Daimyo’s Admiration

Two were killed, one fled, and the thick fog, no longer sustained, gradually dissipated. 

Thus. 

The daimyō clearly witnessed the entire process. 

"What… what kind of ninjutsu is this?" 

The entire river seemed to rise, its waters surging and engulfing the surroundings. 

He was utterly stunned. 

He had never seen such a ninjutsu before! 

"It should be Earth Style: Earth Wall." 

Minato's mouth twitched slightly. 

Though the scale resembled Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall, the structure's appearance matched Earth Style: Earth Wall. 

But still… 

The magnitude was absurd. 

"This is Earth Style: Earth Wall?" 

The daimyō fell silent for a long moment, speechless, before swelling with admiration. 

"As expected of a Senju descendant!"

Forcing his opponent out, Kyōichi formed hand seals, and the moisture around him condensed into a dragon in an instant. 

The Kiri jōnin gaped. 

His ninjutsu shattered instantly, while Kyōichi's water dragon surged toward him, unscathed. 

"What the hell?!"

"Who's the real Kiri ninja here?"

"Why is your Water Style stronger than mine?!"

He couldn't comprehend it. 

No time to dwell—this young Konoha genius was no ordinary foe. He had to escape and report this. 

Exploiting the lingering fog, he activated the Hiding in Mist Technique to flee. 

However. 

Moments later, he sensed danger. 

"That genjutsu!"

He drew a kunai. 

Clang!

A blade struck his weapon. 

A chill shot down his spine. He dispersed the mist, revealing a Konoha ninja. 

No time for a fight—he sprinted, forming hand seals. 

Slamming a palm onto the water, he summoned five sharks: "Five Eating Sharks"!

Kyōichi recalled the shredded corpse earlier. 

"If Kisame could use ninjutsu to kill himself, this guy might too…"

"No matter. The corpse will suffice." 

Kyōichi abandoned capturing him alive. 

His blade flashed. 

The blinding strike forced the foe underwater, where he erected a "Water Style: Water Wall"to defend. 

Yet. 

Kyōichi's blade cleaved through the river with a "Wind Style" slash, carving a vacuum in its wake. 

Blood stained the water; the corpse surfaced. 

"Magnificent!" 

The daimyō's eyes gleamed. 

Though no ninja, he recognized sheer power. "And Kanda Kyōichi is so young!"

"Such talent… If I could sway him…"

Ideas swirled in his mind. 

Minato's shadow clone flickered to Yamashiro Aoba's side. The two corpses were mangled, but Kyōichi's kill remained intact. 

Aoba rejoined the group, his crows still scouting. The team pressed on as Kyōichi debriefed Minato's clone. 

"Their plan was to bomb the bridge first. I sensed chakra beneath it and acted—someone was hiding there." 

Kyōichi produced an explosive tag from the bridge. 

Minato's expression darkened. 

The trio's scratched forehead protectors marked them as missing-nin—but no rogue ninja would dare attack the daimyō. 

Suicidal. 

"Thankfully, you preserved one body." 

Minato sighed. 

These were dead Shinobi. Had they succeeded, the Land of Fire would've plunged into chaos, inviting war from Kiri, Iwa, and Kumo. 

Konoha couldn't fight three villages alone. 

"Kiri's ruthlessness knows no bounds."

"Our nation is riddled with Kiri spies. This was long-planned." 

Yet. 

Kyōichi suspected the Sandaime let this happen. 

Would Kiri have acted if the daimyō stayed hidden? 

Unlikely. 

Even the corpse was vital intel. 

"I'll send it to the ANBU. Maybe memories remain." 

Minato teleported the scroll to Konoha via Flying Thunder God Technique. 

The group advanced. 

Aoba detected traces of spies; Kyōichi spotted lurking ninjas, but they fled when approached. 

Pointless to chase. 

Still—

foreign operatives clearly infested the Land of Fire. 

Unavoidable. Every nation had spies. 

The daimyō's movements were impossible to hide. 

But this… 

"War is coming."

Fresh off battling Suna, Konoha now faced Iwa and Kiri. 

Past the bridge, the journey quieted. 

At the daimyō's request, they paused to rest. 

Then. 

The daimyō summoned Kyōichi. 

He hesitated—this young daimyo's "gentle" facade hid ambition, hence the future Twelve Guardians. 

"Better not get entangled like Asuma."

The daimyō sat in his palanquin. 

"Are you the Nidaime's descendant?" he asked, lifting the curtain. 

"In a sense." 

Kyōichi's grandmother had been Tobirama's cousin, and his clan's techniques stemmed from him. 

"I've always admired the Nidaime. Many praise the Shodaime, but the Nidaime built Konoha's foundation." 

Kyōichi smiled. "The Senju are gone. Their glory isn't mine." 

"You could revive it." 

"That's Tsunade sama's role—if she wills it." 

The daimyō fell silent, then nodded. 

He asked Kyōichi's age, rank, and mission history before resuming the journey. 

No further conversation. 

Back in Konoha, Kyōichi left Minato to report, inviting Asuma and Aoba for ramen. 

Aoba stiffly offered to pay, but Kyōichi refused. 

Asuma picked at his noodles, mind racing. "What did sensei and the daimyō discuss?" 

"Train hard," Kyōichi said after finishing. "War's brewing. Rest while you can." 

Asuma thought of his assignment—studying the Hiding in Mist Technique—and whispered, "Sensei… Will Kiri attack?" 

"Unclear. But they're restless."