The place where the sand shinobi are held is located in an oasis in the west of the sand hidden castle, which is a prison built by Hoshino Maki specifically for the Iwa ninja.

Considering that Iwa Shinobi will become Hoshino Makaki's help in the future, this prison has a more euphemistic name - Correctional Center.

Bell ——!

The hoe slammed against the hard ore with a crisp sound, and the rebound was strong enough to make an adult's mouth tingle. But those rock ninjas were not affected at all, and they still maintained a good speed, creating a steady stream of labor value.

Around the mine, six watchtowers stand around, 'guarding' their safety, and some sand ninja with leather whips patrolling around.

They folded the whip in half, patted it in the palm of their hand, and looked fiercely at some prisoners who were suspected of not having a high level of ideological awareness, always ready to help them improve their consciousness.

Among them, there were some people dressed in brown clothes, but their demeanor was much more serious than that of Shinobi.

The early morning of the labor camp was spent with the sound of mining.

"It's time to eat!"

With a loud shout from the steward, the rock shinobi immediately threw down their tools and quickly ran towards the cafeteria, the shackles under their feet clanging.

After eating, those rock ninjas sat together in twos and threes, and one of them looked at the meat slices in the bowl, and said with some surprise: "Today's food is very rich~"

A person next to him lifted his face from the rice bowl, didn't care about wiping the soup stains on his face, and said vaguely: "Whatever, let's eat first and then talk about it, maybe it's the last meal." ”

After speaking, he continued to bury his head in the rice bowl, chewing without chewing, and swallowing in large gulps.

Just then, another group of prisoners in prison uniforms walked in outside the door.

Although they are all prison uniforms, it is clear that the quality of the clothes of this group of people is better, the shoes are newer, and even the complexion is much better.

Although they looked very good-looking, they looked very weak in the face of those compatriots who were gobbling up and showing vegetables.

"Let's go."

The crowd didn't know what to say, and everyone immediately walked up to the second floor.

Soon, the enticing aroma of food came from upstairs, and those with sharp ears could even hear the sound of canned beer being unsealed.

"Damn lackeys!"

I don't know who cursed secretly, and soon, there was a faint ugly scolding around these simple wooden tables.

If someone counts, they will find that among the objects they scold, these former compatriots account for a lot more than Sand Shinobi.

Fortified fortresses were often breached from within, and Hoshino Maki's strategy took effect sooner than he expected.

No one is an island, even if it is an orphan, if you can do it or be particularly forbearing, most of them have a small relationship network.

After Onoki passed away and Lord Loess followed Kazekage to Sand Hidden City, there were fewer and fewer things they could hold onto, whether it was for themselves, or for their family and friends, there were always people who chose to look forward, and their labor reform tasks were much lighter.

Of course, the education and hatred they received from a young age didn't make them completely fall to the sand shinobi, but it was a good start.

"How long will Kazekage-sama arrive?"

The director wiped the sweat from his face and asked.

It was obviously in an air-conditioned room, but he looked like he was sitting on the stove.

"Forty minutes to go. Don't worry, my lord, we've cleaned it up. ”

The director did not relax in the slightest when he heard what his deputy said.

Previously, Hoshino Mu inspected the mining area, and although the person in charge was not punished in the end, the news that Yunma took the initiative to hand over the improper gains to the dark department after the incident still spread.

It can be said that Yunma's political career has come to an end.

But he's different, and he wants to keep improving.

"Don't let your guard down, the Shadows and Kazekage-sama aren't fools."

As he spoke, his face was also a little regretful.

As a shinobi, his future is broad, but this is indeed a place where will is corroded, and those Iwa ninja's family members are completely at his disposal in order to make their lives here more comfortable, gold, silver, jewelry, banknotes and antiques are completely at his disposal.

It can be said that Iwa Shinobi is not rich, but if he can achieve the level of upper ninja, he can save some good savings.

Even though he was determined, he still couldn't control himself when he saw a precious ninja knife.

"I hope you think Kazekage-sama will show mercy?"

The director shook his head and smiled a little self-deprecatingly.

Yunma was a warning to everyone that time, I am afraid that I will not be so lucky.

Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, and said urgently: "How is Lao Zi doing?" ”

"It's still the same, eating and sleeping, but not saying a word."

The deputy said with a headache.

"Damn! He was so backbone, why didn't he die in Yanyin Village at that time! ”

The director pounded the table a little irritably, his eyes were cloudy, and the deputy next to him was so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe.

After a while, the director sighed, walked to the cabinet, took out his favorite sake, and walked out of the room.

"Don't follow me"

The deputy's legs, which had already stepped forward, were retracted and stood in place.

The place where Lao Zi was held was not where the prisoners lived, but in the small building where the management staff lived.

His room is nearly eighty square meters, and the inside is completely built according to the standards of a hotel room.

It can be said that his standard of living is no worse than that of his director.

When the director pushed open the door, he saw Lao Zi standing on the balcony watering the flowers.

Lao Zi glanced sideways, and then continued to take care of his beloved flowers, with no intention of talking to the other party at all.

The director didn't care, walked straight to the table, slammed the sake on the table, and looked at Lao Zi with burning eyes.

But Lao Zi didn't care at all, and continued to fiddle with his flowers and plants.

"If you don't come now, I promise, you'll see a Shinobi head in a minute, very fresh."

Lao Zi's hand holding the scissors paused slightly, but he quickly recovered and ignored it.

The director looked at his back, slowly walked to his side, and under his gaze, he pulled out kunai and shot at the neck of Iwa Shinobi, who had just emerged from the cafeteria and was about to go to the mine.

At this distance, with the other party's movements, Lao Zi can naturally react, he no longer has the calmness just now, and throws the scissors in his hand hard, trying to intercept the other party's kunai in mid-air, but what makes him desperate is that the other party's kunai knocked his scissors away, and he can only watch his compatriots being pierced through the neck by kunai, falling to the ground in pain and convulsing, and swallowing his breath in a few clicks.

This sudden move naturally caused panic among the people, but the surrounding guards had apparently been ordered to quickly subdue them.

These powerful ninjas wore special chakra shackles, and they had no room to fight back in front of a group of middle ninjas, so they could only be pressed to the ground and struggle.

"Are you crazy?!"

Lao Zi roared angrily and stepped forward to grab the other party's collar, but the director easily pinched his fist.

"Lao Zi, do you think you are still the powerful leader, the all-powerful human pillar force? This is the Land of Winds, and no one will fear you. Besides, if it weren't for your rudeness, this guy wouldn't have lost his life in vain. ”

Lao Zi's eyes were red, but there was nothing he could do with the person in front of him.

Not because of this chakra shackles, but because of these rock ninjas.

The chakra shackles weren't an impenetrable prison for him, but unshackling them would make him too tired to lead the crowd away.

If he escapes alone, then Iwa Shinobi's life may not be easy.

"Hoshino Maki won't let you do that."

Lao Zi stared at each other's eyes and said word by word.

The director also nodded frankly.

"I know, but I'm not far from death now, so I might as well give it a go."

Lao Zi frowned, not knowing what trick he was playing.

The director motioned for the two of them to go back to the house, sat down at the table, and said, "Those relatives of yours have given me benefits that I can't refuse, and I have violated the rules of Sand Hidden City. ”

As he spoke, the director glanced at the clock on the wall and said, "In twenty minutes, Kazekage-sama is coming, and I can't hide what I'm doing when the time comes, and there's only one way to save my life."

Lao Zi, who was stared at by the director, also understood, as the elite shinobi of Iwain Village, and the old ninja who had cooperated with Onoki to stage an anti-eye trick, he naturally understood what the other party meant.

"You want me to surrender to Sand Hidden City? This credit can really save your life. ”

Lao Zi raised his head and looked at each other mockingly, although he didn't answer, his meaning was already very clear.

The director didn't care, he looked out the window and said softly: "It's not just me, everyone up and down here has basically made the same mistakes as me, and we ,,, all stand on the edge of the cliff." ”

Lao Zi looked at the other party, his expression gradually changed from mockery to panic, he tried his best to control his uneasy eyes, suppressed his trembling voice, and said: "Don't pretend, with Hoshino Mu's character, he is reluctant to kill you." ”

The director shook his head slightly: "Death is not the most terrible, what you are experiencing now is just playing at home, the mine cave where you can't see your fingers, and the endless cotton fields are the real hell." ”

The more Lao Zi listened, the more his heart trembled.

The reason why he dared to be unscrupulous was that he knew that Hoshino Mu didn't like to kill, and he had an excellent attitude towards powerful captives.

But he didn't take into account that the other party's subordinates would do this.

Thinking of the tragic situation he saw just now, especially the person he still knew, he was a very potential Shangnin, and he died in this filthy place under a handful of bitterness, which made people feel somewhat angry. Sad.

But as a mature elite Shangnin, Lao Zi has no time to grieve for him now, he wants to stop the other party's atrocities, and at the same time he can't betray his own beliefs.

"Is what he said true?"

Lao Zi called out to the four tails in his heart and asked.

Experienced he instinctively felt that something was not right, but the wind shadow was coming soon, and there was not much time left for the other party, which also meant that there was not much time left for himself, and he didn't have time to think for himself.

"Lao Zi, I don't know how to read minds, but his emotions should be real."

After a few seconds, the news from the four tails made Lao Zi's mood fall to the bottom.

Lao Zi was held in solitary confinement, but not completely isolated from the others, he learned a lot of information from the other Iwa Shinobi and their relatives, such as the village's resistance is getting weaker and weaker, such as the Iwa Shinobi who escaped from the port, many of them have died, such as. These people are already the last resistance army of the formation.

Although they are in captivity.

Originally, there was a unit where Han was, but there was no news for a long time, and Lao Zi could only plan for the worst-case scenario.

If this crazy guy really does something crazy, then there is really no hope for reviving Iwa Shinobi.

Under the gaze of the director's gaze, Lao Zi's expression kept changing, most of the negative emotions of struggle, anger, and sadness flashed all over his face, and finally, Lao Zi's eyelids narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice: "I can agree, but I have a request." ”

"What requirements?"

When the director heard this, his spirits were lifted.

"I will never set foot on the land of the land of the earth in my life, nor will I draw a sword against the people of the land of the earth."

"Lao Zi, Yanyin Village and the Land of Earth are destined to disappear."

The director corrected his political misnomer, and immediately realized that he shouldn't have said that, and quickly changed the subject: "Kazekage-sama probably won't let you go to war." I've heard that there's a power supply device being developed in the lab that requires the power of tailed beasts, so you might be able to go there then. ”

When Lao Zi heard this, his face was much soothed.

If that's the case, that's for the best.

"Still."

The director dragged a long voice, and looked at Lao Zi vigilantly: "You are also an old ninja, you should know that oaths and promises have no effect, I don't want to wait for Lord Kazekage to come and say something that you shouldn't say." ”

After speaking, he looked at Lao Zi and continued: "You know what? Those relatives are so rich that even if I and my men are sent to mine, the next group of people will still be tempted, and you say that they have learned from our past, will they accept it? If they do, they will face the same fate, if not worse, as we do; If you don't take it, the money that should have been in your hands will fly like this, who do you think they will retaliate against? ”

"So, Mr. Zi, please do something to reassure each other."

Lao Zi was silent for a long time, he knew that what the other party said was right, and this situation was not only staged in Sand Hidden City.

In fact, the prison in Rock Hidden Village is even more greedy than they are.

"What do you want me to do?"

Old Zi pondered for a moment and spoke.

"In front of all Iwa Shinobi, explain to everyone that you will be loyal to Kazekage-sama."

"No way!"

Lao Zi categorically refused, doing so was tantamount to nailing him to the pillar of shame of Iwa Shinobi, he had finally washed away the stain of 'turning against his eyes', and now he had to bear the infamy of a traitor, which made him unacceptable.

"Really?"

The director sneered, looked out the window, stood up and walked to the balcony.

The footsteps were like a talisman, constantly knocking on Lao Zi's heart.

Just when the sunlight outside was shining on the placket of the other party's clothes, Lao Zisha's hoarse voice sounded.

"I—said—"

Lao Zi lowered his head, squeezed out of his throat word by word, he stood up and walked to the balcony, looked at the still struggling rock shinobi below, couldn't help but close his eyes, took a few deep breaths, opened his eyes and looked at the crowd and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, your persistence and patience are the best inheritance of the will of the stone! The land of earth will sing of your bravery! Iwa Shinobi will be proud of you! But."

Lao Zi looked at the resolute faces that were raised, the eyes that contained the fire of hope, his eyes were lowered, he pursed his lips, and said: "Give up, the carriage of the times has thrown us away, I hope that history will remember us, but I hope that there will be me and you in the future." ”

Lao Zi took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Me! Old purple! From today onwards, pledge allegiance to Lord Kazekage, and I will be a sword! ”

At this time, Hoshino Maki had just stepped out of the carriage with Shouhe in his arms, when he heard Lao Zi's oath of allegiance.

He put the already sluggish Shouhe on his shoulder, patted his hands gently, and looked at Lao Zi on the balcony and the director behind him with a gentle smile on his face.

(End of chapter)