Covered in blood, Juzo Biwa fought his way out of the encirclement.
Jinin Akebino sprinted at the very front.
Fuguki Suikazan ran while constantly glancing back. Only when he was certain the Sand ninja had given up the chase—and they were nearing the safety of the main Mist army—did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But his expression remained incredibly ugly.
This operation had been a catastrophic failure from start to finish.
Not only had they failed to kill Pakura, they hadn't even managed to wound her.
Instead, the elite Mist unit he led had been wiped out by the pursuing Sand forces.
Only the three Swordsmen and a handful of subordinates had made it out alive.
Fuguki didn't feel guilt over their deaths. He felt their deaths were a waste.
Worse, their deaths were ironclad proof of his failure.
Once news of this disaster reached the village, he would inevitably be punished.
For a man as ambitious and climbing-obsessed as Fuguki Suikazan, this was the absolute worst possible outcome.
"Gengetsu Hozuki... it's all Gengetsu Hozuki's fault!"
But Gengetsu was already dead. Fuguki had no way to vent his suffocating rage on the corpse of the man responsible.
"There was something wrong with that kid."
"Either he was mentally deranged, or he did it on purpose."
Fuguki narrowed his eyes. He wasn't about to let this slide.
Gengetsu might be dead, but perhaps he still had people he cared about in the village.
Suddenly, a familiar figure entered Fuguki's line of sight.
He recognized the man as the captain of the squad "Gengetsu" had belonged to.
"What is your name?"
"Reporting to Lord Fuguki. My name is Kazuo Kojima."
Kazuo Kojima looked uneasy.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be this nervous. But the Mist had just suffered a humiliating defeat, losing dozens of elite ninja in a botched operation planned by Fuguki himself.
Kojima knew better than to think Fuguki was seeking him out for a friendly chat.
"Kazuo Kojima. How much do you know about Gengetsu Hozuki?"
Kojima carefully weighed his words.
"Reporting to Lord Fuguki. Gengetsu was a pretentious man. He acted like the Hozuki clan was still in its golden age under the Second Mizukage. He showed very little respect for me as his captain."
"He was lazy, entitled, and obsessed with glory."
Kojima did his best to paint "Gengetsu" as completely worthless.
Fuguki narrowed his eyes.
"So you believe the reason Gengetsu charged out first and shouted those things was because he wanted to steal the credit?"
Kojima nodded vigorously.
"Exactly, Lord Fuguki. That is exactly the kind of person Gengetsu was."
Just then, another figure appeared.
It was a member of Kojima's own squad—one of "Gengetsu's" teammates.
"Lord Fuguki, I have something to report."
"Speak."
Fuguki turned his gaze to the newcomer.
Kojima suddenly felt a profound sense of dread.
"Lord Fuguki, I wish to report Kazuo Kojima. During his time as Gengetsu Hozuki's captain, Kojima repeatedly targeted, suppressed, and verbally abused him."
"Living under such treatment for so long caused Gengetsu's mental state to deteriorate."
"I often saw him muttering to himself, his eyes blank and empty."
Kojima's face went pale. He glared at his subordinate with naked hostility, wishing he could strike him dead right there.
But he noticed Fuguki standing right next to him, staring at him with cold, dead eyes.
Kojima didn't dare move a muscle.
"Lord Fuguki, that's not true! This man is lying!"
"He's speaking nonsense! He's framing me! Sir, he's slandering me!"
Fuguki's expression darkened further.
Now he finally understood why "Gengetsu" had acted that way.
"Gengetsu" wasn't simply crazy or brain-damaged. He had done it deliberately to sabotage the Mist.
Because "Gengetsu" hated the Mist.
Aside from the decline of the Hozuki clan, the primary cause was the long-term suppression and bullying by his captain, Kazuo Kojima.
"So that's it!"
"That's the reason!"
Fuguki looked at Kojima calmly.
"Lord Fuguki?"
Even though Fuguki showed no emotion, even though he said nothing, waves of chill washed over Kojima's back.
Wave after wave of terror.
"Kazuo Kojima. do you have any idea how long I prepared for this plan?"
"Do you know how much effort I poured into it?"
"And because of you, my plan failed."
"Dozens of elite ninja dead in an instant."
"Kazuo Kojima, you are a sinner against the Mist!"
"It is all because of you!"
Kojima wore a look of utter horror, stammering his defense.
"Lord Fuguki, it wasn't my fault! It was Gengetsu's fault!"
But Fuguki wasn't listening.
All the rage he had accumulated since the moment the plan collapsed had finally found its target. He had found the true culprit behind this disaster. His eyes locked onto Kojima, filled with icy, murderous intent.
"Die!"
Kojima couldn't react in time.
Fuguki gripped the handle of Samehada and swung it violently down on Kojima.
SPLAT!
Samehada's razor-sharp scales shredded Kojima's flesh, tearing deep into his body.
Simultaneously, a massive suction force latched onto him.
Samehada's terrifying chakra absorption ability drained Kojima nearly dry in an instant. The Chunin collapsed, completely powerless.
After all, he was just a Chunin.
But Fuguki wasn't satisfied yet.
He swung again, aiming directly for Kojima's neck.
SHK!
A large head flew into the air.
Eyes wide, filled with unwillingness and disbelief.
"No..."
Kojima never imagined he would die for bullying "Gengetsu Hozuki." Wasn't the Hozuki clan meant to be bullied these days?
Only then did Fuguki turn to the young man standing nearby.
"What is your name?"
"Reporting to Lord Fuguki. My name is Ariga Kaguya."
Fuguki nodded.
"From today on, you are the captain of Squad 13."
"Yes, Lord Fuguki!"
Ariga puffed out his chest proudly.
He glanced at Kojima's headless corpse, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Safe travels, Captain."
"Oh, wait. I'm the captain now!"
...
...
Hidden Sand Village.
Rasa's consciousness returned to his own body. He instinctively touched his neck, recalling the final moments and sensations of "Gengetsu's" death.
"My wife really doesn't hold back when she strikes."