Chapter:114

It was indeed Kaido!

As Sarutobi Koyuki crouched on the roof, he became fully convinced of the identity of the masked man below. This was Kaido, the figure Keizo Shimura had been pursuing relentlessly. Koyuki leaned closer, straining to catch every word of the conversation below.

"Sir, I attempted to sow discord between the Uchiha and the four northwest tribes, but it failed. Do you believe it will work if we try again?" Gekkō Fengbo inquired respectfully.

"Fengbo, are you mocking me?" Kaido replied, his tone dark.

Gekkō Fengbo flinched and immediately dropped to his knees. "No, I would never, sir. But in doing so, I had to send forces to kill Shimura Tensho and over twenty jounin from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. It brought us danger and has greatly displeased the Hyuga Patriarch, Lord Tenzo."

Tenzo!?

Sarutobi Koyuki stiffened. The man Fengbo referred to could only be Hyuga Tenzo, the current leader of the Hyuga Clan. Renowned for his mastery of the Byakugan and Gentle Fist techniques, Tenzo's prowess rivaled Uchiha Tajima's and Senju Butsuma's. Furthermore, from Fengbo's words, Koyuki realized a shocking truth—the Hyuga Clan was behind Shimura Ri's assassination.

But why? Koyuki's mind raced.

Below, Kaido scoffed, "I've risked my life for the Hyuga Clan, infiltrating Senju, Hagoromo, the four northwest clans, and even Sarutobi and Shimura. Is Lord Tenzo truly going to hold me accountable for a single failure?"

Kaido continued, his voice dripping with disdain, "Shimura Tensho and his men were merely unlucky. They had to die, simple as that. No matter how badly the Sarutobi and Shimura clans want justice, they'll never suspect the Hyuga had a hand in it."

Koyuki had to fight the urge to burst into the room and confront Kaido then and there. Only his orders from Sarutobi Furukawa to avoid reckless actions held him back.

In the room below, Gekkō Fengbo spoke up, "What would you have us do next, Lord Kaido?"

"For now, we lie low," Kaido replied. "The outcome of the Uchiha-Senju war is still unknown. When the time is right, the Hyuga Clan will rise to replace both Uchiha and Senju as the dominant clan of the Warring States Era."

Koyuki had gathered enough. He carefully prepared to withdraw, but then Kaido's voice suddenly changed, "No! I sense an intruder—seize him!"

Koyuki's heart skipped a beat. They've found me!

Without wasting a moment, he used the Body Flicker Technique, dashing across rooftops in a blur. A kunai infused with wind chakra shot through the air behind him, piercing the roof tile he had just vacated. The commotion drew the attention of all the Gekkō Clan's guards.

Dozens of Gekkō ninjas caught a glimpse of a shadow darting away from the clan leader's residence. Inside, Kaido drew his blade and plunged it into Gekkō Fengbo's chest, silencing him instantly before slipping into a hidden alcove behind a bookcase.

Moments later, a team of Gekkō ninjas stormed into the room. They found Fengbo collapsed on the floor, blood pooling beneath him. Rushing to his side, they examined the wound with mounting horror.

"He's been stabbed through the heart."

"Who did this?" a panicked Gekkō ninja asked as he knelt beside his fallen leader.

Through gritted teeth, Fengbo whispered, "It…was Saru…tobi… Hurry…"

With that final, gasping word, Gekkō Fengbo's hand fell lifelessly to the floor.

"You all heard him, right?" said the ninja who had supported Fengbo.

"Clear as day. He said it was a Sarutobi!"

"Why would the Sarutobi Clan target our leader?"

"Come with me—no Sarutobi will get away with this!"

One ninja shouldered Fengbo's body, carrying him to the clan's meeting hall to rally their forces. No one suspected that the true culprit was concealed behind the bookcase, mere feet away.

When the room emptied, Kaido emerged from his hiding place, smirking before slipping out into the night. With the Gekkō Clan now consumed by rage and chaos, his mission was complete. He needed only to return to Baigu Pass.

---

Meanwhile, within the Hyuga Clan's domain:

In the Hyuga Clan's grand hall, Hyuga Tenzo sat on the main seat, his penetrating Byakugan eyes fixed on the messenger kneeling before him.

"What!? You're telling me that Gekkō Fengbo was murdered by the Sarutobi Clan?" Tenzo's face twisted in disbelief. "What reason would the Sarutobi have to kill a Gekkō Clan leader?"

At forty, Tenzo was in his prime, and rumors claimed he had pushed the Byakugan's capabilities further than any Hyuga before him. His greatest ambition was to see the Hyuga Clan surpass Uchiha and Senju, securing their place as the dominant clan of the Warring States Era.

Tenzo had been waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of the Uchiha-Senju war. But before he could act, news of his subordinate Gekkō Fengbo's murder reached him.

"Clan leader," the messenger continued, "the entire Gekkō Clan is enraged, demanding that we avenge their leader. They've united with the Shiranui, Yamashiro, and other affiliated clans, formally requesting we declare war on the Sarutobi and Shimura."

"Fools! Do they think war is decided so easily?" Tenzo snarled, his robes swishing as he stood. "The Sarutobi and Shimura lands are far from ours. Even if we fought, how much would we gain?"

While Tenzo sought to elevate the Hyuga, he was no warmonger. He recognized the cost of a long-distance war would outweigh any benefit.

"But, clan leader," the messenger argued, "without a response, it will be difficult to calm the Gekkō Clan's fury. The Shancheng, Akame, and other clans may soon be swayed as well."

Tenzo rubbed his temples, deep in thought. "Fine. Go and manage the Gekkō Clan for now. Do whatever it takes to stall them; we can't afford reckless actions. I'll call a meeting with the elders to decide our next steps."

"Understood, but please hurry, clan leader. The unrest is growing. The Gekkō Clan's grief and anger are already stirring resentment among our other allies."

Tenzo dismissed him with a wave. "Yes, yes. Now go."

The messenger bowed and quickly left the room.

(End of Chapter).

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