Chapter 299: Konoha Village's Dissolution (End of Volume 2)
"Damn it, someone needs to organize the troops!"
Itachi anxiously looked around, shouting loudly:
"Where's Lord Kazuma?"
"Where's Lord Mizuki?"
"Where are the clan jonin?"
"Why aren't they stepping forward to organize everyone's defense?"
Everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to answer.
"At the very beginning, we heard Lord Mizuki issuing defense orders."
"But later the defense inexplicably collapsed. The entire village descended into chaos. We never heard Lord Mizuki's voice again."
"Could Lord Mizuki have... unfortunately perished?"
Though mentally prepared, after hearing this news, Itachi's heart still convulsed violently.
Since Third's death, Mizuki had been the person friendliest toward him—unlike Lord Kazuma, whose friendliness concealed utilitarian purposes.
Mizuki had always only given to him, never demanding anything in return.
Precisely this "pure" assistance had allowed Mizuki to smoothly enter Itachi's closed, desolate heart, becoming Itachi's friend—even becoming a bond within his heart.
But now, this bond too would vanish.
How could Itachi's heart not feel pain?
Especially since Itachi clearly understood—the culprit creating this entire disaster was himself.
This clear recognition made Itachi's heart feel like a knife repeatedly stirring—unbearably painful.
He silently lowered his head. The death aura surrounding him grew several measures denser.
After briefly silent, Itachi forced himself to rally, asking quietly:
"Then, what about Lord Kazuma?"
"Did he also unfortunately sacrifice himself?"
"This..." Everyone exchanged glances, shaking their heads. "Unknown. Since chaos began, we haven't seen Lord Kazuma's shadow."
Perhaps unable to withstand being mentioned, just as they spoke of Lord Kazuma, someone immediately cried out in alarm from afar.
"Lord Kazuma, where are you going?"
Hearing this, Itachi froze before hastily reactivating Susanoo, standing tall to look into the distance.
This look nearly exploded Itachi's lungs with fury.
A carriage was rapidly fleeing outside the village. Before and behind, left and right, several shinobi protected it. The lead person was precisely Kazuma.
Without needing to ask, Itachi immediately understood who occupied that carriage.
Someone Lord Kazuma personally led escort for, someone who could mobilize so many shinobi for protection during such chaos—definitely the village's highest authority figure, always hidden behind the scenes enjoying benefits yet never appearing: Lord Sora Tani.
At this critical village moment, instead of rising to resist, these people... were fleeing!
Realizing this, Itachi wasn't alone. Immediately someone angrily pointed at Kazuma's group, crying out:
"Bad news—Lord Sora Tani is fleeing!"
"Lord Sora Tani has abandoned the village!"
"Lord Kazuma and them are also escorting Lord Sora Tani's escape!"
"The Guardian Ninja from Fire Country all fled together!"
Unknown who shouted these words—seemingly with sound wave ninjutsu added, louder than megaphones. Even on this battlefield filled with killing cries, it transmitted everywhere, letting everyone hear clearly.
Now village fighters everywhere exploded.
"What?"
"Are you joking?"
"We're still here fighting desperately. How can those leaders flee?"
"Probably those higher-ups feel Konoha Village can't be defended, so they decided abandoning it?"
"Then—what should we do?"
Dozens of "Enlightened" slaughtering massively through Konoha Village already created tremendous pressure on all shinobi. Leadership's escape became the final straw breaking the camel's back. Hearts rapidly collapsed completely.
"No way! I can't stupidly risk my life here. My family's waiting for me home. I can't die here!"
"This Konoha Village isn't mine alone. Whoever wants defending it can defend it. I'm done."
"Such a Konoha Village—defend what? Everyone scatter!"
"Though those monsters prove powerful, their numbers are limited. They can only kill so many. Let's see who runs fastest!"
Unknown where it started—someone first abandoned position defense, fleeing outside Konoha Village.
Before long, panic spread like plague, rapidly reaching throughout the village. Everyone abandoned resistance, single-mindedly wanting to run outside.
They didn't expect outrunning the "Enlightened"—just outrunning other village comrades sufficed.
Watching people fleeing everywhere like sheep, Nara Shikasuke sighed heavily with painful expression, yet had to make the final decision.
"Sigh, the situation is lost. Notify the other two clans—begin evacuation plan!"
Compared to ordinary clans, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio proved far calmer. They quickly gathered clan members before beginning orderly retreat outside the village with minimal baggage.
After witnessing their actions, ordinary shinobi grew even more desperate. Under multiple pressures, many completely descended into madness.
"Don't!"
Itachi's face paled like paper. He frantically tried preventing the avalanche, attempting to stop fleeing people.
"This is Konoha Village!"
"Our home!"
"We cannot flee!"
"Leaving here, where else can we go?"
"Don't..."
But no matter how Itachi shouted, pleaded, threatened—those who'd completely lost morale ignored him, only running outward with heads down.
Whoever dared blocking their paths received red-eyed sword strikes—even formerly brotherly comrades proved no exception.
"Ahhh..."
Screams constantly rang throughout the village. But only part came from "Enlightened" slaughter. More came entirely from villagers' self-trampling and mutual killing.
After yet another crazed shinobi swung a blade at Susanoo, Itachi finally had to admit—Konoha Village... was finished!
"No..."
"Don't..."
Itachi's eyes streamed bloody tears. He stood alone in the village main road's center.
Susanoo remained tall and mighty, invincible. All "Enlightened" only dared circling distantly without approaching.
But facing shinobi and villagers fleeing en masse, Itachi proved completely powerless—fundamentally not knowing what to do.
Couldn't fight. Couldn't kill.
When hearts scattered, force proved so useless.
He could do nothing—only wail while watching everyone inside Konoha Village madly flee, surrendering the entire village to monsters called "Enlightened" for occupation.
Konoha Village... completely finished!