"Heh heh," Izuna let out two strange laughs. He didn't focus chakra in his throat, so it was his own voice that came out.
In the next moment, he vanished from the branch and reappeared on the grass to Shimura Ri's right rear, where another three-bladed Flying Thunder God kunai was lodged.
*Swoosh!*
He snatched the kunai from the ground and threw it at Shimura Ri. Having witnessed this technique once before, Shimura Ri, a near-Kage level ninja, was not foolish enough to be caught by it so many times in a row. He immediately leaped into the air, evading the kunai's trajectory.
"A good choice." Izuna's first move had been dodged, but his expression showed no sign of displeasure. He suddenly vanished again.
In mid-air, Shimura Ri's pupils constricted, his gaze fixed on the kunai stuck in the ground at various points below. *Which one will he appear from?*
"Where are you looking?"
But a voice, like a death knell from hell, came from above and behind his head.
"How is that possible...?!"
Shimura Ri twisted his head in mid-air in astonishment. Before he could finish his words, he saw in Izuna's right palm a deep blue sphere, about the size of a hand, with four blade-like wind chakra extensions spinning around it. It was already pressing against his chest.
"Wind Release: Rasengan!"
"Gaaahhh!"
The twisting, excruciating pain from his heart made Shimura Ri scream as his body spun in mid-air. Izuna pressed him down, sending him crashing to the ground for a second time.
*Rumble...*
More than ten seconds after they landed, the dust and smoke finally began to clear. Izuna stood up from Shimura Ri's body. Where his heart had been, there was now a large, twisted hole.
"Is it really that hard to leave a Flying Thunder God kunai at the top of a tree before coming down?" Izuna taunted Shimura Ri's corpse in his own voice. "You should feel honored to be the first person to die to the Flying Thunder God Technique: Second Step."
***
Back at the completely destroyed posthouse, Hagoromo Masanari stared silently at the twenty-one corpses of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. The remaining dozen Hagoromo Jonin stood by in silence, not daring to speak to their grim-faced leader.
It was no wonder Masanari was like this. He had never expected the Hagoromo's losses in this operation to be so great. Not only was his confidant, Hagoromo Naoyasu, gone, but of the fifty Jonin he had brought, only a third remained! Even if they conquered the Uchiha, it would be a bitter victory. The Hagoromo clan would be unable to wage another war for years.
Just then, the black-robed Izuna descended from the sky and tossed Shimura Ri's body—no, not a body, just a head—to the ground. The round wound caused by the Rasengan was too distinctive, and Izuna didn't want to leave any clues. He had cut off the head, incinerated the body with Fire Release, and brought only the head back.
"Shimura Ri..."
Seeing the head on the ground, the Hagoromo were first shocked, then turned their gazes to Izuna.
"We are indebted to you, Mister Tobi." Hagoromo Masanari forcibly suppressed his anger, not questioning why he hadn't acted sooner. If he had, perhaps not so many of his men would have died.
"Losing twenty Jonin... never mind the Sarutobi and Shimura, even the Uchiha or Senju would have a hard time bearing such a loss." Izuna switched back to his raspy voice. "Heh, with this, the positions of Furukawa and Keizo are now in jeopardy." He turned to look at Masanari. "Our cooperation is over. I believe we won't be seeing each other again."
"That's a pity. After you take control of the two clans, Mister Tobi, I hope the Hagoromo can form an alliance with you." The Hagoromo had suffered a great loss in strength. Masanari was now more inclined to win him over than to offend him.
"I am not from either of those clans. Don't misunderstand!" Izuna's volume suddenly increased in refutation, but to Masanari and the others, it just sounded like a classic case of protesting too much.
After saying this, Izuna vanished with the Flying Thunder God Technique. Hagoromo Masanari took this as a sign of guilt, believing the man had fled because his identity had been exposed.
"Lord, now..." one of the Hagoromo Jonin asked.
"Dispose of our clansmen's bodies. I'm returning to camp first. If those bastards from the four clans find out, it could cause trouble."
"Yes, sir!"
"Although we've temporarily removed the threat, this is no time to rest. The Uchiha are currently without food. After we return, we will gather all our forces to attack Stonecastle, and then we'll eliminate those four clans." As he spoke, Masanari's tone took on a hint of spirited ambition. "Then, we will ally with the Sarutobi and Shimura clans under Tobi's rule. The Hagoromo will become the third great clan of the Warring States, rivaling the Hyuga!"
"Yes, sir!"
The remaining dozen Hagoromo Jonin were fired up by Masanari's words, believing that their sacrifices had been worthwhile. Little did they know, the true hunter was already preparing to close his net.
After returning to his clan's territory, Izuna immediately summoned Uchiha Kong, Uchiha Ise, and the other thirty Jonin stationed in Stonecastle for a meeting.
"Vice-Clan Head, why the sudden meeting? Do you have a new strategy?" a Jonin below asked.
Izuna didn't answer, instead turning to Uchiha Kong. "Director Kong, how much longer can the food in the castle last?"
Uchiha Kong's face was grim. "Less... less than a week."
"What?!"
"No way!"
"How can our people fight without food?"
Hearing that there was less than a week's worth of food left, everyone panicked. No matter how strong a ninja was, they couldn't perform at their best on an empty stomach. As long as they were still "human," this was a weakness.
"Vice-Clan Head, we should immediately request food reinforcements from the Clan Head," Uchiha Ise suggested, bowing to Izuna.
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