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In the valley.
The tranquil village, once as peaceful as a painting, was now ravaged by devastation!
Houses lay in ruins, and beneath the rubble, bodies were crushed, their flesh mangled and soaked in mud and water.
Flames erupted!
Even amidst the pouring rain, they burned silently, as if protesting the sky in silence.
Amidst the chaotic rain curtain, cries of alarm persisted.
Konoha's ninjas mercilessly killed defenseless villagers in the village, their blood occasionally mingling with the rainwater pooled on the ground.
A hue of bloody red spread.
Right or wrong, this was war!
In the clash of nations, helpless civilians always ended up as victims; it had been that way since ancient times.
By now, the massacre in the village was nearing its end.
But suddenly, two unexpected visitors appeared in the village!
"Who are you!? Shino!? Who's that beside you!?"
One of the Konoha ninjas, upon seeing Saki beside Shino, asked in astonishment.
The response he got was the cold indifference in Shino's blood-red eyes.
"Swoosh!"
Suddenly, Uchiha Shino charged towards him!
The ninja, witnessing this, looked anxious and alert.
"What are you doing, Shino!?"
Shino remained silent, his face icy as he suddenly moved!
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"...
Several shuriken were hurled by him!
The chilling sound of them cutting through the air made the ninja's brows twitch, prompting him to quickly dodge backward!
In the chaotic rain curtain, Shino's hands moved swiftly, and a few almost invisible steel wires manifested!
The ninja, just realizing this, felt a sense of dread!
Unfortunately, his actions were ultimately too slow!
"Swish!" "Swish!"...
Guided by Shino's movements, the shuriken changed direction, suddenly looping around and entrapping the ninja!
"Swish, whoosh!"
A sound of steel wires tightening suddenly resounded!
The ninja was tightly strangled by the thin wires!
"Ah! Damn it! Shino, what are you doing!?"
His eyes widened in desperation, and he yelled out!
However, at this moment, Shino was already in front of him!
His blood-red eyes looked coldly at the ninja, while his movements remained fluid!
No chance was given for a response!
A quick spin, and the kunai in his hand drew an elegant arc through the air, passing right through the ninja's throat!
"Thud!"
The sharp kunai took away his life force, and the light representing life in his eyes slowly dimmed.
Blood gushed from his throat!
But it didn't splash onto Shino!
Because at this moment, two more ninjas had entered the scene!
After a swift spin, Shino released the kunai from his hand, sending it flying towards the newcomers!
Following that, he kicked off the ground!
"Bang!"
The accumulated water on the ground surged as his body shot forward like a missile towards one of the newcomers!
In his Three Tomoe Sharingan state, Shino's killing actions were smooth, decisive, and without hesitation, each movement precise to the utmost!
Beside him, Saki calmly watched the other incoming ninja, saying nothing.
Then, his figure darted!
"Swoosh!"
He disappeared from the sight of the Konoha ninja!
"What!?"
The ninja who had just arrived saw this and exclaimed.
Immediately, he tensed up all over, his gaze sharply scanning the surroundings!
"Boom!"
Suddenly,
A sonic boom came from behind him!
The ninja's eyes hardened with concentration.
Behind him?
He swiftly turned around, and the kunai in his hand was quickly thrust backward!
But what awaited him was Saki's masterful taijutsu!
Being in such close proximity to Saki was almost like seeking death!
Saki's expression remained exceedingly calm, with not even his Byakugan activated.
Facing the ninja's powerful attack, his eyes sharpened. His left hand moved swiftly to lightly block and push downward, then he lightly tugged backwards.
In a split second, a lightning-fast sequence of actions disrupted the balance of the Konoha ninja's body. His face was filled with disbelief as he uncontrollably leaned forward.
In the midst of the Konoha ninja's astonished expression, Jiraiya's right hand lightly condensed chakra and tapped his back.
"Secret Technique"
Chakra, in a mysterious manner, flowed into the ninja's body through Jiraiya's palm.
"Bam!"
In an instant!
The Konoha ninja's body burst apart violently!
The air filled with a thick mist of blood!
Various fragmented organs scattered on the ground, creating a terrifying and gruesome scene!
Saki, whose long black hair had been dampened, calmly lifted his head. His plain expression suggested he had no connection to the recent brutal scene.
He watched silently as several ninjas gradually approached from a distance. His pale eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent.
...
Time passed.
Saki slowly entered the village.
He quietly observed the village's devastation, his face devoid of any expression.
"Thud!"
Before Shino.
A Konoha ninja fell weakly, the light in his eyes gradually fading.
Shino took a slight breath, and the Sharingan in his eyes returned to its normal state.
He went to Sosuke's side and reported, "Our team of ten has resolved the situation, including Jiraiya's side."
Hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on Sosuke's face as he softly said, "Is that so? You all worked hard."
Then he walked forward slowly.
Not far away, Saki, having finished the battle, also approached. Respectfully, he followed behind Sosuke together with Shino.
As they walked amidst the wreckage of the village, Sosuke looked around at the ruined scenery and spoke softly.
"A poor village, just a group of people trying to escape war. But they can't escape the conscription of fate..."
Hearing this, Saki's voice turned grave.
"People in high positions don't care about the life and death of commoners. Even within clans, those who cling to them are nothing more than tools to them, used and discarded as needed."
Hearing this, Sosuke smiled gently and said warmly, "You're still so persistent, Saki. However, you've got one thing wrong."
With a slight curve of his lips, he continued, "The life and death of the weak are the pawns of others, while the strong stand atop the world, looking down on everyone."
Hearing this, Saki's eyes lit up excitedly, as if he had heard something profound.
But Shino's brows slightly furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "So, do you want to become one of those strong who manipulate the fate of others?"
In response to Shino's words, Jiraiya smiled gently and said warmly, "Shino, it seems you've misunderstood something about me."
"I have no interest in controlling others' fates. I just want to see the view from the top. If that view, beautiful as it may be, is being claimed by someone, then I'll cut them down..."
As he spoke, Jiraiya's face remained gentle.
Seeing this, Shino's heart grew heavy and filled with doubt.
Can someone like him... will my actions really make a difference?
At this moment!
A very faint sobbing suddenly echoed from a nearby house.
"Sob... Mother... wake up... Mother..."
Hearing the sound, Saki's eyes narrowed. His Byakugan activated, and he looked towards the source of the noise.
"Captain Aizen, it's a child. It seems they've managed to survive."
Hearing this, Sosuke smiled faintly, surprised.
"Is that so? A fortunate child indeed. Let's go take a look."
In a ruined house.
A child with light blue hair, appearing to be about three or four years old, was crying while lying on top of a woman's corpse.
Hearing sounds from outside, she suddenly looked up.
When she saw Sosuke and the others.
Her expression instantly froze, her face filled with fear and dread.
Tears welled up in her big watery eyes, and she looked up with an expression of grievance and fear. Though tears rolled down her cheeks, she pursed her lips and didn't dare make a sound.
Perhaps it was her mother's last wish, but the little one strictly obeyed and refrained from making any noise.