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Yagura Karatachi gave the order, and countless Kirigakure shinobi rushed to the back mountain.
Before long, a cave entrance, hidden by bushes, was found.
Around the entrance, layers of footprints could still be seen.
"A bunch of rats," Yagura Karatachi's voice was flat, a mocking smile on his face. "Chase them down and kill them."
This order sealed the fate of the remaining rebels.
Hundreds of Kirigakure shinobi rushed into the dark cave the moment the order was given.
The cave was cold and wet.
Keisuke bit his lip tightly, one hand pulling a smaller child, the other holding a kunai, as he ran through the narrow, slippery secret passage.
Behind him were dozens of companions as young as he was, and injured people being supported.
The quiet cries of children, the painful gasps of the injured, and the rapid heartbeats of everyone.
All were made louder in this deathly silent passage.
Nagano-sama... and the others... Keisuke's mind was blank. Only Nagano's final roar echoed in his ears.
"Live on!"
"Carry our hatred and live on!"
The moss underfoot was incredibly slippery, and he nearly fell several times.
To steady himself, his hands, pushing against the stone wall, were already scraped and bleeding.
Blood mixed with muddy water, sticky and thick, yet he felt no pain.
Behind him, the footsteps of the pursuers grew closer, steady and rhythmic, constantly beating on the hearts of the runaways.
"Faster! Even faster!" an older resistance forces member shouted.
Suddenly, he stopped and spun around sharply. "You go first!"
Watching the approaching dark figures, he quickly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Muddy water shot from his mouth, temporarily slowing down the pursuers.
But the next second, several kunai pierced through the water, instantly sticking into his body.
After a quiet groan, he collapsed softly.
He used his life to buy his companions time.
Not much, just a few seconds.
But very precious.
Keisuke did not look back.
He didn't dare to look back either.
He was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from fighting to the death.
Tears mixed with sweat, blurring his vision. His legs numbly ran forward.
Constantly running forward.
Finally, a bit of light appeared ahead.
The exit!
Light appeared.
Everyone burst with a desire to survive, their speed getting even faster.
Keisuke was the first to rush out of the cave entrance. The bright sunlight made him instantly close his eyes.
But when he saw the scene before him, the spark of hope that had just lit up was instantly put out.
It was a cliff.
A dead end, completely.
Below was a cliff dozens of meters high, with sharp black reefs like the teeth of a monster, hit by violent waves, raising white foam.
If it were just him alone, under the force of such waves, he might still survive.
But there were children and injured people in the group!
He could not leave them behind.
The sky had darkened at some unknown time.
Dark with heavy clouds, the sea breeze carried salty, wet air, chilling everyone to the bone.
"How could this be..."
"It's a dead end... We're trapped!"
The young shinobi following Keisuke rushed out of the cave one by one, then froze in place one by one, their faces empty of color.
Hopelessness began to spread.
At the cave entrance, the figures of the pursuers appeared.
They did not rush forward but simply closed in step by step, cutting off the rebels' way back.
They were patient, like a pack of wolves.
The leading Kirigakure shinobi had a horrible scar across his face, his eyes bloodthirsty.
"It's over."
He slowly pulled the long blade from his back, its edge reflecting a cold light in the dark sky.
Keisuke put the two young children behind him, his body shaking hard from fear and anger.
He raised the kunai in his hand, pointing it at the enemy before him.
Even if he died, he would be like Nagano-sama and take someone down with him!
The other young rogue shinobi also raised their weapons, their eyes filled with madness and firmness.
A cold smile played on the scarred shinobi's lips.
Just as he was about to give the order to completely wipe out these survivors.
An unexpected change happened!
Boom!
A loud roar echoed from the sea.
The entire island shook hard.
Below the cliff, what was originally just violent waves now formed a giant whirlpool!
A whirlpool with a width of over a hundred meters spun wildly beneath the cliff.
The loud roar seemed to swallow the sky itself!
"What is that?" A pursuer cried out in fear.
Everyone was shocked by this power of heaven and earth, for a moment forgetting to act.
The Kirigakure fleet anchored nearby also swayed hard in this sudden change.
"Mizukage-sama! It's the Death Whirlpool!" a captain cried out in fear. "The currents here have changed! They've formed the legendary Death Whirlpool!"
Yagura Karatachi stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the giant whirlpool capable of swallowing everything, his delicate face still showing no expression.
Only a hint of annoyance appeared in his eyes.
An unexpected problem outside the plan... He opened his mouth, about to say something.
Another change happened!
The terrifying pull created by the whirlpool instantly grew stronger.
Several of the closest pursuit ships, unable to even turn their bows, were dragged over by that huge force!
The shinobi on board screamed in fear.
They all attached chakra to their feet and jumped off the ships.
But how could human strength fight against nature?
The next second, they, along with their ships, were swept into the whirlpool!
On the cliff.
Watching his companions being swallowed, the scarred shinobi's face turned gray, the killing intent in his eyes growing even stronger.
They absolutely could not be allowed to escape!
Rumble!
A lightning bolt tore across the sky, and large raindrops began to fall.
The wind howled!
The raging sea roared!
A sudden storm had arrived!
An old, injured member of the resistance forces, however, had an unusual gleam in his eyes.
His gaze swept over a vine-covered spot on the cliff edge, where several escape rafts they had prepared earlier were hidden.
Rafts capable of holding dozens of people.
That was their last way out!
"Jump!" He shouted with all his strength. "At the edge of the whirlpool, there's a chance to break out!"
Jump?
Everyone was shocked!
How was that different from killing themselves?
But turning back meant Kirigakure's butcher's knife.
Moving forward meant a storm with only a slim chance of survival.
"I'll gamble!" A look of firm resolve flashed in Keisuke's eyes.
Holding a child in each arm, he rushed to the cliff edge and jumped down without hesitation!
"Go!"
Seeing this, the others no longer waited, rushing to the cliff and leaping into the raging, violent sea!
"Stop them!" The scarred jonin roared.
He wanted to chase, but looking at the violent waves and the Death Whirlpool below.
He got scared!
He could use a butcher's knife against his companions, but he didn't dare face the power of nature.
He could only watch helplessly as the survivors of the resistance forces jumped into the sea, then were swept away by a giant wave, disappearing into the storm.
On the sea surface.
Yagura Karatachi watched it all without emotion.
"Mizukage-sama, should we chase?"
"No need."
He turned and walked into the ship's cabin. "Just a bunch of rats who managed to survive. The storm will take care of them for us."
In his opinion, jumping into such a storm was no different from being killed by his own hand.
"Return to port. We still have to go to Kumogakure!"
The fleet began to slowly back away, gradually moving out of the whirlpool's range.
And in this raging sea, forgotten by the world.
Several broken rafts, carrying the survivors, were tossed up by giant waves like fallen leaves, then slammed down hard.
In the face of nature, humans truly are small.
Keisuke held the child in his arms tightly, lying on the raft, letting the icy seawater wash over him.
He looked back.
The shape of Reef Island grew more and more blurry in the wind and rain, eventually disappearing completely.
So many companions were gone.
Endless sadness ate away at him.
They had survived.
But where was the future?
A giant wave struck, and he gradually lost consciousness...