Chapter 72 — The Loyalty of the Chinoike Clan
Dust drifted slowly through the crevice as the valley wind carried it away.
The lightning crackling around A gradually faded.
Liger Bomb—a devastating taijutsu technique once powerful enough to nearly break through Susanoo's defense—had struck the opponent's chest without the slightest obstruction.
The result was predictable.
A looked down at the collapsed figure at his feet.
The man's chest had caved in unnaturally. Blood seeped continuously from the corner of his mouth.
There was no doubt—he had completely lost the ability to resist.
"The son of Raikage truly lives up to his reputation."
Uchiha Batō stepped forward at just the right moment, his tone carrying a carefully measured note of admiration.
A did not respond.
His gaze remained fixed on the unconscious attacker.
Batō seemed unbothered by the silence. He crouched and carefully removed the shattered remains of the mask.
Beneath it was a face covered in scars.
Crisscrossing marks almost completely obscured the man's features.
Now that the crimson madness had faded from his eyes due to his injuries, he looked almost like an ordinary person.
"This man…" Batō said slowly, feigning hesitation. "From his chakra signature, he appears to be a member of the Chinoike clan."
From their distant observation point, Yami and Yashiro exchanged a serious glance.
"That face…" Yashiro frowned. "I've never seen it on any Chinoike roster."
Yami expanded Kagura's Mind's Eye further, carefully sensing the chakra beneath the scarred visage.
It was indeed of the Chinoike clan.
Yet there was something strange mixed within it—something difficult to describe.
Batō called for his subordinates to carry the unconscious assassin away—
But A raised a hand, stopping them.
The Kumogakure heir personally lifted the wounded man onto his shoulder and began walking toward the Chinoike settlement.
Batō followed behind.
In the instant A turned away, a faint glimmer flashed in Batō's eyes—so subtle it was almost impossible to notice.
Both men were elite shinobi. Even carrying the injured attacker did little to slow them down.
Within ten minutes, the outline of the settlement came into view.
At first glance, the level of decay shocked A.
Crude stone huts were scattered across the valley floor.
Most of the clan members wore tattered clothing, their faces gaunt and hollow.
Only a handful dressed like shinobi still maintained some dignity, though even they bore the unmistakable signs of long-term malnutrition.
So this… is the Chinoike clan that once rivaled the Uchiha…
A thought silently.
Now he understood why his father had entrusted him with this mission—and given him full authority to decide.
If he could bring this fallen bloodline clan under Kumogakure's banner—
It would be a tremendous political asset.
But only if he could earn their loyalty through strength.
Simply unleashing a pack of starving wolves was not an option.
---
At the entrance to the settlement, Chinoike Momoe had already gathered the clan elders to await their arrival.
Their Ketsuryūgan glowed faintly—not as a threat, but as a deliberate display of the clan's value.
The moment A and Batō appeared, murmurs spread among the gathered villagers.
Some eyes lit up with hope, believing this meeting might change their imprisoned fate.
Others glared at Batō with naked hatred.
Momoe stepped forward, suppressing the restless emotions behind her.
"Envoy of Kumogakure," she said with a slight bow. "May I ask your name?"
Her gaze lingered on A briefly.
Then she noticed the unconscious man slung over his shoulder—and her confusion deepened.
"A."
He set the injured assassin on the ground.
"I encountered this… welcoming party on the way here."
He glanced toward her calmly.
"Clan Leader, do you recognize him?"
At the mention of Raikage, a flicker of emotion passed through Momoe's expression.
She forced herself to remain composed.
But when she heard the rest of his words—
Her face changed instantly.
Momoe hurried forward and crouched beside the injured man, examining the scarred face carefully.
A trace of confusion flashed in her eyes.
"This face… it's impossible to identify him."
She pried open his mouth to inspect further—and immediately drew in a sharp breath.
His tongue had been cut off at the root.
"This is… a dead operative?"
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
Realizing her mistake, alarm bells rang in her mind.
Just as she was about to recover the situation, the previously silent Uchiha Batō suddenly spoke.
"When he attacked Lord A, his eyes indeed manifested the Ketsuryūgan. Both Lord A and I can testify to that."
Momoe shot Batō a furious glare and quickly tried to explain.
"There is no such person within our clan. There must be some misunderstanding."
Behind her, one of the elders seemed to recognize something. His expression shifted as if he were about to speak—
But another elder beside him shot him a warning glance, silencing him instantly.
A quietly observed everything.
He had already begun forming his conclusions.
Sweeping his gaze across the crowd, he spoke in a loud, steady voice.
"I came here on behalf of Kumogakure to offer you a chance to regain your freedom."
He pointed down at the assassin.
"But before that… I believe your clan owes me a reasonable explanation for this."
Momoe's face turned pale.
She knew this was a test.
If she failed to resolve this matter properly, the Chinoike clan's final hope of returning to the shinobi world would vanish.
"Please give us three days… no—two days!"
She took a deep breath.
"In two days, I will uncover the truth."
A's sharp eyes swept across the assembled clan members before settling back on Momoe.
"Fine."
He paused briefly.
"But I'll give you three days."
"Three days from now, I leave for Kumogakure. If by then you cannot provide a satisfactory answer…"
His voice grew colder.
"Kumogakure will permanently close its doors to the Chinoike clan."
With that, he turned and left.
Batō followed close behind.
---
The Chinoike clansmen looked at one another anxiously.
The air buzzed with unease.
The faint smile Momoe had forced onto her face disappeared entirely, replaced by a frost-cold expression.
She understood perfectly.
Those three days were not a negotiation.
They were a deadline—
A mercy granted by someone in a position of power.
If she foolishly treated it otherwise, she would doom the entire clan.
This matter had to be resolved immediately.
"Take him with us."
She pointed at the assassin on the ground and waved her hand sharply.
"Call a clan assembly. Now."
---
Elsewhere, after A and Batō had walked far enough away, Uchiha Yashiro also returned to the Uchiha camp.
At this point, he needed to sound out his clan uncle.
He could no longer understand Batō's intentions.
Everything that had happened so far left him deeply puzzled.
With Batō's strength, if he truly wished to curry favor with—or even defect to—Kumogakure…
Why go through such elaborate schemes?
---
After everyone left, only Yami remained hidden in the shadows.
He slowly rubbed his chin.
The three-day deadline was perfect.
It gave him exactly enough time to arrange the next phase of his plan.
And that mysterious Ketsuryūgan assassin—
His identity intrigued Yami immensely.
Just as he was thinking about it, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"…Wait."
He blinked.
"What exactly was my mission here again?"