9.9 seconds.
The gray and white world was Logan's unique realm of frozen time.
Carrying Terumi Mei, Zabuza, and Kanhara Hayato, Logan hesitated for half a second before turning and delivering a sharp kick to Oda Ieyasu's waist. The man flew into the air and landed on top of Zabuza in a tangled heap.
Logan couldn't let him die.
At least, not yet. Not during the ongoing talks.
Because this was all part of a grand conspiracy.
The moment Logan and Oda Ieyasu were seen leaving the meeting together, the trap had already been sprung. It didn't matter whether Logan actually killed Oda Ieyasu or not. The moment anything happened to the daimyo, the entire world would believe the worst.
They would say, "Logan murdered a wise ruler who governed with compassion and reduced taxes."
And that label—whether true or not—would stick to him like filth.
It was a lose-lose scenario.
Oda Ieyasu's death was merely the opening shot. Once that shot echoed, a chain reaction would begin. One after another, "awakened" individuals like Hori Shoji would emerge across the nations—not just the Land of Water, but the entire world.
Even if Logan spent every waking hour hunting them, he wouldn't be able to eliminate them all.
Within a year, people would stop believing in Logan's ideals. They would fear the very word "awakening." He would no longer be a visionary, but a blood-soaked tyrant.
No one would listen to him anymore.
When that time came, Logan would be left with only two choices:
The first—start a war, kill anyone who resisted, and establish himself as the new king.
But even if he succeeded, he'd become a ruler governed by the old systems—dependent on the very bureaucrats and financiers he loathed to manage the country.
The second—abandon his ideals and become just another powerhouse. A symbol of might, stripped of principle.
Both outcomes were exactly what the bureaucratic elite and financial powers wanted. Either option ensured their survival and influence.
Having seen the big picture, Logan turned to glance at Oda Ieyasu—still frozen in time, mid-smile, his face locked in a moment before the explosion.
"You're the first bullet fired by the consortium and bureaucrats… but why you?" Logan murmured.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't add up.
With Oda Ieyasu's intelligence and courage, surely he could have found a more strategic way to retaliate. Why throw away his life just to smear Logan's name?
It felt too… theatrical. Too convenient.
Too political.
With a sigh, Logan gave up on trying to unravel that mystery—at least for now. He summoned The Platinum Star, who delivered three heavy punches to the scarlet barrier. A crack finally splintered across its surface.
Without wasting a second, Logan dashed through the gap, carrying the four people with him. As the pressure from the imminent explosion mounted, Platinum Star continued hoisting others they encountered along the way.
9.9 seconds passed.
Samurai and attendants collapsed onto the streets outside the daimyo's mansion, dazed and screaming. Looking around, they realized they were no longer inside.
Then came the blast.
A deafening roar shook the ground. Sparks and debris erupted into the sky, bricks soaring upward before crashing down like meteorites. People screamed and scattered, afraid of being knocked out by flying rubble during what should have been a peaceful holiday.
"What just happened?!"
Ninjas from all the major villages stood abruptly, their gazes fixed on the flames rising from the direction of the daimyo's mansion.
Outside, the chaos escalated. Voices cried out in confusion—some shouting "fire!", others "help!", but the loudest of all was a panicked chorus:
"The Daimyo is missing! Seal off Kyoto!"
Yūhi Kurenai left the banquet, leapt onto a nearby rooftop, and immediately spotted the nearly-destroyed barrier.
Even from such a distance, she could sense the massive chakra fluctuations radiating from the shattered scarlet field.
"If that barrier hadn't held the explosion," she whispered, lips dry, "the entire mansion would've been reduced to ash."
Only moments earlier, the Daimyo of the Land of Water, Oda Ieyasu, had left with Logan and his group for a "private meeting." And now—explosions, destruction, and a vanished ruler.
As she processed the implications, another figure landed beside her—Nozomi of the Cloud Shinobi.
Their eyes met, and the same thought passed silently between them:
"Is the Daimyo going to become the next Danzo... or the next Raikage?"
---
Meanwhile, in a dark alley on the outskirts of Kyoto—
Oda Ieyasu stirred, eyes fluttering open.
The first thing he saw was Zabuza's scowling face.
"Am I in hell?" Oda muttered groggily.
"You're not dead," Zabuza grunted, extending a hand. "And even if you were, seeing my handsome face would mean you went to heaven."
Oda smirked and took his hand, pulling himself up. Then he looked at Logan, who sat silently beside them on a stone pier.
"It's pointless to have saved me," Oda said flatly. "The moment that explosion went off, the version of me known as Oda Ieyasu ceased to exist."
"This stain—it'll cling to you like a ghost. The more you try to hide it, the harder people will dig to uncover it."
"You—!" Zabuza's face contorted in fury. He seized Oda by the collar.
"You're alive. As long as I throw your sorry self at the gate of the daimyo's mansion, Logan's name can be cleared."
"Hah," Oda scoffed, patting Zabuza's arm. "But who says I am me?"
With all the ninja techniques available—Transformation Jutsu, Shadow Clones—how could anyone prove his identity?
Even worse, he knew Logan possessed a terrifying illusion technique that could implant commands directly into someone's heart.
But even if Logan forced him to walk to the daimyo's mansion, arms raised and shouting "I'm the real daimyo!", would the bureaucrats and consortiums who orchestrated all of this ever acknowledge it?
Of course not.
They had a hundred ways to twist truth into lies.
Oda gazed steadily at Logan, genuinely curious how the man would navigate such a dead-end situation.
Logan sat quietly, tapping his fingers on his knee.
"There's an old saying," he began, "He who tied the bell must untie it. If I dismantle your trap, it'll be too messy. Too many innocent people will get caught in the crossfire."
"I'm hoping… you'll help me resolve this instead."
Logan acknowledged the limitations of his own Disc Command technique. But with Oda Ieyasu's political genius and Logan's own strength, they could break the stalemate.
But…
"Why should I help you?" Oda asked with a bitter smile. "What, do you think you're some kind of 'succubus'? That anyone who talks to you gets charmed into becoming your ally?"
"I'll help you find your son."
Those words struck Oda like a thunderclap.
His smile faded.
His eyes sharpened, and his brows furrowed.
"You read my memories."
"I skimmed them. Not very interesting," Logan replied.
From his earliest days, Oda Ieyasu had been different from his father, who died a miserable death in the streets. Oda was born brilliant—handsome, wise, and politically savvy. He married Saito Ayate for strategic purposes and had a single son.
He once placed the world above all else.
But after becoming a father, his priorities shifted.
"You knew what the consortiums were planning," Logan said, "so not long after your appointment, you sent your wife and son to Kirigakure, thinking they'd be safe under my protection."
"But your wife betrayed you. She used your own child as a pawn."
Logan's voice was low.
"They made a deal with you. As long as you died, your child would be allowed to live. Not as a person, but as a puppet."
This explained Oda's decision to stage his own death.
Under Oda Ieyasu's effective governance, the country remained peaceful. The environment didn't breed awakenings. As a result, Logan's philosophy risked becoming a fringe belief—nothing more than a spiritual concept.
Progress would be stalled indefinitely.
The consortiums couldn't accept that.
Every day that passed cost them money and control. And if the Land of Water had Ieyasu, what about the Fire, Earth, Lightning, and Wind Nations?
Removing him was the simplest, most brutal answer.
Oda closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
"So… if you save my son, I help you dismantle this trap? A fair trade."
"No," Logan said, standing and dusting himself off. "This isn't a trade."
"Even if you refuse, I'll save that boy. He's called me 'teacher' for several months."
Only then did Oda understand Logan's earlier words.
"I hope you can come and help me break the impasse."
Hope. Not manipulation.
"This man…" Oda muttered, staring in disbelief, "…he's a demon who bewitches the heart."
After a long pause, he sighed.
"…I've lost."
"I'm convinced."
Logan clapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't dawdle. We've got a kid to save."
A ripple of violet energy began to flow around Logan—the power of The Hermit Purple.
Using Oda Ieyasu's blood and spiritual resonance as a medium, Logan created a spark in his palm. Violet merged with gold, flame igniting, forming a trembling vision…
At last, a flickering image appeared—
A robe with a black background.
Adorned with crimson clouds.
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