Everyone froze.
Who?
Who dared to speak up against them at a time like this?
Asuma turned sharply toward the source of the voice.
It was Kazuma.
He stood a short distance away, his expression slightly nervous, yet his eyes shone with unwavering brightness.
Asuma raised an eyebrow, his tone losing its usual warmth.
"Oh? Then what do you think this is? Glory?"
Kazuma's lips trembled slightly under Asuma's sharp gaze, but he nodded and spoke firmly.
"Yes! I think it's glory!"
He pointed toward the construction site, his voice quivering but resolute.
"I… I grew up in a shantytown outside the Village. Our house had gaps on all sides, and whenever it rained, my mother would cough all night."
"For me, having a roof that doesn't leak was the dream my father chased his entire life."
He looked at the others, his voice growing stronger, eyes burning.
"You might not understand, but to you, this is just dirt and stone."
"But to countless Civilians across the Land of Fire—people like me—"
"Every wall built here is a home that shields us from the wind and rain!"
"It's a place where children can sleep peacefully, without waking up shivering in the cold!"
"With Ninjutsu, we can accomplish in a day what Civilians can't do in a lifetime!"
"Isn't that a greater glory than completing an S-rank mission?!"
His words rang across the site, firm and passionate.
Silence followed.
Behind him, Natsukawa nodded vigorously, his eyes glistening red.
Even Great Master Chiriku turned his head slightly, offering Kazuma a faint, approving look.
But Asuma scoffed.
"That sounds nice."
He walked up to Kazuma, standing a full head taller, his presence heavy and suffocating.
"Don't forget who you are, Kazuma."
"You're a Ninja."
"A Ninja's duty is battle. Killing. Our Ninjutsu exists to take lives, not to mix mud and build walls!"
"Your sentimental speeches mean nothing on a real battlefield!"
"I…" Kazuma's voice caught in his throat, face flushing with frustration.
"What 'I'?" Asuma pressed, eyes narrowing. "Put away those foolish thoughts. Civilians need protection, yes—but not by building them houses."
"You stand here because of Konoha's grace. You should be thinking of how to serve the Village, not pitying laborers!"
Kazuma's eyes flashed. "So you'd rather die fighting than build homes for them?"
"Of course!" Asuma sneered. "Civilians should stay in their place and not bother us!"
"No! It shouldn't be like that!"
Kazuma suddenly raised his head, his fear burning away in anger.
"If you refuse to do even this small thing, then how can anyone believe you'd give your life for others?!"
"You…!"
Asuma's rage exploded. He grabbed Kazuma by the collar, his Chakra surging violently.
"A brat from a Civilian family dares to lecture me?!"
"Stop!"
A cold voice cut through the tension.
A figure appeared between them in an instant.
A single hand caught Asuma's wrist, effortlessly stopping him.
It was Hyuga Hizashi.
Those pure white Byakugan stared directly into Asuma's eyes, and a crushing force emanated from his grip.
"Let him go," Hizashi said calmly.
At the same time, the Nara clansman stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Asuma's shoulder.
"Asuma, enough."
"If you continue, you'll bring trouble to Konoha."
"Don't forget, we're here representing the Daimyo's will."
The word Konoha hit Asuma like cold water.
Before they had departed, his father had clearly explained the Village's situation.
No matter how rebellious he was, he understood priorities.
Asuma's face flushed red, then pale. He finally released Kazuma's collar, glaring at him before turning away in silence.
The immediate tension eased, but the divide among the Twelve Guardian Ninja had already begun to form.
Kazuma straightened his clothes, bowing deeply to Hizashi and the Nara clansman.
Hizashi nodded slightly and returned to his spot, closing his eyes as if nothing had happened.
The Nara clansman, however, kept his gaze on Kazuma, deep in thought.
What exactly was the Daimyo trying to show them?
His mind churned.
Ninja.
Civilian.
Ninjutsu.
Construction.
Words that seemed unrelated began connecting in his mind.
Why? Why had the Daimyo brought them here to witness this?
Suddenly, his whole body stiffened, a spark of realization flashing like lightning.
He understood.
The Daimyo's purpose—he finally understood it!
A cold sweat broke across his back as the revelation overturned everything he'd believed.
Hizashi, noticing his reaction, opened his eyes sharply.
The intelligence of the Nara Clan was known throughout Konoha.
If he looked like that, it could only mean one thing—he'd seen through the Daimyo's plan.
Hizashi stepped forward, voice low and steady.
"What did you realize?"
The Nara clansman took a slow, shaky breath.
"I think I understand… the true intention of Daimyo-sama placing us here."
His words instantly drew everyone's attention.
Even Asuma, who had stormed off, turned back with a frown.
"What intention?"
"Think about it," the Nara clansman began, voice deep and deliberate. "Why did Daimyo-sama reactivate the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and then transfer us all the way from Konoha…?"
"Was it just to make us stand here as construction supervisors?"
Asuma frowned. Of course, he'd been thinking the same thing.
Hizashi remained silent, though unease flickered in his eyes.
The Nara clansman continued, his tone quickening.
"It doesn't make sense. It's completely illogical!"
"Look at those Ninja working there. In loyalty and execution, they're far superior to us."
"If the goal was just supervision, they could handle it better than we ever could."
"But Daimyo-sama specifically brought us here… made us wait, say nothing, and just watch."
"He's not humiliating us."
"He's teaching us."
"Teaching us?"
Asuma frowned deeper. "What do you mean? Explain clearly."
"Think about it," the Nara clansman said, his voice gaining momentum. "What defines a Ninja's worth?"
"In Konoha, our value lies in mission ranks, in the number of enemies we've killed, in preserving our clan's bloodline."
"But here, in the Fire Capital, in Daimyo-sama's eyes…"
"It's not about missions or killing enemies!"
He pointed toward the bustling construction site.
"What did he make us witness? He showed us that we, these so-called elite Ninja with all our powerful Earth Release techniques, can't even align the measurements of a single wall!"
"He made us see how craftsmen struggle because of our arrogance and lack of skill."
"He's showing us—clearly, brutally—"
The Nara clansman swallowed hard, his voice trembling with awe.
"He wants us to see how inefficient, how clumsy, how utterly useless our proud killing techniques are in building a nation!"
"What he's breaking is not our bodies…"
"It's the arrogance deeply carved into our hearts as Ninja!"
Silence.
No one spoke.
The Nara clansman took another deep breath, then continued, voice firm and reverent.
"He wants to reshape our values. To make us realize that the true power of a Ninja lies in bringing unmatched efficiency to this country, an efficiency no ordinary person could ever reach."
"In infrastructure, transportation, medicine, agriculture—anywhere Chakra can be applied!"
"These are the true S-rank missions in Daimyo-sama's eyes!"
"And we, the Twelve Guardian Ninja, are the first examples he's using to transform the entire Ninja world!"
"This test isn't about our strength."
"It's about whether we…"
He took one final breath and spoke his conclusion clearly.
"…can cast aside our foolish pride, understand his will, and adapt to the new order he is creating!"
By the time he finished, sweat soaked his back.
No one said a word.
(To be continued.)