vncnus Chapter 122 The Death of the Daimyo! The Crimson Sun Over the Capital of the Land of Fire!
Chapter 122 The Death of the Daimyo! The Crimson Sun Over the Capital of the Land of Fire!
Chapter 123 The Death of the Daimyo! The Crimson Sun Over the Capital of the Land of Fire! (A long chapter of 10,000 words, please vote!)
With the full support of the Fire Country's Daimyo Prefecture, one wanted poster after another was posted throughout the Fire Country's capital, immediately attracting the attention of countless people in the capital.
The high reward of fifty million taels of silver indeed shocked many people.
But what shocked them even more was the behavior of the "wanted criminal"!
Dozens of nobles, who were high and mighty, were actually killed.
The once-famous Yuki clan has become virtually extinct within half a day!
Some people couldn't resist their curiosity and headed towards the Yuki clan's residence.
As soon as they approached the area, they smelled a strong stench of blood emanating from the Yuuki clan's stronghold. The stench immediately made many people's faces turn pale.
When someone mustered up the courage to peek inside out of curiosity, they were so frightened that their face turned pale and their expression was full of horror.
The bounty poster was right; the Yuuki clan, one of the most powerful families in the Land of Fire, was almost wiped out!
"Fifty million taels! If we took that ninja villain's head to the Daimyo's capital to exchange for that money, we'd be set for life!"
"You'd better be alive to take it! The other party is a ninja who knows ninjutsu; this kind of bounty is not something ordinary people like us can afford."
"The daimyo's issuance of this bounty is clearly intended to summon the ninjas of the Fire Country's capital to capture the villains."
"Speaking of which, we don't know his name or age. We only have a few characteristics and a portrait that looks like a child's doodle. Who could possibly find him?"
"Whether we find them or not—I just hope this kind of reckless killer doesn't target ordinary people like us."
"A man, a woman, a cat—it feels like I've seen them somewhere before?"
Compared to ordinary people who are either curious or just watching the show,
The powerful and influential people in the capital of the Land of Fire were getting restless.
They all rushed towards the residence of the Fire Country's daimyo. When the group of dignitaries arrived at the daimyo's residence, they saw the Fire Country's daimyo looking somewhat tired.
"Lord Daimyo, how could such a villain appear in the castle? What is his purpose? What does he want? Which ninja is he from? Could he be a ninja from Konoha?"
A barrage of questions burst from the mouth of an elderly man with white hair: "Lord Daimyo, a dangerous ninja has appeared, targeting the powerful and wealthy. We cannot stand idly by and wait to die!"
The daimyo of the Land of Fire took a deep breath and said, "I also want to know the answers to these questions, but no one can give me any. The reason I issued the 50 million ryo bounty is because I also believe the Land of Fire cannot simply sit idly by and wait to be destroyed!"
His gaze swept over the group before him: "I know all of you have hired many powerful ninjas in private. Now, in this time of crisis, you must step forward."
"The principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' is something none of you here can be unaware of. That villain wiped out the Yuuki clan, which means he is very likely to..."
They will set their sights on other powerful and wealthy families—
"They might even target me, the daimyo of the Land of Fire! Only by uniting against this common enemy can we overcome this crisis!"
The words of the Fire Country Daimyo left everyone present looking at each other in bewilderment.
They are ninjas who are not very willing to send out their own hired ninjas.
After all, the purpose of hiring ninjas at high prices is to protect their personal safety, not to catch any ninja villains.
What if, while the ninja bodyguards are out capturing the villains, someone attacks these powerful figures?!
"Lord Daimyo—"
One of them couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Lord Daimyo, don't you have the Twelve Guardian Ninjas? They're said to be twelve extremely powerful elite ninjas. Why don't you let them step in? With their strength and their numbers, how could they possibly deal with a wicked villain who's been causing trouble all this time?"
There shouldn't be any problems, right?
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire: "."
If the Twelve Guardian Ninja were by my side, would I be in such a panic?!
However, the daimyo of the Land of Fire could not possibly utter these words aloud, otherwise, these people in front of him would have noticed his weakness.
"A large portion of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas have already been dispatched."
The Fire Country Daimyo said in a deep voice, "But capturing a single ninja villain in the vast capital of the Fire Country is like finding a needle in a haystack. Therefore, we need to unite your forces now more than ever. I think you all know very well what became of the Yuuki clan."
"that..-
Suddenly, someone interjected, "Don't we already have technological tools for remote communication? Why not contact Konoha Village and ask them what their impression of this villain is?"
The group of people present remained silent for a few seconds.
The daimyo of the Land of Fire fell silent for a moment, then gestured for one of his retainers to bow down.
He whispered a few words to his retainers.
The retainer nodded hurriedly and left in a rush.
Konoha Village.
Hokage Building.
After hearing Shizune's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that Tsunade, who had finally returned to Konoha, had brought back a big problem for the village.
Fortunately, Shizune quickly added, "If there are no unforeseen circumstances, Lady Tsunade will provide the funding. She received tens of millions of ryo from the Tanabata district, but Lady Tsunade decided to keep only one million ryo and use the rest to raise these children."
This supplement brought a sense of relief to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
If Konoha doesn't need to add any more money, then let him have his way.
but·
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was somewhat strange. He hesitated and said, "Tsunade—has she quit gambling?!"
This is completely different from the Tsunade she remembers!
In Hiruzen Sarutobi's stereotype, Tsunade inherited his grandfather, the First Hokage's, gambling addiction, and was both bad at it and loved to gamble.
Shizune scratched her head and said, "Perhaps Lady Tsunade felt sorry for those children; or perhaps Lady Tsunade felt that since the money was just picked up from the ground, it didn't matter if she spent it however she wanted."
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "???"
After Mute patiently explained it to me.
This silenced Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He knew that the tragedy in Tanabata was related to Uchiha Ikezumi, but he never expected that Tsunade's return to the village was also related to Uchiha Ikezumi.
"And the origins of these children—" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, frowning, "Are they also related to Ikezumi?"
Silently, she nodded like a chick pecking at rice, and recounted the cause, process, and outcome of the matter in detail, without reservation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for the second time.
Because after hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi actually started to think that Izumi Uchiha had done a very good job killing this time!
This sent a chill down Hiruzen Sarutobi's spine. He had almost been influenced by Izumi Uchiha's extreme "absolute justice" without even realizing it!
But it was at this moment that Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood why Izumi Uchiha's [Absolute Justice] could be activated in such a short time.
This has changed so many people's impression of him.
It is probably this extreme act of "stopping evil with killing" that makes those who believe that the heavy blow of "absolute justice" will not fall on their heads appreciate this behavior.
After all, those who died were all bad people. Isn't that a good thing for the good people?
Once he understood, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt even more troubled.
"Hiruzen!" Just then, Mitokado Homura suddenly strode in. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed that there was another outsider in the Hokage's office. He gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a look.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. He gestured for Shizune to leave first, then asked Homura Mitokado, "What happened?"
Mitomon Homura said with a grave expression, "Something has happened in the capital of the Land of Fire. A ninja is killing people indiscriminately in the capital and almost wiped out a powerful family! You should remember the Yuuki clan, right? Now they only have two members left."
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "!!!"
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply.
Mitokado Homura continued, "The people on the Daimyo's side have informed Konoha of some of the characteristics of that villainous ninja, so that we can determine if he is a ninja from our village."
"They suspect the killer is from Konoha?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's face flashed with displeasure as he said, "Konoha's ninjas are all followers of the Will of Fire, and Konoha's environment wouldn't produce the kind of villain who would target the nobles of the Land of Fire."
He could almost feel the doubts emanating from the powerful figures of the Land of Fire.
Mitokado Homura said with a complicated expression, "Hiruzen—but I think the murderer is someone from Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "???"
After Mitokado Homura described some of the characteristics, a deep sense of helplessness flashed in his eyes: "Hiruzen, don't you think that sounds familiar? Doesn't it resemble Izumi Ike and his ninja cat?"
"Furthermore, not all Konoha ninjas believe in the Will of Fire. Isn't Izumi a believer in 'Absolute Justice'? He has a criminal record; he once tried to kill the Daimyo's second son."
"What do you think a mere member of the Yuuki clan, a mere noble from the Land of Fire, means to Ikezumi?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi clung to a last glimmer of hope: "Didn't they say the culprit was accompanied by a female ninja? Izumi Uchiha, Izumi's little follower, is currently in Konoha."
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, he heard a rapid knocking on the Hokage's office door.
He rubbed his temples. "—Come in!"
The one who entered was an ANBU ninja. The ANBU ninja reported quickly: "Hokage-sama, a three-person team that was on a ninja mission outside the village has run into trouble. According to one of the survivors who recalled the events in the village, the three of them encountered the 'Lava Release Beast' Uchiha Ikezumi outside the village."
"Among them, a special jonin named Ryoichiro was killed by Uchiha Ikezumi with a single strike; another special jonin named Mitarashi Anko was taken away by Uchiha Ikezumi under the pretext of 'arresting an escaped prisoner.'"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes gradually widened.
He couldn't help but exchange a glance with Mitokado Homura, who was standing next to him.
Mitokado Homura sighed, "Hiruzen—the 'female ninja' beside the ninja villain—has appeared."
His words shattered Hiruzen Sarutobi's last glimmer of hope.
The person whom the Daimyo called a "ninja villain" is now most likely Uchiha Izumi!
Shouldn't he just stick to his S-rank ninja mission?
Logically speaking, the route for the mission shouldn't pass through the capital of the Land of Fire, right? How did he inexplicably end up there?
Slow!
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly stood up abruptly. He stared at Homura Mitokado, his tone more serious than ever before, his old face visibly darkening: "Ikezumi knows why the Twelve Guardian Ninja ambushed him outside Konoha!"
These words caused Mitokado Homura's pupils to shrink; he understood what Sarutobi Hiruzen meant: "In Ikezumi's eyes, Lord Daimyo is one of the instigators of this ambush!"
"Given his extreme concept of [absolute justice], the Daimyo would probably be considered a villain in his eyes as well. He didn't just happen to pass by the capital of the Land of Fire; he went there on purpose."
"His target is probably not the Yuuki clan. The Yuuki clan was probably just someone he wiped out on a whim. His real target is the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!!!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down in his chair, exhausted.
If the Daimyo were in Konoha, he would immediately gather all the Konoha ninja.
No matter the cost, we must stop Uchiha Ikezumi.
However.-·
The capital of the Land of Fire is still too far from Konoha.
Even if an elite Jonin rushed there without stopping for a moment, it would probably take a whole day.
There's simply not enough time!
Asuma, Hiruzen Sarutobi, closed his eyes in anguish: "You thought I released a tiger, but in reality, I released a monstrous dragon!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't know how to evaluate his second son, who had already been killed.
Asuma's price for deceiving the Hokage.
That's what put Your Majesty in danger!
Furthermore, the powerful figures of the Land of Fire will surely extend their anger to Konoha because of Uchiha Izumi's status as a Konoha ninja.
Those powerful figures are very likely to suspect that it was Hiruzen Sarutobi who secretly ordered Izumi Uchiha to assassinate the daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was immediately at his wit's end.
Mitomon Homura gave a helpless, bitter laugh and said, "The Daimyo has also put a bounty on Ikezumi—the ninja villain he mentioned. The current bounty is fifty million ryo."
"Fifty million—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head: "Looking at the entire ninja world, there are probably only five people at most who have the ability to claim this bounty."
Mitokado remained silent.
He felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi's idea was a bit too optimistic.
Five people?
He couldn't even imagine who in the vast ninja world could defeat Uchiha Izumi in a one-on-one fight!
"Hiruzen, we might need to send the Anbu out." Mitokado Homura suddenly said, "Even if we get to the capital of the Land of Fire, it might be too late. But at the very least—we can't let Uchiha Ikezumi, who is already out of control, become even more out of control."
"Maybe·-"
Mitokado Homura said in a deep voice, "We need you, the Hokage of Konoha, to personally lead the team so that we can keep him in check."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply.
If I, as the Hokage, were to leave Konoha for several days, who knows what might happen in Konoha during those days?
Seemingly sensing his concerns, Mitokado Homura spoke up, "Isn't Tsunade coming back? Even if she only stays in Konoha for a day, it will still give the village a scare. Besides—Fugaku and Itachi are on our side."
"Besides, we can leave Kakashi here, and there's also Might Guy in the village. You can leave for a few days without any problems; those Uchiha clan members won't cause any trouble."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said helplessly, "You should remove Itachi; he's one of the uncertainties I'm most worried about."
"However, you're right."
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly stood up and said in a deep voice, "We cannot let the already out-of-control situation get even more out of control. Otherwise, other ninja villages will definitely take advantage of the Land of Fire's weakness and invade."
"As the Hokage of Konoha, if I don't intervene when the situation in the Land of Fire is spiraling out of control, I would be betraying the promise I made when I first became the Hokage of Konoha."
"We have also failed the will of the First, Second, and Fourth Generations."
Hiruzen Sarutobi ultimately decided to personally lead a group of Anbu ninjas to the capital of the Land of Fire.
Before leaving.
He instructed everyone he could, and only after receiving their repeated confirmation and guarantees—
Only then did he feel at ease leaving Konoha.
of course.
As for why he left Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not reveal the details, only saying that he had been invited by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
If such an exaggerated inside story were to be revealed, the entire Hidden Leaf Village would likely be thrown into a great shock!
The capital of the Land of Fire.
Uchiha Izumi sheathed his ninja sword, which was no longer capable of cutting anyone, and said expressionlessly, "Give me your ninja sword."
Red Bean looked left and right, and realizing that the words were meant for her, she quickly drew her ninja sword and handed it to Uchiha Ikezumi.
Uchiha Ikezumi, holding a ninja sword, took two steps forward.
Looking down at a nobleman from the Land of Fire who was paralyzed with fear on the ground.
If someone were to look ahead at this moment, they would clearly see one body after another lying in front of them!
"No—don't kill me! I can give you money, lots and lots of money, more than you could spend in ten lifetimes! I can also give you many women, any kind you want! There are plenty of women with bigger breasts than the woman behind you!"
The pot-bellied nobleman kept shrinking his head back in terror, his chin folded into countless layers of flesh.
His voice trembled as he hurriedly said, "If you don't want money or women, can I adopt you as my godson? No! I can adopt you as my sworn brother! From now on, you can also be a nobleman of the Land of Fire!"
"Please—I don't want to die! Please—"
"I—the other party's humble pleas for mercy did not elicit the slightest sympathy from Uchiha Ikezumi."
The lines of crimson text floating above this person's head were constantly stimulating Uchiha Izumi's nerves.
His gaze grew colder with each passing second.
To speak even a single word to such a heinous criminal is as bad as stepping in dog poop.
Mitarashi Anko watched helplessly as a large, fat head slowly rolled down to her feet.
"This seems to be the eighty-eighth person."
Unable to stop Uchiha Izumi, she could only silently count how many people he had killed in the capital of the Land of Fire.
That shocking number left Hongdou speechless.
Uchiha Ikezumi doesn't seem to want to stop.
She couldn't bear to think about how many people would die today!
Just then.
Red Bean discovers that the ninja cat Tachibana Jiro, who had disappeared somewhere, has returned with a piece of paper in his mouth.
Tachibana Jiro put down the paper, seemingly oblivious to the corpses scattered on the ground, and spoke in human language: "Lord Ikezumi, that daimyo of the Land of Fire has issued a warrant for your arrest, with a staggering bounty of fifty million ryo. Meow, he seems quite panicked!"
"Meow, although the information on the bounty poster is limited, it should be enough for some hyena-like creatures. Lord Chiquan, someone may be coming to cause trouble soon."
Upon hearing this, Mitarashi Anko immediately looked down.
She saw that the paper was indeed a wanted poster.
"Fifty million taels—"
She was speechless.
As a special Jonin, Anko also has a bounty on her head in the black market. She remembers that her black market bounty is nine million ryo.
While Anko was still in shock, she noticed that Uchiha Ikezumi and Tachibana Jiro were both looking to their left.
Just as she was starting to have doubts, a voice suddenly rang out: "Ha! What great luck, we found it!"
Hongdou was startled, and as she shifted her gaze to the left, a sharp whistling sound rang out at the same time.
In her line of sight, a dozen or so shuriken, each carrying two kunai with explosive tags attached, were rapidly approaching! And behind the shuriken and kunai was a ninja who wasn't wearing a headband!
This guy actually targeted her too!
"Be careful!"
As Hongdou spoke a word of warning, she quickly backed away, but she was shocked to find that she and Uchiha Ikezumi did not dodge!
Red Bean's eyes widened as she saw kunai and shuriken piercing through Uchiha Izumi's body!
"burst!!!"
Especially when two kunai with explosive tags attached pierced Uchiha Ikezumi's body, the ninja grinned and clasped his hands together.
boom!!!
boom!!!
Two deafening bangs made Hongdou's ears ring, and forced her to take a few steps back again.
She looked up in horror and saw that Uchiha Ikezumi's upper body had been blown away!
Only half of his body remained, still standing motionless in the same spot.
"How—how could this be?"
Hongdou was dumbfounded!
She almost instinctively looked at the talking ninja cat, but found that the cat's expression was normal, as if its owner being blown up and only half of his body was no big deal.
A ninja without any headband or insignia sneered as he slowly approached, toying with a kunai in his hand. He scoffed, "So this is all the villainous ninja with a 50 million ryo bounty has to offer! *Pfft*, he accidentally blew his upper body to smithereens. The Fire Country Daimyo, are you going to withhold the bounty just because you can't see his face?"
"It was really a bit hasty. After all, I didn't expect this guy to be so weak. The two explosive tag kunai that were just meant to be used as a greeting became the deadly weapons that killed him."
"This guy is so weak, how dare he talk to Quan, this ninja?" Before he could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly widened.
The sneer at the corner of his mouth froze, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
All that could be seen was that the upper body of Uchiha Izumi, which had been "shattered" by the explosive tags, was slowly gathering together. Pieces of shattered "flesh" were constantly condensing and recombining, and faint orange-red light could be seen flowing from those "flesh".
It took less than three seconds.
Uchiha Ikezumi appeared before everyone, completely unharmed, with not even a stain on the hem of his clothes!
The grinning ninja and Mitarashi Anko both wore the exact same shocked expression!
"—What kind of monster is this!??" The ninja exclaimed in disbelief, frantically backing away from Uchiha Ikezumi in a panic.
pity.
late.
A ball of scorching magma was already reflected in the ninja's pupils. Before he could react, the magma grazed past his head and swallowed half of his skull.
The daimyo residence.
"Lord Daimyo!" A retainer of the Daimyo rushed over to report to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire: "The people from Konoha say that, if they're not mistaken—the 'ninja villain' who killed someone in the capital of the Land of Fire is very likely a ninja from Konoha!"
"What?!"
The daimyo of the Land of Fire was so startled that he jumped to his feet, and the eldest son of the daimyo next to him also couldn't help but stand up.
The daimyo's eldest son gritted his teeth and said, "Konoha ninja! How exactly does the Third Hokage of Konoha control the ninjas in his village? Uchiha Ikezumi killed my brother, and then another Konoha ninja went to the capital of the Land of Fire and killed a nobleman?"
"Father, after this turmoil is over, please make sure to gather our strength and remove the Third Hokage from his position! Letting him run Konoha Village will only plunge the Land of Fire into chaos."
"The duty of a ninja should be to protect their home and country, or to become the country's killing machine, and to honestly serve as the violent institution of the Land of Fire."
Rather than becoming a double-edged sword that backfires on the Land of Fire.
The Fire Country Daimyo frowned and said, "There's no clear superior-subordinate relationship between the Hokage and the Daimyo. Trying to bring down a Konoha Hokage isn't that easy—"
"If not handled properly, it could alienate Konoha and the Land of Fire, which would be terrible."
The fact that things have come to this point clearly indicates that the Fire Country Daimyo is extremely dissatisfied with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
At this time.
The daimyo suddenly asked his retainer, "Have they determined the names of the ninja villains in the Land of Fire's capital?"
The retainer hurriedly replied, "The other party seems to be named Uchiha Ikezumi."
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire: "!!!"
The eldest son of the daimyo: "!!!"
"Impossible!" The Fire Country Daimyo's face was filled with shock. He immediately shouted, "Are you sure you're not mistaken? How could that guy possibly be Uchiha Ikezumi?!"
The retainer said, feeling quite aggrieved, "Lord Daimyo, I have checked with Konoha several times. He shouldn't be mistaken."
"Father, this—" The daimyo's eldest son was also horrified: "Shouldn't that guy have already died at the hands of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas?"
Da Ming remained silent for a moment.
If he still couldn't figure out why the Twelve Guardian Ninja hadn't returned after so long, he would have been a daimyo for nothing.
now.
There are only two possibilities: the Twelve Guardian Ninja ultimately did not stand on the side of the Fire Country Daimyo; they chose to side with Konoha Village and chose not to help him avenge his family.
Another possibility is that all twelve Guardian Ninja were killed! This would explain why Uchiha Izumi appeared in the capital of the Land of Kingdom—he was there to assassinate him!
"hiss--.-
Daming couldn't help but gasp, a chill running down his spine that sent shivers down his spine.
This also explains why that ninja villain dared to kill a powerful person.
What's the big deal about Uchiha Ikezumi killing dozens of powerful figures when he dared to kill even the second son of a daimyo?!
Cold sweat poured down Daiming's back; he had lost count of how many times he had felt this anxious. The five thousand taels bounty, which had only been issued recently, offered him no sense of security whatsoever.
"he--"
The Fire Country Daimyo asked his eldest son with a bewildered tone, "He shouldn't dare to attack a Daimyo, right? He should realize how important a Daimyo is to a country, right? He should know how much trouble killing me would cause, right? He would be attacked by the entire ninja world!"
This was the first time the eldest son of the daimyo had ever seen his father so insecure.
He even saw a hint of fear deep in his father's eyes.
That would have been unthinkable in the past.
Just as the eldest son of the daimyo opened his mouth, as if to say something...
Suddenly, another retainer rushed over.
"My lord! Something terrible has happened! The Fujiwara clan, the Taira no Kiyoshi clan, the Hojo clan, the Nakamura clan—their clan strongholds..."
They've all been targeted by that ruthless ninja! Among them—only the reputable Nakamura clan suffered three casualties; the other powerful families were almost completely wiped out! There are already hundreds of corpses!
"and·..."
"Besides these powerful families, many innocent bystanders also fell victim to that ninja villain! He's like a madman, killing anyone and everything! He even broke into a government building in the northeast corner of the Fire Kingdom's capital, where he reportedly left a scene of carnage!"
You could tell from the retainer's tone that he was already trembling with fear just from hearing the news.
His words nearly made Da Ming faint with shock.
In all these years, the Land of Fire has never experienced such a grand scene.
Normally, the only place that suffers disasters is Konoha Village.
These powerful and influential people are all living well.
But who could have imagined that one day the ninja world's executioner's blade would fall on their necks!
"Wait!" The eldest son of the daimyo, barely managing to maintain some composure, suddenly realized a crucial problem. He hurriedly said, "Father! Fujiwara, Taira no Kiyoshi, Hojo, Nakamura, plus that government building in the northeast corner—"
"If these locations are connected in a line, they point directly to the Daimyo's residence! And—" the Daimyo's eldest son exclaimed in horror, "they're already very close! That Uchiha Ikezumi, he's been fighting his way here!"
With a "thud," the daimyo of the Land of Fire slumped into a chair.
It felt as if most of my strength had been drained away.
His eyes looked somewhat lifeless.
"What do we do? What do we do? Can those ninjas attracted by the 50 million ryo bounty stop Uchiha Izumi?"
The daimyo helped grab his eldest son's wrist: "Should we increase the bounty to one hundred million? No! Increase it to five hundred million? Five hundred million taels of bounty..."
Surely someone can stop him?
The eldest son of the daimyo looked down at his father, who was in such a state of disarray, and he really couldn't bear to shatter his father's hopes.
Even if there were truly powerful ninjas, they wouldn't be tempted by 500 million ryo.
The problem is...—
Is there enough time?!
A deafening roar!
At this critical moment, a sudden, loud bang alerted everyone inside the daimyo's mansion.
It's too late!
Tick-tock.
Tick-tock.
Tick-tock.
Flowing magma slowly dripped from Uchiha Ikezumi's body, transforming the area behind him into a sea of lava and fire. One after another, the desperate criminals lured by the extravagant bounty of fifty million ryo were swallowed up by the rolling magma behind him!
A strong, pungent smell of sulfur spread out, and Uchiha Ikezumi slightly raised his eyelids to look ahead.
The daimyo residence.
Right in front of you!
At this moment, outside the Daimyo's residence, hundreds of warriors wielding warrior swords stood trembling in front of Uchiha Ikezumi.
They were just some skilled samurai; they might be able to take on several ordinary people at once. But against ninjas, they couldn't even defeat a low-ranking ninja like Miya.
Moreover, the "magma monster" in front of them couldn't possibly be a genin; it must be at least a jonin!
They'd never seen anything like this in their lives!
The sweltering heat was already making the warriors sweat profusely.
For every step Uchiha Izumi took forward, his group of warriors couldn't help but take several steps back.
Moreover, being surrounded by the crowd, every time they retreated, it was a matter of people pushing and shoving, feet stepping on feet, and even accidentally cutting their companions with their machetes, always provoking a burst of panic and cursing.
"Meow, why do you think these weaklings can become the elite in the ninja world?" Tachibana Jiro sat on Anko's head, using her as his new mount. "And what gives them the confidence to believe they are inherently superior, that their lives are more precious than others', and thus they wantonly toy with other people's lives?"
Hongdou, who was already stunned and numb by the scene before her, no longer cared that the cat was still perched on her head.
She murmured blankly, "Because—this is how the ninja world is. A long, long time ago—it was always like this."
Tachibana Jiro said, "Meow? Just because it's always like this, does that mean it's right?"
It continued, "These self-proclaimed superiors were once referred to as 'Celestial Dragons' by Lord Ikezumi. Meow, although I don't know what 'Celestial Dragon' means, I can tell from Lord Ikezumi's disdainful tone that they're definitely not good people."
"Lord Ikezumi also said that when they consider themselves superior, when they disrespect innocent lives, their very existence becomes a breeding ground for evil."
"Among people like them, only a very small number can control their behavior. If we kill them all, there will definitely be innocent people among them. If we kill every other one, there will definitely be many who escape the net."
Just as Hongdou's expression changed, seemingly lost in thought,
She suddenly heard Uchiha Ikezumi's voice.
"Konoha police are enforcing the law; all bystanders, please stand aside."
Uchiha Ikezumi stood quietly before hundreds of samurai, and said indifferently, "Otherwise, kill without mercy."
With a thud, a martial arts knife slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
This was like the first domino to fall, startling the other samurai who hurriedly dropped their swords.
They were not well-trained ninjas.
In that moment when life is threatened, in that moment when you realize that no matter how hard you struggle, it's all in vain—
Who would still risk their life for the daimyo of the Land of Fire?
How much money do you earn in a month?
Hundreds of samurai screamed and scattered like birds and beasts. At this moment, they truly realized that the gap in strength between ordinary people and ninjas was so vast that it was despairing. The samurai even had some difficulty understanding why the ninjas of Konoha were willing to remain in a corner of Konoha Village. Didn't they have the ability to replace the Daimyo of the Land of Fire in a matter of minutes?
But the warriors dared not ask.
The pervasive smell of sulfur in the air made them feel suffocated.
They could only watch in fear and trepidation as Uchiha Ikezumi stepped into the daimyo's mansion.
No one dared to utter a sound!
The Fire Country Daimyo had already heard the commotion outside. Realizing that he had nowhere to retreat, he could only grit his teeth and step forward to meet Uchiha Ikezumi, his pampered face turning ashen.
"Are you—"
"Uchiha Ikezumi?"
Daming could hardly imagine how much courage it took for him to ask that question.
Beneath the loose robes, he felt his entire body trembling.
The monster before him, its body covered in flowing lava, resembled a terrifying demon crawling out of hell, sending shivers down his spine.
The daimyo clenched his fists, his throat tightened, and he asked through gritted teeth, "As a ninja of the Uchiha Police Department, what is your authority to enforce the law?"
It should only be limited to Konoha Village. Your current actions are a serious overreach of authority.
"and.
With each word he uttered, more cold sweat poured from his forehead: "You appear before me like this. What are you trying to do? Are you planning a rebellion?"
"Does Konoha even respect the Land of Fire? Do you even remember which country you were born into? I—am practically the monarch of the Land of Fire!"
"I...I...I am—"
The daimyo of the Land of Fire found himself unable to speak.
Even though Uchiha Ikezumi in front of him looked very young, and the other party hadn't said a word after walking in, he was just looking at him with a very calm gaze.
Yet 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 person was looking at a corpse!
Uchiha Ikezumi spoke up, saying quietly, "You, who bear one identity after another, have not upheld the responsibilities you should have shouldered."
Your own children have repeatedly committed murder and other heinous crimes, and you, knowing the whole truth, choose to condone and turn a blind eye.
"The laws amended by the arbitrary exercise of power by the daimyo make it more difficult for innocent victims to seek justice, and make it easy for perpetrators to escape a just trial."
"Although you did not personally participate in the evil deeds, most of the countless evils in the Land of Fire originated from you."
"Oen'in Takahito. Today, [Absolute Justice] will shake the entire Land of Fire with your sin-ridden life!"
He's gone mad... This Uchiha has really gone mad!!!
The daimyo of the Land of Fire stared wide-eyed; his survival instinct overcame his sense of propriety.
He hurriedly turned around and tried to escape, stepping on his wooden clogs.
The movements were very wolfish and fox-like.
But the next instant, the magma hound with its mouth wide open passed right through him from behind! It tore a huge hole in his chest!