The Daimyō was dead.
Cause of death: rupture of the heart's blood vessels.
A completely normal death from heart failure.
It was the kind of death common among the elderly—weak blood vessels, various triggers, and then sudden cardiac failure.
Perfectly normal.
Too normal.
Hatake Sakumo immediately looked at Hyuga Arin.
Precisely because it was too normal—
Both the Daimyō's death and Arin's complete lack of action.
Had he really done nothing?
"He's really sharp," Arin smiled at him.
A notification appeared before his eyes:
[Experience +2]
This Daimyō really was worthless.
Even without any apparent opportunity to act, Sakumo still locked onto him immediately.
Truly worthy of the name White Fang.
The summoned doctor closed the Daimyō's eyes and shook his head at the gathered nobles and retainers.
"Father!!"
A middle-aged man clutched the Daimyō's corpse, wailing in grief, looking utterly broken.
Arin recognized him—
This was the Daimyō of the Land of Fire from the original storyline.
Without interference, he would have ascended smoothly.
But now—
That was no longer certain.
Crunch!
A massive fox head suddenly appeared—
—and swallowed the "original" Daimyō whole.
[Experience +5]
The fox appeared so abruptly that no one could react.
Only Arin moved instantly—
He grabbed the Daimyō's corpse and retreated from the fox.
"Where did this summoning beast come from?!" Arin demanded sharply.
Sakumo stepped in front of him, shaking his head.
All nearby ninja gathered around, protecting the Daimyō's body.
Sakumo pushed off the ground, drawing his short blade.
His body turned into a crescent of white light as he slashed toward the fox—
—but passed straight through it.
"A genjutsu?"
He halted abruptly.
Turning back—
The fox's figure flickered and vanished like an illusion.
All that remained was Arin, wearing a sorrowful expression.
Noticing Sakumo's gaze, Arin gave a bitter smile.
Summoning beasts. Genjutsu.
Neither fit Arin's usual methods.
Could it really not be him?
…
Someone had assassinated the Daimyō's heir.
And succeeded.
The entire Capital of Fire fell into chaos.
At the same time, the Daimyō's will was discovered—
Clearly naming the eldest son as successor.
But—
The eldest son was dead.
Now, all of the Daimyō's sons had a claim.
And there were quite a few of them.
Each declared themselves the rightful heir.
At this point, the situation shifted.
The nobles—who previously had no say—now gained influence.
Amid the chaos—
The second son acted swiftly.
He suppressed all his brothers and secured the position of heir.
…
Inside Huolongjie's residence—
"You went too far," Huolongjie said in a low voice to Arin.
"Didn't you get what you wanted?" Arin replied.
Now, no one could threaten his position.
Among the Daimyō's sons, only Huolongjie had real ability.
The others—
Even if slightly better than the useless eldest brother—
Were nowhere near his level.
"But now the nobles suspect me," Huolongjie said coldly. "If you had been more subtle, I'd already be Daimyō."
By gaining advantage, he had also become the prime suspect.
Brothers killing each other for succession wasn't unusual among nobles.
The timing was simply too perfect.
The Daimyō died—
Then the heir was immediately attacked.
That gave the nobles ammunition to target him.
Even though he was stronger than his brothers—
He couldn't stand against all the nobles combined.
Moreover, his background was weak.
He had no powerful clan backing him.
Even after suppressing his rivals, he couldn't secure the throne.
"Then kill them all," Arin suggested lightly, taking a sip of tea. "What do you think?"
"That would only make me more suspicious!! Even Konoha wouldn't let me off!" Huolongjie roared.
Although the Daimyō's death appeared natural—
The ninja were still investigating.
They just hadn't found any clues yet.
If he were implicated—
Konoha would act immediately.
"Does Konoha really have the guts?" Arin asked. "Don't forget—they're just your retainers."
"…Then what do you want me to do?"
Huolongjie exhaled slowly.
"I need you to disappear."
"And our cooperation?" Arin asked.
"Once I firmly secure the Daimyō's position, whatever you want—I'll help you."
Arin nodded.
"Alright, I'll trust—"
Pfft!
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
His eyes snapped to the teacup.
"There's poison in the tea!!"
Huolongjie's expression turned calm.
"I need you to disappear completely. Whatever your intentions were—they end with your death."
Arin trembled, pointing at him.
"You broke your word…"
He pulled out a kunai and lunged—
—but three figures instantly appeared, blades pressed against his neck.
Flame Demon Hyuga Arin.
Hatake Sakumo.
And another.
All standing beside Huolongjie.
Huolongjie set down his teacup.
"You were right about one thing—Konoha are merely my retainers."
As retainers—
They would support the rightful heir.
"Bastard!!"
"Arin" struggled—
—but three blades sliced his neck simultaneously.
His head fell to the ground, eyes wide in fury.
Huolongjie smiled faintly.
"Then I thank you all for eliminating this traitor."
Sakumo frowned slightly.
That smile…
It felt familiar.
He glanced at Arin beside him.
For some reason—
Their smiles felt eerily similar.
Suppressing his doubts, he knelt on one knee.
"We only ask that Lord Daimyō fulfill the agreement."
"Hahaha!" Huolongjie laughed. "I like your straightforwardness. Don't worry—I'll honor everything promised to Konoha. You may return and report."
"Yes!"
Sakumo and Arin responded in unison.
Their figures vanished.
Huolongjie looked down at the severed head.
A meaningful smile spread across his face.
"No matter how sharp you are… you still couldn't see through it, could you… Hatake Sakumo?"
Within his dark pupils—
A faint white light flickered.
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