Chapter 224: The Decision to Break Through
The Land of Water.
Inside an unknown mountain, a dim cave echoed with the faint sound of dripping water. The cave was crowded with men and women whose haggard faces and tattered clothes told a story of hardship. Many bore injuries, their wounds hastily and unevenly bandaged.
Suddenly, a young man burst in from outside.
The temperature in the cave seemed to plummet as everyone sprang to their feet, startled like frightened birds.
"It's me, it's me!" the young man hurriedly exclaimed, raising his hands in reassurance, terrified they might mistake him for an enemy.
After confirming he was one of their own, the group slumped back down, their panic and fear still etched into their expressions.
The young man approached a middle-aged man sitting in the center, the Clan Head, and stopped before him. His face was full of sorrow.
"Clan Head, Tōsai sacrificed himself to distract the Anbu."
In just one night, they had become fugitives. What was once a proud Clan of hundreds had dwindled to less than twenty members. The Kirigakure Anbu were relentless in their pursuit, as if determined to see their annihilation.
After days of fleeing, their numbers continued to shrink. No one could say who might be next.
"Damn you, Mizukage," the Clan Head growled through gritted teeth. "We, the Yuki Clan, have endured humiliation for so many years, yet he still won't let us go. I should have agreed to the Kaguya Clan's invitation."