In front of the rock crevice, Night gazed at the young clansman bound by the bone chains.
The Ketsuryūgan in the young man's eyes flickered with unwillingness, but ultimately, he couldn't break through the seal of the Yomotsu Hone and mobilize his strength.
"A pity..." Night whispered to himself.
His genjutsu skills were merely "sufficient." The earlier attempt to trace the Ketsuryūgan hadn't yielded results yet either.
Otherwise, he would have preferred to control this man and send him back to the settlement as a spy to avoid alerting the enemy.
Killing him would be a waste. After all, this was a clansman who had awakened the Ketsuryūgan.
"Pawn."
> [Scan complete. Discovering pawnable items:]
> [Chinoike Clansman (Living) x1... Valuation: 100 Points/Person]
"Confirm."
The body of the unknown clansman dissolved into a glimmer of light and vanished completely, turning into a cold number in Night's system.
---
Meanwhile, in the inn at the town outside Hell Valley, A (Ei) was staring blankly out the window.
He had originally thought this mission would be simple. He didn't expect to fall into such a situation.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have asked for an explanation..." he muttered to himself. But it was too late to retract his words now; the face of the Cloud and his personal reputation were at stake.
After thinking about it all night, he decided to settle for the next best thing: instead of taking the entire Chinoike clan, he would just pick a few elite ninjas.
This way, he could save face and give his father an explanation.
"Call it atonement through service..."
He calculated, "I'll take the three strongest back with me. That should be enough."
---
Inside the Chinoike settlement, the search was reaching a critical moment.
"Matriarch! We found something in Kenbi's residence!"
A clansman ran over hurriedly to report. Momoe immediately led people to the crude stone house at the edge of the settlement.
Even more suspicious was that in a hidden compartment under the bed, they found several items that did not belong to Hell Valley:
A kunai forged from refined steel; several well-preserved soldier pills; and even a scroll recording basic Lightning Release techniques.
"Where... did these come from?" an elder voiced the question on everyone's mind.
Adding to the suspicion, although Kenbi lived alone at the edge of the settlement and rarely interacted with others, his complexion had always been ruddy, a stark contrast to the sallow faces of the other clansmen.
Originally, they thought it was just the vigor of youth, but now it seemed far from it.
"Search! Check every corner carefully!"
At Momoe's command, the clansmen began to thoroughly ransack the unassuming stone house.
In another hidden compartment by the stove, they found something even more alarming.
A secret letter with unfamiliar handwriting. Although the content was vague, it was accompanied by a meticulously drawn topographic map of Hell Valley.
"It seems... Kenbi betrayed the Chinoike long ago and has been secretly contacting the outside world."
Momoe looked at the evidence before her, suppressing the rage in her heart.
However, after a whole night of searching, Kenbi seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.
The next morning, after intense discussion, the Clan Council had no choice but to make a decision:
They would classify this incident as a clansman's defection. The assassin would be explained as a puppet controlled by Kenbi using the Ketsuryūgan's secret art, pushing all abnormalities onto this "traitor."
"This is our only choice."
Momoe rubbed her brow wearily. "I hope this explanation will satisfy the Cloud envoy."
---
Early on the second day, Momoe, who hadn't slept all night, sent a message to A, claiming the matter had been "investigated."
When A stepped into the Chinoike settlement again, he could clearly feel the change in atmosphere.
The clansmen looked at him with less anticipation and more wariness.
"Lord A."
Momoe and several elders stepped forward to welcome him. "After investigation, we have uncovered the truth. All of this was the doing of a defected clansman..."
She recounted the prepared story. As for the whereabouts of that clansman, she deliberately attributed it to the Uchiha clan's lax guarding, taking the opportunity to throw some dirt on the Uchiha.
A listened absent-mindedly. When she finished, he directly threw out his prepared plan. "In that case, the Chinoike clan will remain in Hell Valley for the time being."
Seeing everyone's expressions change, he continued, "But as atonement, I will take three strong warriors from your clan. Their performance will directly determine your future treatment."
The Chinoike clansmen, who had looked desperate and were even beginning to emit dangerous auras, were overjoyed upon hearing this. They agreed immediately. This might be the best possible outcome.
Soon, three young elites of the clan were brought to the clearing. All three feigned calm but couldn't hide their excitement at leaving Hell Valley.
A scanned the three of them and nodded with some satisfaction.
These skilled individuals who awakened the Ketsuryūgan at a young age would become future combat power if cultivated properly.
Momoe wanted to say more, but A waved his hand. "I will take these three back to the village and send someone with supplies to improve your living conditions."
Momoe looked grateful and thanked him repeatedly. It seemed the Chinoike clan still had a chance to leave.
Leaving the settlement, A and the group of four walked toward the valley entrance.
The three Chinoike clansmen constantly observed the fresh scenery around them. After all, straying too far from the settlement in Hell Valley was easily mistaken for defection.
Just as A was about to say something to break the awkward silence, a sudden change occurred!
The Chinoike ninja furthest from A suddenly attacked. He pulled a kunai from his waist and went straight for the throat of the companion beside him!
Amidst splashing blood, the clansman clutched his throat, staring at his attacker in disbelief, and died on the spot.
"Do it now!" the attacker shouted at the other companion.
The other person was clearly stunned. In that moment of hesitation, A reacted.
"Bastard!"
A front kick slammed ruthlessly into the bewildered Chinoike ninja beside him.
Even without activating his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the ninja was sent flying by the kick and landed far away, clearly unconscious on the spot.
But A quickly realized that the attacker wasn't panicked at all. Instead, he revealed a smile of a successful scheme.
Realizing he had been tricked, blinding lightning erupted around A instantly. Lightning Release Chakra Mode fully activated.
"Kid, I want to see what gives you the guts to play me!"
The sole remaining conscious ninja of the three quickly activated his Ketsuryūgan and hurled his companion's corpse at A like a sandbag.
A was already on guard against him. Seeing him desecrate his companion's corpse fueled his rage.
He dodged sideways, intending to pursue, when he heard the man shout: "Explode!"
The corpse expanded instantly like a balloon, followed by a thunderous explosion.
A's Lightning Release Chakra Mode naturally didn't fear such an explosion. He charged out of the smoke and dust, head-on against the shockwave, but the rain of blood left him looking utterly wretched.
When the smoke cleared, there was no one in front of him.
The instigator had long fled. And in the throat of the ninja he had knocked unconscious, a familiar kunai was now embedded.