"On the night of the Battle of Hell Valley—the same night Ren Uchiha went missing—the Daimyo, far away in the Land of Lightning's capital, was targeted for assassination once again by 'Ren Uchiha,' the leader of the Immortal Cultists."
"The Guardian Shinobi were slaughtered. Had it not been for the timely arrival of the Raikage's son, A, the Daimyo would have certainly perished."
"Coupled with Orochimaru's 'Cloud Collapse' operation during the Hell Valley conflict, which led to a massive leak of the Land of Lightning's defensive data, the Daimyo is now utterly incandescent with rage."
Night. A dilapidated town in the Land of Frost.
Around a crackling bonfire, En Oyashiro and Ren Uchiha listened as Sasori recounted the major events of the past few days. A crude, hand-drawn map was spread out before them. Sasori's finger traced a line from Kumogakure all the way to Unming City, located in the heart of the Land of Lightning.
"One week from now, the Third Raikage will take his son to Unming City to apologize to the Daimyo," Sasori explained. "At the same time, they will finalize a new offensive plan."
En Oyashiro looked confused. "After such heavy losses, why is Kumo continuing the war? Shouldn't they be focusing on defending against other nations taking advantage of their weakness?"
"Short-sighted!" Sasori snorted coldly. "While Kumo suffered greatly, their core combat power—the A-B Duo and the Third Raikage—is intact, and the main army still has the strength to fight. In this era, if you do not fight... you die. If they don't use this chance to project strength, the rest of the world will truly tear them apart like vultures."
Ren nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing at the map. "So, the key question is: which direction will the remaining Kumo forces strike? That will be decided once the Raikage and the Daimyo reach an agreement. Thus, the Daimyo's attitude is the most critical factor."
Sasori shot a surprised glance at Ren before regaining his composure. "Exactly. That's why many parties want to probe the Daimyo's intentions. In this mess, the 'Ren Uchiha' of the Immortal Cultists has become a golden ticket—a trophy whose head can be offered to gain an audience with the Daimyo."
As he spoke, Sasori watched Ren out of the corner of his eye, trying to catch a reaction. The identity of this "Uchiha Yan-zu" was still riddled with holes.
Ren, however, remained impassive. He wasn't about to tell Sasori that one of them was there to kill the Daimyo, and the other... well, was pretty much there for the same thing. Still, he felt a bit puzzled and looked up at Sasori.
"What's the deal with these 'Immortal Cultists'? This is the second time they've gone after the Daimyo, right? How exactly are they escaping every time?"
Ren knew full well that Hidan was the one leading this group, but the idea of them repeatedly attacking the capital of a Great Nation and getting away clean was ridiculous. He knew the combat level of the Jashin cultists from the Land of Hot Water—they were a mixed bag at best. Their strongest, Hayato Togo, wouldn't last a single move against A, let alone the Third Raikage. Any elite Jonin from a Great Village should have been able to skewer them like satay.
"Who knows? Perhaps someone is helping them," Sasori chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He then stared somberly into the fire. "Now, for the most critical question..."
Ren and En Oyashiro both turned their heads toward him.
"What? What else could be critical?" Ren wondered. Everything was set. Sasori would lead them to the capital, they'd slash through the defenses, capture the Third Raikage, take down the Daimyo, and then force A and Killer Bee to sing "Conquest" while stepping on their heads. They'd show the world that the age of Gundams had arrived!
Under their expectant gazes, Sasori fell silent. He looked down at the map, hesitated for a long moment, and then asked in a muffled voice:
"Can... can either of you actually read this map?"
En Oyashiro and Ren exchanged a look. Their faces stiffened simultaneously, the muscles in their cheeks twitching.
Wait. Brother. Don't tell me...
Are you a lost cause with directions too?
And so, the three of them, who were just about to set off, sat back down in a heavy, awkward silence.
Unming City, Land of Lightning.
The capital's structure was similar to Tanzaku Quarters in the Land of Fire—a typical Japanese-style fortress divided into inner and outer cities. The inner city housed the Daimyo's castle, towering high with airtight security.
The outer city was a bustling hub of prosperity. Its walls were low, serving more as a symbol than a defense. It was a melting pot of people, with rows of stalls and carriages stretching as far as the eye could see. Unlike other nations, the cities here were built on open plateaus amidst jagged peaks. The buildings were shaped like flattened onions with mountain-side platforms and pointed spires, reflecting a Byzantine influence.
On a narrow terrace overlooking the outer city, a hooded Hidan leaned against the railing. His expression was grim as he watched a squad of Cloud shinobi escort a group of prisoners through the streets below. The prisoners wore the headbands of Hot Water rogue ninjas. They were being led toward a newly erected execution ground in the busiest part of the city.
"Dammit!"
Watching those who had followed him—comrades who were dying one by one because of him and his so-called 'Great Cause'—Hidan clenched his fists until they shook.
THUD!
He punched the railing in frustration. In this moment, he finally understood why that bastard Ren Uchiha had left him behind! After seeing the flooded ruins of the Hot Water capital, Ren must have felt exactly like this—blaming himself for everything and beginning to doubt the oath they had made.
Is that why he couldn't face me? Why he left the Land of Hot Water and ignored our vow? He might even be dead by now...
But it doesn't matter. I will be the one to settle this debt! Since the Third Raikage killed my big brother, I'll take down the Raikage's son and the Daimyo of their entire country! Blood for blood!
Suddenly, in the light of the rising sun, a graceful figure in a black robe and a wide-brimmed bamboo hat walked up behind him. A few strands of reddish-brown hair, like the dawn sun, peeked out from the side of the hat.
From the shadows beneath the brim, a pair of clear emerald eyes—eyes that seemed to reflect the very soul—looked at Hidan. The newcomer let out a soft sigh.
"Hidan, I'm helping you this time only because of our past connection," Mei Terumi said softly. "If you wrote to me for help just to save this group of Hot Water ninjas, then I cannot continue. Right now, the eyes of the world are on this city. The Fire, Earth, Wind, and Lightning nations are all sending envoys. Every organization and every person wants your head to fulfill their own agendas."
"If you keep being this reckless, I will knock you out right now and take you away from this place."
Hidan shook his head, his youthful eyes filled with a stubborn fire. "Sister-in-law!" He gritted his teeth and pulled a small, transparent vial of blood from his robe. "It's not like that!"
"I've already obtained the Lightning Daimyo's blood!"
"One week from now, if the Daimyo decides to continue the war and trample the Land of Hot Water, I will perform the ritual to kill him during the Five-Nation Summit!"
Mei Terumi froze. Her pupils contracted, and her face beneath the hat flushed a deep crimson. "What did you say!?"
"I said, I'm going to take down the Lightning Daimyo at the Five-Nation Summit!"
"No, the sentence before that!"
"I... obtained the Lightning Daimyo's blood?"
"No! Even further back!"
"Sister... sister-in-law!?"
Mei Terumi took a deep breath and a wide, beaming smile spread across her face.
"Good. I'll help you kill the Lightning Daimyo!"
Note: Support me and get early access to chapters on Pat reon.com/XareonMTL
very cheap btw