A massive swarm of black shadows arrived in an instant, landing within the enemy's sprawling courtyard. Akahane Akira suddenly sensed something was wrong. It was far too quiet here—it didn't feel like a gathering place for three allied clans at all. Even the sentries that should have been on high alert were completely missing.
The Akahane Jōnin who had charged in behind him scattered, infiltrating the pitch-black buildings one by one. A moment later, an Elite Jōnin flashed out, arriving in front of him and reporting, "Patriarch, there is absolutely no one here."
Akira's pupils shrank violently as an intense premonition of lethal danger exploded in his chest. "Retreat! It's an ambush!" he roared.
Before his voice even faded, countless black shadows suddenly materialized atop the surrounding high walls. As torches were lit one after another, the shinobi of the Three-Clan Alliance revealed themselves, completely lining the walls. There were so many of them they formed an inescapable net, boxing the Akahane forces in from all sides.
"Clan Head Akahane, I have been waiting for you for quite some time."
In the distance, atop a pavilion towering above the surrounding buildings, a man slowly stepped forward, speaking with a pleasant smile.
Seeing this man, Akira's face turned incredibly dark. "Hoshino Ren," he said in a freezing tone. "You knew all along?"
Hoshino Ren: The leader of the Three-Clan Alliance, the Patriarch of the Hoshino clan, and a Peak Jōnin—the only Peak Jōnin within the Three-Clan Alliance.
Hoshino Ren smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Not that long ago. Just a few days."
While speaking, Akira seized the opportunity to cast his gaze toward Kimei Takuya, who wasn't standing far away. His heart immediately steadied. With our two forces combined, so what if they knew in advance? We still hold the absolute advantage in military strength.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Hoshino Ren commanded flatly, "Strike."
Strike? ...Strike who? Akira was momentarily confused, but an instant later, his expression changed drastically. Just as he opened his mouth to shout, an agonizing scream rang out. It was an Akahane Jōnin. Boiling hot blood sprayed over three feet into the air. Under the hazy moonlight, the crimson spray possessed a grotesque, bizarre beauty, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold.
"Kimei Takuya! You betrayed us!" Akira roared with boundless fury, his voice surging with explosive killing intent.
Kimei Takuya flicked his longsword, which was still dripping with fresh blood. The Jōnin who had just screamed had died by his hand. "Betrayal? Clan Head Akahane, what an ugly word. We were never cooperating to begin with, so how can you speak of betrayal?"
But Akira was no longer paying attention to his mockery. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, rapidly connecting all the dots. "Owl! Owl! You bastard! Where are you, you bastard?! Come out here!"
Akira bellowed madly. If he still didn't know who had played him at this point, he didn't deserve to be a Clan Head; he might as well just slit his own throat and save everyone the trouble.
His heart overflowed with the bitter indignation of betrayal. He desperately wanted to tear that bastard who called himself 'Owl' to shreds. His eyes frantically searched the surroundings, but the black-cloaked figure who had been standing right beside him just moments ago had vanished at some unknown point, leaving not a single trace behind.
"Kill them!"
Kimei Takuya wasn't going to give him time to process. With a single command, all the Jōnin behind him surged forward, charging straight into the Akahane ranks.
Standing on the pavilion, Hoshino Ren also waved his hand grandly. The Jōnin-level experts of the Three-Clan Alliance leaped into the fray to join the slaughter. As for the countless clan members lining the walls, although numerous, most were only Chūnin and Genin. Charging into a Jōnin meat grinder would only get them killed and get in the way. It was better to leave them on the walls to block any Akahane shinobi attempting to flee.
Deafening war cries pierced the sky as the factions clashed violently. The ringing of steel against steel was ceaseless, and devastating Ninjutsu erupted one after another, illuminating the night. Accompanied by splashing blood, the curtain was officially raised on the north's night of slaughter.
Standing on a distant tree branch, Xuan, clad in his black cloak, watched the slaughter below with cold detachment. His gaze locked onto a particularly beautiful silhouette. With her exquisite curves and the graceful, deadly slashes of her longsword, illuminated by the hazy moonlight, Akahane Yui looked like a proud rose blooming on the battlefield, dyed red with blood.
"Heh, don't go dying on me now. I was still planning on taking you in to warm my bed," Xuan muttered to himself. The three tomoe in his left eye spun, and his figure vanished amidst a ripple of spatial distortion.
Judging by the combat strengths of both sides, if Akahane Akira fights like a cornered beast with everything he has, it is still possible for him to carve out a bloody path of escape. In this situation, he will definitely prioritize having someone escort Akahane Yui out to preserve the clan's bloodline. Their clan also has an old fossil standing guard back at their ancestral compound. In that case, I need to sever their hopes of retreat first. As for the Ghost Fire Alliance and the Three-Clan Alliance, I can't let them have things their way either. Tonight, I will personally put an end to the endless chaos of the north. Speaking of which, there really is a lot of work to do.
Inside Xin City, within Uchiha Shinji's room, the space suddenly twisted, and a mysterious black-cloaked figure materialized.
Uchiha Shinji had been sound asleep, but the exact microsecond Xuan appeared, his eyes snapped open. His pupils were already a blood-red crimson, the three tomoe spinning slowly. He vanished instantly, his chakra-condensed hand thrusting straight toward the black-cloaked intruder's throat.
"It's me!"
Xuan's voice rang out calmly, completely devoid of the chakra distortion he used for 'Owl'. Shinji's hand halted abruptly, stopping less than a millimeter from Xuan's throat.
"Lord Xuan? Why are you dressed like this?" Shinji asked in confusion, lowering his hand.
"No time to explain," Xuan said rapidly. "The three factions have already started fighting. We are making our move. Assemble all the Elite Jōnin and regular Jōnin immediately. You will personally lead the strike force and charge straight toward the Ghost Fire Alliance's main base. Slaughter the Shokuka Clan Head who was left behind to guard it. Remember: leave absolutely no survivors."
A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Shinji's eyes, and he nodded heavily. Then, he asked in confusion, "And what about you, my Lord?" He had listened carefully, and Xuan's orders hadn't included his own destination.
Xuan sneered. "Me? Naturally, I'm personally paying a visit to the Akahane compound to send that old fossil of theirs to the afterlife."
Shinji was shocked and hastily advised, "My Lord, please do not act impulsively! The Great Elder of the Akahane clan is a Peak Jōnin with unfathomable strength! He even managed to survive a battle against our clan's previous Patriarch! It would be much safer if you accompanied us to wipe out the Ghost Fire Alliance first, and then we all march on the Akahane compound together. That is the only way to guarantee absolute success!"
Xuan shook his head. "There isn't enough time. Do exactly as I ordered. I know what I'm doing. Remember, you must move blisteringly fast! Oh, and make sure you inform the Elite Jōnin of my actions so they know I haven't abandoned the field. Also, after you wipe out the Ghost Fire Alliance's rear guard, hold your position and wait for my signal before proceeding. Take this."
As he spoke, he tossed over a specially marked three-pronged kunai. Uchiha Shinji caught it subconsciously.
Immediately after, the space around Xuan rippled. Not giving Shinji any time to protest further, he vanished entirely into the void.
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