Shigeo looked at the crowd, his brows tightly furrowed. He raised his voice and said:
"I've never been some saint, nor do I like to play the great philanthropist. But remember this today—whatever choice you make, even if it brings you tears, you have to walk it through to the end!"
With that, he stepped aside. All the people surged outward!
Clinging to the wall beside him, Wuqianling stood still. She raised her eyes to him, tears brimming.
When Shigeo turned to leave, she suddenly reached out and caught his finger. "Big brother… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out at you."
He shrugged his shoulder and said flatly:
"Don't worry, I won't hold a grudge against a little girl. But next time you want to wield the authority of being the heiress of Wuwang City—or the princess of the Land of Sky—think about the choices you've already made."
With that, he pulled his hand free, turned around, and vanished.
The townsfolk who had been hiding in the shelter surged out in droves. The whole city was shaking violently; the thick mist that had always cloaked the streets was gone. The long-lingering incense-like fragrance had dispersed. The barrier above the city was gone. Wuwang City felt like the heavens themselves had changed.
The gates were sealed tight. Above the cliffside castle, rows of strange machines stood, and many soldiers strapped on wing-packs. With a burst of energy, they launched into the skies.
And the quaking earth beneath them? To them, it was nothing at all.
Someone scrambled to the city wall, shouting. It was then that they realized—Wuwang City had risen into the sky! Only now did they understand why Shigeo had blocked them inside the shelter. They could never have escaped. They had thrown themselves into their own trap.
Out over the sea, several warships appeared.
Shennong had long been in collusion with the Phantom Demoness. The two had struck a pact: as long as she opened the city's secret treasure, he would launch an attack against the Five Great Ninja Villages and ignite a great war.
Now that the treasure had been activated, Shennong—once a war-driving elder of the Sky Ninja—was true to his word.
He sent the signal, summoning the military power he had hoarded for years.
On the warships, rows of Sky Ninja stood ready. With a horn's cry, hundreds spread their wings and soared off in different directions.
Seeing this, Shigeo's heart clenched. In the story he remembered, the Sky Ninja only attacked Konoha. But now their targets weren't just Konoha—these flight paths were aimed straight at all five great villages. No wonder their schemes had deceived all of them.
But this was suicide. Barely three years had passed since the Third Great Ninja War. With just this meager force, the Sky Ninja couldn't possibly stand against even one of the Five Villages, let alone all of them.
Shigeo shook his head slightly, then used Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) to head toward the cliffside castle.
Tens of thousands of civilians had suddenly poured into the open. The Phantom Demoness was ecstatic. Standing on the castle's launch platform, she looked down on the scene with a triumphant smile.
"Heaven itself favors me. Just when I was short on manpower, the heavens deliver it to my hands! Seize them all—men, women, children, none are to be spared! Force them to take the medicine on the spot. I want every last one turned into my warriors!"
"Yes!" her guards answered, then hurried off.
Soldiers swarmed into the streets, rounding up civilians. Those who obeyed were force-fed the pills. Those who resisted were cut down on the spot. In an instant, Wuwang City became a living hell.
At that moment, Wuqianling and Elder Bu stood in a hidden tower, watching the horror unfold through a window.
Only now did she realize how naïve she had been. The civilians might not have known the truth—but she had. And still she had forced Shigeo to make way for them. Now, all of this had become reality.
Elder Bu closed his eyes in pain.
"Princess, I've arranged a wing pack for you. You should leave while there's still time," he whispered, fearful his voice might further deepen her guilt.
"Wing pack? Elder Bu, how many do you have? How many of our people can you save?" Wuqianling's eyes burned red as she clutched the old man's arm.
He shook his head, silent for a long moment before replying:
"Only one set. Hidden in the secret room of my old home. I've already sent Xiao Zhen and the others to fetch it for you. The rest… I cannot save. This is the consequence of their own choice."
On the streets, guards herded crowds of townsfolk together, forcing the pills into their mouths before dragging them back to the castle.
Old, young, crippled, dying—none were spared.
Wuwang City echoed with wails. Everyone who swallowed the pills collapsed in agony, bodies writhing, skin crawling as though worms gnawed from the inside out.
This poison was Shennong's creation, a gift to the false Uwaha to control her victims. The obedient received one antidote pill a month to survive. The defiant were consumed from within—pain, itching, torment worse than death.
That was why, even though the soldiers had long hated the impostor Uwaha, none dared to oppose her.
After a quarter of an hour, the torment eased, leaving only a dull ache—a grim reminder that they must obey, or suffer again.
…
Hundreds of Sky Ninja launched their raids against the Five Great Villages.
Hundreds of Phantom Corpses and masked men marched from the land, reinforcing them.
The world of shinobi was plunged into war.
The Sky Ninja flew swiftly. Though their ninjutsu was weak, their wing-packs gave them overwhelming mobility. Reaching their targets, they unleashed furious bombing runs.
The villages reeled. Konoha, warned by Kakashi and others, had prepared defenses. But the other four villages suffered heavy losses.
They fought back fiercely, yet still paid dearly.
When the Sky Ninja retreated to resupply, the Phantom Corpses and masked men met the counter-attacks midway, and savage battles erupted.
Meanwhile, in Wuwang City, Shigeo lay sprawled casually across a windowsill of the cliffside castle's bell tower, gazing down at the chaos below.
After all, he wasn't from Wuwang City. Why should he care?
Five great villages, innocent townsfolk—whether they lived or died had nothing to do with him. All he needed to do was watch the show.
He cracked open a peanut, tossed it into his mouth.
His gaze lingered on the salted peanuts—Elder Bu had given them to him, saying it would be something to nibble on when idle. And the peace charm tied at his wrist—that had been knotted there by a child from the family who had once taken him in, saying it would protect him.
Shigeo felt a pang of irritation. He tugged at the charm, ready to throw it away. But after a moment's thought, he stuffed it back into his pocket instead.
Perhaps everyone is moved by small acts of warmth.
Thinking that, he let out a mocking laugh at himself. "How sentimental."
Then he turned his eyes back to the chaos below.
(End of Chapter)
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