Meng Zong: "Enough talking! Just run!"
After speaking with the Lord of the Bird Country, Morkel didn't want to stay in the mansion for another minute.
Once he exited the inner hall, he immediately grabbed Chidao, Neji, and the others, activating the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport straight to Meng Zong's residence.
Upon landing, Morkel was momentarily impressed with his own foresight. "Good thing I'm in the habit of leaving Flying Thunder God marks wherever I go. Otherwise, escaping would've been difficult…"
Before he could finish, he looked up and saw Meng Zong, lugging several large bags.
The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
As always, curious little Xiao Mingzi was the first to speak. "Hey, Master Meng Zong, you're carrying so many bags. Are you running away?"
Meng Zong froze. "I… I heard you were going to meet the daimyo, and I thought you'd be staying at the mansion. So I packed some gold and silver to send you… as a token of appreciation."
Naruto glanced sideways at the clearly guilty monk and muttered, "That's the most obvious lie I've ever heard."
Before Naruto could continue, Morkel stepped forward with a grin. "Since it's for us, we'll accept it generously."
Meng Zong's jaw dropped.
He'd only wanted to make up an excuse to cover his attempted escape. He never expected Morkel to take him at his word!
And now all the wealth he had plundered over the years in the Bird Country was slipping away…
Meng Zong hesitated, unsure whether to let go of the package.
But Morkel made the decision for him.
With a tug, Morkel pulled the package toward himself with ease.
Having trained in both the Hundred Healings Mark and Technique under Tsunade, Morkel's physical strength now far surpassed even hers. Ten Meng Zongs combined couldn't have stopped him.
And so, just like that, all of Meng Zong's treasures landed in Morkel's hands.
Weighing the bags, Morkel pretended to be extremely satisfied. "Thank you, Master Meng Zong, for your generous gift."
Meng Zong looked as if he were about to cry, yet he forced himself to maintain the calm appearance of a senior monk. "It's just a small token. Please don't take it too seriously…"
Because of the team's sudden return, Meng Zong's escape plan had been foiled.
At Meng Zong's residence, where Morkel and his group were staying, they gathered to examine the "gift."
Since they were already familiar with one another, Morkel shared a room with Naruto, Neji, and the others.
Opening the package, Morkel's eyes widened.
Even the usually composed Neji stammered. "How much… how much is this worth?"
Morkel quickly estimated. "If we convert all this gold, silver, and gemstones into money, it might total around 100 to 200 million…"
Neji was dumbfounded. "Is the Bird Country really that rich?!"
Naruto shrugged. "Monks don't value money, remember? Maybe Master Meng Zong felt a spiritual bond with us and decided to be generous."
"Stop it," Morkel sighed. "Can't you two see that this whole thing was a setup? That monk was clearly running away!"
Neji frowned. "Running away? But he's highly respected here. Why would he do that?"
Morkel shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. But I'm certain he's connected to the ghost warrior incidents."
Naruto asked, "By the way, Meng Zong told us that ghost warriors might show up at Hongming's mansion tonight. Should we go check it out?"
He paused, then added, "And what if Meng Zong runs away while we're gone?"
Morkel gave him an approving look. "Good thinking, Naruto. You're actually using your brain now."
He continued, "If you're worried about him escaping, why don't you and Neji stay behind to keep watch?"
Naruto looked conflicted. "But I want to see the ghost warriors too. You know I'm curious!"
"I'll catch one for you so you can look all you want," Morkel promised.
Back in Meng Zong's room…
The old monk had collapsed onto the floor, crying.
"My money… all my money…"
"I spent four or five years saving that… and now it's gone, just like that!"
From the shadows, a voice echoed. "Boss… maybe you should've come up with a better excuse. Why say it was a gift?"
Meng Zong snapped. "Are you blaming me?!"
"No, no! I would never…"
"Now that we've lost everything," the voice continued, "are we going to make our escape?"
Meng Zong hesitated, then shook his head. "No. If I leave now, all my years of effort will be wasted."
He sighed deeply. "We've wandered for so many years, learning techniques, surviving. I finally settled here with a fake identity and made some money…"
"I never expected disaster to fall upon me…"
"But boss," the voice warned, "Morkel's strength… He's terrifying. If we're found out—"
Meng Zong interrupted, "We just have to keep bluffing and buy time."
Moments later, a subordinate ninja reported, "Chief, I saw the Konoha shinobi heading toward Hongming's residence."
Meng Zong's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps… their presence might work in our favor…"
"Here's what you'll do…"
---
Hongming's Mansion, Late at Night
It was said the ghost warrior haunted this place. So Morkel and the others came to investigate.
But after waiting a long while, nothing appeared. Tiantian sighed in boredom. "Maybe the ghost warrior knows we're here and got scared off."
Morkel replied, "That just proves he's human in disguise."
But before he could finish, Tiantian gasped, pointing toward the sky. "Look! Something's up there!"
Everyone looked.
Hovering in the night sky was a masked figure wielding a spear—clearly the "ghost warrior."
But Morkel, sensitive to chakra, recognized something strange.
"I've felt this chakra before… Why is he dressed like this?"
The ghost warrior descended, attacking Hongming's mansion, causing a stir.
Thanks to Morkel and the others, Hongming was unharmed.
Watching the ghost warrior retreat into the sky, Tiantian asked anxiously, "Morkel, should we chase him?"
Morkel calmly waved her off. "Let him go. If he dies, things will get complicated."
Tiantian hesitated, then nodded. "You've got a plan, right?"
Morkel smirked but said nothing. During the earlier scuffle, he had marked the ghost warrior with Flying Thunder God.
He'd follow him back to his lair—and reveal his true identity.
---
Meanwhile, at the Hot Springs beside the Daimyo's Palace…
Steam filled the air. A slim figure bathed in the open-air hot spring.
She muttered to herself as she washed. "Ninjas are overrated… That Morkel guy though… he's handsome…"
"But I still don't have proof… When will I avenge my father and brother?"
Just then—BAM!
Flying Thunder God activated.
Morkel appeared instantly—his hand landing directly on her bare waist.
A scream shattered the night air.
"AHHHH!!"
Morkel, stunned, stammered. "You, you, you—"
"I, I, I—"
When he sensed the ghost warrior's chakra earlier, he'd realized it matched the daimyo's chakra exactly.
So he came to investigate…
What he hadn't expected was that the "male" daimyo—Heron—was actually a woman!
Before she could strike, Morkel caught her wrist. "Daimyo, please put on some clothes first. Your current appearance is… um…"
He couldn't help stealing another glance.
"PERVERT!!"
Once dressed, she sat down across from Morkel.
"I'm Hong Lu, daughter of the former daimyo, Da Lu. Heron was my brother. After his death, I took his place and began investigating."
"You dressed as the ghost warrior?" Morkel asked.
"Yes. I suspected Hongming killed my family, but couldn't get proof. So I became a 'ghost' to scare him into slipping up."
Morkel nodded. "Makes sense. But maybe there's someone else behind it."
"Impossible!" Hong Lu snapped. "Only Hongming had motive!"
Morkel frowned. "Or maybe… Meng Zong wanted your brother in power because he was easier to control…"
Before she could respond, shuriken flew in from the window!
Morkel reacted instantly, summoning an ice shield to block the blades.
"No big deal. Danzo's kunai couldn't break this shield—these don't stand a chance."
Next, he used Wood Style to bind all the attackers.
Hong Lu gasped. "You're so strong! But earlier—when we fought—why didn't you go all out?"
Morkel shrugged. "I knew you were the daimyo. Didn't want to accidentally cause a diplomatic crisis."
"…You could have just said I was beautiful or something…"
She picked up a shuriken. "These belong to the palace guard—Hongming controls them! That proves he's behind this!"
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Morkel said. "Let's interrogate them first."
So began the beating interrogation…
"Say it or not! Say it or not!!"
Eventually, one ninja mumbled, "Brother… why don't you ask something before hitting us…"
"…Oops."
After actual questioning, the captured ninja revealed everything.
Meng Zong was the true mastermind.
He'd posed as a monk, gained the former daimyo's trust, and had him assassinated. He hoped to manipulate the power struggle between Hongming and "Heron" to his advantage.
And with the ghost warrior (Hong Lu) drawing attention tonight, he'd hoped to assassinate the daimyo and seize control during the chaos.
But…
It all fell apart.
---
Back at Meng Zong's Mansion
Meng Zong paced anxiously. "Why haven't they returned yet?!"
A subordinate reassured him, but Meng Zong made a decision.
"We're leaving! Now!"
As they fled outside—
They ran into Naruto and Neji.
Meng Zong blurted, "Didn't the four of you leave for Hongming's mansion?"
Neji smiled. "Those were shadow clones. We stayed behind—just in case you tried something suspicious."
---