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Chapter 31 — Recruiting the Soragakure
The ruins of Soragakure: Konan entered the Sky-ninja fortress through the giant mouth of the sculpture.
The first-floor hall was lively now.
"Captain, how are you? I... I couldn't save you..."
One Soragakure ninja crouched before a mummy-like figure, anxiously tearing at the white paper wrapped around his comrade.
Sadly, it did no good—the paper looked as if it had grown out of the man's skin and wouldn't come off.
More than twenty mummified Sky-nin lay on the floor, only a nose exposed to breathe.
That Sky-nin found his captain by that unmistakable black nose.
Next to each mummy, one or two other Sky-nin knelt, scratching and pulling at the paper, trying to rescue their comrades.
But their strength barely reached Chūnin level; they were helpless against Konan's paper techniques.
Nearly all the other Sky-nin had been struck by Shinnō's pitch-black beams—silenced without a sound.
Konan crossed the narrow corridor and entered the hall; the busy Sky-nin immediately noticed her.
"Ah—ah—you... you—how are you back here?"
"Where is Chief Shinnō? What did you do to him?"
The surviving Sky-nin abandoned attempts to free their fellows, stood up, gripped weapons, and watched Konan warily—bodies trembling.
They knew the leader had fought the invader hard. Now the invader had returned, and their chief was missing... an ominous premonition ran through them.
Konan gave no reply. Floating in the air, she gestured; all standing Sky-nin were immediately restrained as sheets of paper crawled over their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed.
They barely had time to react before being immobilized.
Konan brought the mummy of the black-clad Sky-nin—whose head she'd previously uncovered—close, peeled the paper away from his face, and said coldly, "Your leader Shinnō is dead."
At those words, the assembled Sky-nin froze as if struck by lightning, holding their breath in disbelief.
Shinnō dead... such a powerful man killed—what hope did they have? Whether they could survive today at all was suddenly uncertain.
A wave of dread washed through them as they awaited their fate.
Konan remained expressionless, staring at the black-clad Sky-nin. She had already learned from the earlier interrogation that he was the current squad leader, and he hadn't been particularly stubborn—if he was smart, he would know how to choose.
The black-clad Sky-nin's face went pale; he kept his head down and avoided Konan's gaze. Panic churned inside him, but he made his choice quickly.
"M—my lord, I swear loyalty to you." He glanced at his comrades and declared, "On behalf of the remaining Sky-nin, I pledge our lives to you."
The other Sky-nin opened their mouths to object, but no sound came; they accepted the leader's words. Simple—survival. They'd been hiding in secret for so long that they'd lost the courage to die for a cause. Now they would simply change collars.
Konan had no immediate intention to kill them; she'd waited for them to state their intent because what she really wanted was the fortress beneath her feet.
The black-clad leader, knowing their worth, bowed obsequiously and said, "My lord, although many died in the earlier fighting, the men in this hall are enough to operate this Sky Fortress."
Konan considered for a moment.
These people had soft bones—today they surrendered to her, and tomorrow they might surrender to someone else. Without a control method, they'd be unreliable.
Alex, floating nearby, saw Konan's hesitation. He didn't trust them either. Better to hold their lives as leverage.
Alex controlled nearly a hundred sheets of paper and placed them one by one over the chest of each Sky-nin. At the end of each sheet, a white thread shot out and pierced skin like lightning, slipping into the chest to coil beside the heart.
It was a tendril of Ji-on-gu (Earth Grudge Fear) — harmless under normal conditions, but once triggered it could pierce a heart in an instant.
The black-clad Jōnin felt a sting at his chest and then nothing more—he didn't know what had happened, only that it couldn't be good.
Konan watched Alex's move and warned the Sky-nin: "Your hearts have a failsafe. If you betray me or disobey, your end will be death."
Her murderous aura chilled every man, leaving them trembling with fear.
The black-clad leader, unsettled, swore loyalty again: "My lord, rest assured. We will obey every order—no slack, no mistakes."
With their lives in Konan's hands, they dared no more scheming. They would obey—one hundred percent.
Konan nodded without expression and waved her hand, releasing the paper from each Sky-nin. They were free—at least for now.
The mummified Sky-nin on the floor rose quickly; after exchanging glances with the others, they lowered their heads and half-crouched—an obedient posture, ready to receive orders.
'Eighty-one shinobi...' Alex counted silently. This was the first contingent of forces for him and Konan.
Konan issued orders bluntly: "Arrange personnel to repair the damaged parts of the Sky Fortress immediately."
"And remove all those weird statues on the ground."
She remembered Alex disliked those sculptures and wanted to turn the fortress into a floating garden; the grotesque statues had to go.
"Yes, my lord. I will arrange it at once."
The black-clad leader whispered to two subordinates, who hurried off with the others to carry out the repairs.
He straightened up and bowed, then said in a low voice, "My lord, you must be tired. Allow me to take you to the rest chamber."
After the fierce fight, Konan's chakra was nearly drained and she did look exhausted. She nodded and followed the leader into a second-floor rest hall.
Creak. A door opened and he said softly, "My lord, this rest room was just completed; the previous leader Shinnō never occupied it."
He stood respectfully at the doorframe. Konan glanced in—under a hundred square meters, not luxurious but neat and complete. She stepped inside and left one order: "Make sure the Sky Fortress is fully repaired in the shortest possible time."
"Yes! We'll get to it immediately."
Bang. The door closed. The leader only relaxed and wiped his brow once the door shut. The new leader hadn't been harsh—he'd survived the test and expected no excessive demands as long as the work got done.
Inside the room, simple furnishings—stone-made bed and table. Alex floated before Konan, worried by her pallor.
[Konan, what's wrong? Where do you feel bad?] he asked.
"Cough, cough..." Konan dry-coughed, rubbed at her skin. "I don't know... I feel itchy all over, my chest is tight and it's hard to breathe."
Alex leaned closer. On Konan's pale neck a purple-red mottled rash in a net-like pattern had appeared.
[Decompression sickness!] he declared at once.
It seemed their rapid altitude changes during the fight had caused it: microbubbles had formed in her bloodstream, causing itching and breathlessness.
Alex, newly turned medical master of the shinobi world, knew how to treat such a serious condition—one he'd seen before in his past life. He wasn't worried.
[Konan, quickly, take off your clothes!] he ordered.