NOVEL WEB Chapter 34: If You're Not Afraid to Die, Come On
Yamanaka Karui said he needed to make some arrangements, and told Black Ape to stay outside the Tenshu Castle to keep in contact with Captain Hippo's squad.
Yako followed Karui inside, assisting with covert operations.
Karui located one of the Uzumaki guardian shinobi and spent half the night drinking with him, chatting as if sharing heartfelt conversation.
Once the Uzumaki shinobi's guard was down, Karui used the Mind Body Switch Technique to completely take control of the Jonin.
Under his influence, the Uzumaki shinobi disappeared deep into the castle.
Yako stayed silently by Karui's side the entire time.
The strength of the Yamanaka Clan's technique was terrifying—he had fully possessed another Jonin-level shinobi.
Half an hour later, Karui came back to himself.
"I'll scout ahead. You shouldn't move freely inside the castle. Wait here for me."
Once Karui left, and ensuring no one was around, Yako took out the scroll Yuuka had given him.
After so long on missions, this was his first real opportunity to study it.
A Contract Seal and the Summoning Technique—one to bind the pact, the other to summon the creature.
He memorized the hand signs and chakra flow, then mentally practiced a few times.
Finally, he pressed his handprint onto the scroll and performed the summoning.
A small egret appeared before him.
He passed the scroll to it, then released the summoning.
He hoped Yuuka would safely receive it and escape the Land of Waves.
Half an hour later, Karui returned.
"Let's go. I've secured control of the Tenshu Castle. Time to tighten the net."
Yako, posing as Karui's subordinate, moved through the castle interior.
Tall walls divided the castle into distinct sectors: the grand hall, administrative quarters, generals' ward, inner chambers, gardens, and more.
Towering wooden pagodas stood everywhere—a dazzling display of the daimyo's wealth.
Deeper inside, Karui approached a compound marked Inner Treasury.
This was one of the most heavily guarded areas of the entire Tenshu Castle—where the daimyo's fortune was kept.
"Lord Karui!"
Samurai guards greeted him respectfully.
Karui nodded and continued.
He inspected the vault entrance, then turned to leave—only to abruptly whirl back.
"Hm? No good! Someone's broken into the treasury!"
The nearby samurai turned pale, looking from Karui to the vault.
"Lord Karui! We just changed shifts—we didn't see anything!"
Karui asked, "Where's the key?"
One key was held by the daimyo, the other by the vault guard. Both were needed to open it.
The samurai rushed to a nearby building and found the keyholder bound by a sealing technique.
"Sound the alarm! Someone has breached the treasury!"
A shrill siren screamed through the castle skies.
Panic swept through all who heard it.
Karui immediately pulled out a pile of explosive tags—at least fifteen—and plastered them on the vault door.
Yako was inwardly amazed. So rich...
Boom!
The tags detonated in a thunderous blast, shattering the door.
As smoke billowed, a figure tried to escape.
Karui and Yako leapt simultaneously.
One to the left, one to the right—they struck down the fleeing intruder.
Karui gave Yako a sidelong glance, impressed. His Body Flicker Technique and kenjutsu were sharp and efficient.
As the smoke cleared, the fallen intruder came into view.
A kunai was buried in his left side, a ninja blade in his right—and most damning of all, he wore the Uzumaki clan crest on his clothes.
The samurai captain cried out in disbelief, "What?! An Uzumaki guardian shinobi tried to rob the daimyo's treasury?!"
The wounded shinobi spat blood, eyes filled with shock as he looked at Karui.
Trembling, he raised a hand to point at Karui—
But before he could speak, Yako moved.
A swift slash with a kunai cut the man's throat.
Karui had used the guardian's trust to take control with the Mind Body Switch Technique. Now, even if the Uzumaki wanted to speak, he couldn't.
Karui, having learned the village's real stance from Black Ape, had no hesitation in setting up the Uzumaki.
Escorted by his guards and remaining samurai, the daimyo arrived at the treasury compound.
Seeing the blasted door and the dead shinobi, he stepped nervously toward the Konoha delegation.
His voice trembled with confusion and fear, "What happened?!"
Karui declared, "My lord! An Uzumaki guardian attempted to steal from your vault. I caught and killed him in the act!"
The daimyo stared blankly at the body, then turned sharply toward the captain of the Uzumaki guards.
"I've heard you're trying to rebuild Uzushiogakure. Were you planning to fund it with my treasury?!"
"No!" the Uzumaki captain protested immediately.
"I would never do such a thing!
Fulfilling missions is the first duty of a shinobi. If we abandon that principle, who would ever trust a rebuilt Uzushio?"
But no matter how much he explained, the daimyo no longer believed him.
He turned to the Konoha shinobi.
"Konoha, seize the Uzumaki guardians!"
The captain realized there was no reasoning anymore—he couldn't die here.
Throwing down a smoke bomb, he and the other Uzumaki guards vanished into the shadows.
Karui quickly issued orders: "Three of you stay with the daimyo and protect him. I'll pursue!"
Yako followed closely.
Karui wasn't fast. He kept a wide distance, clearly trying to track the guardians to their allies.
Soon, Captain Hippo arrived with the rest of the Anbu.
Yako felt a twinge of unease.
Why are the Uzumaki running along rooftops so openly? Shouldn't they be sneaking away in silence?
The group chased them beyond the city walls.
Just as they leapt off the ramparts, Yako spotted a massive number of Mist-nin approaching from the flank.
The commotion had drawn them out as well.
A Longspear Egret swooped overhead, dropping a scroll from the sky.
From afar, the Uzumaki captain shouted, "You want the Elder's sealing scroll? Come on then! If you're not afraid to die—try me! I'll die, sure—but I swear I'll take you all with me!"
The Mist-nin vastly outnumbered the Konoha forces—two full squads versus just one Anbu unit.
They became the primary pursuers.
The three groups surged across the wilderness.
The Land of Waves lacked large mountains to block oceanic air currents—so rainfall was sparse. Except for a few green areas along the coast, it was mostly dry wasteland.
The Uzumaki, leaving Kyoto, suddenly turned and plunged into the desolate badlands.
The Uzumaki guardians charged recklessly, heedless of their lives.
But for the Mist and Konoha shinobi, logistics had to be considered.
"Do we have enough ration pills?"
"Did we bring enough water?"
The captains took inventory of their supplies.
For the Konoha Anbu, the Mist-nin were now the biggest threat.
They absolutely could not allow the sealing scroll to fall into Kirigakure's hands.