After seeing off Asuma Sarutobi, the Fire Daimyo felt a subtle sense of ease.
In his eyes, although Asuma was powerful, respectful, and well-mannered, he remained a man of Konoha—and the son of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Keeping him close was no longer advisable. It would be better to have him return to Konoha.
There might even be an opportunity to gather intelligence along the way.
Once this matter was settled, the Daimyo dispatched the moderate faction led by Chiriku to continue monitoring the situation in Konoha.
As for Hama, who represented the radical faction, the Daimyo summoned him and quietly assigned him a new mission.
"Hama, you are my most loyal subordinate. Now I need you to investigate someone—Satori Hyūga of the Hyūga Clan."
"He's said to be a rare business genius from the Hyūga, remarkably young yet highly capable."
"All the recent changes in Konoha stemmed from Satori's initiatives. I want you to capture him for me."
"If capturing him proves impossible, then at least attempt to make secret contact and establish communication."
The Fire Daimyo only knew of Satori's existence, without any clear details about him.
All he knew was that the man was a business prodigy, full of ideas and methods for making money.
The Daimyo wanted to bring Satori under his control.
But he also feared complications with the Hyūga Clan behind Satori, which is why he added that final sentence.
"Yes, Your Highness," Hama replied respectfully, his tone firm. "I will handle this matter with utmost care."
Upon leaving the residence, Hama's eyes sparkled with excitement.
To him, the Daimyo had already grown wary of Konoha's prosperity.
If he, Hama, could manipulate things just slightly, he could drive a wedge between the two sides.
Once the Daimyo grew tired of Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Hokage—he might abolish the position altogether. And as one who supported the Daimyo, wouldn't Hama himself become the de facto ruler of Konoha?
He was ambitious and far from being fully loyal to the Fire Daimyo.
Having received his orders, Hama quickly began searching for intelligence on Satori Hyūga across various parts of Konoha.
Gathering intelligence was the most important task for a ninja.
Skilled ninjas never entered battle without prior knowledge.
Yet whether he visited taverns, Konoha's Shortcake Street, or restaurants, he found no useful clues about Satori.
Nothing on his appearance, habits, combat style, or favorite haunts reached him at all.
After extensive inquiries, Hama was left completely baffled.
These Main House members of the Hyūga were experts at staying hidden—how utterly mysterious they were.
A villager who ran countless factories and companies, yet was unseen by the common people of the village?
Such complete separation from commoners disgusted Hama deeply.
This level of arrogance was simply outrageous.
Even the Fire Daimyo himself occasionally attended banquets and shown himself among the villagers.
What he didn't know was that Satori's low profile was purely due to being too busy.
Satori spent all his time either in the laboratory or in his office, seldom leaving the compound. It was only natural that few would recognize him.
Since pledging loyalty to Satori Hyūga, Might Guy's privileges and treatment had vastly improved. Not long ago, Guy had undergone experimental procedures conducted by Shinno—an Eight Gates activation experiment that granted near-immortality. His cells had been vastly enhanced, flooding him with boundless energy and bloodthirsty eagerness.
Yet though his strength had risen, he'd faced no worthy opponents.
Now, Hama had finally arrived at his very doorstep.
Grabbing the communicator, Guy barked orders to the control room operators.
"Redirect the enemy to the combat arena. I'll deal with him personally."
The moment he finished speaking, no sooner had he finished speaking than Guy, overcome with excitement, let out a puff of white mist through his nose and flashed a grin full of gleaming white teeth.
"I can feel my blood boiling—my youth is on fire!"
Hama still had no clue what was happening. He followed others' lead and stepped into the elevator.
With a "ding," the elevator doors slid open, revealing a vast space. Before him loomed a colossal platform, hundreds of meters high, enclosed by sturdy circular glass that made escape impossible.
Sensing something was wrong, Hama turned to retreat toward the elevator.
But at that moment, the doors slid shut automatically.
It dawned on him in an instant—he must have already been exposed.
"When did I get exposed?" Hama racked his brain but couldn't figure it out. Confusion clouded his eyes.
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