The sun slowly dipped westward, and the twilight of sunset shrouded the Sato Clan estate. Sato Ken stood on the bluestone path with a cloth sack on his back, swallowing nervously from time to time.
He raised his head and looked around. The empty road gave his panicked heart a slight sense of security.
He reached into the sack on his back and pulled out the last spherical object, as large as a watermelon and gleaming with a silvery-white metallic sheen.
Feeling its cold metallic texture in his hand, he swallowed and placed it in the grass beside the road.
"Whew... I hope nothing big goes wrong!"
He shook his head. His quiet mutter echoed along the deserted path as he glanced at the grass concealing the metal sphere, a complicated look flashing through his eyes.
This was the last of the twenty-four target locations marked on that map. Since receiving these things at the teahouse at noon, he had worked until nightfall to place them all.
Taking a deep breath, he wiped away the sweat continuously beading on his forehead and headed toward his residence.
At the courtyard where the head of the Tanaka Clan resided.
As the sky darkened, the courtyard, which should have been quiet, grew lively again. Servants carrying trays constantly moved in and out of the house, while the food on the main hall's dining table vanished at a visible rate.
Long accustomed to this sight, Tanaka Yoshikado sat in his chair, occasionally spearing food that had yet to be wiped out with his fork. He calmly placed it on his own plate and enjoyed it at a leisurely pace.
After nearly eating himself sick yesterday, Guy had no desire to take on the challenge again. Though he often said, "Youth must never be abandoned," he was not stubborn enough to challenge something he knew he would lose.
Besides, every challenge left his stomach so bloated that he could not train for an entire day. That was unbearable to him, so he could only resentfully pick up his bowl and chopsticks and grab scraps from the edges of the table.
"Ah! Ah! I'm full!"
After a while.
Samu Kokaze patted his completely unbloated stomach, and a blissful expression appeared on his cute, handsome face.
He looked toward Tanaka Yoshikado, who had long since set down his utensils.
"Thank you so much for the hospitality, Brother Yoshikado. I can't eat such a complete meal at home."
Thinking of the delicious food he had just tasted, saliva still unconsciously filled his mouth despite the hunger having vanished from his body.
"It was just a meal!" Tanaka Yoshikado waved a hand grandly. "If you want, you can eat here for the rest of your life."
At those words, Guy's ears perked up at once. He looked over with a hint of nervousness on his face.
"Eh, forget it. I've grown used to Konoha, and someone is still waiting for me to return there. I can't stay here."
He shook his head slightly and rejected Tanaka Yoshikado's invitation again. Seeing Guy let out a sigh of relief, the corners of his lips curved upward.
"Let's take a walk outside!"
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Samu Kokaze stood and invited Tanaka Yoshikado.
Without hesitation, as if he had expected the invitation all along, Tanaka Yoshikado rose and followed him out the door.
After leaving the main gate, Tanaka Yoshikado glanced at Guy, who was following behind them and looking around, then lowered his voice. "Is everything ready?"
At the question, Guy stopped walking. He closed his eyes and sensed the area slightly. The distinctive fluctuations of Nanobugs appeared at all twenty-four coordinate locations. He opened his eyes, let out a long breath, and nodded.
A trace amount of Nanobugs had been placed inside each object given to Sato Ken, to serve as activation mechanisms.
As the absolute controller of the Nanobugs, he could control them no matter where they were. Of course, the Nanobugs relied on Samu Kokaze's chakra to function. After a while, without an energy supply, they would enter a self-destruct state. Previous experiments had shown that this took roughly twenty hours. Though the time was short, it was clearly enough for this purpose.
"Does Brother Yoshikado's home have any tall buildings? Somewhere that can overlook the outside?"
Samu Kokaze asked as they strolled down the road.
"A tall building?"
Tanaka Yoshikado pondered briefly, then turned and led Samu Kokaze and Guy in another direction.
"Here it is!"
After walking for about ten minutes, the three arrived at a five-story tower. This was a temple tower worshiped by the Tanaka Clan, though it also served as a high vantage point for observation.
"Clan Head!"
An elderly monk in robes, who had been guarding beside the temple tower, approached the three and lowered his head slightly.
"Master Di Mu, I've brought some people to look around."
Facing the old monk, Tanaka Yoshikado spoke directly.
"Please follow me!"
Without asking further questions, the elderly man nodded slightly and led the three into the temple tower.
Creak...
The wooden doors opened with an aged, grating sound, as though they had fallen into disrepair long ago. The group reached the top floor of the tower and looked into the distance, where a sea of lights spread before their eyes.
"Whenever I'm feeling troubled, I like to stand here and look at the scenery outside."
Tanaka Yoshikado stood at the front, gripping the railing with a melancholy expression, as if recalling something.
"It is beautiful."
Samu Kokaze walked to his side and acknowledged the sight before them. "Do you want to see an even more beautiful view?"
He slightly raised his head and looked at Tanaka Yoshikado's face.
Without speaking, Tanaka Yoshikado's hand tightened slightly around the railing. He nodded.
A chill flashed through the eyes of Samu Kokaze's smiling face. He looked toward the Sato Clan estate and said softly, "Fireworks, bloom!"
Clang... clang... clang...
As his words fell, the twenty-four metal spheres placed throughout the Sato Clan estate began trembling violently. Their entire bodies glowed red before suddenly exploding, scattering white powder mixed with tiny iron fragments across every corner of the Sato Clan estate.
Carried by the heat released by the explosions, the powdery mixture coating the entire Sato Clan estate began to burn violently. Thick white smoke poured forth, enveloping the whole estate.
"What is going on?!"
Sato Liandu, who had been inside the house, heard the violent explosions ringing in his ears and ran outside.
"Cough... cough..."
Violent coughing erupted. Smelling the choking odor in the air and feeling his mind grow increasingly dizzy, Sato Liandu hurriedly looked toward the ninja protecting him. But when his gaze shifted in that direction, his heart sank completely.
The instant the explosion occurred and yellow flames ignited, the ninja guarding the Sato Clan used Water Release ninjutsu in an attempt to extinguish them. Yet to their despair, the common knowledge that fire died upon touching water was challenged here. When the water struck the flames, they burned even more fiercely. The thick white smoke made it impossible to see more than three meters ahead. Having lost all sense of direction, the members of the Sato Clan were like rats trapped in a box, able only to scramble back and forth within a tiny space.
Even the few ninja whose strength, spirit, physique, and will exceeded those of ordinary people collapsed from inhaling more and more white smoke, only to be burned to death by the yellow flames.
Is this the end of my life?
Sato Liandu lay collapsed on the ground, looking at the yellow flames clinging to his skin. As the dizziness in his mind intensified, he felt no hatred toward the person responsible for all this in the final moments of his life. Instead, scenes of his childhood, playing and fighting with Genichi, surfaced in his mind.
I really wish I could live in that moment forever.
A smile appeared on his wickedly charming face, and his breathing gradually faded away.
Dense explosions rang out across the City of Fire. Yellow flames, thick white smoke, and almost endless heat blossomed from the Sato Clan estate.
At the same time, hurried footsteps sounded through the streets. Patrol troops, who remained alert at all times, swiftly rushed to the site of the explosions. Ninja in combat attire could also be seen racing across rooftops toward the target location.
The entire City of Fire fell into a state of extreme alert due to the sudden explosions. The Daimyo's residence was surrounded by troops pouring in from every direction, preventing any suspicious individuals from approaching. Inside the residence, ninja who had emerged from nowhere took complete control, refusing to let anyone get close.
Standing atop the tower, Samu Kokaze listened to the violent explosions ringing in his ears and watched the thick white smoke rising ahead. An innocent smile spread across his youthful face.
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