Chapter 41 — The Ambition of a "Kage"
Under the cover of night, Namikaze Yami's figure slipped through the outskirts of Kirigakure like a wandering specter.
As the true architect behind everything that had unfolded, he was never foolish enough to actually blow himself into charcoal.
The scorched remains carried back to the Mizukage Tower were nothing more than a meticulously prepared substitute.
Several days earlier, while traveling toward the Land of Water, he had happened upon a bandit whose build was remarkably similar to his own.
On a whim—or perhaps guided by instinct—he spared the man's life, captured him alive, and pawned him through the system.
At the time, Yami merely wanted to test what would happen when a living pawn was left unredeemed for more than twenty-four hours.
He hadn't expected that careless experiment to become the perfect trump card at a critical moment.
The bandit redeemed from the system had become an empty shell: his body intact, his vital functions preserved—but all consciousness gone, no different from a living corpse.
A flawless stand-in.
Yami placed a Transformation Technique on the body and carefully arranged the explosion scene down to the finest detail.
As for the "Kaguya shinobi" who wielded the bone spear—that had been Yami himself, playing the role personally, only to escape in the instant after the blast using Flying Thunder God.
If anything, the lesson he'd learned on the Rain Country battlefield—where a lack of prepared Flying Thunder God seals had nearly cost him everything—had been etched deep into memory.
This time, his leisurely "sightseeing" around the town had never been aimless.
"So, Shimura Danzō… you wanted to kill me with a borrowed blade?"
Yami let out a quiet, icy laugh as his figure melted into the darkness.
"Then I wonder—can you actually hold onto a blade once it's been poisoned?"
Though his objectives had been achieved, Yami had already judged Danzō's repeated schemes and interference as unforgivable.
In his heart, the man's death sentence had already been written.
While Kirigakure was thrown into chaos—launching a massive manhunt over the so-called death of the traveling merchant—Namikaze Yami had already slipped quietly into the Kaguya clan compound.
With the aid of the Kagura Mind's Eye, he effortlessly avoided every patrol, locking onto several isolated Kaguya clan members.
"First one."
He closed in soundlessly on a Kaguya shinobi on night patrol. A sharp chop to the neck—clean and decisive. Before the man could even react, he was unconscious, dragged into the shadows.
"Pawn."
[Ding! Kaguya Clan Shinobi (Living) ×1
Estimated value: 100 points]
Yami confirmed without hesitation.
This was a critical part of his plan. Not only would it deepen the rift between the Kaguya clan and Kirigakure, it was also a rare opportunity to stockpile pawn points and expand the system's inventory.
The Kaguya clan was terrifying in direct combat—few clans could rival them head-on. But their weakness lay in reconnaissance and perception. As long as he avoided frontal confrontation, Yami moved through their territory like a fish in water.
Over the next few hours, he repeated the process, abducting three more Kaguya clan members. He targeted only weaker, younger shinobi, leaving no trace behind—efficient, surgical, invisible.
Just as he was preparing to continue, several powerful chakra signatures surged toward the clan compound.
Yami immediately concealed himself.
Moments later, Kaguya Naoto returned, surrounded by several clan members, his expression dark and exhausted.
"Clan Head," a young Kaguya said angrily, "the Mizukage has gone too far! Are we really expected to swallow this humiliation?"
Naoto stopped and scanned the gathering clan members. Under the flickering torchlight, his face looked worn—older than it should have been.
"Today, at the Mizukage Tower," he said hoarsely, "I saw the merchant's body. The fatal wound was a bone spear—pierced straight through the heart and lungs."
The crowd erupted.
"That has to be a setup! Someone staged it!"
"But who else uses bone attacks besides us?"
"Where's Kaguya Marin? Why hasn't he shown up?"
Only then did they realize several clan members were missing. That realization only made things worse—it lent weight to the accusation of unauthorized action.
Naoto raised a hand, silencing them, pain flashing through his eyes.
"The Third Mizukage has given me an ultimatum," he said. "Either we find the culprit… or the entire Kaguya clan bears the consequences."
He inhaled deeply.
"I've sworn to present the truth within two days. The village will get an answer."
Hidden in the shadows, Yami listened, cold amusement curling in his chest. Naoto's words sounded like reassurance—but in reality, the man was already preparing to sacrifice his own people.
As expected, once the others dispersed, Naoto retained several elders. Yami edged closer, quietly eavesdropping.
"Clan Head," an elderly elder asked, "do you truly believe one of our own acted alone?"
Naoto fell silent for a moment before answering.
"Everything about this reeks of manipulation. But the bone spear wound is undeniable—unless… there exists someone outside our clan who can wield our bloodline."
"Impossible," another elder snapped. "Every awakened bloodline user is registered."
"And what of those lost beyond the clan?" someone countered. "After the incident with Konoha…"
That gave them pause.
Still, another elder objected. "Then what about the missing members? And even if outsiders existed, how could they move freely within our compound?"
Arguments erupted—voices overlapping, no one convincing the others.
Naoto suddenly stood, suppressed fury trembling in his voice.
"Several clan members vanish without a trace. The only witness who could clear us dies to a bone spear. If this isn't internal betrayal—then someone is deliberately targeting the Kaguya clan."
The chamber fell silent.
Yami raised an eyebrow. Sharp instincts, he thought.
After a long pause, a quiet elder finally spoke.
"Regardless of the truth, we must give the Mizukage an answer. Since this is already a dead end…"
He didn't finish—but everyone understood.
Naoto closed his eyes, then nodded slowly.
"Select two members who've recently committed infractions. For the survival of the clan… this sacrifice is necessary."
"And the missing ones?"
"Report them as fugitives who fled out of guilt."
He waved his hand, exhaustion and suppressed rage woven into every word.
"This debt, the Kaguya clan will remember. From this day forward, abandon all illusions. Never again trust the mercy of those in power."
His eyes hardened.
"The Kaguya clan… must produce an 'Kage' of its own."
The elders stiffened—then their expressions burned with ambition.
Yami withdrew silently, his understanding of the shinobi world growing colder, sharper.
In the face of absolute strength, even blood ties were nothing more than expendable chips.
For now, he abandoned the idea of harvesting further within the clan—but a far bolder thought had already taken root.
Rather than return to Konoha immediately, he chose the darkest place of all.
He would hide in plain sight—right at the eye of the storm.
The Kaguya clan compound.
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