Chapter 309:
The sounds of agonized screams and furious roars continued echoing from behind them.
Because of the entanglement between the Evilmoku, Uchiha Itachi, and Sarada, the Water Daimyō zombie found a chance to escape, which ultimately led to the current situation.
"Shuyu, where are we going now?"
Sarada, running closely beside Uchiha Itachi, asked.
"The capital of the Land of Water will likely fall soon. Right now, the safest place within the Land of Water is Kirigakure, where the most ninja are gathered. So, we're heading to Kirigakure next!"
Itachi shouted from the front as he ran.
The zombies soon burst out of the Daimyō's mansion.
Even at night, the Land of Water's capital was bustling with life.
Like a drop of ink spreading through clear water, the arrival of the zombies gradually turned the vibrant night market into a feeding frenzy. One by one, the capital's residents were infected and transformed into zombies.
Panicked citizens tripped over rocks as they fled. Elderly and children, already slow, were quickly overtaken. Adults, desperate to survive, deliberately shoved others into danger… The ugliness of human nature erupted in full force at that moment.
"Don't run! Organize and fight back!"
A Kirigakure ninja, in the capital on vacation, shouted after temporarily repelling a zombie with a Water Release jutsu. But just as the words left his mouth, he was tackled by another zombie, and more swarmed in immediately.
The capital of the Land of Water had a population of two million.
With its fall, a full-scale bioterror outbreak had exploded across the nation.
Kirigakure.
The village gates were completely shut, and more and more refugees gathered outside, seeking shelter.
"Kagura, you're here."
The new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had assembled. Kurosuki Suigetsu's successor, Shizōma Hoshigaki, looked toward the arriving Kagura.
"There are refugees coming in from all over the country… There must be thousands out there," added Hebiichigo, standing nearby.
"Why aren't you letting them in?"
Kagura asked.
"Kagura, you're being too naive," Shizōma said. "There are far too many of them. Kirigakure can't hold so many people. Food, shelter—everything will become a problem. Once the food runs out, people will start fighting over supplies. At that point, Kirigakure will plunge into chaos."
"And you're just going to stand by and do nothing?!"
Suddenly, a loud impact rang out. A Kirigakure ninja was kicked through the air, crashing in front of Kagura and Shizōma. A figure in a black cloak approached the group of Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
They all drew their blades, immediately on guard.
"Who are you?!"
Shizōma, as the leader, demanded.
The figure pulled back his hood, revealing a head of spiky blond hair.
"Boruto?!"
Kagura exclaimed in surprise.
During a school trip from the Konoha Ninja Academy, Kagura and Boruto had indeed formed a friendship.
"Kagura, it's been a while." The modern Boruto greeted Kagura, then turned to Shizōma. "Open the gates and let those refugees in—now."
"A Konoha brat thinks he can give orders in Kirigakure?"
"My authority… comes from my strength."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Nine Tails Cloak flared around him in golden light. In a flash, Boruto appeared in front of Shizōma and punched him in the stomach. The Nine Tails' chakra arms that emerged behind him formed fists as well, knocking away the other Six Swordsmen who tried to intervene.
"Kagura, open the gates. Let them in."
"Ah, r-right."
"Kagura, don't! Kirigakure can't possibly hold so many people. Denying them entry is a necessary sacrifice to preserve the greater good!"
"They're citizens of the Land of Water too—there's no such thing as more or less important lives! And if they're left out there and all get infected, the resulting zombie horde will be terrifying. People outside will die, and those inside will be trapped and starve! Kagura, open the gates. Let them in."
"Okay, Boruto."
Kagura turned and left to carry out the order.
"Hmph. You're all going to regret this!"
Shizōma climbed to his feet and led the remaining Swordsmen away.
Meanwhile, Boruto walked to the village entrance to assist Kagura with organizing the incoming refugees.
"Boruto!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Boruto turned around with a bright smile. "Sarada, Shuyu!"
What greeted him, however, was Sarada's fist.
"You idiot! What are you doing in the Land of Water?!"
"I heard Mitsuki was here, so I came to look for him," Boruto said, scratching his head awkwardly. "Sorry. Looks like I caused you guys some trouble."
"We'll talk about that later. For now, you've seen what's happening in the Land of Water, right?"
Shuyu said.
"Yeah." Boruto nodded. "When I first arrived, there were already signs of a zombie outbreak in some of the remote villages. It just hadn't spread on a large scale yet."
"Sarada and I just escaped from the capital. It's fallen too. Based on what we found, the source of the outbreak seems to be the Daimyō of the Land of Water."
"What?! The Daimyō turned into a zombie?!"
Kagura was shocked.
"Yeah," Shuyu nodded. "And the one who turned the Daimyō into a zombie… was the Evilmoku."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
"…Boruto, there's no way Kirigakure can house all these people," Shuyu finally said, glancing at the surging crowd. "If we want to shelter this many, we'll need more than just the village. We'll have to secure the outer areas too."
"But the zombies could swarm in any minute…"
Kagura muttered.
"They only move at night. During the day, they turn back into corpses. They're afraid of water and fire. As long as we use that, we can stop them," Boruto explained.
"Kirigakure is surrounded by water on two sides. Only the east and south are accessible by land. If we secure those two points, everyone will survive," Kagura added, drawing on his knowledge of the terrain.
"There's still time before nightfall. Get everyone in the village moving! Cut down trees and build barricades!" Boruto ordered, then turned to Kagura. "The village has scientific ninja tools, right?"
"Yes," Kagura nodded.
"Distribute them to the civilians. This time, all of us—ninja and ordinary people alike—have to stand together."