Chapter 74 — "Explode!"
Before the narrow rock crevice, Yami gazed at the young clansman bound by the bone chain.
The Ketsuryūgan in the man's eyes flickered unwillingly, but no matter how fiercely it struggled, it could not break through the sealing power of the Adamantine Bone Chains.
His chakra remained completely suppressed.
"Such a pity…" Yami murmured softly.
His skill with genjutsu was only adequate at best, and the Ketsuryūgan he had obtained through bloodline tracing had yet to produce any results.
Otherwise, he might have controlled this man and sent him back to the clan as a spy—avoiding unnecessary alarm.
Killing him outright would also be wasteful.
After all, he was still a Chinoike clansman who had awakened the Ketsuryūgan.
"Pawn."
[Scan complete. Pawnable item detected:]
[Chinoike clansman (living) ×1 — Estimated value: 100 points]
"Confirmed."
The unknown clansman's body dissolved into faint particles of light and vanished completely, turning into a cold numerical value within Yami's system.
---
Meanwhile—
Inside a small inn in the town outside Hell Valley, A sat by the window, staring into the distance.
Originally, he had thought this mission would be simple.
Instead, it had turned into something complicated.
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked them for an explanation…" he muttered.
But it was already too late to take it back.
This now concerned both Kumogakure's reputation and his own pride.
After thinking through the night, he decided to compromise.
Rather than bringing the entire Chinoike clan back to Kumogakure, he would instead select a few elite members.
That way, he could still save face—and give his father something to report.
"I'll call it… redemption," he thought.
"I'll just take the three strongest ones back. That should be enough."
---
Inside the Chinoike settlement, the search had reached a critical stage.
"Clan Leader! We found something in Jianbi's house!"
A clansman rushed over to report.
Momoe immediately led several people to the small stone hut located on the edge of the settlement.
Inside, they discovered several suspicious items hidden beneath a secret compartment under the bed.
Items that clearly did not belong in Hell Valley:
A finely crafted steel kunai
Several packs of preserved military rations
Even a scroll detailing basic Lightning Release techniques
"…Where did these come from?" one elder asked, voicing everyone's question.
Even more suspicious—
Although Jianbi lived alone near the outskirts and rarely interacted with others, his complexion had always been healthy and flushed.
This stood in stark contrast to the malnourished appearance of the rest of the clan.
Previously, people had assumed it was simply youthful vitality.
Now, it clearly meant something else.
"Search it again!" Momoe ordered sharply.
"Check every corner!"
The clansmen turned the entire stone hut upside down.
Near the cooking stove, they discovered another hidden compartment.
Inside it were even more alarming items.
A secret letter written in unfamiliar handwriting.
Although the message itself was vague, it came together with a detailed map of Hell Valley's terrain.
"It seems…" Momoe said coldly as she stared at the evidence.
"Jianbi betrayed the Chinoike clan long ago and had been secretly communicating with the outside world."
However—
Even after searching through the entire night—
Jianbi had completely vanished.
He had disappeared without a trace.
---
By the next morning, after intense debate among the elders, the clan was forced to reach a decision.
The incident would be declared a case of clan defection.
The assassin would be explained as a puppet controlled by Jianbi through Ketsuryūgan techniques.
All irregularities would be blamed on this single "traitor."
"This is our only option," Momoe said wearily, rubbing her temples.
"Let's hope this explanation satisfies Kumogakure's envoy."
---
On the second morning, after a sleepless night, Momoe sent word to A, claiming that the matter had been "fully investigated."
When A stepped into the Chinoike settlement again, he immediately noticed the difference in atmosphere.
The clansmen's eyes held far less hope.
Instead, they now carried a trace of caution.
"Lord A," Momoe greeted him alongside several elders.
"After our investigation, we have uncovered the truth. Everything was the work of a traitorous clansman…"
She delivered the prepared explanation in a steady voice.
As for the traitor's disappearance—
She deliberately attributed it to Uchiha negligence, subtly placing the blame on their guards.
But A clearly wasn't paying much attention.
When she finished speaking, he directly revealed the decision he had already prepared.
"In that case, the Chinoike clan will remain in Hell Valley for the time being."
The crowd's expressions instantly changed.
Then he continued.
"However, as compensation for this incident, I will take three of your strongest fighters with me."
"Their performance will determine how your clan is treated in the future."
The Chinoike clansmen had been on the verge of despair.
Some had even begun radiating dangerous killing intent.
But upon hearing his proposal—
They were overjoyed.
This might actually be the best possible outcome.
Soon, three of the clan's strongest young warriors were brought forward.
They tried to maintain calm expressions—
But the excitement of finally leaving Hell Valley was impossible to hide.
A's gaze swept across the three of them.
He nodded in satisfaction.
Young warriors who had awakened the Ketsuryūgan at such an early age—
With proper training—
They could become powerful assets for the future.
Chinoike Momoe was about to say something more, but A raised a hand to stop her.
"I'll take these three back to the village," he said. "And I'll have supplies sent here to improve your living conditions."
Momoe's face lit up with gratitude.
She quickly expressed her thanks, hope flickering once more in her eyes.
It seemed the Chinoike clan might still have a chance to leave Hell Valley someday.
---
After leaving the settlement, A and the three Chinoike ninjas began walking toward the valley entrance.
The three clan members couldn't help glancing around curiously at their surroundings.
After all, inside Hell Valley, straying too far from the settlement was often treated as an attempt to defect.
A was just about to say something to break the awkward silence—
When suddenly—
Everything changed.
The Chinoike ninja farthest from A suddenly sprang into action.
In a flash, he drew a kunai from his waist and slashed straight toward the throat of the companion beside him.
Blood sprayed into the air.
The attacked clansman clutched his throat, staring at his assailant in disbelief.
He collapsed dead on the spot.
"Why aren't you moving?!" the attacker shouted at the remaining companion.
The second man froze in shock.
And in that single moment of hesitation—
A reacted.
"Bastard!"
With a powerful forward kick, he struck the bewildered Chinoike ninja beside him.
Even without activating Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the force of the kick sent the man flying several meters away.
He crashed heavily to the ground in the distance and immediately lost consciousness.
But A quickly noticed something strange.
The attacker showed no sign of panic.
Instead—
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Only then did A realize something was wrong.
In an instant, brilliant lightning erupted around his body as Lightning Release Chakra Mode activated at full power.
"Kid," A growled coldly,
"I'd like to see what gives you the courage to play games with me."
The last surviving Chinoike ninja immediately activated his Ketsuryūgan.
Grabbing the corpse of his fallen companion, he hurled it toward A like a sack.
A had already been on guard.
But seeing the man treat his comrade's corpse like that only made his anger burn hotter.
He sidestepped the flying body and prepared to continue the chase—
When the attacker suddenly shouted:
"Explode!"
The corpse instantly swelled like an overinflated balloon—
Then detonated with a thunderous blast.
The explosion roared through the valley.
But A's Lightning Release Chakra Mode made him nearly immune to such attacks.
He forced his way through the explosion, bursting out of the smoke cloud—
Only to be drenched in a rain of blood.
It left him looking thoroughly disheveled.
By the time the smoke cleared—
There was no one left.
The mastermind had already escaped.
And the Chinoike ninja A had knocked unconscious earlier—
Now had a familiar kunai embedded in his throat.