The so-called "rebels," including Hagane Maemori, were imprisoned in a secret camp outside the village.
"Lord Takikage, we're here," Kubisaki Ichiro said, pointing to a tightly sealed compound.
Ruri activated his sensory abilities to investigate. Inside, he only detected some weak chakra signatures, indeed similar to those of the Hagane Clan.
"I've heard this place was formerly the Kubisaki Clan's compound. Please lead the way, Elder Kubisaki."
Ruri wasn't foolish. The one who had launched the coup was Kubisaki Ichiro, and his current goal was certainly to attack Ruri. If Ruri carelessly walked into a building rigged with explosive tags, he'd be lucky to escape with his life, let alone unharmed.
"You all guard the entrance. Lord Takikage and I will interrogate the rebels," Kubisaki Ichiro instructed his clansmen to secure the gate, then entered with Ruri.
After navigating several turns and corners, Ruri finally reached the central courtyard and saw the severely weakened Hagane Maemori and his clansmen, along with some non-clan shinobi, all bound tightly like zongzi.
Hagane Maemori at the front had dried blood at the corner of his mouth, evidence of a recent beating. Seeing Ruri, he seemed to want to say something, trying to stand up.
Whoosh!
Kubisaki Ichiro promptly threw a kunai, embedding it in Hagane Maemori's thigh. Under normal circumstances, such an attack would have been deflected on contact. But besides being beaten by Kubisaki clansmen every few hours, he hadn't even had a sip of water, let alone food. He had no strength left; even with chakra, he had no combat power.
"Lord Takikage, this fellow tried to ambush you! Should we execute him first to set an example?" Kubisaki Ichiro walked up to Hagane Maemori and stabbed him a few more times with the kunai.
Ruri sharply ordered Kubisaki Ichiro to step back. Even if they were rebels, you still needed some basic humanity!
"In that case, Lord Takikage, you interrogate them first. My clan has suffered many casualties; I must attend to their arrangements properly." Kubisaki Ichiro said no more, glared fiercely at Hagane Maemori, and left.
Once Ruri sensed Kubisaki Ichiro's chakra had completely departed, he took out some medical supplies and handed them to Hagane Maemori and other severely injured shinobi.
Too weak to speak, Hagane Maemori glanced at a large man beside him, who then spoke, "Lord Takikage—"
Ruri signaled for him not to speak. "I know the gist of it. The rebellion was launched by the Kubisaki and Tsuchigumo Clans. Your injuries are also serious; conserve your strength. First, tell me about the village's situation."
"After you left, the Kubisaki Clan allied with the Fūma and Tsuchigumo Clans. The three clans launched a rebellion, killing many immediately. We resisted as best we could under the clan head's leadership, but we were no match..."
Ruri frowned. So the Fūma Clan was indeed involved? He had thought it was only the Kubisaki and Tsuchigumo Clans. He truly hadn't expected Kubisaki Ichiro to persuade two major clans to join a coup in such a short time. A talent like his was wasted not being in diplomacy.
"Who led the Tsuchigumo Clan? Did they use any large-scale ninjutsu?"
"It was led by their clan head, Tsuchigumo Rihee. However, they only provided support from the sidelines and didn't really engage."
Support from the sidelines? Since the Tsuchigumo clan head himself was leading, the conditions for using their forbidden jutsu were certainly met. If they hadn't used it yet, they were undoubtedly waiting for an opportunity...
A bad feeling struck Ruri. Wasn't everyone in this courtyard right now a shinobi who had resisted Kubisaki Ichiro's coup?! Using their forbidden technique now would wipe them all out in one fell swoop!
"Everyone! Those who have recovered even a little strength, use your defensive jutsu! Create cover! Hagane Clan shinobi, create steel walls! Make as many as possible! Otherwise, you'll die!"
After giving the order, Ruri quickly leaped onto the roof of a building at the back of the courtyard to investigate.
The moment he showed his head, a barrage of ninjutsu forced him back. It seemed his guess was correct.
"Lord Takikage—no, I should call you the 'rat in the trap.' Have you figured it out yet? Never mind, the dead don't need to know too much. How long can your proud jutsu hold out, I wonder?"
Outside the compound, Kubisaki Ichiro stood atop his giant lizard, looking smugly at Ruri. The sunlight glinted off the metal support on his right leg.
Noticing Ruri's gaze, Kubisaki Ichiro's face darkened. This lost leg was a lifelong shame. Even if this coup succeeded and he took control of Takigakure, it wouldn't wash away this disgrace. He wished he could whip Ruri's corpse a hundred times after killing him to vent his hatred!
"Damn it! Don't stop the ninjutsu! Did you think this was all? Old Man Rihee is still waiting for you!" However, preserving a whole corpse would probably be difficult under that technique... Kubisaki Ichiro looked at Tsuchigumo Rihee gathering chakra in the distance and smiled.
Forced back into the courtyard by the indiscriminate barrage of ninjutsu, Ruri couldn't break through immediately. Although he could likely charge out using the Seven-Tails' chakra and the Truth-Seeking Ball, he couldn't abandon these people.
These were people who hadn't participated in the coup, who had protected the village, who were loyal to him or to the Land of Waterfall. For both moral and practical reasons, he couldn't just abandon them.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Ruri's natural affinities were Wind and Lightning; he wasn't skilled in defense. He had only learned the Earth-Style Wall for survival.
While the Earth-Style Wall wasn't a particularly powerful jutsu, its effectiveness multiplied with quantity. Ruri erected several dozen Earth Walls in one go, astonishing those nearby.
Hagane Masataka, the large man beside Hagane Maemori, seemed to understand that the enemy intended to wipe them all out. He said to Ruri, "Lord Takikage, these medical supplies are enough for us to recover some strength. We have the ability to protect ourselves. Please conserve your chakra and escape with the Clan Head and those without combat ability!"
Ruri's actions had won the approval of these shinobi, some of whom had previously held grievances against him. The chakra consumed by dozens of Earth Walls would definitely be enough for him to escape alone, yet he hadn't done so.
Ruri shook his head. The medicine could only heal superficial wounds; it wasn't some legendary stamina potion. At best, they could move, but they wouldn't recover their combat strength. If he left, these people would all die.
Furthermore, these people seemed unaware of the Tsuchigumo Clan's forbidden jutsu. An attack like that wasn't something just any shinobi could withstand.
Ruri still had plenty of chakra left. Dozens of Earth Walls were a drop in the bucket for the Seven-Tails. With his massive chakra reserves, if he knew some high-level defensive jutsu, he might easily block the incoming attack.
Thinking quickly, Ruri had an idea and began forming hand seals.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!" A wooden house sprang from the ground, causing everyone to stare in shock. Since when did Lord Takikage know Wood Release?
Seeing the sudden appearance of the wooden house in the courtyard, Kubisaki Ichiro on his lizard was also stunned. Is that... Wood Release?
Every second counted. One wooden house after another appeared consecutively. Although the Four-Pillar House Technique wasn't a defensive jutsu, the sturdiness of a house far surpassed that of an Earth Wall. Its only drawback was the high chakra consumption. But with the Seven-Tails sealed within him, Ruri had no shortage of chakra. With the houses providing cover, the ninjutsu from the Kubisaki shinobi was no longer a major concern.