Chapter 268: According to Script
Seeing Itachi and Konoha's people growing increasingly distant, Kazuma panicked completely.
Panic breeds mistakes. Kazuma dodged too slowly—someone closed in, stabbing his chest directly.
"Pfffft!" Blood fountained skyward like a vibrant crimson flower blooming in midair.
Kazuma's body staggered. He felt blood flooding into his lungs. His entire body weakened. He slowly collapsed downward.
"It's over. My life ends here!" Kazuma's heart filled with desolation. He closed his eyes, awaiting death.
Just then, a furious roar erupted nearby.
"Lord Kazuma, run!"
A massive ninja cat suddenly charged forward, shattering nearby Edo bodies with a paw swipe. It grabbed Kazuma, tossing him onto its back before landing on all fours and sprinting away.
Kazuma landed dazedly on the ninja cat's back. Looking carefully, he discovered his rescuer was Mizuki.
"Mizuki..."
Tears immediately filled Kazuma's eyes, his heart overflowing with gratitude.
"Lord Kazuma, you must hold on!"
Mizuki grabbed huge handfuls of explosive tags from his coat, hurling them outward like they cost nothing.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Amid violent explosions, Edo bodies blocking their path either dodged or were blown to fragments, clearing the route.
"Now! Break through!"
At Mizuki's roar, the ninja cat charged through the smoke carrying both men.
However, perhaps in their panic, the ninja cat's escape direction differed from Konoha's main force.
But at this moment, who had time to worry about that? Just keep running forward!
Pursuers continued relentlessly, attacking the ninja cat until its body became covered in wounds.
However, at the critical moment, Mizuki proved reliable.
He reached into his coat, pulling out a ninjutsu scroll. Tearing it forcefully, a ninjutsu bird leaped forth.
"Lord Kazuma, let's go!"
Without hesitation, Mizuki grabbed Kazuma and leaped onto the ninjutsu bird. It immediately took flight, ascending rapidly.
"Shoot it down!" Pursuers below roared, beginning to prepare jutsu for interception.
But the ninja cat roared, rearing upright to block behind the ninjutsu bird. Its claws struck outward forcefully.
"Wind Release: Splitting Air Claws!"
Fierce winds manifested from nowhere, assaulting the pursuers, blowing away all jutsu aimed at the ninjutsu bird.
Seizing this opportunity, the ninjutsu bird immediately accelerated upward, vanishing into cloud cover.
These Edo bodies below couldn't fly, their jutsu couldn't reach that high. They could only watch helplessly as the two men and bird disappeared beyond their vision.
"Heh. Finally gone."
Seeing everything following the predetermined script, having successfully sent the audience away, Yasushi finally stood with a chuckle.
His Mangekyo Sharingan rotated slightly. Perfect Susanoo manifested once more on the battlefield.
The crimson Susanoo strode forward. After just a few steps, it caught up with Konoha's fleeing group.
Yasushi casually raised his spear, lightly sweeping it toward Itachi's brown Susanoo.
The seemingly impenetrable armor of brown Susanoo—before Perfect Susanoo—proved as fragile as thin paper, easily torn apart.
Riiiiip—
A piercing friction sound erupted. The brown Susanoo was instantly cut in half at the waist.
Without brown Susanoo's protection, Konoha's people immediately found themselves exposed before a horde of Edo bodies.
Yasushi's wrist flicked lightly, extracting Itachi's body from the remaining half-Susanoo. Tossing him into the distance, his spear pointed—the Byakugan and Uzumaki legions charged toward Itachi while only the Uchiha legion faced Konoha's forces.
"Kill as many as possible. Those who escape have good luck." Yasushi spoke dismissively.
"Yes!" The Uchiha roared before charging forward like tigers descending mountains.
Yasushi didn't continue intervening, instead watching from the sidelines. Only when Itachi attempted using brown Susanoo to rescue people did he act.
Konoha's morale had long since collapsed.
Previously they'd only maintained this long because Third and Itachi held them together.
Now they finally couldn't persist any longer.
"Leave the Edo bodies behind! We're retreating!"
Someone shouted first. Then everyone stampeded backward, abandoning Third and other Edo bodies as rear guard.
"Hahahaha..." Yasushi pointed at Konoha's people fleeing like homeless dogs, laughing loudly—his laughter brimming with mockery and contempt.
But Konoha's people only wanted survival. Who cared about face anymore? They kept running.
They didn't need to outrun pursuers—just outrun other comrades.
Shinobi scattered across mountains and plains like sheep pursued by hungry wolves, devoured one by one.
Seeing Konoha's collapse, Yasushi stopped blocking Itachi, allowing him to advance with Susanoo to rescue people.
But Itachi had never possessed much prestige within the village. With morale shattered, he couldn't rally them no matter how hard he tried.
No matter how loudly he called, Konoha's people fled individually, ignoring him.
Ultimately Itachi could only do his best, rescuing as many as possible.
Yasushi didn't bother with remaining matters, simply returning to Takumi Village to arrange cleanup and battlefield salvage.
Not until sunset did those frenzied Uchiha gradually return, everyone beaming with satisfaction.
After assembling, they approached Yasushi, bowing respectfully in gratitude.
"Lord Clan Head, thank you for everything you've done for us, for the Uchiha clan."
"All Uchiha will never forget your great kindness and virtue."
"You are the greatest clan head in Uchiha history. We pledge eternal loyalty to you."
All Uchiha clansmen struck their chests with one hand, proclaiming their most sincere oath in unison.
"Good. I accept your loyalty." Yasushi nodded solemnly. "I'll definitely need you risking your lives in the future. We'll see your performance then!"
"Lord Clan Head, rest assured! The Uchiha clan in life belongs to you, in death serves as your ghosts. We'll never betray you through eternity!"
After accepting everyone's loyalty, Yasushi dismissed the Edo Tensei legions.
The Battle of Takumi Village thus completely concluded, all strategic objectives exceeded.
Making Konoha's people bow and apologize, then slaughtering another wave of Konoha remnants, allowing Uchiha clansmen to vent their hatred thoroughly.
This had been Yasushi's original plan—what he cared about most.
Afterward, through the battle with Madara, completely crushing Konoha's military morale and fighting spirit.
And striking at their hearts, making Hashirama utterly disappointed in Konoha Village.
Those were all additional unexpected bonuses.
What remained was seeing Konoha's side—how Mizuki would perform.
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