Chapter 279: Great Ninja War Coming?
Uchiha Ikeizumi didn't know what these nobles of the Land of Water were doing, but he happened to overhear that sentence about triggering a Great Ninja War, prompting an instinctive sigh.
"Who are you!?"
When the Daimyo of the Land of Water heard that sigh behind him, his entire body froze. In truth, he had already guessed the identity of the newcomer, but he struggled to maintain his composure, even letting out an angry shout in hopes of boosting the morale of the ninjas guarding the nobles.
"I can't be bothered to talk to you, and you don't deserve to listen!" Ikeizumi declared. "In my eyes, the evil on your body is so thick it's practically overflowing!"
Ikeizumi merely glanced at the Daimyo. With a quick set of hand signs, several wooden spikes instantly skewered the ruler's body. Until his final breath, the Daimyo's eyes were wide with disbelief. He couldn't believe Ikeizumi would strike without even exchanging words. Did this man not fear that his actions would ignite a new Great Ninja War?
"Wood Style: Piercing Branch Jutsu!"
As Ikeizumi's cold voice rang out, the Daimyo estate was instantly filled with wails and pleas for mercy. But the branches spawned by his Wood Style showed no quarter. In a mere matter of moments, the entire estate of the Land of Water was transformed into a bloody slaughterhouse.
The ninjas upon whom the Daimyo and nobles had placed their hopes tried to resist, but they were skewered upon the rising branches before they could even process what was happening.
"Not even a decent resistance..." Ikeizumi muttered. "The power of the Blood Mist..."
Watching the life fade from the nobles and the Daimyo, Ikeizumi shook his head. Terumī Mei had already told him the truth behind the "Blood Mist Village" policy. While the Fourth Mizukage had initiated it to eliminate dissent, it was largely driven by the financial restrictions imposed by the Land of Water's Daimyo. Without funds, the Mist couldn't support so many ninjas; the "surplus" ninjas were simply sent to their deaths.
RUMBLE!!!
Massive trees began to surge within the estate, their growth so violent that they tore the buildings apart. In the capital city, everyone stared blankly toward the Daimyo's residence.
"What is... that?" an unaware minor noble stammered, watching the colossal tree suddenly pierce the sky.
"Uchiha Ikeizumi!" "That madman Uchiha Ikeizumi is really here! Not only is he here, he went straight for the Daimyo!" "He already killed the Daimyo of the Land of Fire; he definitely dares to kill ours!"
Some nobles who knew of the upheaval at the Hidden Mist Village realized that this anomaly was linked to the man who leveled the Mist single-handedly. They were confused, however, as to why trees were appearing instead of the Lava Style mentioned in intelligence reports.
"Go! Move now!" "Leave the capital! We're only safe if we leave!"
Minor nobles lashed their servants, desperate to flee. With the Daimyo estate fallen, they didn't dare imagine what would happen if they stayed. As for Ikeizumi's claim that "Absolute Justice" wouldn't harm the innocent? These nobles had guilty consciences to begin with, and regardless, with a Konoha ninja attacking the capital, no one was willing to bet their lives on his word.
For the commoners of the Land of Water, this was the most terrifying night of their lives. Countless trees erupted from the ground, seemingly possessing a will of their own as they impaled person after person. Initially, the panic was absolute, but as commoners noticed that only those committing crimes in the chaos were being targeted, a realization dawned.
"These trees... they are only killing the wicked!" a commoner shouted. He tried to calm the crowd, realizing that while the imagery was horrific, the violence was surgical.
"A kind soul, I see," Ikeizumi noted. Though he couldn't see the entire city, he noticed the individual urging others to stay calm.
"Wood Style is indeed more suitable for a city than Lava Style. With Lava Style, I'd have to run from place to place. With Wood Style, I just need the branches to grow near those with Red Names."
This was Ikeizumi's first time using Wood Style on such a massive scale—even larger than his display at the Mist Village. This forest now effectively encompassed the entire capital.
Outside the capital, the Elder Genji watched the transformation. From his vantage point, the scene was even clearer. Thousands of people had been impaled on the branches, their bodies hoisted to the very tops of the trees. From afar, it looked as though these villains were being intentionally displayed to deter the world.
"The Land of Water..." Genji sighed. "It wasn't destroyed by Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama, but it suffers this trauma long after their deaths. Under Absolute Justice... can this land truly become better?"
Genji knew the country was riddled with systemic corruption and visible sin. But the cost of cleaning it was staggering—seven out of ten nobles dead, and only a tenth of the Mist ninjas remaining. No one had dared to act because the consequences were too high.
Only Uchiha Ikeizumi, bound by his Absolute Justice, would disregard all consequences to cut away the rot.
"If you survive, the ninja world might truly improve," Genji whispered to the wind. "But can you survive? After slaughtering the Daimyos of Fire and Water... can the rulers of Earth, Lightning, and Wind sit still? A Great Ninja War... might truly be upon us."