have the sealing techniques… then your clan sure as hell can't either."

Not far away, Yuka listened to the shouting by the barrier as she looked up toward the sky.

The Four Violet Flas Formation was enormous—there was no ceiling.

If the situation turned dire, she was in charge of using Longspear Egret to evacuate Princess Kushina.

Seeing the villagers being slaughtered outside, Yuka felt her heart twist with pain.

Among them were the lady who sold breakfast, the uncle who hauled goods with a cart, the old woman who always basked in the sun at the street corner…

Those faces from her mories—dead, one after another.

The Mist-nin and Kumo-nin, trying to apply pressure, were pushing civilians up against the barrier and executing them there.

Thick blood pooled on the ground and turned into black-gray mist upon touching the barrier.

Every civilian hated shinobi.

Because when shinobi killed—they were as cruel as beasts.

Their training was all about killing—both the skill and the mindset.

Yuka shut her eyes in agony, but the screams kept echoing in her ears.

The Uzumaki didn't want to abandon those outside.

But the enemy had struck too suddenly and with overwhelming numbers.

The village's outer scout teams had been exposed by spies to the Mist and Kumo-nin.

The enemy had found every scout squad—and struck them simultaneously.

By the ti the wall collapsed, Uzushio only realized they were under attack amid the chaos.

Their numbers were incomprehensible—possibly ant to account for the chance Konoha would intervene.

All they could do now was pray that Konoha noticed early. That their ssenger reached the village quickly.

But… who leaked the village's defenses?

On the mountaintop.

Yako saw signs of movent below.

An Anbu squad let two Uzumaki shinobi enter the barrier.

One of them rushed straight at Danzo, eyes wide.

"Danzo-sama! The Mist and Kumo were planning to ambush us!"

"Please, we beg you—bring the Konoha shinobi and save our village!"

His voice trembled with emotion. He hadn't expected Konoha to be so close.

The second Uzumaki shinobi was drenched in sweat.

He looked around the barrier, uneasy. He recognized it—this was an Invisibility Barrier.

Why would Konoha hide outside the village instead of entering directly?

Yako had a guess about Danzo's intent. He pulled a kunai from his pouch.

Should I try to impress the higher-ups?

After a mont's thought, he put it away.

If I catch Danzo's attention… that'd be even worse.

Captain Yellow Springs moved first—instantly killing one of the Uzumaki.

Captain Black Ape followed imdiately, cutting down the other—the one who'd been eyeing the Invisibility Barrier.

From beginning to end, Danzo didn't move his eyes.

His eyes remained locked on Uzushio Village.