DAIMYO: Chapter 85/86

Chapter 85: At Four Years Old

On the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, the air was thick with the scent of blood and scorched earth.

The battle had just ended.

A squad of shinobi led by Uchiha Fugaku was clearing the battlefield.

Fugaku's face was emotionless as he assessed the battle damage.

After confirming everything, he was about to order the team to retreat when his eye twitched slightly.

In his peripheral vision, a faint chakra signature flickered.

In the next instant, he appeared behind a boulder.

A Kumo child shinobi, about ten years old, was slumped against the rock, covered in blood. His right hand clutched a kunai, trembling uncontrollably.

Several Konoha shinobi followed closely behind. When they saw a survivor, their killing intent surged.

A Sarutobi clan shinobi glanced at the boy's youthful face. His expression shifted slightly but then turned cold.

On the battlefield, there were no children, only enemies.

Just as one of them was about to strike, Fugaku raised his hand.

"Stand down."

The team member was puzzled, but orders were orders, so he stepped back without question.

They surrounded the Kumo child, ensuring he couldn't escape.

Fugaku turned his head and looked to the rear of the squad.

There, a four-year-old child was being led by the hand by an Uchiha clansman.

The small body wore the Uchiha clan's high-collared combat uniform, which looked far too big on him.

The child's eyes were black and clear.

He looked at the bloody battlefield with fear in his gaze.

"Itachi."

Fugaku's voice rang out.

The young Itachi shuddered instinctively and quickly ran over on his short legs, stumbling as he reached his father's side.

"Father," he called softly, his voice childlike.

"Do you see that person?" Fugaku pointed at the Kumo boy. "Go. Kill him."

His tone was calm, but the words were cruel.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze.

The shinobi nearby were all stunned.

Make a four-year-old child... kill someone?

Was this man insane?

But the surrounding Uchiha clansmen fell silent.

They had all passed through this same trial. It was the fate of the Uchiha.

But Itachi was the youngest among them to face it.

Their eyes fell on the small figure. Their expressions were complicated, with a faint trace of hidden pity.

Itachi stood frozen.

He looked at the blood-covered enemy, then up at his father.

Fear quickly spread across his delicate little face.

"Father…" His voice trembled, close to sobbing.

"What is it?" Fugaku frowned. "Are you afraid?"

"I…"

"As my son, and the future of the Uchiha, you should understand this the moment you set foot on the battlefield."

"This is the shinobi world."

"If you don't kill him, it might be your comrades, your family, or even yourself lying there next time."

"Go!" Fugaku's voice suddenly rose. "Kill him!"

Tears welled up in Itachi's eyes, but he bit his lip hard, not letting them fall.

He accepted the short sword his father handed over. It felt heavy in his hands.

He slowly walked toward the Kumo child.

Each step was taken carefully and hesitantly.

With every step, the fear on his face deepened.

The Kumo boy looked at the approaching Itachi in surprise, then his expression turned red with shame.

"Damn you… you bastards… making a kid…"

He roared, using his last strength to convert fear into rage. He raised his kunai and lunged at Itachi.

"Ah!"

Itachi screamed, instinctively raising his sword to block.

Clang!

Metal clashed. The force knocked him back, and he rolled several times before coming to a stop.

His arm went numb from the impact, and the skin between his thumb and index finger split open, blood seeping out.

"Itachi!"

An Uchiha clansman instinctively stepped forward.

"Stop!" Fugaku's icy voice halted him in his tracks. "This is his trial. No one is allowed to interfere!"

His words were cold, but the fist hidden in his sleeve was tightly clenched.

The clansman froze in place, struggling visibly.

After landing a strike, the Kumo boy grew more ferocious. He charged forward, thrusting his kunai once more.

Itachi scrambled in fear, his movements clumsy.

Rip!

The kunai scraped across his arm, leaving a bloody gash.

The pain made Itachi's small face pale, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out.

Fugaku felt as though his heart had been twisted by an invisible hand.

But he still stood firm, face stern.

His son, the future Clan Head, had to overcome this on his own.

The battle continued.

Itachi was completely at a disadvantage, surviving only by instinct and talent.

Soon, he was covered in several more wounds, his small body filthy and bloodied. He looked utterly miserable.

"Enough, Clan Head Fugaku!" The Sarutobi shinobi finally couldn't stand it anymore. "He's just a child! This isn't a trial anymore…"

Fugaku gave him a cold glare, silencing him instantly.

"My son doesn't need your pity."

In that brief moment of distraction, the Kumo boy seized the opportunity, kicking Itachi hard in the stomach and sending him sprawling.

"Die, brat!"

The boy's face twisted with madness. He gripped his kunai tightly and plunged it toward Itachi's heart.

"Itachi!"

In that instant, Fugaku's cold face finally changed.

Paternal love ultimately broke through the Clan Head's indifference.

Chakra erupted from within him, and his figure vanished from sight.

But just at that moment, a sudden change occurred.

Itachi, lying on the ground, stared at the kunai rapidly approaching him.

The overwhelming fear, unwillingness, and desire to survive exploded within him.

Buzz!

In his pitch-black pupils, a crimson hue bloomed, and a single tomoe formed.

Sharingan.

Activated.

The moment the Sharingan awakened, the previously fast kunai appeared slow and clear in his vision.

His body, spurred on by imminent death, burst forth with an explosive strength.

He rolled at an extreme angle, barely avoiding the fatal strike.

Immediately after, he leaped up, and the short sword in his hand drew a clean arc from bottom to top.

Thud!

The sound of steel piercing flesh, soft yet chilling.

The Kumo boy froze.

He looked down in disbelief at the blood-stained tip of the blade protruding from his chest.

Fugaku, who had already dashed halfway forward, froze in place.

His eyes locked onto the crimson in his son's pupils.

Then, all the fear and anguish melted into uncontrollable pride and joy.

Four years old.

Faced with death, he awakened the Sharingan!

As expected of his son!

...Konoha, Hokage Building.

After reading the border report, Namikaze Minato secretly let out a breath of relief.

The Daimyo's warning had proven true.

If not for the order to strengthen patrols, this Kumo squad might have infiltrated unnoticed.

"What's wrong, Minato?"

Mitokado Homura, who was reviewing documents nearby, noticed the shift in Minato's expression.

Minato handed over the intelligence scroll.

After both Homura and Utatane Koharu finished reading, their expressions turned serious.

Yet behind that seriousness was a hint of dismissiveness.

"Hmph, they got lucky," Homura said coldly. "So the warning came true."

"The thugs from the Land of Lightning always resort to such underhanded tactics," Koharu added with disdain.

"But it was just a squad of a dozen people. Was it really necessary to send ten teams to chase them down? They're making a mountain out of a molehill."

"We can't afford carelessness," Minato said firmly. "The village should dispatch additional forces. Send Hyūga Hiashi."

The two advisors didn't object.

When it came to tracking, the Byakugan was indeed unmatched.

Soon, Hiashi arrived at the Hokage's office.

After receiving the mission, he immediately set out.

Seeing that Minato still seemed concerned, Koharu reassured him, "Don't worry. With Hiashi involved, they won't escape."

"Draft a standard report and send it to the Daimyo's manor," Homura instructed. "Let him see Konoha's efficiency."

Minato nodded silently and didn't argue.

But the unease in his heart hadn't subsided.

He had a lingering feeling… that things were far from over.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 86: Pursuit and Counter-Pursuit

The mountain forests of the Land of Fire were silent.

More than a dozen figures moved through the woods at high speed, their movements completely soundless.

At the front of the group, Fourth Raikage A wore a grim expression, his bronze skin tight with tension.

Despite his burly physique, his movement through the forest was nearly soundless.

"Still haven't shaken them off?"

His voice was extremely low, yet filled with suppressed rage.

At the flank of the team, a sweating Sensory Ninja, while sprinting, rapidly formed hand seals. His face had grown pale from the constant consumption of chakra.

"No, Raikage-sama!"

"Konoha's Sensory Ninja have locked onto us. There may even be members of the Hyūga Clan among them…"

"Also, the pursuit force Konoha sent numbers over fifty. We can't put any distance between us…"

Sensory-type Ninja.

The Hyūga Clan.

This news made every Kumo shinobi's heart sink.

The Byakugan.

That reconnaissance dōjutsu, said to have no blind spots, was a nightmare for all infiltration squads.

Under that level of insight, their stealth techniques and chakra suppression became a joke.

"Damn it!" the Raikage roared, slamming his fist into a nearby tree trunk.

At the rear of the group, Mabui, who was heavily protected, looked pale.

The prolonged high-speed movement had taken its toll, but she grit her teeth and kept moving.

She knew she was the core of this assassination mission.

If anything happened to her, the Heavenly Transfer Technique, meant to instantly bring Kumo's main force to Konoha's doorstep, could not be deployed.

The entire plan would be completely ruined.

Raikage A glanced at Mabui's state, and the killing intent in his heart surged further.

If this continued, they would all be dragged to their deaths!

He suddenly stopped, eyes filled with madness. "B, take Mabui and the others and keep going."

"I'll stay behind and hold them off!"

Killer B, who was adjusting his breathing in his usual rap rhythm, immediately froze, eyes wide in shock. "Big bro! What the hell are you saying, you idiot, you moron!"

"Shut up!" A's roar shook the leaves. "That's an order!"

"This plan determines the future of the Land of Lightning. It must not fail."

"Mabui cannot be harmed!"

"If I, the Raikage, stay behind to delay them, the success rate is highest!"

"No!" A voice more resolute than his own cut in.

Doro, vice-captain of the mission, stood in front of him, along with three other shinobi. Their expressions were firm and unwavering.

"Raikage-sama, you cannot act recklessly!"

Doro looked straight into A's angry eyes, without fear.

"If you and B's identities are exposed, Konoha will go into full alert. We won't be facing just one pursuit squad anymore."

"Exactly!" another shinobi added urgently. "If the Fourth Hokage is alerted, the entire surprise attack plan will be ruined!"

Their words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing A's fury in an instant.

Yes, he could die—but the fact that the Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki had infiltrated deep into the Land of Fire must never be exposed.

This didn't just concern the plan, it concerned the future of Kumogakure.

Seeing his hesitation, Doro stepped forward and knelt down heavily, his voice heavy with emotion. "Kumogakure has already lost one Raikage."

"The Third Raikage died of exhaustion, facing tens of thousands of enemies alone. That is a lifelong regret for every Kumo shinobi."

His voice was hoarse. His eyes were bloodshot. "We've failed once already. There cannot be a second time."

"We cannot stand by and watch the Fourth Raikage make the same mistake!"

"That's right!" the other three shouted in unison, dropping to one knee. Their eyes burned with unwavering determination.

"Please, you and B, take Mabui and continue forward!"

"Leave the rest to us!"

The four bowed their heads deeply, their posture resolute.

Looking at the four familiar faces before him, A's body trembled.

Anger, gratitude, unwillingness… all kinds of emotions surged through him, almost tearing him apart.

He clenched his fists tightly. The cracking of his joints echoed faintly, and he wanted to command them to move aside, using his authority as Raikage.

But he couldn't.

Because everything they said was right.

He and B must not be exposed.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his emotions and the surging Lightning Release chakra within him.

"Kumogakure will never forget your names."

"Neither will I."

"Please."

Doro looked up. A calm smile appeared on his face, as though he had already accepted his fate.

"Raikage-sama, we'll use Lightning Release: Clone Jutsu to create dozens of clones with identical chakra signatures and scatter them in all directions."

"Konoha's Sensory Ninja and the Hyūga's Byakugan will instantly be overwhelmed by the false targets."

"Unless they get close, they won't be able to tell who's real and who's fake."

"Even if they eliminate them one by one, it will take time."

"At that moment, please suppress your chakra to match ours. Maintain only the minimum level needed for movement."

He laid out his plan clearly and quickly.

"Though the Byakugan is powerful, if you mix with the clones, it'll create enough uncertainty to throw off their judgment."

"This is the most effective way to buy time for you!"

What a man, Doro.

Even when cornered, he could still make the calmest and most effective decisions.

A's eyes were bloodshot as he nodded heavily. "Good!"

With that, he no longer hesitated. He turned around and barked, "Let's go!"

Killer B glanced back at the four figures who would cover their retreat. He memorized their faces in silence, then picked up the exhausted Mabui and followed without a word.

The group immediately suppressed their presence, like wisps of smoke vanishing into the deeper darkness.

At the original location, the four of Doro slowly stood.

They exchanged glances and smiled.

Their expressions were fearless.

"Let's go," Doro said lightly, as if not heading into a life-or-death battle.

"For Kumogakure."

"For Raikage-sama!"

The next second, four massive chakra surges exploded!

Blinding lightning illuminated the forest like day.

Amid the crackling arcs, the four simultaneously formed hand seals.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Clone Jutsu!"

Dozens of clones, each with chakra signatures indistinguishable from their own, appeared and scattered in all directions with sharp bursts of sound.

At the same time.

Several kilometers behind them.

Hiashi was leading the pursuit squad as they moved swiftly through the forest.

Suddenly, a Sensory Ninja shouted, "Something's wrong! Hiashi! Dozens of chakra signatures just appeared ahead. Reinforcements!"

Hiashi didn't react immediately.

The veins around his eyes bulged as his Byakugan activated.

In his field of vision, thirteen chakra sources suddenly exploded, multiplying into dozens of identical ones scattering in all directions!

He shouted, instantly realizing the enemy's intent. "No! These aren't reinforcements!"

A Nara clan member next to him immediately followed up, "Those are Lightning Clones! They're using fake targets to cover their retreat!"

"So decisive… they're sacrificing themselves to buy time."

"Hiashi, we must split up. Even letting one escape could mean letting the real ones slip past!"

Using the lives of their own to buy escape time?

Hiashi's face was grim.

"Split up! Eliminate all the clones!"

"Everyone move! Don't let any of them get away!"

"Yes!"

At his command, dozens of Konoha shinobi responded in unison.

The squad instantly dispersed, forming dozens of pursuit teams that rushed toward the fleeing streaks of lightning.

Under the night sky, deep in the forest—

A silent slaughter was about to begin.

(To be continued.)