Linto gave the survivors three choices. How they chose depended on their own judgment.
The survivors gathered together and discussed in low voices.
Linto didn't participate. He picked up a cup of hot tea from the table, sat by the window, and checked the gains from the battle.
Killing Suikazan Fuguki earned him 450 soul shards, and adding the Kirigakure ninja he killed here and there, Linto got a total of 570 soul shards.
Linto sighed again, killing famous ninja is still the fastest way to earn soul shards.
Upgrading Aerosmith cost 400 points, increasing its scouting range and offensive power. Currently, Linto has 310 soul shards left.
Thirty pulls, there's a low chance of getting a five-star Stand, even four-star is difficult. Linto decided to save up and wait until he had sixty pulls before opening them.
The second gain was Samehada.
This is a living weapon. Although it looks like a piece of metal in Linto's hands, motionless, Linto, who has mastered breathing techniques, can clearly feel the flow of "qi" inside it.
Samehada is a good sword, but it's not suitable for Linto.
If he injects Ripple even slightly, Samehada will scream, and steam will rise from the blade, as if it's being cooked.
Linto plans to study how to use it. If it doesn't work, he can throw it to Star Platinum as a club to increase its attack range.
The third gain is fame.
The small-scale battle to escape Konoha village, Itachi and Kakashi didn't die. If it spreads, it will just be that Linto escaped from their hands.
Killing Suikazan Fuguki one-on-one is a different matter.
Linto's fame has greatly increased, and he will inevitably be targeted by bounty hunters.
Linto's attitude towards this is to welcome them all.
There's no reason to refuse soul shards that are sent to his door, right?
Thinking of this, Linto made plans for the future:
After settling the survivors, he will find a skilled swordsmith to rebuild Samehada with Ripple as the core.
Along the way, he will constantly kill attacking bounty hunters to earn soul shards, and then draw Stands.
After escaping Konoha, through this series of hunts and battles, Linto became more and more clear about the fighting style of the Hokage world, and more and more afraid of his initial battle with Uchiha Itachi.
Genjutsu.
This is Linto's biggest weakness.
For mid-range and long-range Ninjutsu, Linto can still rely on Star Platinum's quick movement and Aerosmith's bullet pulling to figure out a solution.
Once caught in Genjutsu, it's difficult for Linto to escape.
Always relying on Star Platinum to "poke" himself, this method can only deal with some basic Genjutsu.
Against opponents who specialize in Genjutsu, such as Uchiha Itachi and Kurenai Yuhi, it's almost impossible to break free in a one-on-one fight without teammates' help.
After killing Kisame, Linto's fighting style is no longer a secret, and enemies will definitely take targeted actions.
Linto has to find a way to draw a Stand that can resist Genjutsu, or has the ability to act independently, so that even if he is trapped in Genjutsu, it can help him fight against the enemy.
"The road is long and difficult."
Linto sighed and took a sip of the hot tea in his cup.
...
The tour boat stopped and started, with people getting off the boat from time to time.
Before leaving, Linto took apart the valuable things on the tour boat and gave them to them as travel expenses.
The survivors bowed respectfully to Linto, and then embarked on an unknown and uneasy journey.
Momoe stared blankly at the sea. Since her mother died, she seemed to have lost her soul and hadn't said a word for a long time.
On the other hand, Sasuke, who had previously appeared aloof, revolved around Momoe, occasionally performing Ninjutsu and breathing techniques to attract her attention and prevent her from dwelling on sadness.
Feeling Linto's gaze, Momoe slowly stood up and came to Linto with her head lowered: "Shou-niichan, I... am I going to leave too..."
Linto looked at Momoe, then at Sasuke's worried face, reached out, took an orange from his arms, and handed it to Momoe.
"Are you willing to follow me? It might be very dangerous."
Momoe took the orange, her eyes were red, and she nodded forcefully.
Her mother was dead, her father had passed away long ago, and the Kirigakure ninja had killed her grandfather when they captured them.
Momoe had lost all her relatives.
"Then follow me."
Linto couldn't protect four hundred people.
But Linto could still take care of a little kid.
In such a big world, the two of them were able to meet again, perhaps this was a fate destined by heaven.
There were fewer and fewer people on the boat, until the last group comprised those who had decided to build a village.
This group of about one hundred and sixty people, men and women, stood in front of Linto. The leading man walked up and bowed ninety degrees, saying in a loud voice:
"Sir, we can't repay your kindness in saving our lives. In the future, if there is anything you need us to do, please tell us at any time. Although we are not ninja, we still have the strength to help you."
Linto patted him on the shoulder and looked at all the survivors:
"Have a good trip."
They set off, Linto drawn maps, heading to a barren land to create their own village.
The people left on the boat were only Linto, Sasuke, and Momoe.
Sasuke leaned on the railing. The lively boat suddenly became deserted, and he felt empty in his heart.
"Will they... succeed?"
"They definitely will."
Linto looked at the backs of the survivors disappearing into the jungle:
"People can't always be unlucky, can they?"
...
Suikazan Fuguki died in battle.
The ninja sword Samehada was taken away.
The Fourth Mizukage sold the citizens of his country to the outsiders.
Each of these things would be earth-shattering events for the Land of Water. The explosive occurrence of all of them together was like a major earthquake that shocked the entire country.
Especially the last thing.
Many years ago, there was no concept of a ninja village. Ninjas operated as families, using an outsourcing system.
Anyone who has worked knows how unreliable outsourcing and labor dispatch can be.
At that time, Daimyo could hire ninjas to kill each other by spending a little money.
Later, under the promotion of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, ninja villages were established, tailed beasts were distributed, and agreements were signed with the Daimyo one by one, changing from an outsourcing system to a one-on-one responsibility system between the country and the ninja village.
For the first time, ninjas had official positions.
Kirigakure, enjoying the benefits of this official position – the resources of the Land of Water, financial budget, and official legitimacy – had to fulfill its corresponding obligations.
Protect the country and guard the people.
This is the most basic obligation of a ninja village, and it is the underlying logic for its existence.
Now the Fourth Mizukage has broken the core agreement and destroyed this trust.
The Land of Water Daimyo quickly summoned the Fourth Mizukage to question him face-to-face and hold him accountable.
Terumi Mei waited outside the meeting building with her arms crossed.
At this time, she was in her early twenties, in the prime of her youth, her appearance was beautiful and moving, between her brows there was the liveliness of a young girl.
Next to her was her old teammate Ao, wearing a one-eyed eyepatch, under which was a Byakugan taken from the battlefield.
"What do you think the Daimyo and Lord Yagura will talk about?" Ao asked, "Will Lord Yagura... be dismissed?"
Terumi Mei asked, "Don't you have a Byakugan? Just look at the shapes of their mouths and you'll know."
Ao had a straight face: "How can I use Ninjutsu on the Mizukage-sama and Daimyo-sama?"
Terumi Mei shrugged. She always thought that this old teammate was too rigid.
She leaned against the wall, avoiding the harsh sunlight: "It's nothing more than an exchange of interests and compromises."
The Land of Water Daimyo was very angry.
But this anger wasn't because Yagura had sold the nation's people as livestock.
He was angry, why was this kind of thing that would cause public outrage and shake his rule exposed?
He was angry, you, Yagura, made money, but you didn't know to give some to me?
Ao suddenly understood: "Do you think they... will divide the spoils?"
"Don't put it so harsh, how can the affairs of those two be called dividing the spoils? It's splitting."
Terumi Mei chuckled: "It's estimated to be a 3/7 split."
Ao was stunned: "Lord Yagura only gets 70%?"
Terumi Mei chuckled: "Seventy percent, that's theirs, it's the Daimyo's."
Ao couldn't understand. Leaving aside the right and wrong of this matter, Lord Yagura secretly arrested people and built sales channels, working so hard for so long, only to get 30%?
And this 30% still depends on the Daimyo's mood?
Isn't Lord Yagura begging for food on his knees?
Even the Mizukage is begging for food on his knees, then what are they, the subordinates?
Ao's heart was filled with mixed feelings, and he was speechless for a moment, falling into silence.
After a moment of silence, Terumi Mei spoke again:
"That man named Uchiha Shou, the information says that he abandoned the surname "Uchiha" and calls himself "Linto"... what exactly is his purpose in saving the four hundred people trapped in cages and killing Suikazan Fuguki?"
Konoha's secret manipulation?
The interests of other organizations?
Or a private grudge with Yagura and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
Ao thought for a while and said, "Could it be that he simply wanted to save people?"
Terumi Mei looked at the clouds in the sky.
Are there really such simple people in this world?
Creak——
The two huge wooden doors slowly opened, and the Land of Water Daimyo gently fanned himself with a fan, raised his chin, half-closed his eyes, and nodded lazily and arrogantly at the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi before getting into his sedan chair and leaving.
Yagura had a handsome appearance and a short, thin stature, and could easily be mistaken as a naive teenager, it was really not easy to connect them to the one responsible for the Blood Mist.
He looked down at the group of ninjas below.
"Terumi Mei."
Terumi Mei strode up the steps, came to Karatachi Yagura, and knelt on one knee.
The doors behind them closed again, locking the two inside.
"Mizukage-sama."
"Granting you a secret mission – you go kill Linto."
"Ah? Me?"
"Is there a problem?"
Terumi Mei's eyes flickered, and she replied:
"No, your subordinate obeys."
---
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