"W-White… White Cross? Cough—cough!"
Sally didn't even finish her sentence before she broke into a violent coughing fit. It was obvious—long-term illness, compounded by years of poor living conditions.
Kaito didn't hesitate.
He immediately expanded ROOM, beginning a full scan.
Sally glanced at the blue, translucent barrier surrounding her and asked weakly,
"Who… who exactly are you? I don't think I've ever heard of your name…"
While examining her condition, Kaito's lips twitched slightly.
"Just think of it as a recently risen organization."
"What I value—"
"—is indeed the Dragon Vein."
"But not its power."
"It's the value that this infinite energy can create."
"Value?" Sally looked completely confused.
Kaito finished the scan. The dust around Sally suddenly gathered into a compact ring, which he casually flicked toward Nawaki, who was still lost in thought. The dust slammed into him, making the boy choke and sputter.
At the same time, a sharp slime surgical scalpel formed in Kaito's hand.
"This world," Kaito said calmly,
"is severely lacking in resources."
"Your Majesty."
"Don't move. Let me finish this surgery, and your illness will be cured."
"R-Really…? I can still… still see Sara again?"
"Of course. Sara is very safe."
"But we need to hurry."
"He'll be back soon."
"And this time—he will kill you."
"An Lushan…?" Sally asked in a trembling voice.
"Mm." Kaito nodded.
Without touching her, he sliced open a thin layer of skin. Then he beckoned to Honglian.
"Come. This is your first fully sterile surgery—watch carefully."
"Who knows? She might die halfway through."
—In reality, all bacteria had already been removed using ROOM.
"Yes, Master!" Honglian replied enthusiastically.
Sally: "?????"
Didn't you say I'd see my daughter again?!
You're not talking about heaven, are you?!
At this moment, Sally finally understood how Nawaki usually felt.
Time passed—no one knew how long.
A hidden stone door beneath the upper tower slowly opened.
From within emerged a massive Dragon Vein puppet, followed by countless standard-sized ones.
"This time—"
"No matter how much of a monster you are—"
"You will die here!!!"
"Ridiculous."
Kaito removed a diseased cyst from the queen's body, deliberately showing the small tumor to Honglian as he spoke calmly to An Lushan:
"Using mere puppet power… and you dream of ruling the world?"
He pressed a hand to his mask, revealing only his left eye.
"How far,"
"can your eyes see?"
"My future is becoming the king of this world!"
"And you—a nobody even in the future—are destined to die here!!!"
"Together with the Queen of Loran—"
"…Wait."
"You just said—"
"You didn't see me in the future?"
The surgery had long since been complete. Kaito was only prolonging it so Honglian could observe more carefully.
He turned around, stitching the queen's body with chakra threads in his right hand. A slime curtain floated on his left, deliberately blocking a certain man's indecent line of sight.
"Then—"
"What exactly did you see in the future?"
"Would you mind sharing that information with me?"
"Future Sunagakure rogue ninja—Mr. Sasori-No—"
"No… Mr. Hundred-Foot."
"Y-You—how do you know my real identity?!" An Lushan panicked.
"That's my question now~" Kaito replied lightly.
The final stitch was completed.
ROOM dispersed like bubbles.
Before An Lushan could continue threatening him, Kaito vanished from his sight.
"Where did he go?!"
"Right here."
BOOM!!!
Standing atop the puppet's head, Kaito blasted a massive hole through it. Chakra threads shot from his left hand, instantly seizing An Lushan's body. In his right hand, dense Yin Release chakra formed.
"Evil Sealing Method!"
"AAAAAH—!!!"
Kaito slammed his palm into An Lushan's chest.
With the heart's chakra sealed, the chakra sustaining An Lushan's puppet body—and even the surrounding threads—began to dissipate.
Then—
Kaito dragged him back in front of the queen.
"Your Majesty. Look what I caught."
"A fresh An Lushan~"
Sally: "..."
This man is insane.
Absolutely insane.
Thus, the conspiracy of the ancient Kingdom of Loran—An Lushan holding the queen hostage to control the people—collapsed completely.
Next—
It was time for the villain… cough, the righteous Kaito, to take control of the queen and her daughter.
The streets of Loran emptied as citizens rushed into shelters. Yahiko and Nagato were among them.
"I wonder if the Headmaster and the others are okay," Yahiko said worriedly.
"They should be fine…" Nagato replied.
"Wait!"
"Why don't we just leave the country?"
"Then we wouldn't need to hide at all!"
The moment Nagato said that, Yahiko—and the surrounding civilians—froze, falling into stunned contemplation.
Soon after, guards entered and announced that the crisis had passed and everyone could resume sightseeing and shopping.
On the surface, people smiled.
In reality—back at inns and streets—they grabbed their luggage and fled.
Aside from locals and the Yahiko–Nagato duo, nearly all travelers and merchants left.
"Seriously… was that really necessary?" Yahiko complained.
"But Yahiko, shouldn't we also—"
"Our inn costs ten thousand Wind Coins for three days," Yahiko interrupted.
"No refunds at this hour. Are you sure you want to leave?"
"..."
"I think we should be a little more confident."
"Staying two more days probably won't cause any trouble. Probably."
And so, news of Loran's internal chaos quietly spread through merchants and travelers.
Meanwhile, within Loran—
Kaito finished his arrangements.
"From now on—"
"Your Majesty—"
"You are White Cross's Tenth Seat."
Inside a high-tower meeting room, Sally pressed both hands against the table.
"And what does that mean?"
"Nothing complicated," Kaito replied.
"Our organization needs someone to manage finances and bases."
"And I've chosen Loran."
"And this endless energy."
"This is a partnership."
"Oh?" Fully recovered, Sally's royal presence surged. Nawaki and Honglian immediately broke into a cold sweat.
"What do I gain?"
"Or rather—what do the people of Loran gain?"
"Security. Wealth. Strength," Kaito smiled, clenching his fist.
"And—"
"All White Cross Seats receive immortality."
"I-Immortality?!"
Nawaki shot to his feet in shock.
"Your companion didn't know the benefits?" Sally asked dryly.
"Oh. He's not a codename member."
"He's just an experimental subject."
"W-Wait—what? Headmaster, I cooperated properly! Shouldn't I get a codename too?" Nawaki begged.
Honglian giggled behind him, making his body stiffen in embarrassment.
"But Master, I didn't know either. Didn't you say I was part of the Codename Shatter group?"
"You don't need it yet."
"We'll talk later."
"Oh…"
Kaito turned back to Sally.
"So? Tempted, Your Majesty?"
"Immortality is tempting," Sally admitted.
"But if that's all I have, I can't protect myself."
"Which is why," Kaito said,
"I'll teach you how to control the Dragon Vein."
"As long as you stay here—"
"You'll wield its power."
"You'll be at least ten times stronger than him."
"?????"
"…That's acceptable," Sally said slowly.
"My only goal is my people's happiness."
"With your promises, that goal becomes easier."
"Then—"
"Pleasure working together, Your Majesty."
"By the way," Honglian asked curiously,
"If you're Internal Medicine, what is the Queen? Dean?"
"…Finance Director of White Cross," Kaito said stiffly.
"Stop asking."
"Okay~"
Sally covered her mouth and laughed softly.
This man's ambitions were vast—but his path led toward peace. At the very least, he wasn't like An Lushan, who resorted to weapons the moment Loran improved.
"What's your next step?" Nawaki asked.
"Expand Loran's economy."
"Form a private guard force capable of fighting ninja."
"Oh—and take Honglian to fetch her parents."
"You're not afraid I'll run?" Nawaki asked.
"Run if you want," Kaito replied calmly.
"Leak anything, and Honglian's family dies first."
"Then the Queen."
"Then all of Loran."
"As long as you think that aligns with your Will of Fire."
"…"
Nawaki was silent for a long moment.
"And you?" he asked.
"Me?" Kaito smiled lightly.
"Do you know my face?"
"My name?"
"Where I live?"
"How many people are in my family?"
"..."
Damn it!!!
Only now did Nawaki realize—he knew nothing about Kaito.
"You wouldn't feel pain?"
"You wouldn't save them?"
"With power like yours—"
"I don't owe them," Kaito said quietly.
"They owe me."
"Let me ask you this."
"If I didn't save you—would you hate me?"
"No!" Honglian said immediately.
"I'd only hate Brother Nawaki!"
Sally nodded as well.
"I'm the same."
"…Then we're done here."
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