Chapter 22: The Predator's Price
The first wave of the Alliance didn't walk into Uzushiogakure; they stormed it.
Three hundred Iwa (Rock) and Kumo (Cloud) chunin poured over the southern walls, their boots thundering on the cobblestones. They moved in tight formations, eyes darting toward the dark windows and silent rooftops.
"They're cowards!" a Kumo captain roared, his blade crackling with lightning. "They've abandoned their homes to save their skins! Burn the houses! Force the 'seedlings' out of the holes!"
In the command spire, Rimon watched a series of glowing dots on a blueprint-projection. His face was illuminated by the flickering blue light of the Observer's Archive.
"Grid 4," Rimon whispered into his resonance-mic. "Trigger the ventilation."
The Science of the Trap
Deep in the village's industrial basement, Daigo the Blacksmith pulled a heavy iron lever.
Above ground, the "Chakra-Disturbing Smoke" that had been lazily drifting from the forges suddenly surged. The fans beneath the streets, powered by the Hydro-Generator, accelerated. Within seconds, the Residential Ward was swallowed by a thick, grey mist.
"I can't see!" an Iwa ninja screamed. "My sensory jutsu... it's failing! The air feels like lead!"
This wasn't just smoke; it was an ionized particulate. It didn't blind the eyes; it blinded the Tenketsu. To a ninja, it was like trying to see through a strobe light while wearing a blindfold.
The Harvest
"Now," Rimon commanded. "Guerrilla Squads 1 through 3. Engage."
From the dark windows and the "empty" stalls, the 500 Uzumaki defenders struck. They didn't use flashy Ninjutsu. They used the Vacuum-Seals Rimon had helped them refine.
* The Residential Trap: A squad of ten Kumo ninjas kicked in the door of a bakery. The moment the threshold was crossed, a seal on the floor glowed red. Woosh. All the air in the room was sucked into a storage scroll in a millisecond. The ninjas didn't even have time to scream; they simply collapsed, clutching their throats as their lungs imploded in the vacuum.
* The Marketplace Tripwire: An Iwa commander charged through a row of stalls. His leg hit an invisible ink-wire. Instead of an explosion, the wire triggered a Kinetic Redirection Seal. The commander's own momentum was turned back on him, snapping his neck with the force of his own charge.
The Arrival of the Root
While the Alliance fodder was being bled in the streets, Rimon's Kagura's Mind's Eye twitched.
To the North, the forest was silent. But the "oil-slick" feeling was growing. The Root operatives weren't charging the gates. They were scaling the vertical cliffs of the Hydro-Generator, moving like spiders in the dark.
"They're going for the heart," Rimon muttered, his obsidian eyes narrowing. He looked at Ashina. "Old Man, take the West gate. The Mist's Seven Swordsmen shadows are testing the wall. I'll handle the rats in the attic."
"Rimon, you're exhausted," Ashina warned, looking at the boy's trembling hands.
"I'm the only one who can talk to the machines," Rimon replied, his voice cold. "Go. Protect the clan. I'll protect the power."
The First Casualty
As Rimon turned back to his console, a blue window flickered in his vision.
> [Warning: Barrier Integrity at 62%]
> [Enemy Casualty Count: 142]
> [Allied Casualty Count: 3]
>
The first Uzumaki lives had been lost. Rimon felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest—the "Loyalty Map" showing three green dots turning grey. He gripped the edge of the table until his knuckles bled.
"The price of the crown," he whispered to the empty room.
Outside, a massive explosion rocked the north cliff. The Root had found the first security seal. The real battle was no longer in the distance. It was at the door.