All of Nanmuko bowed as one.
Heads lowered, shoulders tensed villagers, Kenta and Kaede among them, pressed themselves to the ground until the dust touched their foreheads. The procession stopped.
The palanquin curtains parted, and the Daimyo stepped out, surrounded by his guards.
He stood in the sunlight like a shadow made of lacquer and silk. His eyes moved from left to right, cold and sharp, taking a quick look at everyone.
"Listen, everyone," he said in a loud, clear voice. "My name is Susumu Oda.
I am head of the Oda clan and the feudal lord of this region. You should consider yourselves lucky because of our bravery and strength, this land, including Nanmuko and the two nearby villages, is now under Oda rule."
Kaede's hand tightened around Kenta's. Both boys felt a burning anger rise inside them hatred so strong it hurt.
They kept their heads down, but the feeling stayed like hot coals inside their chests. They knew if they showed it, they'd be killed on the spot. The power around the daimyo was too strong.
Susumu continued, "We have received word that intruders rebel elements have entered our lands. If anyone finds them or seen them , report it to our officials at once.
Anyone found sheltering such people will be punished. They will get beheaded and their heads will float in the river."
A heavy silence fell. The villagers didn't move. The threat hit them like a stone.
Then, without warning, everything changed. The Daimyo's last words cut off with a single, clean slash. The air itself seemed to split. A katana flashed not from an enemy outside, but from one of his own guards. The samurai stepped forward and, with perfect precision, sliced the daimyo's throat.
At the same moment, another figure someone standing on the roof of a nearby hut threw several smoke bombs in circle . Thick smoke exploded across the road, covering everything.
Villagers coughed and stumbled. Shouts echoed through the chaos.
Kenta and Kaede fell to their knees, coughing hard. Kaede's small body trembled. Kenta grabbed his brother's wrist and held him tight. "Stay down!" he whispered.
The smoke made it impossible to see. The guards shouted orders, swords drawn, swinging at shadows in panic. The assassin in disguise of Daimyo's Samurai removed his mask . It was Yoshi and his Captain .
Kenta seen the face of Yoshi with blurry vision because of smoke.
Yoshi, who had disguised himself as one of the daimyo's guards, waited for this exact moment. He came with a plan to kill the feudal lord and escape in the confusion with the villagers who had come for rations.
In the thick smoke, Yoshi moved fast. His blade struck cleanly, hitting the weak spots in the armor the joints of the guards in front of him. They fell before they could react.
From the rooftop, the other assassin shouted, "Yoshi! Come on, quick! Our job is done! No need for your extra fancy moves the Daimyo is dead!"
Yoshi replied, "Got it!" and ran. Both of them disappeared swiftly into the forest behind the village.
Kenta and Kaede, still shocked, saw them vanish. Kenta turned to his brother. "We have to talk to them. Come on!"
They ran after the two assassins through the fading smoke, but when they reached the forest, there was no sign of them no footprints, no sound, nothing.
Kenta stopped, breathing hard. "We found our goal," he said quietly.
Kaede looked at him, confused. "Goal? What goal?"
Kenta said, "We have to join them the Revolutionaries. I've seen that man before, Kaede. The one who killed the daimyo he met with Sensei Masanori once. I remember hearing one word during their talk Revolutionaries.
Now it all makes sense."
Kaede frowned. "I get what you're saying, brother, but we can't trust them yet. We need to know what their group stands for what they want and what they believe in."
Kenta nodded slowly. "Yeah… I know. But I can't forget what they did to our family to our whole village."
Kaede placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I understand your pain, Kenta. You're carrying the weight of Mom, Dad, and everyone who died that day. But don't let anger take control. You're not alone. I'll always be here to guide you."
He smiled. "Even though I'm younger, I think I'm smarter than you."
Kenta rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't start flying high now."
The smoke began to fade over Nanmuko. The villagers slowly stood up, dazed and silent, staring at the lifeless body of their once-mighty daimyo lying in the dust.
Far away, deep in the forest, the Revolutionaries were already gone leaving behind only smoke, fear, and the first spark of rebellion in the villagers mind and soul ...