Naruto: I, the villain template, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 72 seems a little different from what we expected (Please vote with monthly tickets!!)

"What exactly happened here?"

Looking at the unfamiliar scene before her, Tsunade stood there dumbfounded, almost thinking she was lost.

In her memory, the Land of Whirlpools was a beautiful place with lush trees and flowing rivers.

The trees would dye the water a lush green, reflecting the vast, deep blue sky.

But now, Wochao Village is shrouded in darkness, yet it is not a pure darkness.

A shadow of the moon, distorted by the scorching air, hung in the night sky.

The lush green forest has vanished, leaving only withered, burnt tree trunks.

In the distorted moonlight, the remaining flames on the tree trunk emitted a faint red glow.

Instead of becoming a light source to illuminate the darkness, it adds to its deathly stillness.

Like a black curtain closing after the curtain falls, decorated with intricate red patterns, yet still shockingly black.

Click.

Jiraiya subconsciously took a step forward, and it seemed he stepped on something, making a crisp sound.

"...What is it?"

Jiraiya looked down and saw only a charred black patch and a section of "twig".

Branches?

Only after he squinted and looked closely did he finally recognize its true appearance.

That's not a tree branch at all!

That was clearly a human arm!

What should have been powerful, strong arms can now only evoke one word: strength.

—Crispy.

The metaphors are somewhat chilling, but they are extremely apt.

It was as shriveled as firewood, having shrunk considerably.

No, I should say...

"These...these are all severed limbs?"

Jiraiya raised his other foot in astonishment, making another crisp sound that sent chills down one's spine.

At his feet lay a corpse, completely carbonized, its fragility visible to the naked eye, no different from a withered tree trunk.

The same charring, the same decay.

When everyone looked up, they were stunned and astonished.

A charred corpse, a charred corpse!

Before them lay charred corpses, so numerous they covered the ground, their sheer number creating an unsettling atmosphere, and the stench of burning flesh was nauseating!

Those charred and ugly limbs, like twisted branches in full bloom, have transformed into a low-lying jungle.

It leaves a lasting visual shock in people's eyes, and freely paints a black picture, transforming into evil spirits crawling out of the ground, reaching out their arms to drag them down to hell.

"It seems that Uzushio Village has been lured into a trap by Kirigakure?" a Jonin whispered. "There are traces of explosive tags, and besides, do they even have anyone in Kirigakure who knows such a large-scale fire-style ninjutsu?"

He saw large areas of destroyed corpses and tree debris, with black smoke rising from the burning debris.

Preliminary speculation suggests that a terrifying number of explosive tags detonated simultaneously, which someone then used to activate a Fire Release ninjutsu...

"No, I'm afraid that's not the case."

Kato Dan slowly squatted down, picked up two headbands from his feet, ignoring the burning pain in his hands.

Looking at the Kirigakure insignia on it, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he whispered, "It seems there are only Kirigakure corpses here..."

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent for a moment, their gazes sweeping over the charred corpse at their feet, their expressions gradually becoming serious and filled with suspicion.

Really.

There were really only the corpses of the Hidden Mist.

At least from here, all you can see is Kirigakure's headband.

"Someone used a barrier spell."

Kato Dan used all his senses to quickly figure out the situation in the forest. He said in a serious tone, "After surrounding the Hidden Mist ninja in this forest, we lit the explosive tags and then used Fire Release ninjutsu at this location."

In other words, neither the person trapped within the barrier nor the person casting the barrier and ninjutsu could escape in the end.

"..."

Tsunade silently stood up, looking at the horrifying scene before her, and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

Her eyes seemed to catch a glimpse of the towering flames, causing her heart to skip a beat, and her bandaged arm throbbed with pain.

"Tsunade, what's wrong?"

Jiraiya's worried voice reached her ears, but Tsunade waved her hand with a pained expression and said in a deep voice, "It's alright, let's keep going."

Click.

After the flames burned, the land was nothing but a white expanse of ashes.

Tsunade and the others walked through a scorched forest, each step crushing the grayish-white bones beneath their feet.

Now, none of them speak.

Only the shattering sound continued, turning into charred remains and ashes, vanishing together in the biting wind.

Passing through many densely packed, charred, dead trees, like scarecrows standing guard in the forest, as if afraid that a living evil spirit might emerge from them.

The stuffy, oppressive air was almost suffocating.

The group quickened their pace involuntarily and soon emerged from the deepest shadows.

The moonlight felt neither hot nor warm, and the cold wind blowing from the lakeside made everyone suddenly feel a bit chilly.

The chill, carried by the moonlight, seemed to seep into their hearts.

"call!"

Jiraiya's inner shirt was soaked with sweat. He shivered, clutched his collar, and couldn't help but exhale a sigh of frustration: "Isn't the range of this Fire Release ninjutsu a bit too large...?"

"Shhh."

Tsunade placed her hand to her lips, staring blankly into the distance, her tone chilling as she said, "It seems I'm too late."

In the distance, Wochao Village remained a scorched wasteland, black and gray earth, with wisps of white smoke and the smell of burning rising from the ground, a desolate wasteland.

Everywhere you look, there is only wasteland.

Tsunade continued walking forward with a heavy expression. The people behind her subconsciously gripped their kunai and became more cautious in their steps.

But after entering the first floor of the building, everyone stopped in their tracks and hissed as they gasped for breath.

The air throughout the building was filled with a burnt smell, and cracks covered the first floor like a spider web.

The entire building was on the verge of collapse, and all the windows and doors had been blown up.

The walls on both sides, as black as charcoal, were covered with jagged grooves that stretched from one side to the other, revealing the rough, exposed steel bars inside.

The devastation and every detail here reveal the violence and horror that once took place here.

Just looking at those knife marks, you can feel a sharpness.

And in their dazed eyes, there were still many human figures reflected.

The entire first floor was filled with charred corpses that had lost their heads, all of which appeared to be kneeling in a pilgrimage posture, like a scroll painting leading to the gates of hell.

"this……"

Seeing this horrifying scene before him, even the robust Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

The air was thick with the scent of cold and death, making it clear with every breath. It was clear that death was not just a concept, but a real smell that existed on a olfactory level.

"Why do I feel like..."

Kato Dan let out a breath and said in a low voice, "The situation in the Land of Whirlpools is somewhat different from what we imagined."

(End of this chapter)