Toshio began walking towards where his family was hiding. En route, he heard similar words being spoken by everyone around him. They talked about how cowardly he was or how gallant Kazuo was or both. He became angrier and angrier. He took a good look at each and every face that talked bad about him and memorized their faces.
Right after announcing a Buffet, the 7 shadow clones of Fujin that had mixed among the citizens began spreading rumors. They spread like wildfire. Since Toshio wasn't present during the announcements, people began believing that it was true. In addition, a few knew Toshio's real face and how greedy and selfish he was. They helped fan the rumors. Within a couple of hours, nearly everyone had heard those rumors and were discussing them. That is why Toshio heard them so easily.
Toshio entered an ordinary-looking house. As soon as he did, two teenage boys and a middle-aged lady looked at him. They immediately noticed his foul mood.
One of his sons asked, "Did something happen father? We heard that Kazuo won and the assassin is dead, so why are you upset?"
Toshio cursed, "That bastard Kazuo has double-crossed me! He is using this to increase his own reputation while ruining mine! He has sights on my position! I'll be going to the mansion right now and put a stop to his plans. You three stay here until I return to get you."
Toshio's wife said, "Be careful, dear. I am feeling very uneasy."
Toshio nodded and said confidently, "Don't worry. He may be a ninja, but he can't do anything to me. Otherwise, the Lord Daimyo will ask for his head!"
His wife and sons nodded and prayed for his health. Toshio began walking towards the mansion while still wearing his disguise. He planned, 'As long as I enter the mansion under disguise, no one will be able to confirm these rumours. I'll dismiss these rumours as foul propaganda and blame it on the ones I saw shit-talking about me. Kazuo, you might be stronger than me, but you are a child compared to me when it comes to scheming.'
He reached the Mansion and became enraged once again! The mansion servers were busy arranging tables and chairs inside as well as outside the mansion to prepare for a huge buffet!
In a rage, he began walking towards the mansion. At first, no one paid attention to him. However, when he neared the mansion gate, one of Fujin's clones' eyes landed on him. Fujin's clone observed him and wondered, 'Why is this guy so angry? And he is bottling it all up.'
Fujin's clone tilted his head and wondered, 'If people could blow up in a rage, I wonder if he'd create a bigger explosion than Deidara?'
As Toshio entered the castle, the maids and servants finally reacted. One maid was standing quite close to him and carrying some plates. She walked towards him and said, "The buffet will be in the evening. Don't come here so early. Don't worry, we will have enough food for everyone."
Though the maid spoke politely, Toshio could feel the disdain in her voice. His face became even uglier. He said in a deep voice, "Do you dare stop me?"
The maid was shocked. Though she couldn't identify from his face, she recognized his voice. She observed his physique and identified him immediately. She dropped the plates in horror and walked backwards. She exclaimed, "Toshio-sama?"
Her words were heard clearly by everyone. They had the same thought - The Rumors were true!
Toshio knew that he would get exposed, but since everyone here worked under him, he knew how to ensure that they stayed quiet.
He looked around everywhere and said in a grim voice, "If a word of this is leaked out, you will have to face the consequences. I don't need to tell you the consequences, do I?"
Not a single person spoke. They were all scared. However, suddenly a voice was heard, "Toshio-sama, why are you angry? Come in."
Toshio turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw Kazuo inside the mansion. He snorted and went in. Fujin led him into his office. Toshio followed him but was confused. He thought, 'Something feels off about Kazuo. It's like he isn't being himself.'
Toshio analyzed but didn't understand why Kazuo was acting this way. Fujin knew that his disguise as Kazuo wouldn't be perfect. After all, he had only seen him for a small time. He could replicate his appearance perfectly. He talked with Kazuo for so long before killing to learn how Kazuo spoke. Unfortunately, Kazuo spoke in a very enraged tone. So he didn't know how he talked or acted normally. So this disguise was barely usable. Fortunately, Fujin was only using it to fool common people. So though a few did find something odd, they didn't consider it too much.
Fujin and Toshio entered the office. Once they were alone, Toshio angrily shouted, "Kazuo? Why did you spread those rumors? You bastard. I paid you so much over the years and you still dare to have greed towards my post?"
Fujin just chuckled in response. His brazen attitude enraged Toshio even further. However, before he could speak another word, Kazuo disappeared and he felt a blow to the back of his head. He immediately dropped unconscious. Fujin muttered softly, "Begin the fireworks."
His clone nodded and disappeared.
Outside the mansion, the servants continued working quietly. They looked like a very disciplined workforce. However, if anyone were to take a closer look, they would notice that the servants were extremely scared. Everyone had grim faces. A servant prayed, 'I hope no one here is foolish enough to leak the truth. Otherwise, that vile person will skin us all alive.'
As they were working, suddenly a loud sound was heard. Everyone looked up at the sky. They were stunned. Despite the Sun still being out, they could see a colorful explosion in the sky. They heard some more voices. They looked around to see more fireworks heading towards the sky. The Fireworks erupted with a resounding crack, scattering vibrant fragments around the bright canvas above.
The people in the city were wrapping up their work in a hurry so as to be free during the buffet when they noticed the fireworks. Soon, most of the people in the city were entranced by it. The unexpected daytime pyrotechnics left the crowd astonished.
The explosions unleashed an array of colors and transformed the sky into a living tapestry of vivid blues, radiant reds and shimmering gold. Each explosion brightened the mood of the citizens and raised their hope for their futures.
A young girl's wide eyes locked on to the mesmerizing display. In joy and wonder, she tugged her mother's sleeve and exclaimed, "Mom, look! It is so beautiful!"
Most kids had similar reactions. They all wanted to go there.
However, the adults were puzzled. They wondered, 'Didn't Kazuo-sama say that the Buffet will be in the evening? Why is he calling us now?'
However, the crowd also had some simpletons and foodies. They thought, 'It is the Royal Buffet. I guess they are inviting us for the Royal Starters!'
With watery mouths, they immediately began rushing towards the Mansion, unaware of the tragedy awaiting them!
Within minutes, the mansion was surrounded by people once again. The numbers instantly reached hundreds and soon crossed a thousand. They noticed that the servants working in the mansion were arranging tables and chairs, but couldn't see any food nearby. However, they waited patiently and eagerly.
Fujin waited for a few minutes for the crowd to become substantially larger. Finally, he stepped out of the mansion. He had a plain expression on his face. He walked towards the mansion gate and slammed his hands on the ground.
'Earth Release: Earth Wall jutsu'
Instead of a vast wall, a small pillar of 1-meter length and breadth but with a height of 10 meters rose from the ground. Fujin jumped on it. The crowd was still noisy. He looked around and squinted his eyes. Immediately, a thick bloodlust emanated from Fujin. It spread towards the people. The bloodlust terrified them. Immediately, everyone looked at him in terror. The crowd went silent. They looked at Fujin with fear and wondered, 'Why is Kazuo-sama doing this? Isn't he supposed to be our hero?'
Fujin observed the crowds and was satisfied with the reaction. The bloodlust terrified the civilians without harming them. He said loudly, "Lord Kazekage has investigated the assassin who killed the Nobles and Sunagakure's ninjas. He discovered that he was aided by some traitors."
As soon as he said it, one of Fujin's clones flickered next to him and handed him Toshio's unconscious body. The people's eyes widened as they realized what was going on.
Fujin said, "Toshio was that traitor. He provided the assassin with critical and classified information. Hence, Lord Kazekage has decided that he is to be executed."
