Chapter 123: The Death of the Daimyō of Fire Country! The Bloodied Day of the Capital City of the Land of Fire! (10,000-Word Masterpiece – Please Vote for Monthly Tickets)

Under the full force of the Daimyō of Fire Country’s Capital Mansion, one after another bounty poster was rapidly plastered across the Capital City of the Land of Fire. The sudden surge of attention drew countless eyes from every corner of the city.

The staggering reward of fifty million ryō was enough to shock many.

But even more shocking was the description of the criminal’s actions.

High-ranking nobles—countless of them—had been slaughtered in cold blood?

The mighty Yukiharu Clan, one of the most prestigious families in the Land of Fire, had been all but wiped out in a single day?

Curiosity got the better of some. A few dared to walk toward the Yukiharu Clan’s estate.

As they drew near, the thick, cloying stench of blood flooded their senses—rising from the ruins of the clan’s compound. The smell was so overpowering that several people gagged, their faces paling instantly.

One brave soul leaned in just enough to peek inside.

The sight froze him in place. His face drained of color, his eyes wide with sheer terror.

The bounty poster hadn’t lied.

The Land of Fire’s elite, the Yukiharu Clan, had truly been nearly exterminated.

“Fifty million ryō… If I bring that rogue’s head to the Daimyō’s court, I’d be set for life,” one man muttered, trembling with greed.

“Yeah, if you even survive long enough to collect it,” another replied bitterly. “He’s a ninja who uses Ninjutsu. This bounty’s not for us commoners. The Daimyō’s clearly trying to summon ninja from the Capital to hunt him down.”

“Come on… We don’t even know his name or age. Just a few vague traits and a sketch that looks like a child’s doodle. How the hell are we supposed to find him?”

“Honestly… I just hope this madman doesn’t come after us.”

“A man, a woman, a cat… Doesn’t that sound familiar… like someone we’ve seen before?”

Silence followed.

While ordinary citizens were either curious or morbidly fascinated, the powerful families of the Capital City were anything but calm.

They rushed, one after another, toward the Daimyō of Fire Country’s mansion.

When the elite arrived, they found the Daimyō himself—exhausted, his face drawn, his posture weary.

“Your Excellency,” one elderly noble burst out, his voice sharp with urgency. “How could such a rogue appear in our city? What is his goal? What does he want? Which village does he belong to? Could he be from Leaf Village?”

The questions tumbled out like stones from a cliff.

“Your Excellency, if we allow such a dangerous ninja to target our elite, we cannot afford to do nothing!”

The Daimyō took a deep breath.

“I wish I had answers,” he said. “But no one does. That’s why I issued a bounty of fifty million ryō—to make it clear: we cannot sit idle.”

His gaze swept over the assembled nobles.

“I know you’ve all hired elite ninja for your own protection. Now, in this crisis, you must step forward.”

“Lip service won’t save us. The fall of the Yukiharu Clan should be a warning. If he’s gone after them… he may target others. Anyone.”

“Even me.”

“Unless we stand together, we will all fall.”

The words hung heavy in the air.

The nobles exchanged uneasy glances.

They weren’t eager to send their own hired ninjas into danger. After all, they’d paid top gold to protect themselves, not to hunt down some rogue.

What if their ninja guards got caught in a trap while chasing the criminal… and then someone else turned on them?

“Your Excellency,” one noble finally asked, “you have the Guardian Ninja Twelve, don’t you? Twelve elite warriors, said to be among the strongest in the Land of Fire. Why not send them?”

The Daimyō’s expression darkened.

If they were still here, I wouldn’t be this shaken.

But he couldn’t say that. Not here. Not now.

“The Guardian Ninja Twelve have been deployed,” he said coldly. “But hunting a single ninja in a city this vast is like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

“Right now, we need your strength. The fate of the Yukiharu Clan should be a clear warning.”

A new voice cut in.

“Wait… don’t we have long-range communication tools now? Why not contact Leaf Village? Ask if they’ve seen this criminal before?”

The room fell silent.

Even the Daimyō paused.

Then, with a subtle nod, he gestured to a nearby servant.

The man leaned close.

The Daimyō whispered a few words.

The servant nodded sharply, then bolted from the room.

…

Leaf Village. Hokage Tower.

“Seventy-nine children from Takeshita Street…”

Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to Shizune’s report, and immediately realized that Kushina’s brief return to Leaf Village had brought back a massive problem.

But then Shizune added: “If nothing unexpected happens, Kushina will cover the costs. She collected several million ryō from gambling in Takeshita Street, but she’s decided to keep only one hundred thousand—she’ll use the rest to care for the children.”

Hiruzen exhaled.

No need for Leaf Village to spend a single ryō. That was a relief.

But then he frowned.

“Kushina… is she… finally given up gambling?”

That wasn’t the Kushina he knew.

In his mind, Kushina had inherited the gambling obsession of his own grandfather, the First Hokage—reckless, terrible at it, yet never able to stop.

Shizune scratched her head. “Maybe… she felt sorry for the kids. Or maybe she thought the money was just found—she could spend it however she wanted.”

Hiruzen stared blankly.

After Shizune explained everything in detail, Hiruzen fell silent.

He knew the massacre at Takeshita Street was tied to Uchiha Iizumi.

But he hadn’t realized Kushina’s return was connected to the same man.

“So… these children… their past… is it tied to Iizumi?”

Shizune nodded vigorously.

She recounted every detail—the origin, the events, the aftermath.

Hiruzen went silent again.

And this time, he felt something chilling.

Maybe… Iizumi did the right thing.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

He’d nearly let himself be swayed by Iizumi’s Absolute Justice—a cold, merciless logic that killed the guilty without hesitation.

But now he understood why so many had changed their minds about Iizumi in such a short time.

Because the ones who feared the justice weren’t the victims.

They were the innocent ones who thought: As long as I’m not the one being punished, this kind of violence is… acceptable.

After all, the dead were all evil.

And to the good, that was justice.

Realizing this, Hiruzen’s headache worsened.

“Hiruzen!”

Suddenly, Hyūga Menji burst into the office, about to speak—then paused, noticing Shizune was still there.

He gave Hiruzen a meaningful look.

Hiruzen frowned, gestured for Shizune to leave, then turned to Menji.

“What is it?”

Menji’s face was grim.

“Capital City of the Land of Fire… it’s been invaded. A rogue ninja has slaughtered dozens, nearly wiped out a noble family. You know the Yukiharu Clan—only two survivors left.”

Hiruzen’s eyes snapped wide.

His face hardened.

Menji continued: “The Daimyō’s agents sent us a partial description. They want to know if this is one of our ninja.”

“They’re suspecting Leaf Village?”

Hiruzen’s expression darkened. “Leaf Village ninja serve the will of the Fire Nation. Our village culture doesn’t breed monsters who target nobles. That’s not our way.”

He could almost feel the accusatory stares from the Land of Fire’s elite.

Menji sighed. “Hiruzen… I think he is from Leaf Village.”

Hiruzen blinked.

Menji listed the details.

Then, softly: “Doesn’t it sound familiar? Like Iizumi… and his Ninja Cat?”

He paused. “And let’s not forget—not all Leaf Village ninja follow the Fire Nation Will. Iizumi follows Absolute Justice. He has a history. He once killed the Daimyō’s second son.”

“Do you really think Iizumi would hesitate to destroy a clan like Yukiharu? A single noble family? A powerful family?”

Hiruzen’s silence was deafening.

Then, almost desperately: “But… there’s a woman with him. Iizumi’s apprentice, Uchiha Izumi. She’s still in Leaf Village.”

He barely finished the sentence when a sharp knock echoed from the door.

Hiruzen rubbed his temples. “Enter.”

A masked Anbu Ninja stepped in, voice urgent.

“Hokage-sama! A three-man team on a mission outside the village has been compromised. One survivor returned. They encountered… the ‘Molten Release Beast’—Uchiha Iizumi.”

“Ryōichirō, a special jonin, was cut down in one strike. Mitarashi Anko—another special jonin—was captured, taken by Iizumi under the pretense of arresting a fugitive.”

Hiruzen’s eyes widened.

He looked at Menji.

Menji let out a long, weary sigh.

“He’s here. The woman with him… she’s real.”

Hiruzen’s last hope shattered.

The rogue the Daimyō called “Evil Offender”… was almost certainly Uchiha Iizumi.

But—why?

He should’ve been on an S-rank mission.

The route shouldn’t have brought him near the Capital City of the Land of Fire.

How did he end up here?

Then—it hit him.

Hiruzen stood abruptly, his face ashen.

“Iizumi knew why the Guardian Ninja Twelve were waiting for him outside the village!”

Menji’s eyes widened.

“Iizumi sees the Daimyō as one of the architects of the ambush.”

“He doesn’t see the Daimyō as a noble. He sees him as a criminal.”

“And he didn’t accidentally come here. He planned it.”

“The Yukiharu Clan? Maybe he wiped them out on the way. But his real target… was the Daimyō of Fire Country.”

Hiruzen collapsed back into his chair.

If the Daimyō were here, he’d mobilize every Leaf Village ninja.

No cost. No hesitation.

But the Capital City was too far.

Even an elite jonin, running nonstop, would need a full day to arrive.

Root couldn’t reach in time.

“Asama…” Hiruzen closed his eyes, voice strained. “I thought I’d released a tiger. But what I let loose… was a dragon.”

He couldn’t even look at his own dead son.

Asama’s betrayal… had put the Daimyō in mortal danger.

And now, the nobles would blame Leaf Village.

They’d suspect Hiruzen had ordered Iizumi to assassinate the Daimyō.

The entire village could be dragged into war.

Hiruzen’s head throbbed.

Menji spoke again, quietly: “The Daimyō has offered fifty million ryō. A bounty on Iizumi.”

“Fifty million…” Hiruzen shook his head. “In the entire ninja world, only five people could possibly claim that reward.”

Menji said nothing.

He knew Hiruzen was being too optimistic.

Five people?

He couldn’t even imagine who could survive a fight with Iizumi.

“If we’re to stop this,” Menji said, “Anbu must go. Even if we arrive too late, we must prevent Iizumi from spiraling further.”

“And… you should lead them, Hiruzen. Only you can hold him back.”

Hiruzen frowned.

Leaving Leaf Village for days? Who knew what chaos could erupt?

But Menji pressed on: “Kushina’s coming back. Even if she’s here for one day, her presence will deter trouble. Fugaku and Itachi are loyal. And Kakashi, Maito Kai—they’ll hold the village together.”

“Besides… you have to go. If we let this spiral, other villages will exploit Fire Country’s weakness.”

Hiruzen’s expression hardened.

He stood.

“If I don’t act… I’d betray the very promise I made when I first became Hokage.”

“Not just the First, Second, or Fourth Hokage… but all of them.”

He made his decision.

He would lead the Anbu himself—straight to the Capital City of the Land of Fire.

Before leaving, he gave orders, double-checked every detail, and only then did he trust the village in others’ hands.

Of course… he didn’t tell anyone the real reason.

He claimed he’d been invited by the Daimyō.

Because if the truth came out?

Leaf Village would collapse in panic.

…

Capital City of the Land of Fire.

Uchiha Iizumi slid his bloodied ninja sword back into its sheath.

His face was expressionless.

“Your sword,” he said.

Mitarashi Anko blinked, then quickly drew her weapon and handed it over.

Iizumi stepped forward.

He looked down at the noble, paralyzed with terror.

If someone had looked ahead, they would’ve seen the ground covered in bodies.

“Please… don’t kill me!” the noble whimpered. “I’ll give you money—so much! More than you could spend in ten lifetimes! I’ll give you women—any women you want! Bigger chests than the one behind you!”

He trembled, his jowls wobbling.

“I’ll even… adopt you as my son! No—my brother! From now on, you’ll be a noble of the Land of Fire!”

“Please… I don’t want to die!”

“Gah—”

Iizumi didn’t flinch.

Above the man’s head, crimson text flickered—words of endless crimes, each one burning into his mind.

To speak to such a monster was worse than stepping on dog waste.

Anko watched, frozen, as the man’s head rolled at her feet.

Eighty-eight… she thought numbly.

She counted silently.

The number was horrifying.

And Iizumi showed no sign of stopping.

She couldn’t imagine how many more would die today.

Then—a flash.

The Ninja Cat Tachibana Jiro returned, dragging a paper in its mouth.

It dropped it at Iizumi’s feet, then spoke, voice calm.

“Iizumi-sama. The Daimyō has put out a bounty—fifty million ryō. He’s terrified.”

“Not much info on the poster, but it’ll be enough for the scavengers. Someone’s coming for you soon.”

Anko stared.

The paper was a bounty poster.

Fifty million ryō.

She’d once been a special jonin—her black-market bounty was only nine million.

She was stunned.

Then—a sound.

Iizumi and Jiro both turned to the left.

Anko’s breath caught.

A voice rang out: “Hah! Lucky me—found him!”

She turned.

A flurry of motion.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Shuriken. Two explosive tags, latched onto kunai.

Flying straight at them.

Behind them—a ninja, no forehead protector.

He was attacking her too?

“Look out!”

She screamed, lunging back.

But Iizumi didn’t move.

The kunai and shuriken passed through him.

“Boom!”

The explosive tags detonated.

Two deafening explosions rocked the air.

Anko staggered back, ears ringing.

She looked up.

Iizumi’s upper half—gone.

Only the lower half stood, motionless.

“Wh… what?!”

She was frozen.

Then she looked at the cat.

It showed no reaction. As if its master being blown to pieces was just a minor inconvenience.

The masked ninja laughed, twirling a kunai.

“A bounty of fifty million ryō… and this guy’s this weak? Hah! I blew off his whole torso! Daimyō, you better not not pay if I can’t see his face!”

“Guess I was too generous with the tags. But hey—this was supposed to be a greeting.”

“Who does a weakling like this think he is…?”

He never finished.

His eyes widened.

His grin froze.

Because—Iizumi’s upper body was reforming.

Fragments of flesh, torn and charred, pulled back together.

Orange-red light pulsed beneath the skin.

In less than three seconds, Iizumi stood whole—unscathed, clothes untouched.

The ninja’s face twisted in horror.

Anko’s mouth dropped.

“…What… is that thing?!”

The ninja stumbled back, terrified.

But it was too late.

A wave of molten lava surged from Iizumi’s body.

It swept past the man’s head.

His skull melted in an instant.

…

Daimyō of Fire Country’s Mansion.

“Your Excellency!” A servant burst in. “Leaf Village has confirmed it—the rogue in the Capital City… is almost certainly a Leaf Village ninja!”

“What?!”

The Daimyō shot up.

His heir stood too, jaw clenched.

“Leaf Village ninja? How does the Third Hokage manage his village? First, Iizumi kills my son… now another Leaf ninja slaughters nobles in the capital?”

“Father,” the heir growled, “after this is over, we must remove the Third Hokage. He’s unfit to lead. A village that breeds such monsters threatens the stability of the Land of Fire.”

“Ninjas exist to defend the nation. They’re tools of the state—not weapons turned on it.”

The Daimyō frowned.

“The Hokage and I don’t have a chain of command. Removing him isn’t easy. One misstep, and the alliance with Leaf Village collapses.”

He said it plainly—he was already furious.

Then he asked: “Do they know his name?”

The servant nodded. “Uchiha Iizumi.”

The Daimyō staggered.

His heir went pale.

“Impossible!” The Daimyō shouted. “That man should’ve been killed by the Guardian Ninja Twelve!”

The servant stammered, “I’ve confirmed it with Leaf Village. It’s definitely him.”

The heir’s voice cracked. “He should’ve been dead! How could he be here?”

The Daimyō said nothing.

He knew.

The Guardian Ninja Twelve hadn’t returned.

They either had betrayed him… or they were dead.

Which meant—Iizumi had come to kill him.

A chill ran down his spine.

That explained why the rogue dared kill nobles.

If he’d killed the Daimyō’s son… what were a few hundred nobles?

Cold sweat poured down the Daimyō’s back.

The fifty-million-ryō bounty meant nothing.

“He… can’t really be going to attack me, can he?” he whispered to his heir. “He knows how important the Daimyō is. He knows what chaos would follow if I died!”

“He’d be universally hunted!”

The heir stared at his father—for the first time, he saw fear.

It was unthinkable.

Then—another servant burst in.

“Your Excellency! Disaster! The Fujiwara, Hiraizumi, Hōjō, and Nakamura families—all targeted! Only the Nakamura Clan survived with three deaths. The others? Wiped out. Over five hundred bodies!”

“And… it’s not just nobles. Civilians too. He’s killing everyone. He even stormed the Northeast Government Affairs Building—bodies everywhere!”

The servant trembled, barely able to speak.

The Daimyō’s face drained.

This… couldn’t be happening.

The Land of Fire had never faced this.

Only Leaf Village had ever been destroyed.

And now… the noble class was under attack.

“Wait!” the heir suddenly gasped. “Fujiwara, Hiraizumi, Hōjō, Nakamura… and the Government Building…”

He pointed.

“If you connect the dots… it points straight to the Daimyō’s mansion!”

His voice cracked.

“He’s been killing his way here.”

Thud.

The Daimyō collapsed into his chair.

He was empty.

“Can the bounty hunters stop him?”

He grabbed his heir’s wrist.

“Raise the reward—to one hundred million ryō! No—five hundred million! Someone must be able to stop him!”

The heir looked at his father—broken, desperate.

He couldn’t bring himself to shatter the illusion.

Even if someone could be tempted by five hundred million…

Would they get here in time?

Then—BOOM!

A thunderous explosion shattered the silence.

The answer was clear.

It was too late.

…

Drip… drip… drip.

Lava dripped slowly from Iizumi’s body.

Behind him—a storm of molten fire.

Every bounty hunter drawn by the fifty-million-ryō reward—gone.

The air reeked of sulfur.

Iizumi lifted his eyes.

The Daimyō’s mansion—right in front of him.

Hundreds of sword-wielding samurai stood in front of him—trembling.

They were strong for commoners. Could beat a few thugs.

But against a ninja? They couldn’t even beat a Leaf Village genin.

And this? This was no genin.

This was a lava monster.

Heat waves made their skin sweat.

With every step, the samurai backed up—in panic.

One dropped his sword.

Then another.

Then a dozen.

It was like a domino effect.

They weren’t trained. They weren’t soldiers.

When death loomed… they ran.

Why would anyone die for a Daimyō who pays so little?

They scattered like rats.

The air was thick with the stench of fire and fear.

No one spoke.

No one dared.

Only the sound of footsteps—Iizumi’s—echoed through the courtyard.

He stepped inside.

…

The Daimyō had heard it all.

He knew he had no escape.

He stood, face pale, forcing himself to meet Iizumi.

“You… you’re…?”

“Uchiha Iizumi?”

The words cost him everything.

His clothes trembled.

The figure before him—a living storm of lava—was a nightmare from hell.

“You,” the Daimyō stammered, “are a Leaf Village ninja. Your authority is only within Leaf Village. This is clearly overstepping.”

“And… you dare appear before me like this? What is this? Rebellion?”

“You dare treat the Land of Fire with such disrespect? Do you even remember where you were born? I am the Daimyō—the king of this nation!”

He faltered.

His voice broke.

Because Iizumi wasn’t shouting.

He wasn’t moving.

He was just… looking.

And that calm, empty gaze—it felt like a death sentence.

Iizumi spoke.

“Layer upon layer of identity… and yet you fail to carry your duty.”

“Your son commits murder. You know the truth. You allow it.”

“You abuse your power—changing laws to silence the innocent, to protect the guilty.”

“You didn’t commit the crimes… but you enabled them.”

“Yoyoenin Kōjin. Today… Absolute Justice shall use your blood to warn the entire Land of Fire.”

Madness.

The Daimyō’s mind screamed.

He turned—ran.

He slipped, his sandals flying.

But then—a roar.

A mouth of molten lava ripped through his back.

His chest burst open.

He fell.

And the world went silent.

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end