Danger and opportunity coexist. The "Fuma Clan," a nomadic group of shinobi, became the backbone of Kikyo Castle's new regime almost overnight after the local ninja "rebelled."
When this group arrived at Kikyo Castle, it wasn't just for disaster relief. In fact, the moment they entered the city, they were granted a designated area as a temporary encampment.
For now, the area was filled with tents, but it was easy to imagine that once the city's issues were resolved and calm restored, Genma and his crew would start major construction projects here, fully committed to building infrastructure.
Below the castle's keep, more than a dozen shinobi were busy clearing debris from the surrounding structures.
"These falling objects from up there…"
A ninja from the Fuma Clan glanced up at the half-ruined keep, then down at the shattered stones and tiles scattered on the ground. All the intricately carved beams and painted panels had been effortlessly destroyed by gravity.
"The keep needs rebuilding, doesn't it?"
"Of course… at least the upper half does."
"This construction debris isn't easy to deal with. Who knows how long it'll take to clear it all."
"But it still needs to be cleared."
Shinobi had to be cautious about falling objects—not just because it disrupted public order, but because there were profound "historical lessons" behind it.
Here's a little story about "promoting civility and setting new standards."
Once upon a time, there was a ninja—possibly an Uchiha—who, while soaring through the sky, carelessly tossed some important historical artifacts below as if they were trash. Unfortunately, one of those objects struck a ninja in a green bodysuit with a watermelon-like haircut.
And later… well, let's just say that Uchiha ninja faced dire consequences.
He nearly got kicked to death by that watermelon-haired ninja.
Most of the shinobi in the camp had been sent out on missions, and with the city around them bustling, the area felt oddly serene amidst the chaos.
Having just returned from battle, Hane Genma was half-reclining on a simple wooden cot, his back weakly propped against the backrest. He was wrapped up like a dumpling, completely swaddled in bandages.
And that wasn't even the end of it. Nearby, Uchiha Nanami was still applying "3D additive processing" to him with more bandages.
Round after round, layer after layer.
When Genma appeared before everyone last night, his wretched state had left them all stunned.
It was just supposed to be a stealth mission. By all accounts, Genma should've returned unscathed. After all, assassination was hardly a challenge for him.
But as the saying goes, "Stand by the river long enough, you're bound to get wet." Who could've predicted Genma would hit a wall this time?
At this moment, Genma couldn't even conceal the traces of White Zetsu's influence on his body. He suspected that if he tried, he'd soon be sprinting toward a stage of life called "final radiance before death."
His skin was ghastly pale, like unset plaster.
"This is…"
Uchiha Nanami stared at the severe burn marks on Genma's left arm, momentarily at a loss. From shoulder to palm, the carbonized scars grew progressively worse.
Under normal circumstances, there was a standard, simple, and effective treatment for such injuries: amputation.
"Got hit directly by the enemy's Lightning Style," Genma said simply.
Though he'd chosen to block the Lightning Style with his hand, the outcome wasn't much different from being struck head-on.
"Do you think… this arm can still be saved?" Uchiha Nanami asked tactfully, suggesting treatment options.
"I think it's worth trying to salvage," Genma replied. "Just wrap it up for now."
Uchiha Nanami could sense that Genma's gravely injured body was healing at a rate far beyond a normal human's. He was rapidly condensing chakra, then expending it just as quickly.
This vitality felt vaguely familiar to her.
She didn't press further. Instead, she focused on cleaning the charred tissue from Genma's arm. After a moment's thought, she used a Summoning Technique to call forth her fox.
The summoned beast, Little Seven, appeared, wrinkled its nose, and sniffed the air before letting out a sneeze. It circled around twice before settling at Nanami's feet.
Nanami rummaged through the fox's fur, pulling out a vial of ointment from somewhere. She applied the medicine to Genma's arm.
In every sense, this wasn't exactly an act of deep concern but rather a case of "doing what's possible and leaving the rest to fate."
Was this some kind of secret medicine? Genma didn't feel anything special from it. Inwardly, he grumbled—shouldn't burn patients be kept in a sterile environment? Why summon a furry creature?
"Last night, I probably should've gone with you," Nanami said.
Seeing Genma in such a state, coupled with the ruined keep, it was clear how intense the battle must've been and how formidable the enemy was.
"I didn't expect there'd be such a ridiculously strong ninja here," Genma said. "The process was a bit rough, but the outcome was good. The goal was achieved."
"Is it my imagination, or do you actually seem in a good mood?" Nanami asked.
She couldn't quite grasp Genma's mindset. He'd been beaten half to death, yet he seemed oddly cheerful?
"Victory against a strong enemy brought me some gains," Genma replied.
The immense rewards made Genma feel that such a grueling battle wasn't a bad thing after all.
If his physical condition weren't so dire, he'd already be diving into developing the new Bloodline Limit he'd acquired.
"What was the deal with that enemy?" Nanami asked.
Genma thought for a moment before explaining, "Have you ever heard of a secret technique called Jiongu?"
Given her background, Uchiha Nanami was well-versed in the ninja world's secrets and forbidden techniques, but even she had never heard of this one.
After Genma briefly explained what Jiongu was, Nanami stopped marveling at how battered Genma looked. Instead, she was astonished he was still alive.
"This… I know it's a bit intrusive to ask, but how did you defeat them?" she pressed.
Genma flashed a brilliant smile, one she'd never seen before.
"You might not believe this, but I won with punches and kicks."
"…"
It sounded absurd, but it was truer than gold.
"Ahem, back to business," Genma said, shifting the topic.
"Everyone in our organization comes from different backgrounds, but most of us have experienced being stray dogs at some point. Now, I can say that after months of struggle, we've finally secured a foothold in the ninja world again."
"I've thought it over and decided to change our organization's name from 'Ashes' to 'Firefly.' Before, we could only worry about whether our faint flame would go out. Now, we can start thinking about how to let it burn."
Having all been stray dogs once, they could truly appreciate the value of this moment. Renaming the organization was only fitting—a way to mark a new era, a new tone.
The imagery of "Ashes" carried an undeniable sense of negativity. "Firefly," on the other hand, was its opposite—a symbol of hope and light.
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