Your Mercy Lights Up the Entire Sky

In the Land of Waves, inside an extremely secluded small manor.

Over a dozen maids brought out platters of lavish food, set them on the table, then stood respectfully on either side.

Only one man sat at the enormous dining table: Gato, the very man Shinji and Hidan were looking for.

Gato wore round, brown-tinted glasses and had a white napkin tucked around his neck. With knife and fork in hand, he cut into a steak still oozing blood, then crudely shoved it into his mouth, tearing and chewing in a thoroughly unpleasant display.

Yet no one present dared show the slightest disgust. They all lowered their heads.

A short while later, after he had devoured everything on his plate, Gato wiped his hands, picked up the glass beside him, and drained its red wine in one gulp.

"Today's meat was good. Tell the chef his family's lives have been spared. But as punishment, sell them all into slavery. Oh, right. I'll allow him one day each month to visit his family."

"Yes, Lord Gato. Your mercy truly lights up the entire sky!"

The butler offered his slightly exaggerated praise at just the right moment.

Gato clearly relished it. In fact, he sincerely believed he was far too "merciful." He had been ready to send the entire family to reunite in the afterlife, yet in the end, he had merely made them his slaves for life. Was that not proof enough of his "mercy"?

Convinced that he had done a tremendous good deed, Gato swept his gaze over the maids around him, finally lifting his chin toward a pair of sisters who had recently been brought in.

The two maids trembled, their eyes numb, then immediately dropped to their knees and crawled over...

Soon, a look of pleasure spread across Gato's repulsive face.

Apparently noticing that Gato was in a good mood today, the butler, who kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, seized the opportunity to speak. "Captain Okamoto just contacted us. He said he captured two ninja hired by the Mira Peng Family and would like to know what you want done with them."

Enjoying their services, Gato answered without a second thought. "Do you even need to ask? Kill them. Then remember to return them to their owner. Hang their heads on that old bastard's front gate."

"I'll let him know right away. But actually... Captain Okamoto was also hoping to take this opportunity to meet you and demonstrate his loyalty."

"Demonstrate his loyalty? More like come collect a reward... Mm!"

His body shuddered, and Gato promptly changed his mind. "Then have him come over. Bring those two along as well. I'm a little bored anyway. There's no harm in having some fun."

"Well done, Okamoto. Lord Gato has agreed to see you this time. As long as you perform well, he'll certainly entrust you with greater responsibilities in the future. Then I can marry my daughter to you without worrying."

When the butler met Okamoto, his eyes shone with approval.

Okamoto immediately seized the opening. "Thank you, Father-in-law. Without you putting in a word for me, I would never have made it this far."

Seeing how readily he caught on, the butler felt even more satisfied.

"Are these the two fools who attacked the manor in the Northern Woods?" The butler turned his gaze toward Shinji and Hidan, who were tightly bound.

"Yes. Quite a few men were injured because we had to take them alive." As he spoke, Okamoto lifted his shirt, revealing the bloodstained bandages wrapped around his waist.

That convinced the butler completely, and he lowered his voice. "When you meet Lord Gato, you can make your account a little more dramatic, a little more thrilling. Lord Gato is feeling rather tired and bored right now. Perhaps you can use these two to provide him with some entertainment."

"I understand. I'm sorry for the trouble, Father-in-law, but I'll be relying on your guidance in the future too."

"That's easily arranged. But you must remember that Lord Gato dislikes being contradicted more than anything. No matter how outrageous a demand he makes later, you must find a way to fulfill it.

Do you hear me?" "Yes. I'll remember."

After their conversation and a round of instructions, the butler finally led the group through several concealed "transfer points" before they reached Gato's location.

Throughout the journey, Shinji and Hidan remained silent and exceptionally "obedient," leaving Okamoto to improvise as he pleased.

With his life in their hands, Okamoto did not dare try any tricks either. He cooperated fully.

At last, Gato appeared before them, dressed like a mafia godfather.

The butler had just been about to speak when Gato, a cigar clenched between his teeth, stopped him. "I know that old bastard merely hired you, so I can give you a chance to live."

"But this chance is precious. Only one of you can have it."

"Now, thank me for my mercy."

"Will you choose to survive alone, or let the other one live?"

As he puffed away on his cigar, Gato could not help showing a sinister smile. He loved watching people kill each other like this.

To save their own lives, people could abandon anyone, whether family or comrades.

Afterward, they would disgustingly fall to their knees and sob over the corpse they had killed with their own hands, when deep down, they were really savoring the joy of surviving, weren't they?

Gato never hesitated to judge people's hearts through the most malicious thoughts imaginable.

Oh, right. Once these two finished killing each other, he would have Okamoto finish off the survivor.

He would turn the man's joy at surviving into despair in an instant!

At that moment, the futile remorse and guilt of having killed his own companion would gnaw at his soul like ants. That agony would surpass even death!

Just imagining such a scene was enough to lift his spirits.

"Hmm? Why haven't you started yet?" Gato frowned in displeasure.

No one stopped Okamoto from untying Shinji and Hidan, because they all knew what Gato was waiting to see.

Besides, they were not worried about these two causing any trouble.

After all, counting Okamoto, there were five chunin among the bodyguards present. Beyond them, no fewer than a hundred rogue ninja were hidden throughout the manor.

With such overwhelming strength on their side, who would spare a thought for two prisoners?

What displeased Gato, however, was that the two men before him were not following the script he had laid out. They showed no fear at all. Instead, their eyes brimmed with undisguised malice and eagerness as they looked at him.

Then Shinji took a photograph from inside his clothes and compared it with the man before him. "You're Gato? Looks like there's no mistake. Target confirmed..."

For some reason, Gato's heart suddenly began to race. He seemed to have realized that terrible danger had closed in around him.

With no thought left for his little diversion, he immediately shouted, "Kill them!"

At the same time, Shinji spoke. "You can start now, Hidan."

"Hahahaha... The great Hidan is going to sacrifice every last one of you to Lord Jashin!"