Those cold eyes—Nanako was very familiar with them. She barely managed to open her eyes, staring directly at the figure standing at the door.
"Why?" she asked calmly, gazing at the only family member she had left in the world.
Danzo, also looking at the last relative he had, replied coldly, "I do not allow subordinates to act against my will. That is the fundamental reason."
To him, blood ties between family members were nothing more than an insignificant connection, far less important than countless other things. Nanako's actions had undoubtedly sealed her fate, especially since the person involved was none other than Konoha's Little White Fang.
The Little White Fang was a blade he was currently using, but since he couldn't control it, he couldn't allow it to become sharper, as it might eventually turn on him. Nanako's actions were like sharpening that blade—violating his will and making the Ye Zi even deadlier. Danzo wasn't angry or disappointed, because Nanako wasn't unique; there were countless others who could take her place.
Nanako silently looked at Danzo, feeling the cold and merciless aura radiating from him. She closed her lips tightly, losing any desire to speak further.
From the moment she saw those eyes, her heart had turned cold, and she had given up hope.
Danzo seemed to sense her resignation and said coldly, "I will give you one last chance to prove your worth."
The iron door slowly closed, shutting out the cold, merciless presence of the man and plunging the small, dark room into silence once more.
...
In Konoha's Root organization, someone was imprisoned, just like a pebble kicked into the gutter—completely unnoticed by anyone.
Far away, Ye Zi had no idea what had happened.
But even if he knew, what could he do?
Danzo didn't know, Orochimaru didn't know, and Nanako didn't know either.
Thus, Danzo didn't want Ye Zi to find out anytime soon. Meanwhile, a new mission had appeared before Yoko.
Though there were many thoughts running through his mind, the carriage continued along the road, inevitably passing through a city and stopping once more.
Unlike the violent storm of the previous night, the journey so far had been eerily peaceful.
The bounty hunters who attacked in madness that night had vanished like water drops in the ocean. This could be attributed to the deterrent effect of Konoha's White Fang, causing them to retreat. However, Ye Zi didn't believe the journey would remain peaceful until they reached Kyoto. The hidden forces behind the scenes, driven by profit, wouldn't give up so easily. Behind this day of calm, there were likely dangerous undercurrents waiting to surface.
The carriage moved slowly, with Ye Zi walking in front, Kotoe behind him, and Kurenai and Gai flanking the carriage.
The road was wide, with tall grass growing on either side. As the wind swept through, the grass swayed like waves.
This was an ideal location for an ambush, so Ye Zi had the Ninth Squad mentally prepare themselves. He even had his Raiga drawn, holding it in a ready stance.
Inside the carriage, Moko quietly gazed at the simple wooden planks ahead. The windows were closed, and though the light was dim, it wasn't so dark that she couldn't see. She could feel the vibrations of the carriage but sensed no danger from outside.
This carriage headed for Kyoto, the capital of the Fire Country, had only two possible outcomes: it would either stop, or it would keep moving.
She knew exactly who wanted her dead, and she understood that person's cruel nature better than anyone—more clearly even than her father.
"Konoha's Little White Fang... Ye Zi... huh."
In the dimly lit carriage, Moko suddenly smiled, her eyes sparkling with complex emotions. She couldn't deny that the man had caught her attention.
He wasn't a man who made her feel secure, yet paradoxically, she had every reason to believe that as long as she stood behind him, she would be safe.
The road was long, stretching far into the distance. After this stretch, they would be close to the nearest city to Kyoto, and from there, it would only be a half-day's journey. If the enemy intended to act, this was their only chance.
Ye Zi knew this well and gazed into the distance. The surroundings were eerily quiet.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, he sensed presences approaching from all directions, moving fast and without any attempt at stealth. The sound of their movements could be heard through the tall grass.
"Protect the target," Ye Zi ordered coldly, focusing on the strongest of the approaching figures as lightning crackled around his body.
Inside the carriage, Moko heard Ye Zi still refer to her as "the target" and couldn't help but pout, completely unfazed by the looming danger outside.
She felt fear, but not terror.
Some things lose their importance when you stop caring, even life itself.
However, she was no longer willing to passively accept her fate.
She could bear what she needed to, but what was hers would remain hers—no one could take it from her.
Moko tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as if she could see through the wooden planks, gazing toward the distant family that was so close, yet so far away. She remained calm and serene, her expression as placid as water, even in the face of danger.
"I won't die, not as long as he's Konoha's Little White Fang," she thought, her cold eyes flashing with determination.
"So, you might be disappointed, my dear sister."
...
The sound of bodies crashing through clusters of grass created a loud noise.
From this alone, it was clear that the attackers were not ninja.
"Leave no one alive!"
A cold voice echoed from one direction, followed by the sound of blades cutting through grass. Leaves scattered into the air as dozens of figures emerged from the grass, their target clear—the carriage.
They were burly men dressed in samurai attire, each wielding a long sword infused with chakra.
The enemy approached openly, their presence felt before they even arrived.
The three members of the Ninth Squad immediately moved to surround the carriage in a standard defensive formation.
"Samurai?"
Seeing this group of warriors who possessed chakra but were not ninja, Ye Zi quickly deduced their identity—likely retainers of a government official or wealthy family.
There was no time to think further. Ye Zi, holding Raiga, charged toward the leader who had spoken.
"Thunder Flow."
As he ran, Ye Zi unleashed bolts of lightning, which snaked out like serpents and struck the attacking samurai. With a series of screams, the formation of samurai was torn apart, leaving an opening.
Though some of the samurai were strong, most were weak. They only knew how to wrap chakra around their weapons to make them sharper or enhance their bodies to increase agility and strength. If their sword skills were poor, they were even easier to defeat than regular ninja.
Compared to the bounty hunters who had attacked that night, these samurai were nothing but trash. This allowed Ye Zi to leave the carriage without worry, heading straight for the strongest opponent. He trusted that Gai and the others could handle the samurai.
And they did. After the brutal battle of the previous night, this group of samurai posed no challenge. Even Kurenai felt no pressure, easily taking down several of them.
Such battles were valuable experiences—perhaps not as intense as war, but incredibly precious nonetheless.
The screams quickly quieted.
Ye Zi moved with such speed that the samurai couldn't even see his movements before being knocked unconscious by his high-voltage strikes.
The leader of the samurai, watching his men fall like flies, trembled in disbelief, his triangular eyes filling with fear.
Ye Zi soon reached him, easily noticing the terror in his eyes, which made him sneer in disdain.
Despite his fear, the leader did not run. Instead, he slowly drew the long sword hanging from his waist.
Ye Zi's expression shifted from disdain to seriousness.
The samurai was terrified of him, his body betraying that fear, but his hand remained steady as he gripped the sword—a sharp contrast.
Ye Zi didn't move, but the samurai did. With a scream, the man raised his chakra-infused blade and lunged at Ye Zi at high speed.
Though not slow, the attack was nothing to Ye Zi.
Too weak. Years ago, even a much younger version of Ye Zi had killed Kyocho, a far stronger opponent. This samurai was nowhere near that level.
Meeting the samurai's charge, Ye Zi had countless ways to kill him in one blow.
Lightning crackled, and a thousand birds sang.
Ye Zi became a bolt of lightning, slashing past the samurai leader.
Slash!
An arm holding a long sword spun through the air.
The leader stared in disbelief at his shoulder, where his arm had been severed cleanly. His lips moved, but no words came out.
Spray!
Blood gushed from the wound like a fountain, spilling everywhere.
The leader knelt, his voice hoarse, "Why?"
He had felt Ye Zi's power and knew the man could easily have killed him.
"I ask, you answer. I'll give you a quick death," Ye Zi said coldly. He had spared the leader to extract information.
The samurai leader laughed bitterly and said with a cold tone, "Foolish ninja, don't underestimate us..."
Slash!
The tip of Ye Zi's sword, wrapped in crackling lightning, pierced through the back of the samurai's head, emerging from his mouth along with a severed tongue and a small black pill.
"Ugh!"
The samurai let out a muffled scream, his body instantly drenched in cold sweat.
"Now, I ask, you write."
Ye Zi withdrew his blade, stepping in front of the samurai. His expression was ice-cold. The precision and strength of his strike were enough to prevent the samurai from dying but also stopped any conventional suicide attempts. Before striking, Ye Zi hadn't been sure whether the samurai would try to poison himself, but he thought it necessary to act just in case.
Ye Zi stared coldly at the sweat-drenched samurai. Interrogation techniques were a fundamental skill for those in the Root, so he had many ways to extract information from his prisoner.
"Don't be too optimistic. I have many methods to make you talk. If you want it to end quickly, don't waste any more time."
The lead samurai stared back in terror, making muffled sounds. Blood mixed with bits of flesh dripped from the corner of his mouth, running down his chin and chest, quickly staining his clothes red.
Check out the patreon and get 49 chapters in advance