"That's impossible! Five days ago, when I left the Daimyō's Manor, he was perfectly fine!"
"And now he's dead?"
"Plus, there were ninja stationed there. Sure, they weren't that strong, but there's no way someone could kill the Daimyō right under their noses, right?"
Kazuyama Gekkō couldn't wrap his head around it. He just didn't get it.
The ninja corps at the Daimyō's Manor had been led by Kazuma and his men. They might not have matched Kazuyama, but by Konohagakure standards, they were certainly Jōnin-level.
How could they possibly fail to protect the Daimyō?
"It was mercenaries. According to Minister Yanagimura from the Daimyō's Manor, the attacker wore a black robe."
"His techniques were bizarre. In just a blink, he sent all the surrounding guards flying."
"That included several skilled ninja from the unit."
"The Daimyō was assassinated on the grounds of his own manor."
Sent flying?
That kind of phrasing was rare in the shinobi world.
Only one person came to Kazuyama's mind who fit that description.
Nagato. The Six Paths power. Deva Path's Shinra Tensei?
No way. Nagato had already been taken by Madara Uchiha. He wouldn't have had the chance to assassinate the Daimyō.
"Kazuyama, do you have any idea who the attacker might be?"
"You've been to bounty stations and dealt with mercenaries. Got any leads?"
"Who else would assassinate the Daimyō of the Land of Fire if not one of the other four great nations?"
Minato Namikaze felt his head pounding.
He'd only just taken office, and so much had already gone wrong.
First, the Daimyō's Manor had moved against the village. Now the Daimyō himself was dead.
"I've got no idea. Among the mercenaries I know with that kind of strength, the only one that comes close is Kakuzu."
"I've fought him, but he doesn't have an ability like that."
"But right now, the ones who should be panicking are the Daimyō's people. The Daimyō's death is a huge blow to the Land of Fire."
"They haven't asked us for assistance?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression grim.
"Kazuyama, you've been to the Daimyō's Manor. You know the deal."
"The village needs the Daimyō's support. If we want to keep it, we have to step up. There's no avoiding it."
"The team heading to the Daimyō's Manor has already been dispatched."
Minato nodded. It had taken several days of meetings to finalize the list.
Even Asuma Sarutobi, son of the former Hokage, had been sent.
Sure enough, when Kazuyama saw the list, he was dumbfounded.
"Yo, Lord... Former Lord Hokage, you even sent your own son?"
"Hmph. That kid's always trying to prove himself. He volunteered. I had nothing to do with it."
Hiruzen looked helpless when it came to his youngest.
No comparison, no frustration—but look at his eldest and his daughter-in-law, they were the model of dependability.
This one, though? Nothing but headaches.
"Right now, we're waiting for the Daimyō's Manor to stabilize. Shikaku."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've already made the arrangements."
Shikaku Nara looked half-asleep, clearly exhausted.
Only heaven knew how hard his brain had been working since the news broke. He was spent.
"As of now, the village has deployed over twenty squads on high alert, and defenses around the Land of Fire are tightened."
"But I don't think there's much chance of catching the assassin."
The Daimyō was dead. If Konohagakure didn't act, it would look bad.
"Tsk, fate really plays cruel games."
"The Daimyō was actually pretty kind to me. Who'd have thought that farewell would be our last?"
"Don't stop me—let me mourn him a bit. Obito, come on. Take me home. I need to grieve properly."
Kazuyama grabbed Obito and started walking out, completely ignoring the bewildered stares from everyone in the room.
"Kazuyama, hold up."
"You just came from the Daimyō's Manor. At least give us a report."
Minato called him back—after all, it was his mission. He had to debrief.
"What's there to say? They're weaker than us."
"We fought. Everyone got steamrolled—except for Shisui, who lost."
Wait, you fought them?
So you went to the Daimyō's Manor just to stir up trouble?
Seeing the others' speechless expressions, Kazuyama grinned.
"Well, now that that's settled, I'm off."
"I've been away from the village long enough. Time to rest."
...
At the same time, beyond Konohagakure's borders in the Land of Fire...
Two figures stood in the distance, silently watching the village.
"Nagato, let's go. Sooner or later, we'll wipe this place out."
"I'll give you the chance to avenge your father—but not yet."
"If we're late getting back, Black Zetsu's going to start nagging again."
The two were none other than Nagato and Muren Uchiha.
"Understood. Let's go."
With their Dōjutsu activated, the two vanished from sight.
They were the ones who had carried out the assassination.
Black Zetsu had gotten the intel first and sent them to do the job.
For them, time was everything. The Daimyō's death would plunge the Land of Fire into long-term instability.
And just as expected, that's exactly what happened.
The fallout was massive—paranoia spread through the country.
Konohagakure had mobilized en masse, patrolling across the Land of Fire.
But Kazuyama? Ever since returning from his mission, he'd truly done what he said—rested.
He even brought Pakura along with him.
That was until Shikaku Nara came to drag him back to the Hokage Building.
"So, the new Daimyō is continuing the ninja corps policy?"
"Tsk. Interesting."
Kazuyama looked at the photo of the new Daimyō—yep, he knew this guy.
Same drowsy look as ever. He was also the one who created the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
"That's where things stand now. The village's funding has been cut again."
"Not as harshly as before, but we're still in a rough spot."
"The suggestions you gave earlier are already being implemented."
Minato glanced at the report in his hand, weariness flickering across his face.
Everyone in the room understood the gravity of the situation. No one objected.
Kazuyama knew, too—this marked the start of a long period of calm for the village.
Which meant, he could enjoy some well-earned leisure.
...
Time flew by. Eventually, Kazuyama showed up at the hospital with Pakura, meeting up with his two closest friends.
"Eh? You guys came to the hospital too?"
"Hmph. Just seeing your face ruins my whole day."
"Kazuyama, you've been taking it way too easy lately."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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