[Hokage] Terukawa

The snow that looked like down feathers or goose feathers could not be touched in the isolated interrogation room, but I could hear the howl of winter and see the pale and dim skylight flowing into the room from the cracks in the nailed windows.

...It's snowing again.

On the other side of the barren mountain is the river valley, and it is normal for the snow to look like goose feathers.

The information and notes spread out on the table had not been touched for several hours. I blinked, looked away from the red-hot coals in the brazier, and subconsciously squeezed the tiger's mouth of my hands. He seems to be a little nervous.

The charcoal has been added once... The charcoal sent by Jingyi was divided into quantities. According to his words, "Each quantitative portion of charcoal can support the burning of the brazier for about twelve hours." In this way, I have to go out at least every day. Shake it twice to avoid "being killed quietly inside".

My brain is useful, but my mouth is redundant. But I knew that this was both their concern and their warning, so I accepted it without any care.

The well-fueled fire burned brightly, but it could not warm me in the slightest. Ever since Lan fell into a deep sleep, there was a heavy pressure from unknown sources that choked my throat and my heart. So I stood and sat and stood again, my eyes were dry and swollen from the heat, but I was determined. I don't want to close it and go to rest. The light coming out of the crack in the window seems to have flipped back and forth between light and dark—one, or two? I don't know, but I know how many wounds there are on Lan's exposed body. Except for the two severed limbs, some were burns, some were puncture wounds, some were cuts, and some were whip wounds.

I don’t understand, I don’t understand. Why is this so? Aren't you "the most trusted person of that bastard little beast" as "confirmed" by many former officials?

My intuition tells me that the answer to this question will be the key to destroying this person, but my brain has long been turned into a ball of mush. My thinking is still clear, but I seem to have lost the ability to turn corners.

"This can't go on like this," said Clear Thinking.

I got into the bed - yes, it was a bed, not a haystack - and spent ten minutes trying to find a comfortable position and closed my eyes.

"Start now, look at his face." Thinking that doesn't know how to turn around said.

So I lifted the quilt and returned to my original position and sat down. Anyway, I have to look at this face with my eyes open and closed, so why should I bother.

Alas, alas. I still care about him too much.

Why isn't he awake yet? Is the sedative and tranquilizing effect of this antipyretic drug so strong? Why did it have no effect at all when I took it before? But he didn't sleep well either. His brows were still twisted together for a long time, as if he was dying. The brazier made him sweat on his forehead, and the shadow of nightmare cast by the arch of his eyebrows and the bridge of his nose was trembling with the dance of flames.

I took out the medicine box I had just organized and poured another bowl of water. Before dealing with the severed limb, I did not allow any small wounds on his body to hold me back, nor did I allow him to sleep until he was dehydrated. If you can't feed it into your mouth, you can always moisten your lips with water.

------

I can't count how many times I was in a trance. When my eyes turned from the light-transmitting gap to Lan's face again, and what I saw were the bright blue eyes, I was a little speechless for a moment.

...Fortunately, the ones who are awake are much easier to deal with than the ones who are asleep. When the dust settles, I will have a good sleep for three days and three nights.

I tilted my head and stared at him quietly through the iron threshold. Lan also looked back. The first thing he did when he woke up was to tilt his head to make his eyes meet mine in the air.

What was he thinking? Should we continue those meaningless provocations, or simply repeat our old tricks and conduct another sneak attack?

If so, I will make him a real useless person.

I speculated endlessly, waiting for him to express what he was thinking, whether it was true or not.

A few seconds passed, and Lan's lips moved.

"You don't look good," his voice was still hoarse, but it was no longer caused by high fever, "You stayed up all night?"

Is this what he wants to say?

I stretched my body, and the "doctor's" gentle smile appeared on my face: "It's already afternoon."

Taking care of this person's food, clothing, and daily life is naturally a "doctor's" job. I took a cup and a towel, and mixed some warm water in the basin. While testing the water temperature with my hands, I said half-complainingly, half-jokingly: "I'm awake now. If I don't wake up, I'll have to read the information for the eighth time." .”

Lan was silent for a while, and then Fang slowly said, "This is the longest sleep I've had since I can remember."

I paused for a moment - these words sounded self-deprecating, but I could understand the underlying doubt.

"Patients' rest is naturally different from that of ordinary people, and antipyretic drugs will always have some soothing effect."

I said warmly.

"If you can't believe me, you can just look at the sky outside the window and judge the time by yourself."

"..." Lan said nothing. He sat up straight, glanced out the window, and said coldly, "No, no need."

"Oh, really?" I brought the toiletries into the inner room, "Do you believe me?"

I got a scoff in response.

I smiled too. Whether it is early or late, whether Lan believes me or not, whether I deceive Lan or not - yes or no, answer or no answer, there is no substantial difference, and naturally there is no substantial meaning.

Lan figured out this key point - right now, we are the swordsmen and I are the flesh and blood. After all, breaking up with me is just a waste of energy. It is better to cure the disease first, recuperate the body, deal with the injury, and then...

If I were Lan, I would think so. Judging others by myself is my shortcoming, but if I think about it enough, it is my advantage. After all, people's hearts are unpredictable. Lan looks disheartened, but no one can tell her inner thoughts. Of course, probably only people like me who think about killing people as well as heartache can be so hesitant and restrained. .

Wash your face, wash your body, and change your clothes. I chatted with Lan all the time, and my attitude was as relaxed and peaceful as usual. Lan mostly didn't want to pay attention to me, but he had to suppress his temper and answer me - he couldn't answer ten questions and ten, but he could answer three or even five of ten questions. Occasionally, there would be topics that fit his mind. , although I won’t talk too much, I will express my feelings with three or five more words.

As for the authenticity of it...it's impossible to say. I was groping for his thoughts, how could he not think deeply about my thoughts.

only……

Lan couldn't see the blind spot, so I lowered my eyes.

The information Yang Yi sent early in the morning was true. It must be that he has been away from the village for a long time and has lost all his speaking skills, or maybe he is not good at it? Some of Lan's remarks seemed to me to be laughably clumsy, and fit my stereotype of a certain group of fundamentalist executioners.

On the other side, the information sent by Yakushi Nonou stated that there is no place for him in the current Kirigakure ANBU - this does not mean that Ran's status is low, but that the Kirigakure ANBU has already found this person. ——It’s really something worth pondering.

My father, the Righteous One, has learned from his past mistakes: How can an ANBU ninja escape unscathed from a ninja village? Whether he dies in battle or retires, as long as he can do it, the Ninja Village will definitely hold it firmly in his hands. Ninjas themselves have no autonomy at all. A righteous man who once held a high position in Kirigakure Anbu was like this, let alone Ran who never had such a position?

Therefore, there can only be two reasons why there is no such person in Lancha:

1. Kirigakure sends out a mission, and Kirigakure destroys the files.

Second, the archives of Kirigakure ANBU lost his files, and the management is worrisome - according to the intelligence, the third Mizukage has recently become inexplicably suspicious, which has made the entire Kirigakure atmosphere full of chaos and panic... but it is not random. Speculation.

Of course, the possibility of combining the above two is not ruled out.

Perhaps because I had been thinking quietly for too long, the air only echoed with the crisp sound of the spoon when I put it back into the porcelain bowl. When I raised my eyes again, the aqua blue eyes that met my gaze did not escape for the first time. .

On the contrary, those eyes locked on mine: "You are distracted."

I kept silent with a slight smile and looked away: "Indeed."

Lan narrowed her eyes slightly, as if a little surprised: "It's really unwise in front of me."

"It is indeed not a wise move," I nodded, "I just don't know if it is wise, senior?"

Lan frowned and said nothing more.

What is wise and what is unwise? I can be distracted in front of him, but he can't, maybe he doesn't dare to do anything to me who is distracted.

On the other hand, it's good that he has some scruples. At least it can prove that he still wants to live. If you don't even want to live anymore, then you are really like a hedgehog, and you have no way to start.

"Show me your arms," ​​I said.

Lan would not hesitate at this time and obediently handed the severed arm to me. I raised my hands to remove the layers of bandages covering the broken section, and then covered the surface of my hands with a layer of chakra. Then I squatted down and carefully examined the exposed broken bones and scraps of flesh.

…Things are okay, but not that great. A rotten smell.

I wrinkled my nose, and the pure water summoned by the seal washed away the medicinal powder sprinkled after the last debridement: "Can you feel the pain?"

"Yes, but mainly from the lower part," Lan replied calmly, "the part that has been chopped off."

"Neuropathic pain." I hummed.

"what?"

"Neuropathic pain. The reason is that the nerves in the severed limb have not been repaired completely, and the pain will continue. This is a normal phenomenon in the case of a broken limb."

I carefully peeled off some of the new flesh that had healed on its own but in the wrong place, and washed away the new blood.

"Nervous injury?" Lan's voice paused, "Is it considered a mental illness?"

"...Yes, crazy," I didn't think he had any talent for telling cold jokes at all, so I said reluctantly, "Now, do you feel it?"

"I don't feel anything."

"Not at all? You have to say it only a little bit," I said. "If it's really not at all, I have to cut off another part for you."

"...It's a little cold and a little painful, but I'm afraid I can't tell the exact location."

Lan's voice sounded above me, still sounding very calm.

"'Can't tell'? You need to think carefully, or check carefully for a while," I said noncommittally, my gentle tone showing great patience, "If this continues, you won't even be able to save your elbow."

For ordinary people, having hands and not having hands are two different things. For a disabled person who has lost his hand, having an elbow and not having an elbow are two different things. This is no joke.

A few minutes later, Lan opened her eyes, her expression relaxed a little, but her words became firm: "It hurts."

"Very good," I pinched the flesh near the section and said with a smile, "Just rest for another day. If it doesn't get worse tomorrow, I will seal it for you."

"Sealing and treatment?" Lan turned to me, "I have seen the wounded who were... treated in the Ninja Village before."

"It's a 'wounded person who has been treated'," I corrected seriously, "Yes, I will clamp your blood vessels, cut off the exposed bones, then cut off half a ring of flesh, and cover and wrap it with the remaining half ring Hold the cross section of the bone... and finally sew it up."

I poked at Lan's broken arm to show him the position, and Lan lowered his head and stared at his broken arm attentively, as if after a sleep, he finally learned to face and examine his own body.

Maybe he had a dream that was insignificant to outsiders.

"Of course, this process will be painful, so I have applied for anesthetic drugs from Yoichi - the bad news is that the medical resources in the city are very limited, so you can't even think about general anesthesia; the good news is that local anesthesia is always affordable. The anesthetic will keep the pain to a level you can tolerate."

After the words fell, there was silence for a few seconds before Lan's voice sounded in a deep voice, sounding a little hoarse: "...anaesthesia?"

His expression could be described as calm, but a somewhat sinister smile gave his face a frosty coldness.

"I don't know."

------

Breathe in.

Exhale.

All kinds of thoughts were in a mess, and now that one breath came and went, they all turned into curls of white mist, rising upwards and into the distance, and then dissipated into nothingness in an instant.

"Come out for some air? "You don't look good," Jingyi gestured, "have you been up all night?" 』

"It's really unlucky. How can your greeting be the same as that of the person inside?" I complained half-jokingly. "If you speak, it will be word for word."

"It's just the most standard expression of concern. It expresses concern and disapproval without appearing to be affectionate or overbearing. You can try to care more about others. 』

Jing Yi's expression was as calm as before, but his expression was a bit arrogant.

"You stayed in there and changed the charcoal three times for more than thirty hours, and then the other person learned to express concern. Are you planning to let him learn to commit suicide for love?" 』

After getting over the unfamiliarity and stiffness of first acquaintance, he actually knows how to tell jokes.

I have to admit that his mind is sharp: "I didn't torment him for more than thirty hours in a row. He slept through it all... Also, don't say it in such a disgusting way."

"Are you going to keep it alive?" 』

"I can't sleep," I shook my head, "but the information about the Ito family is very useful, thank you very much."

"It's just a matter of duty, as it should be," seeing me change the subject, Jingyi didn't bother, just waved his hand, and his expression turned serious in an instant, "Do you really want to anesthetize him?" The business affairs in the city have been suspended for a long time, and now everything is in short supply and everything is expensive, so why should you? 』

"He also has the same attitude, even more resistant." I smiled lightly, but my words were full of meaning, "He is an extremely qualified ninja."

——Yes, even if you are in pain and bleeding profusely, you must be a ninja subordinate to the Ito clan——especially in front of my "enemy".

Lan resisted anesthesia, and my disbelief and fear could be said to be one of the reasons. However, as for the root cause, I was completely aware of it - it was a state of incapacity that could not be controlled during the anesthesia process. Anything could happen during the incapacity period, so it makes sense that Lan would find it difficult to accept it as an interrogation.

But...I feel it.

He is still trying to chase something, still trying to prove something.

But what else can he pursue, and who can he prove to?

Coming up with the answer was a snap. I am amused and ashamed that this answer no longer exists.

How cheap.

What’s even more ridiculous is that part of the meaning of my existence here is precisely maintained by such a person.

How cheap. I'm afraid there is no meaner person in the world than me.

I laughed in anger, how could I swallow the shame in my throat without chewing it. It is impossible for me to let go, just as it is impossible for me to hold back.

------

After getting a new charcoal bucket, I got out of the cell again. When I glanced around, I saw Lan finally getting up from the couch and now sitting firmly on the bed.

My eyes flickered, and I paused for a moment on the outer table covered with intelligence papers, then turned back to Lan without caring.

"How do you feel?" I asked leisurely, "How much of the information on the table is correct and how much is wrong?"

"You really did it on purpose."

"Ah, so you really watched it?"

"Why don't you read it?" Lan Zhi sneered, "It's full of mistakes."

"What's wrong?"

"How could I tell you?"

"If you don't say it, don't say it. Anyway, the boy named Ito is dead. After death, the light is extinguished." I said in a relaxed tone, "This set of information does not mean much to me. I will treat it as 'Miscellaneous'..." Oh, sorry, the words 'Mixed-blood Son and Stupid Ninja' were actually quite good."

Lan had maintained her indifference extremely well, but at this moment she suddenly stood up and fixed her eyes on me with her regained energy. After a few seconds, Fang Sen said coldly: "Young Master is out, it's just as you say."

"He is indeed an illegitimate child," I smiled and nodded, but my tone was more meaningful, "You...were the ones who were kicked out? The documents are all in order, but there is something wrong with the city lord's seal."

"It's not an 'expulsion', it's an 'appointment' recommended by the master to the daimyo. It's just and true. Don't talk nonsense."

Orchid's hard road.

"As for the seal of the city lord, it was the Hasunuma clan who violated the law. At the handover banquet, he 'accidentally' broke the seal in full view of the public. The young master's kindness was not investigated, but he pushed forward without knowing what was right and what was wrong. Not only was he still in charge, but he also got mixed up. Many officials were distraught and even talked nonsense, which led to a few untouchables talking about the city lord's life experience on the streets."

Some of what Lan said was in the intelligence, and some was not.

When I mention the Hasunuma clan, I think of the Ohata clan and their implicated family in the doorway of Watanabe Heibuyou: "'The former lord of the castle, the Hasunuma clan, and his relatives have all been executed for treason'?"

How could the Hasunuma clan take the initiative to provoke the Ito clan?

The first smile I saw appeared on Lan's face - but it was ferocious and cold. This smile was completely inconsistent with her beautiful face. The consequences of the strong sense of dissonance were that it made people feel nauseous. Liang, feeling unwell all over: "I killed him."

I narrowed my eyes slightly, and the question that had been lingering in my mind for a long time seemed to have some clues. Not to mention whether the Ito clan's position as city lord is justifiable, but...killing officials of the city lord's level, or even genocide? No matter how you think about it, it's a bit too much. Aren't they afraid of attracting the attention of the Daimyo? These big names of small countries living in the cracks are weak to the outside world, but it is precisely because of this heavy mental pressure that when they set their sights on the country, the methods they use will be particularly cruel.

What cannot be sought from the outside, of course, can only be sought from within. The same is true for wealth and silk, and the same is true for dignity.

I pondered for a moment: "He was killed on the mountain road outside the city?"

"Will you take action in the city?" He chuckled.

"Killing the Hasunuma clan was an order given to you by the Ito clan?"

"There is no second solution to this," Lan narrowed her eyes slightly, "This is the border. Standing on the top of the city, you can know all the movements outside the city. It's not that we chose to take action, but the lotus marsh He insists on taking the road of death himself."

So Ran went out of the city to kill them, while Ito prepared a "treason" notice.

The next one is the Ohata clan.

But is this really the case? I can't believe everything Lan said, but objectively speaking, the charge of "treason" is very good - dead people cannot speak, so no one can say with certainty that the Hasunuma clan has no treasonous intentions. That was when the entire clan was leaving the city, and the first city was close to the border of the River Kingdom. If the direction and route were slightly deviated, the label of "treason" could be easily slapped on them. To put it another way, even if the Hasunuma clan behaved according to the rules, Lan would just abandon the interrogation process and kill everyone on the spot, still confusing right and wrong at will. As for the samurai soldiers? Ninjas never take them seriously.

Will the daimyo of the River Country pursue the case? The answer is that as long as the reputation is acceptable and the reasons are high-sounding and just enough, then the daimyo will be happy to remain idle.

Killing people indiscriminately is not okay. "Reasonable" killing, yes.

Noble officials always lie to others. Those in lower positions are good at deceiving others, and those in high positions are good at deceiving themselves.

"Is that so?" I lowered my head and looked at the information, thoughtfully, "What a tacit cooperation."

I raised my eyes and looked at Lan's expression, and then thought carefully about his words and tone.

…I couldn’t hear or see that he was lying. If the facts are true as he said, then regardless of the person who instigated the Hasunuma clan to provoke the Ito clan, at least the originally vague image of the Ito clan has become a lot more interesting.

In today's world, there are only two types of people who can easily wipe out an entire clan and make it a common practice - one is the ninja, and the other is the aristocratic officials. However, the reasons why the two can do this are completely different.

Because a ninja knows he is a ninja.

Because nobles know they are nobles.

Lan is a ninja, born to do dirty work, killing people to see if they are right or wrong, and everything will turn into split blood and flesh with one slash of the knife. noble? Just livestock! Official? Just vegetation! He has killed too many people, and the price of human life has long been clearly marked in his eyes, and the things contained in it have long been lost to the loess with each swing of the sword.

This is the self-knowledge of a ninja.

What about the Ito clan?

Ran did not answer my question directly. He "handed over" the death of the Hasunuma clan into the hands of the Hasunuma clan, along with the victory of the Ito clan.

But it doesn't matter anymore. A soft voice sounded in my head.

It no longer matters who advocated the death of the entire Hasunuma clan. The answer does not always appear below the question - the Ohata clan members in the urn with human heads in the court can no longer close their eyes.

Lan could kill the entire clan, but he couldn't hang more than thirty heads under the eaves of the castle tower without the permission of the city lord.

Then there is the unimpeded, silent peace.

Ito's orders flowed unimpeded.

This is right...this is right. Lan is indeed just a sword, but what he is supporting is not a madman who kills everyone in a rage. Yoichi and the others made a mistake in their judgment of the Ito clan. Everything is planned. The so-called "fake" city lord is calmer and more ruthless than everyone thinks. He clearly knows what he wants and what direction his orders will bring.

Of course, he didn't expect Yoichi and his entourage, Yakushi Nonoyu, and my little gang. We are meant to be outsiders.

It's just...the clearer it becomes, the more confused it becomes. Facing difficulties, eradicating the roots, killing one person as a warning to others, in exchange for... what did you get in exchange? It's an undercurrent of temporary stability - but why is his ultimate goal like this? It was just an ordinary change of political team, but the fact is that the old one has gone and the new one has not come. The official position left by the death of Ohata has been vacant to this day. He even took away the very important official education - in terms of the number of crimes committed by Ito, this one should be the most serious. Even if he died several times, it would be difficult to understand the hatred of the non-commissioned officers.

The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. I originally thought that Ito's trip was just a means of survival for his illegitimate son, but looking at his actions, how could he have the slightest intention to survive? So neat, so ruthless, no matter how you look at it, it looks more like you are begging for death!

...What happened to Kolan? The punishments he suffered... seemed to be more humiliating and venting of anger than a quick death.

I stood by the desk covered with information with my eyes lowered, thinking for a long time, and finally raised my head: "How long have you been his ninja?"

In response, Lan looked carefully: "Why do you ask this?"

"I'm a little curious as to why you became the guardian ninja of the Ito clan."

I tilted my head, put my hands behind my back, and walked slowly in front of him. Using the skylight and warm light, I took a step closer and looked at his head and face carefully.

He is so much taller than me.

I raised my chin slightly.

"Why Ito Shigeo...and not other clan members?"

I asked softly, but my pronunciation was slow and clear.

"Why you and not...the real guardian ninja group?"

The cold light from outside and the warm light from inside intertwined with Lan's faintly pale face, creating a moment of concentration and uncertainty. In the rapid convergence, I didn't let go of his shrinking pupils.

That fluttering clue was caught.

I've changed my mind.

------

Night fell again.

I stepped out of the threshold, but as soon as I looked up, I saw an unexpected face.

"...Mr. Watanabe?" I looked at Watanabe Heiraemon's limbs that looked a bit cramped and unnatural, and then looked up at Kagami standing in the distance.

"'The old site of the official school, three o'clock in the morning'," Jing Yi gestured a few times, "He said he wanted to take us to see your show." 』

I was stunned for a moment, and it took me a few seconds to realize what they were talking about - I had an appointment with Watanabe Heiraemon in the dungeon three days ago to "participate in a grand event" - no one took them seriously at all. At that time, Watanabe Hiraemon and I were smiling on the surface under the atmosphere, but privately we turned around and sold him out in front of Yoichi, and accurately predicted that he would definitely turn around and sell me out. sold.

Sure enough. The only change is that I have been tossing about Ran for three whole days, and I have long forgotten such trivial matters, and this guy Watanabe Hiraemon...

"I really should find something for you to do," I chuckled, "It seems Yang Er treats you really well."

"Your leader told me that now is not the time, so I can only encourage Kyouichi to come to you." Watanabe Heiraemon, who has obviously obtained his status from Yoichi, looks much more relaxed, and Toshiro's face There was even a faint smile on his face: "But I also know that if I call you by name, I won't get a response at all. It's better to use your little brains, make a fool of yourself, and let this brainless man take the initiative to bring me to see you. .”

I gave him a meaningful look - "brainless man"?

If it was Yang Er who brought him to see me, I wouldn't have any doubts, but now it's Jing Yi who brings him here, which is interesting.

Jingyi would not be interested in those trivial matters, and he would not like to see the young officials under his control walking around at will. In front of Kagami, Watanabe Hiraemon couldn't hide any of his little thoughts. He came, but Jingyi thought it was time to bring him to see me, and he didn't bother to expose it.

I looked up and saw that Jingyi was still standing in the distance and had no intention of coming over.

"What's the matter?" I turned around and asked.

"I heard that the murderer who killed the city lord and the teacher is here."

Very calm voice.

The fingers that were rubbing my temples stopped, and I raised my eyes to look at him.

It is a face that smiles like a spring breeze.

But the cold spring breeze that was about to freeze condensed on his outer shell, and his maroon eyes kneaded the suppressed murderous intent into a gleam of light and hid it in his eyes, probably because of the late autumn frost.

------

"I worked as a quack doctor for another day. Although I don't have any medical skills, I tried my best to take care of him. On this point, I have a clear conscience. If you don't win the trust of yourself first, you can't win the trust of others.

"As soon as I take my eyes away from him, I feel a sense of nausea. This feeling was chaotic in the past few days - maybe because I was too frightened and angry to pay attention to it - but now it comes with the return of reason. It became extremely clear, even too clear, almost making me restless.

"He is ridiculous and pathetic. Ito Shigeo clearly died in front of him. His death was miserable, and he still cried out in pain when the blood was flowing all over the ground. It was neither straightforward nor in line with the beauty and temperance of mourning that the nobles admired. Beautiful, yet he is still using the method of resisting anesthesia to prove his...loyalty? Is he mentally ill?

"I think the essence of this behavior is that it intends to achieve spiritual self-comfort through the pain endured by the vagina. Ultimately, it is just self-deception. Who the hell cares whether he is in pain or how much pain he has? ? It can’t be me as the “enemy”, right? If the living don’t care, will the dead care?

"But in the blink of an eye, I thought, if I am as paranoid as I am, as hateful as I am, and if I am obsessed with the pain my enemy feels, am I not just trying to find a sword? Death can be simple, but pain is always long, and yet I have to waste my precious time on this kind of thing. ...On top of this pain of self-deception...!

"I think I am probably very ill. My reason told me all this clearly, and also told me that the best choice now is not to waste time here, but to spin his head off and do what he did again. Like that, let him spend three months to enjoy the scenery from the top of the city.

"But I'm not willing to give in. When I think that he could die so easily, I hate that my whole head is clearer than when I'm awake, and more chaotic than when it's chaotic.

"It's ridiculous. I always claim that I don't like to do meaningless things, but what's going on now? I'm the one who claims to be sober and calm, but I hate it when someone comes up——

"...

"I already have preliminary speculations about the relationship between the Ito clan and Ran, and even the entanglements with the Hasunuma clan and the Ohata clan.

"The Ito family... Ito Shigeo is indeed an illegitimate son. The reason why I am so sure is because Yakushi Nonou has clearly told me that there is no 'Ito' clan in the narrow aristocratic circle of the River Country.

"In other words, it is basically certain that the 'Ito' of the Ito family is inherited from the mother's surname.

"In my opinion, although it is rare for officials to appoint illegitimate children without giving them a surname, there are many possibilities. The good thing is to avoid suspicion and seek a better future; the bad thing is to have a family view and intend to Exiled. Therefore, the Ito family's previous situation really needs to be discovered, let alone whether the situation is good or evil, the people guarding him should be the "Twelve Guardian Ninja" of this line, or the retainers of his father's family. ...instead of...'Ran' who had served Kirigakure ANBU for many years.

"Finally, the Hasunuma clan. The biggest doubt. From breaking the city lord's seal in public to make things difficult, to fleeing from the city like a frightened bird, to being killed by one person.

"Considering the Hasunuma clan's position in the whole incident, there is a high probability that he was ordered by others. However, there is such a contrast between his actions before and after, and it is absolutely impossible to carry out the same will. It must be halfway. What happened caused the Hasunuma clan's thoughts to change drastically in a very short period of time... and in the end, they couldn't even look at each other.

"It is common for lower-level officials to sacrifice their lives to clear the way for their benefactor's cause. However, it may be feasible to sacrifice the life of one person, but it is absolutely impossible to sacrifice the life of a whole clan. The Hasunuma clan must have figured out some key points during the drastic changes. pity……

"...No, since the Hasunuma clan is aware of the drastic changes and its possible consequences, there is absolutely no reason to lead the family to death. Escape with the whole family may be his death struggle, but if the death struggle is only that failed escape with the whole family, It humiliates his political career that has lasted most of his life. Everything is closely related to the Ito family, but because of this, I don't care about anything else. Only this terrifying last step, I have to check it out myself.

"I will investigate the corpses of the Hasunuma clan, the city lord's office lobby in the castle tower, and... I will investigate them one by one.

"...

"Watanabe Heiho is actually quite interesting. He was an ordinary student in official studies, and all he thought about in his life was an official career. After experiencing the whole incident, his mind and ideas were greatly shaken, and it is possible that he could not recover - this It was my original idea - but now it seems... I underestimated him.

“He said he wanted to meet Lan.

"I didn't stop it."