"Chakra shouldn't be much of a problem. The Yellow Flash is the disciple of Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin, and he's already mastered Jiraiya's Sage Mode… Clan Head, you should know what that means, right?" Kyoichi glanced at Dazen.
"Sage Mode? He's even mastered that… Hah! As expected of the Yellow Flash, as expected of Konoha's brightest genius."
Dazen let out a long, heavy breath.
At sixty-five years of age, he had seen more than most. To Seinosuke and Yūsuke, "Sage Mode" might be a meaningless phrase, but to him, it was something he understood all too well. After all… in this age, the most famous user of Sage Mode was none other than Jiraiya of the Sannin.
But in earlier years—
If someone mentioned Sage Mode, the very first name that came to mind was the man who singlehandedly brought an end to the Warring States era: Senju Hashirama!
In his day, Hashirama swept across the entire shinobi world with unrivaled might. Whether one had been defeated by him or had managed to escape his blade, nearly every master of that era secretly studied his taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, his unique Wood Release bloodline, and above all, that mysterious art that could elevate one's power to an entirely new plane—Sage Mode.
And then, people discovered something: unlike Wood Release, Sage Mode was not an ability exclusive to the Senju clan.
The shinobi world lacked true historical records, but in many great clans with long histories, ancestors had left behind diaries and notes. Within those were scattered records about Sage Mode.
Though the Koeda clan was not as ancient as the Uchiha or Hyūga, their history could still be traced back over two centuries, and their archives contained more than a few rare records. And besides—Dazen himself had personally witnessed the overwhelming dominance of Hashirama Senju. He had also once crossed paths with the Sannin during the Second Shinobi World War…
From his knowledge,
Sage Mode not only enhanced every aspect of a shinobi's ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, but it also granted nearly inexhaustible reserves of chakra.
So then—
If the Yellow Flash had truly mastered Sage Mode, then yes, it might just be possible for him to rescue every last one of their clansmen trapped within Iwagakure.
"Clan Head, is there any other issue?" Kyoichi asked.
"Then let's do it this way!"
After a moment of contemplation, Koeda Dazen made his decision.
"You're really going through with this? Isn't it too hasty? We haven't prepared anything at all…" Seinosuke frowned.
"Prepare? What do you expect us to do, plan it out down to the number of steps we take? If you ask me, going in without preparation is even better. With no plan, there's no risk of leaks, and in the short term, the Iwa-nin won't even understand what happened."
By now, Dazen's resolve was firm. He was ready to seize the opportunity Kyoichi had presented.
Then he turned toward Seinosuke.
"As for danger… what we're doing was always a gamble with our lives. If we die, it only means fate never intended us to live on. And tell me—do you have a safer, more feasible plan?"
"Tch!"
Seinosuke clicked his tongue.
If he had another way, he would have spoken long ago.
"Kyoichi, tell me—how exactly do we proceed?" Seeing that Seinosuke had fallen silent, and that Yūsuke was quietly sitting still, Dazen cut short the chatter and turned back to Kyoichi.
"Gather all our people. Then, I'll release this Shadow Clone Jutsu myself and pass the intel back to my original body. If all goes well, the Yellow Flash of Konoha will appear very soon. At that point… he may take you away as agreed. But he might also seize you as hostages to trade with me instead."
Kyoichi spoke plainly, laying out the risks without embellishment.
"And as I said before: if the Yellow Flash tries to use you as bargaining chips, I'll kill his disciple on the spot. A hostage exchange is absolutely impossible. In short—Clan Head, Seinosuke, Yūsuke—you must be prepared to break out of this encampment by force if necessary."
"Then it's settled."
Dazen nodded.
Neither Seinosuke nor Yūsuke spoke up.
"Yūsuke, go gather everyone. Find Mai, Aki, the others—quickly, no delays." Dazen issued his order.
"I understand."
Yūsuke immediately moved into action.
Seinosuke stayed behind to maintain the barrier, while Dazen himself couldn't risk moving openly—if the clan head was seen wandering about, it would only attract suspicion. After weighing the risks, it was clear Yūsuke was the best runner. The rest remained inside.
Good or bad, it hardly mattered anymore.
The Koeda clan had already lost too many. Only a little more than a dozen remained alive. Aside from those in the room now, the rest could be counted on two hands. Gathering them wouldn't be difficult.
Before long, Yūsuke returned.
Alongside him came the six surviving chūnin and two genin of the Koeda clan.
"Kyoichi, everyone's here," Dazen said after confirming the group kneeling along the veranda, making sure none were missing.
The chūnin and genin stared back, eyes wide with confusion. They had no idea what their clan head and jōnin were plotting. But as clan shinobi, they understood one thing: the clan's survival always outweighed the village's.
The reason they hadn't been told about the escape was not due to doubts about their loyalty, but purely for secrecy—so no one could pry the truth from their minds.
Thus, until this very moment, the younger generation, none older than twenty, had never heard a word about leaving Iwagakure.
"Clan Head, if there's nothing else… I'll release the Shadow Clone now!" Kyoichi asked once more.
"Do it."
Dazen nodded solemnly.
Seinosuke and Yūsuke both held their breath, saying nothing.
Seeing their resolve, Kyoichi no longer hesitated. Forming hand seals, he dispelled the clone. With a sharp puff, white chakra smoke rose, and Kyoichi's figure vanished before their eyes. The veranda erupted with murmurs from the gathered clansmen.
But a moment later—
"Silence!"
Dazen's voice cracked like thunder, fierce and commanding, like an old lion in his prime.
The killing intent in his eyes silenced the entire room in an instant.
"You all listen to me! No matter what you see from this moment forward, keep your mouths shut and obey my commands. Whoever dares defy me—"
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to. That overflowing aura of killing intent spoke more clearly than words. No one doubted what would happen if they disobeyed.
And so, everyone waited in tense silence.
Until—
In the blink of an eye, a blinding flash appeared inside the room.
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