A Noble's Death: Drowning

"Byakugan!"

Minato was dodging and blocking between Uzumaki Shinmen and the troupe leader when he suddenly heard someone shout behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Hyuga River.

Standing behind the troupe leader, Hyuga River gave Minato a Konoha Village squad coordination signal.

Minato gave a slight nod to show that he understood. He shifted his focus, no longer prioritizing restraining Shinmen. Instead, he deliberately moved aside, allowing Shinmen to attack without restraint while he blocked the troupe leader's moves.

Compared to the unfamiliar troupe leader, a Hyuga Clan ninja was more trustworthy and reliable.

Whatever the Hyuga Ninja intended to do, Minato would help play along.

The troupe leader immediately began to struggle. The red-haired brat was attacking like a madman, while the blond brat was immensely strong, easily blocking every punch and kick he threw.

Whenever the troupe leader tried to use ninjutsu and began forming hand seals, the blond brat interrupted him.

He was too fast. The blond brat's movements were abnormally quick.

Terrifying Chakra gathered around the blond brat's fists and feet, and every clash sent searing pain through his arms.

Amid the chaos, someone crashed into the pole anchoring the high-wire cable.

The pole fell, and the cable snapped taut.

The man standing on the unicycle atop the wire instinctively jumped down, grabbed the cable tightly, and with a slight pull, swung it out like a whip.

Minato launched a fierce attack at just the right moment, drawing all of the troupe leader's attention.

As the troupe leader busied himself dealing with Minato, the wire suddenly wrapped around his throat and yanked him backward.

The fallen pole behind him had its pointed end facing forward, piercing the troupe leader as he flew backward straight into it.

With a wet splat, the pole pierced through the troupe leader's abdomen.

Hyuga River suddenly shouted, "This is bad! The troupe leader has been impaled by a pole! Someone, save him! Where are the medical ninjas?"

Though he claimed he wanted to save the troupe leader, Hyuga River ran outward as if searching for medical ninjas, colliding with a fire-breathing acrobat.

Several similar collisions occurred around the troupe leader.

Minato roughly understood what was happening. Hyuga River and four or five others were on one side, while another four or five people were allied with the troupe leader.

When Uzumaki Shinmen saw that the troupe leader was dead, the tightly wound string in his heart finally loosened, and he gradually regained his senses.

Minato stood beside Uzumaki Shinmen, draping an arm around Shinmen's shoulders. "Shinmen, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

Minato was somewhat touched. All the care he had shown Shinmen had not been for nothing.

Shinmen's head hurt.

Once Shinmen had temporarily calmed down, Minato looked at the others and found that the kunai of Hyuga River's group of four or five had all drawn blood.

With so many corpses suddenly appearing around them, the spectators screamed as they climbed over the barriers set up by the circus and fled toward the town.

Hyuga River took Clown and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique. Before leaving, he signaled for Minato to follow.

Clown, Hyuga River's four companions, Minato, and Uzumaki Shinmen appeared in a forest outside the town.

Hyuga River introduced them. "Bumper Guard General, this young man is Konoha ninja Minato Namikaze, disciple of one of the Three Ninja, Jiraiya."

"Oh, Jiraiya. I've heard of him. He performed exceptionally brilliantly during the Second Ninja World War."

Hyuga River continued, "Minato Namikaze, this is the nine-year-old Bumper Guard General."

"Mm, I guessed," Minato said.

Hyuga River froze for a moment, not expecting Minato Namikaze to be so clever. He looked Minato over from head to toe, becoming increasingly interested in him.

Bumper Guard General's gaze made Minato's skin crawl. "How does Bumper Guard General intend to handle the deaths of those Guardian Ninja just now?"

Minato thought, I was unwilling to assassinate Hawk Guard General, which was why I let the Autumn Fruit Organization escape to Bumper Guard Road. If they pin the crime of killing Bumper Guard General's Guardian Ninja on me here, I'll have to have a proper talk with these people using the Rasengan.

Clown said in an exceptionally calm tone:

"Bumper Guard General was traveling through his territory when seven of the Guardian Ninja Twelve, loyal to Grand Minister Jiu Hui, failed in their attempt to assassinate Bumper Guard General and were killed by Hyuga River and the other Guardian Ninja.

"Bumper Guard General will return to the Capital City overnight and announce the dismissal of Grand Minister Jiu Hui.

"Minato Namikaze of Konoha Village, in the name of Bumper Guard General, I now issue you a mission: return to the Capital City with me and remove Grand Minister Jiu Hui from office. Are you willing to accept this mission?"

Hyuga River had originally believed that Minato Namikaze would certainly agree.

Konoha Village stood firmly on the side of the daimyo and the nobility, helping them maintain their rule.

Yet Minato shook his head. "I refuse."

"Why?" Bumper Guard General was anxious, but his tone soon softened. "Tell me your concerns briefly. Perhaps we can discuss them."

Bumper Guard General glanced at Hyuga River, unable to understand why the Konoha ninja had suddenly refused.

Minato asked, "Bumper Guard General, if you truly want to get rid of the Grand Minister who oppresses you and has seized your power, why not openly go to Konoha Village and issue a mission to kill him?"

Bumper Guard General assumed Minato was as childish as his age suggested, so he patiently explained:

"Impossible! Since my father died, the Grand Minister has spent more than six years building his influence. His roots run deep, and the Capital City is full of his people. Before I could even reach Konoha Village to issue a mission, he could have me killed first.

"There would not even be a wound on my body. Perhaps an accidental fall into the water would be enough to serve as the excuse for my death.

"I suspect there was something suspicious about my father's death by drowning, too."

Minato nodded repeatedly. Drowning to death—this was a favored method of Ming dynasty emperors.

Many nobles in this world had also died by drowning. Sure enough, nobles had their own ways of dying.

Minato said, "It seems you have a clear understanding of your situation. In that case, if all you want is to dismiss the Grand Minister, I definitely won't wade into these muddy waters."

"Why not?"

Bumper Guard General grew somewhat anxious. Seeing Minato Namikaze cooperate with Hyuga River, he had assumed Minato would readily agree because of Hyuga River.

Minato said:

"As far as I know, the Grand Minister still has your younger brother in his hands. If you die one day, your younger brother will become Bumper Guard General. And your young brother could then be managed by the Grand Minister for several more years.

"I think you still haven't understood. You and the Grand Minister aren't in a relationship where you can dismiss each other. It's a fight to the death.

"If all you want is to dismiss the Grand Minister, then of course I need to stay far away. You might be able to dismiss him, but afterward, you might die without anyone knowing why.

"When that happens, I'll suffer for it, and Guardian Ninjas like Hyuga River behind you will suffer as well.

"If not, go wash up and sleep. I'll advise Hyuga River to return to Konoha Village with me. If he follows you, he's bound to be unlucky sooner or later."

Bumper Guard General's face was covered in Clown makeup, making it impossible for Minato to discern his expression.

"Minato Namikaze, was it? You've made me see you in a new light." The thick ring of paint around Clown's mouth split into a grin. "I thought ninjas were all deranged killers who only knew how to complete missions. I never expected you to be so thoughtful. Your intelligence is enough to make you the Grand Counselor of my general manor.

"Since I killed the Guardian Ninja the Grand Minister assigned to me and blood has already been spilled, naturally it's time to lay our cards on the table.

"When I said I would go back and dismiss the Grand Minister, I was only afraid you wouldn't get on board. I didn't expect you to be even clearer-headed and more aggressive than I imagined.

"That's right. When I return this time, I intend to launch a surprise coup. I'll stage a coup against myself—I'll get rid of my own Grand Minister."

Minato could not help nodding at that.

The daimyo he had met, Hawk Guard General, and the nine-year-old Bumper Guard General before him were all no fools.

No one could be underestimated.

"Minato Namikaze, I am formally issuing a mission. Please accept my commission and help me kill Grand Minister Jiu Hui. The mission reward will be equivalent to two S-Rank Missions from Konoha Village. In addition, you will gain the support of Bumper Guard General Manor. Whenever Konoha Village needs the nobles to take a stance in the future, I will support you."

Minato shook his head. "I don't want any of that. I want something else."

"What do you want?"

Minato pointed at the sky, then at the ground. "I want to farm to my heart's content!"

"What? What do you want?"

"Some friends and I want to enjoy the pleasure of using ninjutsu to farm without interference," Minato said. "I see that you're a little confused, Bumper Guard General. Let me put it another way: I hope you will support the Autumn Fruit Organization, an organization dedicated to promoting agricultural ninjutsu."

Bumper Guard General hesitated slightly before saying, "Although I don't know what you're talking about, you already have my support."