Chapter 71: Terumi Mei, You Fight Him!

Chapter 71: Terumi Mei, You Fight Him!

However, after some thought and recalling the overwhelming strength gap between them and Hozuki Mangetsu, Terumi Mei's expression immediately dropped.

She frowned, exhaled in frustration, and said in a resigned tone:

"Ci, I mean, maybe we should start thinking about how to escape instead."

"Even if he's truly a madman bent on destruction, we're no match for him."

"The Hozuki clan's secret techniques are almost unbeatable in this environment."

Uchiha Ci shook his head, squinting slightly at Hozuki Mangetsu, who had already healed his wounds using the Water Healing Technique.

Though Mangetsu's face was twisted with fury, and his killing intent was so strong it seemed to freeze the water's surface, no subtitles appeared before Uchiha Ci's eyes.

Realizing what this situation implied, Uchiha Ci's expression became a bit strange. He patted Terumi Mei on the shoulder and said:

"Don't worry, I believe in you."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Terumi Mei blushed, startled by his words. Was this really the time to be saying such things?

Yet Uchiha Ci pointed at the ferocious, enraged Hozuki Mangetsu and, with complete trust in his eyes, told Terumi Mei:

"Terumi Mei, you fight him!"

Terumi Mei blinked, looking up at Uchiha Ci in confusion. Did I hear that wrong, or is this guy teasing me? Me? Fight Hozuki Mangetsu? With what?

Taking a deep breath, Uchiha Ci spoke solemnly:

"The Hidden Mist isn't my homeland."

"I don't have the standing to approach this from your perspective and solve your problems."

"But I can tell you what to do!"

His face darkened, and he said in a low voice:

"Assassinate the Third Mizukage, overthrow the regime, and seize power!"

"That's only the first step!"

"Afterward, you must coerce the Daimyo—kill him and replace him if needed—to stabilize your finances!"

"Then, wage war, plunder from the outside! Deflect internal conflicts outward, and crush rebellion with an iron fist!"

"Start a major reshuffling! Establish a country that revolves around your will!"

"If you can't achieve all this, the current state of the Hidden Mist will persist."

As Uchiha Ci's clear voice echoed, the scene fell into a sudden silence.

Whether it was Terumi Mei, Hozuki Mangetsu, or the five pursuing ninja maintaining the Water Release: Cutting Rain technique, all of them stared at Uchiha Ci in shock.

At first, they thought his words were nothing extraordinary. After all, from the Warring States era to now, power struggles among major factions had always been like this.

The current Hidden Mist, represented by the Rain Cutter ninjas, and the Elders representing the Bloodline families were doing nothing different.

But after his second sentence, the meaning of his words took a sharp 180-degree turn.

To use ninja power to control the Daimyo and take over the nation's economy—this was something unimaginable to everyone in the present ninja world. It was utterly rebellious!

Ninjas, since their inception, existed as a profession to complete missions and fulfill requests.

Could this group of skilled fighters really control a nation?

Both Terumi Mei and Hozuki Mangetsu began contemplating the idea.

Meanwhile, the faces of the five pursuing ninjas beneath their masks dramatically changed. One of the older ones immediately shouted at Hozuki Mangetsu:

"Mangetsu, kill him!"

"Kill this treasonous lunatic!"

"If the Daimyo hears of this, it will spell the end for the Hidden Mist!"

"If the Daimyo is removed, the country will immediately fall apart, and the other four nations will invade and carve up the Land of Water!"

"Such thoughts should never be entertained!"

"Hurry, kill him!"

However, Hozuki Mangetsu didn't move. He merely frowned slightly and looked up at Uchiha Ci. Standing next to Uchiha Ci, Terumi Mei also glanced at him, eager to hear his response to the question.

The existence of the one-nation-one-village system had its reasons.

For instance, the relationship between the Land of Fire and Konoha: Konoha was essentially just a large armed group within the Land of Fire, but it wasn't the only option. As long as the price was right, other ninja clans within the Land of Fire or even ninja villages and clans from other nations could serve the Daimyo.

For example, in the future, Sunagakure's betrayal of Konoha and alliance with Otogakure to attack Konoha stemmed from the fact that the Land of Wind frequently hired Konoha ninjas, taking away missions that would have gone to Sunagakure.

Similarly, the Uchiha clan accepted a mission from the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning to guard Hell Valley and the Ketsuryugan clan.

Overthrowing a nation could lead not just to retaliation from the Daimyo's forces but could also trigger a terrifying crusade funded by all the world's Daimyos, fearful of their own downfall.

Thus, it was generally unrealistic for a ninja village to stage a coup and seize control of a major nation—it was too risky, with no real benefit. This was the common understanding among ninjas.

But Uchiha Ci shook his head, scoffing at the pursuing ninja:

"If you're talking about the Land of Fire, Earth, Wind, or Lightning, of course, you're right!"

"But you're from the Hidden Mist!"

"You're from the Land of Water, a nation isolated by the sea, with natural defenses on all sides!"

Hearing this, everyone paused. What he said—could it actually be true?

The Land of Water's geographic position was indeed different from the other countries, its terrain easy to defend and difficult to attack. Aside from a few critical coastal areas, much of the main island consisted of towering mountain ranges.

As long as the Hidden Mist controlled key ports and strategic locations, launching a cross-sea attack on the village or dividing the Land of Water's territory would be no easy task.

Then, Uchiha Ci turned to Terumi Mei and said seriously:

"I remember you once told me that you had a goal for your homeland that you were determined to achieve, that you believed your homeland had a better future, and that the current system was flawed!"

"If you love your homeland so deeply,"

"Then act—at any cost, take the first step!"

"Whether it ends up a pile of garbage or a wasteland doesn't matter!"

"Even if you're facing a demon intent on overthrowing the Hidden Mist and slaying its leaders, he can still become your strength!"

"So, this is your fight!"

Uchiha Ci's gaze sharpened as he pointed at Hozuki Mangetsu and solemnly told Terumi Mei:

"From the night you challenged me, I knew you longed to stand on the grandest stage in the ninja world."

"And now, one of the most talented people in the world is standing right in front of us."

"To be honest, I'm not confident I can defeat him. I'm not even sure I can cover your escape."

"Of course, I'll fight until the end and try to get you out of here."

With that, Uchiha Ci's eyes narrowed, and he drew his sword, gripping it with both hands. Without looking back, he said:

"What happens next is your decision."

"I believe in you."

He hadn't forgotten that Hozuki Mangetsu still had the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's Summoning Scroll. If Mangetsu summoned the seven blades, he could instantly enter the second stage of battle—and who knew what third stage might await, like a Shark Man mode.

A super-deadly combat barrier wouldn't hold back an elite like Mangetsu, and even if Uchiha Ci unleashed his full arsenal—shurikenjutsu, ninjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, and even forbidden techniques—he wouldn't be able to harm someone who could ignore physical damage entirely.

It was a crushing, all-encompassing sense of hopelessness.

But it didn't matter.

In this desperate situation, Uchiha Ci still had his teammates.