"Traitors?"
Kama tugged at the short stubble on his chin, the sharp sting reminding him this wasn't a dream. "Kazuma, this…this isn't what we agreed on! We never talked about betraying the lord. This…"
"This is necessary."
Kazuma cut Kama off firmly, his piercing gaze sweeping over his companions, seeming to see right into their hearts. "Everyone knows how strong Konoha is. Strong enough that the lord can't risk a direct conflict and has to rely on us to act in the shadows. But Konoha isn't blind; they're sure to notice us. From what I gather, it's very likely that Riku is going there to inform them."
"Then why the hell did you let him go? Was it on purpose?"
Kama glared at Kazuma.
"Not exactly. As I said, Konoha won't miss our presence, even if we stop Riku now. As our actions become more obvious, Konoha will eventually focus on us anyway. So I'd rather define our relationship with the lord proactively."
Clearly, the Fire Lord had no intention of formally breaking ties with Konoha. Everything Kazuma and his group did was on their own, unrelated to the Fire Lord. Until they achieved clear success, the lord wouldn't acknowledge any connection to them.
Everyone understood this. But did they really have to become traitors?
The idea didn't sit well with them.
There was also another issue: once labeled as traitors, even nominally, they would struggle to gather support from the country's ninja clans to oppose Konoha.
"The reason we need to embrace the title of traitors," Kazuma continued, "is that I recently mastered a forbidden jutsu, one that can significantly boost our overall strength and reduce Konoha's numbers advantage. But the technique is ethically questionable, and remaining at the lord's manor would only put him in an awkward position before we succeed."
Earth Style: Ultimate Genesis Technique—Dead Man's Soil.
Kazuma had successfully mastered this forbidden jutsu, tested it in secret several times, and confirmed its effectiveness. This power, he realized, was more than just for combat; it also had strategic and tactical applications.
He demonstrated the jutsu's power before his companions.
"So…you want to go after Kitone and his group for the Lightning Release technique?" Kama quickly understood the forbidden jutsu's potential to appropriate Kitone's abilities.
"No, not just Kitone. Kazuma, are you planning to target all the ninja clans in the country?"
Kama, the second in command, wasn't just muscle; he could think strategically, too. Realizing Kazuma's intentions, he shuddered at the audacious plan. Yet a thrill began to stir in his heart.
"We've met plenty of people lately, but no ninja clans or villages have truly committed to helping us against Konoha. They're all talk with no action," Kazuma said. "I see it now; hoping for their support is futile. But if they don't want to cooperate…they can still be of use to me." Kazuma grinned, a smile tinged with an unsettling bloodlust.
"That's the plan. Any questions?"
"None! This plan…is flawless!"
Kogamaru also grinned, his smile fierce and bloodthirsty.
"Agreed," Yungyo said simply.
"I…I don't have any objections, I guess?" Tenme stammered, lacking confidence.
"Honestly, you're all making this really difficult for me!" said the only woman in the group, Ziko, with a sigh. But the upward curl of her lips betrayed her true feelings. "Fine, I'll go big with you guys! I've been itching to test a few new toys anyway."
Each member voiced their support until only Kama remained. Though young, he looked as if he'd lived through countless battles, sighing. Kazuma was putting all their lives on the line. It was all or nothing.
What a bastard.
But maybe he wasn't much better. He liked the thrill of gambling with his life.
Kama chuckled, looking at his companions. "No wonder they say birds of a feather flock together. Just my luck to be grouped with you crazy lot. Then again, I'm the same. Hahaha!" His laughter echoed through the garden.
In the end, Kazuma had convinced everyone.
With unity established, they immediately set their plan into motion. Riku had already left the manor for Konoha; if they delayed too long, Konoha's ninjas could arrive anytime. They had to act fast.
The question remained—how?
Their targets, Kitone, Joma, Hoshi, and Toya, were all currently at the manor. And with tensions between the radical and moderate factions now out in the open, the four had abandoned any private pursuits, staying close to each other.
Moreover, fighting at the manor was no simple feat.
As the nominal ruler of the Land of Fire, the Fire Lord had top-tier security, unlike the Hokage. The manor had formidable defenses, with the Guardian Twelve as the prominent face of security. If they didn't wrap things up quickly or contain the battle, it could draw unwanted interference.
"Ziko, can you use poison?"
Kazuma turned to the lone female ninja.
"Not easily. Kitone and the others aren't fools; they've clearly been wary of us lately. Even if I had the deadliest poison, I wouldn't have an opportunity to use it. Don't think I can just stand 300 meters away and throw it at them! Get real! If I had that kind of power, we'd go after the Hokage instead!"
Ziko rolled her eyes.
The scolded Homma chuckled, unfazed, as he rubbed his forehead and muttered, "Looks like... I'll just have to find an opportunity to ambush him! Let's wait for tonight, for when Asuma sneaks out for a drink, and we'll make our move."
Although he didn't expect Asuma Sarutobi to interfere, he decided it was wise to prepare just in case, to avoid any surprises.
As evening arrived and the sun set, Asuma Sarutobi left the castle alone, wandering from bar to bar across the Daimyo's city, his lone figure disappearing into the golden glow of the setting sun. On a rooftop nearby, Tenmoku, hands in a seal, slowly opened his eyes.
Watching Homma beside him, Tenmoku said, "He's gone, but I can't be sure whether it's the real Asuma Sarutobi or just a shadow clone."
"That's good enough," replied Homma, leaping from the rooftop, signaling to the others who had prepared. "All right, everyone. Let's begin the operation."
With that, Homma melted into the ground beneath his feet, blending into the earth like liquefied mud.
"That guy moves fast!"
Kama whispered to himself as he did the same, burrowing underground with his Earth Release technique, which he had mastered entirely, unlike Homma, who still split his focus between multiple skills. With Homma and Kama moving into action, the rest quickly followed, though they lacked Earth Release. Instead, they moved cautiously through the shadows, avoiding the Daimyo's palace guards as they crept toward their destination.
If nothing else, the Daimyo's palace was vast.
The sprawling complex housed not only the Daimyo and his many noble guests but also the Twelve Guardian Ninja, who lived there to guard the Daimyo's safety.
Recently, though, the Twelve Guardian Ninja's workload had decreased considerably, passed off to other groups.
This change allowed Asuma to sneak away for drinks, leaving Dari on leave, and allowed Homma and his team to operate without interference. As for the reason behind the shift, the Fire Daimyo claimed it was to give the Twelve Guardian Ninja a break after a busy season.
Whether that was true didn't matter, as the Twelve Guardian Ninja answered directly to the Fire Daimyo and could be assigned work without explanation.
"By now, Dari should almost be at Konoha, right?"
"Assuming his usual speed, he should be there. And Homma and his team have been sticking around the palace instead of intercepting him. I even left in plain sight disguised as Dari, expecting them to try, but it was all for nothing. Who knows what Homma is up to?"
In a six-mat room, four people—Kitane, Joma, Hoshi, and Fubuki—gathered together.
"Who knows what they're thinking!" grumbled Hoshi, a brawny man with a rough appearance, scratching his head in frustration. "But whatever it is, it's not good."
Fubuki laughed. "Hoshi, come on, everyone knows Homma's up to no good. We all assumed they'd intercept Dari when he was alone, but clearly, we guessed wrong."
At this, Fubuki's pretty face turned serious as she furrowed her brows. "If Dari isn't their target, are they planning something even bolder? Could they think even Konoha's ninja can't stop them? Or... do they have other plans?"
They couldn't figure it out. Without enough information, the four of them couldn't make sense of what Homma was plotting. The possibility that Homma might target them briefly crossed their minds, but they dismissed it.
After all, this was the Daimyo's palace.
Unless Homma was planning to abandon the palace entirely, he wouldn't dare make a move here.
That was until—
Nightfall descended, and a full moon rose in the sky. Its light shone through the open windows, alongside a row of poisoned senbon needles embedding themselves in the small wooden table with sharp "thunks."
"Is this... Zuko?"
Kitane and the others stared in shock and anger at the poisoned senbon embedded in the table, unable to believe it.
Homma's group was truly launching an attack in the Daimyo's palace.
Were they really planning to leave the palace? Now wasn't the time to think about that. Surviving this ambush was the priority—anything else could wait.
"Joma, Hoshi, Fubuki—don't hold back. Fight with everything you have!"
Kitane roared, warning his allies to give it their all.
He felt a pang of regret; had it not been for the Daimyo's presence and the nobles nearby, they could have used a powerful forbidden technique that would eliminate Homma's group and then some. But here, that option was out of the question.
Wait—could Homma have attacked now, knowing that?
No time to ponder this. Homma's 'Four-Blade Iron Claw' weapon emerged from the ground, targeting Kitane's abdomen. The weapon was similar to Asuma Sarutobi's chakra-imbued knuckles and the black trident Kitane wielded himself, capable of channeling chakra.
"Homma! What are you trying to achieve? What does destroying Konoha accomplish for you?"
Kitane shouted as he parried Homma's attack with his lightning-imbued trident.
To Kitane's surprise, Homma answered him mid-battle.
"Simple. A snake doesn't need two heads, and neither does a country need two rulers. Everything I do is to move this stagnant nation forward."
Kitane immediately understood; their differences were irreconcilable.
Homma's mad desire to fuel the country's growth through expansion would only lead to larger, more brutal wars—far surpassing any past conflicts.
"Homma, you're insane!"
Kitane gritted his teeth.
"Insane or not," Homma replied, his eyes full of unwavering resolve. "If I can rewrite these errors and move this nation forward, then I'll sacrifice anything—even my life!"
For a moment, Kitane hesitated, moved by Homma's conviction.
That's when he felt an indescribable pain. Looking down, he saw an iron-gray hand clenching his heart. "Kama? You... both ambushed me?"
Kitane coughed up blood, his eyes closing reluctantly as his life slipped away.
The death of Kitane marked the beginning. Homma's team, with superior numbers and the element of surprise, decimated their opponents. After Kitane's death, Hoshi was swiftly defeated by Tenmoku and Komamaru; then came Joma and Fubuki's turn.
The battle ended even more smoothly than Homma anticipated. Kitane's group was completely annihilated, with only minor injuries on Homma's side. Komamaru had a broken forearm and a few cracked ribs, while Tenmoku sustained a hit from Joma's lightning strike but was otherwise fine.
"Zuko, how are Tenmoku and Komamaru's injuries? Will they be able to keep moving?" asked Homma, holding a scroll.
The bodies of Kitane, Joma, Hoshi, and Fubuki had been sealed within a scroll. Homma needed fresh corpses for his Dead Soil technique, requiring preservation rituals to summon them in future battles. Unlike Orochimaru, Homma wasn't a grave robber; decayed bodies held no value to him—he needed fresh, intact corpses.
"Tenmoku is fine, but Komamaru's injury is serious. I've managed to stabilize him for now, but it won't last long," replied Zuko after checking on them.
"Getting out of the Daimyo's palace is all we need."
Just as Homma spoke, he turned to see figures darting across the rooftops, approaching rapidly.