DAIMYO: Chapter 91/92

Chapter 91: The Storm is Coming

Night fell, and the moon was obscured by clouds.

In the western part of the Land of Fire, within a canyon that was little more than a vague mark on the map.

The terrain was rugged and treacherous, making it a natural place to hide.

Nine figures swept into the depths of the canyon. After confirming there were no pursuers, they finally came to a halt.

"This is it."

A Kumo scout unrolled a map, his voice hoarse from the grueling journey.

They had detoured through the Land of Water, then rushed from the eastern Land of Fire all the way to this remote area, crossing more than half the country.

Even if they were made of iron, they were now approaching their limits.

A stood atop a large rock, surveying the surroundings. "Quickly set up the barrier."

"Yes!"

The remaining Kumo shinobi immediately moved into action, swiftly setting up several advanced concealment barriers around the canyon.

Soon, their Chakra signatures merged into the terrain, rendering them undetectable to ordinary sensory Ninjutsu.

With the barrier complete, everyone exhaled in relief. Their taut nerves eased, and the overwhelming fatigue rushed in.

Several shinobi staggered and nearly collapsed on the spot.

Killer B gently set down Mabui, who had been slung over his shoulder during the long flight.

The kunoichi, who had endured hours of relentless jostling, was pale. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out and she slid down against the rock wall, unable to stand.

The usually energetic and loud Killer B stood silently beside her.

The playful grin on his face was long gone, replaced by a solemn expression.

A leapt down from the boulder. His sharp gaze swept across the exhausted faces around him.

"Rest in place for half an hour."

The order took everyone by surprise.

One shinobi couldn't help but speak. "Raikage-sama, time is critical…"

"I know time is critical," A interrupted sharply. "But exhausted soldiers are no good to me."

"I need everyone at full strength for the next phase."

"That's an order."

"Yes!"

No one raised further objections.

Each found a place to sit, took out soldier pills and water, and began recovering as fast as they could.

B and Mabui also leaned quietly against the canyon wall, not wasting energy pretending to be strong.

Time passed quickly.

After just under an hour, seeing that everyone had regained their strength, A's voice rang out once more.

"Move out."

The Kumo shinobi stood up immediately.

Mabui walked to the center of the canyon and unrolled a massive sealing scroll on the ground.

She took a deep breath, then formed hand signs and began activating the intricate Jutsu inscribed on the scroll.

Everyone present knew the core of this operation.

The key was the reverse formation Mabui was now deploying.

This forbidden-level space-time Ninjutsu was, in theory, capable of transporting the main army of Kumo directly into the Land of Fire.

But that was only in theory.

A teleportation of such scale required an astronomical amount of Chakra as an activation cost.

With only the nine of them present, it was impossible to bring over the full army in one go.

According to their pre-arranged plan, they would first open a small-scale channel, enough to teleport ten elite shinobi already on standby back in the village.

For an attack on Konoha, that number was like a drop in the ocean.

But the true value of the formation was its ability to store energy.

Once the structure was complete, they could continue pouring Chakra into it.

The more Chakra stored, the exponentially greater the teleportation scale would be.

From now on, it was a race against time.

They had to amass enough energy in the formation to transport the main force before Konoha discovered them.

A watched the complex formation light up with a faint glow as Chakra was poured in. His gaze sharpened.

He didn't need anyone to remind him of the risks.

This was already an all-in gamble.

"Split into three groups," A ordered. His tone was crisp and decisive.

"One on watch. The other two rotate Chakra input into the formation."

He looked at his silent younger brother.

"B, you and I will stay on standby to support."

"Everyone else, begin."

"Yes!"

No one hesitated.

Two Kumo shinobi immediately sat cross-legged, placing their hands on the formation's energy nodes and began steadily transmitting Chakra.

Their grief was buried, transformed into iron resolve.

Doro... and all the fallen comrades...

Konoha will pay the price.

We'll offer them the head of the Fourth Hokage as tribute to your spirits.

…Meanwhile.

Konoha Village, Hokage Building.

Inside the office, a heavy silence filled the air.

Minato held a confidential report in hand, brows deeply furrowed.

"Message from the Daimyo Manor. The Daimyo has decided to depart early for Konoha to observe the Chūnin Exams."

As his voice landed, it was like a thunderclap.

"What?!" Koharu exclaimed in shock. "That's absurd! Completely reckless!"

"Doesn't he understand he might be the target of those Kumo lunatics?!"

"Minato, send a letter to stop him immediately!" Homura slammed the table. "As Daimyo, to personally place himself in danger is irresponsible to the entire Land of Fire!"

Despite their outrage, Minato remained composed.

"Elders, please calm down," he said evenly. "The Daimyo is being escorted by all members of the Guardian Ninja Twelve."

"And his personal Shadow Guard."

"In addition, the hundred elite shinobi we dispatched have joined his entourage and are currently en route."

As Minato listed off the escort details, the Advisors' expressions froze.

They weren't fools.

The Guardian Ninja Twelve.

A mysterious unit.

Over a hundred elite Konoha shinobi.

That level of protection was excessive for a Daimyo visit, but perhaps not enough considering the potential target on his back.

Both Koharu and Homura exchanged looks.

"The Daimyo… is using himself as bait?" Homura's voice trembled.

His words pierced like a blade.

Shame surged in their hearts.

Why would the Daimyo do this?

Because Konoha, the so-called strongest shinobi village couldn't even catch a dozen intruders.

Because Hyuga Hiashi, with over a hundred elites, had his net torn apart by a suicide squad.

This was Konoha's failure.

Their shame.

A slap in the face to the entire leadership.

"Luring the snake out of its hole…" Homura gritted his teeth. "To kill the enemy we couldn't find…"

"The strongest village in the shinobi world…" Koharu slumped into her chair, her voice filled with bitter self-mockery.

"And we need the Daimyo to clean up our mess…"

"What a cruel irony."

Minato clenched his fists, his silence heavier than their words.

As Hokage, the humiliation struck him deeper than anyone else.

The Daimyo had not uttered a single word of blame.

And that made it worse than any scolding.

It was a silent indictment.

Konoha, you are incompetent.

A moment later, Minato suddenly stood.

His voice no longer carried its usual calm.

"Order!"

"Raise the village's alert level to maximum!"

"Anbu will take full control of the Chūnin Exams venue. A triple-layered barrier will be deployed."

"All shinobi on leave are to return to duty immediately. Patrol frequency is to be increased. All suspicious individuals must be investigated thoroughly!"

He paused, then added.

"Draft a detailed reception and escort plan for the Daimyo. I will review it personally."

"His safety during this visit is our top priority!"

"Konoha... cannot afford another mistake."

As the orders were issued, multiple Anbu instantly disappeared into the village.

The Konoha war machine roared to life once again.

All for the sake of one visit from the Daimyo.

All to preserve the dignity of the strongest village.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 92: Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Obito Behind

Hidden Mist Village.

The air was filled with the scent of the sea.

Inside the Mizukage Building, in the office.

The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, sat silently in the main seat. His purple pupils were unfocused, staring blankly at the documents in front of him.

He looked like a puppet whose soul had been drawn out.

In the corner of the office, shadows writhed as the wall softened like a pool of sludge.

A pure white figure with a swirling head slowly squeezed through.

His movements were comical, but his presence gave off an eerie chill.

It was Tobi, a special White Zetsu.

He peeked around the room, then bounced over to Yagura's desk, greeting him in an exaggerated tone.

"Yo, Mizukage-sama, still working hard? You're so diligent!"

Yagura didn't respond.

Tobi pouted in boredom, then twisted his body and phased directly through the thick back wall of the office.

Behind the wall was a hidden chamber.

Pitch black.

The room was sealed by a powerful barrier that completely cut off all outside perception.

"Obito, Obito! I found a huge secret!" Tobi shouted as soon as he arrived.

The space in front of him instantly distorted. A swirling black vortex spun open.

A tall figure stepped out, and with him came a cold, oppressive aura that filled the room.

Uchiha Obito.

He wasn't wearing a mask.

Half of his face was covered in horrific scars, twisted and grotesque. A crimson Sharingan spun silently within it.

The other half was replaced with pale, artificial tissue made of Hashirama cells. Lifeless, yet exuding terrifying pressure.

"Shut up, Tobi." Obito's voice was hoarse and cold, full of irritation.

He was in a foul mood.

Nagato had grown increasingly unmanageable, and the resistance from Hidden Mist was becoming a constant thorn in his side.

He had no patience left for Tobi's nonsense.

"Ah, don't be so cold, Obito." Tobi twisted his body in a goofy way.

"I'm Madara now."

"Ah, yes yes, Madara-sama, Madara-sama! I found a huge secret!"

"Speak."

Tobi leaned in, lowered his voice, and whispered, "I found where the Raikage's team is hiding."

Obito's expression turned even colder, and he snorted.

"A bunch of strays. Why would I care?"

To him, this so-called infiltration from Kumo was nothing more than suicide.

"No no no, this time it's different!" Tobi's voice lowered to a whisper. "The Fourth Raikage is with them! Guess what they're doing?"

"The Raikage?" Obito narrowed his eyes. "What are they doing?"

Tobi gestured exaggeratedly.

"They're setting up a super, super huge teleportation formation!"

Obito's Sharingan narrowed sharply and locked onto Tobi.

"Teleportation formation?"

"Yes, yes!" Tobi nodded furiously. "I saw it myself! Just now, swoosh, ten Kumo shinobi appeared out of nowhere!"

"And the formation is still glowing, constantly absorbing Chakra. Looks like it can send even more people!"

Obito's heart skipped a beat.

Ultra-long range.

Sustained activation.

Batch teleportation.

And the Raikage was personally overseeing it?

These pieces fit together in an instant.

So that's it.

This wasn't just infiltration or assassination.

Kumo wasn't just provoking Konoha.

They were planning full-scale annihilation, going all-in.

They were bypassing all of the Land of Fire's outer defenses, using a spatial technique to directly deploy their forces behind enemy lines.

Right in front of Konoha, while most of its forces were still stationed at the borders.

Obito's three-tomoe Sharingan began to spin, then quickly transformed into his Mangekyō.

Excitement and cruelty surged within him.

"Tobi."

"Here, here!"

"Have the other White Zetsu monitor them closely." Obito's voice was chilling. "I want a report every time someone is teleported. How many, and when."

"There must be no mistakes."

"Got it! Leave it to me!" Tobi responded with a salute, then vanished into the wall again.

The secret chamber fell into silence once more.

Obito stood still in the darkness.

A moment later, he spoke toward the shadows.

"Black Zetsu, did you hear that?"

The ground wriggled.

Black Zetsu's upper body slowly emerged, his sinister face carrying a twisted grin.

"I heard. This is indeed an opportunity."

"When Konoha and Kumo destroy each other, we'll—"

"No." Obito cut him off. "Now is not the time to take the Nine-Tails."

Black Zetsu paused, then chuckled.

He's grown.

Obito didn't look at him.

Memories shimmered in the depths of his crimson Mangekyō.

Minato-sensei. Kakashi. Rin.

This rotting world doesn't deserve any of them.

Let Kumo's lightning and Konoha's fire burn it all to ash.

…

At the same time, in the distant Fire Capital.

The sky had not yet brightened. A layer of morning mist lingered over the earth.

But the Daimyo Manor was already fully lit. Servants bustled about.

Last night, Arashi had not gone to Ragyō's room, but instead visited Mei, whom he hadn't seen in a while.

Inside her chambers, incense curled through the air.

Mei was carefully dressing him, smoothing his robes with elegant, practiced movements. Her demeanor was gentle, with a soft, obedient smile.

Clearly, she knew how to act in her current position.

Arashi glanced down at the elegant bun in her hair and the graceful curve of her neck, then suddenly said, "I know what you've been up to lately."

Mei's hand paused slightly but continued as if she hadn't heard.

"I'm glad you didn't run," Arashi said, his tone light. "So I allowed you some freedom to do as you pleased."

"But… when I return, I expect you to be here again."

Mei lowered her head, her voice quiet and submissive.

"Shizumi understands."

"It better be so," Arashi replied.

"Otherwise…"

The last two words were barely audible.

Mei's expression stiffened, but her smile quickly returned.

"Shizumi will wait obediently for Daimyo-sama's return."

Arashi gave a small smile and gently patted her cheek.

Then he turned and walked out of the hall.

His footsteps slowly faded into the distance.

(To be continued.)