Hearing the Daimyo's words, Kazuma's respectful expression instantly disappeared. The current Daimyo, he thought grimly, was truly unreliable.
"Abyss? No, Lord Daimyo, you don't understa—"
His words were cut short.
Without warning, a violent gust of wind tore through the corridor outside the sleeping chambers. Caught off guard, the Daimyo stumbled and fell unceremoniously to the ground.
Amid the howling gale, several wind blades slashed toward Kazuma and his three comrades.
Kazuma reacted in an instant. Slamming his hands onto the ground, he raised a massive earth wall that rumbled up between them and the attack. The blades of wind carved deep grooves into the stone, sending shards of gravel flying.
But then—
A faint, razor-thin stream of water pierced cleanly through the wall and swept across the neck of one of the traitorous Guardian Shinobi.
Blood spurted. The man collapsed without a sound.
"Scatter!"
Kazuma roared. The two remaining rebels instinctively split to either side.
As he shouted, Kazuma spun and lunged toward the fallen Daimyo.
Hokuto and Higashima, unsure of who the attacker was but sensing the danger, rushed forward to shield the Daimyo.
Just as Kazuma's fingers were about to brush the Daimyo's robes, another sharp water blade sliced toward him. He rolled aside at the last second, narrowly avoiding it.
Hokuto and Higashima positioned themselves protectively in front of the Daimyo.
A figure descended quietly amidst the dying wind and swirling dust—wearing a Konoha-style jonin vest stained with dark, half-dried blood.
"Roshi…!" Hope flickered in the Daimyo's eyes.
Two of the Lightning Release Four had already fallen to Kazuma's group, making their signature Lightning Dream technique unusable. With Konoha's reinforcements still far away, the Daimyo had been certain he would die tonight.
He hadn't expected Roshi—who had already departed—to return.
Kazuma's expression turned grim. Before their attack, he had sent men to Roshi's quarters to confirm his absence. The bloodstains on Roshi's vest told him all he needed to know—he'd crossed paths with Yanshi and Tetsu.
Now Roshi was alive and unharmed, which could only mean those two were dead.
The Konoha ninja's strength had far exceeded their expectations. One of his own had already fallen. Three of them remained; on the other side, there were also three, guarding the Daimyo.
If they lingered here, their dream would end tonight.
Kazuma exchanged a quick glance with his surviving comrades—they silently reached the same conclusion.
He hurled several kunai laced with explosive tags toward the Daimyo while the other two charged forward. But Kazuma himself did not advance; instead, he formed rapid hand seals and sank wordlessly into the earth.
Higashima whisked the Daimyo away from the explosions as Roshi and Hokuto engaged the two rebels. Within moments, Roshi dispatched one, and Hokuto struck down the other.
Kazuma had vanished without a trace.
Silence descended on the corridor once more, broken only by the scent of blood and heavy breathing.
Hokuto and Higashima finally had a moment to mourn their fallen comrades.
Supported by the two Guardian Shinobi, the shaken Daimyo rose to his feet.
"Lord Daimyo," Roshi said evenly, "though most of the rebels have been eliminated, one escaped. There may still be sympathizers within the Fire Capital. We must secure the palace immediately and restore order before unrest spreads."
"We'll take care of it," Hokuto replied firmly.
Roshi's actions had already proven both his loyalty and his strength. No more needed to be said. Hokuto and Higashima hurried off to organize the clean-up.
"Thank you, Roshi." The Daimyo exhaled, trying to smooth out his wrinkled robes. "Had you not returned, I might not have survived the night."
"I was intercepted not long after leaving the Fire Capital," Roshi explained. "That made me suspect something was about to happen, so I came back immediately."
He then asked, "Where are Asuma and Chiriku?"
The Daimyo frowned. "Just before the rebels struck, we received an urgent message from the Fire Temple—a major incident. Chiriku insisted on returning, and Asuma volunteered to accompany him. I approved without hesitation. Who could have guessed that the rebels would move the moment they left?"
Roshi understood. The incident at the Fire Temple must be connected to the coup. Sending Asuma and Chiriku away only proved their innocence.
That made the next steps simpler.
"Roshi, do you wish to go to the Fire Temple for support?"
After a brief pause, Roshi shook his head. "No. Ensuring your safety and stabilizing the Fire Capital takes priority. The Fire Temple has its own defenders, and with Chiriku and Asuma there, they should manage."
Six Guardian Shinobi had rebelled—five were now dead, one had escaped. Until the Daimyo's palace and the Fire Capital were secure, Roshi couldn't leave.
He would have to trust Chiriku and Asuma to handle the temple.
Outside the Fire Temple
The sight that greeted Asuma and Chiriku was far worse than they had imagined. Buildings lay in ruins, fires raged across the compound, and screams mixed with the roar of destruction.
Amid the chaos, a small figure rampaged through the wreckage, shrouded in a cloak of dark red chakra.
That Chakra—Asuma knew it too well.
"The Nine-Tails' Chakra?!" he gasped, shielding himself from flying debris.
Chiriku's face was grave. "And it's consuming the host. We must stop him quickly."
The Fire Temple monks formed a barrier, but their seals shattered again and again against the berserk Tailed Beast Chakra.
Chiriku and Asuma took positions on either side.
"Raigo: Thousand Hand Strike" x 2
Behind them, the phantoms of Thousand-Armed Kannon statues appeared, glowing with golden light as the air vibrated with soft Sanskrit chants.
In the next instant, countless golden fists rained down like a divine storm, pummeling the red Chakra cloak at blinding speed.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike shook the air. The rampaging figure roared in agony as the demonic Chakra flickered, destabilized.
An elderly monk seized the opportunity. "Sealing Array!"
The sealing formation snapped into place, imprisoning the figure once more.
Asuma finally caught sight of the person within—and his heart froze.
"That child… Sora?!"
Kazuma's son.
Kazuma had entrusted him to the Fire Temple years ago, claiming he couldn't care for him. But why—why did he have the Nine-Tails' Chakra?
And why was he raging tonight of all nights?
Could it be… Kazuma, you sacrificed your own child for this?
As the golden fists and seals worked in tandem, the dark Chakra recoiled, shrinking back into Sora's small body.
The exhausted monks collapsed, gasping for breath.
Inside the array, Sora's pale face slackened. He fainted, the last traces of red fading from his body.
Asuma knelt, checked his pulse, and sighed in relief. "He's alive."
He handed the boy to Chiriku. "Please, take care of him. I need to return to the Fire Capital immediately."
Chiriku nodded gravely. "Leave it to me. Be careful, Asuma."
Without another word, Asuma turned and vanished into the night.
When he arrived back at the Daimyo's Palace, the battle was already over.
Hokuto coldly briefed him on what had happened—Roshi's timely return, the defeat of the rebels, and Kazuma's escape.
Asuma's emotions churned—relief, guilt, and regret. If he had acted sooner, perhaps Nandi and Shido wouldn't have died.
He went to pay his respects to the Daimyo and found Roshi speaking with him quietly outside the hall.
Seeing him, the Daimyo brightened. "Asuma, you're back! How is the Fire Temple? What of Chiriku?"
Asuma bowed deeply. "The situation is under control, Lord Daimyo. Chiriku is safe and managing the aftermath."
He hesitated, intending to confess his past involvement with Kazuma—
But Roshi cut in smoothly. "Asuma-senpai, you've traveled far and must be exhausted. The rebel is still at large. Please assist Hokuto in stabilizing the city."
The Daimyo nodded slowly. "As Roshi says. Go, Asuma."
The younger jonin's gaze was calm, yet carried quiet authority. For some reason, Asuma felt the urge to obey.
He swallowed his confession and bowed once more.
"Yes, my lord."
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