ASFUCITWON Chapter 216: The Battle Begins 17

A feeling of emptiness crept in, like a memory that suddenly came to erase all the courage within him.

Then, Tatsuya's eyes unconsciously shifted to the distant Whirlpool Island—a mysterious island, a place full of secrets.

On the beach of Whirlpool Island, several figures stood on the sand, like shadows framed in mist.

They carried two large objects that resembled cannons.

Tatsuya furrowed his brow.

Cannons? Those were weapons often used by ordinary humans—however, what they carried was not just any cannon.

Tatsuya began to reconsider—cannons had existed for a long time, used by pirate ships in battles, and castle guards used cannons to defend their fortresses.

But cannons were not a threat to trained ninjas.

They could easily dodge cannonballs, as ninjas considered cannons to be an outdated threat.

However, this was different.

Tatsuya sensed something strange, something he couldn't easily interpret.

The members of the Uzumaki Clan, who had disappeared since yesterday's attack, now reappeared—bringing a large device that at first glance looked like an ordinary cannon.

But there was something in its shape and details that felt foreign, as if the object held power beyond mere explosions.

Tatsuya moved his body, trying to find an explanation in his chaotic mind.

Then Tatsuya looked at them, in disbelief.

In the midst of the Uzumaki Clan members surrounding the cannon stood a man with a sturdy posture and a terrifying aura—Keito, the current leader of the Uzumaki Clan.

Keito's face was so serious, more serious than Tatsuya had ever seen.

That face was not just that of a leader, but of a warrior who knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Prepare!" Keito shouted in a deep voice, piercing through the darkness of the night.

The command was quickly obeyed, the Uzumaki Clan members moved swiftly.

Each of them surrounded the cannon with full concentration, activating the intricate mechanisms.

The cannons began to gather Chakra, the vibrations of energy could be felt in the air.

A blue light slowly began to form a large spinning energy ball inside the cannon, creating pressure so strong that it could almost be felt by every ninja present.

Panic swept through the attacking group.

They all began to move, seeking shelter or fleeing, but deep down, they knew there was nowhere to hide.

With his terrifying calmness, Keito signaled to prepare to fire.

Seeing all this, anxiety crept wildly within Tatsuya.

Fear rolled in like waves, crashing mercilessly, making Tatsuya feel as if the world around him was slowly collapsing—silently, yet lethally.

Tatsuya's heart shattered.

In Tatsuya's mind, the sounds of fear buzzed incessantly, like thousands of whispers colliding.

Yet amidst the chaos, one thing became clear.

Where Tatsuya knew what he had to do.

"I surrender!" Tatsuya shouted, his voice echoing with a mix of resignation and despair.

Without hesitation, Tatsuya raised both hands high, bowing his head deeply—accepting the bitter reality like someone welcoming painful rain in the midst of a storm.

Those words spread like dry fire in the drought, burning the silence that hung between the ranks of the attacking group.

They were frozen, in disbelief.

One of the leaders from the three great villages—who had previously stood tall with an unwavering aura of confidence—now surrendered just like that, without fighting to the last drop of blood.

From the direction of the Kirigakure ninjas, a ninja cursed harshly, the man's voice sharp as a whip.

The man's hand gripped his sword tightly, the veins in his arm tensed.