"Nagasuke, shut your damn mouth!"
Miyamiya slammed the table so hard the wood cracked. His voice thundered through the room, making even the candles flicker.
He was furious. The clan was already one step away from open war, yet Nagasuke still had the nerve to point fingers. As if the Hyūga and Ueshi would risk full-scale battle just to avenge one corpse. Ridiculous.
Nagasuke stiffened, caught off guard by the outburst. Miyamiya's authority carried weight—enough that even another Jōnin like him dared not talk back. His expression darkened like forged iron, and he sat down, lips pressed tight.
Miyamiya exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "Enough of this nonsense. Now—who among you is willing to take the initiative and attack the Tiannan Mine?"
The air grew heavy. Everyone knew what that meant.
The Tiannan Mine lay not far from their own Songshan Mine, the source of much of the clan's wealth. And guarding Tiannan was none other than Ueshi Dezuma, one of the Ueshi's top Jōnin—backed by three more Jōnin, dozens of Chūnin, and an army of expendable Genin.
In short: suicide.
Miyamiya sighed. "No volunteers, huh? Can't blame you. I don't understand what the patriarch was thinking either… sending men there is the same as sending them to die."
Silence hung like a blade.
Raizen leaned back, arms crossed, eyes narrowing. He weighed the odds, mentally running through risks and outcomes like a player calculating a doomed raid.
Ueshi Dezuma… three Jōnin, and gods know how many Chūnin. Yeah, sounds like a great way to get killed. But if I pull it off… I'd cement my place in the clan forever.
He took a slow breath. The logic was brutal—but sound.
"I'll take the mission," he said.
The words landed like a thrown kunai.
Every head turned. For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Then Amamiya Jane—her tone sharp but eyes showing concern—snapped, "No. Out of the question."
Raizen gave her a thin smile. "Jane-san, everyone knows this mission's a death trap. But I've already escaped from Ueshi Dezuma once. If anyone can get in and out alive, it's me. Sending others would just waste lives. Let me go alone—it'll send the right message."
The room shifted. The cold respect in the other ninjas' eyes deepened into something more complex: awe.
When everyone else backed down, the fool who stood up wasn't just brave—he was legendary.
…Though, as a few of them silently noted, legends usually die young.
Nagasuke's lips curled into something between a sneer and a smile. "Truly admirable. If Raizen-kun wishes to go, we should honor his courage. Let him represent the clan."
His voice dripped with mock sincerity. Inside, he was practically celebrating. One less headache to worry about.
Miyamiya glanced between them, his expression unreadable. "Raizen. You understand the risk?"
"Yes," Raizen said firmly. "But if the Amamiya clan wants to be respected, someone has to make them remember our name."
A beat of silence. Then Miyamiya gave a curt nod. "Very well. Prepare yourself. You depart at dawn."
As the decision sealed itself like a hand seal, the tension broke. The others murmured relief; Nagasuke hid a smirk behind his sleeve.
Raizen stood in silence, staring at the flickering candles. His jaw tightened.
A suicide mission, huh?
Heh. Sounds like my kind of luck.