I Heard Someone Wanted to Kill Me?

Raiga Kurosuki had two peculiar habits.

First, he loved holding funerals for his friends and comrades.

At funerals, reminiscing about the past he had shared with his friends while weeping bitterly and drowning in grief left Raiga Kurosuki feeling intoxicated.

Yagura's Bloody Mist policies suited Raiga Kurosuki's peculiar habit perfectly. He was one of the few ninjas who had no desire to defect from the village.

His second peculiar habit was that he liked men.

Raiga Kurosuki had a wife and daughter, but having them was precisely what had made him realize he wasn't interested in women at all. He had simply followed the crowd and gotten married and had children.

The novel was first published on Taiwan Novel Network offering you an error-free reading experience with chapters in the correct order.

As soon as he heard there was an exceptionally beautiful boy, Raiga Kurosuki immediately perked up. He waved a hand.

"There's no need to trouble anyone. I'll go see for myself."

With that, he picked up his wine cup and stood.

Seeing this, County Magistrate Senmura took the lead and showed them the way.

The four of them headed toward the side courtyard where the villagers of Snowfall Village were being held.

Snow fell from the sky. More than forty people sat in the open courtyard, covered by thin straw mats that were hardly thicker than paper.

Many were pale, their hands and feet purplish. They had clearly fallen ill from the cold.

Haku's family of three sat huddled together, warming one another with their body heat. The father had taken off his own clothes and draped them over his wife and daughter.

"I'm not cold, dear. You wear it."

Haku's Mother said she truly wasn't cold.

Inside her body lay a power colder than the wind and snow.

Haku's Father insisted on draping it over her, his eyes full of concern. "No, you just recovered. You can't get sick again... Don't worry. We'll definitely make it home."

At the words "make it home," a spark of hope appeared in the eyes of the villagers, who had been growing groggy from the cold and hunger.

"Can we really still go home?"

Even the slowest among them had guessed by now what fate awaited them.

"Of course we can."

Haku clenched her little fists. "Big Brother Lin Qing will come save us."

Lin Qing.

Hearing that name, hope flickered in the villagers' eyes, but—

"Nobody can save you."

"Who says?" one of the villagers blurted out.

"I do."

County Magistrate Senmura walked into the side courtyard.

He had never trained in ninjutsu. He was short and plain-looking, and he wasn't even trying to look frightening. Yet a single sweep of his gaze carried an intimidating force. Not one person dared meet his eyes; they all lowered their heads.

The villagers didn't know what kind of power this was.

Biwa Juzo, walking behind the others, did.

The power of authority.

"How enviable."

As Biwa Juzo thought this, his gaze swept across the courtyard before quickly settling on Haku.

He needed no further explanation. One glance was enough to tell him that this was the exceptionally beautiful boy Dire Wolf had mentioned.

Even Biwa Juzo had been tempted for half a second—not just Raiga Kurosuki, that shameless gay man.

But when he remembered the other boy had the right equipment, Biwa Juzo shrugged, losing interest. He glanced to the side—

Raiga Kurosuki's eyes were shining, as if he had spotted a priceless treasure.

"Not bad."

He pursed his lips and said again, "Very nice."

Raiga Kurosuki strode over and reached for Haku's shoulder.

"What are you trying to do to my child?!"

Haku's Mother shouted.

County Magistrate Senmura scolded her. "You shrew! Get out of the way. Don't spoil Lord Kurosuki's mood. This is a glorious occasion for your family. If you serve Lord Kurosuki well, I might consider letting your family go."

"No! Nobody can touch her!"

Raiga Kurosuki's eyes gradually turned cold.

Dire Wolf rushed over and slapped Haku's Mother across the face.

"If you're really asking to die, I'll kill you right now!"

Raiga Kurosuki snorted and grabbed Haku's hand without another word. Just then—

Ice burst from Haku's Mother's body in all directions.

The ice forced Raiga Kurosuki back. Behind him, Biwa Juzo raised an eyebrow.

A Kekkei Genkai?

And it seemed... pretty powerful?

"I said nobody can touch my child."

Biwa Juzo placed a hand on Kubikiribōchō. County Magistrate Senmura smiled apologetically and raised a hand to signal him to hold his temper.

"Madam, you know that privately possessing a Kekkei Genkai within the Land of Water is a serious crime, don't you?"

Haku's Mother's face was terrible. She had suppressed the power inside her for far too long. Its sudden eruption had placed an immense burden on her body. Her blood vessels, muscles, and bones all seemed to be freezing solid.

But what truly hurt her wasn't her body.

It was the way her husband and the villagers looked at her like she was a monster.

Under the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's policies, those who possessed Kekkei Genkai were ruthlessly suppressed.

Only a very small number of ninjas were permitted to wield the power of a Kekkei Genkai. Everyone else, especially those from outside Kirigakure, faced merciless punishment if their possession of one was discovered.

And this punishment didn't just target individuals and families.

It targeted entire villages.

"If one person secretly possesses a Kekkei Genkai, the whole village pays for it. That's the rule."

County Magistrate Senmura drew a katana from the waist of a nearby guard and tossed it in front of Haku's Father. "But I'm a softhearted man by nature. I can't bear to see blood flow.

"Kill your wife, then offer your son up willingly, and I'll see what I can do to hush this matter up.

"After all, this happened in my jurisdiction. As your magistrate, I truly don't want to kill you."

He looked down at Haku's Father and chuckled. "One person dies, or everyone in the village dies. You should be able to make the right choice, shouldn't you?"

Haku's Father picked up the sword and slowly stood.

The villagers stood behind him.

There was no longer any concern or affection in his eyes as he looked at his wife, only deep revulsion. It was as if, the moment Haku's Mother used her Kekkei Genkai, she had become a man-eating monster.

"Dad!"

Haku shouted, trying to bring her father to his senses.

Haku's Father walked up to his wife with the sword.

"Don't blame me. Like Lord Senmura said, it's the rule."

He raised the sword high.

The Kekkei Genkai—Ice Release—that had been powerful enough to force the Seven Ninja Swordsmen back still wouldn't turn against her own husband. Haku's Mother stared blankly at the blade held aloft.

"Die, monster!"

That was Haku's Father's shout.

"Die!"

That was the villagers' cry.

County Magistrate Senmura opened his folding fan to hide his smile, his eyes full of contempt.

Fools were fools.

Raiga Kurosuki seemed to be getting caught up in the scene. A hint of sadness appeared in his eyes, with an even stronger delight lurking beneath it.

Only Biwa Juzo clicked his tongue.

If someone was going to be killed, then kill them. He was a straightforward man who disliked this roundabout torture. It was a pointless waste of time.

The blade's cold glint descended.

Boom—

The wall collapsed. A dark blur hurtled through it, slicing off Haku's Father's hands at the very last moment before the blade fell.

"AAAAAH!!!"

Blood spurted from his arms. Haku's Father screamed and fell to his knees.

Yet no one paid him any attention. Everyone looked toward where the dark blur had landed.

It was a sword with no sheath, wrapped in bandages.

A sword of terrifying size!

Kubikiribōchō was already enormous, but the weapon before them was even heavier and thicker.

After smashing through the wall and severing a pair of arms, the greatsword's momentum didn't wane. It sank deep into the brick floor.

To swing such a heavy sword was already a mark of strength. To hurl it like a kunai...

Biwa Juzo and Raiga Kurosuki exchanged a glance, unease flickering in their eyes.

What kind of strength was that?

"Who is it?!"

They abruptly turned to look in the direction the greatsword had flown from.

"Clop, clop, clop!"

The rapid beat of hooves drew closer, like a war drum thundering.

Lin Qing galloped down the street. When he reached the broken wall, he yanked on the reins.

The horse let out a high whinny and reared onto its hind legs. The cloak behind Lin Qing fluttered, shedding a layer of fine snow. Beneath the moonlight, the falling flakes shimmered like quicksilver.

Hermit Purple wrapped around the greatsword's hilt and yanked it back. The sword shot back even faster.

Lin Qing caught it with one hand and swept his gaze over everyone in the courtyard.

"I'm Lin Qing."

"I heard someone wanted to kill me?"