Chapter 240: Clearing Obstacles for the Daimyo
Upon seeing Jiraiya's corpse, Kazuma flew into a rage. He jabbed his finger at Mizuki, unleashing a torrent of furious curses.
"You bastard! Who told you to kill him?"
"He was vital combat strength for our village!"
"Didn't I tell you repeatedly—just defeat him, nothing more!"
"How dare you act so recklessly and take his life?"
Mizuki prostrated himself completely on the ground, apologizing with utmost sincerity.
"I am truly, deeply sorry! This is entirely my fault!"
"I intended to hold back, but Lord Jiraiya's strength was simply too overwhelming."
"If I hadn't used Lord Tobirama to stop him, that Rasengan would have killed me."
"Everything is my fault. I failed to control the situation properly. Please punish me severely, Lord Kazuma!"
"I will accept any punishment you deem fit."
Kazuma was livid. He stormed forward and began kicking and beating Mizuki viciously. But Mizuki had become the crucial bridge connecting the ninja clans to Lord Sora Tani—he couldn't be beaten to death.
The assembled jonin rushed forward to intervene, speaking softly and urgently until they finally managed to restrain Kazuma.
Though Kazuma and Jiraiya had clashed earlier, their conflict wasn't personal. In fact, having once fought side by side, they shared a certain bond of battlefield camaraderie.
Now seeing Jiraiya dead, genuine sorrow stirred in Kazuma's heart. He ordered that Jiraiya must receive a proper burial with full honors.
After returning to the village, once everyone had dispersed, Mizuki approached Kazuma again to offer another apology:
"In truth, I did harbor some ulterior motives when killing Lord Jiraiya." Before Kazuma could erupt in anger, Mizuki quickly explained: "But my motives weren't for myself—they were for the daimyo!"
"Lord Jiraiya never truly obeyed the daimyo's commands. With him around, complete control over the village would have remained difficult for the daimyo."
"My actions were purely to clear obstacles for the daimyo's rule over Konoha Village!"
"Consider how much better things are now. Without Lord Jiraiya interfering, Lord Sora Tani's orders can be directly implemented by everyone without the slightest obstruction."
"As for the lost combat strength—that can easily be compensated through Edo Tensei!"
"Lord Jiraiya's body isn't even cold yet. Why not strike while the iron is hot and reanimate him right now?"
"Granted, Edo Tensei bodies have weaker constitutions and are inconvenient to control. But he's still a super-class warrior capable of using Sage Mode. His addition would significantly boost the village's military power."
"Lord Jiraiya devoted his life to the village. Surely he wouldn't mind continuing to serve it after death."
"However, considering his strong aversion to the Edo Tensei technique, we should probably suppress his autonomous will for now."
"Once we've completed the village's reconstruction, we can restore his consciousness and let him witness the village's prosperity. Then he'll naturally understand our intentions."
Kazuma's brow furrowed deeply. He deliberated for a long while, but ultimately his devotion to the daimyo overrode all other considerations.
He snorted coldly, glaring at Mizuki with stern warning:
"From now on, you are absolutely forbidden from acting so recklessly. You must obtain my approval before proceeding with anything!"
"Understood?"
"Perfectly understood. I will never dare act on my own authority again." Mizuki hastily bowed low in apology, then offered a careful explanation:
"My primary concern was that Lord Kazuma is too merciful to strike such a blow himself."
"Moreover, Jiraiya was the Fifth Hokage of Konoha Village. Killing him would inevitably breed some resentment among the villagers."
"Better that I, Mizuki, bear all the blame. I couldn't possibly allow any of this to taint Lord Kazuma."
These words immediately dissolved the displeasure in Kazuma's heart.
He clapped Mizuki firmly on the shoulder, praising him:
"Your loyalty—I acknowledge it."
"Continue serving well, and I will not treat you poorly."
After a moment's consideration, he added:
"As for Jiraiya's Edo Tensei body—let's hold off for now. After all, he died at our hands. The various clans might feel a sense of shared vulnerability."
"Village affairs are complex. I wasn't raised here, so I don't understand many situations as well as you do. You'll need to handle these matters carefully!"
Mizuki immediately pledged his devotion:
"Rest assured, Lord Kazuma. I will serve you with absolute dedication."
The matter of Jiraiya was thus concluded. No one spoke of it again.
After discussing several other matters with Kazuma, Mizuki took his leave and returned to his quarters. Once he'd carefully inspected his surroundings, he summoned the ninja cat.
"Please inform Lord Yasushi that everything proceeds smoothly. The obstacle named Jiraiya has been eliminated."
"I concealed my role perfectly. Even as he died, Jiraiya never knew of Lord Yasushi's involvement. He believed only the villagers wanted him dead."
"Ah, poor Jiraiya." The ninja cat Tachibana sighed briefly but offered no further comment. Instead, it asked: "What's Itachi's situation? That's who Lord Yasushi cares about most."
"Lord Yasushi need not worry." Mizuki replied with smug satisfaction. "Kazuma has now assigned Itachi as my deputy. I can guide him in whatever direction we require at any time."
"Just as Lord Yasushi predicted—as long as I frame things as 'for the village's benefit,' Itachi will truly do anything!"
"Perhaps I could try convincing him that the ninja clans are tumors poisoning the village, and have him eliminate them just like he eliminated the Uchiha!"
Tachibana cast a sidelong glance at Mizuki's increasingly twisted expression and replied coldly:
"I know you despise those ninja clans. But Itachi alone cannot possibly eliminate all of them. You'd only waste a valuable piece."
"I advise you not to do anything unnecessary."
"If you disrupt Lord Yasushi's plans, you know what the consequences will be."
Mizuki shuddered involuntarily, his excitement cooling instantly. He hastily smiled in appeasement: "Please rest assured, Lord Tachibana. I know my place. I won't overstep."
"Good."
"Additionally, Konoha has selected their target nation—the Land of Rivers. The deployment timeline and detailed plans are all here."
Mizuki quickly produced a scroll and handed it over. Tachibana secured the scroll and dispelled the summoning.
When the cat reappeared, it found itself at Yasushi's side.
Instinctively, it glanced around—and froze at the sight of a pale blue sphere hanging in the distant void.
"Huh? Where am I? How did I end up on the moon?"
Yasushi laughed softly, scooping Tachibana into his arms and stroking its back.
"I happened to be conducting business on the moon. When your message came through, I simply summoned you here."
"Never been to the moon before?"
"Well then, take a good look around. Consider it a vacation."
"Indeed, I've never been here before."
Tachibana's eyes gleamed with excitement. Its plump body wriggled free from Yasushi's embrace as it leaped down.
"Not just me—no cat in the entire Cat Village has ever been here."
"I need to observe everything carefully. When I return, I'll have so much to tell Miss Nekomata. She'll be fascinated."
The cat retrieved the intelligence scroll and tossed it to Yasushi, then sprang onto a nearby rooftop. Looking around, it saw nothing but ruins everywhere—clear evidence of a fierce battle recently concluded.
However, the fighting had ended. Shattered puppets littered the ground. In the distance, from within a great hall, White Zetsu was dragging out a grievously wounded boy with pale, distinctive eyes.
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