Kapitel 21: CH - 21 Saved

A/N: I am writing another fanfic this time's my own. *yay* It's about Uzumaki Clan this time, btw there are actually some fics about Uzumaki not much though. This is going to be another kingdom building novel but not quite like this one. No, its not gonna be uzushiogakure rebuilding or making it strongest village. It will be a bit different but I will try to make a good plot. So, Stay Tuned.

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The secret technique of the Paper Style was something he had acquired during his previous visit to the Rain Country, where he fulfilled a special order from Konan. And it has proven to be quite useful. Manipulating paper to form any desired shape had its advantages.

As he observed countless paper swords impaling the tightly wrapped shinobi around him, he couldn't help but admit that while the spectacle of the flying swords was impressive, controlling so many paper blades simultaneously was quite challenging, especially for his first attempt.

Not long after the initial shock, the well-trained shinobi quickly regained their composure. They recognized that a formidable opponent had arrived and swiftly ordered their subordinates to abandon the Uzumaki clan and shift to a surround-and-attack strategy. Approximately a dozen high-level shinobi took their positions on trees and branches, observing Akihiko in the air.

"Grass shinobi?!" One of the shinobi, seemingly the leader of the group, furrowed his brow and muttered to himself.

However, he couldn't fathom why these Grass shinobi were intent on taking the Uzumaki clan with them. After all, the Uzumaki clan today was nothing more than a group of wandering shinobi, despised and rejected by the rest of the shinobi world. No village would be willing to accept such a large number of Uzumaki clan members.

Naturally, as skilled assassins, they couldn't afford to inquire further. The more they revealed, the greater the risk. Their sole objective now was to quietly whisk the Uzumaki clan away.

They exchanged glances with their comrades, they extended their hands and devised a subtle battle plan. "Move..."

However, before they could finish their instructions, the swirling Grass shinobi had already sprung into action. After all, they were in Fire Country, and lingering for too long would undoubtedly attract the attention of Konoha shinobi. It was wiser to swiftly secure their escape with the captives.

As for who these people were? Did it even matter? Even if they turned out to be Konoha shinobi, Konoha wouldn't acknowledge them. They could simply be considered inconsequential assassins.

He swiftly performed the necessary hand seals, and the swirling grass shinobi calmly uttered, "Paper Style: Paper Dragon Technique!"

As the words left his lips, "?!?" To the astonishment of everyone present, a colossal dragon formed entirely of paper materialized in the night sky, emitting a resounding roar.

"This ninjutsu..." Elder Yonjin clutched his chest, his eyes widening as he beheld the colossal dragon. Though the three enormous rocks that had inexplicably appeared earlier had aided him, preventing him from sacrificing himself to buy time for his clan members, his long-injured body, deprived of proper rest, still felt uneasy after the intense battle.

However, gazing at the giant dragon before him, his clouded eyes shimmered with astonishment as he murmured, "It resembles Hashirama-sama's Wood Dragon Technique!"

At that moment, the group of assassins also turned their attention to the colossal paper dragon, seemingly reminded of something. Their initial astonishment transformed into vigilance, and their faces grew serious. They nodded to each other and swiftly reacted, employing their respective ninjutsu to confront the charging dragon.

"Water Style..."

"Fire Style..."

"Earth Style..."

Various ninjutsu were hurled at the paper dragon.

However, in the face of the dragon's assault, the ninjutsu merely inflicted superficial scratches. In an instant, the dragon surged forward, sweeping its tail and knocking down several high-level shinobi.

Witnessing this sight, the Grass shinobi and the Uzumaki clan members released sighs of relief and widened their eyes, their gazes fixed on the figure in the sky.

Uzumaki Keji, filled with awe, remarked, "So, this is the leader of the Grass shinobi? No wonder they dared to take in the Uzumaki clan."

Even Yonjin, who had followed them to this point, felt a measure of reassurance. 'Perhaps... Grass Country is indeed a viable option for us.'

"Enough with the dramatic behavior! Standing before you now is the hero who quelled the chaos in Grass Country, the leader of the Grass shinobi, the most formidable leader in the history of Grass Village, destined to guide Grass Country to..."

However, before Mubuki, the shameless individual, could complete his grandiose proclamation, he was promptly interrupted. "Shut up!" Akihiko stared at him in disbelief.

This guy... What's the point of showing off at a time like this?! Being the most formidable leader in the history of Grass Village means nothing!

"Fall back with the people!" As the words were uttered.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Mubuki swiftly reacted once again, signaling the Uzumaki clan members behind him and the shinobi accompanying the leader—likely the Chinoike clan. "Let's go, let's go! Hurry!"

As he spoke, Uzumaki Keji hesitated, "What about our leader..."

He referred to Akihiko directly as their leader.

However, before he could finish his words, Mubuki interrupted him bluntly, "If he told us to flee, then we flee. Hurry up and leave! What can you accomplish here? Trust in the leader! Look, I'm already running!"

Grass shinobi village's talent for betraying their comrades remained intact! Akihiko was speechless, momentarily contemplating leaving this guy behind and fighting alongside him.

But at this moment, the more pressing concern was the group of assassins before them!

"Use Water Style!" the leader of the assassins, who seemed to have noticed something, said with a serious tone, "This technique is vulnerable to water!"

As a ninja, analyzing intelligence was a necessary skill, and he had just discerned that... the individual's technique seemed to falter in the presence of Water Style. The sections soaked by water appeared unable to be used, rendering them as ordinary wet paper.

Indeed, as soon as he finished speaking, he vaguely detected a change in the ninja's expression, though it quickly vanished. Nevertheless, as a seasoned shinobi, that brief moment was sufficient for him to catch on.

It makes sense. There can only be one Shinobi God in the ninja world, and that is the First Hokage of Konoha. This person before them is merely a powerful shinobi bearing a resemblance to the First Hokage.

Without a moment's hesitation, this was a covert operation, and the longer it dragged on, the greater the risk of exposure. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Armed with the vital information, the others also acted swiftly, immediately retreating and dispersing in different directions to encircle the colossal paper dragon. They rapidly formed hand seals and unleashed their individual Water Style techniques.

They believed that with this round, they would vanquish the massive paper dragon before them. Armed with the knowledge of their opponent's weakness, they presumed that victory was within easy reach.

However, in an instant, just as the leading shinobi thought they had the upper hand, they noticed a sly smile across the face of the Grass shinobi who had previously appeared nervous. Their expressions abruptly changed, "Retreat!"

But it was too late!

"Paper Style: Infinite Sword Paper!" The paper that had been dispersed by the Water Style jutsu suddenly transformed into countless swords, directly piercing toward the nearby shinobi.

While it was true that the ordinary Paper Style technique was vulnerable to water, Konan had made modifications to the paper in its later stages, rendering it waterproof.

Of course, Konan is still a young girl who has only just entered school.

But... He can make modifications himself. After all, he received a highly detailed scroll of secret techniques.

But this waterproof paper still has a weakness, and that is oil...

One might say that it has its pros and cons!

In order to swiftly deal with these high-level shinobi, Akihiko intentionally exposed this weakness. After all, these were not just any high-level shinobi... they were elite assassins. It wouldn't be so simple to bring them down.

And what if they realize they can't win and attempt to escape?

From the very beginning, Akihiko had prepared to prevent them from fleeing.

Observing the shinobi who were unable to react in time and were hindered by the paper swords, Akihiko cast a glance at Mubuki and the others who had already distanced themselves and swiftly affixed explosive tags to them.

"Explosive tags?!" The assassins also realized it at that moment, their faces once again shifting.

However... "Boom!" As Akihiko issued the command, all the explosive tags detonated.

The battle was over!

Everyone gazed at the dazzling light in the distance and the echoes of explosions resounding in their ears, instantly comprehending what had transpired.

Explosive tags!

They recalled the scenes from the preceding battle. This battle... had been meticulously orchestrated by the leader of Grass Village!

They recollected Mubuki's earlier statement, The most formidable leader in the history of Grass Village!

No wonder they possessed the audacity to recruit wandering shinobi and abduct the exiled Chinoike clan from the Land of Lightning!

In this moment, they felt a surge of confidence in their hearts. At least... their new leader's strength instilled faith in them!

Perhaps what the leader said... was true! Land of Grass would genuinely embrace them!

Yonjin, as an elder, rose to his feet once more, "Lord Mubuki, regarding the leader..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Mubuki already understood what he was about to say. Waving his hand, he smiled confidently and spoke, "Trust in the leader! The leader is an exceptional Grass shinobi. If danger arises, he can outpace all of us..."

Before he could finish his words, 'Bang!' He was swiftly kicked down. A figure formed by a stack of paper materialized behind him... Akihiko gazed at him with a bemused expression, then shifted his attention to the members of the Chinoike clan and Uzumaki clan who regarded him with anticipation and concern.

He immediately grasped what they were awaiting.

With a smile, he spread his arms wide, "Welcome to join Kusagakure! Now... let's return home!"

As he finished speaking, the members of the Uzumaki clan and Chinoike clan displayed smiles on their faces and shouted in unison, "Yes, leader!"