In the deepest secret chamber of the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire, the Daimyo sat cross-legged on the main seat, his fingers continuously tapping on the gilded armrest.
The 'tap-tap' sound of his fingernails hitting the metal caused cold sweat to seep from the backs of the four ministers kneeling below.
"Your Highness, the tax reduction edict has been issued, and the public unrest has temporarily subsided."
The Minister of Finance's forehead was pressed against the tatami mat, his voice trembling. "But the common people are still privately discussing the matters of Konoha."
The tapping stopped abruptly, and the Daimyo's voice was terrifyingly grim. "What are they discussing?"
The Minister of Internal Affairs pulled out a handkerchief, constantly wiping the cold sweat from his face.
His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he said, "They... they say Your Highness is ungrateful. If not for Konoha, Your Highness would not have canceled the tax increase."
Bang!
The rosewood low table flipped twice in the air, smashing against a screen adorned with landscape paintings.
Splintered porcelain shards cut the Minister of Internal Affairs' cheek, and a drop of blood fell onto his purple official robe, spreading into a dark flower.
The four ministers immediately prostrated themselves on the ground, their wide official robes splayed out, trembling like startled quail.
The Daimyo stood up, the hem of his luxurious clothing sweeping over the overturned tea set, his face twitching with anger, veins bulging at his temples.
He squeezed out the name through gritted teeth. "A fine Shun. First he incites public opinion, and now he manipulates the nobles against me. Does he really think he can ride on my head?"
The Minister of Military Affairs bravely looked up. "Your Majesty, how about I send troops to eradicate Konoha?"
The Daimyo suddenly grabbed the teapot and threw it at the Minister of Military Affairs. "Idiot! Now the whole country thinks I'm ungrateful. If I act openly, wouldn't that confirm those rumors?"
The Minister of Military Affairs dared not dodge, and the scorching tea flowed down his topknot, leaving red marks on his face.
Facing the enraged Daimyo, everyone remained silent, and even breathing could be clearly heard in the secret chamber.
The candlelight crackled, and the leader of the Shadow Guards, who had been silent like a shadow, suddenly moved forward and stepped on his knees.
"Issue an underground bounty."
The Daimyo narrowed his swollen eyelids, signaling him to continue.
The leader of the Shadow Guards took out a scroll, the parchment yellowed with age in the candlelight.
"The black market doesn't ask about origins, only money. This records the information of all high-ranking Jonin and above in Konoha, including their regular routes, Ninjutsu weaknesses and even dietary habits."
The Daimyo's eyes lit up. He took the scroll and greedily scanned the names: Shun, Tsunade, Shikaku, Hiashi...
After each name, a tempting number was marked.
The Daimyo's expression turned somewhat sinister as he said, "Triple the bounty. No, five times! I want these arrogant ninjas to know who the true master of the Land of Fire is."
Three nights later, in the underground exchange of the Land of Waterfall.
The old man behind the counter was wiping a wine glass with a hand missing its pinky finger when the door curtain was suddenly lifted, bringing in a gust of cold wind.
The bounty hunter Kakuzu looked at the latest bounty list. Then he tore off a bounty and slapped it on a greasy wooden table.
"I'll take this job."
The old man behind the counter narrowed his cloudy eyes, examining the paper by the dim oil lamp.
When he saw the content clearly, his bony fingers trembled violently.
The old man gasped. "Konoha Advisor Shun, 360 million ryo bounty. Someone actually dares to take it."
Kakuzu threw out a heavy bag of coins. "Less talk, this is for the intel."
The old man gulped, trembling as he took out a stack of documents from under the counter. "Latest news, Shun will appear in Rōran. This is the route map."
Looking at the 360 million ryo bounty amount, Kakuzu let out a low laugh.
In fact, it wasn't just Kakuzu, many more bounty hunters joined the assassination attempts on Konoha's high-ranking officials.
...
The forest on the outskirts of Konoha was shrouded in an eerie silence.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the bodies of three Chunin.
Their heads were missing, the cuts on their necks as smooth as a mirror, and blood had soaked the fallen leaves, emitting a rusty, metallic smell.
Shibi's sunglasses reflected a cold light, and countless parasitic insects surged from his sleeves, covering the bodies.
His voice was quite calm. "This is the third team, the same method, a single fatal blow, somewhat like the samurai from the Land of Iron."
The Hyuga youth beside him activated his Byakugan, veins bulging around his eyes. "Two kilometers to the northeast, Chakra detected. Wait, it's gone?Very fast escape speed."
Shibi's insects suddenly all flew up, forming a formation in the air. "Not an ordinary assassin. Report to Hokage-sama immediately."
Late at night, in the underground conference room of the Hokage Building, the air was so heavy it almost solidified.
Nine bodies covered with white cloths were arranged in the center, bloodstains already seeping through the fabric, forming dark red outlines on the floor.
Shikaku rubbed his temples, his eyes showing heavy dark circles. "Another three patrol teams were attacked tonight. All were elite Chunin. They didn't even have time to send out a distress signal."
Tsunade lifted a white cloth, examining the knife wounds on the body's neck, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter. "Professional killer. Clean and precise knife work. Very similar to the samurai from the Land of Iron. Their strength is at Elite Jonin level."
Hiashi's Byakugan still had prominent veins around it. "It's not just the outskirts. More than a dozen unfamiliar Chakra signatures have been detected within the village, all disguised as merchants or artisans."
Shun suddenly pushed open the door, his long black hair still damp with night dew. He threw some intelligence onto the table, the dull thud making everyone turn their heads.
"The Daimyo has issued an underground bounty. The heads of everyone present are three to five times the market price."
The conference room instantly erupted.
Choza slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump. "Damn it, the Daimyo is declaring war."
Shikaku put a hand on his friend's shoulder, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "No, this is his cleverness. An underground bounty is not an official act. Even if we are completely wiped out, he can deny any involvement."
Among the nine bodies, three were Chunin from the Kurama clan.
Unkai slammed the table and roared, "Then let's storm the Daimyo Capital and kill the Daimyo."