Chapter 174: Greedy Kazuma
Kujaku also suspected that the giant bird might be a Summoning Beast.
After all, no ordinary creature could possibly grow that large.
But he had no intention of climbing up to check.
He wasn't stupid — if there were people on that bird, going up the tower alone would be nothing short of suicide.
"I'm not going," he said flatly, shaking his head.
Nauma frowned. "Then what should we do? We can't just let it stay there. What if it suddenly attacks the Daimyō?"
Kujaku shrugged. "Not my problem. It's your shift right now — that makes it your responsibility. If something happens, you'll take the blame, not me."
Nauma's tone deepened. "Then why did you say I was overreacting earlier? It's because I sensed danger that I called everyone here — to deal with this properly. Now that we're all here, we should discuss what to do next."
Kujaku opened his mouth to argue, but Kazuma raised a hand, stopping him. Kujaku immediately fell silent.
Nauma turned his eyes toward Kazuma.
Kazuma smiled thinly. "Nauma's right. We can't just ignore it — that bird might have people on its back, and they could be after the Daimyō. So, Nauma, any bright ideas?"
He deliberately threw the question back at him.
Nauma shook his head. "None for now."
Kazuma's smile widened as his gaze drifted upward toward the high tower.
"Here's what I think: the bird hasn't shown any aggression yet. Why don't we wait until nightfall — then we can decide whether to drive it away… or capture it?"
A greedy gleam flashed in Kazuma's eyes. Capturing a creature like that — and making it his own Summoning Beast — was a tantalizing thought.
"Night?" Nauma frowned, dissatisfied with the plan.
He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling from earlier — the vague shadow he thought he'd seen on the bird's back. They needed to confirm whether anyone was actually up there first.
"How about this," Nauma said. "Let's confirm if there's someone on its back. Then we'll talk about what to do next."
Kazuma nodded casually. That worked fine for him — knowing whether the bird already had a master would help him decide how to handle it later.
A wild Summoning Beast could be captured easily. One with a master would require… other methods.
Kazuma cleared his throat. "Kujaku, didn't you learn a high-grade defensive jutsu? Why don't you go check?"
They had no means of flight, so someone who could defend well would naturally be chosen.
Kujaku grimaced but didn't dare refuse his leader. "Alright…" he muttered reluctantly.
He walked to the base of the tower — but instead of taking the stairs, he activated his Earth Release: Hardening Technique.
His skin hardened instantly, his entire body turning as tough as stone.
It was a technique he'd picked up years ago during his travels, one that had saved his life many times. With his body now fortified, Kujaku felt much bolder.
Channeling chakra into his feet, he began walking up the tower wall, perpendicular to the ground — scaling it with steady, deliberate steps.
Below, the others watched intently, not daring to blink. Kujaku's figure grew smaller and smaller as he ascended, until he looked like a dark speck against the sky.
When he was almost at the top, tension began to creep into his chest. His mouth went dry.
Even as a jōnin-level ninja, facing an unknown threat this close made his pulse quicken.
He took a few slow, deep breaths to calm himself — then continued his climb.
Just as the tower's edge came into reach, several white papers suddenly fluttered down in front of him.
Kujaku blinked in confusion. Paper?
But his instincts kicked in almost instantly. He raised his arms to protect his face — just as those fluttering sheets suddenly shot forward, razor-sharp like blades.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the air. The papers sliced against his hardened arms, leaving white streaks where they struck.
"Someone's there!" Kujaku realized immediately. There was no way the bird could have created those attacks.
Without hesitation, he retreated — dropping swiftly back down the wall.
The paper blades didn't chase him. Instead, they scattered and drifted back toward the top of the tower, as if obeying their master's will.
Kujaku landed safely, heart pounding, still shaken from the sudden ambush.
Nauma hurried over. "What happened?"
The tower was too high — none of them below had seen the details of the attack.
"There's someone up there," Kujaku said between breaths. "They attacked me — with paper. White sheets that turned into blades. If my defense hadn't been strong enough, I'd be bleeding right now."
He pointed to the faint white scratches left on his hardened arm.
"Paper… blades?" Nauma muttered, frowning. "I've never heard of that kind of jutsu before."
But the exact nature didn't matter — the important thing was that their suspicion was confirmed.
Someone was up there. Which meant the bird definitely had a master.
Still, the people above hadn't shown any real hostility. Perhaps they'd only attacked Kujaku because he got too close.
"Let's call out to them," Nauma suggested. "Tell them to leave immediately."
Kazuma shook his head, eyes still on the tower's peak. "They haven't attacked again, have they? Then there's no need to rush. In two hours it'll be my shift anyway — I'll take care of it then."
Seeing Kazuma's stubbornness, Nauma didn't argue further. The intruders hadn't made any further moves, and if Kazuma wanted to handle it, that was fine.
"Suit yourself," Nauma said finally. "But if they act before the shift ends, we won't hold back."
"No problem," Kazuma replied easily, though his mind was already elsewhere — fixated on the giant bird.
Now that he knew it had a master, he only needed to find and eliminate them. Once that was done, he could re-sign the summoning contract for himself.
The thought made him grin faintly.
Meanwhile, the others remained uneasy.
"What are we waiting for?" Toukuma complained, crossing her arms. "Wouldn't it be better to just drive them off now?"
Nauma shook his head. "Forget it. Let them be for now."
Without Asuma, their cautious faction was at a disadvantage. Picking a fight wasn't wise.
Kazuma smirked, satisfied. "Takumi, you stay here and keep watch. If anything happens, report to us immediately. The rest of you — let's move to the next building and wait for the shift."
With that, Kazuma and his group turned and left — their eyes glinting with greed and ambition under the fading light.
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