Before long, Terumi Mei and the other three were brought inside oer another.

  Seeing that Terumi Mei, Gonbee, Ao, and Chōjūrō had really been captured, both Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki were overjoyed.

  “Hahahaha… The left and right hands of Genji, all in our clutches this time!”

  Terumi Mei’s group felt both shod anger upon witnessing the top leaders of the Blood Mist fa in person. It was ued, but at the same time made sense.

  Karatachi Tachii was of the same as the Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura, and the Hōzuki was closely allied with them. Moreover, Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki were elder-level figures in the vilge. Naturally, if they weren’t of such status, how could they openly oppose Elder Genji?

  Terumi Mei gred furiously at these two older men:

  “You two are elders of the vilge, so why are you doing this? Wasn’t the suffering brought by the Blood Mist policies enough? Today’s Kirigakure improves with every passing day—’t you see that?”

  She wao keep talking, but Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki were sed that they began trembling all over.

  “Silence!”

  Karatachi Tachii cut her off, then tinued:

  “What do you even know? You and that self-important old fool Genji are making the vilge a total mess! The people is growing weak, the vilge has lost its fighting spirit, like a beast with no cws! Only the Blood Mist make the Kirigakure great again!”

  The more Karatachi Tachii spoke, the mitated he became, finally breaking into a bout of coughing. But Hōzuki Getsuki, just as stubborn as he was, didn’t give Terumi Mei a ce to retort. He followed up Karatachi Tachii’s words:

  “You’ve allowed easy tact with the outside.

  That’s how dangerous figures like Uzumaki Senshi or Kisame get to roam the vilge at will!

  If we had stuck to the Blood Mist path, how could such threats ever ehe Kirigakure so easily?”

  And frankly, his remarks left Terumi Mei at a loss. But she wao say that even if the Fourth Mizukage Yagura himself were exhumed to guard the vilge gates, it wouldn’t be enough to stop a monster like Senshi.

  Thinking along those lierumi Mei anized her thoughts and spoke:

  “This was just a special case; it had nothing to do with the vilge’s dire. Uzumaki Senshi is a ninja who rival aire vilge’s Kage—cooperating with him only bes our vilge! Today’s Kiri is worlds apart from the old Kiri. People’s lives are improving; you see more smiles on their faces. Under Lenji’s leadership, every aspect of the vilge is steadily growier.”

  What she said was factual—facts speak for themselves! No matter humentative Hōzuki Getsuki might be, he couldn’t just ft-out lie about that. Still, they refused tnize Genji or the current vilge. In the past, the Blood Mist had represehe highest authority, giving them supreme power. Under Genji’s “bination punches,” their Blood Mist arras had been scattered; now, the on folk and even the vilge’s ninja were no longer as easy to manipute. If things went on like this, it would spell trouble for them.

  Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki had also heard of the Uchiha i in Konoha—when you don’t hold onto the vilge’s top power structure, you end up marginalized and face genocide. They didn’t want the Karatachi or the Hōzuki to suffer the same fate as the Uchiha.

  Therefenji had to die! And if Terumi Mei’s group wouldn’t surrehey too had only oh—death.

  Hōzuki Getsuki, disined to keep arguing, simply pressed the issue:

  “So, Terumi Mei, do you want to live or die?”

  That question made Terumi Mei’s expression, as well as those of her panions, shift subtly. While they knew Uzumaki Senshi was somewhere nearby, Hōzuki Getsuki and his men were so close; if Senshi was even a little te resg them, these four could be killed at any moment.

  Terumi Mei merely gave a cold snort as her response. Both Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki uood her meaning.

  Looking at Gonbee and the others, Hōzuki Getsuki added:

  “Well, Terumi Mei’s apparently tired of living—how about you lot?”

  Gonbee raged:

  “I’ll never betray Lenji! He’s the oruly w for the vilge’s betterment. Under him, every aspect of the Kiri is steadily improving! Only by steadfastly supp Lenji the Kiri have a brighter future. As for the likes of you, yh-sounding speeches are purely self-serving hypocrisy!”

  His words hit a h Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki. Ihey simply wanted maximum be for themselves. They had onjoyed the rgest slice of power uhe Blood Mist but had been shoved to the sidelines after Genji came into trol.

  Hōzuki Getsuki, not wanting to keep quarreling, drew a kunai and poi at Gonbee:

  “You’re about to die, yet still running your mouth?”

  Gonbee gred back defiantly. Seeing that look made Hōzuki Getsuki uneasy, so he directly ordered Kondō Ryū:

  “Kondō Ryū—kill him!”

  “Yes!”

  Without hesitation, Kondō Ryū uhed the swords from his back, stepping up to Gonbee. Without saying a word, he raised his bde for a decisive blow that would end Gonbee’s life.

  Bang—

  But the sword did not fall. Not only that, Kondō Ryū himself was knocked flying by a figure eared out of nowhere, using raw brutal strength to send him crashing violently away.

  Boom!

  In the moment, Kondō Ryū’s body smashed into Hōzuki Getsuki’s desk, shattering it to pieces.

  Swish! Swish! Swish!

  Such a huge disturbance caused tless Blood Mist ninjas to flicker into the room, instantly f a protective formation around Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki.

  The intruder who had shown up so suddenly, bsting Kondō Ryū aside, wore a cloak of bck with red clouds. He was her than Uzumaki Senshi.

  g—

  A sharp sword hum sounded as Senshi lifted the bde. In a blink, he followed with several palm strikes on Terumi Mei’s group, each blow dispelling the sealing teique that suppressed their chakras. In an instant, the ropes binding them fell to the ground, and their chakras—previously sealed—were restored.

  Having dohat, Senshi cheerfully introduced himself:

  “Let me introduce myself: I’m Uzumaki Senshi from the Amegakure. I’ve accepted a long-term ission from the Kiri to provide ‘strategic deterrence’ against threats ihe vilge.”

  Karatachi Tachii and Hōzuki Getsuki could clearly pick up his meaning.

  Karatachi Tachii looked furious:

  “You took our bounty job, then broke the deal—is this your so-called professionalism?”

  Senshi cocked his head, looking offended as he poio Karatachi Tachii:

  “Don’t go sndering me! I could sue you for defamation! The one who took your bounty mission was Kakuzu, not me—Uzumaki Senshi.

  I was just assisting him while he caught people.

  I have nothing to do with you.”

  Karatachi Tachii, ed, gestured to Kakuzu:

  “But you’re clearly from the same group—same uniform!”

  Senshi shrugged nontly:

  “So what? We just happen to have matg outfits. If you keep sndering me, I’m not gonna be polite!”

  His retort left the room in dead silehey do that?!

  Kakuzu stood there dumbfounded. Each time he believed he’d finally withe bottom of Senshi’s shamelessness, Senshi would prove him wrong.

  Is that why you gh the same routine before every mission? I see now—it art of your pn, Uzumaki Senshi!