Chapter 306: I'm Just Following Orders — Orochimaru’s the Real Culprit

"Kill him!"

The Hōzuki clan leader didn't expect that when Takuya stopped, he would activate his Sharingan.

The three tomoe in Takuya's eyes spun slowly, as if something sinister was brewing.

"Uh-oh!"

A sudden realization struck the Hōzuki clan leader, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

How did Takuya's name spread across the ninja world so quickly? Wasn't it because of his powerful genjutsu, which had once controlled the Third Kazekage?

If even the Third Kazekage couldn't resist, who else could possibly ignore Takuya's genjutsu?

This kid is trying to put me under a genjutsu!

Fearing he might get caught, the Hōzuki clan leader quickly retreated, shutting his eyes tightly to avoid Takuya's gaze.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He had been chasing after Takuya all this time, only now realizing that Takuya's genjutsu could easily ensnare even Kage-level shinobi.

In an instant, the Hōzuki clan leader felt both relief and anger.

He was relieved that Takuya hadn't used genjutsu on him. But he was furious with himself for letting his rage cloud his judgment, blindly chasing Takuya like a fool.

Seeing the clan leader's panicked retreat, Takuya chuckled.

"I was going to play with you a bit longer, but I think it's time. My mission's done, so until next time, old man."

Who in their right mind would want to see you again?

"Yagami Takuya! You've wreaked havoc in our village, and you think you can just walk away? I'd sooner die than let you escape today!"

Hearing Takuya's intention to leave, the Hōzuki clan leader ignored the genjutsu threat and raised his head, fixing his gaze on Takuya, determined not to let him slip away.

If Takuya disappeared now, finding him would be next to impossible amidst the chaos.

With the Mist Village overwhelmed by devastation, how many could realistically pursue him?

Besides, Takuya was no ordinary shinobi.

Unlike Hatake Sakumo, Takuya wasn't bound by the rules of war. Most of the Mist Village's forces were already deployed elsewhere, leaving few strong fighters at home. Who would they send after him?

Everyone said the Sand Village was weak, unable to field even a handful of elite shinobi. But the Mist and Sand were more like two sides of the same coin.

"Catch up to me first, then we'll talk."

Takuya laughed, planting his foot on the ground and leaving a small crater as he vanished like a phantom.

The Hōzuki clan leader's eyes narrowed in disbelief.

What is this kid? Taijutsu, swordsmanship, genjutsu, ninjutsu… does he have any weaknesses?

Chasing him? Not even a chance.

With the Hōzuki elder's speed, Takuya would be gone long before he could get close. Even if he managed to keep up, trying to catch Takuya was a different story.

Easily outpacing the clan leader, Takuya left the remaining pursuit team far behind. Catching up with him was nothing but a pipe dream.

"Takuya, don't you think we might've gone a bit overboard?"

Manda and Gamakichi had left.

Both summoned creatures had wreaked havoc and endured relentless attacks from the Mist shinobi, sustaining injuries before they departed.

Now, the Mist Village was nothing short of a disaster zone.

Watching the devastation, Minato shivered slightly at the sight — the level of destruction was terrifying.

"That's exactly what I wanted. If we didn't make enough noise, the Mist would just keep playing hide and seek. To force a decisive end, we need to push them hard. Besides, we're just following orders. If they want someone to blame, let them take it up with Orochimaru."

This was Orochimaru's mission, after all. If they held any grudges, they could direct them at him.

"Let's go. Time to head back and celebrate."

Whatever blame they had would fall on Orochimaru's shoulders, not Yagami Takuya's. Takuya was merely following orders. If the Mist Village harbored grudges, they could hate Orochimaru all they wanted.

If that wasn't enough, they could hate the Third Hokage too.

Running into Takuya, the Mist Village had definitely drawn the short straw this time.

Looking back at the ravaged Mist Village, Minato shook his head.

It wasn't his problem to worry about. Right now, he only needed to get himself and Takuya out safely.

Placing a hand on Takuya's shoulder, Minato said, "Alright, Takuya, time to go."

In the next instant, their figures vanished from the Mist Village, reappearing on a remote island they'd used earlier for rest.

This small island served as a midway point for the Flying Thunder God Technique. Teleporting directly across the sea would put too much strain on Minato.

But with the island as a relay point, even Minato at his current level could easily make the journey with Takuya.

"Hurry, over here! Yagami Takuya's chakra signal vanished in this area."

"Surround this whole area! We have to find him!"

Furious Mist shinobi gathered in droves, scouring the area for Takuya's trace.

Though Minato had summoned Gamakichi, he'd stayed hidden in the shadows, moving to a new location after the summoning.

As a result, the Mist shinobi focused solely on Takuya's whereabouts.

Numerous ninja surrounded the area where Takuya had last been detected, digging through every nook and cranny in search of him.

But Takuya was already long gone, and no amount of searching would uncover him.

For the Mist Village, this night would be forever memorable. No one had ever thought that an enemy could infiltrate so deeply, wreaking havoc across the entire village singlehandedly.

Takuya's actions had ignited the wrath of every shinobi in the Mist Village.

"This is beyond insulting!"

Even Tobi, who normally played the role of a goofball or a "clown" in Madara's eyes, had his limits.

Being blasted out of the bathroom, nearly losing his life — Tobi was furious.

"Mizukage-sama!"

"Thank goodness, Mizukage-sama is safe!"

"The Mizukage is alive!"

With the Mizukage's office building in ruins, everyone had assumed the worst. No one expected to find the Third Mizukage, breathing but barely, buried amidst the rubble.

They may not have located Takuya's shadow, but they had found the Third Mizukage, injured and barely hanging on amidst the destruction.

::::::::::::About the offer::::::::::::::

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