A Clean Break

"Bang!"

A loud slam on the table echoed throughout the room. A fair, delicate hand pressed firmly against the table, and upon closer inspection, one could see that the hand was trembling slightly.

I don't know if the pain is from overexertion or something else.

"Taichi Matsushita, that bastard went out again! Doesn't Konoha have any other Jonin? Why does he have to send out a 13-year-old brat on a mission?!"

Tsunade's furious roar echoed down the corridor, and some Medical Ninja were originally heading towards her immediately turned back and left with unusual decisiveness.

Compared to being scolded by an enraged Tsunade, these tasks that needed reporting could wait.

They can leave, but Shizune, who is currently facing Tsunade's anger in the office, is having a tough time.

Fortunately, my years of experience wandering with Tsunade have taught me that Tsunade is only putting on a brave front.

Listen to what she has to say.

"Send a 13-year-old brat out on a mission."

It's like how the village chief can let Taiichi rest if she doesn't send Taiichi on missions?

Staying in the village would only lead to Taiichi being summoned by Tsunade to take the blame, so it's better for him to go out and carry out a mission.

Of course, Shizune only dared to keep Tsunade in her mind; she definitely wouldn't say it out loud.

Not only can you not say it, you also have to find ways to comfort them.

"Lady Tsunade, Taiichi told me before he left that the mission in the Land of Hot Water was urgent, and the village couldn't find a suitable person for the time being, so they assigned Taiichi to carry out the mission."

It would have been better not to explain; the explanation only made Tsunade.

"What? He actually had time to contact you instead of coming directly to me? Does he look down on me?"

Shizune promptly shut up. Menopausal women are completely unreasonable. Counting the time, Tsunade is almost 40 years old.

After fuming for a long time, Tsunade finally calmed herself down. She looked at the stack of documents piled on the table, sighed helplessly, reached out and pulled out a document, and began to review it attentively.

Despite being angry and yelling, I still have to do my job, but as soon as Taiichi comes back, I'll make sure to give him back double the amount of work.

Tsunade signed her name heavily, as if the strokes were directly onto Taiichi's skin, and even made a sharp dot.

Poor Taiichi, he had no idea that someone was already thinking about him so much after he had only been away from Konoha for a day.

He was currently in the Land of Land of Hot Water, tirelessly investigating the whereabouts of missing persons.

Unfortunately, the mastermind behind the scenes also learned of his arrival, and the next four days were a stalemate for Taiichi.

His main body and Shadow Clone searched almost every suspicious area of Land of Hot Water, especially the northeastern mountainous region, conducting a thorough search.

However, the result was disappointing.

The Jashin Cult seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

All activities have ceased completely, with no new missing persons reports and no unusual circumstances discovered.

Those remaining traces, like a kite with a broken string, cannot be traced back to their source.

Taiichi had tried to trace the clues found at the site of the trade route, but after entering the mountains, the clues completely disappeared into the complex terrain and numerous natural hot spring caves, as if they had been deliberately erased or interfered with by some force.

What annoyed Taiichi was that the "assistants" he encountered from the Land of Land of Hot Water, whether they were providing intelligence or responsible for local security, were respectful in attitude, but the information they provided was either irrelevant old news or pointed to some bandits or wild beasts that had long been proven to be unrelated.

In short, they'll give you some incorrect information, more or less, and you can't really say anything about it because they themselves have said they can't confirm it.

Even when Taiichi makes investigation requests in certain specific directions, he encounters overt or covert excuses and resistance.

This kind of misleading information from a small group of officials is more troublesome for Taiichi than the secrecy of the mastermind behind the scenes.

On the evening of the fourth day, Taiichi stood on a cliff overlooking the capital city of Capital of Hot Water, the setting sun casting a long shadow over him. He gazed at the distant capital city shrouded in the mist of the hot springs, his eyes cold and sharp.

"The official cover-up, even misleading tactics—coupled with the complete retreat of the mastermind—" Taiichi muttered to himself, the mountain wind ruffling his clothes. "This investigation is making absolutely no progress."

Scenes from his arrival in the Land of Hot Water flashed through Taiichi's mind, all the clues, like scattered beads, were strung together by an invisible thread.

Taiichi's gaze became incredibly resolute, like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, pointing directly at the core of power in the Land of Hot Water.

"There must be someone in the Land of Land of Hot Water's upper echelons colluding with the mastermind behind it all! And this person holds an extremely high position! But who exactly is it?"

The night was as dark as ink, Capital of Hot Water was shrouded in silence, with only the steam rising from the hot springs shimmering with a pale white light under the Gekko.

Taichi Matsushita's figure moved like a ghost, silently landing on a secluded rooftop in the Daimyo's Mansion. He concealed all his presence and swiftly locked onto the direction of the Eldest Young Master's sleeping quarters.

Four consecutive days of fruitless investigation caused him to lose patience.

The mastermind behind it all seemed to have vanished into thin air, and all the clues became fragmented with the "assistance" of the authorities, even being deliberately misled.

Continuing this investigation is a waste of time; we might as well prepare a larger one.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the Eldest Young Master's slightly haggard face. He was clearly still awake, frowning and deep in thought as he stared at a dossier.

Taiichi's sudden appearance startled him, and he instantly reached for the Short Sword under the table. Only when he saw who it was did his tense nerves relax slightly, but the surprise and doubt in his eyes remained.

"Lord Taiichi?" the Eldest Young Master asked in a low voice, his tone incredulous. "You—how did you get in? The guards outside are so tight—"

"Those tactics are only effective against ordinary ninjas; they're useless against me." Taiichi's voice was calm and unwavering, First Gate. "This late-night visit is truly unavoidable. Eldest Young Master, our investigation has reached a dead end."

The Eldest Young Master's expression hardened, and he waved for Taiichi to sit down, then sat up straight himself. "Please speak."

"In four days, I traversed almost every suspicious area of Land of Hot Water, especially the northeastern mountains," Taiichi said, his eyes gleaming. "However, the enemy seemed to have foreseen this, completely retreating into hiding, all activity abruptly ceasing. More importantly—"

He emphasized his words and explained to the Eldest Young Master everything that had happened to him in the past few days.

The Eldest Young Master's face instantly turned extremely ugly, his fingers unconsciously clenching his robes. "You mean—within the manor, or even higher levels—"

"That's right." Taiichi said decisively, "There is someone, or rather a force, tipping off the mastermind behind the scenes and using their authority to create obstacles for their cover-up and our investigation."

This person holds an extremely high position and can easily access and influence every aspect of the investigation. Otherwise, it's impossible to explain how the enemy could so precisely evade all searches, or how official channels could be so "inefficient" or even "erroneous."

He paused, then looked directly at the Eldest Young Master: "I wonder if the Eldest Young Master has anyone he suspects? If things continue like this, we won't get any results. Or perhaps the Eldest Young Master would allow me to use some extreme measures—"

"No!"

Before Taiichi could finish speaking, the Eldest Young Master decisively interrupted Taiichi.

As nobles, there are still some basic rules to follow.

Without evidence, allowing ninjas to use special methods based solely on suspicion is a sure way that, if seized upon by political enemies, would be a fatal blow to the Eldest Young Master's reputation.

However, Taiichi's reminder was not without effect. Based on the principle that whoever benefits is the most suspicious, the Eldest Young Master also had some guesses.

However, as I said before, there is no evidence.

He is not yet Daimyo; his elderly father is still alive, and he cannot yet establish absolute authority.

Seeing the change in the Eldest Young Master's expression, Taiichi knew that he already had an idea, so the rest of the conversation would be much easier.

"With an inside informant on the other side, conventional investigative methods have become ineffective; no matter how covert our operations are, we will only find nothing."

The Eldest Young Master took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. "Taiichi, you've come here so late at night, you must already have a plan? Please speak, as long as we can find the mastermind and save the Land of Hot Water, I will fully cooperate!"

Taiichi nodded slightly, showing a hint of approval for the future Daimyo's sense of responsibility and trust. He lowered his voice and laid out his plan in its entirety. "We need a play, a play that will be enough to mislead the mole and make the mastermind behind the scenes lower their guard."

"Tomorrow, I will openly and legitimately visit the Daimyo's Mansion again and submit an 'investigation report.' At that time—"

Taiichi explained the plan in detail. The Eldest Young Master's eyes first showed doubt, then understanding, and finally excitement.

"Alright, Taiichi, I will definitely cooperate fully tomorrow."

The following morning, bathed in the slightly chilly morning light, Capital of Hot Water appeared Taiichi again in front of the magnificent main gate of the Daimyo's Mansion with steady steps.

He remained calm, holding a scroll in his hand—the very "carefully prepared" investigation report.

After the announcement, Taiichi was led to the reception Reception Hall.

Unexpectedly, apart from the elderly Daimyo being helped by his attendants to sit in the main seat, the Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Master, and several important ministers were all present in the hall.

Clearly, news of Taiichi's "submission of the report" had spread. The Second Young Master had a faint smile on his lips, his eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of relaxation.

The Eldest Young Master's face was somber, and his sharp eyes swept over the scroll in Taiichi's hand.

"Taiichi, you've worked hard." The Daimyo's voice was weak, tinged with a hint of expectation. "The investigation—any results?"

Taiichi bowed slightly and presented the scroll with both hands. "Your Daimyo, esteemed lords, after several days of detailed investigation, visiting all known locations of the disappearances and their surrounding areas, and employing Ninjutsu for a wide-ranging sensory search—"

He paused, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd, before continuing, "Unfortunately, we have not been able to find any new clues or effective tracking traces. There have also been no new reports of missing persons recently."

Based on all the information, I deduce that the mastermind behind this mass disappearance has most likely already left the Land of Land of Hot Water, either because of the heightened tensions or for other unknown reasons.

Therefore, this investigation mission can be declared complete. I will immediately return to Konoha to report to the Hokage-sama.

Before he could finish speaking, the Eldest Young Master slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. The loud noise echoed throughout the hall, startling even the drowsy Daimyo.

"Mission over? Return to Konoha?" The Eldest Young Master's face was ashen, his voice rising with "anger," filled with disbelief and vehement accusation. "Taichi Matsushita! Is this how Konoha Ninja do things? My Land of Hot Water spent a fortune to invite your Konoha's most elite ninjas from afar, and this is the result?"

"Five days! Just five days! And you're telling me you can't find any clues, the enemy has escaped, and you're leaving? Hundreds of people have gone missing from the Land of Hot Water, and two villages are now deserted, with no sign of anyone alive or dead!"

You think you can shirk all responsibility with just a "may withdraw"? Is this what you Konoha call the "White Reaper"? I'd say "incompetent Death God" is more like it!

The Eldest Young Master's rebuke was like a barrage of bullets, each sentence piercing the heart, filled with extreme dissatisfaction with Taiichi's "perfunctory and irresponsible" attitude.

He pointed at Taiichi, his fingers trembling slightly with "excitement": "Tell me, what about those who have disappeared? What about their families? What about the panic in the Land of Hot Water? You're just Earth Flow like this, is that fair to the huge reward we paid?"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing. Daimyo opened his mouth, as if to say something, but only managed a violent cough.

The high-ranking officials exchanged bewildered glances, remaining silent as if trembling with fear.

The Second Young Master lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the fleeting smugness and ease in them. He sneered inwardly: Sure enough, what "White Reaper"? Nothing more than that. His elder brother's anger was nothing but impotent rage.

Faced with the Eldest Young Master's rapid and forceful rebuke, Taiichi's face also revealed a cold hardness of "anger" and "being misunderstood".

He straightened his back, his voice turning cold. "Eldest Young Master, please watch your words! I, Taichi Matsushita, always give my all when carrying out a mission. In five days, I traversed the Land of Hot Water, searching every inch of suspicious land. How can you accuse me of being perfunctory?"

The enemy is cunning and elusive, beyond my control! The reputation of Konoha is none of your business to question! The mission report has been submitted; this is the conclusion. Believe it or not! Farewell!

Having said that, Taiichi stopped looking at anyone, gave a perfunctory bow to the Daimyo in the main seat, turned around and left, striding away with great anger, perfectly portraying the image of a top ninja who was unreasonably accused by his client and left in anger.

"You—you stop right there!" the Eldest Young Master roared from behind, his voice filled with resentment and humiliation.

But Taiichi didn't turn back, his figure quickly disappearing outside the Reception Hall door, leaving behind a room filled with deathly silence and suppressed breathing. The Eldest Young Master "slumped" back to his seat, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if enduring immense pain and disappointment.

The Second Young Master then slowly rose and walked to the Eldest Young Master's side, feigning comfort, but his tone carried a barely perceptible hint of lightness. "Brother, calm down. Why get angry over a mere ninja? The Konoha Ninja are nothing special; it seems we can't count on them. We still need to think of another way—"

"Get out!" The Eldest Young Master suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at the Second Young Master. The anger and Kunai real that the Second Young Master's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously took half a step back.

The Eldest Young Master ignored him, bowed to the elderly Daimyo, and said in a hoarse voice, "Father, your son is incompetent—I take my leave." After saying that, he also staggered out of the reception Reception Hall.

The drama of "ending in discord" came to a perfect end. The Second Young Master witnessed firsthand the fierce conflict between Konoha's top ninja and the Eldest Young Master, as well as Taiichi's "angry departure".

The tension in his heart could finally be released.