The wooden houses built using the Four Pillar House Technique extended far beyond the courtyard, allowing Ryuuri to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Everyone, get inside the houses!" Ryuuri shouted. While this method was somewhat unsightly—far inferior to Gaara's ability to shield everything with sand—this was the strongest defense he could muster at the moment.
Kōzen Mamoru regained some strength and took on the task of directing everyone. The ninjas filed into the houses in an orderly fashion, with Kōzen Masaru assisting Mamoru inside last.
"Damn that Wood Release! How come I didn't know this guy could use such jutsu? But such a jutsu must consume a lot of chakra! We need to retreat!" Shokuzaki Ichirou growled as he watched the ninjutsu from his subordinates fail to penetrate the wooden structures.
His goal had already been achieved—Ryuuri had to expend chakra just to defend against their attacks. Soon, they would be waiting for Rihei to unleash his forbidden technique, and Ichirou wondered what they could use to defend against it.
"With the houses connecting, it will soon become very dangerous. Those who can use defensive jutsu, don't stop!"
Ryuuri continued to build the houses. The quality of the wooden structures was excellent, but he wasn't sure if they could withstand the likes of Angry Heaven's Wrath. All he could do was build more houses as far from the center of the jutsu as possible.
Seeing Ryuuri's efforts to protect them, the ninjas began to accept him as their Taki Shadow and followed his orders without hesitation.
"Hurry up!"
Ryuuri helped a fallen middle-aged ninja back to his feet. In his perception, natural energy was rapidly gathering, and an explosion was imminent!
The next moment, a surge of power erupted from Rihei, covering a significant portion of Taki Hidden Village and the area where Ryuuri and the others stood. Everything yielded to this oppressive force, even the air swirling into a cyclone.
The first to be affected was a nearby waterfall; a waterfall that had been dozens of meters high was transformed into a lake!
Feeling the power of the attack, Ryuuri's heart sank. The affected area was likely to engulf many of the village's homes and cottages. Even if they quelled the rebellion, it would take a long time to recover.
The ninjas inside the wooden houses were seasoned warriors who had survived the chaos. Although they understood they might not escape this disaster, they instinctively adjusted their positions to minimize the impact. Thanks to the wooden houses and various prepared defensive jutsu, most of the impact was mitigated. Still, many sustained serious injuries and internal damage.
It was time to put an end to this. Once the shockwave began to diminish, Ryuuri used Wind Release to clear away the debris. He had sustained no injuries, just considerable chakra depletion, but even so, the remaining chakra was sufficient.
In his perception, Shokuzaki Ichirou and his elite ninjas were huddled together with Rihei, avoiding the energy fluctuations at the center of Angry Heaven's Wrath. This presented Ryuuri with a unique opportunity to eliminate them all at once.
The swirling natural energy in the atmosphere worked to Ryuuri's advantage. He formed seals continuously, channeling chakra and controlling the ominous clouds in the sky. Lightning began to crackle within them!
"Lightning Release - Kirin!"
With a deafening roar, the void erupted with electricity, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime!
Kirin, a high-level lightning technique, was something Ryuuri had developed diligently, and with his lightning affinity, he unleashed it with all his might. This was the first time he had used it since its development, and he poured his anger into it, its power rivaling that of Sasuke in the original story!
Without the Sharingan, Ryuuri couldn't control the direction of the lightning. He held the Truth-Seeking Ball in front of him for protection. The scattered bolts of lightning that struck him made him look as if he were wielding thunder itself, like a god descending from the heavens!
The cataclysmic strike of lightning, guided by Ryuuri, fell from the sky. The Kirin lightning obliterated the natural energy, dissipating it like snow under a blazing sun, vanishing without a trace!
Then, it struck the center of Angry Heaven's Wrath, targeting Rihei and the Shokuzaki ninjas. The outcome was inevitable; unless they utilized a more powerful jutsu to defend against it, survival was impossible!
"What kind of jutsu is this? The Thunder of Divine Punishment?"
The Taki ninjas around Ryuuri exchanged stunned glances, their mouths agape in disbelief. Some trembled in fear, forgetting even the pain of their injuries! This strike from nature was beyond comprehension, matching the earlier Angry Heaven's Wrath in destructive power, but far more awe-inspiring!
After a brief moment to regroup, Ryuuri led the ninjas back to the village. On the way, Kōzen Mamoru and Kōzen Masaru, unable to contain their curiosity and wanting to check for survivors, ventured to the site where the Kirin had struck.
"What is this charred giant? Is that the lizard?"
Kōzen Mamoru gasped in shock. In the ninja world, there had been no reports of large summoning beasts dying, as fatal injuries would automatically teleport them back to their summoner's base. This demonstrated just how fast this lightning had been—so swift that even the summoning technique could not react in time!
The large, charred corpse was likely that of Shokuzaki Ichirou. Reflecting on how just a few minutes ago he had been so arrogant, boasting and attacking them, and now lay defeated, Kōzen Masaru felt a mix of awe and regret. The power of the Taki Shadow had exceeded their expectations by several levels!
"Shokuzaki Jirou... Shokuzaki Saburou... Shokuzaki Shirou... Shokuzaki..."
Kōzen Mamoru counted, noting that every elite ninja from the Shokuzaki clan lay there, charred beyond recognition. It appeared that the once-mighty Shokuzaki clan, who had dominated the region and forced small countries to treat them with respect, had been exterminated.
"Wait, where is Tsuchikumo Rihei?"
Kōzen Masaru suddenly sensed something was amiss. All the Shokuzaki clan members were present, yet the Tsuchikumo clan leader, who had forced them to cower in the wooden houses, was nowhere to be found!
"Did he survive?"
Ryuuri mused, slightly surprised. It wasn't a significant issue. His first use of Kirin had not reached maximum power due to his lack of familiarity with the final step of channeling lightning. As the Tsuchikumo clan leader, Rihei had the means to withstand it. However, even if he survived, he would likely be gravely injured.
"Quickly, let's return to the village! With this commotion, the Kazekage clan in the village will surely make a move against Kakuzu!"
Ryuuri had left Kakuzu in the village specifically for this reason: to divert some of the ninjas and prevent certain survivors from taking action against the villagers.
"Understood!" everyone replied in unison. Despite their injuries, their anger remained undiminished. The humiliation they had suffered while imprisoned had to be avenged. With such a powerful Taki Shadow present, they felt emboldened. The Kazekage ninjas in the village were the perfect targets for their revenge!
After that, everything went smoothly. Ryuuri led everyone back to the village, and the Kazekage ninjas, who had been patrolling, were caught off guard. They had thought the Taki Shadow and his companions would perish under the Tsuchikumo clan's forbidden technique!
In an instant, the ninjas scattered, outnumbered by Ryuuri and his forces. He easily defeated the leader of the Kazekage clan, who quickly realized the disparity in strength and surrendered without further struggle.
The only setback was that Kakuzu had been injured, and it was a serious wound.