Chapter 169: Heavy Losses
"Long time no see, Yuzu ."
Li Yao's real body, originally sitting cross-legged with closed eyes atop the ink eagle, opened his eyes. He stood and smiled at the young—now older—girl who had been watching him.
"Uncle!"
"Wuwuwu!"
Yuzu couldn't hold back again. She cried as she ran to Li Yao and hugged him tightly, trying to bury her face in his chest.
But because she hugged too tightly, her cheek pressed against her own soft body.
Such a scene—face against chest—would be shocking even in a dark anime. Li Yao fully felt the reality: the girl had grown up.
His body stiffened momentarily but relaxed, and he gently stroked her red hair, softly saying, "Let's go. We'll leave here now."
"Mm." The girl softly responded, still holding her uncle tightly as if afraid this was all a dream.
Behind them, the sky had turned red—not sunrise, but sunset.
After one night—
The "lively" Kumogakure had returned to calm.
The Third Raikage, exhausted from the night's battles, returned to his office.
"Report. How severe are the damages from the attack?"
With his back to a slim, sexy blonde secretary in tight clothing, the Raikage looked out at the part of Kumogakure bombarded by clay explosives. His expression was calm.
The blonde secretary held a notebook detailing various reports, including damage from last night's assault.
She reported, "Boss, last night's attack caused eighteen large buildings to collapse, one hundred and fifty houses leveled, twenty bridges destroyed, five mountaintops blasted, and heavy casualties among personnel…"
"Impossible!" The Third Raikage abruptly turned, frowning at his secretary. "How could so many have died?"
Most Kumogakure ninja possessed Lightning chakra, and many strong shinobi guarded the village. Even with powerful clay bombs, such heavy losses seemed unlikely.
Many injured? Possibly. Many dead? No way.
According to his estimate, since he had intercepted most clay birds targeting the village center, there shouldn't be so many casualties.
Casualties among jōnin were one thing, but being killed by clay birds with prior preparation, not surprise attacks, was suspicious.
Could it have been due to efforts to save others?
Still unlikely.
These were jōnin, not mere chūnin or genin!
"What exactly happened?" The Raikage frowned deeply and looked at his secretary doubtfully. He refused to believe his village's ninja were so incompetent.
The secretary read from her notes, "Based on many chūnin and some villagers' eyewitness reports, the enemy's clay birds directly targeted houses where people hid. Unoccupied buildings or areas saw minimal attacks."
The Raikage's face changed. "You're saying the attackers have a wide-range sensory ability, capable of detecting villagers hiding under houses and bridges?"
The secretary nodded. "According to intelligence, the enemy indeed has a powerful, ultra-long-range, detailed sensory capability."
"You can tell by the attack on Eagle Thunder Gorge, too."
"How did the Dharma clan fare?" The Raikage's eyes flickered as he asked.
The secretary shook her head with regret. "They're finished. The enemy's clay birds precisely struck every eagle den and every eagle the Dharma clan bred. All of their eagles in Eagle Thunder Gorge were killed—none survived."
This demonstrated just how terrifying the enemy's sensory ability was—wide-ranging and incredibly precise, able to kill every eagle even from over two kilometers away.
That sensory ability reminded the Raikage of someone, causing his entire body to shudder momentarily.
But thinking of how that person had already been wiped out by Ōnoki's Dust Release, he calmed.
The secretary continued, "Apart from a few eagles on patrol, it will take the Dharma clan at least fifty years to rebuild their eagle population."
"They have no chance," the Raikage said, shaking his head.
With so many dead, someone must be responsible for the village's defense. The Dharma clan was suited for that role.
They'd better share their eagle breeding secrets.
The Raikage thought.
"And… the ANBU have lost the scent of the attackers," the secretary added, closing her notebook.
Li Yao flew away on high altitude, so it was difficult for scent detection to lock onto him for long.
It was understandable the ANBU lost track.
The Raikage neither confirmed nor denied. For now, pursuing the enemy was secondary. He ordered his secretary to summon all clan leaders for a meeting to redistribute sensory defenses centered on Kumogakure.
He didn't want a repeat of last night's attack.
…
Somewhere in the Land of Lightning's mountains.
Beneath a large tree, Li Yao sat in a chair shaped from ink, eating roast duck and drinking juice.
All the food was stored in his Black Water space during his journey here.
Nearby, inside a small ink-formed hut, Uzumaki Yuzu was finally enjoying a peaceful sleep after a year. She hadn't yet woken.
Beside her, Fanma Renza—stripped of bodily control by Perception Deprivation Jutsu—glared at Li Yao with burning fury. More precisely, he glared at his five naked sisters and mother, who were massaging Li Yao's legs and shoulders.
"I'll kill you!"
"I will definitely kill you!"
"Kill you!"
Renza's rage manifested physically: bloodshot eyes, trembling limbs, tight skin, and accelerated blood flow—his overwhelming fury was clear.
After finishing his roast duck, Li Yao didn't bother to wash his hands. He twirled a huge buttock in each hand, teasing Renza with a challenging gaze.
Seeing Renza's fury, Li Yao was delighted—not because of revenge, but because he imagined the Third Hokage looking on similarly as he toyed with his wife, daughter-in-law, and Sarutobi clan women.
"No rush!"
"Soon!"
Li Yao closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of softness surrounding his body.
The spirit perception he sought was now within reach. He was close to perfecting the Transformation Technique.
When that happened… he'd choose a member of the Uchiha clan to infiltrate Konoha, become Hokage in front of the Third, and then… he chuckled at the thought.
"Uncle, your smile is so creepy!"
Yuzu had woken up without him noticing. She sat next to Li Yao and teased his evil smile with a frown.
"Why aren't you wearing clothes?"
Li Yao opened his eyes and saw a fair, soft body before him. His brow furrowed.
He had bought her plenty of clothes in a nearby town just after leaving Kumogakure last night, yet she came out this morning wearing nothing.
Did Yuzu really not see him as a man?
(END CHAPTER)
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