Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

This time, Hozuki Mangetsu really showed a ghost-like expression.

"Since you're friends, why are you... fighting each other?"

"Of course!"

Upon hearing Ringo Ameyuri's unequivocal answer, Hozuki Mangetsu was momentarily speechless. Good heavens, this is...

"However, Chihaya is very strong. I can't kill her yet! To be precise, I've almost been defeated by Chihaya several times. Fortunately, my Lightning Release: Body Flicker Technique has improved a lot in speed recently. Wind Release does counter my Lightning Release, but only in the clash of swords. Chihaya's wind can't interfere with the changes in the lightning within my body. I will surpass her in speed sooner or later."

As they were speaking,

Arcs of electricity crackled around Ringo Ameyuri's body.

The next second, the girl who used Lightning Release: Body Flicker Technique rushed out at a speed that Hozuki Mangetsu could barely see. Excited, the girl could no longer tolerate Hozuki Mangetsu's slow (in her eyes) travel speed and rushed uncontrollably towards the Konoha delegation's camp like an arrow released from a bow.

"So fast!"

"I didn't even see it clearly!"

"As expected of a genius in Lightning Release techniques, even among the Cloud Ninja, there aren't many who can rival Yuri in Lightning Release techniques, right?"

The Jonin in the group were all talking about it, marveling at Ringo Ameyuri's powerful strength.

"Hey! Seriously? Yuri, your progress is a bit too fast!" Hozuki Mangetsu watched the streak of lightning disappear into the mist and hurriedly chased after it. While amazed by Yuri Ringo's astonishing speed of progress, he also felt the pressure of being caught up.

He could still barely make out Ringo Ameyuri's movements.

But if Ringo Ameyuri were to become even stronger than she is now... If Ringo Ameyuri were to surpass her, I would be too ashamed to stay in the village. For a moment, I even felt a little envious that Ringo Ameyuri had a friend like Uchiha Chihaya with whom she could fight without any scruples!

Combat is the fastest way to become stronger.

This is the motto of the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu.

but,

"This is not the time to think about these things," Hozuki Mangetsu shouted, watching the bolt of lightning hurtling towards the Konoha delegation's camp with undiminished speed.

"Rain Yuri, stop."

"The Konoha delegation's residence is ahead."

"Stop right there, you stupid apple!"

No matter how much Hozuki Mangetsu shouted, it was no use. The girl, caught up in her own excitement, couldn't wait to find her friend and start fighting. Hozuki Mangetsu's shouts were completely ignored. What frustrated Hozuki Mangetsu the most was that he could only keep up with Ringo Ameyuri's Lightning Release: Body Flicker Technique. As for surpassing her... he couldn't do it!

this time,

The Konoha ninjas gathered in the courtyard, waiting for their commander to appear and give orders.

but,

Before Sogen appeared, the thunderous sound from outside the camp attracted everyone's attention. The sensory ninjas quickly discovered Ringo Ameyuri rushing over, along with Hozuki Mangetsu and a large group of Kirigakure ninjas following behind her.

"What's going on? Are the Mist Ninja going to break the alliance?"

Hyuga Masayuki activated his Byakugan and was both shocked and furious as he watched the Mist Ninja charging towards him menacingly. He immediately assumed that the Mist Ninja were going to turn against him and join forces with the Cloud Ninja to attack Konoha. Moreover, he was not alone in thinking this way, and many of them had already instinctively drawn their weapons.

The invisible and intangible killing intent permeated the courtyard.

If the Mist Ninja really intend to turn against us, then we will teach these ingrates a lesson they won't forget, even if it costs us our lives.

Under such circumstances.

A bolt of lightning shot into the courtyard through the open front gate at incredible speed.

"boom!"

The flame fan that shot down from the sky stuck in the stone. Ringo Ameyuri crashed into the flame fan and was then... thrown back. She went back the way she came in. Hozuki Mangetsu, who arrived from behind, used his water transformation technique in time to turn into a puddle of water and land on the ground, thus avoiding the fate of flying away with Ringo Ameyuri.

"That was close!"

Hozuki Mangetsu returned to human form and reached out to wipe away non-existent cold sweat.

"Can you tell me what you're up to? Hozuki Full Moon."

Zongxian stood at the end of the handle of the Flame Fan, maintaining an extremely fragile balance, looking down at Hozuki Mangetsu. His scarlet eyes reflected a chilling killing intent that sent shivers down one's spine, as if he were standing in an iceberg that had never melted for a thousand years.

"This is a misunderstanding."

Hozuki Mangetsu first stopped the large group behind him from approaching, then spread his hands to indicate that he had no hostile intentions.

This exceptionally intelligent child prodigy clearly understood what Ringo Ameyuri's behavior would be interpreted as, which is why he chased after her, trying his best to stop her. Unfortunately, the overly excited Ringo Ameyuri was not so easy to control.

"Yuri came to spar with Ms. Uchiha Chihaya. They are very good friends and have been sparring together a lot lately. Just now, she was thinking about the long period of time she would be working with Ms. Uchiha Chihaya, and she got too excited and lost control for a moment."

"Chihaya's friend?"

Zongxian's gaze fell on Ringo Ameyuri, who had walked over normally this time.

She looked like she was in a lot of pain after being bounced back by the Flame Fan, but in reality, she only suffered some scratches and bruises. Having suffered enough from being suppressed by Wind Release techniques in her battle with Uchiha Chihaya, Ringo Ameyuri has shifted her focus from external to internal Lightning Release techniques, concentrating on researching physical activation. Her body's resistance to impact has greatly improved.

That's how he avoided having his bones broken by the rebound of the flame fan.

"Clan head Uchiha, isn't Chihaya here?"

Although he was not seriously injured,

However, after being hit like that, Ringo Ameyuri's mind did indeed recover, and she realized what a stupid thing she had done. Being able to be friends with Uchiha Chihaya can only mean that they are indeed very similar in some ways. They are both exceptionally talented, both obsessed with fighting, and both have some subtle abnormalities in their thought processes compared to normal people.

The first thing Ringo Ameyuri mentioned wasn't explaining her earlier behavior, but rather tiptoeing and peering out to look for Uchiha Chihaya.

result--

"Yuri, what brings you here?"

Uchiha Chihaya actually showed up, her crimson eyes filled with confusion as she looked at her friend.

"I'll help you deal with the Cloud Ninja!"

The girls huddled together and chatted intimately. Their actions proved that they were indeed friends, although their "friendship" was subtly different from the usual concept of friendship. This was indeed the first time that Sogen had seen Chihaya get close to a female friend.

see,

Zongxian made a hand gesture.

As a result, the Konoha ninjas, who were on guard, relaxed a little. It seemed that the Mist Ninjas were not planning to break the contract.

"Since what happened just now was a misunderstanding... can you explain your true purpose now?" Zongxian jumped down from the Flame Fan, pulled the fan out of the stone slab, and asked the Mist Ninja about their true purpose.

"Clan Chief Uchiha, please forgive my rudeness."

Hozuki Mangetsu's expression turned serious. He said solemnly, "I am Hozuki Mangetsu. I have come here with 1,200 colleagues on the orders of the Mizukage to fulfill the contract between our two villages. Please forgive me, Uchiha clan head, but the situation in our village is dire, and it is really difficult to raise more troops in a short time."

"However, I can guarantee that my twelve hundred colleagues are all battle-hardened experts."

[Chapter 152 Samurai White (Seeking monthly votes! Seeking subscriptions!)]

The irregular "drip-drip" sound of blood dripping into a puddle was clearly audible. A damp, cold wind brushed against my white skin, and I could smell a strong stench of blood in my nostrils. My stomach felt uncomfortable, and a feeling of nausea kept churning in my chest.

His face and hands were sticky; the wind quickly carried away the heat from the liquid, and the cooled blood clung to his face and hands.

But the blade that kills remains just as gleaming.

There wasn't a single trace of blood.

The upright blade was like a mirror, and Bai could clearly see his own image. His long, black hair was tied into a single ponytail that reached his waist. He was dressed in a haori with moon-white patterns and a hakama with black patterns. The family crest, which was octagonal and snowflake-shaped, was located on the front, back, and sleeves of the haori.

The reflection on the blade was so unfamiliar.

He almost didn't recognize himself.

This outfit was custom-made. Lord Orochimaru took him to a strange city called 'Daimyofu' and found some people who specialized in making clothes. They worked day and night to make it. The octagonal snowflake-shaped pattern on it—no, it should be called a family crest. According to Lord Orochimaru, this was his family crest.

although,

It was the first time he had ever heard the term "family crest" before.

It was precisely because of this trip to Daming Prefecture that they attracted the attention of these enemies who were hunting them down.

With this new look, Bai was no longer the slovenly man he once was. Even though it was a typical men's outfit, he still captivated a group of passersby when he stepped out of the store. Coincidentally, among these passersby was a long line of noble carriages. The nobles were immediately captivated by Bai and sent men to capture him.

result--

The nobleman was killed by Lord Orochimaru, who, in full view of everyone, wielded a katana and chopped him into eight pieces—literally chopped into eight pieces. Apart from the blood flowing all over the ground, the nobleman's body was divided into eight pieces, no more, no less, just right.

after that,

What awaited Orochimaru and Haku was a relentless pursuit.

But Lord Orochimaru remained completely calm. Instead, he taught him swordsmanship, using his pursuers as whetstones—a term he had just learned. Lord Orochimaru assigned him a vast amount of homework, swordsmanship being only one part; there was also chakra refinement, hand seal practice, and the study of cultural knowledge…

"Well done! Bye."

A cool hand pressed down on his head, and Orochimaru wore a genuinely pleased smile. "You did very well! Even better than I expected!"

"Lord Orochimaru, did I... do a good job?"

Haku looked up, staring blankly at Lord Orochimaru.

"Of course! Bai, you did a great job."

Orochimaru affirmed, smiling as he said, "There's no need for guilt. They wanted to kill us, so even if you kill them, there's nothing to complain about. When they're about to kill, they should be prepared to be killed. Dying by your blade is an honor for them! To see such a beautiful view before they die... that's enough for them to leave with a smile!"

The dead cannot refute the living's representation of them.

Even though the expressions of the dead beneath their masks were so ferocious and painful, Orochimaru could still say that they departed with smiles on their faces.

"Alright, Bai! Stop wasting your energy on these worthless rubbish. We're heading out to sea to leave this country. You'll see a much wider world, and your future will definitely not be this narrow sky shrouded in dark clouds."

Orochimaru was in a truly delighted mood.

Defeated by Uchiha Shisui, losing the Sky Blade, and Kimimaro falling into Konoha's hands... These terrible memories are never pleasant to recall, but seeing Haku diligently studying or practicing the swordsmanship he taught him makes him feel better.

He was very lucky.

After losing Kimimaro, he met Haku.

If he found Kimimaro because he was originally after the [Shikotsumyaku] bloodline limit, then even Orochimaru couldn't find the [Ice Release] bloodline limit, which had been severed long before.

However, this elusive bloodline limit was accidentally delivered into his hands.

and,

Orochimaru prefers Haku to Kimimaro.

Kimimaro is a typical genius among ninjas, born with combat talent and able to become strong naturally through his innate instincts. Haku, on the other hand, is a genius with exceptional intelligence.