"D-Dead…?"
Kaito nudged the bald man's corpse with his foot. He didn't even bother pulling out the kunai—
it was a cheap, low-grade one anyway.
Solving three trash mobs for 100 + 40 ryō was honestly great value.
After all, not everyone could afford high-end ninja tools—
during the war, even ordinary ninja shops had raised the price of a Fūma Shuriken from three thousand to eight thousand ryō.
The mechanical variants were even worse.
Kaito glanced back.
The so-called "young master" was trembling uncontrollably before collapsing onto the foul-smelling street.
"What's wrong?" Kaito asked calmly.
"This is what being a ninja means."
"The first step to graduating from the profession… is killing."
Enshin stayed frozen, unable to respond.
Kaito shifted his gaze to the guard standing roughly a hundred meters away and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Man… nobles really do live well. Protection everywhere.
After a long while—
"H-Huff… huff…"
Enshin finally staggered to his feet, breathing raggedly.
"K-Killing… killing people isn't a big deal!"
"I—I can do it too!"
He forced a vicious expression and looked at Kaito.
"Please teach me ninjutsu! Teach me how to become a ninja, Master!"
Kaito studied him for a moment… then shook his head slightly.
He could already tell—
raise this kid properly and the money would be endless.
Raise him badly, and the parents would put out a manhunt.
"Shin," Kaito said gently,
"you still haven't understood your teacher's intention."
"…Huh?"
Enshin froze, his mind spinning.
Was it an assassination attempt from a cousin? A rival royal branch?
But I don't even want to inherit the Daimyō seat—Father's the one forcing it on me…
Kaito watched him think and sighed.
This kid should honestly just go back and inherit everything.
With the situation this messy, trying to 'start from scratch' was just idiotic.
Why work when you could be born rich?
And judging by things, Enshin wasn't an only child either.
If he ran off, the family's power would end up in someone else's hands.
"So?" Kaito prompted.
"Now do you understand—"
"I GET IT!"
Enshin's eyes lit up.
"I'll inherit your will, Master!"
"I'll create a brand-new path for ninjas!"
"..."
Kaito fell silent.
In the end, he could only escort this young master through the slums toward the river, cliffs, and forest Enshin excitedly pointed out.
—A place Enshin had only ever heard rumors about.
Fire Country — Daimyō's Palace
When word arrived that a Konoha jōnin had appeared, the Fire Country Daimyō panicked.
When he learned that the jōnin had taken his son into the slums under the guise of "teaching"—
He exploded.
"Where is Takeya?! Why didn't he stop this?!"
A young man below hurriedly bowed, sweat pouring down.
"My lord—you ordered us not to reveal ourselves recently, to create the illusion that the capital's defenses were already complete…"
"Damn it! That's my only son!"
"If anything happens to him, I'll have you all buried with him!"
The guards trembled.
If they failed here, their lives were over.
Kill? Impossible.
Run? Maybe—but the bounty would never stop.
"Go after them!" the Daimyō roared.
"This is no time to hide our strength!"
"If my two younger brothers find out—"
He bit his nails in anxiety.
Another Inner-City Residence
Curtains blocked out the light. Darkness filled the room.
"Naoto," a man said lazily.
"What is it?"
A thin man knelt outside.
"Enshin… has left the city."
"He was taken out by a Konoha ninja."
Click.
Then—
"Hahahahaha!"
"I've waited for this chance!"
"The inner city is entirely my brother's people. But once outside—"
"If my dear nephew dies…"
"Doesn't the Daimyō seat finally become ours?"
He knew well—
The current Daimyō could no longer have children.
"Send your elite squad," he ordered coldly.
"Kill them."
"And blame everything on Konoha."
"Yes!"
Konoha Guards — Fire Capital
A Konoha patrol yawned—
Then a Daimyō guard rushed in, pale with panic.
"The Daimyō's son was taken out of the city by a Konoha ninja!"
"Hurry and help us retrieve him!"
"If that child dies—"
"Think carefully about how Konoha will answer for this!"
Uchiha En and Uchiha Fūya froze.
"…You're joking, right?" Fūya muttered.
"We've never even seen the Daimyō's son! And no Konoha ninja is assigned here!"
"Doesn't matter," the man snapped.
"He's a Konoha jōnin."
"Whether you go or not—that's on you."
He turned and left to gather more forces.
"…Wait! I'll inform our captain!"
Konoha Command
Jōnin Utane An clenched her teeth.
"Which idiot jōnin would do this?!"
Jōnin Mitozuki Jun frowned.
"If the culprit claims to be from Konoha, we must prove he isn't."
"Otherwise, the Daimyō's opinion of the village will suffer."
"I'll go," An said coldly.
"I'm a sensor ninja. I'll take the two Uchiha."
"Only three?" Jun asked.
An sneered.
"Either the child's already dead, or he's been taken by another royal faction."
"We're taking the blame no matter what."
"But at least—"
"The next Daimyō won't blame Konoha too harshly."
"Three is enough."
By the Mountains and River
The sun dipped toward the horizon.
Kaito glanced at Enshin, still buzzing with excitement.
"Have you ever trained chakra before?"
"Nope!" Enshin said cheerfully.
"I've just read lots of history books!"
"Oh?" Kaito perked up.
"About the Sage of Six Paths!"
"…."
Enshin continued enthusiastically.
"He brought chakra to the world! Founded the Ninja Sect!"
"But it's just a legend now."
Kaito fell silent.
So the Daimyō's library really does have… everything.
He began teaching Enshin chakra refinement—
a basic technique even nobles could obtain.
Time passed quietly—
Until—
Movement in the forest.
Clang—clang—
"Fire Release: Explosive Flame Impact!"
"Wind Release: Gale Technique!"
Wind and fire collided violently.
Then—
Krrk.
Something stirred beneath Enshin's feet.
Kaito reacted instantly, yanking him away—
A black-clad assassin burst from the ground.
"Impressive reaction," the man sneered.
"As expected of Konoha's elite."
Six more figures appeared via shunshin.
"Hand over the child."
"I'll let you live."
"Brother Kaito!" Enshin cried.
"I'll pay you anything—just don't abandon me!"
Kaito tightened his grip on the kunai.
"Once I accept a mission…"
"I finish it."
A firestorm erupted as Takeya retreated with Enshin.
Six chūnin were kicked back violently.
"Are you okay, Young Master?!"
"Too slow, Takeya!" Enshin shouted.
"Brother Kaito would protect me too!"
Kaito sighed in relief—backup was good.
Then—
"Fire Release: Flame Cannon!"
"Water Release: Water乱 Wave!"
Steam exploded everywhere.
The hooded leader smiled coldly.
"Even a jōnin with six chūnin is strained…"
"But I prepared more."
"You won't escape."
And he vanished.
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