The night wind swept through the courtyard, rustling a few withered leaves.
The candlelight flickered, elongating Shin's shadow.
Biwa Juzo's presence had vanished.
The butterfly, which had materialized from nothing, transformed into specks of light, dissolving into thin air.
Shin took a sip of the now cold tea and suddenly spoke, addressing the empty moon gate.
"How long do you think Biwa Juzo will be useful?"
There was no response from the courtyard.
Only the sound of the wind.
After a few breaths, the shadow of the withered plum tree in the corner eerily writhed.
A dark figure detached from the shadow, appearing silently behind Shin.
He was clad in black, with no chakra fluctuations, and even his breathing and heartbeat were undetectable.
Then, a hoarse voice spoke. "His value depends on what you need him to do, my lord."
"As for how long he'll be useful..."
"I will keep an eye on him!"
Shin wasn't surprised, finishing the cold tea in his cup.
The man in black was Aono, his Shadow Guard.
His public identity was merely a guild steward for several businesses under the Daimyo Manor, an inconspicuous merchant.
But no one knew that this silent man bore a surname capable of shaking the shinobi world.
Senju!
Shin's gaze fell on Aono Senju, and his thoughts drifted back several years.
Back then, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, the man who had realism ingrained in his bones, had planted a chess piece when establishing a cooperative relationship with the Daimyo Manor.
He personally selected a branch of his clan with pure bloodline, erased their traces as shinobi, and secretly dispatched them to the Fire Capital.
This group of Senju clan members, named Shadow Guard, had the sole mission of guarding the Daimyo for generations, becoming the Daimyo's eyes and sharp blade in the darkness.
However, due to the sudden death of the Daimyo before last, the handover was interrupted, and this force was forgotten for decades.
It wasn't until Shin was twelve years old, while organizing his father's study, that he discovered a secret decree personally written by Senju Tobirama in a hidden compartment.
It was precisely with this secret decree that he awakened this dormant power.
Not only that, after taking control of this Shadow Guard, he then recruited shinobi from all over the world to join the Shadow Guard.
Just as he recruited Biwa Juzo today.
In the previous bloody and brutal succession struggle, it was Aono and his Shadow Guard who blocked countless assassination attempts and eliminated all conspiracies, allowing him to have the last laugh.
The power displayed when the delegation arrived that day was only a portion of the Shadow Guard.
This was his true confidence.
Even without the system, this absolutely loyal and terrifyingly powerful Shadow Guard alone was enough to make any force that underestimated him pay the price.
"Any new news from Konoha?" Shin withdrew his thoughts, his voice returning to its calm demeanor.
"No movement, but thirty people with suspicious movements entered the capital in the afternoon."
"From their actions, it can be confirmed they are Root shinobi!"
Aono's voice was devoid of any inflection. "After entering the city, they dispersed, with two of them heading directly to the west side of the city and not returning."
"Did you send someone to follow them?"
"Yes, Rei is following them. Their every move is under our surveillance."
"Hmm, it seems that old dog still couldn't resist."
Shin knew very well that Danzo Shimura would definitely act once the news of the budget cuts was announced, but he didn't expect it so soon.
There was no need to guess what someone with only 10 points of loyalty would do.
It was nothing more than contacting the remnants who had failed in the power struggle and managed to escape.
"What about those rats?"
Shin asked again. "Have they contacted the guests from Konoha?"
"My lord, they have met!" Aono's voice was still hoarse. "It can be confirmed that their leaders are your third brother, Shu Kurogane, and his uncle, Saionji Takashi."
"They have gathered about two hundred assassins and rogue samurai, hiding in the underground sewers on the west side of the city. According to our observations, it's a temporary stronghold."
"As for those two, during their contact with Saionji Takashi, they gave him a scroll."
"A scroll... do you know the contents?"
"Unclear, Rei didn't dare to get too close."
"Hmm..."
Shin tapped lightly on the table.
He didn't even need to think. The scroll undoubtedly contained Danzo's promise to support his useless third brother after the deed was done.
To try and exchange a piece of waste paper for the life of a Daimyo.
Danzo was still so good at business.
But, that was enough.
Everything was within his expectations.
Aono requested, "My lord, should we eliminate them now?"
With the power of the Shadow Guard, dealing with a disorganized mob would be effortless.
"No need."
Shin raised his hand to stop him.
"Fishing requires patience."
"Let them continue to prepare. Whatever they lack, I will give them. I want them to become arrogant, to feel that destiny is on their side, and victory is within their grasp."
"I want all the rats to crawl out of their holes on that day."
Shin turned around, the moonlight illuminating half of his face, radiating murderous intent.
"Issue the order: monitor closely, do not alert the enemy."
"It's also time to let the delegations from the four countries, and those people from Konoha, truly feel the majesty of the Fire Daimyo."
"As you command."
Aono bowed his head even lower.
He could feel the vast and ruthless will emanating from this young lord.
"You may leave!"
"Yes."
As his voice fell, Aono's body once again transformed into a shadow, silently merging into the darkness and disappearing.
The courtyard returned to silence.
The sky was already showing the first hint of dawn.
A new day was about to arrive.
And what he awaited was the day after tomorrow.
That grand coronation ceremony, prepared just for him.
At the same time.
Fire Capital, west side, underground sewers.
The cold, damp air was filled with a nauseating smell of mold and stench.
A faint firelight flickered on a dry platform, illuminating several distorted faces.
Saionji Takashi held a scroll, reading it carefully.
Beside him, a sallow-faced young man with sunken cheeks was the missing Shu.
"Uncle! Stop reading! Quickly ask them how much Konoha can actually contribute!"
Shu's voice was hoarse, trembling with excitement, as he stared intently at the two shinobi wearing white masks in front of him.
"Shu, please calm down." Saionji Takashi reassured him, then turned to the two Root shinobi, adopting a very humble posture.
"Gentlemen, we are aware of Lord Danzo's promise. However, on the day of the ceremony, the defenses will undoubtedly be strict, and with our limited manpower..."
One of the Root shinobi finally spoke, his voice cold. "Our mission is to ensure Shin dies at the coronation ceremony."
He did not answer the question, merely stated the command.
"The scroll states very clearly. As soon as Shin dies, Lord Danzo will personally intervene to mediate the chaos in the Fire Capital and recognize you, Lord Shu Kurogane, as the only legitimate Daimyo of the Land of Fire."
Shu roared, "I'm asking if you will take action! Don't forget, that bastard Shin also has shinobi around him!"
"Rest assured, my lord, our presence here is the greatest assistance."
"When you make your move, those shinobi guards will be dealt with by someone."
"Lord Danzo wants to see the result. The process is for you to create."
These words made Saionji Takashi breathe a sigh of relief.
Shu's face, meanwhile, showed wild joy.
"Good! Good! Good!"
He repeated the word 'good' three times, clenching his fists, and said bitterly, "As long as I can kill that bastard! I'll do anything! I want to reclaim everything I lost! The throne, the wealth, and that woman, Kiyotsuki Saki!"
His voice was full of jealousy and hatred.
The two Root shinobi exchanged glances and said nothing more.
The next moment, their figures distorted, merging into the bottomless darkness behind them.
In the sewers, only Shu's increasingly crazed laughter remained.