"But as far as I know, most of the Guardian Twelve Shinobi died back then. Aside from Chiriku and me, almost all the others are gone."
Asuma voiced his doubt.
During the civil strife between the radical and moderate factions, casualties had been severe. Very few survived.
Chiriku…
There was no way he would betray Souma.
Chiriku was still an honorary abbot, and he was directly tied to the development of the Fire Temple's Sage Mode. There was no reason for him to cut off his own future path of advancement.
Moreover—
Chiriku's attitude toward Konoha had already changed significantly.
The Fire Temple had only just begun cooperating closely with Konoha, and relations between the two sides were extremely good. No matter how one looked at it, it couldn't be Chiriku.
"So… this isn't a surviving Guardian Shinobi like you guessed?"
Shikamaru looked toward Souma.
Souma frowned slightly, then smiled.
"I don't know who it is, but I'm sure they're hostile. We'll find out once we get there."
"…Yeah."
Rather than guessing blindly, it was better to see the situation at the daimyo's residence for themselves.
They continued onward.
As they drew close to the capital, Souma casually observed his surroundings. Then he smiled and asked,
"Chōji, how's your training been lately?"
"I–It's been… okay."
Chōji replied vaguely while stuffing food into his mouth. "I've already mastered Breathing Activation, and I've got a decent grasp on that other secret technique too."
"Good. Eat more—you'll need the energy later."
Souma patted his shoulder.
Chōji had already gained partial control over the Calorie Technique. The more he ate now, the greater his explosive power would be later.
"How should we split up next?"
Asuma and Yamato looked ahead.
Inside the capital, the situation was far more complex than outside. They couldn't move recklessly, and entering together would make them an obvious target.
Souma looked at the two of them.
Right—decision-making duty passed to me.
After a brief moment of thought, he said,
"Split up. If we stick together, they might not dare to act. Separating will force them to make a move."
"So there really is an enemy?"
"Let's test it. Either way, we don't lose anything."
"…Fair enough."
Asuma glanced at Shikamaru and the others, then nodded with confidence.
They'd grown a lot recently.
They might not be overwhelmingly strong yet, but the three were already beginning to show the shape of the Ino–Shika–Chō formation. He trusted his students.
Even if—
Each of them had been influenced, one way or another, by Souma.
The two teams split up.
Souma's squad specialized in concealment. They stayed behind, quietly observing, forming a light-and-shadow coordination with Asuma's team.
After a short while—
"Souma, if enemies appear, do we engage?"
"Let's observe first."
"Understood."
Kazusa nodded, then silently melted into her surroundings.
Souma couldn't help but admire her.
Kazusa didn't possess Transparency Release, but her Transformation Technique had reached an astonishing level. Combined with her natural talent for suppressing her presence and Souma's techniques, neither sight nor perception could detect her.
At that point, it was barely different from true invisibility.
"Wait."
"…?"
Kazusa turned back, confused.
Souma placed a hand on her. A seal formula slowly emerged.
"This is a Flying Thunder God marker. I can't teleport directly to you yet, but I can precisely sense your position. If you're in danger, I'll be able to support you immediately."
"…Okay."
Kazusa nodded and didn't refuse.
Her figure vanished completely.
Yamato sighed in admiration.
"That kid's been training incredibly hard lately. And she knows exactly what path she should be taking."
In terms of swordsmanship alone, Konoha had more than just the Moonlight clan.
The reason the Moonlight clan could establish itself wasn't swordsmanship—it was concealment.
In fact—
That was their true foundation.
Why could techniques like Dance of the Crescent Moon shine only in the Moonlight clan's hands?
Because other clans lacked Transparency Release, and talents like Kazusa—capable of completely suppressing their presence—were extremely rare.
The Moonlight clan?
They had many.
Choosing a differentiated path was the clan's survival strategy.
Souma closed his eyes and expanded his perception, scanning the surroundings—but found nothing unusual.
The enemy didn't seem to be tailing Asuma's team.
They reached the daimyo's residence without incident.
Souma chuckled softly.
"Their patience exceeds my expectations."
"Then what now?"
"You go in with my shadow clone. I'm going elsewhere."
"Where?"
"Classified."
With that, Souma vanished.
Naturally, it wasn't a transformation technique—
It was pure Body Flicker.
"Fast."
Yamato muttered in awe.
His taijutsu wasn't weak among jōnin, but compared to Souma's, it was completely outclassed.
In all of Konoha, there might only be one person who could rival Souma in pure physical combat.
Souma separated from them for two reasons.
First—
He intended to meet the local power broker here.
Sakurada Sadataki.
They had crossed paths during a previous mission. The Sakurada family ran a medicinal herb business, and Souma had even helped connect them with the Nara clan. There was some rapport.
He wondered how Sadataki was doing now.
Souma moved swiftly, tracking Sadataki's chakra signature.
After a minute or two, he arrived at the source.
A noble estate.
It was somewhat secluded, but the fragrance of flowers filled the air, and the decorations were lavish.
He looked up.
Sadataki was nearby, watering flowers, while an elderly man beside her quietly reported information.
After several minutes, the old man finished and left.
Sadataki turned to head back inside.
"Lady Sadataki. We meet again."
"!!!"
She spun around instantly.
That voice—
So familiar!
Her eyes lit up.
"Souma-kun? Why are you in the capital?!"
"I'm here on a mission, but I'm unfamiliar with this place. So I came to ask the local expert for help."
Souma smiled.
That she still remembered him surprised him a little.
Sadataki broke into a radiant smile.
"If it weren't for you, Souma-kun, I might've been married off to some unknown noble by now. I wouldn't have this authority either. Whatever you need—just say the word."
Souma shook his head.
"It's not that serious. I just want some information. Do you have dealings with people close to the daimyo?"
"The daimyo…?"
Sadataki hadn't expected that question and was momentarily confused. But after thinking for a moment, she didn't ask for reasons.
After recalling carefully, she said,
"Our family handles medicinal herb distribution. Since strengthening ties with Konoha—thanks to you—we've also supplied some herbs to the daimyo."
"Meaning you have insight into the daimyo's situation?"
Souma's eyes brightened.
This trip hadn't been in vain after all.
"To an extent. Again, it's thanks to you—otherwise our family wouldn't have this influence."
Sadataki was clear-headed.
Her success came from boarding the Konoha cooperation ship—and the key factor was Souma.
Working with this young man brought only benefits.
"Good. Then I'd like your opinion of the daimyo."
Souma asked calmly.
His suspicion that someone was manipulating the daimyo came from both his conversations with him and his understanding of events—but there could still be misjudgment.
"The daimyo… When he was younger, he was decisive. Now that he's older, his resolve has weakened, but his decisions are usually sound. He doesn't act rashly. However…"
Sadataki frowned slightly.
"Recently, something's been off. He issues policies, then withdraws them a few days later—without explanation."
Souma's heart stirred.
The daimyo wasn't ignorant of how damaging flip-flopping could be.
Could it be—
Genjutsu manipulation?
Would the radical faction dare go that far?
No.
More likely, it was trust, persuasion, and subtle genjutsu guidance, amplifying the daimyo's own anxieties—making him arrive at flawed decisions himself.
Including hiring Konoha for extra protection.
Ordinary genjutsu couldn't outright control a person—
Even if that person was just a civilian.
Souma thought hard.
"I understand."
"Do you need my help?"
Sadataki sensed opportunity immediately.
Souma nodded.
"I need you to get me inside. I want to meet the daimyo alone."
"No problem. We have some flowers from the Yamanaka clan prepared—it was originally meant for delivery. Since you want to see the daimyo, I'll take you in myself."
She raised an eyebrow, then added,
"Though you may need some disguise."
"That's fine."
Souma agreed without hesitation.
He didn't know Transformation Technique, but he was skilled at disguise. With a chakra veil layered on top, no one would notice anything unusual.
"Then let's go now. Everything's already prepared."
Sadataki moved decisively.
With her help, Souma changed into a servant's outfit and entered the daimyo's residence with the convoy.
He didn't meet the daimyo immediately, but—
Before long, Sadataki found a reason to request an audience. He would just need to wait.
"Konoha's shinobi are here as well?"
"Yes. We're here on the daimyo's orders—but I believe he may be facing dangers he can't see."
Souma spoke quietly.
Sadataki nodded thoughtfully.
"I've heard the daimyo's been sleeping earlier than usual lately. I don't know if it's related."
"It's fine. We'll wait."
Souma wasn't in a hurry.
On the surface, Asuma's Team Ten was the visible force.
In the shadows, the First Team lay in wait.
But the enemy would never imagine—
Within the shadows, there was yet another layer of shadow watching them.
They strolled briefly within the restricted area of the residence. Sadataki shared recent happenings within the estate, giving Souma a clearer picture of Kyoto's recent changes.
The enemy hadn't directly attacked the "civilian ninja" plan. Instead, they argued that civilian ninja alone weren't enough, urging the daimyo to secure more shinobi support.
Many nobles backed this idea.
Whoever was behind this understood both the daimyo and the aristocracy extremely well.
At this point, Souma was certain—
It was the surviving radicals of the Guardian Shinobi.
As for the name—
It matched Asuma's description.
Kazuma.
Suddenly, Souma turned his gaze northeast.
"That direction—what is it?"
"The rear gate of the daimyo's residence. It's adjacent to the daimyo's personal guard."
"I see."
Souma smiled faintly.
"He's shown himself."
Finally,
Kazuma had arrived.
"What should we do now?"
"Nothing. You return as usual. I'll handle this."
Souma's smile remained relaxed.
Sadataki hesitated.
Souma looked at her.
"What is it?"
"…Souma-kun. C–Could I learn ninja abilities? Or could you grant me some kind of power—anything at all, just enough to protect myself?"
"…Huh?"
Souma was genuinely surprised—and then thoughtful.
Ordinarily, that would be impossible.
But—
Having an ally in Kyoto might not be a bad thing.
After weighing it carefully, he said,
"Give me some time to think. If I can come up with something simple, I'll contact you."
"Thank you, Souma-kun!"
Sadataki bowed repeatedly, unable to contain her excitement, before hurrying away in delight.
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