They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 89 Water Shadow is Unprincipled, Heaven Punishes the Traitors, and He Stands Favor to the Ghost Lantern!

"At this rate, if you don't step in soon, that brat might actually win!"

The pitcher plant, with its distinct black and white hues, stood quietly atop the tree, gazing at the distant battlefield.

Despite the chaotic and noisy scene beneath them, none of the many ninjas noticed the presence of someone above them.

"Victory is victory. As I said before, Kirigakure has been greatly weakened after this internal strife and is no longer a threat."

Hei Jue glanced indifferently at the soon-to-be-defeated Lian in the distance, not taking Lian's defeat to heart.

His willingness to help Ren release two tailed beasts does not mean he supports Ren; similarly, his sending information to Hozuki Shingetsu does not mean it supports Hozuki Shingetsu.

Its purpose has always been singular: to disrupt the ninja world, collect the tailed beasts, and rescue Kaguya Otsutsuki.

For Black Zetsu, it's acceptable no matter who wins.

If Ren wins, then we can take control of Kirigakure and turn it into a backup base; if Hozuki Shingetsu wins, then we can just sit back and watch him stir up trouble in the ninja world, since he's guaranteed to make a profit.

As for whether things will go as planned in the future... just kidding, what other options does Kirigakure have after the internal strife?

The number of casualties and property damage suffered by villagers in Wuyin Village to date is countless, not to mention the extent of the loss.

From a ninja perspective, the Hozuki and Kaguya clans have been locked in a bloody battle for so long that their core strength has been almost completely depleted.

The Yuki clan fared relatively well, managing to hold off the four Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist using their slowing Ice Release techniques, resulting in minimal casualties.

The most tragic case is that of the Uzumaki clan, who had already suffered an invasion by the Thunder and Earth Alliance and had not yet recovered from their wounds when they were hit by this riot.

The two elders of the vortex died on the spot, and many women and children were also injured in the Six-Tails' rampage, which can be described as adding insult to injury.

And all of the above are just the losses suffered by Kirigakure so far. Once the victor is determined, it is foreseeable that Kirigakure will face another bloody storm.

Ren won, and as the victor, Kaguya's clan will inevitably try to use that secret technique. Uzumaki's clan will certainly be purged, and even the other bloodline ninja clans will be cleansed. Kirigakure is destined to suffer a great loss of strength.

If Hozuki Shingetsu wins, the Kaguya clan will definitely be wiped out, and Kirigakure will also suffer a significant loss of strength.

Therefore, in any case, after this battle, Kirigakure will need at least ten years to recuperate and heal its wounds.

As things stand, Hozuki Shingetsu has a very high chance of becoming the ultimate winner.

Given the current situation in Kirigakure, how can Kirigakure recover and thrive if he doesn't rack his brains to stir up chaos in the ninja world and weaken the other ninja villages?

"If that's the case, then Kirigakure will have to be abandoned... It seems like it's time to take a trip to Takigakure." White Zetsu muttered to himself.

Then, looking at Hozuki Shingetsu, who was like a demon and a saint, relentlessly throwing heavy punches at Ren in the distance, it couldn't help but exclaim, "I never thought that the Hozuki clan, which is famous for its secret techniques, could produce a taijutsu ninja of this level... From a distance, I thought it was those muscle-bound brutes from Kumogakure fighting."

"It's nothing, even someone as strong as Uchiha Madara can't help but be played like a puppet by us. As a pawn, all you need to do is fulfill your duties..."

Black Zetsu glanced at the distant battle once more, then disappeared along with White Zetsu.

-

boom!

boom!

In the pitch-black night, the sound of pile drivers echoed continuously.

The voice is clean, crisp, calm, and consistent, with regular intervals and stable output; it's clear that it came from the hands of an extremely disciplined person.

"The mighty Mizukage doesn't seem so impressive now... Father, it seems you're really getting old, you were defeated by him so easily."

Hozuki Shingetsu slowly stopped punching, looked at Ren beneath him who had completely lost consciousness and was no longer human, and said to Hozuki Zangetsu with a mocking tone.

Faced with his son's boasting, Hozuki Regetsu remained silent.

Objectively speaking, if Lian hadn't been aiming for a quick victory and had instead opted for hit-and-run tactics from the start, the final winner might have been uncertain.

Hozuki Shingetsu had only recently become a Jinchuriki of a Tailed Beast, so it was hard to say how much he could master after a single battle. Aside from the Tailed Beast factor, Hozuki Shingetsu could only rely on his newly perfected Water Release chakra mode, Mirage, and Destructo Disc.

It's hard to say how effective these three moves will actually be.

Because it was Ren's first time fighting a fully-formed Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, he lacked sufficient combat intelligence and mistakenly believed that he could easily win after using the Rain Cutting Technique to dissipate the Tailed Beast's cloak and eliminate the Jinchuriki's greatest advantage.

However, what they didn't know was that Hozuki Shingetsu had already perfected his Water Release chakra mode through Modibi. After becoming a Jinchuriki of a Tailed Beast, he was able to release this ninjutsu at a higher power, which led to this peculiar phenomenon of using his own strengths to attack the enemy for a longer period of time.

Ghost Lamp Remnant glanced at Ren with a hint of pity. To fail in this way, Ren would probably die with his eyes wide open in disbelief!

"There's still no movement, it seems Black Zetsu really isn't planning on making a move..."

Contrary to his seemingly relaxed and carefree demeanor, Hozuki Shingetsu was actually on high alert all along.

The previous incident where White Zetsu ambushed Yagura had made him realize that Black Zetsu could not be judged by ordinary standards, so on the way here he specifically instructed Yoshio Uzumaki and others to lie in ambush and make a move if anything happened.

However, Black Zetsu did not make a move until he defeated Ren, which basically meant that he had given up on Ren and abandoned Kirigakure as a backup base.

"Alright, now that we've dealt with the Six-Tails and Ren, let's hurry over and wipe out the Kaguya clan as well! The battle over there isn't over yet, and we don't even know how the Three-Tails is doing. Let's finish this quickly!"

Faced with Hozuki Zangetsu's persuasion, Hozuki Shingetsu naturally agreed and immediately gave a signal to the Uzumaki clan ninjas who had been lying in ambush to make their move.

Upon seeing this signal, the Uzumaki ninjas, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed straight into the battlefield. With the addition of this fresh force, the Hozuki ninjas were immediately invigorated and their energy surged. They charged towards the enemy ninjas as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

With this shift in power, Kaguya's ninja forces were thrown into chaos and routed.

"Damn it, where's Mizukage? Where's Ren?"

As a result, Kaguya's faction, which was originally scattered in various places, inevitably gathered together.

Kaguya Yoshio angrily pulled out his own spine and wildly swung the bone whip in his hand.

The situation was clearly very favorable; in just ten more minutes—no, even five—he could defeat that old bastard Yukihira Kyo. The four Ninja Swordsmen over there could also break through the Yuki clan's ninja formation, but all of this was disrupted by the arrival of the Uzumaki ninja.

What's even more infuriating is that, at this point, the real mastermind, Lian, has vanished without a trace, and the helpers he promised are nowhere to be found either.

At this rate, they'll probably be wiped out in five minutes!

Suddenly a commotion arose, and it seemed that more people were gathering in the distance, with many figures appearing.

"Could this be the helper Lian promised?"

Kaguya Yoshio was greatly encouraged and was about to pass on the order when he suddenly discovered the identities of those people—they were the neutral faction who had been led to suppress the Yagura riot.

In the face of life and death, Kaguya Yoshio's mind raced, as if on fast-forward, with inspiration constantly surfacing. He immediately shouted:

"Well done! Hozuki has rebelled and wreaked havoc in the village, releasing the Tailed Beasts without permission. Why aren't you apprehending these traitors?"

The group of people were somewhat bewildered by the question and stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.

"Kaguya Yoshio, everyone saw it for themselves. It was clearly Ren who released the tailed beast. Your attempt to distort the truth is a gross underestimation of everyone's abilities."

Although they didn't know Kaguya Yoshio's purpose, Hozuki Shingetsu's side also understood the importance of the greater good after Shingetsu's repeated emphasis, and someone immediately stood up to refute Kaguya Yoshio.

"You witnessed it yourself? Did you see us release the Tailed Beasts without our knowledge?"

Kaguya Yoshio ignored these controversies and directly pointed out the key information to those who were neutral.

"Lord Mizukage has already defeated Hozuki Zangetsu and is currently dealing with that brat Hozuki Shingetsu. You'd better decide whose side you're on!"

At this moment, those who were neutral also instantly understood the key message that Kaguya Yoshio wanted to convey:

Mizukage is still alive, and he even defeated Hozuki Zangetsu.

And the Mizukage is fighting Hozuki Shingetsu.

Upon hearing this news, the neutral faction began to discuss whether to help Kaguya Yoshio. It's simple: from an outsider's perspective, does the outcome of the battle between the Mizukage and Hozuki Shingetsu even need to be considered?

If a dignified Mizukage in the prime of his life can't even beat a thirteen-year-old child, what kind of Mizukage is he?

Although Hozuki Shingetsu's talent as a ninja is undeniable, who wasn't a genius in their youth?

How could he possibly overcome the long cultivation period between himself and Lian?

Upon hearing this, even the Hozuki ninjas present were speechless.

To avoid being affected by Lian's ninjutsu, they had already moved far away from the battlefield, and they were now unaware of the current situation.

However, based on common sense, Hozuki Shingetsu's chances of winning are really not very high.

"Lady Terumi, shall we join the battle?"

The neutral faction also had its own leader, Terumi Ansai, the patriarch of the Terumi clan, who was their temporary leader.

Faced with questions from others, Terumi Ansai was naturally very hesitant.

"Lord Terumi, delay may lead to unforeseen circumstances! Offering help when it's in a crisis is far better than adding flowers to brocade!"

Urged on by those around him, under the excited gaze of Kaguya Yoshio, and with Hozuki's side on guard, Terumi Ansai reluctantly opened his mouth.

"I……"

"How lively! Are you all here to congratulate me on capturing the traitor?"

Just then, a clear voice rang out, and Hozuki Shingetsu, still in Tailed Beast Chakra Mode, leisurely arrived at the scene.

The arrival of Hozuki Shingetsu meant that the battle had finally come to an end, and the people who were fighting couldn't help but slow down their movements and look in the direction of Hozuki Shingetsu.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked; once my gaze turned, I found myself uncontrollably behind Hozuki Shingetsu.

Because the mighty Mizukage was currently being firmly bound to his back by a scarlet chakra tail!

Judging from Renna's limp body and closed eyes, she was clearly unconscious and powerless to fight back.

"You rebellious bastard..."

Before he could even see who it was, he assumed it was Lian, a fence-sitter who had come to see him, and hurriedly climbed over the human wall hoping to make a name for himself. But as soon as he stepped over the wall, he was dumbfounded by the scene before him.

No, how did you win?

Why are you standing while he's fallen?

However, it was precisely at times like these that the opportunist's mind raced. His finger, without a trace, moved from in front of Hozuki Shingetsu to Ren, pointing at him and angrily cursing:

"...The village has suffered such a calamity, and you are undeniably responsible! Bah! I am ashamed to be associated with you!"

The audience watched the performance in silence, and an unspoken silence fell over the room.

That's too rough!

Absolutely no emotion, just pure technique!

After silently evaluating the performance of the person in front of him, Hozuki Shingetsu arrived at the center of the battlefield, looked around, and smiled at Kaguya Yoshio, who had an incredulous expression on his face. Then, he used his chakra tail to lift Ren high and began his final speech.

"What should have been a New Year's Day for family reunion turned into a nightmare due to Ren's mischief, which caused the tailed beasts to rampage, resulting in the deaths of countless villagers and the infighting among the village's elite. Decades of hard work were destroyed in an instant!"

"Having offended Heaven, there is nowhere to pray! Having committed such a heinous crime, how can Lotus still be worthy to be a reflection of water?"

"Therefore, our actions are in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's will; they are truly acts of restoring order and revitalizing Wuyin!"

Under the vast darkness of the night, only the boy's clear voice echoed throughout the battlefield.

At this moment, the battlefield, which had just been stained with blood and fire, was enveloped in an indescribable silence after Hozuki Shingetsu's words fell.

Just then, perhaps to make amends for his previous mistake, or perhaps to curry favor with Hozuki Shingetsu, the future new master of Kirigakure, the opportunist gritted his teeth and stepped forward again, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Water Shadow is wicked; Heaven will punish this traitor!"

Perhaps feeling that his words weren't enough to express his hatred for Ren and his affirmation of Hozuki Shingetsu's righteous actions, he ruthlessly ripped off his left shoulder and shouted:

"I'm biased towards Hozuki!"

After a moment of silence, as if a school bell had rung, the entire battlefield was filled with thunderous cheers. Realizing the situation, the ninjas excitedly exposed their left arms and repeated the words of the fence-sitter they had just spoken.

"The Water Shadow is wicked, a traitor to the nation must be punished by Heaven! Those who support the Ghost Lantern are biased!"

Furthermore, this trend has spread from this place to the rest of Kirigakure.

Meanwhile, the villagers, who had just learned that Hozuki Shingetsu had sacrificed himself to protect the village and imprison the Six-Tails, also came to the streets after hearing this voice, shouting slogans and showing their left arms!

In an instant, everyone in the village was shirtless on the left!

(End of this chapter)