Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 524 The Older Generation's Swan Song of Konoha

Ryuji Ida tilted his head, his smile unchanged. "Aren't ordinary people and ninjas all just people?"

Ryuji Ida spoke calmly and unhurriedly, "It's a national war now, who cares about anything else? Anyone who dares to take sides is an enemy. And enemies should be eliminated."

"And do you really think they're innocent? Yes, they haven't shed blood. But they are your friends, your family, the people and merchants you protect."

"They take the wealth you created through murder and robbery with a clear conscience, and enjoy the glory you achieved through murder and robbery. Aren't they beneficiaries?"

"Although they didn't fight, they enjoyed it. Ask yourselves honestly, did they ever say anything like 'everyone outside Konoha is a barbarian'? Did they always think they were superior and above others? Some Konoha orphans must know all too well about their arrogant, domineering, and inhuman nature."

He spread his hands, his smile growing increasingly cruel, and his voice suddenly rose: "And today, I'll make them fly!"

"Ah—! I'll fight you to the death!"

One of the Konoha ninjas finally broke down. He drew his kunai and charged madly toward Ryuji Ida.

But he only took three steps before being stopped by the guards surrounding Ryuji Ida.

Several katanas pierced his body at the same time, blood gushing out. He opened his mouth, but could no longer make a sound, and his body slumped down.

"Are you going to fight us?"

Ryuji Ida looked down at the still convulsing corpse, and sneered, "Hmph! You won't see the sun tomorrow. Move! Kill them all, leave no one alive!"

At Ida Ryuji's command, three peerless swordsmen charged into the crowd, like three sharp blades, instantly breaking through the defenses of the Konoha ninja army.

The three strongest individuals, who still had energy left, instantly stepped forward and stopped the three.

However, this could not stop the decline of the people of Konoha from being slaughtered. The Hyuga clan took the lead and was specifically targeted.

The team, which originally numbered less than fifty dead or wounded, was instantly entangled. In just a short while, fifty more corpses appeared on the ground. Next came the Inuzuka clan. Without ninja dogs, they were easy prey, even worse than some ordinary Konoha ninjas.

One slash each, take them all away!

"Don't act rashly!" Nara Shikaku said calmly. "He's deliberately provoking us! We've lost, utterly lost! The most important thing we should do now is return to Konoha as quickly as possible, save as many of our surviving family and friends as possible, and then leave this place!"

Someone asked in despair, "Leave? Where can we retreat to? We're surrounded by pursuers on all sides. Where can we retreat to?"

Naturally, they had to leave this continent. There was no place for them there anymore. They had to leave as soon as possible.

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. As long as there is life, there is hope, and we can make a comeback!

But he only thought these words to himself and didn't say them aloud.

That's right, but where can they retreat to now?

Behind the Konoha ninja, the pursuers from Takigakure had surrounded them from all sides. The ninja stood densely packed on the hills, treetops, and rocks, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

There's no way out!

No way to escape!

"Hahahaha, I won't die at the hands of you demons!" A Konoha ninja slashed his own neck with his sword, followed by the second and third.

"Hahaha, I'll be watching you from hell!"

"Watch as you all descend into hell, and pay the price for your mistakes there!"

"They will eventually be slaughtered just like us, one day... one day... we'll all be the same!"

Suicide is contagious, and despair spreads.

Just as the entire Konoha ninja was about to collapse, a white guillotine suddenly appeared in the crowd.

Then came a grayish-white light.

"Flying Thunder God Technique!"

A figure with two large holes on its head appeared out of thin air; it was Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, who had arrived at this moment!

His impure body was covered with cracks from the Great Dao, but there was no sign of recovery.

In a hoarse voice, he shouted, "All living people of Konoha, come to me. I'll send you back. As for the task of holding off the enemy, leave that to us dead."

"Second Grandfather!" Tsunade punched away an enemy and fought her way through the crowd. "What happened on your end? Why are you the only one here?"

"There's no time to explain." Tobirama Senju interrupted her, his voice brief and urgent. "I'll send you back to Konoha first. After that, if there's really no other way, then run away. If you can't escape—then fight to the death."

"Yes! Even if I die, I don't want to die out there. I want to die beside my family."

"I want to die with my wife and daughter! Second Generation Lord, please send us back!"

"Born a Konoha person, die a Konoha soul!"

The appearance of Tobirama Senju brought them a last glimmer of hope before their deaths.

He formed hand seals, and the Flying Thunder God Technique spread rapidly across the ground, enveloping all the Konoha survivors in golden light.

Meanwhile, the elderly who were severely injured or weakened rushed towards the pursuing Takigakure villagers who had surrounded them, using their own bodies to buy them a final moment.

"Go on, all of you, go home! You should all go home."

Tobirama Senju gritted his teeth, and the Flying Thunder God Technique grew brighter and more intense.

The cracks on his impure body were spreading rapidly, from his arms to his shoulders, from his shoulders to his chest, and from his chest to his entire body.

His soul was dissipating at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Flying Thunder God: Divine Guidance!"

The light engulfed all the survivors of Konoha.

The light faded, and the battlefield was empty.

Tobirama Senju was still standing there, slightly lifting his broken body. "Brother... I'll be going now."

Before he could finish speaking, the Impure World Body completely shattered. Tobirama Senju's soul transformed into countless specks of light, scattering in the wind.

However, just after everyone was teleported, five more figures appeared in succession.

Hidan, half-black and half-white, hooked Jiraiya's clothes with his scythe, pulled open the wound, and swallowed a mouthful of blood into the technique.

"Hehe, your soul is mine now!"

With a single slash, the soul instantly detached from the body; someone hidden in the shadows was ultimately a step too late.

"No, it's Jiraiya!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted, but was hit by falling bubbles from the sky and completely annihilated.

The other two impure bodies present also shattered at the same time, surprising Hashirama Senju and his wife.

As they left, Wuwei, who was the last to appear, looked up at the sky with a smile and said, "Now you're thinking of rescuing people? Too late."

After saying that, countless purple flying insects flew out and instantly devoured the three souls.