In the Forest of Death, the air was thick.
Dust.
Sweat.
Fresh soil.
Burning kiln smoke.
All kinds of smells blended together into a single chaotic atmosphere.
Watching the scene, the Konoha ninja wore increasingly complicated expressions.
At first, they'd been excited.
Proud, even.
After all—
These were the laborers their Lord Kai had captured!
But after watching it for days…
They got used to it.
Now all that remained was nitpicking.
"Hey! You there—move faster!"
"You, muscle-brain from Cloud! Why're you slacking off?! Still want dinner tonight or not?!"
"Quiet! No whispering! Get back to work—shut it!"
…
Meanwhile, amid the shouting and scolding—
On the western side of the forest, more than a hundred Kumogakure ninja responsible for logging slowly gathered together.
They were tall.
Broad.
Loud.
Their voices alone nearly drowned out the entire construction site.
The bustling rebuilding effort came to a brief halt.
Kai's eyes lit up as he noticed.
"Oh? Planning to… strike?"
"Hmph! What do you think you're doing?!"
Shikaku reacted first.
His face darkened as he strode forward.
"It's working hours. Don't tell me you're planning to stop?"
The Cloud ninja exchanged looks.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then a few hotheaded younger ones started pounding their chests, complaining:
"We're starving! We barely get any oil or meat these days! Even if we work, you can't expect us to do it hungry!"
One of them tossed his log aside.
That was enough.
The complaints spread instantly.
"Yeah! Nothing but bland soup every day—how're we supposed to do hard labor?"
"Look at this kid—lost three pounds already!"
"Hmph! Konoha dares mistreat prisoners? When I get back, I'm telling everyone!"
"Exactly! Even if we're captured, you should be feeding us properly!"
"Otherwise, when Cloud sends the army, it'll kick off the Fourth Shinobi War!"
…
Nearly a hundred elite Cloud ninja dropped their work and gathered together.
The more they talked, the more ridiculous it got.
With both the Raikage and Yugito absent—
And most of them unconscious during the earlier battles—
They didn't fully understand Kai's strength.
More importantly…
Unlike Ōnoki, the Raikage had never ordered them to obey strictly.
After enduring three days, they finally organized themselves—
And chose to strike.
It's worth noting—
Because logging and hauling required chakra, Kai hadn't sealed theirs.
That confidence was probably why they dared make demands.
Shikaku inhaled slowly before speaking again.
"First: what you eat is the same as what Konoha eats. No one's starving you."
"Second: if you can work, work."
"If you can't—"
He paused, eyes flashing coldly.
"Then we'll make you."
STEP.
Behind him, more than ten elite ANBU stepped forward in formation.
Ready to attack at a word.
The Cloud ninja instinctively retreated half a step.
But once they realized the numbers—
They stepped forward again.
"Heh. Just you people?"
"You really think Cloud fears Konoha?"
"Brothers! Since we're already miserable, why not kill them and run while that brat isn't here—go rescue Lord Raikage!"
Shikaku shook his head slightly.
Muscles for brains.
Even if they escaped now—
They'd die before reaching home.
Without the Byakugan's scouting, they'd never slip past Konoha's defenses.
He was just about to speak—
When suddenly—
CLANG!
A sharp metallic crash echoed from above.
"That sound… Lord Kai!"
Shikaku froze for a moment—then relaxed.
If Kai was here, even a strike meant nothing.
Across from him, the Cloud ninja's faces instantly turned pale.
If Kai wasn't here, maybe they could gamble.
But if he was—
There was no escape.
"Gulp…"
The middle-aged leader forced himself to speak.
"Lord Kai, we were just—"
CRACK!
A black chain lashed out from empty air—
Smashing straight into his face.
Before anyone could react—
CLATTER! CLATTER!
Dozens of black chains rained down—
Binding nearly a hundred bodies.
Then—
WHIP! WHIP! WHIP!
The chains burned with sealing heat like thorn-covered lashes.
Each strike tore away flesh—
And chakra.
Screams exploded across the Forest of Death.
Only after every loudmouth had been whipped once—
Did Kai step calmly out of the air itself.
His tone flat.
"So… I hear you're going on strike?"
The Cloud ninja shuddered.
Seeing their leader lying half-dead—
Not a single one dared answer.
A few quick thinkers immediately turned around and resumed chopping wood like their lives depended on it.
"Kai-sama—"
Shikaku hurried over when Kai beckoned.
"I assure you, we didn't withhold food. They just claim it's not as tasty as Cloud's and refuse to eat…"
He thought Kai might be angry over the food issue.
After all, these prisoners were still elite ninja.
And Kai seemed to prefer selling them later, not killing them.
Kai shook his head.
"No need to explain."
He raised a hand.
Black chakra condensed—
Forming a chain.
CLINK… CLINK…
The chain solidified…
Then reshaped itself into a whip.
"If they don't behave, use this."
"Works pretty well."
"If one dies, so be it. Saves food."
Shikaku froze briefly—
Then accepted it immediately.
He knew exactly how terrifying those chains were.
He'd just seen them slice through a man like meat earlier.
Kai clapped his hands, ready to leave—
When footsteps sounded behind him.
Tap. Tap.
Light.
Quick.
Kai turned, slightly surprised.
"…Shisui?"
Shisui nodded.
Direct, as always.
"A message from Itachi."
"Orochimaru… has gone to the Land of Wind."
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