The so-called "rebels" like Kōzen Mamoru, as described by Shokuzaki Ichirou, were all imprisoned in a secret camp outside the village.
"Taki Shadow, this is the place," Shokuzaki Ichirou gestured towards a heavily sealed courtyard.
Ryuuri activated his sensory abilities and scanned the area. Inside, there were only weak chakra signatures, resembling the members of the Kōzen clan.
"I heard this used to be a Shokuzaki clan base. Elder Shokuzaki, why don't you lead the way?" Ryuuri was no fool. The person who orchestrated the coup was Shokuzaki Ichirou. It was obvious that his current goal was to eliminate Ryuuri. If the house were filled with explosive tags and Ryuuri recklessly entered, even if he didn't die, he'd be severely injured.
"You all stay outside and guard. I'll go inside with Taki Shadow to interrogate the rebels," Shokuzaki Ichirou instructed his clansmen to guard the entrance before leading Ryuuri inside.
After weaving through several twists and turns, they finally reached the courtyard, where Ryuuri saw a weakened Kōzen Mamoru and his clansmen. There were also some non-clan ninjas, all tied up tightly like mummies.
At the front, Kōzen Mamoru still had dried blood at the corners of his mouth, indicating he had been beaten not too long ago. When he saw Ryuuri, he tried to speak and attempted to stand.
"Swish!"
Shokuzaki Ichirou swiftly threw a kunai, striking Kōzen Mamoru's thigh. Normally, such an attack would have been deflected, but Mamoru had been subjected to regular beatings by the Shokuzaki clan and hadn't had a drop of water, let alone food. He was so weak that even though he had chakra, he couldn't fight back.
"Taki Shadow, this guy tried to ambush you. Should we execute him as an example to the others?" Shokuzaki Ichirou suggested, stabbing Kōzen Mamoru a few more times with a kunai.
Ryuuri pushed Shokuzaki Ichirou away. "Even if they are rebels, show some humanity!"
"Well then, Taki Shadow, you can begin your interrogation. My clan has suffered losses, so I have to make proper arrangements," Shokuzaki Ichirou said, glaring at Kōzen Mamoru before leaving the courtyard.
Once Ryuuri sensed that Shokuzaki Ichirou's chakra had fully departed, he pulled out some medicine and handed it to Kōzen Mamoru and the more severely injured ninjas.
Kōzen Mamoru was too weak to speak, so one of the large men next to him spoke up, "Lord Taki Shadow..."
Ryuuri gestured for him to stop. "I already know most of what happened. The ones leading the rebellion are the Shokuzaki clan and the Tsuchikumo clan. Save your strength and tell me the current state of the village."
"After you left, the Shokuzaki clan, along with the Kazekage clan and the Tsuchikumo clan, launched the coup. They killed many of our people right away. We fought back under our clan leader's command but were ultimately outmatched..."
Ryuuri frowned. The Kazekage clan was involved as well? He had thought it was just the Shokuzaki and Tsuchikumo clans. To think Shokuzaki Ichirou had managed to convince two large clans to join him in such a short time. What a waste for someone like him to not pursue diplomacy.
"Who led the Tsuchikumo clan? Did they use any large-scale jutsu?"
"It was their leader, Tsuchikumo Rihei. However, they mostly stayed on the sidelines and didn't take much action."
Staying on the sidelines? If their clan leader was present, it wasn't because they couldn't use their large-scale jutsu. It was because they were waiting for the right moment...
Ryuuri suddenly realized the danger. This courtyard was filled with ninjas who had opposed the coup. If Tsuchikumo Rihei were to use the Angry Heaven's Wrath jutsu now, it would wipe them all out!
"Everyone, if you have regained any strength, use your defensive jutsu now! Kōzen clan ninjas, create steel walls. Make as many as you can! If you don't, we'll all die!"
After giving these orders, Ryuuri quickly leaped onto the roof of the courtyard to investigate the surroundings.
The moment he poked his head out, he was forced back by a barrage of ninjutsu attacks. Just as he suspected.
"Taki Shadow, or should I say, a trapped rat. Have you figured it out yet? No matter, the dead don't need to know all the details. How long do you think your precious jutsu can hold out?" Shokuzaki Ichirou sneered from atop his large lizard, the sunlight glinting off the metal supporting his right leg.
Ryuuri noticed Ichirou's expression as he glanced at his prosthetic leg, an eternal symbol of his humiliation. Even if the coup succeeded and he took over Taki Hidden Village, that shame would never wash away. He was determined to defile Ryuuri's corpse a hundred times over if it meant avenging his disgrace.
"Keep attacking, don't stop! Do you really think this is all we have? That old man Rihei is waiting to finish you off!" Shokuzaki Ichirou taunted.
Ryuuri, realizing the danger posed by the relentless ninjutsu barrage, was forced back into the courtyard. The indiscriminate attacks covering such a large area left him unable to break through. Although he could charge out using the chakra from the Seven Tails and his Truth-Seeking Balls, he couldn't leave these people behind.
These ninjas were loyal to the village and to him. Abandoning them wasn't an option.
"Earth Release - Earth Flow Wall!"
Ryuuri's chakra affinities were wind and lightning, meaning he wasn't particularly skilled in defense. He had only learned Earth Flow Wall for survival purposes.
Though Earth Flow Wall wasn't the strongest defensive jutsu, Ryuuri made up for it with sheer numbers. He created dozens of walls in rapid succession, shocking those around him.
Kōzen Masaru, the large man beside Kōzen Mamoru, seemed to understand the enemy's plan to wipe them all out and said to Ryuuri, "Lord Taki Shadow, these medicines are enough to restore some of our strength. We can protect ourselves. You should conserve your chakra and lead the clan leader and the non-combatants to safety!"
Ryuuri's actions had won over the ninjas who once harbored some resentment towards him. The amount of chakra spent on dozens of Earth Flow Walls could have easily allowed him to escape alone, yet he didn't.
Ryuuri shook his head. The medicine could only heal superficial wounds. It wasn't some legendary elixir that could restore their stamina. At most, they would be able to move, but regaining combat strength was impossible. If he left now, these people would surely die.
Moreover, it seemed they didn't understand the nature of the Tsuchikumo clan's forbidden jutsu. Angry Heaven's Wrath was not something any ordinary ninja could withstand.
Ryuuri still had plenty of chakra left. Dozens of Earth Flow Walls were insignificant compared to the vast chakra reserves of the Seven Tails. With so much chakra, if only he knew more advanced defensive techniques, he might even be able to stop Angry Heaven's Wrath.
Then, an idea struck him.
"Wood Release - Four Pillar House Technique!" Ryuuri formed hand seals, and a wooden house sprung from the ground. Everyone stared in disbelief. When had their Taki Shadow learned Wood Release?
Shokuzaki Ichirou, standing on his lizard outside, was equally dumbfounded. Was that... Wood Release?
With every passing moment, more and more wooden houses appeared. Though the Four Pillar House Technique wasn't a defensive jutsu, the sturdiness of the buildings far surpassed that of the Earth Flow Wall. The only drawback was the high chakra consumption. But with the Seven Tails' chakra at his disposal, Ryuuri didn't have to worry about that.
Thanks to the wooden houses, the ninjutsu from Shokuzaki's forces were no longer a threat.