Five minutes ago.
Terumi Mei, Zabuza, and Kambara Hayato formed a triangle, guarding Oda Ieyasu in the center.
Terumi Mei and Zabuza both looked serious.
They were in Kyoto, the base of powerful groups and politicians. With their money and the years they'd been around, who knew how many people they had secretly trained.
On the other hand, Kambara Hayato, the weakest one there, said with a relaxed look:
"Don't worry. Linto's speed is so fast that even if Kyoto is huge, he can find the target in twenty minutes.
With his skills, as long as the target is in sight, it means the rescue is a success, and we can go home.
It will take the enemy some time to find us. Surely the three of us can hold out for at least ten minutes, right?"
Terumi Mei and Zabuza nodded slightly, their tense expressions relaxed a bit.
Only Oda Ieyasu, who had calmly talked with Linto while standing on countless exploding tags at the Daimyo's residence, was clenching his fists, breathing heavily. Anyone could see his worry and anxiety.
Because he wasn't sitting here as a Daimyo.
He was just a father waiting for his child to be rescued.
What does it mean to be a father?
It means seeing your child playing alone in a corner and feeling sorry for them, wondering if they feel lonely.
Kambara Hayato and the other two looked at each other, not knowing how to comfort him.
Kambara Hayato was often called "Dad" by others, but that was different.
He scratched his head, took out a cigarette, and handed it to him.
"Want one?"
Oda Ieyasu never smoked, and he only drank a little alcohol. He always cared a lot about his health, but today, he wanted one.
He reached out, took the cigarette, and put it in his mouth.
Kambara Hayato took out a lighter and lit it for Oda Ieyasu.
A gust of wind blew.
The flame went out.
"Daimyo, I didn't want to interrupt your last smoke before you die, but unfortunately..."
Hidan kicked open a box in his way, carrying his bloody scythe on his shoulder. He raised his chin slightly and said:
"We're in a hurry."
Terumi Mei stood up and walked to the front, looking at the enemies surrounding them.
Hidan.
Kakuzu.
And many ninja and samurai.
She frowned slightly when she saw Oda Hideyoshi in the arms of a samurai. The child was unconscious, his face pale. It was clear that he had been tortured.
"Open your dog eyes and see clearly."
Kambara Hayato hid behind Zabuza, only showing his head, and shouted to the ninja and samurai:
"This is the Land of Water Daimyo, Oda Ieyasu! How dare you point your swords at the Daimyo? Are you not afraid of your whole family being killed!"
"Hmph."
An older samurai laughed coldly and stepped forward:
"Kirigakure Mizukage Terumi Mei contacted the thief Linto, assassinated the Daimyo, and created a fake, trying to take power. By the request of the Daimyo's wife, Ms. Saito, we will kill the rebels..."
Kakuzu pushed the samurai, who was still following procedure, aside and said in a deep, hoarse, and threatening voice that echoed in the alley:
"Don't waste time."
Kakuzu was an old man who had lived for nearly a hundred years. He had the caution of the older generation.
On a tactical level, Kakuzu would assume the worst-case scenario.
He remembered that Linto had reached that deserted island from the border of the Land of Water in less than an hour and killed the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii.
Kakuzu estimated the safe time to be five minutes.
Kill Oda Ieyasu within five minutes and leave before Linto returned.
As for Terumi Mei and Zabuza...
Kakuzu slowly took off his Akatsuki robe: "If you know what's good for you, step aside, or..."
"You'll die with him!"
Kambara Hayato swallowed.
Two members of the Akatsuki organization.
Linto had given Kambara Hayato information about Kakuzu: he was an old monster who had lived since the time of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
Information about the other person was unknown, but being teamed up with such a killer meant he was no pushover.
In addition, there were hundreds of ninja and samurai.
He moved closer to Terumi Mei: "Should we retreat?"
Before Terumi Mei could answer, Zabuza spoke first:
"Retreat? We're ninja, not Linto's accessories.
If Linto is here, we fight. If Linto isn't here, we retreat... Then we might as well stay in the village and farm."
Moreover.
Terumi Mei was the Mizukage after all, and had been in office for more than half a year. She was much more politically aware than Zabuza.
Linto's plan, to work from the bottom up, would take a lot of time for "mind awakening."
But if there was a Daimyo who could wholeheartedly assist, doing both from the bottom up and from the top down, the efficiency would be dozens of times greater than it was now.
Besides...
Zabuza was right.
They were ninja, not government officials.
From the moment they left the village, ninja were prepared to give their lives for the village.
Terumi Mei waved her hand and took off her Mizukage robe. The robe flew high, and in the moment it blocked their vision,
"Summoning Technique!"
"Summoning Technique!"
Two Summoning Techniques were performed.
On one side was Terumi Mei. The huge body of the Mirage fell, crushing the houses on both sides.
On the other side was Hidan.
He did not feel as imposing as Terumi Mei, but was more eerie.
Two swarms of fluttering shadows appeared behind Hidan.
One swarm was countless thumb-sized, blood-sucking mosquitoes with needle-like mouths.
One swarm was tens of thousands of palm-sized, blood-sucking bats with knife-like teeth.
This wasn't Hidan's limit. If he was in the water, he could also summon leeches, piranhas...
In short, the groups in the Land of Fire and Land of Water had found him a pile of summons related to blood-sucking.
This was the physical representation of "having money."
Hidan and Kakuzu cooperated with the groups, so they were backed by a powerful think tank.
The think tank would help them analyze all of Linto's existing information, develop reference tactics, and help them increase their immediate combat power.
Indeed, summoning beasts like Manda and Gamabunta, which were related to the Three Great Sage Locations, were hard to find.
But even a second-rate summon like the Mirage could be easily arranged by Oda Ieyasu, let alone a few weak mosquitoes and bats?
In the hands of others, mosquitoes and bats were weak.
In Hidan's hands, they were the most powerful weapons.
Not just mosquitoes.
The groups had said that Kakuzu could use the hearts of all the ninja and samurai present.
If he couldn't reach them, a single look would be enough for countless ninja to offer their hearts to Kakuzu.
Because those who died from having their hearts taken would receive three times the compensation, and those who volunteered to die would receive ten times the compensation.
This was the power of money.
If Linto was an unreasonable cheater, Kakuzu and Hidan were the money-spending big shots.
Compared to them, Terumi Mei and Zabuza, who practiced honestly, seemed so honest and simple.
"Attack!"
Kakuzu shouted. His shoulders wriggled, and two masks appeared on his shoulders. He quickly made hand seals.
"Combination Art: Flame Wind Turbulence!"
The two masks sprayed flames and wind together. The wind and fire combined, erupting in a large blaze.
Terumi Mei made hand seals with equally fast speed.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Water and fire collided, creating a large amount of steam.
Buzz!
An ear-piercing buzzing sound, accompanied by Hidan's laughter, quickly approached.
In the last second before the steam blocked his vision, Kambara Hayato saw the necklace hanging around Hidan's neck.
"Be careful! We must not let the enemy take our blood. That bastard..."
"Is a Jashin Cult follower!"
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