Chapter 67.3- One Thousand Hands

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“So I assume you have something for me?” I asked her as I stood at the gate, awaiting their return. She turned and gestured to some of the Jounin. I actually chuckled when I saw what Uzume had prepared. Should I have expected anything else? Kitsuchi was bound to wooden poles, tied and double tied with chains on his hands, his legs, his neck even. I looked at him, and he met my gaze, eyes bloodshot. I could recognize that particular look.

“You know I gave you that poison to make fighting the S-ranks easier” I turned to Uraume who stood next to our Uchiha classmate, seeming to be having as much fun as I was.

“Uzume handled all of them before I could do anything and Toshiro landed the final blow on this one before I could dose him as well. Uzume had the idea, and since I remembered you said you wanted a victory parade at the end of all this then I thought, why not?” She said with a smile.

“Alright then. I guess this makes things somewhat easier” I said, feeling the earth beneath my feet and forcing it to my will. Mud wrapped around the platform, forming a second floor and creating some extra binding around Kitsuchi’s arms. I jumped up to the second level and unsealed the body I’d shown both Hiruzen and the Daimyo, using my mud to force the body upright.

“Okay, we’re good for the parade” I said with a smile.

—

Four hours. That was how much time we spent being cheered by the citizens and other shinobi. After the festivities— the parade had turned into a party after the victory procession— and right now most of the jounin and chunin were down there having a ball, we’d smoothly sealed Kitsuchi’s tomato covered form and handed it over to Torture and Interrogation. I could trust the Yamanaka to get me every sliver of information from him that existed. Everything from precious Iwa training secrets and techniques, to knowledge of the administrative backbone of the village, to even knowledge that would make it easier to model what they would do next and help me decide if there was a need to go nuclear.

If I went nuclear though, none of the other villages would see that as a good sign and they’d probably fight all the harder to prevent that happening to them.

“So what now?” Uzume asked. Uraume had taken the seat in front of my desk while Uzume lounged near the window. I took a deep breath before I turned to my drawer and one of the things I’d picked up during the parade— dozens of merchants had taken the chance to come hawk their goods. The cigarette took a spot between my index and middle fingers and just as I moved to light it with the tip of my other finger, the silly thing was cut in half. Both women were glaring at me.

“That’s a stupid and dangerous habit” Uzume said.

“Surely you did not plan on blowing that smoke in my face” Uraume made her thoughts known at the same time.