Chapter 168: The Dharma Clan Is Finished
"Art is—explosion!"
Boom!
Boom!
Even though the Third Raikage was fast.
Even though other Kumogakure ninja were doing their best to deactivate the clay bird bombs with Lightning Release to render them duds—
There were simply too many of Li Yao's clay birds. They rained down like a galaxy of stars, dense and fast, impossible to stop them all.
One after another, white birds landed on rooftops, bridges, roads, and mountain peaks—exploding on impact.
At that moment, the geographical disadvantage of Kumogakure became painfully clear.
The explosions on mountaintops dislodged massive rocks that tumbled down, crashing into the village structures built on the slopes—causing secondary destruction.
"No… please, no!"
"Mom! Mom!"
"Help!"
"My leg…!"
Kumogakure's rapid response wasn't fast enough. Nor was Li Yao. Many villagers didn't make it to the bunkers in time. As soon as the clay birds landed, people were buried under rubble or torn apart by the blasts.
In an instant, the sound of explosions echoed everywhere, intertwined with screams of anguish.
"Damn it!!!"
The Third Raikage roared with fury, but he was powerless. No matter how fast he was—considered the fastest in the ninja world—he couldn't intercept them all. His rage toward the attacker reached its peak.
"Iwagakure!"
"Just wait. You dare… I won't let this go. I'll pay you back a hundredfold!"
Burning with rage, the Third Raikage recalled how he had already been played by Ōnoki during the Five Kage siege. Now Iwagakure had the gall to launch a sneak attack? He swore to bring them pain.
Boom boom boom… Explosions echoed far and wide across Kumogakure.
Even the shinobi in Red Lantern Valley felt the tremors.
"What's going on?"
"Is it an enemy attack?"
Those who stepped outside saw the sky above the village glowing red from the fires, and their hearts tightened. Still, many didn't dare believe someone would attack their village.
After all, this was Kumogakure!
The home of the Third Raikage!
Who would be so bold?
And how could anyone make it past all the security and reach the heart of the village?
But facts spoke louder than doubts. Kumogakure had been attacked.
"Looks like I can bring an end to this tragedy."
High in the sky, atop his ink eagle, Li Yao's shadow clone looked toward the burning village and smiled. Then, with a thought, he conjured a clay puppet and dropped it.
Boom!
The white clay puppet transformed midair—300 meters above Red Lantern Valley—into a massive hundred-meter-tall golem that fell straight down.
BOOM!
Below, the Kumogakure shinobi hadn't even gotten fully dressed before being flattened, along with their wooden houses.
Then, like a balloon filling with air, the massive puppet began to swell rapidly.
"No! Run!"
Outside, those who saw the swelling puppet panicked. Not bothering to dress, they sprinted for their lives.
BOOM!
But they didn't get far. The golem, now at maximum size, burst like an overinflated balloon.
There was no fire—just a violent shockwave that erupted in all directions, engulfing the entire valley, including the ninja guarding the entrance.
"Art is—explosion!"
With those words in Li Yao's mind, the fleeing Kumogakure ninja felt as if they had aged a thousand years in an instant—their bodies disintegrated into invisible dust.
Suddenly, all was silent in Red Lantern Valley. Everyone was gone.
Li Yao had killed both the Kumogakure shinobi and the tormented women inside the houses. After all, for those women, survival only meant more suffering. One act of compromise would be followed by countless others—until death.
Just like how Karin's mother in the original story was slowly sucked dry by Kusagakure.
If Li Yao hadn't come, Yuzu 's fate would've been the same—forced to give birth until she died. There would have been no miracle.
In this cruel, survival-of-the-fittest world, reality was ruthless.
"Quick!"
"The village is under attack! Air units, take off and engage!"
Two kilometers outside Kumogakure sat Thunder Eagle Gorge—a training and breeding ground for giant eagles. It also served as the main base for Kumogakure's aerial surveillance forces, controlled by the Dharma Clan.
Upon receiving news of the village being attacked by Iwagakure's demolition unit, the Dharma clan's jōnin leader was furious—and terrified. He immediately ordered his clan to deploy the eagles for support.
"How did the enemy get past our eagle patrols to reach the village?"
The jōnin couldn't understand it—but now wasn't the time to ponder. He rushed toward the eagle den where his personal summon resided.
BOOM! BOOM! Explosions continued in the distance. Each blast felt like a direct hit to his heart.
As the clan responsible for all aerial surveillance in the Land of Lightning, the Dharma family had long enjoyed massive power and privilege—but with it came great responsibility.
Letting the enemy sneak in from the sky and attack the village… they hadn't even noticed in advance. The fallout would be enormous.
Especially during wartime, public opinion could destroy them. The only way to avoid being torn apart would be to make enormous concessions.
"Sigh… huh? What's that?"
Just as the jōnin sighed at the impending disaster facing his clan, he spotted several white streaks shooting toward the gorge from the distance. His face froze.
Until one streak hit the cliff near an eagle den—and he recognized it.
"No! Clay birds!"
"Quick! Use Lightning Release to intercept those white clay birds!"
The jōnin's eyes turned red as he shouted to his clan. At the same time, he formed hand seals to unleash Fire Release toward the incoming bombs.
But… it was already too late!
BOOM BOOM…! Explosions rocked the entire Thunder Eagle Gorge. Fire lit up the night sky.
They were fast—too fast!
The clay birds flew like white lightning bolts. By the time they were seen, it was already too late to stop them.
Each bird flew like it had infrared-guided radar—targeting the eagles that the Dharma clan had raised with painstaking care. Every single eagle, no matter the size, was locked on.
BOOM!
CRACK!
BOOM! SPLASH!
Explosions, crumbling stone, and boulders smashing into the rivers below echoed one after another.
"It's over!"
"The Dharma Clan is finished!"
The clan's jōnin fell to his knees, stunned, watching as smoke and fire engulfed the gorge, and hearing the cries of dying eagles from the dens.
He knew.
It was over.
A century of breeding—gone. Their clan was finished. Their rivals would never give them another hundred years to rise again.
"Heh… let's see how long you can stay cocky."
High above the edge of Kumogakure, Li Yao—still possessing Fanma Renza—looked toward Thunder Eagle Gorge, a smirk forming at his lips.
Those long-range eagle scouts had given him so much trouble before. Now, let's see how they like it.
Soul perception was truly powerful. Combined with chakra sensing, nothing could hide from him.
Everything in Kumogakure was within Li Yao's awareness. There was no way he'd let the Dharma clan's eagles escape.
(END CHAPTER)
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