Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 932 - 746 Demon Slayer Ninja Series

Chapter 932: Chapter 746 Demon Slayer Ninja Series

Shura’s resentful spirit floated, and the fires of lament began to engulf the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion at the heart of Shinobi Village.

The corpses of the fallen ninja lay strewn about; in the wake of this civil unrest, the Shinobi Village seemed inevitably to be heading towards its demise.

Xu Yang sent out a message calling for support, and he especially contacted an existence who had been acquainted with Shura in the past. Once that individual arrived, even the proud Shura would have to bow down.

Tsuchigumo picked up her severed hand and returned to the battlefield.

"In the past, she would have been dubbed ’Shikumo’." Shura gazed at Tsuchigumo’s severed hand.

Tsuchigumo’s body shuddered repeatedly.

"Considering that the injured and dead are still waiting for rescue, let’s come to an agreement quickly—just lay out the terms for both sides plainly. My first thought is, the way of the ninja should not be severed; it should be carried on and brought to new heights by the ninjas themselves." Xu Yang said.

"I agree, and my condition is... let her wager her spirit! Let her be the one to revive the ninja world!" Shura pointed at Tsuchigumo.

"Me?" Tsuchigumo was shocked.

"The flames of resentment are igniting swiftly within you because you too are disgusted with the decay of the ninjas! Your power, now comparable to that of a Ninja Master in training, is much stronger than the other frail ninjas. You are unafraid of bloodshed, harboring resentment, thus the most suitable new leader to command the ninjas!" Shura evaluated Tsuchigumo thoroughly.

"Those scrolls as well..." Tsuchigumo’s lips moved, her voice hesitant.

"Yes, I shall hand over all the advanced scrolls and Shinobi Village’s secret teachings to you, for you to train all the new ninjas, to remind people of the ninjas’ terrifying presence like that of evil spirits. That is your mission!" Shura’s voice was as decisive as a knife cutting through iron.

"To wager one’s spirit means, if Tsuchigumo fails to revive the ninja world, she must give her spirit to you?" Xu Yang asked.

"Of course. Fail to do so and face the blade." Shura said.

He had already ignited the flames of resentment in Tsuchigumo; she had now shared in Shura’s wrath.

"What’s your opinion?" Xu Yang turned to Tsuchigumo.

"They—why did they rebel? Why kill their own brethren?" Tsuchigumo pointed at the Rebel Ninja in the village.

The surviving Rebel Ninjas, roughly fifty in number, all maintained a solemn composure.

"These low-ranking ninjas, having reached an impasse in their training, were equally tired of the ninja cause and wished to burn this place to the ground with me, assassinating the ninjas loyal to the village. They are the qualified seeds, your loyal subordinates of the future." Shura’s hoarse voice echoed.

Tsuchigumo took a deep breath.

"...You band of traitors who corrupted the village, who killed the innocent! I refuse to follow your commands!" Tsuchigumo exclaimed angrily.

Rejection!

"You don’t wish to revive the ninja world?! What a pity, so many scrolls, so many techniques... all of that will just stay in my possession then. The title of a Ninja Master... the power to command thousands of ninjas, that knowledge, as well as the forbidden techniques..." Shura spoke slowly, temptingly.

Tsuchigumo’s expression fluctuated between hope and despair.

"Don’t you want to become the twenty-second Ninja Master?" Shura whispered softly.

Tsuchigumo desired to become a Ninja Master, to wash away the disgrace, yearning to take over the village!

But to inherit the village, she had to make a pact with the malevolent, resentful Shura, to sell her soul to him.

The thought of it was uncomfortable in every way.

Even though she was a spider of the earth...

She had principles!

"I very much want to revive Shinobi Village, but, make a contract with you? I refuse." Tsuchigumo said coldly, her tone as sharp as shattered glass.

"You can learn all the ninja techniques, you can command all the ninjas as you wish." Shura said.

"I won’t be your puppet, nor will I haggle with you. I want to live my own life." Tsuchigumo, with her left hand, tore off her forehead protector and threw it to the ground, then picked up her severed right hand, and without looking back, left the scene.

Shura and the Rebel Ninjas watched as Tsuchigumo’s figure disappeared into the distance.

"Then, the future of Shinobi Village shall be decided by me." Xu Yang looked towards Shura.

"You care about the future of the village, an outsider interested in the village’s scrolls, secret techniques, and Ninja Tools?" Shura’s voice deepened.

If he got his hand on the village’s scrolls, he could train the direct ninjas of the Nestor Corporation, who would then become exceptional scouts, intelligence agents, or special forces. Xu Yang contemplated in silence.

However, with Shura’s skills, he surely had ways to hide them in secluded places, to use them for bargaining.

It would be better to detain these ninjas for now, as every ninja that escaped could potentially cause adverse effects on society.

"Of course." Xu Yang said, "But before that, there is something even more important. Shinobi Village has been under the jurisdiction of Nestor Corporation for two years now, and now that such a large-scale murder has occurred in the village, we will follow the law, take all the present Rebel Ninjas away, and detain them until the murderers are identified and sentenced accordingly."

Shura let out a bizarre laugh.

He was baffled by Xu Yang’s serious demeanor.

"Ninja killing and being killed is the most natural order of the world, yet you want to take them for investigation, trial, and detention? Seeking to discern right and wrong, clear and turbid? Ninjas falling under your control, they might as well be dead! Better to face execution willingly!" Shura mocked.

"There’s no natural law, only the regulations we establish. You’re right, I indeed intend to distinguish between black and white, clear and murky. Now we will surround Shinobi Village." Xu Yang said.

Shura turned to gauge the reactions of the lower-ranking Rebel Ninjas.

"Damn it!"

"I’d rather die!"

"You won’t be able to catch us!" The Rebel Ninjas wavered, and many quickly began to flee.

Before the rebel ninjas could escape, a large number of heavily armed Shuttle Machines approached from the horizon, sealing off the area, their appearance sturdy and firepower formidable, resembling white flying fortresses.

More regular troops and paramilitary personnel swiftly arrived at the scene, surrounding the ninjas with drones equipped with sniper rifles and missiles!

In the face of such an encirclement, the remaining rebel ninjas dared not make any rash moves.

"New technology... The era of the ninjas has indeed come to an end," Shura looked at those flying machines.

He didn’t understand these things, but he could guess that these advanced "airships" could level a city to the ground in a few hours.

Over 400 Nestor soldiers parachuted into Shinobi Village, entering the village from different directions, dealing with the rebel ninjas with professional attitude and efficiency. They were the nearby garrison, having rushed over to support upon receiving the news.

"Surrender and be treated leniently!"

"Act quickly!"

"Catch them!"

"Take them back!"

Under their supervision, the rebel ninjas were disarmed one after another, handcuffed, and taken away, processed according to procedure, everything in neat order. The rebel ninjas were like parts on an assembly line, forming a long queue, each being pushed into the transport machines.

The ninjas, who should have moved freely in a world of chaos, were now being hauled away like stricken dogs.

Seeing this scene, Shura became increasingly silent.

After half an hour of firefighting, containment and other aftermath work, all the rebel ninjas were taken away, and the Quantum Warriors also left.

Nagase looked toward the departing Quantum Warriors, then said goodbye to Xu Yang.

"Mr. Xu," he bowed to Xu Yang, "I will consider your suggestion, to go to Shangjing to sign up for the Advanced Legion!"

Xu Yang sized up Nagase’s figure, indeed a sturdy young man with a firm and righteous character.

"The training will be very painful, be sure to assess your own strength," Xu Yang cautioned him.

"Yes, I understand!" Nagase said spiritedly, "Anyway, I want to take responsibility for my life, I can’t miss an opportunity."

After he left, only Shura and Xu Yang remained in the village.

"So-called ninjas, are just jackals that thrive in chaos, now they will all starve to death," Shura said coldly.

"All those techniques, scrolls, talismans, and pill-making skills of yours, are now completely lost with you. You have exterminated your own way of the ninja; it’s really pitiful," Xu Yang said.

"So what? That spider didn’t have the courage to become a Ninja Master; he was just a coward, not a true ninja," Shura’s lingering soul floated, "The fact that I was seriously injured and didn’t die means that I am still supported by the resentment of the ninjas in this world, a hatred that will endure."

"Because there are still many ninjas, like the Southern Territory Ninjas now at Jialong Slope, they exist entirely as guards and messengers for elite figures, abandoning many techniques, serving the specific needs of modern figures," Xu Yang said.

"..." Shura was silent, then he said, "Isn’t this just like how ninjas served lords in the past? Has the world really not changed?"

"Not at all, ninjas in this era will still be employed by various powers, and their scope of service greatly extends beyond the Northern Archipelago. In addition, there’s the commercialization of ninjas."

"Commercialization... Employed by merchants?"

"Yes, they are involved in market-oriented operations of ninja culture, playing the roles of kunoichis or ninja assassins. Their job is to portray the image of ninjas as people imagine them, replacing the real ninjas, and warping them from public view," Xu Yang explained.

Shura felt uneasy, clear about the decay and need to clear away the civilization of ninjas.

But that ninja culture has been distorted into a symbol consumed by the masses, this he didn’t quite understand.

He felt like he was facing a more terrifying element of modernity.

Seeing the puzzled look on Shura’s face, Xu Yang nodded.

"Come with me, I have something interesting to show you." Xu Yang found a Demon Slayer Ninja resource for Shura, telling how kunoichis struggle valiantly, putting their bodies on the line to fight against demonic creatures.

...

hour later, Shura fell into silence.

"Is there more?" Shura asked.

"No." Xu Yang refused.

Shura pondered.

"... What have I been watching?" he murmured to himself.

"This is the combination of Southern barbarian cinema and Archipelago culture," Xu Yang explained.

"I really want to burn these memories," Shura was horrified, "What are these tentacle monsters?"

"Accept it, Shura, accept it."

Shura struggled to digest the terrible content he had just seen.

"So, the merchants—merchants have turned ninjas into vulgar entertainers, making them perform in plays, where all mortals and audiences see ninjas like comic figures performed by actors. This performance is promoted by the merchants, perpetuated through hundreds of generations, ’ninja’ thus passed down with this distorted image..." Shura tried to understand the current situation.

"You’ve got it," Xu Yang said.

"Then how can we end the merchants’ trickery, these greedy villains... it’s impossible, no matter how I think about it, it’s impossible. I can imagine the end of the earth, but I can’t figure out how to expel merchants from history." Shura was astonished by the horrific content presented by Xu Yang.

He now understood the resentment of ninjas; ninjas suffered greatly to learn ninjutsu, only to end up turning themselves into slaves and tools, becoming puppets and playactors under the merchants, performing those vulgar farces.

Even if he really wiped out the last ninja of Shinobi Village, outside in the world, "ninja" would still be a consumed symbol, forevermore.