In the next moment, a list of names appeared out of thin air on the One-Night Dream Card.
They were all Kirigakure jonin.
Just like last time, there were six names.
Two of them were repeats from before—Nishikiyama Chō and Hoshigaki Kurozumi.
The other four were unfamiliar.
Last time, after receiving the list, Rasa had his intelligence shinobi investigate the identities of all six before deciding on a dream target.
But this time, there was no need for such trouble.
Because Rasa had already chosen his target.
"Still Nishikiyama Chō."
Rasa was not completely ignorant of the internal situation in the Kirigakure army.
From the insults Jinin Akebino had shouted earlier, he could more or less infer that this operation had been planned by Fuguki Suikazan.
It had been split into two parts.
One group would strike the rear of the Sunagakure army and draw its attention.
Then the main force, led by Jinin Akebino and Hozuki Yunwu, would launch a fierce assault on the Sunagakure army.
"But the operation failed."
"And with Kirigakure's style, Suikazan will definitely be punished severely."
"And there's one more crucial point."
"Someone inside Kirigakure knows that Fuguki Suikazan had contact with a supposed Sunagakure traitor."
"That fact can be used to my advantage."
Rasa had already formed a plan.
Night fell.
Kirigakure army encampment.
Genjiro frowned deeply.
He had come personally to the front lines to oversee the battle, yet not only had he failed to achieve any results, he had also run straight into a disastrous defeat.
To say he felt no anger would have been impossible.
But with age came steadiness.
Genjiro wanted to understand what had happened before making a decision.
And before that, simple control was enough.
"That giant bird flying high in the sky... covered in gray-green feathers... dropping eggs that explode with tremendous force. It sounds very similar to the legendary summoning beast known as Yata Crow."
"When did Sunagakure gain such a summon?"
"If it truly is Yata Crow, then once our forces are spread apart, its threat is manageable. After all, the number of eggs it can drop is limited."
"And if it lowers its altitude, then faced with the attacks of so many Kirigakure shinobi, it will surely die."
"This time, Jinin Akebino and the others panicked mainly because they had no prior intelligence."
"If we're prepared next time, then the threat Yata Crow poses will be far smaller."
"The advantage still lies with Kirigakure."
At the same time, Jinin Akebino was deeply frustrated with himself.
He felt that if he had handled things better, he might have been able to reorganize the army and launch the charge anyway.
But he was also filled with resentment.
"There's definitely something wrong with that summoning beast showing up."
"It had to be Fuguki Suikazan selling out the village. Lord Genjiro is too soft-hearted. If it were me, I'd have executed Suikazan on the spot already."
"And this whole matter is also the Mizukage's fault."
"If the Mizukage hadn't stripped me of command and given it to that idiot Hozuki Yunwu, then reorganizing the army would've been far easier. Today's outcome might never have happened."
Hozuki Yunwu slept soundly with Hiramekarei in his arms.
Terumi Mei could not sleep at all. She found an open patch of ground and began training.
Earlier that day, she had been defeated by Pakura in a single exchange. If Kushimaru Kuriarare had not intervened in time, she might already have died at Pakura's hands.
That crushed her pride as a genius.
"Pakura!"
"Next time, I'll definitely defeat you!"
Ao, on the other hand, was rather satisfied with his own performance.
Using the Byakugan to expose the hidden Sunagakure scout had been the key reason the Kirigakure shinobi had managed to infiltrate the rear of the Sunagakure army for the ambush.
As for the failure of the full offensive—
"Kirigakure lost."
"But I didn't."
Yet the most anxious of all was still Fuguki Suikazan.
At this point, it was no longer a question of whether he could advance any further.
Jinin Akebino had smeared him with filth, and if he could not explain himself properly, he would become a real traitor in everyone's eyes.
Was he a traitor?
Of course not.
And precisely because he was not, Suikazan felt all the more wronged and humiliated.
"I've done so much for Kirigakure. Why doesn't Lord Genjiro believe me?"
Beside him, Nishikiyama Chō had already fallen asleep.
Suikazan had not told his wife anything.
Suddenly—
"No, don't kill Suikazan!"
"Suikazan didn't betray the village!"
"He's innocent!"
Fuguki Suikazan hurriedly turned to look at Nishikiyama Chō and tried to comfort her.
"Chō, you had another nightmare?"
Nishikiyama Chō opened her eyes. The moment she saw Suikazan, she clung to him tightly.
"Suikazan!"
Tears slid down from the corners of her eyes.
Suikazan's heart sank.
"Chō... what happened? Was it another nightmare like last time?"
Nishikiyama Chō nodded.
"Yes. It felt exactly the same as before. Too real. It didn't feel like a dream at all."
Suikazan stared at her intently.
"What did you see this time?"
A painful expression crossed Nishikiyama Chō's face.
"I dreamed that they convicted you, saying you sold out the village, and that they were going to execute you by beheading. I watched them cut off your head with my own eyes. Blood sprayed from your neck, and I couldn't do anything at all."
"I'm sorry!"
"Suikazan... what are we supposed to do now?"
Suikazan's face darkened.
If not for what had happened the last time, he might have doubted.
But with that earlier event still fresh in his mind, Suikazan no longer believed this was just an ordinary nightmare.
It was a warning.
A glimpse of what would happen in the future.
"Why is Kirigakure treating me like this?"
His eyes reddened with fury.
"I've done so much for the village. I've given so much. I didn't betray the village, so why won't they believe me? Why do they insist on forcing me to die?"
"What did I do wrong?"
"No. I did nothing wrong."
"The one at fault is the village!"
"This Kirigakure is too unfair!"
"I risk my life for the village, and the village repays me like this?"
A savage grin slowly spread across Suikazan's face.
"Good. Good, good, good."
"Very good!"
"If that's how it is, then I'll rebel against this damned Kirigakure!"
He turned to Nishikiyama Chō.
"Chō, there's no place left for us in Kirigakure anymore. If we stay here, we'll die without question. In that case, we'll leave this rotten village."
"The world is vast. I refuse to believe there's nowhere in this shinobi world for us."
Nishikiyama Chō nodded heavily.
"Alright!"
In the next instant, the two of them stepped out.
"We break through."
Elsewhere—
Genjiro had summoned a young shinobi for questioning.
His name was Hoshigaki Kisame, and he served under Fuguki Suikazan.
"Tell me about Fuguki Suikazan's recent situation, Hoshigaki Kisame."
"Yes, Lord Genjiro."
But before Kisame could begin, a figure suddenly burst into the tent.
"Lord Genjiro, bad news! Fuguki Suikazan has rebelled!"
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