Chapter 70 — A Thirst for Freedom
By dawn, unrest had already erupted within the Chinoike settlement.
Renji's inexplicable disappearance spread like wildfire. In a clan of fewer than a hundred people, even the faintest ripple became a storm within moments.
Clusters of clansmen gathered outside the stone hut where Renji had been imprisoned the night before, staring at the now-empty interior in disbelief.
"Have you heard? Renji vanished from a locked room!"
"I told you the Clan Leader shouldn't have used genjutsu on one of our own…"
"Was it the Uchiha? Or Kumogakure? Did they come early and take him?"
Rumors swirled freely.
Some insisted Renji had successfully escaped.
Others suspected outside forces had abducted him.
A few whispered darker possibilities—that he had angered the clan leader and been secretly executed.
Hidden within a crack in the rock face, Yami listened to every word through Kagura's Mind's Eye.
This unexpected disturbance—
Was unfolding even better than he had anticipated.
---
By midday, Clan Leader Chinoike Momoe finally appeared, summoning the entire clan to assemble in the central clearing.
She stood elevated above them, exhaustion faintly visible in her eyes, though her voice retained its authority.
"Renji's disappearance will be investigated. Until then, I expect everyone to remain calm."
Silence answered her.
But beneath that silence, Yami could clearly sense the simmering undercurrents—doubt, resentment, suspicion.
This clan, already teetering on the edge of madness, required only the slightest provocation to set its fragile nerves aflame.
"The envoy from Kumogakure will arrive soon," Momoe continued, raising her voice.
"This is our closest opportunity to leave Hell Valley.
"If we miss this chance… then our generation—no, the Chinoike clan itself—will perish in this valley."
Her words stirred many.
But several elder council members looked unconvinced.
"Momoe," one white-haired elder sneered, "why should we place our hopes in Kumogakure?"
"It was Kumo and the Uchiha together who imprisoned us here. Why would they suddenly free us out of kindness?"
"The circumstances have changed," Momoe replied firmly. "The Third Raikage needs our strength. That is our value. If we demonstrate sufficient power and sincerity—"
"And then what?" another elder cut in sharply. "Become tools for Kumogakure's wars?"
"Bleed our last drop of blood for them? How is that any different from a slow death?"
Tension spiked again.
Yami noticed several younger clan members waver. The elders' words struck directly at their deepest fear.
One elder, beard streaked with gray, prepared to press further—but Momoe's gaze flicked toward him.
His body stiffened instantly.
He could not utter another word.
"Enough."
Her Ketsuryūgan flared to life.
A crushing wave of spiritual pressure swept across the clearing, forcing everyone's breath to hitch.
Her patience had reached its limit.
Gradually, the murmurs died down under the oppressive weight of her gaze.
She swept her cold eyes across every face before continuing:
"As Clan Leader, I command you—until the Kumogakure envoy arrives, no one will act rashly.
"And if rebellion is your intention, you will wait until after the envoy departs.
"This is an order—not a request.
"If anyone dares sabotage this opportunity… I will enforce clan law."
The assembly dispersed in suffocating silence.
---
From his vantage point on the cliffside, Yami watched Momoe walk away.
Her steps were heavier than the day before.
She stood at a crossroads of fate.
On one side—
the freedom her clan desperately longed for.
On the other—
a path that may lead them straight into an abyss of no return.
Every decision she made would shape the Chinoike clan's future.
Through Kagura's Mind's Eye, Yami sensed it all—
Fear.
Hope.
Resentment.
Anger.
Emotions tangled together like storm clouds.
He also noticed the young clansman named Oyashiro—his resolve unshaken. There was even anticipation in his eyes.
At this very moment, he tightly held the hand of a young woman beside him.
Yami already knew the Chinoike clan's eventual fate in the years to come.
If history followed its course, this negotiation would likely end in failure.
Perhaps that, too, would become one of the sparks that pushed Oyashiro toward darkness.
Yami exhaled softly.
"Seems I won't need to do much after all."
This extreme clan—
Was already walking the road toward self-destruction.
All he had to do—
Was decide when to strike the match.
At the same time — in Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning.
A broad-shouldered young shinobi stood fully equipped and ready to depart. His bronze-toned skin gleamed faintly under the sunlight, powerful muscles clearly defined beneath it. Short, light-blond hair framed a face brimming with confidence.
"A, this mission is yours."
The Third Raikage looked at his son — a young man who resembled him strikingly — and spoke with unmistakable trust.
"The Chinoike clan may have declined, but the power of the Ketsuryūgan is not to be underestimated. Weigh the pros and cons carefully. Whether to bring them back… I leave entirely to your judgment."
The young man known as A grinned.
"Relax, old man. I know what I'm doing."
"Remember — keep an eye on the Uchiha as well. They've guarded the Chinoike for years. They won't let go easily."
A waved dismissively.
"The Uchiha? A bunch of narrow-minded fools obsessed with their precious eyes. If they try to interfere, I'll show them the strength of Kumogakure."
The Third Raikage sighed, both proud and troubled by his son's impulsive temperament.
"Do not underestimate the Sharingan. And… intelligence suggests Konoha has also dispatched someone to Hell Valley."
"Konoha?"
Interest flickered in A's eyes.
"Good. I'll deal with them too."
He slung his pack over his shoulder and strode away without hesitation, disappearing in moments.
The young man who would one day become the Fourth Raikage was setting out toward Hell Valley with ambition blazing in his chest.
He had no idea—
That what awaited him there was far more complicated than he imagined.
---
Hell Valley — Uchiha Camp.
"So Kumogakure has finally set out…"
Uchiha Batō muttered as he read the letter in his hand.
"The heir apparent to the Raikage himself. They certainly take this seriously."
After reading, he burned the letter to ash, leaving no trace.
He did not inform Uchiha Yashiro.
Batō had managed Hell Valley for years. No movement escaped his notice.
Even the Chinoike clan learning of Kumogakure's impending arrival—
That had been his doing.
He had secretly spread the news, deliberately provoking the already fragile clan.
As long as the Chinoike made any reckless move—
They would lose all hope of freedom.
And he himself would gain…
A flicker of scarlet glinted in Batō's Sharingan, a trace of fanatic fervor flashing across his eyes.
In this multi-sided chess match—
He, too, had already placed his pieces.