Chapter 24: The Fire Daimyo

At this moment, every capable person across the entire ninja world was fully prepared and ready to act.

The moment the light screen revealed the location of that mask.

Everyone rushed forward together to seize the mask.

Just then, an image once again appeared within the light screen.

Inside a lavishly decorated palace, a slightly overweight man dressed in opulent robes sat in a chair reading a book.

Watching this scene on the screen, most people in the ninja world had no idea where this place was.

However, when the Third saw this scene, his eyes immediately widened in shock.

While others were unfamiliar with this location, the Third knew it extremely well.

This was the Fire Daimyo's mansion, and the man sitting in the chair reading a book was none other than the Fire Daimyo himself.

Seeing this, the Third immediately shouted:

"Quickly send people to the capital to rescue the Daimyo!"

Immediately afterward, seven jonin beside him hastily departed for the capital.

Watching the Daimyo appear on the screen, the Third ground his teeth until they nearly shattered.

Why did this anomaly have to appear beside anyone else but the Daimyo? Wasn't this just inviting trouble upon himself!

After all, through these recent anomalous events, everyone now understood.

The first person to appear on the light screen was invariably the one most deeply connected to that particular anomaly.

And consequently, the one who would be killed by the anomaly.

Meanwhile, within the Daimyo's mansion, a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja—the Daimyo's personal guard detail who had remained behind—also saw the images on the light screen.

The instant he saw the screen's display, he immediately sprinted madly toward the Daimyo's location.

At this moment, inside the light screen.

The Daimyo, who had been reading, suddenly let out a sigh.

"Sigh~"

He then placed the book in his hands onto the table and, gazing at the pile of books stacked there, muttered to himself:

"Why is it like this? Is it truly impossible for ordinary people to learn ninjutsu? Chakra, chakra!"

"Is it really true that without chakra, one cannot learn ninjutsu?"

"Once I master ninjutsu, I will make those bastards in Konoha crawl beneath my feet!"

While muttering, the Daimyo picked up the book he had just placed on the table and began reading again.

However, what the Daimyo did not expect was that his words caused a huge uproar in the outside world.

Upon hearing the Daimyo's words, inside Konoha Village.

The corners of the Third's mouth twitched continuously, while all the other ninjas looked at each other with faces full of awkwardness.

It was well known that nominally, the Daimyo and the Hokage held a superior-subordinate relationship.

But in reality, it was a cooperative arrangement: the Daimyo provided financial support to Konoha, and Konoha provided military protection to the Daimyo.

Behind the scenes, however, there was a degree of competition between the two parties.

Dissatisfied that Konoha possessed so many ninjas, the Daimyo had established the Twelve Guardian Ninja specifically to protect himself.

Meanwhile, Konoha was also somewhat dissatisfied with the Daimyo's recent actions.

Yet, until now, all of this had remained hidden beneath the surface; everyone understood it implicitly but never brought it into the open.

But today, the Daimyo had actually voiced this matter publicly, which made things rather awkward for everyone.

"Uh... did I just hear the Daimyo say he wants to kill the people of Konoha?"

"Well, it seems I heard that too."

"Damn it! What does he mean! Konoha protects him, yet he speaks about Konoha's people in such a manner!"

At this moment, the Third's expression was extremely complex.

As a subordinate, rushing to rescue one's superior the moment they faced danger was undoubtedly the correct course of action.

He had indeed quickly dispatched personnel to carry out the rescue.

However, upon hearing the words the Daimyo had just spoken, the Third instantly wanted to recall the people he had sent and let the Daimyo fend for himself.

At this time, upon the light screen.

The Daimyo, who was reading and complaining, suddenly heard a voice speaking beside his ear.

"Daimyo, you are absolutely right; all of this is unfair."

Hearing this strange voice that came out of nowhere, the Daimyo, who had been reading, was so frightened that he jumped straight up from his stool and threw the book in his hand away.

"Who! Who is there!"

The Daimyo stood against the wall, looking left and right repeatedly.

At this moment, that strange voice sounded once again.

"Daimyo, none of this is fair; why can just anyone from Konoha Village become a ninja?"

"Why must ninjutsu require some bloodline limit? Why can't ordinary people become ninjas? Why can't ninjutsu be used without chakra?"

"Why is it that although you are the ruler of an entire nation, you cannot even control a tiny village? Why must you be constrained by them at every turn?"

"This is unfair! In the end, who is the master of the Land of Fire? Is it you, or is the Hokage the master of the Land of Fire!"

Inside Konoha Village.

"Damn it! That damned mask's voice..."

Upon hearing this voice, the Third's complexion clearly changed.

The introduction on the light screen was indeed correct; this mask was highly skilled at bewitching people's hearts.

If it were placed in the Daimyo's current position, when he himself heard this voice, he absolutely would not be able to resist such temptation.

Not to mention the feudal lord himself, who already harbored resentment toward Konoha.

When Orochimaru heard that tempting voice,

his eyes instantly lit up; it seemed this mask's ability to bewilder the human heart far surpassed his own by an unknown margin.

Watching Orochimaru in the screen listening to the mask's bewitching voice, he felt extremely pleased at this moment.

Regarding matters that could cause trouble for Konoha, Orochimaru was more than happy to see them occur.

Orochimaru very much wanted to see what changes would befall the feudal lord once he put on the mask.

Within the light screen,

"Who! Who is it!"

Hearing this voice constantly echoing beside his ear, the feudal lord leaned against the wall, trembling as he asked around in all directions.

This was the library of the feudal lord's mansion, heavily guarded; without his order, ordinary people could not possibly enter.

Therefore, according to the feudal lord's thinking, the voice currently emanating must mean he had encountered a ghost.

Moreover, the feudal lord's heart was filled with deep regret.

If only he had known earlier, he would not have dispatched eleven of the twelve guards on missions, leaving just one behind who was then ordered not to follow him.

It was truly terrible luck.

"Over here, come and look."

Following the direction from which the voice came, the feudal lord cautiously made his way over.

Immediately, the feudal lord saw that in the corner of a row of bookshelves sat a white comedy mask made of porcelain.

The voice seemed to be coming from there.

Upon seeing this mask, the people outside the light screen began to discuss among themselves.

"Damn, this thing really is inside the feudal lord's study!"

"Why do I feel like what this mask says makes quite a bit of sense?"