Dust slowly settled in the valley breeze as the lightning dancing around A (Ei) gradually faded.
Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop, a supreme taijutsu technique capable of nearly shattering a Susanoo's defense, had struck the opponent's chest directly without any obstruction. The result was predictable.
A looked down at the limp figure at his feet. The unnatural caving of the chest and the blood continuously spilling from the corner of the mouth all indicated that the opponent had lost the ability to resist.
"The Yotsuki clan truly lives up to its reputation." Hachitsutsu Uchiha stepped forward at the right moment, his tone carrying just the right amount of flattery.
A didn't respond, his gaze still locked on the unconscious assassin.
Hachitsutsu didn't mind. He squatted down and carefully lifted the mask, which was already shattered into pieces.
Beneath the mask was a face covered in scars. Crisscrossing wounds covered almost the entire face.
In his critically injured state, the madness and crimson in his eyes had faded, making him look no different from an ordinary person.
"This man..." Hachitsutsu feigned hesitation. "Judging from his chakra signature, he feels very much like a Chinoike clansman."
In the distance, Night and Yashiro exchanged a grim look.
"That face..."
Yashiro frowned tightly, confused. "I've never seen him on the Chinoike roster."
Night's Mind's Eye of the Kagura was fully active, clearly sensing the chakra fluctuations hidden beneath that disfigured face.
It was indeed from the same source as the Chinoike clan, but mixed with some indescribable anomaly.
Hachitsutsu Uchiha called for his men to carry the unconscious assassin, but A raised a hand to stop him.
The heir of the Cloud personally hoisted the wounded man onto his shoulder and strode toward the settlement.
Hachitsutsu followed closely. The moment A turned his back, a gleam of imperceptible light flashed in Hachitsutsu's eyes.
Both were skilled ninjas, so carrying the assassin didn't slow them down. In just over ten minutes, the outline of the settlement came into view.
Upon first sight, the dilapidation of the Chinoike settlement far exceeded A's imagination.
Crude stone houses were scattered sparsely across the valley floor. Most clansmen were dressed in rags, their faces gaunt.
Only a few dressed like ninjas looked somewhat decent, but even they bore the haggard look of long-term malnutrition.
"This is the Chinoike clan that was once as famous as the Uchiha..." A thought to himself.
He finally understood why his father had given him this mission and left the decision to him.
For him, bringing this fallen bloodline clan under his wing would undoubtedly be huge political capital.
But the prerequisite was that he had to win their loyalty with his own strength, not just unleash a pack of "starving wolves" carelessly.
At the village entrance, Momoe Chinoike had been waiting with the elders for a long time. The flickering Ketsuryūgan in their eyes was not a show of force, but a deliberate display of the clan's value.
As soon as A's group appeared, a commotion rippled through the clansmen at the entrance.
Hope ignited in some eyes, expecting this meeting to change their imprisoned fate; others stared at Hachitsutsu Uchiha with bone-deep hatred.
Momoe, at the front, suppressed everyone's emotions and stepped forward to welcome A.
"Envoy of the Cloud, how should we address you?"
Momoe bowed slightly, her gaze lingering on A for a moment before shifting to the unconscious figure on his shoulder with confusion.
"A (Ei)."
After speaking, he put down the assassin from his shoulder. "This was a 'welcome ceremony' I encountered on the way. Do you recognize this person, Matriarch?"
Hearing the name "A," Momoe's expression shifted slightly, suppressing the excitement in her heart.
But when she heard the second sentence, her face changed drastically.
She hurried forward and squatted down, carefully examining the scar-covered face. Confusion flashed in her eyes. "This face is unrecognizable..."
She then pried open his mouth and gasped upon discovering that his tongue had been cut off at the root.
"This is... a suicide soldier (dead man)?"
The words slipped out. Realizing her slip of the tongue, alarm bells rang in her mind.
Just as she tried to salvage the situation, Hachitsutsu Uchiha, who had been silent beside them, suddenly spoke up. "When this man attacked Lord A, his eyes did indeed manifest the Ketsuryūgan. On this point, both Lord A and I can testify."
Momoe glared fiercely at Hachitsutsu and hurriedly defended herself, "There is no such person in my clan. This must be a misunderstanding."
Behind her, an elder seemed to recognize something and looked like he wanted to speak, but another elder stopped him with a sharp look.
A observed all of this silently, forming his own judgment.
He looked around, his voice booming. "I represent the Cloud to offer you a chance at freedom. But before that..."
He pointed at the assassin on the ground. "I believe your clan owes me a reasonable explanation for this."
Momoe's face turned pale. She knew this was a test. If she couldn't handle this properly, the Chinoike clan's last hope of returning to the ninja world would be shattered right here.
"Please give us three days... no, two days!"
She took a deep breath. "Within two days, I will definitely uncover the truth of this matter."
A's sharp gaze swept over the Chinoike clansmen, finally settling on Matriarch Momoe. "Fine. I'll give you three days. Three days from now is when I return to the Cloud. If you fail to give me a satisfactory answer by then..."
He paused, his voice turning cold. "The Cloud will close its doors to the Chinoike forever."
With that, he turned and left, Hachitsutsu following close behind.
The Chinoike clansmen looked at each other, the air filled with uneasy restlessness.
The forced smile on Momoe's face vanished completely, replaced by a frosty expression.
She naturally understood that the "three days" A mentioned was just a final deadline, essentially charity from a superior.
If she dared to take the full three days, it would be tantamount to dragging the whole clan to their deaths. She needed results as soon as possible.
"Bring this man."
She pointed to the assassin on the ground and waved her hand, her voice icy. "Convene a clan meeting immediately!"
On the other side, once A and Hachitsutsu had walked far enough away, ignoring the Chinoike clan scrambling like ants on a hot pan, Yashiro Uchiha also returned to the camp.
Things had reached a point where he needed to probe his cousin's attitude. He could no longer understand Hachitsutsu's goal.
Everything that happened was baffling. Given Hachitsutsu's strength and position, if he really wanted to curry favor or even defect to the Cloud, why go through such trouble?
After everyone left, Night remained alone in the shadows, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The three-day agreement gave him enough time to arrange his next move.
Moreover, the identity of the mysterious Ketsuryūgan assassin sparked his intense interest.
While pondering, a sudden thought struck him like lightning. He asked himself strangely:
"Hiss! Wait, what was my mission here again?"