They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 212 Where is my son, Xinyue?

Perhaps it was due to confidence in the operation three days later, or perhaps it was due to disdain for his elder brother.

The whole country has been unusually quiet these past few days.

The residents of the entire capital no longer heard the sounds of clashing weapons and shouts in the middle of the night, and the next morning they did not see the blood-stained paving stones, which made the residents feel a little uneasy for a while.

However, just when they thought this was a sign that the riots were gradually subsiding and order was returning, little did they know that the real storm was about to break.

"How is it? Doesn't this outfit make me look majestic and suit this day perfectly?"

With the help of his maids, the second prince, Shui Du Fu, put on a bright red suit of armor and admired himself in the mirror for a long time, quite satisfied.

As the son of a powerful family, he naturally possessed excellent genes and enjoyed a pampered life from a young age, so his appearance was naturally quite good.

Unfortunately, having grown up under the care of women, he showed no heroic spirit when he put on this armor. Instead, he appeared even more effeminate, like a monkey wearing a crown, which made people laugh.

"The boss hasn't made any moves these past few days, so he's probably up to nothing and is probably plotting something underhanded."

Shui Dufu was quite surprised by Shui Yayan's calm demeanor these past few days.

He was waiting for the right opportunity to gather manpower to storm the castle tower, so he hadn't sent anyone out to cause trouble these past few days.

So, what is Mizuhiko waiting for with such calmness?

Are we just waiting to die?

"He might even be dreaming of ascending to the throne amidst the throng of courtiers after the daimyo's death!"

"He'd never have imagined, Your Highness, that you'd be preparing to strike at his root!"

The maid who was dressing him in armor glanced around and, after confirming that the princess and the lady-in-waiting were not there, quickly said something in a flattering tone.

"Hmm?! That makes sense... Good, very good!"

Shui Dufu was very satisfied with the answer. He slowly placed his hands on the maid's waist and said in a flirtatious tone, "You have a good tongue. After I succeed today, I will reward you with my first night as my lord! Come to my room tonight and let me see just how sweet your tongue is."

After leaving behind this grand promise, Shui Du Fu, smug and self-satisfied, straightened his hood and strode out, leaving the maid behind, waiting expectantly for a night destined to end in vain.

-

An hour later, at the residence of Prince Miyasuke, the younger brother of Daimyo Keita.

"Who are you? Do you know whose residence this is?"

The steward of the Prince's mansion looked at the men in black who had stormed in and slaughtered the Prince's guards, and shouted in a panicked voice.

However, he quickly noticed the kunai in the newcomer's hand and immediately recognized his profession.

"Ninjas? Where did you ninjas come from?"

"This is the residence of Prince Miyasuke, the younger brother of the current daimyo. If you leave now, this matter can still be discussed; otherwise, not only you, but your families will also suffer!"

"You should know that the leader of Kirigakure is the adopted son of the daimyo, who is also the nephew of our prince. If you don't retreat now, don't blame us for being impolite when the Kirigakure ninja arrive!"

Upon recognizing these people's professions, the butler immediately straightened his back. As the prince's butler, he naturally had no liking for these lowly ninjas and directly shouted at them.

Upon hearing this, the leader of the group of men in black did not become angry. Instead, he stepped forward and asked the steward:

"Prince Miyasuke? Is he at his residence?"

"The Prince? He's naturally at his residence..."

Before the butler could finish speaking, the leader of the men in black stabbed him in the chest with a kunai. His eyes widened, and he collapsed with an incredulous expression on his face.

"Now that I'm here, what am I afraid of Kirigakure?"

The ninja in black looked at the butler, who had fallen dead with his eyes wide open, and sneered.

The black-clad ninja then swiftly arrived at the backyard and cleanly and efficiently killed Prince Miyasuke, who was enjoying his breakfast.

"Hurry up, move quickly! We'll be moving on to the next target in five minutes! This is only the first one; there are three more on the list waiting for us!"

The ninja in black watched his subordinates ransacking the place searching for valuables, and urged them on while calculating the time.

Although Shui Dufu had already given the reward money in advance, why not take this free money?

This dirty work of cleaning up the royal relatives was naturally not something that could be done by someone from Shuidufu, since he was going to become a daimyo in the future and he also had to save face.

So this kind of thing fell to these black market hired ninjas. Anyway, they used aliases in the black market, so after they finished this job, they could just change their names and continue their activities.

"But such a good opportunity only has four winners... I really envy Kakuzu, he got eight all by himself..."

The leader in black looked at the messy Prince's mansion before him, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. But then he remembered Kakuzu's terrifying strength, and instantly shuddered, no longer thinking about it.

What happened at Prince Miyasuke's residence was not an isolated case. At this moment, in the entire capital, the residences of all nobles who were related to the daimyo by blood and had the right to inherit the daimyo's position were brutally massacred by a group of black-clad ninjas.

Although these nobles' mansions were guarded by ninjas or samurai who possessed chakra powers, they were still no match for the black market ninjas that the Water City had hired at great expense.

In particular, one of the guys, covered in black tentacles and wearing four masks on his back, was incredibly powerful. In a short period of time, he single-handedly massacred eight noble mansions, making him the most efficient team among all the squads.

If these nobles who were related to the daimyo by blood were like this, then the household of the eldest prince, Mizuhiko, would naturally be no exception.

To ensure that his elder brother would never pose a threat to him again, the team attacking Mizuhiko was personally led by Mizuto Tomioka.

Of course, to avoid leaks, he did not appear at the scene, but waited for the results at a restaurant not far from the scene.

"Your Highness, we are too late. The eldest prince is not at the residence."

"What?"

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Shui Dufu's previously nonchalant expression immediately crumbled, and he slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"We interrogated some of the servants in the manor, and it seems that the eldest prince had already gone to the castle tower several days ago."

To prevent Shui Dufu from killing him in a fit of rage, the man quickly revealed the information he had previously obtained.

"Castle Keep?"

Shui Dufu turned his head to look at the tallest building in the city, a complex expression flashing across his face, but then a look of madness appeared in his eyes.

"Old man, it seems you've finally chosen the eldest brother..."

"But if that's the case, why did you give me hope in the first place?"

"Since that's the case, then don't blame me..."

Shui Dufu gazed intently at the castle tower in the distance.

-

Three o'clock in the afternoon is usually the busiest time of day for business.

However, due to the riots of the past few days, only a few leaves are fluttering in the wind on the once bustling streets.

The guards standing at the gate of the castle tower were all dressed in a dignified and neat manner, and were conscientiously and diligently guarding the surroundings.

Well, all of this is just on the surface.

As seasoned veterans guarding the castle tower, these guards naturally have a double standard, maintaining an outward dignity while keeping their minds completely blank.

"Shin-suke, how much longer until you're laid off?"

A voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz rang out, and one of the guards, with his mouth tightly shut and his face expressionless, questioned his companion opposite him.

"Two hours, thirty-five minutes, and twenty seconds."

The other guard answered in the same way.

"Damn it, those bastards said something might happen in the next few days and told us to be on our guard... But instead, they just sat inside the room while we were left outside in the wind..."

"What do you mean nothing happened? This is the castle tower! Who's so blind as to cause trouble here?"

Before the guard could finish speaking, a series of sounds suddenly came from the previously quiet street, as if a vast army was surging towards them.

Boom!

Boom!

At the street corner, Shui Du Fu, dressed in bright red armor, appeared in their sights first, followed by a group of guards in uniform, and then a group of wandering ninjas who looked like a ragtag army.

As the crowd gradually approached, the two who had been slacking off changed their ways and, regardless of whether there was water ahead, immediately activated the warning device.

clang!

clang!

As the alarms sounded, a large number of guards emerged from inside the castle tower, standing on the tower with sharp blades in hand, confronting Shui Dufu and his men.

"Hmm? That voice..."

Upon hearing this voice, Shui Jingtai, who was lying on his sickbed, sat up abruptly as if he had been doused with cold water.

He knew full well that this warning sound wouldn't normally appear, and its appearance during this particular period meant...

With the help of his maids, Mizuki arrived at the outer edge of the castle tower's top floor and, as expected, saw Mizuki and his men confronting the guards.

"That unfilial son... what is he trying to do!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Shui Jingtai was overwhelmed by intense emotions, his blood surging in his chest, and he coughed up a large amount of black blood.

Shui Dufu, who was standing at the door, naturally had no idea that his father was watching him from the top floor of the castle tower. He was even so shocked that his blood surged and he suffered another serious injury.

However, given Shui Dufu's personality, he might not care even if he knew, since his purpose in coming here was to see his father off. If he could achieve his wish at this time, he might be even happier.

"Second Prince, halt!"

"No one may enter the castle tower without the daimyo's permission!"

The ninjas of the Yanagisawa clan stepped in to try to stop Mizuto Tomio's actions.

Shui Dufu's reaction to the obstruction from the Liu Ze clan was quite simple.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a swarm of guards and ninjas who surged forward, charging past him with reckless abandon, driven by the promise of bounty and future prospects.

"mob!"

Seeing Mizuto's actions, the ninja Yanagisawa immediately abandoned his unrealistic ideas and began to arrange for people to defend against the attack from below.

The Yanagisawa clan is certainly not limited to this "life link". Having lived in the Land of Water for decades, their mastery of Water Release ninjutsu is beyond question.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

As the ninja Yanagisawa formed hand seals, an enormous water dragon rose from the pond on one side, its scarlet eyes wide open, and with a roar, it charged towards the group of guards outside the gate.

In the ninja world, the gap between ordinary people and ninjas, especially high-ranking ninjas, is insurmountable.

Under the power of this B-rank ninjutsu, the previously aggressive guards were immediately routed and fled in panic, retreating without even touching the gate.

Seeing the ninjas from the Daimyo's side enter the fray, the ninjas from the Mizuto-fu side, who had received the money, naturally refused to be outdone and also joined the battle.

"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"

A huge fireball suddenly appeared and rushed towards the gate, but it soon encountered a solid wall of water. With a hiss, violent steam rose from the gate.

Covered by the moisture, the group of ninjas gathered chakra under their feet and easily dodged the arrows shot by the castle guards, stepping on the walls to climb directly onto the castle wall.

However, what awaited them was the ninjutsu and shuriken that the Yanagisawa clan ninjas had prepared long ago.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Lightning Release: Exploding Lightning!"

……

On the wall, unusual phenomena such as wind, water, thunder, and fire appeared one after another, making the place look like a real-life set from a special effects blockbuster movie.

Unfortunately, although the Yanagisawa clan's ninjas were easily defeated by Hozuki Shingetsu, they were still quite skilled compared to the wandering and black market hired ninjas outside.

After a brief melee, all the wandering ninjas who had climbed the city walls were wiped out by the Yanagisawa clan's ninjas.

"Where's Hozuki Shingetsu? Wasn't he supposed to hold off the Yanagisawa clan ninjas?!"

Upon seeing this scene, Shui Dufu, no longer as calm as before, let out a helpless roar.

"The previous contract was to eliminate those nobles, but if you're willing to pay more, I might be able to help you solve this urgent problem."

Just as Mizuto Tomio let out a helpless roar and was about to contact Kusaka Seito to contact Hozuki Shingetsu, a hoarse voice rang out, and Kazuka, dressed in a black robe, stepped out from behind him.

In fact, normally Kakuzu wouldn't even glance at bounty missions like these.

However, last year, the news was somehow leaked, and a thief stole all the pension money he had saved.

That's why he's been taking on so many jobs this year, trying to recover his savings as soon as possible.

"That wretched little thief, you better not let me find you, or else..."

Even now, when he thinks about it, Kakuzu's heart is still filled with indescribable pain.

"If you can deal with them, I'll give you fifty million taels!"

Shui Du Fu looked at Kakuzu, recognized the ninja who was quite famous in the black market, and readily agreed.

Kakuzu, having received a positive response from Mizuto, nodded in satisfaction and arrived in front of the castle tower.

"Here we go again... Only one person this time? They really don't learn their lesson!"

The ninja Yanagisawa looked down at Kakuzu and, not recognizing him, mocked him.

However, he soon paid the price for his actions.

Kakuzu, whose pension was stolen, has gone completely insane in his pursuit of money.

Perhaps in order to make a good impression on his boss and lay a good foundation for the next cooperation, Kakuzu, having obtained a bounty of 1.66 Asuma, directly used his ultimate move, splitting into five masked shadow clones, and unleashed a barrage of attacks on the gate of the castle tower.

"Fire Release: Head Carving!"

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

"Water Release: Water Curtain!"

"Earth Release·Earth Spear!"

The five chakra nature ninjutsu complemented each other, and although it was not as good as Hiruzen Sarutobi's "Five Elements: Great Combo Technique", it was still beyond the reach of this Jonin Yanagisawa.

The ninjas on the wall tried to defend themselves with water walls and earthen walls, but they were easily defeated by the five-colored ninjutsu.

Against the backdrop of five colors—red, yellow, blue, green, and white—the castle tower and its nearby guards were all wiped out.

"Good...very good! If things go smoothly from here on out, I'll give you another hundred million!"

Seeing this scene, Shui Du Fu was quite savvy and immediately announced that he would increase Kakuzu's salary after he won the title of Daimyo.

In his opinion, Kakuzu is fully capable of rivaling Hozuki Shingetsu in strength.

However, Hozuki Shingetsu failed to appear at the appointed time, forcing him to take precautions.

"It's a deal!"

As expected, Kakuzu's eyes lit up immediately when he heard these words.

Even with his abilities, it would have taken him several years to earn 100 million taels in the past.

Now, all he needs to do is focus on ensuring this person achieves the daimyo position, and he can easily obtain 100 million. For him, this is like a windfall!

"I promise I'll take care of anyone who gets in your way."

Kakuzu's eyes suddenly blazed with fierce fighting spirit. He was willing to go after even Hashirama Senju if the money was right. Could there be someone here who was even more terrifying than Hashirama Senju?

Led by Kakuzu, Mizuto and his group made rapid progress to the top floor of the castle tower, where they met Mizu Keita, who was lying on his sickbed.

"You unfilial son! Do you know what you're doing?"

Shui Jingtai leaned against the headboard and sternly questioned Shui Dufu.

"What am I doing? Is it strange? I'm just trying to take back what's rightfully mine."

When Shui Du Fu saw that there was no one else besides Yanagisawa Takashi, he immediately felt relieved.

Faced with his father's question, he stopped pretending and laid his cards on the table.

"Back then, you were the one who spoke ill of my elder brother to me every day. You were the one who told me that you would make me the crown prince when I grew up. You planted the seeds of that inappropriate thought in my heart. And now, you ask me what I'm here for?"

Mizuto Fu gave Mizu Keita a mocking look and said, "You haven't really been bewitched by those movies directed by Hozuki Shingetsu, have you? You actually think you're a wise and benevolent ruler? What a joke!"

When Shui Jingtai heard this, he saw the disdain in the eyes of his most beloved son, and he couldn't catch his breath, so he started coughing incessantly.

"Forget it, there's no point in talking to you about this. Just hand over your elder brother! That way, I can let you live out your days in peace and tranquility in your high position."

Seeing this scene before him, Shui Dufu felt a sense of loss, as if something he had struggled to obtain before was now easily obtained.

"Yahiko?...Isn't he at his own residence? How could he be here with me?"

Looking into Shui Jingtai's eyes, Shui Dufu sensed that he wasn't lying and was immediately surprised.

"Where else could he be at this point if not here?... Oh well, since that's how it is, let's send you on your way! The outcome will be the same anyway."

After finishing speaking, Mizuto waved his right hand, and Kakuzu, seeing this gesture, immediately came to Mizuto's side, ready to finish him off.

"I mean, aren't you underestimating me?"

Yanagisawa Takashi grabbed Kakuzu's wrist and slashed his neck with a kunai.

puff!

The sound of a kunai slicing through a neck rang out, but before Yanagisawa Takamasa could fully show a smile, his eyes revealed a look of terror.

At this moment, Kakuzu, whose neck had been severed at the root, was not dead. Instead, his head slowly turned to look at Yanagisawa Takashiro, supported by the black tentacles that kept emerging from his neck.

"Who are you?"

"Is it valuable?"

Yanagisawa Takashiro was stunned speechless by this superhuman scene, and then Kakuzu pierced his heart with a tentacle.

"...It's worthless yet they still jump out... Oh well, I'll just consider it an extra heart reserve!"

As Kakuzu muttered to himself, he used his black tentacles to pull Yanagisawa Takamasa's heart from his chest. Then, supported by the black tentacles, he turned his head again, holding the dripping heart in his hand, and looked at Mizu Keita.

"Well...ah, the troublesome person is gone, let's continue."

Even the well-informed Shui Keita was still shocked by the bloody scene and his sanity plummeted.

In desperation, he couldn't help but cry out in terror:

"Where is my son, Crescent Moon?"

(End of this chapter)