Chapter Twenty-Four: What Vengeance Is There to Seek?

“Hurry up, everyone, pick up the pace!”
Across the plain, Suzaku Nara was leading the members of the entire assault squad toward the valley, his expression anxious.
Initially, under his command, the clearing of enemy outposts had gone smoothly, with hardly any formidable adversaries encountered.
Suzaku Nara had assumed that the Cloud Shinobi simply lacked manpower, which explained the situation.
But reality turned out quite different; when he received a call for help from the breakout team, Suzaku Nara realized that the Cloud Shinobi had deliberately abandoned their posts, choosing instead to lie in ambush.
Now Uchiha Ri was surrounded, and had chosen to cover the retreat so that his teammates could relay the message back—this surprised Suzaku Nara and his companions, but also filled them with respect.
The Uchiha clan had never left a good overall impression, but to make such a sacrifice was enough to erase all past prejudices.
Whether it was for the sake of comrades or something else, Uchiha Ri had to be saved—this was Suzaku Nara’s conviction.
He cursed their inability to move faster, deeply regretting their earlier decision to split up.
With their strength, had they advanced steadily, none of this would have happened.
Now Uchiha Ri was alone outside; though he was powerful, having easily dispatched a Jonin before,
the problem was that, according to the reports from Keiji Asami and others, the Cloud Shinobi had dozens present, with three Jonin and the elite Jonin Troy among them.
Such a lineup, even with the Three Tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Ri could never be their match.
“We’re almost there, just a bit further—hold on, everyone! Our comrade is still waiting for our rescue!”
Covered in sweat, East Akimichi saw the squad’s pace begin to flag. He knew it wasn’t intentional; everyone was simply exhausted, but he still pushed and encouraged them.
He understood that every second gained might increase their chances of saving Uchiha Ri.
“Lord Ri, please don’t let anything happen to you!”
At the rear of the assault squad, Keiji Asami and his three teammates struggled to keep up.
Having broken out from the valley and reached Suzaku Nara’s main force, they were nearly spent, yet they forced themselves onward to support the rescue.
They remembered only that Uchiha Ri had chosen to stay behind, giving them a chance to escape.
So now, no matter what, they had to keep pace with the main force.
At last, after a desperate rush, Suzaku Nara and his companions saw the silhouette of the valley ahead.

Yet no excitement lit their faces; instead, disappointment clouded them.
No sounds of battle echoed from the valley—it was eerily quiet.
At a time like this, any commotion would have been a good sign, proof that Uchiha Ri was still fighting.
But silence meant the battle was likely over, which could only mean…
The squad exchanged anxious glances, while Keiji Asami and his three teammates at the back were close to tears.
“Why are you all looking so defeated!” Suzaku Nara shouted. “How can we jump to conclusions before seeing it with our own eyes?!”
“Exactly—even if Ri has truly fallen, we should steel ourselves and avenge him!”
“That’s right, we must avenge Ri!”
“Vengeance! Vengeance!”
Spurred on by Suzaku Nara, the team’s morale was restored; faces set in grim determination, they surged toward the valley.

Just then, footsteps sounded from within, and Uchiha Ri emerged from the valley.
Seeing the assault squad before him, Uchiha Ri asked, puzzled, “What revenge are you talking about? Did something happen to someone?”
“……”
Instantly, silence fell over the group.
The unity they had just forged dissolved completely.
Finally, Suzaku Nara, as captain, was the first to recover. He looked at Uchiha Ri, regained his composure, and asked quietly, “Ri, where are the Cloud Shinobi? Wasn’t there supposed to be dozens?”
Seeing everyone’s confusion, Uchiha Ri turned and pointed back at the valley, replying, “They’re all inside.”
The entire assault squad was stunned again, disbelief written on their faces.
Suzaku Nara carefully scanned Uchiha Ri, took a deep breath, and asked, “Are you saying you dealt with all of them yourself?”
It wasn’t that he doubted Uchiha Ri’s words, but the claim was simply outrageous.
Dozens of Cloud Shinobi, plus three Jonin and the elite Jonin Troy—such a formidable lineup, and Uchiha Ri had dispatched them all alone?
Yet Uchiha Ri stood before them, unscathed, making disbelief impossible.

But the issue remained—those were elite Cloud Shinobi, not a herd of pigs.
Even if they were pigs, it would still take time and effort to deal with so many.
Looking at Uchiha Ri, whose breathing was steady, whose clothes were barely wrinkled, he hardly looked as though he’d survived a brutal fight.
Could it be the intelligence was wrong, and those surrounding Uchiha Ri weren’t elites, but mere Genin, and the three Jonin plus Troy didn’t exist?
Thinking this, the squad turned as one to look at Keiji Asami and his companions at the rear, their expressions complicated, eyes full of suspicion, as if to say:
“Was it you four who gave the false report, making us rush here for nothing?”
Keiji Asami and his group felt utterly aggrieved, unable to voice their protest.
They knew what everyone suspected, but the truth was, they hadn’t been mistaken!
But if they weren’t, how could Uchiha Ri’s current state be explained?
Overwhelmed by the shock and contrast, Keiji Asami and the others, already at their limits, finally collapsed in a faint.

“All right, don’t trouble them. I really did kill them all,” Uchiha Ri said earnestly. “The bodies are in the valley—though they’re a bit mangled, if you look closely, you’ll recognize them.”
“This… How could that be?”
East Akimichi blurted out in disbelief, still unable to accept it.
He, Suzaku Nara, and the others all thought the same—it wasn’t that they wouldn’t believe Uchiha Ri, but if it was true, it was simply beyond reason!
Uchiha Ri shook his head, resigned. “Why don’t you just go in and see for yourselves? What’s wrong with this world that no one believes the truth anymore?”
Seeing Uchiha Ri’s certainty, the others finally realized he wasn’t joking.
Suzaku Nara stared at Uchiha Ri, his expression complex, and motioned for the still-able team members to investigate the valley.
Moments later, cries of terror and horror echoed from within: “Captain, they’re all… all smashed to pieces!”
As the words faded, retching sounds followed immediately.
“Uh…”