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It was a chilly early morning in the capital in late autumn.
On the soft bed, Shin opened his eyes.
Uchiha Kasumi, beside him, was still sound asleep, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her fair cheek.
Last night's indulgence had made her sleep deeply, and a satisfied smile even lingered on her face.
Shin's fingertips gently traced her smooth shoulder.
Such a life was far more interesting than mere slaughter.
Just as he was enjoying the morning's tranquility, a steady, suppressed voice from outside the bedroom door interrupted him.
"My lord."
It was a Shadow Guard.
There was no emotion in his voice, yet it conveyed an urgent sense of impending storm.
"Konoha's highest-level urgent report!"
Uchiha Kasumi was startled awake, opening her sleepy eyes and looking at the man beside her with confusion.
Shin patted Kasumi's shoulder, signaling her to go back to sleep.
He got up, casually put on his outer robe, and said, "Speak."
The Shadow Guard's voice was much lower than before. "The pursuit team led by the Hyuga clan head has failed its mission."
Hmm?
Shin's movements paused as he was dressing, and his eyes narrowed.
Failed?
Hyuga Hiashi, along with dozens of Konoha elites, pursuing a dozen people, actually failed?
Shin didn't bother to straighten his long robe, walking out of the room with his chest exposed and saying, "Continue!"
The Shadow Guard immediately unfolded the intelligence report and read its contents.
The intelligence was very brief.
The Kumogakure infiltration team was fearless.
Four jonin among them forcibly held back Konoha's pursuit team by self-destructing.
Now, the nine escapees had completely disappeared.
Four jonin... self-destructed to cover their retreat?
Shin repeated these words, his gaze gradually turning cold.
This was quite a deviation from the 'small trouble' he had anticipated.
At the end of the report was a deduction made by Minato in the name of the Hokage.
The infiltrators paid such a heavy price, their objective must be significant.
Judging by their escape route, their ultimate destination had a high probability of being... the capital!
The air instantly solidified.
Takeshi, who had been standing by, heard this sentence, his breathing suddenly hitched, and his face instantly lost all color.
The capital?
Assassinating the daimyo?
Takeshi immediately connected these two possibilities.
Those madmen from Kumogakure, how dare they?!
The Shadow Guard finally added, "To ensure complete security, the Fourth Hokage has urgently dispatched a hundred elite shinobi, who are currently rushing to the capital to provide protection."
"Heh!"
A light laugh escaped Shin's lips.
But this laughter was incredibly cold.
Konoha sending people didn't surprise him.
It would be strange if they didn't.
He slowly tied his sash, his expression terrifyingly calm. "Is the Konoha messenger still in the manor?"
"Yes, he's waiting in the side hall," Takeshi quickly replied.
"Have him come over."
"And bring a map."
"Yes, my lord!"
Soon, a dust-covered messenger was brought before Shin.
As soon as he saw Shin, he immediately knelt on one knee, repeating the words the elders had taught him. "Daimyo-sama, Konoha is incompetent for allowing the rogues to infiltrate the heartland!"
"Rise," Shin's voice betrayed no emotion.
"Bring the map."
A huge military map of the Land of Fire was quickly spread out on the ground.
Shin walked to the map, his gaze falling on the eastern border. "Point out their infiltration route and the last known location where they disappeared."
"Yes, my lord!"
The messenger dared not delay, stepping forward and drawing a winding red line on the map with a pen.
The red line started from the border swamp, went west, and passed through mountains and dense forests.
It finally broke off in a mountain forest less than seventy kilometers from the capital.
That line pointed directly to the capital.
It seemed, then, that they might truly be coming for him.
Shin crossed his arms, his fingers gently tapping his bicep, constantly pondering. "To gain a few minutes, they sacrificed four elite jonin..."
"To be able to issue such an order, and have subordinates willingly go to their deaths..."
"The one leading this team is probably not some nobody."
He paused, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp. "I'm even thinking..."
"Could it be the Fourth Raikage himself?"
One sentence struck everyone like lightning, their eyes filled with horror.
The Raikage... personally infiltrated?
A village kage, with just over a dozen people, dares to play at striking the heart behind enemy lines?
This was beyond madness.
This was gambling with the fate and future of the Land of Lightning!
"Interesting."
"Truly interesting."
Shin smiled, and this time it was a genuine smile.
The Third Raikage, when he attacked the Land of Earth back then, still needed to bring a large army.
His son, however, dared to penetrate deep into the Land of Fire with only a dozen people.
In terms of sheer audacity, the Fourth surpassed the Third.
It seemed he had underestimated these hotheads from Kumogakure.
Pushing them to this point, they truly dared to stake everything!
Shin instantly pieced together their strategy.
First, they acted subservient at the negotiating table, then created friction at the border to attract attention.
But secretly, they dispatched a suicide squad, playing the game of striking directly at the heart.
What great courage.
What a grand scheme.
It seemed he had truly pushed them to the brink this time.
He originally thought this was just a cat-and-mouse game, but he didn't expect the other party to immediately flip the table and play for keeps with him.
Thinking of this, Shin's smile grew colder.
However, there was one thing he couldn't understand.
During the first three shinobi world wars, no one ever dared to lay hands on a daimyo of a country.
Did they truly dare to attack him?
Or was there another conspiracy?
After all, breaking the rules came with a price.
However, he quickly dismissed this question.
Did it matter if the other party dared or not?
He would find out by trying.
Coincidentally, the Konoha chunin exams were in a few days.
Perhaps he should depart early...
Shin had a plan in mind.
"Takeshi."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Prepare the carriage."
Takeshi subconsciously asked, "My lord, where are you going?"
"Depart tomorrow morning, for Konoha."
"To observe the chunin exams."
At these words, Takeshi's face instantly turned pale, and he hurriedly spoke. "No!"
"My lord! At such a critical moment, how can you go out!"
His demeanor was anxious, his tone fearful. "Kumogakure's assassins are in the shadows. They would be delighted for you to leave the capital!"
"To attend some chunin exams at this time is putting yourself in danger!"
Shin raised his hand, interrupting him. "Takeshi, I know what you're worried about."
"But constantly hiding is not a solution either."
Takeshi still wanted to persuade him, but Shin added, "The Shadow Guard will accompany me throughout the journey."
"And, have you forgotten that Konoha also sent people to protect me?"
Takeshi suddenly froze, instantly remembering that Konoha had also dispatched a hundred elites to provide protection.
"I am the daimyo of a nation, and I have so many guards..." Shin's voice was composed. "If I were too scared to leave my home by a few assassins, and word got out, wouldn't I be a laughingstock?"
Takeshi opened his mouth, but all his words of persuasion were unspoken.
Under the guise of observing the ceremony, and with heavy protection, this reason was unassailable.
But the unease in his heart, he could not shake off.
Yet he also knew that once his lord, whom he had watched grow up, made a decision, no one could change it.
Finally, Takeshi lowered his head and said with difficulty. "...As you command, my lord."
Takeshi turned and withdrew, his steps heavy.
After everyone had left, the gentleness on Shin's face slowly faded, and his eyes once again became cold.
He wanted to see if those desperate people truly had the guts to attack him, the daimyo, as he left the palace.
Returning to the bedroom, Uchiha Kasumi was already awake, leaning against the headboard, watching him.
"Something happened in Konoha?"
"A small trouble."
Shin lay back down, pulling her into his arms.
"Come with me to Konoha. There might be a good show to watch."
"Okay!" Uchiha Kasumi nodded, not asking any more questions.