Chapter 247: Closing the Net
At the Yamazaki Estate, Dana declined Isao Yamazaki's invitation to a banquet. Instead, he asked for some recent news regarding the noble circles.
As one of the former top-tier figures among the nobility, even with the capital riddled with holes, Yamazaki could still provide plenty of information channels.
Even if that noble circle was now half-destroyed.
The infighting among nobles was sometimes no gentler than battles between ninja clans. In the short time from the Daimyo's coma to the new Daimyo's ascension, the capital had experienced multiple upheavals. Families large and small who picked the wrong side were either annihilated or severely weakened. Then, after the new Daimyo took power, the families who had picked the right side were purged by Raihara Yukihiro because he felt they were monopolizing his power.
Those who were lucky enough to survive faced retaliation from other enemies. The messengers sent to Kumogakure to hire protection never returned, so they could only hire some bottom-tier trash as guards, sleeping with the lights on every night.
In a word: Miserable!
That was why Yamazaki had shamelessly insisted on inviting the Cloud ninja to stay at his home. Yamazaki no longer cared about power, status, or face. The survival of his family was the top priority. If they died, they would have nothing...
In the past, although he wasn't on equal footing with Yotsuki Dana, he was at least considered an elder of a different generation.
"Clearly, aside from some audacious mercenary ninja accepting assassination contracts, there is definitely another force in the capital fueling the execution of these plans. Otherwise, with the average skill level of mercenaries, they couldn't have caused this many tragedies."
Dana appeared to be soaking in the bath, but in reality, he was communicating with the various squads of the Special Strategy Division via the Communication Snail hidden in his hair.
The Communication Snails shared a special frequency, creating an effect similar to a conference call.
"Raihara Yukihiro definitely issued many missions, but there are also plenty of people fishing in troubled waters."
"Don't rush to identify them yet, lest someone gets desperate and does something drastic. We continue closing the net tomorrow. Keep a close watch on Asuka Castle."
"Dana-sama, the reinforcements will arrive in the first half of the night."
"Understood... Good work, everyone. Station yourselves at the designated points according to the plan."
"Dana-sama, the Rai... Daimyo wants to drink alcohol..."
Dana replied, "Let him sleep early. He can have anything he wants in his dreams."
With the network formed by the Communication Snails, the Special Strategy Division had the capital in the palm of their hands.
Ending the mental meeting, Dana wiped his face. The private bath at the Yamazaki estate was quite nice.
It wasn't that he was addicted to luxury, but keeping his "Pulse" Vision active for over a dozen hours required intense concentration and consumed a lot of mental energy. Since he couldn't sleep, this was the only way to relieve fatigue.
Steam rose, and the rhythmic clack of the shishi-odoshi (deer scarer) echoed in the garden.
Every military operation had a fundamental question.
What is the operational objective?
The relationship between the Cloud and the Daimyo's estate was already autonomous. Ideally, they would stay out of each other's way.
But the relationship between the Cloud and the Land of Lightning was different.
Both Kumogakure and the Daimyo's estate were passengers on the ship called the Land of Lightning. Both relied on the country's prosperity and stability for better development. The problem now was that one passenger was a lunatic trying to scuttle the ship.
As mentioned before, more than half of the Cloud's mission requests came from the Land of Lightning. More than half of the merchant caravans visiting the village came from the Land of Lightning. Aside from the traditional ninja clans, more than half of the civilian ninja had families in the Land of Lightning. The penetration of the United Iron & Steel Company into various industries was also most comprehensive here.
If the Land of Lightning rotted or fell into chaos, the Cloud would suffer.
That was why everyone from the Third Raikage to Dana took this situation seriously.
Stop the chaos in the capital?
That was just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. With Black Zetsu and the unknown masked man in the shadows, how could they truly stop it? Live in the capital forever?
Kill Raihara Yukihiro?
That would make the Land of Lightning even more chaotic. Even if the Cloud supported another Daimyo, the prestige of the Daimyo's estate would be destroyed. And it would still be treating symptoms, unless the Cloud spent massive resources to maintain high-pressure control over the capital and Asuka Castle for a long time, playing the "guard against thieves for a thousand days" scenario. But even then, the country would still be unstable.
Dana hadn't figured out Madara and Black Zetsu's ultimate goal yet, but weakening the Cloud and inciting chaos in the ninja world were definitely things they wanted to do. In the shadows, they had a hundred ways to mess up the Land of Lightning. If not this year, then next year. If not next year, then the year after. That was the trickiest part.
If the Cloud, surrounded by conspiracies in the light, had one advantage, it was that Dana knew of Black Zetsu and Madara's existence and understood their nature.
To Black Zetsu and Madara, who had hidden in the ninja world for years believing no one knew of them, wasn't Yotsuki Dana also someone hiding in the dark?
Hunter and prey can switch roles.
Sometimes, they even spin around and around.
While he was resting with his eyes closed, a figure approached the private bath in his Pulse Vision.
A subordinate's voice rang in his mind: "Dana-sama, someone is approaching."
Dana replied lazily, "I sensed it. Who is it?"
A moment later, the subordinate responded, "It is... Isao Yamazaki's youngest daughter... accompanied by two maids."
"Tell them I'm resting. Whatever it is, talk about it tomorrow."
"They said... they are here under orders... to serve Yotsuki-sama."
Hmm???
Dana's eyes snapped open.
This Isao Yamazaki... Others understand the assignment, but this guy is trying to pave a golden highway for himself?
However, Dana quickly thought of something else. "Send them back. Send someone to tell Yamazaki not to pull these useless stunts."
A Sleepless Night Passed.
Early the next morning, after controlling all mercenary ninja the previous day, the Cloud made another big move.
Rounding up all samurai.
Compared to the mercenaries rolling in the gutter, samurai were much easier to gather. Nominally, all samurai were loyal to the Daimyo's estate. They were registered and organized. Cloud ninja found the samurai squads one by one, demanding they obey commands.
If the registers didn't match, it didn't matter. Sensory ninja conducted a dragnet search. Even a dog in the capital, if it possessed chakra, would be detained.
By noon, the roundup of samurai was basically complete. Mercenaries, samurai, and anyone else with chakra were gathered in a training ground. This place was usually a practice field for samurai, so it had enough space.
After being brought to the training ground, the scene was chaotic for a while.
The training ground was surrounded by Special Strategy Division elites. Inside stood two to three hundred people, mostly samurai.
Many were nervous, but their numbers gave them some reassurance. They thought the Cloud wouldn't dare to do anything excessive against the will of the world.
Numbers gave them confidence.
Dana yawned and walked to the edge of the field, where a temporary wooden platform had been erected.
Seeing Yotsuki Dana appear, a commotion rippled through the crowd. Some bold individuals shouted at him, "Isn't the Cloud being too tyrannical? What are you planning to do by locking us up here?"
"Yeah! Let us go!"
Dana ignored the clamor below. He turned to a short ninja behind him, who nodded.
After two days of preparation, it was time to close the net.
Just then, the crowd below suddenly became noisy, as if someone was inciting them from the shadows.
"Does the Cloud intend to kill us all? Are they trying to silence us for some dirty deed?"
"These guys definitely want to use us for ninjutsu experiments! They're treating us like lab rats!"
"We have the numbers! What are we afraid of?! Let's fight! Let the Cloud bastards know we aren't to be trifled with!"
The voices were chaotic, their origins unclear, but they successfully agitated many people. The crowd began to look restless, ready to move.
However, the Cloud's next move was something no one expected—or rather, it was so surprising that everyone fell silent.
Several Cloud ninja entered the training ground and distributed small strips of paper.
A mercenary ninja looked at the paper in his hand uncertainly. "Is this... chakra induction paper?"
Yes. They were handed the same chakra paper used by kids in the Ninja Academy.
In a corner, a samurai looked at the chakra paper in his hand, his expression turning ugly.
Another samurai cast him a questioning glance.