Chapter 123: Death Of The Daimyo! The Bloody Day In The Capital Of The Land Of Fire!
Under the full operation of the Land of Fire’s Daimyo’s Mansion, wanted posters were continuously posted in various locations throughout the Capital of the Land of Fire, immediately attracting the attention of countless people in the Capital of the Land of Fire.
The exorbitant bounty of fifty million ryo indeed shocked many.
But what shocked them even more were the actions of the “wanted criminal”!
Dozens of nobles, who were in high positions, were actually killed?
The renowned Yuuki Clan was practically wiped out in half a day!
Some people, unable to suppress their curiosity, walked towards the Yuuki Clan’s compound.
As a result, as soon as they approached the area, they smelled a strong scent of blood emanating from the Yuuki Clan’s compound. That smell of blood immediately made many people’s faces change color.
When someone bravely peeked inside, they were so frightened that their faces turned pale, filled with expressions of horror.
What the wanted poster said was true; the Yuuki Clan, one of the magnates of the Land of Fire, was almost completely annihilated!
“Fifty million ryo! If I could take the head of that ninja villain to the Daimyo’s Mansion to exchange for money, I’d be set for life!”
“You’d have to be alive to claim it! That person is a ninja who uses ninjutsu, and such a bounty is simply beyond the reach of ordinary people like us. The Daimyo issuing such a bounty clearly intends to gather the ninjas in the Capital of the Land of Fire to capture the villain.”
“Speaking of which… their name is unknown, their age is unknown, there are only a few characteristics, and a portrait that looks like a child’s doodle. Who could possibly find them?”
“Whether they can be found or not… I just hope this suicidal murderer doesn’t come after ordinary people like us.”
“One man, one woman, one cat… why does it feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before?”
“…”
Compared to the ordinary civilians’ mentality of curiosity or simply watching a show.
The various magnates within the Capital of the Land of Fire, however, could no longer sit still.
They all rushed towards the Land of Fire’s Daimyo’s Mansion.
When the group of magnates arrived in haste at the Daimyo’s Mansion, they saw the Daimyo of the Land of Fire looking somewhat weary.
“My Lord Daimyo, how could such a villain appear in the city? What is his objective? What does he want? Which village’s ninja is he? Could he be a Konoha ninja?”
A series of questions poured from the mouth of a white-haired elder: “My Lord Daimyo, with a dangerous ninja targeting the magnate class, we absolutely cannot sit idly by!”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire took a deep breath and said, “All these questions you’ve asked are things I also want to know, but no one can give me answers. The reason I issued the fifty million ryo bounty is because I also believe the Land of Fire cannot sit idly by!”
His gaze swept over the assembled crowd: “I am well aware that you all privately employ many powerful ninjas. Now, facing this moment of crisis, you too must step forward.”
“You all must understand the principle of ‘lips and teeth’ – if one falls, the other is cold. The fact that the villain annihilated the Yuuki Clan means he is very likely to target other magnate families…”
“He might even target me, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire! Only by uniting against a common enemy can we overcome this crisis!”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire’s words left everyone present exchanging glances.
They were reluctant to send out their hired ninjas.
After all, they hired ninjas with great expense to protect their personal safety, not to go after some ninja villain.
What if someone were to target them, the magnates, while their ninja bodyguards were out hunting the villain?!
“My Lord Daimyo…”
One person couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you have the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, My Lord Daimyo? I heard they are twelve extremely powerful elite ninjas. Why don’t you let them handle it? With their strength and numbers, dealing with a villain who commits atrocities shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire: “…”
If the Twelve Guardian Shinobi were by his side, would he be this flustered?!
But this thought, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire naturally couldn’t voice, otherwise, these people present would see his weakness.
“A large portion of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi have naturally already been dispatched.”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire said in a deep voice, “But searching for a ninja villain in the vast Capital of the Land of Fire is no different from finding a needle in a haystack. Therefore, we need to combine your strength more now. I believe you all know the fate of the Yuuki Clan very well.”
“Um…”
Suddenly, someone interjected, “Don’t we have technological tools for long-distance communication now? Why not contact Konoha Village and ask if they have any impressions of this villain?”
Everyone present fell silent for a few seconds.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire also couldn’t help but fall silent for a moment, then he made a gesture, signaling a vassal beside him to lean down.
He whispered a few words to the vassal.
The vassal nodded hurriedly, then rushed off in a great hurry.
…
Konoha Village.
Hokage’s Office Building.
“Seventy-nine orphans from Tanzaku Street…” After listening to Shizune’s report, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that Tsunade, who had finally returned to Konoha, had brought a big trouble to Konoha.
Fortunately, as Shizune quickly added, “If there are no accidents, Lady Tsunade will cover the initial expenses. She obtained tens of millions of ryo in gambling winnings from Tanzaku Street, but Lady Tsunade has decided to keep only one million ryo, and the rest will be used to raise these children.”
This clarification made Hiruzen Sarutobi breathe a sigh of relief.
If Konoha didn’t have to foot the bill, he would feel much better.
However…
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s expression was somewhat strange, and he hesitated, “Tsunade… is she quitting gambling?!”
This was completely different from his impression of Tsunade!
In Hiruzen Sarutobi’s rigid impression, Tsunade inherited her grandfather, the First Hokage’s, gambling addiction, and was both bad at it and loved to play.
Shizune scratched her head and said, “Perhaps… Lady Tsunade feels those children are very pitiable; or perhaps Lady Tsunade feels this money was found by chance, so it doesn’t matter how it’s spent.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi: “???”
After Shizune patiently explained everything.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into silence.
He knew that the tragedy that occurred on Tanzaku Street was related to Uchiha Ikeizumi, but he didn’t expect that Tsunade’s return to the village was also related to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
“Then the origin of these children…” Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and asked, “Is it also related to Ikeizumi?”
Shizune nodded like a pecking chick, and as if she knew everything, she detailed the entire cause, process, and result of the incident.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into silence for the second time.
Because after Hiruzen Sarutobi listened, he actually started to feel that Uchiha Ikeizumi had done a very good job this time!
This made Hiruzen Sarutobi shiver. He had, unknowingly, almost been influenced by Uchiha Ikeizumi’s extreme behavior of 「Absolute Justice」!
But it was also at this moment that Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood why Uchiha Ikeizumi’s 「Absolute Justice」 had managed to change so many people’s impressions of him in such a short period.
It was likely this kind of extreme “killing to stop evil” behavior that made those who felt that the heavy fists of 「Absolute Justice」 would not fall on themselves appreciate this kind of action.
After all, those who died were all evil people. For them, good people, wasn’t it a good thing?
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who finally understood, suddenly had an even bigger headache.
“Hiruzen!” Just then, Homura Mitokado walked in quickly. As he was about to speak, he noticed an outsider in the Hokage’s Office and gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a meaningful look.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. He signaled Shizune to leave first, then asked Homura Mitokado, “What happened?”
Homura Mitokado’s expression was grave as he said, “Something has happened in the Capital of the Land of Fire. A ninja has been killing people indiscriminately in the Capital of the Land of Fire and almost wiped out a magnate family! You should remember the Yuuki Clan, right? Now only two of their clan members remain.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi: “!!!”
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s brows furrowed tightly.
Homura Mitokado continued, “People from the Daimyo’s side have provided some of the ninja villain’s characteristics to Konoha, asking us to determine if he is a ninja from our village.”
“They suspect the culprit is from Konoha?” A hint of displeasure flickered across Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face. “The ninjas of Konoha all believe in the Will of Fire, and Konoha’s environment cannot produce villains who would attack the magnates of the Land of Fire.”
He seemed to be able to sense the doubts of the magnates of the Land of Fire from afar.
Homura Mitokado’s expression was complex: “Hiruzen… but I think the culprit is one of ours from Konoha.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi: “???”
Homura Mitokado stated some of the characteristics, and a deep helplessness flashed in his eyes: “Hiruzen, don’t you think it sounds a bit familiar? Doesn’t it resemble Ikeizumi, and his ninja cat?”
“Besides, not all Konoha ninjas believe in the Will of Fire. Isn’t Ikeizumi a believer in 「Absolute Justice」? He has a record; he once attempted to kill the Daimyo’s second son.”
“Do you think that for Ikeizumi, a mere Yuuki Clan, a mere magnate of the Land of Fire, means anything?”
Hiruzen Sarutobi: “…”
Hiruzen Sarutobi clung to a sliver of hope: “Wasn’t it said that there was a female ninja accompanying the culprit? Ikeizumi’s little subordinate, Uchiha Izumi, is currently in Konoha.”
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, he heard an urgent knock on the door of the Hokage’s Office.
He rubbed his temples: “…Enter!”
An Anbu Ninja entered and reported at a rapid pace: “Hokage-sama, a three-person squad on a ninja mission outside the village has had an accident. According to one of the survivors who recalled it to the village – their group of three encountered the ‘Lava Release Ferocious Beast’ Uchiha Ikeizumi outside the village.”
“Among them, a Special Jonin named Ryoichiro was killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi with a single sword strike; additionally, a Special Jonin named Mitarashi Anko was taken away by Uchiha Ikeizumi under the pretext of ‘arresting an escaped prisoner’.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes widened gradually.
He couldn’t help but exchange a look with Homura Mitokado beside him.
Homura Mitokado sighed: “Hiruzen… the ‘female ninja’ accompanying the ninja villain has appeared.”
This statement extinguished Hiruzen Sarutobi’s last shred of hope.
The person the Daimyo called the “ninja villain.” It was now highly likely to be Uchiha Ikeizumi!!!
No…
Shouldn’t he have been honestly carrying out his S-rank ninja missions?
By all rights, the route of his missions shouldn’t have passed through the Capital of the Land of Fire. How did he inexplicably end up there?
Wait!
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly stood up abruptly. He stared at Homura Mitokado, his tone more serious than ever, his old face visibly darkening: “Ikeizumi knew why the Twelve Guardian Shinobi ambushed him outside Konoha!”
This statement made Homura Mitokado’s pupils contract. He understood Hiruzen Sarutobi’s meaning: “In Ikeizumi’s eyes, the Daimyo is one of the instigators of the ambush!”
“With his extreme concept of 「Absolute Justice」, the Daimyo has probably also become a villain in his eyes. He didn’t happen to pass by the Capital of the Land of Fire, but went there deliberately.”
“His target was probably not the Yuuki Clan either. The Yuuki Clan might have just been annihilated incidentally. His true target is the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!!!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi slumped back into his chair, utterly drained.
If the Daimyo were in Konoha Village, he would immediately gather all the Konoha ninjas.
No matter the cost, they would stop Uchiha Ikeizumi.
However…
The Capital of the Land of Fire was still too far from Konoha.
Even if an elite Jonin rushed there without a moment’s rest, it would likely take a full day.
It was simply too late!
“Asuma…” Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes in pain: “You thought I released a tiger, but in reality… I released a fierce dragon!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn’t know how to evaluate his own deceased second son.
The price Asuma paid for deceiving him, the Hokage…
Was to put the Daimyo in danger!
Moreover, the magnates of the Land of Fire would undoubtedly drag Konoha into their wrath because of Uchiha Ikeizumi’s identity as a Konoha ninja.
Those magnates would very likely suspect that he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had secretly ordered Uchiha Ikeizumi to assassinate the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s head immediately started to ache.
Homura Mitokado then gave a helpless wry smile: “The Daimyo has also placed a bounty on Ikeizumi… the ninja villain he spoke of. The current reward is fifty million ryo.”
“Fifty million…”
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head: “Looking at the entire Ninja World, there are probably at most five people who have the ability to claim this bounty.”
Homura Mitokado remained silent.
Because he thought Hiruzen Sarutobi’s assessment was still a bit optimistic.
Five people?
He couldn’t even think of anyone in the vast Ninja World who could take down Uchiha Ikeizumi in a one-on-one fight!
“Hiruzen, perhaps the Anbu needs to be dispatched,” Homura Mitokado suddenly said. “Even if they arrive at the Capital of the Land of Fire, it might be too late. But at least… we cannot let Uchiha Ikeizumi, who is already out of control, become even more uncontrollable.”
“Perhaps…”
Homura Mitokado said in a deep voice, “You, as the Hokage of Konoha, need to lead the team yourself to be able to suppress him.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s brows were tightly furrowed.
If he, as the Hokage, were to leave Konoha for several days, who knew what might happen in Konoha during that time?
As if sensing his concerns, Homura Mitokado said, “Isn’t Tsunade returning? Even if she stays in Konoha for just one day, she can deter the petty troublemakers in the village. Moreover… Fugaku and Itachi are on our side.”
“And we can leave Kakashi behind, plus there’s Might Guy in the village. You leaving for a few days should be fine; those people from the Uchiha clan won’t be able to cause any trouble.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a sigh, “You should remove Itachi. He is one of the uncertain factors I worry about the most…”
“However, you are right.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly stood up and said in a deep voice, “We cannot let the out-of-control situation become even more so, otherwise, other ninja villages will surely take advantage of the Land of Fire’s weakness and invade.”
“As the Hokage of Konoha, if I do not intervene when the situation in the Land of Fire is out of control, then perhaps… I would be going against my original promise when I first became Hokage.”
“And betray the will of the First, Second, and Fourth Hokages.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally decided to personally lead a team of Anbu ninjas to the Capital of the Land of Fire.
Before departing.
He entrusted everything to everyone he could, and after receiving their repeated confirmations and assurances…
He then felt at ease leaving Konoha.
Of course.
As for why he was leaving Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not reveal the inside story, merely stating that he had been invited by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Because if the exaggerated details were revealed…
The entire Konoha would likely be thrown into great turmoil!
…
Capital of the Land of Fire.
Uchiha Ikeizumi sheathed his ninja sword, which could no longer be cut, and said expressionlessly, “Give me your ninja sword.”
Anko looked left and right, realized he was talking to her, and quickly drew her ninja sword and handed it to Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Holding the ninja sword, Uchiha Ikeizumi took two steps forward.
He looked down at a magnate of the Land of Fire who had already been scared paralyzed on the ground.
And at this moment, if someone were to look forward, they would clearly see body after body lying there!
“No… don’t kill me! I can give you money, lots and lots of money, enough to spend for ten lifetimes! I can also give you many women, any kind of woman you want! There are plenty of women with bigger chests than the one behind you!”
The obese noble, his face filled with terror, kept shrinking his head back, his chin layered with unknown amounts of flesh.
He said with a trembling voice, “If… if you don’t want money or women, I can adopt you as my godson… No! No! I can acknowledge you as my elder brother! From now on… you can also be a noble of the Land of Fire!”
“Please… I don’t want to die! Please…”
“I… ugh—”
Uchiha Ikeizumi showed no sympathy for the man’s pathetic pleas for mercy.
This was because the lines of red text hovering above the man’s head were constantly stimulating Uchiha Ikeizumi’s nerves.
Causing his gaze to grow colder with every passing second.
To him, speaking another word to such a villain whose crimes were too numerous to count was an act comparable to stepping in dog excrement.
Mitarai Anko watched with wide eyes as a large head slowly rolled to her feet.
‘This seems to be… the eighty-eighth person…’
Unable to stop Uchiha Ikeizumi, she could only silently count how many people he had killed in the Capital of the Land of Fire.
The shocking number made Anko gasp in amazement.
And Uchiha Ikeizumi didn’t seem to want to stop.
She dared not imagine how many people would die today!
Just then.
Anko noticed the ninja cat Kijiro, who had disappeared somewhere earlier, return with a piece of paper in its mouth.
Kijiro dropped the paper, paid no attention to the corpses littering the ground, and spoke in a human voice, “Lord Ikeizumi, that Daimyo of the Land of Fire has issued a warrant for your arrest, with a bounty of an astonishing fifty million ryo. Meow, it seems he’s very panicked!”
“Meow, although the information on the bounty poster is scarce, it’s probably enough for guys who are similar to hyenas. Lord Ikeizumi, someone might come looking for trouble soon.”
Hearing this, Mitarai Anko immediately lowered her head to look.
She saw that the paper was indeed a bounty poster.
“Fifty million ryo…”
She was dumbfounded.
As a Special Jonin, Anko herself had a bounty in the black market; she remembered her black market bounty was nine million ryo.
While Anko was in shock, she noticed both Uchiha Ikeizumi and Kijiro glance to the left simultaneously.
As she felt a moment of doubt, a voice suddenly rang out, “Ha! What luck, I found you!”
Anko was startled, and as her gaze also shifted to the left, a sharp whistling sound immediately followed.
In her vision – over a dozen shuriken, along with two kunai with explosive tags attached, were rapidly approaching! And behind the shuriken and kunai was a ninja without a forehead protector!
This guy actually considered her a target too!
“Watch out!”
Anko shouted a warning as she quickly retreated, but to her shock, Uchiha Ikeizumi didn’t dodge!
Anko’s eyes widened slightly as she saw the kunai and shuriken pass through Uchiha Ikeizumi’s body!
“Explode!!!”
Especially as the two kunai with explosive tags embedded themselves into Uchiha Ikeizumi’s body, the ninja grinned and clasped his hands together.
BOOM!!!
BOOM!!!
Two deafening explosions made Anko’s ears ring, forcing her to retreat a few more steps.
She looked up in horror and saw that Uchiha Ikeizumi’s upper body had been blown away!
Only his lower half remained, standing still in its place.
“H-how could this be…”
Anko was stunned!
She instinctively looked at the talking ninja cat, only to find its expression unchanged. It seemed that its master being blown to half a body was no big deal.
The ninja, who wore no forehead protector, walked over with a sinister grin, twirling a kunai in his hand and sneering, “A ninja villain with a fifty million ryo bounty is nothing special! Tsk, I accidentally blew off his upper body. The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, he won’t pay the bounty if he can’t see the face, right?”
“It was truly a bit careless, I didn’t expect this guy to be this weak… Those two kunai with explosive tags were meant as a greeting, but they became a killing weapon.”
“Someone this weak, dares to target the magnates…”
Before the ninja could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly widened slowly.
The sinister grin on his lips froze, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
Behold—
Uchiha Ikeizumi’s upper body, which had been “blown apart” by the explosive tags, was visibly reassembling itself. Shattered pieces of “flesh” were condensing and reorganizing, and a faint orange-red glow could be seen flowing within the “flesh.”
In less than three seconds.
An intact Uchiha Ikeizumi, whose clothes weren’t even dirty, appeared before everyone!
Causing the grinning ninja and Mitarai Anko…
To wear identical expressions of shock!
“…What kind of monster is this!?” the ninja exclaimed in disbelief, hastily retreating in fright, trying to get away from Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Unfortunately.
It was too late.
The ninja’s pupils reflected a ball of searing lava, which, before he could react, grazed his head and directly consumed half of his skull.
…
The Daimyo’s Mansion.
“Lord Daimyo!” a Daimyo’s Retainer rushed over and reported to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, “Those from Konoha say that if they’re not mistaken… the ‘ninja villain’ who was killing in the Capital of the Land of Fire is very likely a ninja from Konoha Village!”
“What?!”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire was so shocked he jumped up. The Eldest Son of the Daimyo next to him couldn’t help but stand up as well.
The Eldest Son of the Daimyo gritted his teeth and said, “Konoha ninja! How is Konoha’s Third Hokage managing the ninjas in his village? One Uchiha Ikeizumi killed my younger brother, and then another Konoha ninja came to the Capital of the Land of Fire and killed magnates?”
“Father, after this storm passes, please gather your strength and depose Konoha’s Third Hokage from his position! Letting him manage Konoha Village will only plunge the Land of Fire into chaos.”
“A ninja’s duty is to protect the country or to be a killing machine for the nation, serving as the Land of Fire’s enforcement agency. Not to become a double-edged sword that bites back at the Land of Fire.”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire frowned and said, “There is no clear superior-subordinate relationship between the Hokage and the Daimyo. It’s not that easy to bring down a Konoha Hokage…”
“If handled improperly, it could alienate Konoha and the Land of Fire, which would be terrible.”
The fact that he said this clearly indicated that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was extremely dissatisfied with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At this moment.
The Daimyo suddenly asked the retainer, “Did they confirm the name of the ninja villain in the Capital of the Land of Fire?”
The retainer quickly replied, “The other party seems to be called Uchiha Ikeizumi.”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire: “!!!”
The Eldest Son of the Daimyo: “!!!”
“Impossible!” The Daimyo of the Land of Fire’s face was filled with horror, and he immediately exclaimed, “Did you misremember the name? How could that guy be Uchiha Ikeizumi?!”
The retainer replied somewhat aggrievedly, “Lord Daimyo… I have confirmed with Konoha multiple times, I shouldn’t have gotten it wrong.”
“Father, this…” The Eldest Son of the Daimyo was also aghast, “Logically… shouldn’t that guy have already died at the hands of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi?”
The Daimyo fell silent for a moment.
At this moment, if he still couldn’t guess why the Twelve Guardian Shinobi hadn’t returned for so long, he would be a useless Daimyo.
Now.
There were only two possibilities—the Twelve Guardian Shinobi ultimately did not side with him, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire; they chose to favor Konoha Village and refused to help him seek revenge.
The other possibility was—the Twelve Guardian Shinobi were all annihilated! This would explain why Uchiha Ikeizumi appeared in the Capital of the Land of Fire, as he was here to assassinate him!
“Hiss…”
The Daimyo couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath, a bone-chilling cold causing goosebumps to erupt all over his body.
This also explained why the ninja villain dared to kill magnates?
Uchiha Ikeizumi, who dared to kill even the Second Son of the Daimyo…
What was killing dozens of magnates to him?!
Cold sweat broke out on the Daimyo’s back, and he was already feeling anxious for the umpteenth time. The fifty million ryo bounty, which had only recently been issued, offered him no sense of security.
“He…”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire asked his eldest son in a bewildered tone, “He wouldn’t dare to attack the Daimyo, would he? He must realize how important a country’s Daimyo is to that country, right? He must know the immense trouble he would cause by killing me, right? The entire Ninja World would rise against him!”
This was the first time the Eldest Son of the Daimyo had seen his father so insecure.
He even saw a hint of fear in the depths of his father’s eyes.
It was unthinkable in the past.
Just as the Eldest Son of the Daimyo was about to open his mouth to say something.
Suddenly, another retainer rushed over.
“Lord Daimyo! This is terrible! The Fujiwara clan, the Taira clan, the Hojo clan, the Nakamura clan… their family residences have all been visited by that ninja villain! Among them… only the honorable Nakamura clan lost three clan members. The other magnate families were almost wiped out! There are already hundreds of corpses!”
“And…”
“Besides these magnate families, many ‘innocent bystanders’ also fell victim to that ninja villain’s blade! He’s like a madman, killing anyone indiscriminately! He even broke into a government building in the northeast corner of the Capital of the Land of Fire, and it’s said that the place is littered with corpses!”
The retainer’s voice clearly indicated that he was trembling with fear just from hearing the news.
And his words almost made the Daimyo faint from shock.
In so many years, the Land of Fire had never experienced such a large-scale event.
Usually, at most, it was Konoha Village that suffered disaster.
These magnate Daimyos lived comfortably.
But who would have thought…
That one day the cleaver of the Ninja World would fall upon their necks!
“Wait!” The Eldest Son of the Daimyo, who had managed to maintain a semblance of calm, suddenly noticed a critical point and quickly said, “Father! The Fujiwara, Taira, Hojo, Nakamura, plus the government building in the northeast corner…”
“If these locations are connected by a line, they point directly towards the Daimyo’s Mansion! And…” the Eldest Son of the Daimyo’s voice was filled with horror, “they are already very close to us! That Uchiha Ikeizumi, he’s killing his way here!”
With a “clatter,” the Daimyo of the Land of Fire slumped onto his chair.
It was as if a large portion of his strength had been drained.
His eyes had become somewhat vacant.
“What do I do… what do I do… Can the ninjas drawn by the fifty million ryo bounty stop Uchiha Ikeizumi?”
The Daimyo grabbed his eldest son’s wrist, “Should I increase the bounty to one hundred million? No! To five hundred million? With a five hundred million ryo bounty, someone will surely be able to stop him, right?”
The Eldest Son of the Daimyo looked down at his father’s distraught state and couldn’t bear to shatter his father’s hopes.
Even if there were powerful ninjas who would be tempted by five hundred million ryo.
The problem was…
Was there enough time?!
—RUMBLE!!!
At this critical moment, a sudden, deafening roar informed everyone within the Daimyo’s Mansion.
There was no more time!
…
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Flowing lava slowly dripped from Uchiha Ikeizumi’s body, leaving a sea of lava and fire behind him. The desperadoes, one after another, drawn by the exaggerated bounty of fifty million ryo, had all been swallowed by the rolling lava behind him!
A strong, pungent smell of sulfur spread. Uchiha Ikeizumi slightly raised his eyelids and looked forward.
The Daimyo’s Mansion.
It was right before his eyes!
Outside the Daimyo’s Mansion at this moment, hundreds of samurai wielding katanas stood trembling, blocking Uchiha Ikeizumi’s path.
They were merely skilled samurai. Against ordinary people, they might be able to take on several at once. But against ninjas, they couldn’t even defeat a Konoha Genin.
Moreover…
The “lava monster” before them couldn’t possibly be a Genin, at least a Jonin, right!?
They had never seen such a scene in their lives!
The overwhelming heatwave rushing towards them made every single one of these samurai sweat profusely.
With every step Uchiha Ikeizumi took forward, the group of samurai couldn’t help but step back.
And, amidst the crowd, each retreat was a jostling of people, tripping over each other, and even accidentally cutting companions with their katanas, always causing a stir of panic and abuse.
“Meow, why do these guys with such weak power get to be the elite of the Ninja World?” Kijiro perched on Anko’s head, using her as a new mount. “On what grounds do they have such strong confidence that they are inherently superior, that their lives are more precious than others, and then they start wantonly playing with others’ lives?”
Anko, whose mind had become numb from the scene, didn’t even bother with the ninja cat sitting on her head.
She mumbled woodenly, “Because… that’s how the Ninja World is. A long, long time ago… it was always like this.”
Kijiro said, “Meow? If it’s always been this way, then it’s correct?”
It continued, “These so-called upper-class people who consider themselves superior were once called ‘Celestial Dragons’ by Lord Ikeizumi. Meow, although I don’t know what Celestial Dragons mean, from Lord Ikeizumi’s disgusted tone, I can tell it’s definitely not a good thing.”
“Lord Ikeizumi also said. When they think they are superior, when they disrespect innocent lives, their very existence becomes a breeding ground for sin.”
“Only a very small number of people like them can restrain their behavior. Killing them all would definitely be unjust, killing every other one, and there would certainly be many who slip through the net, meow.”
Just as Anko’s expression shifted, as if lost in thought.
She suddenly heard Uchiha Ikeizumi’s voice.
“Konoha Military Police Force is enforcing the law. All unauthorized personnel, clear the way.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi stood silently before the hundreds of samurai, his tone indifferent, “Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy.”
*Clatter*—
A katana fell from a warrior’s hand uncontrollably.
This was like the first domino to fall, frightening the other samurai into dropping their katanas in haste.
They were not trained ninjas.
The moment their lives were threatened, the moment they realized that no matter how much they struggled, it would be futile…
Who would still risk their lives for the Daimyo of the Land of Fire?
How much money did they earn per month?
Hundreds of samurai shouted in alarm and scattered like birds and beasts. At this moment, they truly realized that the disparity in combat power between ordinary people and ninjas was so immense it was despair-inducing.
The samurai couldn’t even quite understand why those Konoha ninja were willing to confine themselves to a corner of Konoha Village? Didn’t they have the ability to replace the Daimyo of the Land of Fire in minutes?
But the samurai dared not ask.
The sulfur smell permeating the air made them feel suffocated.
They could only watch in fear and trepidation as Uchiha Ikeizumi stepped into the Daimyo’s Mansion.
None of them dared to make a sound!
……
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had long heard the commotion outside, and realizing he had no room to retreat, he could only stand out with a livid face accustomed to luxury, mustering his last bit of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire’s confidence, and gritted his teeth to meet Uchiha Ikeizumi.
“You are the…”
“Uchiha Ikeizumi?”
The Daimyo could hardly imagine what great courage it took him to ask this question.
Under his loose robe, he felt the skin on his entire body tremble.
The monster before him, flowing with lava all over its body, was like a terrifying evil spirit crawled from hell, causing him to tremble with fear.
The Daimyo clenched his fist tightly, his throat churning. Gritting his teeth, he asked, “As a Konoha Military Police Force ninja, your law enforcement authority should be limited to Konoha Village. Your current actions… are already a serious overreach of your authority.”
“And…”
With every word he spoke, more cold sweat trickled down his forehead. “You appear before me in such a manner. What are you trying to do? Are you attempting a rebellion?”
“Does your Konoha even consider the Land of Fire? Do you still remember which country you were born in? I… am equivalent to the monarch of the Land of Fire!”
“I… I… I am…”
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire found himself unable to speak.
Although Uchiha Ikeizumi in front of him looked very young, and he hadn’t uttered a word since walking in, he was just calmly observing him with his eyes.
But it was precisely this calm and indifferent gaze that placed an immense, unbearable pressure on the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Because…
He felt as if the other party was looking at a corpse!
Uchiha Ikeizumi opened his mouth, and he said in a low voice: “You, who bear layer upon layer of identities, have not upheld the responsibilities you should bear. Your own children have repeatedly committed murder and wickedness. You, who know the entire truth, choose to indulge them and turn a blind eye.”
“Laws modified by the arbitrary exercise of the Daimyo’s power make it harder for innocent victims to seek justice for themselves, and allow perpetrators to escape righteous judgment with ease.”
“Although you did not personally participate in the evil deeds, the source of countless sins in the Land of Fire mostly originated from you.”
“Goein Kōnin. Today… 「Absolute justice」 will use your sin-ridden life to awe the entire Land of Fire!”
He’s crazy… this Uchiha has truly gone mad!!!
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire widened his eyes, his survival instinct overcoming his dignity.
He hastily turned around, stepping on his wooden clogs as he tried to escape.
His movements were quite disheveled.
But the next moment, the lava demon dog, its mouth wide open, passed right through him from behind! A large hole was torn in his chest!
……
……
