Naruto: The Hidden Protector

181: Yes, We Like To Bully The Weak

After Izanami hacked the bastard Gamamaru into a million pieces, she used Amaterasu to incinerate the remains. Just like that, the "Great Sage" was reduced to a pile of silent ash.

Surprisingly, no one watching felt a shred of pity. Even the other toads didn't spare Gamamaru a second glance. Instead, they were busy mourning the young sages who had died on the battlefield.

These young sages were the true future of Mount Myōboku. Unlike the elders, who were basically forced into a deep sleep just to keep their spirits from crumbling, these youngsters could actually be active in the world. The old sages were fragile; their souls couldn't handle the heavy wear and tear that comes with living too long. After centuries of watching their loved ones die and seeing the world change, their minds just couldn't take the weight of time anymore. Without the young sages to lead, Mount Myōboku was effectively losing its lifeblood.

To make matters worse, witnessing the cruelty of this war only accelerated the decay of the elders' souls. The trauma was a heavy burden, making it impossible for them to take action anytime soon. Strictly speaking, with the young sages gone and the elders mentally broken, Mount Myōboku's combat power had plummeted to less than 27%.

All of this was Izanami's doing, yet no one dared to seek revenge. They couldn't even bring themselves to feel bitter. They knew she was simply too powerful to touch. After seeing how much they had lost just by being foolish enough to oppose her, they weren't about to cross her line again. The toad clan was hanging by a thread; they knew they wouldn't survive another disaster like this. In fact, they even have to praise her kindness and for letting them become her slaves.

Frustrated and full of resentment, the toad clan needed someone to blame for the mess they were in. Since they couldn't touch Izanami, they turned their anger toward the other perpetrator of the disaster: Gamamaru.

Even though he was already dead and they hadn't been the ones to kill him, they weren't finished with him yet. They decided to take their frustration out on his descendants instead. It was a cold reality, but that's just how the world works; when the weak are oppressed by the strong, they simply find someone even weaker to pick on.

....

Izanami didn't care what the toad clan did to Gamamaru's lineage. She watched their descent into infighting with total indifference. In her eyes, if you choose to step onto the battlefield, you have to be ready to pay the price when things go south.

Besides, she seriously doubted anyone in Gamamaru's bloodline was actually innocent. They had spent their lives living comfortably under his shadow, enjoying the perks of his prestige. It was the same old story: those in power always spoil their own, hoarding resources that were supposed to be shared fairly with the rest of the clan.

They had already enjoyed the bribes and the easy life, so now it was time to man up and pay the bill. To Izanami, it was that simple.

What actually caught her attention, however, was the fact that Gamamaru's soul was missing. At first, she thought she might have overdone it and accidentally incinerated his spirit along with his body. But after a quick check, she realized his soul had vanished the exact moment she beheaded him. No matter how hard she searched the surrounding area, there wasn't a trace of him left.

This shouldn't have been possible. Since Izanami had already turned this place into a part of the Pure Land, there was nowhere for a soul to hide. After all, every soul after death should return to the Pure Land. This is the law of this world.

Even if some people managed to bypass this law due to special circumstances, Gamamaru wasn't one of those people. Which means that one of those special people interfered and took Gamamru's soul.

And Izanami knew exactly who had the guts and the motive to pull something like that right under her nose.

......

When Gamamaru finally opened his eyes, he was met with a familiar, swirling purple sky that defied all logic. He lay there in a daze for a moment, his mind a complete blank, until the memories finally came rushing back—ending with the cold, sharp image of his own death.

He reflexively touched his neck, just needing to be sure his head was still attached to his shoulders. When he felt skin and bone instead of a stump, Gamamaru let out a long, shaky sigh of relief.

With his immediate panic out of the way, he finally took a look around. He realized he was still in the Pure Land, but it felt different. Unlike the chaotic, nightmare domain Izanami had dragged them into, this place actually had some order. The sky and the ground were as clear as day, separated by a sharp, clean horizon.

"It's been a while, Gamamaru."

The aged voice came from right behind him, hitting like a physical blow. Gamamaru jumped so hard his heart nearly stopped; for a second, he honestly thought he was about to die all over again.

Spinning around, he saw Hagoromo standing there, having appeared behind him without making a single sound. Gamamaru let out a frustrated breath and snapped at him, his fear turning into instant irritation.

"Hagoromo! Why the hell are you sneaking up on me like that? Do you want to give me a heart attack? We are not young anymore."

Hagoromo chuckled as he ignored Gamamaru's complaints, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face.

In the past, when he was just a youth, he also pranked Gamamaru, like this and Gamamaru would always complain.

"Okay, jokes aside, Hagoromo," Gamamaru said, his voice dropping an octave. "Can you tell me why I'm here? As far as I remember, I was just killed by your daughter."

He couldn't help but shudder as the words left his mouth, the memory of her cruelty still fresh and terrifying in his mind. For his whole life, he would get nightmares remembering this memory.

Hearing about his ungrateful daughter, Hagoromo's mood turned dark. "I pulled your soul here the moment she struck," he explained, his voice low and heavy with frustration. "I couldn't just stand by and watch her erase you completely. So, I used my powers to whisk you away before Izanami noticed a thing."

Seeing that Gamamaru was still shaking with fear, Hagoromo tried to comfort him. "Don't worry, old friend. Even if she suspects something, you'll be safe here. I couldn't save your physical body, but saving your soul is the least I can do for you."

Gamamaru looked around the stable, quiet horizon and finally felt his heart rate slow down. Even though he is scared shitless about Izanami coming for him, he still has confidence in his old friend. After all, he is the famous Six Paths Sage who defeated that monster.

"I see. Then I'll take your word for it," Gamamaru said, finally letting some of the tension drain from his shoulders as he looked at Hagoromo.

Despite the relief, he couldn't shake the feeling of being targeted by a predator. So he still asked, " Hagoromo, you know, she's not going to stop. You know her better than anyone—she doesn't just leave things half-finished. If she figures out you're hiding me, this 'safe' place won't stay quiet for long."

Just as Hagoromo was about to confidently declare that he could handle it, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended on them. 

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