I, Konoha’s Sage of Life-Chapter 409: Once You Reach Konoha, Even Dying Won’t Be Easy

Chapter 409: Chapter 409: Once You Reach Konoha, Even Dying Won’t Be Easy
For Kazahana Sōsetsu, the so-called armor was something he had never even heard of, let alone understood its function. What he did know was that Kazahana Dōtō had indeed been acting strangely for quite some time, disappearing frequently without explanation.
And besides—
If that man had truly hired a group of shinobi to assassinate him, then what was the point of hesitating now? Should he wait until they finished the job and then hand everything over to Kazahana Dōtō afterward?
Either way, it couldn’t be stopped.
"Konoha has always respected the sovereignty of other nations," Kyoichi said calmly. "Naturally, we’ll help you, Daimyō. The only question is—how far do you want us to go?"
"How far...?"
Kazahana Sōsetsu froze for a moment, then understood what Kyoichi meant.
Was he asking whether they should kill Kazahana Dōtō—
—or resolve it some other way?
After a brief silence, Sōsetsu said, "Leave it to your discretion. I imagine he has something you need as well. I’m not familiar with those matters. But... I do want to know why he betrayed me."
"Of course," Kyoichi replied with a smile. "We’ll make sure the reason is made clear."
Sōsetsu was perceptive—this spared Kyoichi a lot of trouble.
What Kyoichi feared most was Sōsetsu being too soft-hearted, letting Dōtō off with nothing more than a tearful apology. That would only make it look like outsiders were interfering in internal affairs.
Thankfully, Sōsetsu’s mind hadn’t deteriorated that far. His attempts at developing heating systems weren’t just to please children—they were genuinely meant to improve the lives of the people of the Land of Snow.
"Shouldn’t you hide yourselves first?" Sōsetsu asked hesitantly.
He didn’t really understand how shinobi fought.
The Land of Snow was remote and poor. Unless desperate or on assignment, shinobi rarely came here. As the daimyo, Sōsetsu had almost no firsthand experience with them.
In his mind, shinobi combat was still a very traditional affair.
Kyoichi chuckled.
"No need. That kind of rabble doesn’t warrant it. Even if they come in, they won’t see us. You can rest easy."
"Ah... very well."
After a brief hesitation, Sōsetsu chose to trust Tsunade and Kanda Kyoichi. One was a former Hokage; the other was renowned across the shinobi world. People of that stature had no reason to deceive him.
The only question left was—
When would Kazahana Dōtō make his move?
Sōsetsu sat on the edge of his bed, unable to sleep.
He still couldn’t believe it.
His own younger brother... plotting to kill him?
Why?
From Sōsetsu’s perspective, he had never overly constrained Dōtō. In fact, he had delegated considerable authority to him.
By all logic, Dōtō had no reason to betray him.
That was how Sōsetsu saw it.
As his anxiety mounted, he suddenly heard a faint sound.
The next instant—
Whoosh!
With a sharp noise, the window was forced open, and several figures darted in from outside.
Seeing the brightly lit room, they froze for a split second.
Then they rushed forward, surrounding Kazahana Sōsetsu as he sat on the bed.
Four or five figures, all disguised—but one of them didn’t need sensing to be identified by Kyoichi.
Kazahana Dōtō.
Without chakra armor, that physique simply wouldn’t exist.
In fact—
As his elder brother, Sōsetsu recognized him immediately as well. Noticing that Dōtō still hadn’t detected Kyoichi or Tsunade, Sōsetsu felt a strange calm settle in—along with a trace of disappointment.
"Dōtō... is that you?"
"...Hah."
Kazahana Dōtō fell silent for a moment.
Over the years, he had imagined countless scenarios—revealing himself triumphantly after seizing control, savoring Sōsetsu’s shock... or letting him die without ever knowing who killed him.
But never—
Never had he imagined being recognized the moment he appeared.
It was awkward.
And infuriating.
For a moment, Dōtō didn’t know what to say. The others—Nadare Rōga and the rest—looked to him instinctively. After all, he was the employer.
His word mattered most.
"Heh... didn’t expect you to see through me so quickly," Dōtō sneered, removing his disguise.
"Well then, there’s no point pretending anymore. Yes—brother, it’s me."
He laughed coldly.
"You could’ve died in ignorance. Why make things complicated?"
"Why?" Sōsetsu asked.
"Hmph. Ask in the afterlife. Kill him."
With a wave of his hand, Dōtō ordered the others to act.
In his mind, he already saw himself ruling the Land of Snow, claiming its hidden treasures.
But—
Time passed.
The room remained eerily silent.
No movement. No screams.
Dōtō frowned, confused—then saw Nadare Rōga and the others standing motionless, as if possessed. Meanwhile, Sōsetsu sat calmly, unmoving.
What was going on?
The next moment, the mercenaries turned—and surrounded him.
"You—what are you doing?! Kill him! Why are you surrounding me?!"
Panic crept into Dōtō’s voice.
Had they all been Sōsetsu’s men?
Impossible!
If Sōsetsu had that kind of capability, Dōtō would’ve been dead long ago.
Realizing something was terribly wrong, Dōtō spun around to flee—
Only to find himself stuck, as if trapped in deep mud.
Unable to move.
Then—
Two figures emerged from the shadows.
One with long blond hair and an overwhelmingly powerful presence.
The other tall and handsome, with silver hair.
Gold and silver—impossible to miss.
Dōtō’s mind went blank.
Tsunade.
Kanda Kyoichi.
Why were they here?!
"Daimyō," Kyoichi said lightly, "our intel wasn’t wrong, was it? Do you still need these shinobi?"
Sōsetsu sighed.
"Even if you gave them to me, I wouldn’t dare use them."
"Then kill them."
Kyoichi spoke casually.
Shadows moved.
The mercenaries were dragged out of the room as if puppets, the shadows forming blades that pierced straight through their hearts.
As for Kazahana Dōtō—
He still had value. Killing him now would be a waste.
Kyoichi tore open Dōtō’s clothing, revealing a strange, intricate suit of armor beneath.
"As expected—ninja tool armor. You’ve got some skill, developing something like this," Kyoichi said thoughtfully. "But... I don’t think this was entirely your own idea."
Tsunade circled him once.
The structure was far too refined—far too mature—to be something conceived in just a few years.
Dōtō’s expression darkened, but he stayed silent.
"That’s fine," Kyoichi continued calmly. "If you won’t talk, we have other methods. You’ve heard of Konoha’s Yamanaka clan, haven’t you? They can extract memories directly from the mind. And our medical ninjutsu is second to none."
He leaned closer, smiling coldly.
"I guarantee you this—once you’re in Konoha... even dying will be difficult."
A chill ran through Kazahana Dōtō’s heart.
If anyone else had said this, he wouldn’t have believed it.
But after watching Nadare Rōga and the others—those so-called ’jōnin’—die without even understanding how...
He knew.
This was power far beyond ordinary shinobi.